1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Kinsey was a seasoned performer but her heart was pumping extra hard in her chest as they walked on stage that night. It wasn't even a particularly big stage - perhaps only a couple of hundred people in the crowd - but tonight she had an inexplicable feeling like the stakes were high, for her personally, and not just the young woman walking on in front of her.

It had all started two weeks ago when she'd seen the tiny flier attached to a noticeboard at Aloha. In neatly printed handwriting it just said Girl drummer/singer wanted and a number. Kinsey had been coasting up until this point, playing in a couple of bands, never quite finding a good fit. There was zero information on the flier as to the who or why of the situation but if Kinsey ever had to sum herself up in just three words girl drummer/singer would probably be a good contender.

She was, she hoped, a lot of other things too. Even just musically: Kinsey played guitar, bass, piano and keyboard. Her voice was trained too - all of it at Juilliard, no less - though she found she was better off keeping that information on the down- low. There was a kind of reverse snobbery that she came across in the Nashville scene, like being self-taught or innately talented as a birthright was naturally superior to formal training, no matter how good it made you.

She'd called the number and was pleasantly surprised to hear another girl answer the call, and one who seemed - so far, at least - more or less normal, so she'd met up with her in a cafe in downtown Nashville.

Cassidy was around her age or maybe a little younger. White, small, and blonde, she was extremely pretty in a weirdly familiar way that Kinsey couldn't quite put her finger on. At first she wasn't quite sure what to make of her as they faced each other in a window booth seat, each holding onto drinks for something to do with their hands. Cassidy told her that she hadn't performed live yet - literally ever - but she also seemed comfortably confident she could pull it off. She was both nervous and sure of herself.

"Why a drummer-singer?" asked Kinsey. "That's super specific."

Cassidy smiled as she stirred her coffee.

"The song I want to sing at the open mic needs a rhythm section. And some back up vocals would give it more depth. I figured two birds, one stone. Plus," she added, "I know a drummer who sings and it's always seemed like a killer combination."

Kinsey nodded. She thought so too.

"So," Cassidy smiled, "where are you from?"

Kinsey tried not to sigh. It was the number one question she got asked by everyone she encountered, usually followed up with but where are you really from? Her skin was golden-brown all year no matter the season, her long hair a sleek black, and her big brown eyes had just enough of a hint to them that made white people look twice before they just had to ask.

"I moved here from New York," she said. "But if you mean where was I born, then Chicago," she anticipated the next question before it could get asked. "And yes, I'm American and English is my first language. But if you mean what's my ethnic background, then my mom is Filipino and my dad is white."

Cassidy went slightly pink.

"I just meant your Yankee accent," she said. "You're obviously not from Nashville."

"Oh," Kinsey said, not entirely convinced. "No, I'm not."

"You get that stuff a lot, huh?" Cassidy seemed to be commiserating, which was interesting for a conventionally attractive, all-American, Tennessee white girl.

"Literally always."

"People can suck," she shrugged. "My boyfriend…" she trailed off, her eyes flicking up to Kinsey's and shook her head. "I kind of get it, in a way. How long have you been in Nashville?"

"A year," Kinsey said. She'd been just about considering maybe getting a tiny crush on Cassidy - she really was unbelievably easy to gaze at with her big blue-gray eyes and full lips - but the boyfriend comment put an end to that idea. Mostly. She told Cassidy about the other bands she played in, the other musicians she supported. "I guess I'm just looking for a better fit, you know? Someone I can really work together with to make some great songs."

Cassidy considered her.

"Do you… maybe want to go give it a try?"

Since neither of them seemed to be an obvious psychopath, Cassidy came over to Kinsey's apartment, her guitar in tow. With just a hint of nerves she played Kinsey a song she'd written, the one that she was planning to perform. Kinsey had sat on the floor of her living room and listened, then nodded thoughtfully.

"You know," she said slowly, "I think that just might be one hell of a pop song."

Cassidy's hopeful expression collapsed into a frown.

"It's not supposed to be pop, " she said. "It's a country song."

"Sure. Country pop." Kinsey smiled. "It's a compliment, not an insult. Hear me out. Try it like this," she tucked herself behind her drum kit and tapped out a faster tempo. Cassidy looked at her dubiously, but she started strumming again, this time in rhythm with Kinsey. Just as her vocal kicked in, Kinsey began a harder beat, like a racing heart. Cassidy kept pace. She looked startled. The longer she kept up, the more Kinsey had to hold in the manic grin she was feeling on the inside.

When the song finished, they were both breathing faster.

"Holy shit," Cassidy said, her eyes wide.

"Right?" Kinsey pointed at her, the grin spilling out. They ran through it again, this time with Kinsey joining in on some ad-libbed back-up vocals and when they'd finished Cassidy was the one smiling.

"So…" she said, her eyes bright. "Do you want to work together?"

"Absolutely," Kinsey said emphatically.

By the time the open mic had rolled around they'd practiced together a handful of times, including fooling around with a couple of other things Cassidy had been working on. Kinsey could already feel a tingle of something in the air, but she reminded herself not to jump ahead. Cassidy had literally never performed before. There was still time for this all to fall apart.

"Welcome to the stage, Cassidy Carver!"

She followed Cassidy up and took her place behind the drum kit, willing Cassidy to keep it together. She'd been fidgety as hell, trying not to bite off her own lip during the act before them until Kinsey had hissed lipstick , making her stop. She saw Cassidy's posture straighten now as she pulled the guitar over her head and when she turned her head to check for Kinsey's nod, her eyes were clear.

Cassidy strummed the first notes and Kinsey jumped in with the drumbeat. Cassidy belted out the first note and just like that, Kinsey felt it, the thing she'd been seeking when she'd up and moved to Nashville, the thing she'd been looking for her whole damn life.

Cassidy's voice was strong, clear and bright as a bell, like she didn't even know how to sing a bum note. Her blue eyes sparkled in the spotlight and her golden hair bounced. Her guitar work was solid yet playful and the song was a killer. Kinsey watched from behind the drum kit and saw the crowd loving her. Cassidy, whoever she was, wherever she'd sprung from, had the it factor all over her. She didn't even look surprised at the roaring reception, though her smile was devastating. Cassidy knew exactly what she was and Kinsey wanted in. All in.

First prize was $500 that night, and zero part of Kinsey was surprised when Cassidy's name got called. She was surprised when Cassidy sought her out at the bar afterward and handed her $250.

"Oh no," Kinsey said, shaking her head, "that was your song, your big debut-"

"You made that song what it was," Cassidy interrupted, breathlessly. She was clearly still on a high from the performance and the win, but honestly Kinsey's rent was due so she wasn't going to fight it. "We're on, right?" she asked, "we're gonna be a band?"

Kinsey felt her heart speed up, her face splitting into an unstoppable grin as she nodded. She bought Cassidy a beer and they clinked their bottles to cement the deal. People kept interrupting them to say congratulations and Cassidy seemed to literally sparkle under the bar lights as she thanked them. It was probably fortunate for Kinsey that a moment later an extremely good looking white guy with a swoop of dark brown hair slipped in beside them. Cassidy's face lit up as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing a warm kiss to her cheek.

"Lane," Cassidy said, "this is Kinsey. Kinsey, this is my boyfriend Lane - oh - and their friend Aria." She smiled widely as a pretty Black girl with long silky locks and warm eyes appeared alongside.

"I think by now you can call me your friend too." Aria smiled back. "They don't get dibs on me."

Kinsey blinked, noting the pronouns and took a second glance at Lane. She felt Cassidy's gaze assessing her and quickly opened her mouth.

"Nice to meet you," Kinsey greeted both newcomers with a smile. "You must be literally dying of pride right now," she addressed Lane, and their gold-brown eyes shone.

"I knew she'd kill it," they said. "It's the first time I've even heard her sing, but she's great at everything she does so I'm not surprised she was fucking amazing."

Cassidy bit her lip and smiled, and the look they exchanged between them left Kinsey not quite sure who she was most jealous of: Lane for being the one who got to take Cassidy home, or Cassidy for how extremely she was clearly going to get it tonight. She managed not to sigh and met Aria's eyes instead. Aria looked back. And for a second, it looked like all might not be lost for Kinsey that night after all.

Unfortunately though, despite the flicker of interest, Aria was actually straight, or at least clearly not inclined for anything more than friendly flirting despite Kinsey's best attempt at charming her. The four of them wound up at a table by the bar, laughing like they'd been friends for years.

Cassidy's older sister - a drop dead gorgeous brunette who somehow still looked quite like Cassidy despite their opposite coloring - dropped by to say goodnight, along with her wife, both of them clearly glowing with pride for Cassidy. Kinsey felt warm all the way through. Not only was her new bandmate shining with star potential, but she was surrounded in queer people and at least kind of queer-adjacent herself, which made it so much easier for Kinsey to casually come out as well, though she suspected Cassidy already thoroughly knew it.

Then, her breath stuck in her chest. Noah fucking Lyman was in this bar, along with Coral fucking Sanchez. Literally her two biggest idols, part of the reason she'd been inspired to move to Nashville in the first place. She fought the urge to pinch herself at the sight of the two of them in the flesh. Not only that, but they seemed to be approaching their table, shoving Kinsey's heart firmly into her throat. She watched, her jaw slightly unhinged as Coral - impossibly tall and impossibly glamorous - came all the way up and wrapped her arms around Cassidy, giving her a kiss on the head. Noah gave her a goofy fist-bump, both of them murmuring congratulations to her before drifting off toward the door. Kinsey stared like she could see literal stardust trailing in their wake.

"What the fuck?" she said to Cassidy, her voice coming out in a croak. "Do you know them, or did you just happen to get congratulated by a couple of musical geniuses?"

Cassidy's glowing smile seemed to stutter.

"Oh, I hardly know them," she said, waving a hand nonchalantly. "They're obviously just really kind to newbies."

"I'll say," Kinsey stared at the door where they'd disappeared, still knocked sideways by the brush with fame, barely listening as the subject got changed around her.

After that, the whole night just seemed touched by magic: the buzz of a great performance, the glow of new friendships forming, the under-current of lust sparking in the air, the brush with genius, the immense potential shining everywhere she looked. The four of them proceeded to get quite drunk, eventually ending up at Losers where they danced to the band with abandon. Cassidy and Lane made out ferociously on the dance floor before bidding them both goodnight, clearly unable to keep their hands above the clothes for a single second longer.

Kinsey woke up alone, and hungover, but the magic still felt like it was tingling. She was on the cusp of something big, she could just feel it.