The band was on a stint.

It started with a petty argument that spread quickly, a pretty nasty one. It was inevitable during their albums about their relationship troubles that someone would go too far or something being mass internalized for later. Something like that could've been fixed a bit easier, but that wasn't what had happened.

An article about Anna had been published by a reputable magazine about the trans culture feeding on stereotypes and confusing the minds of young children.

Hazel and Adam were ready to burn down someone's house; to which Steven said there was no reason violence was needed when there was a much easier way to do things; which caused Jacob to scoff and drop a beta joke at the wrong time. Jasmin thought everyone was being stupid about a meaningless article from some nobody; Connie agreed they should just drop it, making multiple accuse of her sitting on the fence; which pissed off Steven and got the men shouting at each other and the women annoyed and telling their men to lower their voices and arguing with each other and so on and so forth.

There was a heavy almost-silence between many members of the group, complete with almost everything but a verbal "Hmph!" It was their first fight as a full band ever, and that put everyone on edge enough to make it drag out longer in fear of repeating the same mistakes that got them there in the first place. Meals went uncooked, dishes were washed passive aggressively, and every form of intimacy between any of them came to a screeching halt.

It ended with Steven being found lying at the bottom of the pool, still as night.

Jacob screamed, "Oh my god, someone help!" and Adam burst out a few seconds closely trailed by Jasmin and Connie.

"Steven!" Connie was about to charge in as well but Hazel grabbed her shoulder. "Let go!"

"He actually knows how to do it!" He snapped, holding her to his chest from behind. "Stay!"

Connie looked toward Adam, who sweatshirt and all dove in with the precision of an olympic swimmer to retrieve him.

That startled Steven who sat up fast as he erupted into pink. Water didn't slow him when he was having a trauma response, so Adam's head smacked against his mid-dive and Steven pushed off the bottom to bring the stunned man to the top over his shoulder.

By the time he had set him on his back onto the concrete next to the pool and pressed his ear to Adam's chest, Jacob was being consoled by his other tearful and confused friends.

"What happened?!" Connie cried.

Steven held up his hands in shocked confusion. "I- Adam fell into the pool!"

Adam sat up slowly and wiped his face off. "We thought you'd drowned." He was shaken, pale, and apparently nauseous. Water spilled from his mouth and Anna ran to press his head into her thigh and rub his back.

Jasmin and Alex were trying to get through to a now completely expressionless Jacob, his knees pulled up to his chest protectively as he half glared into the pool.

Steven couldn't get rid of his glow but he approached Jacob, recognizing the haunted look in his eyes. "You guys. Back off a little." They obeyed and gave him room to kneel. "Dude, I'm okay. I promise."

The man took a deep breath and forced a nod. "What the hell were you thinking, Universe?"

Steven grinned. "Why didn't you jump in? You hate me that much?"

"Can't swim," He chuckled.

"I have a song!" Anna blurted and soon eyes were turned on her. "I-I mean..." She rubbed Adam's head and frowned at the ground like she was the one in the wrong. "Sorry, I just... didn't know when to drop it and we were all here together again."

They exchanged glances and Steven patted Adam's shoulder. "Are you good to get up?"

"I feel like shit and I'm really cold." Steven picked him up and nodded for Anna to lead the way. "I'm fine. Why are you carrying me?" Adam sighed when Steven shot him a look. "I feel ridiculous."

"You were actively experiencing drowning symptoms. Your lips are blue. Your eyes are bloodshot." They sat and Steven pressed his lips to his neck, secretly enjoying the smell of his cologne he had missed.

Jasmin pressed a hand to Adam's cheek. "Yikes. Looks like being short's about to bite you in your ass. Welcome to The Bad Circulation Club."

Adam tried to push out of Stevens arms to stand but he held on tight. "Oh my god."

Connie glanced between Steven and the computer. "What?"

"I've heard this track before," He murmured in awe. "I was going to... It was for Allison."

"Shit," Adams strength overpowered Stevens and he sat up groggily. "Don't worry we'll–,"

"Shut up," He snapped, scooting over to adjust a few dials and turn up her mic. "Let her sing."

Anna wasn't even using the standing mic, she'd tucked them in the corner so she could pace anxiously. She had nervous energy and determination like no other written on her face. "History
Yeah, There's a lot between you and me," She turned to face them like she was giving a speech.
"My brain is scrolling like a wheel of fortune
Landing on the most pleasant of memories," She drew a smile out of them as she raised her pinky and mimed drinking tea. "More sugar please~
Hard to let go
We got so high together, dropped real low," They shifted uncomfortably but couldn't bear to look at each other.
"We fucked it up so many times, rewind
Can we just go back to when we had dropped the ball?" Anna searched their faces and stepped a bit closer, making sure they couldn't ignore her if they tried to.

"I just wanted you to love and caress me like a damn queen," She curtsied and they instantly felt guilty. When had Anna even been able to get a word in edgewise? Had they even been listening to her when she talked?
"After all, I gave you a throne and my blood is hella fancy," Her beautiful blue eyes were dark with irritation even as she started to tease them.
"Step up at your game and just pull down my panties
Pillow fight then pillow talk then eat a bunch of candy,"

"She's so cute," Adam mumbled. "Fuck."

Anna smirked like the cat who ate the canary as she pressed her hand against the glass. "Yes, my candy and your candy
S'why I like you 'guys, you're nasty," She winked.
"Not afraid of letting go and that is why we make a great team
Fuck all the drama, ain't good for our esteem
Let's delete all the negatives until we're finally clean."

"This is beautiful, and so Anna." Steven drew in a deep breath. "I'm done fighting. I simply refuse."

"History, we're so afraid of fucking repeating the same mistakes
It feels like fate when it is great
But then we bring about the hate and fall right off the swing."

"Me too. I don't think a single one of us asked Anna what she thought."

Anna suddenly turned on them and motioned for them to listen closer. "Buckle up
If you weren't ready, why did you sign up?"

"Ouch?" Jasmin asked awkwardly. She didn't know if she should be hurt but Jacob grunted.

"Mhm."

"Don't be a ballsack, be a pussy," She flexed her muscles and giggled.
Strong and unbreakable since humans came about."

Jacob chuckled and nodded his acceptance. "I'll say it: I'm sorry. Not that I think we should be apologizing to anyone but her."

"Can we stop throwing tantrums at each other?
Playing ping-pong with our hearts, it's a bummer," She truly pouted a bit there. A very large part of her missed their mutual adoration of each other being unsnuffed. She missed Connie's lingering kisses, she missed the boys always patting her on the head and babying her. She missed all the girl talk with Jasmin and making forts together as a band just to giggle and whisper about nothing for hours like teens. She never got to be a teenage girl, and most of them had missed childhood for one reason or another. When they were together, the wounds weren't so open. "I am right here, won't give up on you, ever," She told them.
"Promise you there is good shit to discover."

"Steven's not crying," Hazel joked. "This is weird. I don't know how to respond now cause uh... I kinda want to."

Jasmin scoffed and squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn't cry. "I'm so glad I'm not a softie like you guys."

Anna smiled wanly when they huddled close and hugged each other no matter how awkward the angle they were currently in. Then they thought better and Adam staged a very romantic kidnapping scene, which was then taken over by Hazel when he hip checked him and they fell to the floor. The puddle of laughter and pained groaning grew in size until they decided to smoke some weed and just talk about it. No more finger pointing or accusations, they were going to listen to Anna and what she had to say, not talk over her as if they knew any better.

She was right, there was simply too much history to throw away there.