“If we hurry you can probably still go on stage and sing,” Antoine said with hope as he opened the door for Leona and went charging into the Fame Theater. She grabbed his arm and tried to keep up his pace while in her high heels.

“Wait, wait, wait,” she said full of apprehension and she pulled him to a stop in the theater's lobby. “What if Illyana doesn’t want me to?”

“I’ve known her for a long time. Illyana is champion grudge-holder, and stubborn as the Hells, but I know she wants to win above all and deep down she knows that you are they key to being victorious. I think that Orbinson girl knew it too and that's why she tried getting you to drop out.”


Leona didn’t look so sure. Antoine pulled her close and set his forehead against hers, “You can still show them all that you are the best singer in the region and you don’t need a Mayor’s Ball to do it.”

“Thank you,” she whispered and stole a quick kiss, feeling a renewed determination. Her voice had been begging all night to be let out in a song.

“I’ll be watching out here,” he let her go with a grin and showed her the way to the Green Room but didn’t follow her in. Instead, he headed back toward the theater seating.

When she entered, she found herself face-to-face with the band that she had bailed on.


The Thackery sisters seemed pleased to see her as evident by their smiles. Alarie had confidence in her ability and the whole reason Leona was even there now was because of Alanna. Alanna had called her brother and told him about what Evelyn Jane had admitted. Leona had no inclination what Alanna had sacrificed for that truth.

Illyana crossed her arms and didn’t seem as pleased to see her, but didn’t look surprised either. They must have told her that Leona was on her way and it looked like they were still in the middle of trying to convince the guitar player of letting Leona sing.

“I won’t sing if you don’t want me to…” Leona began, hoping it wasn't true but knew to expect some static from Illyana. It wasn't going to be so easy.

“We already have a singer,” Illyana bit curtly and gestured toward Alanna with a tilt of her head.

“I can sit this out, I don’t mind,” Alanna insisted.

“We’re performing a new song that you don’t even know,” Illyana obstinately stated, still seeming to try and find a reason not to allow it.

Alarie gave Illyana a light shove in the shoulder, “Come on, we know the old song just fine. We can still play that. We practiced it more than the new one anyway.”

Illyana narrowed her eyes, not taking them off Leona for either rationalization from the sisters, “Why should you be able to to sing after what you did?”

There was so much vitriol in Illyana’s voice; it wasn’t like her to be this hostile. Leona had known Illyana for a long time too and she would bet that something else was on Illyana’s mind that made her extra grumpy but there wasn't time to suss out how much of her anger was real toward Leona and how much was pent up and caused by a different factor.

“I told you I was sorry!” Leona frowned. She felt like Illyana was being unreasonably angry. Leona had tried to make it right already but it was Illyana who refused to cooperate.

“Would you still be sorry if you actually were singing at that snobby ball right now?”

“Yes,” Leona replied sharply, “I was being selfish but I didn’t take the gig to hurt you, I did it because it was a chance to achieve my goals. Surely you can understand that much?”

Illyana gave a nod, “I can understand it, but it doesn’t mean it was the right thing to do. You were my friend and I was depending on you."

Leona's frown dissipated, realizing just how much she had hurt Illyana. She reduced the defensiveness in her tone and asked quietly, “I’m back now. Can’t I make up for it?”

Illyana sighed then nodded affirmatively, “Yes. We’ll play the song we were originally going to play but we haven’t practiced it for a few weeks so you better bring your A-game.”

Leona stopped herself from giving a squeal of joy but Alarie still lifted her hand out to Leona and they high-fived.

“Good luck, I really mean it!” Alanna smiled and gave Leona a quick, supportive embrace. Leona had never been that close to Alanna but the youngest Thackery sister had always been very cordial and kind to her. She thanked Alanna and then watched her depart from the Green Room, presumably to watch them play from the theater side with Antoine. They quickly got to work discussing the changes needed to make it so they could perform their original song, the one from before Leona ditched, and that Leona and Illyana had written together. Leona was bristling with excitement, she was finally going to get to sing!

When their band was announced, Illyana lead the way to the stage. They walked headfirst into bombastic cheering. They were one of the later bands to play so the crowd was already primed and enthusiastic for more music to be played.


Illyana adjusted the strap of her guitar over her shoulder and still held a stern anger in her eyes. She was upset that Nick had basically broken their friendship off and made it sound like it was her fault. She had tried to engage him–to ask what his deal was, but he had retreated to a corner of the Green Room to wait for his band mates to come back and ignored her entirely. She could have slapped him for the stubborn way he was behaving. The least he could do was explain to her why he was so suddenly livid with her. She had given him that courtesy at Sweet Marie's.

Illyana came out of her pensiveness and realized she had been playing guitar for a few minutes already. The competition was supposed to be her priority and leave it to dumb Nicholas to distract her from it. She saw that Leona was belting out lyrics and Alarie was going to town on the trap set - they had let loose and were having a blast while Illyana was standing there looking tense and hassled.


Leona’s soul seemed to be aflame with music as she strutted across the stage, pointing at the audience before ultimately closing her eyes to bring out the high range notes from deep within her.

The crowd ate up every bit of her stage presence.

Illyana could see this is what Leona was born to do. While she could admit to herself she had been harsh with Leona, she knew her reasons were valid. Her friends were precious to her and she would do anything for them as long as they treated her with the same respect. Losing Nick’s friendship was hard, and re-losing it was just as hard. She couldn’t lose Leona like that, so maybe after this was over she would let Leona know that they were still friends. Illyana closed her eyes and purged Nick from her thoughts, breaking free from her worries and joining her band mates in the galvanizing movement of their music.


The crowd went wild as Leona dropped to her knees and reached out grabbing the air and singing like something invisible was going to steal her voice if she didn’t end the song in a long, sharp, note.

Illyana smirked, she doubted anyone at the Mayor’s Ball would have appreciated that kind of showmanship. Leona wasn't meant to sing for stuffy elitist elders, her voice should be a known and appreciated sound among everyone in Kashmire.


After watching some of the later bands play, Franz had exited the building, emerging into the city night speckled with building lights and what stars that could be seen against the dark sky. He had left though, as soon as the band Alanna was singing for was announced to perform. He didn't have the heart to watch that. Luckily, the competition's coordinator had agreed to let him leave his instrument at the theater until he could pick it up because he surely wasn’t counting on Evelyn Jane to bring it back to Isla Del Kashmire after what he had done.

The rain from earlier that afternoon gave the area a damp smell, not entirely pleasant but not the worst of smells. He wasn’t sure what to do now that he had cut ties with the band. He’d still play bass next year in the orchestra, but probably not much more than that. Music wasn’t his passion; it was just something he had been good at–a skill he had learned that was of a leisurely use.

If his memory was correct, there was little book shop nearby. He didn’t often come to Memosa Bay because it was too long of a ride by bus in his opinion. He could get to the library in half that time. He tapped out a search for bookstores in the area on his phone before finding one three blocks away. It was in the opposite direction of the bus stop but it was still open. He needed a new book, a literary distraction to keep his mind off the day’s events. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and continued down the sidewalk in the direction of the book shop.

"You’re not staying to see who won?”

He slowed his stroll and looked to his right to see the biggest distraction of all.


Alanna was sitting by herself on a piece of the building’s foundation.

He gave her a long, wary look and then finally noted, “You’re not singing.”

“No,” she agreed.

“I don’t understand.”

Wasn't that the whole reason she had feigned interest in him and Reggie?

She sighed and brought her knees up to her chest, seeming to retreat into the farthest reaches of the shadows, “I’m sorry, Franz, you must think I’m a horrible person.”

He knotted his brows and found himself moving closer to her, wanting to try and understand. Who was she, really?

“Is it true?” he asked, "that you were only interested in trying to make Reggie and I mad at each other?"

He remembered clearly how miserable and unconvincing Alanna had sounded admitting it and to Franz, Evelyn Jane’s word was not to be trusted on principle. He wanted the truth.

“No,” Alanna replied quietly, “I only said it because Evelyn Jane wanted me to make you and Reggie stop fighting over me and play well together again."


Franz lifted his knee so his foot was on the foundation, and in an easy move, he raised himself so was standing next to where she sat huddled in the corner. He looked down at her form; she still looked miserable. She had always been so warm and welcoming, it was jarring to see her this way.

“I don’t like you like that,” Franz said bluntly.

Alanna looked up at him. He was towering over her, his arm muscles were pronounced but not bulky and his hands were curled into fists, and the shadows were covering most of his face so she could only make out the faintest hint of blue in his eyes. She could see how everyone thought Franz was intimidating, though, he probably didn’t mean to, “I barely even know you.”

“Oh,” was all she said and she turned her head, thinking the same could be said for her, “That’s fine. No one really does.”

“Reggie certainly liked you,” Franz noted. Reggie obviously, despite his denial, still liked Alanna in some capacity to get so bent out of shape at the thought of Franz and her hanging out.

“No, I mean no one really knows me," Alanna explained bitterly, "I don’t have any close friends. I guess I just always felt more comfortable holding people at arm’s length and it’s my own fault. You were probably the first person I’ve ever met who can carry on a good conversation about books. Everyone else just thinks it’s a boring topic.”

Franz could relate to that sentiment on every level. Reggie had always been his ‘friend’, but not because of genuine mutual interest. He knew Reggie thought himself superior in every way, so he’d hardly call Reggie a ‘close’ friend at all, just the closest thing to a friend. Most of his life, no one ever really took notice of him. Alanna had. He knelt and put an arm over his knee to lean toward her, “Alanna…”

She met his eyes. Her expression was a mixture of sadness and surprise because it was the first time she’d ever recalled him say her name.

“There’s a book shop three blocks away. Do you want to join me?”


Her face transformed into that warm smile he was used to seeing on her.

“I’d love to,” she replied and he took her hand to pull her upright. “Does your dinner invitation still stand?”

He nodded solemnly, just thinking of the crazy scenarios she'd be put in from meeting his family.

While neither of them said a word as they walked side-by-side down the street, they were both grinning because maybe now they’d finally have a friend worth getting close to.