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chapter sixteen
" So hard to find my way
now that I'm all on my own
I saw you just the other day
My, how you have grown "
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NOW PLAYING: "BROWN EYED GIRL" by VAN MORRISON (1967)

___________

THE MEDIA IS NOW obsessed with the fact that award-winning songwriter Aurora Marquez and chart-toppers The Six are close friends. Before Rory knows it, her boss at the grocery store approaches her during her shift and asks, "Is this you?" while holding up a magazine. It's open to a spread about the Grammy Awards, labeling Rory as the "songwriter responsible for blowing out speakers and tearing into our hearts with the Sticks 'n' Stones hit single, 'Bloodshed'." There's a photo of her making her acceptance speech, teary-eyed and white-knuckled at the microphone while she grips onto the statue.

Then she starts getting recognized at the store and decides to quit for her safety. To her surprise, her boss pulls her into a hug after she clocks out of her last shift, telling her, "You're gonna go far, kid... Well, I 'spose you already have."

It's a bittersweet moment when she makes her way out. She'll never walk the squeaky linoleum tiles as an employee ever again, never climb a shelf to stock merchandise, and never fill her arms with song lyrics as she mindlessly moves through her routine aisle after aisle. This is a place of so many memories. When she glances down aisle fifteen, she can see the ghosts of her and Graham dancing around with their hands clasped, chanting, "AL — BUM! AL — BUM!" She can hear the dull thunk of the can of diced pears hitting Teddy's foot. She'd secured this job when they hardly had enough money to feed themselves, and now they have more than she'd ever imagined.

Rory passes the magazine section, remembering when she'd seen Fred Weisz's face for the first time on one of the glossy pages. Now she startles upon seeing her name on a headline: "WHO IS AURORA MARQUEZ? The songwriter who took everyone by surprise at the Grammys is friends with The Six." She almost laughs at the absurdity of it all. When she skims the article, nothing of substance is written other than her involvement in the SevenEightNine album with "Heartstopper" and the time she replaced Graham onstage in Austin. Not that she'd expected anything interesting; neither she nor the band were interviewed, so there isn't much of a story to tell. They even refer to her as a "Pittsburgh native".

She suspects it's the growing media frenzy that has Walter sending her off to Oahu, Hawai'i, for the Diamond Head Festival of Life with The Six.

The bus's intense rattling makes every one of Rory's bones shake, her teeth chattering in her skull. One of the lanterns lining the windows smacks her in the head when they hit a crater in the dirt road. Despite these factors, elation courses through her veins, and she can't stop smiling so widely that the apples of her cheeks begin to ache.

"Hey, Steve Miller Band, The Dead? Shit, these guys are all here?" Warren reads from the festival brochure in his hand.

Rory leans her arms across the back of the seat in front of her, which has a crochet blanket thrown over it. She scans the list for other memorable names, but she only recognizes the ones Warren has already pointed out.

"Where are we?" Graham asks, also squinting at the pamphlet.

Warren points to the very bottom of the list, where their name is printed in a smaller font along with the lesser-known artists who will be performing. "Right there, brother. Check it out!"

Even Billy leans across the aisle to get a glimpse. The excitement in the trembling bus is palpable, each of them thrilled to have been invited because of their growing popularity. Are they on the bottom? Yes, but at least they're there.

"Whoa," Warren says. He points out the window, his attention unable to be contained on one thing for long before it jumps to something else. "Hey, take a look."

Rory copies Billy's action of leaning over the middle aisle to peer through the fluttering curtains. But it isn't enough to see everything, and soon Billy is hauling her to the other side of the bus, plopping him in his lap so they can all press their faces to the glass like children in a candy shop. Graham and Karen push their window open to get a better view of the festival grounds.

This part of Oahu is not what Rory had expected when she'd pictured Hawai'i. She had imagined it would be tropical, but the path they'd taken from the airport had been all dirt roads and canyons— not too different from their life back in Laurel Canyon. The only vegetation visible is the scraggly desert plants that cling to the mountainsides in patches.

She wipes her clammy hands onto her dress. The heat has smothered the bus, so she's glad she'd packed something light and airy. Her red bohemian-patterned mini dress has bell sleeves and a flowy skirt that ends at her mid-thigh. Having figured it would be windy, she'd used a white ribbon as a headband to keep her hair out of her face. Her feet are already sweating in her platform boots.

She's going to be performing with the band again today.

Back in Austin, when she'd filled in for Graham, she'd told them it was a one-time thing. Her exact words were, "I am never doing that again." But the label wants the publicity. Seeing her onstage with The Six will be good press for both of them.

"Think of it this way," Walter had said, "you'll be reminding the public that you're a triple-threat: not only are you an award-winning songwriter now, but you can sing like hell and play instruments, too."

Rory is mostly doing it for her friends. If her appearance can bring more people to their set, she'll fight her fears and get on that stage.

The festival grounds are marked by a gazillion cars, tents, umbrellas, and people. Even though it's early in the day — The Six will play at one in the afternoon — there are already crowds packed together. It makes the riot of butterflies in Rory's gut grow more violent. As they wait backstage for their turn to go on, she shakes out her trembling limbs and gratefully downs the shot that Karen passes her. It burns all the way down, but it'll loosen her up.

She'd been right about the wind. Every gust blows the thick scents of marijuana and cigarettes their way, making her wrinkle her nose and turn her head. Luckily, the smokers are far enough that only the acrid stench reaches her, not the smoke itself, so she doesn't dissolve into a hacking fit.

"Excited to actually see you perform this time," Graham says, pulling her into his side and rubbing his hand against her arm supportively. "You nervous?"

"No," she lies. Her voice betrays her by wavering.

"You're gonna do great, Ror," he assures her.

If only her nerves would believe that.

Billy, who had been talking to Teddy, does a double-take when Daisy climbs up the steps to the stage, his expression souring. Rory is about to greet her when he pulls them into a huddle.

When Rory puts her arm around Graham's shoulders, he complains, "Ah, ah, the sunburn," and she lowers her grip to his lower back. She'd forgotten how his pale skin turns lobster-red after the tiniest bit of sun exposure.

"Are we ready?" Eddie asks.

"All right, who are we playing for?" Billy asks.

"Roberto Clemente, baby," Warren replies.

"This one's for Mom," Graham says.

"Mis abuelos, always," Rory chimes in.

Eddie ruins the sentimentality of the moment by adding, "Free beer."

"Pittsburgh on three. Ready?" Billy says. They all place their hands in the middle of their circle. "One, two, three."

"PITTSBURGH!"

Rory notices Daisy staring at the crowd from the seclusion of the wings, the breeze blowing through her long waves and tangling them. She's also dressed in loose clothing with a gossamer kimono over a knit crop top and tiny denim shorts. Her style is as carefree as her attitude, a pleasant smile on her face as she regards the audience.

"Hi, Daisy," Rory says, joining her at the banister.

Daisy turns and smiles. "Hey. I heard you're joining them onstage, too. Guess we're both publicity stunts."

With her name tied to their number-one single, it's no surprise that Teddy asked Daisy Jones to appear on the bill as well. The label wants to get the band as much attention as possible since this is their first festival. They'll ride out the popularity of "Look At Us Now" as long as possible.

"Guess so," Rory agrees with a shrug, "but I'm doing it to support my friends and have fun with them. You should make sure to have fun as well."

She notices Billy approaching and pulls a face at Daisy, mumbling, "Good luck," before heading back to join the rest of the band.

"Here," Graham says, putting the strap of her guitar over her shoulder. "Don't wanna forget that."

"I wasn't going to forget," she tells him, adjusting her grip on her instrument.

She'd thought she was just going to play "Heartstopper" for obvious reasons, but Teddy had convinced her to stay for most of the set. It's not going to be as long as a typical one on tour, and the only new thing she'd had to learn was "Look At Us Now", so it's not like she's unprepared.

She and Graham had practiced for what felt like ages, perfecting the way they were going to play. If not done right, having two guitars can sound messy, and it would look weird if only one of them played while the other person just stood there for an entire song. They'd finally decided to use a dual-lead approach. Graham will play a lower note while Rory does a higher one, which will sound especially great when Daisy sings and her voice complements the instrumentals.

It's just up to Billy to work with what they'd decided on.

"All right!" The announcer exclaims into the microphone, causing a fresh wave of adrenaline to flood Rory's body. "We all know and love this next band from their hit single 'Look At Us Now', and joining them is a certain little songwriter who shocked us all at the Grammys this year. Let's give it up for The Six!"

Billy has been trying to act nonchalant about this performance, but Rory knows he must be nervous. It's his first time going onstage since he's been to rehab. No matter how antsy she feels, he's probably feeling it ten times worse.

Reaching out, she gives his hand a supportive squeeze and notices he's trembling. He gives her a closed-lipped grin in appreciation. Then they release each other and follow the rest of the band onstage.

As expected for an early afternoon performance, the crowd isn't as big as it's bound to get later, but it's definitely a sizable amount. And there isn't the comfort of darkness to cover the last few rows with shadows. She can see every face that stares up at them. She can see the people who aren't watching but instead are gathered near the food and drink tents. The heavy stage lights only add to the already sweltering heat, and Rory has never been so glad for mini dresses.

The first song is "Flip the Switch," and Rory finds it comforting to play such a Dunne Brothers classic. Billy's smooth vocals echo throughout the canyon when he starts to sing. She's pleased to find that he looks comfortable, as if stepping onstage was like returning to a second home. If he can look so at ease, then so can she.

As Rory steps up to the microphone to sing the backup vocals, she tries to keep her eyes on the horizon instead of the crowd. Two guys are playing frisbee and it's terribly distracting to watch the orange disk spinning back and forth.

And when had Warren gotten a lei? She hadn't seen him put it on, but when she glances back, a necklace of mauve and white plastic flowers sits around his neck like it had appeared out of thin air.

As their instruments fade out, marking the end of the first song, it's Rory who does a double take at the sight of Daisy this time when she marches onstage. She does a mental run of the setlist in her head. They'd settled on playing "Look At Us Now' fourth, so why is she here already?

But Rory's confusion melts away to fascination as Daisy steps up to her reserved spot downstage. Her arms are lifted over her head, and it's like a switch does flip, because the audience's cheers become deafening at the sight of her. In a matter of seconds, she has captivated the entire crowd.

Rory has never seen anything like it.

"Daisy. Daisy," Billy says, trying to get her attention. "I said fourth."

She pays him no attention and clasps both hands onto her microphone. "Aloha."

One word. Just one word, and the people go wild again like she'd made some magnificent speech. Rory's appearance attracted more people throughout the song, but Daisy's voice has people sprinting from the vendor tents, practically tripping over themselves to watch.

Billy's smile is gone. His mouth is set in an irritated frown as he turns to the band and mouths, "Look At Us Now," probably hoping that once they play it, Daisy will get off the stage.

The "single version" of the track cuts out the long instrumental intro, so Billy's vocals start a mere second after they begin playing. Rory sways along like she had when she'd first heard the song, her fingers poised to play the higher notes.

Billy's post-rehab stage presence is the epitome of control. Before, when he'd lost himself in the alcohol and drugs, he'd gotten down on his knees, jumped around, and even rolled onto his back a few times, every movement wild and unpredictable.

Daisy is the opposite. She moves with a sort of fluid grace as if letting the music flow through her body, moving her arms back and forth while she sings like they're imitating gently flowing water. When the song picks up in tempo, she takes her mic off the stand and jumps around. Then she puts it back and gets everybody to clap to the beat. She's constantly moving, and Rory finds it almost impossible to take her eyes off her.

She catches Billy smiling a few times but doesn't know if he's putting on a front for the crowd. Is he lost in the music as well, or is he picturing himself throttling Daisy for not listening to him? Not even Rory can tell.

Even if he is secretly irate, can he deny that Daisy's energy is intoxicating? Contagious? Everyone in the audience is jumping and clapping, and Rory has completely forgotten that she was ever nervous in the first place, her cheeks once again aching from how hard she's smiling as she jams on her guitar next to Graham.

After the song ends and the crowd explodes into applause, Billy says, "Daisy Jones, everyone!"

Daisy bows. Warren tosses her his lei, and she throws it somewhere into the crowd, where about five people fight over it. People are chanting her name. They're losing their shit.

Billy's smile starts to fade when he notices that she's not getting off the stage. In fact, she's approaching her microphone again. "You guys want me to stay for one more?"

It's obvious that the answer is yes with how the crowd bellows in response.

Billy glances back at Rory and jerks his head meaningfully. She understands his unspoken intention. He wants to play "Heartstopper" next, probably hoping to place more attention on her and less on Daisy.

"This next one was written by my lovely friend here, Rory Marquez," Billy says, gesturing back to her. Rory waves, blushing when people cheer again. "You know her, you love her, and she's here to play with us today. Sing along if you know it."

Warren counts down with his drumsticks. The instrumentals explode into "Heartstopper," but already, Rory can tell that nothing is going to keep Daisy from being Daisy. She moves her arms along with the guitar, taps her cowgirl boots to the drums, and looks to be having the time of her life.

She does seem to be taking a step back in acknowledgment that it's Rory's song, though, staying out of the backup vocals. But Rory soon waves her over anyway. Daisy slings her arm around Rory's shoulders, leaning down into her mic because she's so much taller, and the result is explosive.

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RORY: I didn't think that I was doing anything special by having Daisy sing with me. I just wanted her to have fun with us, like I told her.

BILLY: It was Rory's song, and Daisy still made it all about her.

RORY: I think the audience cheered the loudest then, because Daisy was making us look like best friends, and her energy was rubbing off on me.

I can't just listen to music and sit still, you know? I always feel it somewhere in my body, and she does, too.

GRAHAM: I remember kind of laughing, you know? Because Daisy is pretty tall and so she had to bend down to reach Rory's mic, but she made it look natural. I think they sounded great together. Someone's gotta have that video on tape somewhere, and you'll see what I mean. They were so different, but they fit so well onstage.

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The crowd practically begs Daisy to stay, much to Billy's dismay, so she sings "Look Me In the Eye" with them as well. She seems immune to Billy's increasing annoyance. It's starting to show in the tightness of his shoulders and the crease between his brow, but only those close to him could see those telltale signs. When she joins him at his mic, Rory half wonders if he's going to physically kick her right off the stage. Then she realizes that, even if he did, Daisy would probably just start crowd surfing.

After the set, Rory is sweating and tired, but also elated. She high-fives Graham and Eddie before they all thunder down the steps backstage.

"All right," Graham says, "was it just me, or was that, uh...?"

"Not just you, dude," Eddie assures him.

"Come on!"

Rory clambers down the stairs more carefully, trying not to trip over her shoes. "Don't wait for me, or anything!"

"You were incredible out there," Karen says to Daisy. "I mean, every time you moved, they just lost it!"

Giggling, Warren says, "A girl flashed me. Lifted her shirt, and there they were."

Rory's grin fades. When she reaches solid ground, joins the others, and turns around, she sees the sheer excitement on Warren's face upon seeing a random pair of boobs. It seems like that had made his day.

It feels like Nashville all over again, when Rory had watched him practically drool over signing a girl's breasts. No — it feels even worse now that she's aware of her feelings for him.

Later in the day, when the sun is at its peak over the canyon, shining golden light across the festival, the band gathers for a televised interview with the world's most incompetent reporter. He wears a perfectly-pressed tan suit even in the heat and his brown hair is styled in a perfect comb-over across his forehead. As the camera beside him rolls, he points his microphone toward them when he desires a response to his stupid questions.

Stupid question number one: "Your first single, and it hits number one. I mean, how do you top that?"

Rory frowns. A beat of awkward silence passes before Billy replies, trying to be affable even though annoyance lurks in the undertone of his voice, "Well, this isn't our first single, but, uh... Yeah, I mean, we have an album out, SevenEightNine."

"That's the one with the song?"

She has to force herself not to look behind her and share an irked expression with Graham, keeping her expression placid for the camera.

"I think we're just happy that everybody's digging the song, and — and we're happy to be here," Daisy jumps in, trying to keep the interview from going south due to the reporter's clueless nature.

But Billy, always desiring control, cuts her off before she can continue. "Yeah, sure, it was, uh, great watching them sing our words. It was pretty incredible."

"And you—" Rory blinks, straightening upon realizing that the man is addressing her now, "You helped them write it? Another award-winning track, maybe?"

Rory sputters a bit. "Oh, I didn't — No, I didn't help write this one. That was all Billy and Daisy who made the magic happen."

She hopes her smile doesn't look like a grimace. He hadn't even bothered to use her name. She wonders if he even knows it, or if he's only aware she'd just won a Grammy.

But if she's making an odd face, he doesn't seem to notice. "So, what do you have planned for an encore?"

"Well, Daisy has her own stuff going on, and, you know, we're not really looking for..." Billy trails off, deciding to restructure his reply. "Look, as much as we loved having her sing on our song, that was more of a one-time thing, so...."

Having her sing on their song? Billy hadn't even acknowledged the fact that Daisy's revamped lyrics were the only reason that Ellenmare even picked The Six back up in the first place. Rory's chest burns. She recognizes this all too well. Even after the "Heartstopper" disaster, Billy can't seem to give other people credit where it's due.

After the interview concludes, Rory turns to Billy and hisses, "That was a real dick move," and marches back toward the bus.

________

a/n:

oh warren, you are so clueless. you can't just announce your joy about being flashed in front of the girl who is basically in LOVE with you🙄

also i wanted to avoid using gifs of lucy gray for as long as i could because she's different from how i picture rory, but alas, i started running out of other gifs. so just pretend that her hair is straight and she's in a canyon instead of the meadow i guess ??

— kristyn

( word count: 3.8k )