by Kellen Hertz
“I’ll make time,” I said. “I know how important this is to you and your family. You and Holliday worked so hard—and I was just focused on my music.”
Jaya looked down at the floor. “I never would have expected you to give up playing at the brunch, you know,” she said.
“I know. But the truth is, I was being selfish,” I admitted. “I should have helped out more with the book drive.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Jaya said. “The book drive was a lot of work, and when we didn’t raise enough money I got really disappointed and angry—and I think I was just looking for someone to blame. It wasn’t fair of me to expect you to care about this as much as I do.”
“But I do care,” I said, my voice catching in my throat.
Jaya’s face broke into a wide smile. “I know—I can tell!” she said with a laugh. “I mean, you’re planning a whole benefit concert to show it!”
“So you like the idea?” I asked.
“Are you kidding?” Jaya said. She came around the table and threw her arms around me. “I love it!”
As I hugged her back, it finally felt like things were right between us.
After school that day, I took Jaya and Holliday to my dad’s shop to start planning. Once Dad and Mason were done ringing up some sales, I told them about our idea for the benefit concert.
“I thought we could do it two weekends from now, right here,” I explained, pointing to the small stage at the front of the store. “I mean, as long as it’s okay with you, Dad.” I gave him my best pleading look and clasped my hands together.
Jaya and Holliday did the same right behind me. “Please?” we all said sweetly.
“Well, how can I say no to that?” Dad asked with a chuckle. “Besides, the store could always use some extra publicity.”
My friends and I jumped up and down in excitement, giving one another high fives.
“But if you really want this concert to happen in a couple of weeks,” Dad said, “we have a lot of things to figure out.”
Everyone started talking about plans at the same time. It took less than a minute for me to feel overwhelmed. There were a ton of details I hadn’t thought of, from advertising and bathrooms to how many people the store could hold.
“I’d say you can fit about a hundred and twenty-five people if we move all the records and music bins to the storeroom,” Dad said.
“How many tickets do you need to sell?” Mason asked, watching me scribble down notes.
“As many as possible,” Jaya chimed in. “We need to raise nineteen hundred dollars for Mina’s school.”
Mason punched the numbers into a calculator behind the counter. “Nineteen hundred dollars divided by a hundred twenty-five tickets … they’ll have to be about fifteen dollars per ticket.”
Dad whistled. “That’s pretty pricey for a benefit show,” he said.
“That means we need to have music that’s worth the price of admission,” Holliday declared. She turned to me.
“You said you could ask Portia to play a set, right?” Holliday said. “That’s a start.”
“It is, but Portia can’t be the only act,” I replied. “Hey, maybe the Tri-Stars could play!”
Our family band hadn’t performed in a few months, but to me this seemed like the perfect opportunity for the Tri-Stars to reunite. At least I thought that until I saw Mason shaking his head.
“No way!” Mason objected. “If I’m helping you run lights and audio, I can’t play drums, too. I don’t have four hands.”
“We’ll have to hold off on the Tri-Star reunion this time,” Dad said. “But, Tenney, you should do a solo set.”
I bit my lip and looked at Jaya, afraid that she’d think I was just looking for another excuse to perform.
To my surprise, her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together. “Of course!” Jaya exclaimed. “That would be perfect!”
“Okay, I’ll do it!” I said. “I just wish we could have a real headliner.”
The words weren’t even out of my mouth before an idea struck me like a bolt of musical lightning.
“What about Belle Starr?” I said breathlessly. “She gave me her card when I met her at the artists’ brunch. I could e-mail her and ask if she would perform!”
Holliday’s eyes lit up. “Yes!” she exclaimed. “Don’t forget that my dad is a vice president at her label. Maybe he could ask her manager!”
“This could totally happen!” I said.
Holliday let out an excited squeak, and I laughed. The more time Holliday and I spent together, the friendlier and more relaxed she had become. And now that I could tell she was a loyal friend to Jaya, I liked her even more.
“Seriously?” Mason asked, raising an eyebrow. “Belle Starr’s one of the biggest acts in the world right now. She’s probably booked for two years straight.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Jaya said. “Sometimes people can surprise you.” She flashed me a huge grin.
“Exactly,” I said, smiling back. I thought how kind Belle had been to me when she gave me her business card. “I bet she’d want to help. We just have to let her know that it’s for a good cause.”
Dad let Jaya, Holliday, and me get on the laptop in the storeroom to e-mail Belle. It took us a while to figure out what we wanted to say, but after thirty minutes, we’d written something we all liked.
“Okay!” I said. “Fingers crossed something happens.”
And as we all crossed our fingers, I clicked SEND. No matter what happened, I was glad that we were all in this together.
The week raced by faster than a song in double time. Jaya, Holliday, and I spent every free minute planning the concert. Even with our parents helping and having the show at Dad’s store, we were swamped with all the details. Every time we talked, we thought of something new to add to our to-do list.
During lunch on Friday, we met in the school library to continue working.
“I officially call this meeting to order,” said Holliday, diving right in. “Silver Sun Records is letting us borrow a hundred and twenty-five folding chairs. My dad’s going to have them delivered to Mr. Grant’s store the day before the concert.”
“Perfect,” I said. “My mom’s going to park her food truck outside the music store in case people want refreshments. And she’s donating all the profits to Mina’s school!”
“That’s great!” said Jaya, looking up from her laptop. “What about our musical lineup? Have you heard back from Portia or Belle Starr?”
“Portia’s in,” I said, giving a thumbs-up. “As for Belle … when I checked my e-mail this morning, she hadn’t written back yet. But I could check again now.”
Jaya pushed her laptop across the table, and I signed into my e-mail account. I had one new e-mail … and it was from Belle! I let out a noise that was a cross between a peep and a squeak.
“She wrote back!” I squealed.
“No way!” Jaya said. “What did she say?”
I clicked on the e-mail and held my breath. When it popped up, I read it aloud:
Hi, Tenney!
Of course I remember you! Thank you so much for thinking of me for your benefit concert. It sounds like a great event and a fantastic cause.
I wish I could be there to perform, but I am on tour in Australia for the next three weeks. Send me all the details in case anything changes.
I hope the benefit goes well. It’s great to see that you’re using your talent and your music to make the world a better place.
Your friend,
Belle
“So it’s a no,” I said. My heart felt like a popped balloon. Without Belle as the headliner, I wasn’t sure our concert would raise enough money to rebuild Mina’s school.
“That’s okay, Tenney,” Jaya said. “That just means you’ll have to play a killer set!”
“No pressure,” Holliday joked.
I laughed nervously. I had been so optimistic that Belle would perform that I hadn’t given much thought to my own set.
&nb
sp; “Do you know what you’re going to play?” Jaya asked.
“I could play the songs that I performed at the artists’ brunch,” I thought aloud. “Except …” My voice trailed off, remembering the last time I saw Logan.
“Except what?” asked Holliday.
“Except I’d have to perform them without Logan,” I said.
“So?” asked Jaya. “I thought you couldn’t stand working with him!”
I shrugged, self-conscious all of a sudden.
“I know,” I admitted. “But he’s a really good drummer, and I sort of can’t imagine playing some of those songs without him …” I could hardly believe the words coming out of my mouth.
“Then why not ask him to play with you at the benefit?” suggested Holliday.
“It’s not that easy,” I said, my nose crinkling with doubt. As I told my friends about the argument I’d had with Logan, I began to realize that my feelings about what he had said to me had changed. “Logan was really rude,” I continued. “But I was wrong to make him feel like he didn’t deserve to be there.”
Jaya looked at me with solemn eyes. “If that’s how you really feel, then you should talk to him about it.”
I squirmed in my seat. Jaya was right, of course. But even though I was ready to make peace, I had no idea how Logan felt … or whether he’d ever consider performing with me again. I knew I needed to find out.
When school got out, I made my way to the front steps and pulled out my cell phone. Maybe I should just text Logan, I thought, but I doubted he’d reply. I knew I needed to talk to him face-to-face. So I called Ellie and asked her whether Logan would be rehearsing at Shake Rag Studios anytime soon.
“He’s actually on his way here now to use a practice room,” she said. “Should I tell him you called?”
“No, that’s okay,” I said. “Thanks, Ellie.”
When Dad came to pick me up, I begged him to take me to see Logan at the studio.
“Tenney, I need to get back to the shop,” he said. “Mason’s there by himself with Aubrey.”
“Mason’s worked at the shop alone before,” I persisted. “Please, Dad, I just need a few minutes. This is really important to me.”
Dad sighed, but I could tell he knew I was serious. “I’ll give you ten minutes when we get there,” he said putting the truck into gear.
When we pulled up to the studio, I raced inside. By now I knew the maze-like hallways of Shake Rag Studios so well that I could find my way around with my eyes closed. I sped through the corridor and rounded one, two, three corners … and nearly slammed into Logan, who was coming the other way. He looked startled, then angry.
“What’re you doing here?” he snapped.
“I came to talk to you,” I said breathlessly.
He rolled his eyes and pulled open the door to the rehearsal room. I followed him in even though he hadn’t invited me.
My stomach went into a nervous spiral, but Dad was waiting for me, so I just started talking. I told Logan about the girls’ school in Bangladesh and Jaya and the book sale and my idea for the benefit concert.
“I was hoping that Belle Starr would play, but now it’s just Portia and me,” I finished. “And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my music sounds better when you’re backing me up.”
“When I’m backing you up?” Logan huffed, folding his arms.
“You know what I mean,” I said. “We’re a good team onstage. We both need to listen to each other more, but when we do listen, the music we make together is great.” I took a deep breath and launched into my final argument. “Look, this benefit concert is bigger than you or me or even Belle Starr. We have a chance to help other people with our music. To make a difference in the world. If you turn down this chance, I think you’re going to regret it.”
“Really,” Logan said.
“Yes, really,” I said, trying to sound bolder than I felt. “So are you in or are you out?”
Logan blinked. I had no idea what he was thinking until he spoke.
“I’ll perform with you on two conditions,” he said.
“What?” I asked, breathing a sigh of relief.
“First off, don’t ever say that I’m backing you again,” Logan said, looking me hard in the eye. “Second, once the benefit concert is over, you and I will go back to playing solo. I don’t need you to get me shows. And you can go back to writing your sappy songs on your own.”
“Deal,” I said, shaking his hand. “Believe me, nothing would make me happier.”
The week leading up to the benefit was a blur of school, last-minute planning with Jaya and Holliday, and rehearsing with Logan. I came home every day exhausted, but still found the energy to do my homework, eat dinner with my family, and polish up my newest songs for the concert.
When the morning of the event finally arrived, I was ready. I woke up with a bolt of energy, got dressed, and zipped through breakfast. While my family was still finishing their grits and bacon, I packed up my guitar and put it by the door, eager to get the day started.
“Somebody’s excited,” Mason said, as he ambled over and started putting on his jacket.
“There’s just so much to do!” I said. I snatched Dad’s key ring off the wall.
Dad came over and plucked the keys out of my hand. “Well then, we’d better get moving,” he said.
“Let’s go before Tenney self-destructs!” said Mason, ruffling my hair.
“See y’all in a few hours!” Mom called from the porch as we piled into Dad’s truck. She and Aubrey were planning to bring the food truck to Dad’s shop an hour before the show and sell snacks and refreshments before and during the concert.
“How are you doing, Tenney?” Dad asked as he drove down Woodland Avenue.
I drummed my fingers on my knees as anticipation rippled through me. “I’m good. I just really want this concert to be a success,” I admitted, my voice quiet under the hum of the truck’s engine. The moment I said that, worry pinched my stomach into a knot. What if after all this, we don’t raise enough money for Mina’s school? I wondered. I shoved the thought out of my mind. I didn’t have time to stress out. All I could do was focus on what was in front of me.
We pulled into the parking lot behind Dad’s store. Holliday and her dad and Jaya and her mom were waiting by the rear door.
“Hey!” Jaya grinned as I hopped out of the truck cab. Her arms were full of a big roll of blue fabric.
“Is that the banner?” I asked.
Jaya nodded. She’d designed a banner to hang above the stage during the concert. Holliday and I had helped her cut out felt birds and guitars for the last few days, but the overall design was a surprise, so I still didn’t know what the finished product would look like.
“I can’t wait to see it!” I said.
“You will,” Jaya said with a sly smile. “But I’m guessing we have work to do first.”
Jaya was right. The whole morning, the store swirled with activity as we moved all the furniture and bins to the storeroom and set up the chairs in rows in front of the stage. It felt like we had barely gotten started when Zane and Logan arrived outside the shop’s front door.
“Sorry we’re late,” Zane said when I let them in.
“You are?” I said, checking the clock on the wall. It was almost eleven thirty. The concert was supposed to begin in just an hour and a half.
“We have so much left to do!” I said. “We need to set up a ticket stand and get the cash box and—”
“My dad and I are handling all the money stuff,” Holliday reminded me.
“Yeah, and my mom and I are dealing with the audience,” said Jaya. “You need to focus on your music.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
”Yes!” they both exclaimed at once, and we all laughed.
“Thank you,” I said, hugging them.
Logan and I went back to the listening room to warm up. Logan tapped triplets on his drum pad as I played scales on my guitar and warmed up my
voice. After a while, we ran through a few songs. We didn’t say much to each other, which I didn’t mind.
I tried to stay focused on our performance ahead, but it was tough. I kept wondering how many people were going to come. Had we put up enough posters? A lot of our classmates had said they’d show up, but what if they didn’t? Maybe we should have sold tickets in advance, I thought as my stomach sank. It’s too late now.
Right as I started to feel like I could jump out of my skin, there was a knock at the listening room door. Portia poked her head inside.
“Howdy, whippersnappers,” Portia said to us as she came in. “Y’all ready for the big show?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Logan replied. I just smiled nervously.
Portia studied me and set down her guitar case. “Tenney, you look about as cheery as a chicken on the chopping block,” she said.
“I just hope we sell some tickets, that’s all,” I said.
Portia let out a surprised guffaw. “Have you been outside recently?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Take a look,” she said.
The moment Logan and I went out to the front room, we saw what Portia was talking about. A crowd was waiting outside Dad’s store. I mean, a real crowd. People clustered under the sign by the front entrance in a line stretching beyond the length of the store windows. I couldn’t see where it ended.
“Whoa,” I said under my breath. I’d never seen so many people at Dad’s store in my life. I looked around. Zane and my dad were talking by the cash register, eyeing the crowd. Before I could ask them what was going on, Jaya and Holliday rushed up to Logan and me, both talking at once.
“Slow down,” I said. “What’s going on?”
“BELLE STARR!” they shrieked at the same time.
“She’s here?” I asked, shocked.
“No!” Jaya said, breathless. “She posted about you online!”
Holliday whipped out her phone and stuck it in front of my face.
“Sad I won’t be able to make a great show today @ 1 p.m. at Grant’s Music and Collectibles in East Nashville,” Holliday read out loud. “Please go show your support for Patty Burns, Logan Everett, and my friend Tenney Grant! She’s a star on the rise!”
