Page 56 of The Lodge

Alix:So the rumors are true? There’s tension there? Between you and Sebastian, I mean.

Jett:Do I really need to confirm that? I thought it was obvious.

Alix:I like to give the benefit of the doubt.

Jett:Let me make it very clear. Sebastian Green is cancer to the band. You can quote me on that.

Alix:I, um. I’m not sure this is exactly the sort of interview Jason had in mind to promote your tour?

Jett:All publicity is good publicity, right?

[0:05 silence]

Alix:With all due respect—if you’re that unhappy, why don’t you walk away? Go solo, start your own thing?

Jett:With all due respect, mind your own [microphone malfunction] business. No one walks away from the sort of life I have. Why shouldn’thebe the one to leave?

17

The book is still open to old photos of Tyler—ofJett—when a text vibrates my phone.

I hope you’re still asleep, but just wanted to let you know I’m up and can help with Puffin or breakfast or whatever, he’s written, along with a yellow cat emoji.

An hour ago, I would have turned to a puddle of heart-eyed goo at it.

Now, I cannot for the life of me reconcile the fact that Tyler—who absolutely would punctuate his texts with adorable emojis—is one and the same as Jett Beckett.

Jett Beckett was notorious for many things, none of them adorable.

If I had to describe how those of us in entertainment journalism perceived him back then, the words that come to mind areon edge. My entire job the year I spoke to him was to cover True North, as their tour was so massive—my coworkers usually complained about how lucky I was, how fun my assignments always were.

No one—and I meanno one—envied my task of interviewing Jett Beckett.

The day of the interview, they got me a gigantic bouquet of black roses along with a gift card to the wine bar down the street. “For later,” my boss said morosely as he handed it to me.

I gave everyone in the office a hard time, told them surely Jett Beckett couldn’t be that bad.

He was that bad.

It wasn’t just me, though I’m not sure that makes it any better. That was just how he was. Witheveryone.

Rumor had it that the smallest things would set him off. Changes in the set list, changes to his daily agenda—anything Sebastian did. Where Sebastian thrived on the band’s collective fame, Jett warped under the spotlight they shared. Their manager had given them both front man status, and for better or worse, their loathing chemistry worked: Sebastian was the golden boy, and Jett the shadowy rebel. It was good publicity,greatpublicity. Everyone loved to pick sides—it was a whole thing. I would go so far as to say their electric rivalry was one of the essential elements that propelled them to the level of fame they ultimately achieved.

Until Jett disappeared and it all came crashing down.

How did I not realize it was him sooner?

Some of it has to be contextual: take the famous skateboarder who never gets recognized in plain clothes at the airport (or anywhere), for example—you don’t necessarily expect to see a megastar in the aisle of your neighborhood drug store, or on your daily jogging route, or while on vacation. Maybe they’re dressed differently—or maybe they’ve purposefully altered their entire look to make themselves utterly unrecognizable.

You certainly don’t expect to see someone who’s been missing for more than eight years… just… casually teaching ski lessonsat a posh resort. Especially not when his onstage persona was the polar opposite of an outdoor adventurer.

You don’t put it together that this daydream of a human who makes you dinner when you’re locked out—who takes you on the most creative, magical dates—who offers to feed your cat at five in the morning—could possibly be one and the same as the nightmare who so condescendingly commanded, mid-interview:Bring me some water, love.

As if I were some sort of servant, not a member of the press trying to give his band publicity during their tour.

And I cannot emphasize enough how Tyler really does not exude boy band energy anymore. How he is the very definition of hiding in plain sight—he pulls it off because he’s done everything in his power to blend in. Whereas Sebastian is a walking trend, committed to reminding the world that they should want his autograph, his very presence shoutingI am THE Sebastian Green!everywhere he goes, Tyler couldn’t be further from that.

If you’d asked me to describe Jett Beckett in a single word after my experience sitting down with him for an interview all those years ago, the word would’ve beenego.

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