Chapter 12: A Step Forward, A Step Closer

  I logged in a little early for the band meeting on Discord, adjusting the light and camera to get the best angle—a new habit I’d picked up, wanting to look my best as Dani. Jeannie logged on a few minutes after I did.

  “Hey girlfriend! Oooh, you’re wearing the white top! It looks so cute!” She was talking about the white pointelle top I’d picked out when we went shopping at the mall st week.

  “Yeah, I was afraid of getting it dirty in Logan’s garage, you know? But I’ve been wanting to wear it,” I said enthusiastically, adjusting my hair on camera. Jeannie’s grin made me feel seen, a small comfort after dinner’s tension.

  “I can see wh—” Just then the guys started joining the call. Logan’s excitement was infectious. “The owner loved our st gig,” he said, grinning. “He’s offering us a weekly residency—every Friday and Saturday night for the next month, with an option to extend another month. It’s a big step up, more exposure, more fans!”

  Everyone started talking at once, the energy electric even through the screen. Finally, Scott, always the practical one, jumped in. “How much are we getting paid?” Logan shared the amount, and our collective jaws dropped—then came cheers and whoops. It was several times more than the scraps we were making at the Nail. This was real money. This was, move-out-of-my-parents’-house-someday kind of money. A real start.

  I wonder if Jeannie would want to share a pce after she graduates? I pictured us in a tiny studio, shopping, hanging out, practicing our music. Then it struck me—in every scene, I was Daniele. I just assumed that moving out would mean transitioning to that. Not just for the band but, for real. Before I could fully process that, I realized that more gigs meant more nights away from home, more excuses to make up for Mom and Dad. My heart raced at the thought—what if they decided to show up at the Firehouse? They’d see me as Dani, and everything would unravel.

  “What about you, Dani, is Thursday gonna work?” Logan asked, everyone looking at me expectantly, but I’d been lost in thought, no idea what he was talking about. Warmth rose to my cheeks, embarrassed that I hadn’t been paying attention.

  “Umm… Thursday?” I began, stalling for time, hoping someone would fill me in. Just then, Charlie joined the call. “Hey guys… girls… sorry I’m te. What did I miss?” I breathed a sigh of relief for the reprieve, typing a quick PM to Jeannie to ask what was happening on Thursday.

  Logan answered before she could reply. “I was just telling everyone about the rehearsal and light check on Thursday afternoon. Maybe you could give more detail, Charlie, since you’re producing this thing.”

  “Yeah, for your YouTube video, I want to get some footage of the band practicing, hanging out, random stuff. We’ll mix that in with performance footage from Friday and Saturday nights. Want to introduce the world to you all. But I was wondering, what kind of story do you want to tell about yourselves? When I was in Medicine Creek Rebellion, we were about honoring our ancestors, the Nisqually and Puyallup who resisted being forced onto reservations. Our ancestors fought in the…”

  “OUR story,” Kyle interrupted, his tone sharp. “Except for me, the band were all high school friends. That’s kind of a cool story, right? Like U2 or Pentatonix?” Charlie looked slightly flustered, his smile faltering for a moment before he recovered quickly, a flicker of irritation in his eyes.

  Scott, Jeannie, and Logan nodded, liking the idea. “Yeah, that is cool,” Charlie said, his tone lighter. “Friends from high school forming a band. Are you guys like ABBA—two couples, boyfriends and girlfriends?” He pointed at Jeannie, me, Scott, and Logan.

  “No,” I said, maybe too abruptly. “None of us are dating. Scott and Jeannie are brother and sister. Logan and I are… friends.”

  “You’re telling me none of these three guys is dating you?” Charlie said, looking at me with that widening smile.

  I felt my cheeks grow warm, a flutter in my chest at his attention.

  “I think we’re getting off the subject,” Logan said. “It’s a good idea, Charlie. Just like people know the Beatles got together as teenagers—bands need a story.”

  Logan continued, “We’re going to have to put in extra hours this week, okay? Expect practice to go longer—a lot longer. We gotta give a solid performance, let the owner of The Firehouse know that st weekend wasn’t a one-off. Plus, we all know how important YouTube is.”

  Everyone groaned. As the others grudgingly agreed, I hesitated, my voice quieter. “I’ll have to check the bus connections, Logan, at that time of night…”

  Kyle frowned, his voice cutting in quickly. “That part of Tacoma can get sketchy at night, Dani. I could give you a ride home,” he offered, his tone steady and kind.

  “Well…” I hated to inconvenience him, but it would save me over a half-hour each night. I didn’t know that part of old Tacoma well, but if it was anything like Pioneer Square in Seattle, I didn’t want to be alone there after dark. I gnced at Kyle’s face on the screen, his smile kind and reassuring. He was always like this with me—generous with his time, a quiet support I could count on, unlike Charlie’s pyful flirtation that set my heart racing. I’d need to find a way to show my appreciation.

  “Problem solved,” Logan said with finality. We moved on to discuss the new material we needed to practice, my mind racing—school, rehearsals, te nights… I gnced across the room at my guitar case. It was already nine o’clock, and I hadn’t looked at the chords for the song we’re rehearsing tomorrow. I groaned.

  The meeting ended, leaving me buzzing with excitement—and a flicker of fear. The band was growing, becoming something real—just like I’d dreamed. But with growth came pressure, and I could feel the cracks forming already, in the way Kyle cut Charlie off, in the extra hours Logan expected us to give. I considered going down to the kitchen to make coffee, but in my skirt and makeup, it was way too risky. Instead, I tapped “Medicine Creek Rebellion” into Google, curious about Charlie’s story. Soon I was reading about the Medicine Creek Treaty of the mid-1800s, how the Puget Sound area tribes were cheated out of their nds and given tiny reservations, leading to a conflict a few years ter—the Battle of Seattle. Wow, that was so cool! I couldn’t help but feel a thrill at the thought of asking Charlie about it on Thursday, imagining his crooked smile as he shared more of his story.

  I smiled, thinking about Charlie’s flirtation. What a flirt that guy is! I thought. My eyes nded on Suzie, a doll I’d had since I was a child, sitting on my shelf with her faded floral dress. Even Dad never questioned me keeping her, not with her history. “Charlie,” I said to Suzie, walking over to brush her tangled hair, a habit I’d kept for years. “That remark about none of the three guys dating me…” I ughed softly, then paused, a memory flickering—a young girl’s voice, so faint, asking me to take care of Suzie if anything happened to her. I shook my head, the past too heavy tonight, and pced Suzie on my desk. I grabbed my guitar, strumming softly as I sang a few lines of our new song, letting the music carry me to a world where I was fully Dani, free and unhidden. Suzie listened patiently, as she always had, her faded ribbon a quiet witness to the girl I used to be—and the one I was becoming. The tartan skirt in my closet caught my eye, a symbol of the life I longed to live fully—and the secrets I still couldn’t escape.