Hey, babies! It's Sage. This will be my first story on this site so wish me luck! Also, please comment, but no flames. I respect criticism though. I don't have a beta or anything yet…. So bear with me! If you have any tips for a n00b like me, just leave them in the comments. Thanks!

XOXO,

Sage

"You should never be embarrassed by your trouble with living, because it's the ones with the sorest throats who have done the most singing."

― Conor Oberst

Chapter 1:

Mail Jeevas let out a long sigh. Of course, no one really called him Mail- In fact, he hated being called that. For starters, it was spelled 'Mail' like letters delivered from a post office, but pronounced 'Mile' like to run a mile. So to anyone who knew him, he was just Matt.

And Matt needed a smoke. Now.

The long plane ride from his hometown to L.A. had him fidgety. Come to think of it, he never really liked planes in the first place. But that didn't matter, at the moment. Matt would have swam to L.A. to do what he was about to do. Fortunately for him though, he was escorted via plane.

Ever since Matt was young, he had wanted to be a singer. He was constantly told that his voice could soften even the most calloused of hearts. All Matt ever did was sing. And play video games. And smoke. Ok, so he wasn't singing all the time, but pretty damn close to it. The only problem was, his parents didn't exactly approve of this hobby of his. Not that they approved anything Matt did these days.

The most certainly did not approve of Matt quitting his job to be on a fucking game show. Though in his eyes- which were always covered by bright orange goggles- The Song was his chance. His chance to follow his dreams; his chance to leave his hellhole of a home.

The Song was a game show where singers of any age had a chance to be a published artist. They would sing in front of a panel of blindfolded judges. If the judge took off the blindfold while the singer was preforming, said 'singer' would be on that judge's team, and the judge would serve as their mentor for the remainder of the game. Matt had hoped to get at least one judge to take off the blindfold; he dared hope for two. Matt knew he was a decent singer, but the competition was pretty intense. And, he wasn't the most confident person when it came to preforming on stage. To put it bluntly, Matt had self-esteem issues.

A flight attendant asked him if he wanted a drink or snack, disrupting his thoughts. He quietly shook his head 'no', mentally adding that he wanted a cig, damn it!

Shortly after, he pulled out his 3DS and decided to play Legend of Zelda for the remainder of the flight- about fifteen minutes. The only thing that could distract him from his craving was video games. Video games were his safe haven, a place to retreat among fictional heroes and magic. Submersed in his game, he didn't have to worry about his performance within 48 hours. It was make it or break it, especially in his case. He still laughed bitterly about when he had received his letter:

Matt had been exhausted, after his extra-long shift. He need the money to buy the latest PSP game. Plopping his back onto his bed, he tried to ignore his parents yelling at each other downstairs. They had always fought, to his knowing. Then, he heard a sickening clap and figured his dad had slapped his mom. Not that he really cared that much, they both had beaten him regularly. His eyes never left the ceiling.

Ding, dong. Both parents stopped their yelling. It was almost a peaceful silence, like being in the eye of a hurricane. Quietly, as not to let his parents aware of his presence, Matt gingerly went down the stairs until reaching the ground. His mother had opened the door to what looked like a god of death.

The figure wore black, torn-looking clothes and a jagged grin to match. Un-natural, red eyes took in his mother and father, who both gaped at him, as well the camera crew behind him. In his pasty, almost-green hand was a letter; a letter Matt had known was for him.

Because the gothic figure in front of them was Ryuk, official Host of The Song. Suddenly, the creature cackled, as if someone had just told him something really funny.

"Is this the home of Matt?" Ryuk asked between chortles. Mr. and Mrs. Jeevas stared blankly at him. The only other person living in their house was Mail, who definitely didn't go by Matt. Or so they thought.

Quickly, Matt shuffled up to Ryuk, said a small thanks, and walked back to his room, where he had already packed a bag should this have happened. It was best to get as far away from his parents, who were the only ones to really call him Mail. Yet another reason why he loathed the name.

Matt glanced out his window to see Ryuk and his camera crew leave. Hopefully, they wouldn't show footage of him receiving the letter, which read:

Matt Carter,

Congratulations! Since you are reading this, it means that we have watched the video you sent in and have decided you may have what it takes to be on The Song. In this envelope is one plane ticket to Los Angeles leaving at 7 p.m. tomorrow. The expenses of the ticket and hotel room have been paid for, courtesy of The Song. There will be a chauffeur waiting for you at your destination.

Good Luck!

Then, all hell broke loose.

"Mail Jeevas, please come down honey."

Now, that may not seem like hell, but understand, Matt's parents were always calm before they beat him to oblivion. Knowing what was coming, Matt braced himself mentally, grabbed his bag, and walked down the stairs with his chest puffed out.

"Matt, what the hell just happened back there?!"Mr. Jeevas screamed at him, before attempting to slap his son across the face. Matt had been expecting as much, swiftly ducking and proceeding to exit the building. Mr. and Mrs. Jeevas were shocked to say the least. Neither spoke a word. That has been the first time the mistake they called a son had ever refused a 'disciplining.'

With a final turn of the head, and a "rot in hell", Matt was out of there for good, he hoped.

Now Matt was on a plane, heading to L.A. The night before he slept on a park bench, and it's a wonder his parents didn't go after him. It almost seemed fake, and had he not pinched himself, would have seemed like a dream. Now all he had to do was win over the judges.

The seat belt sign dinged, and the pilot said they would be landing. Matt could not find himself more relieved. He ran a hand through his fiery, natural red hair. Packing up all his stuff and turning off his 3DS, he couldn't help the butterflies that had decided to use his stomach for a punching bag.

Getting of the plane took almost no time, fortunately. Soon after, Matt found himself breathing in the nicotine and feel its magic course through his body. Much better. Since the letter had stated that he would be picked up by a chauffeur, he looked around for anything that could indicate where he would be picked up.

A man with grey hair and a thin frame stood by the exit. In his hand, he held a sign with the name 'Matt Carter' on it. Matt figured that was him, considering there weren't that many Matt Carters in the world. Or, maybe there were. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure.

"Are you Matt Carter?" The old man asked.

Matt only nodded, for some reason he could not find it to talk. He feared that if he said something, he would wake up back in his old shitty bedroom, and Matt deeply wished he would never have to see his old room again.

The old man must have understood his predicament, because he simply nodded in return and gestured for Matt to follow him. So followed him Matt did; all the way to a shiny limo waiting outside. His eyes widened to the size of saucers- thank god no one could see him through his goggles.

The man held open the door, and Matt slide in gingerly. The limo was almost intimidating it seemed, with its fine leather seats and glowing lights on the roof. It was on the verge of overwhelming, Matt had decided.

The ride was fairly short, but it felt like hours. The anticipation was eating Matt alive piece by piece. By the time they got to the hotel, Matt was a nervous wreck. He stepped out of the car. It was time to face his destiny. Whether he failed or not, his life would change forever.

Matt just hoped it was for the better.

So yeah, you know the drill, R and R.