xvi. FINDING THE GROOVE.
January 15, 2018. | Third Person POV.
Los Angeles, California.

The next day, Kendrick found himself back at the TDE's Red Room. It was quiet compared to the usual chaos, with most of the team out running errands or catching up on overdue sleep. That was how he liked it—no distractions, just the hum of speakers and the scratch of pen on paper.

He was halfway through layering a verse when his phone buzzed on the mixing desk. The name on the screen made him pause.

Sedona.

He picked it up, leaning back in his chair as he answered. "What's up?"

"Hey," Her voice came through, light and easy. "You busy?"

Kendrick glanced at the notebook in his lap, then the track playing softly in the background. "Not really. What's on your mind?"

"Well," She began, hesitating for a beat, "Monica's got me going over my setlist for the tour, and... honestly? I'm as stuck as grits in a bowl."

Kendrick smirked, already seeing where this was going. "You want a second opinion."

"Don't act like you weren't gonna offer it anyway," She shot back, and he could hear the grin in her voice.

He laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, send it over. I'll take a look."

A couple minutes later, a text came through with her list. Kendrick scanned it, nodding as he saw a few tracks he recognized from her earlier projects. But as he reached the bottom, he frowned.

"Why you leaving off Distraction?" He asked, picking the phone back up.

There was a pause on the other end. "I didn't think it fit," She admitted. "The vibe's too different for what I got going on. I'm most definitely going to include See You Again because I had mad fun creating it with Tyler."

"Nah," Kendrick said, his voice firm. "That track's raw. People need to hear that. Especially live. It's got layers—they'll feel it."

"You think?"

"I know," He said simply.

Another pause, but this time, he could tell she was taking it in.

"Alright," She said finally. "If I'm feeling it, I'll add it back. Anything else?"

Kendrick leaned forward, scrolling back up the list. "Your transitions. How you flowing from one song to the next?"

"That's what I'm working on now," She said, and he could hear the frustration creeping into her tone. "I don't want it to feel choppy, but I'm not sure how to tie everything together. Shit, it has been a minute since I've been on a tour—I'm rusty."

"Start with what you want them to feel," Kendrick said. "What's the story you're telling?"

There was a beat of silence, and when she spoke again, her voice was softer. "I want them to feel like they're seeing me. Not just the polished version, but the real thing. All of it—the highs, the lows, everything in between. All my eras, both the messy and perfected."

Kendrick nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Then make that your thread. Every song should feed into that. Let 'em see the layers."

"You make it sound so easy," Sedona couldn't help but rub her temples slightly, her laugh tinged with disbelief.

"It ain't," Kendrick admits. "But you'll figure it out. You got the vision—you just gotta trust it."

She didn't respond right away, and Kendrick let the silence stretch, knowing she was processing.

"Thanks, Kenny," She eventually gives out, her voice sincere.

"Always," He replied.

As the call ended, Kendrick leaned back, staring at the notebook in front of him. It wasn't the first time he'd helped another artist, but with Sedona, it felt different. She didn't just want to impress people—she wanted to connect. That kind of hunger, that kind of purpose, was rare.

The door to the studio creaked open, and Dave Free stepped in, a cup of coffee in hand. "What's got you looking all reflective?"

Kendrick smirked, shaking his head. "Sedona. She's trying to lock in her setlist."

Dave chuckled, dropping into the chair across from him. "She'll get there. Girl's got something special."

"Yeah," Kendrick said, his tone thoughtful. "She does."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you're already invested."

Kendrick shrugged, leaning forward to scribble a few notes in the margins of his notebook. "Just calling it like I see it."

"Mm-hmm," Dave said, the skepticism clear in his voice, but he didn't push it.

As the two of them settled into the familiar rhythm of the studio, Kendrick's mind wandered back to Sedona. He didn't know where this path would take her—or them—but one thing was clear: she wasn't just another artist.

She was someone to watch.

And Kendrick planned to be there, every step of the way.

Dave leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee as Kendrick jotted down another line in his notebook. The room was quiet for a moment, the soft hum of the equipment filling the space, but Kendrick could feel Dave's eyes on him.

"Alright, man," Dave finally said, breaking the silence. "Let's talk about it."

Kendrick glanced up, confused. "Talk about what?"

Dave tilted his head, smirking. "You've been different lately. Calmer. I've seen you focused before, but this ain't just about the music. You got something on your mind—someone, maybe?"

Kendrick leaned back, setting his pen down and giving Dave a flat look. "You always tryna analyze somebody."

"That's my job," Dave shot back, grinning. "Now spill. You seeing somebody?"

Kendrick paused for a second, running a hand over his chin. He thought about brushing it off, but this was Dave—they went way back, and there wasn't much he could hide from him anyway.

"Not like that," Kendrick said slowly. "But. . . there's someone. We're cool."

Dave raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "Cool? That's all? Don't tell me you gon' label her as a homie knowing damn well she ain't."

Kendrick chuckled, shaking his head. "Man, don't start."

"Alright, alright," Dave said, holding up a hand in mock surrender. But the curiosity was still there. "So, who is she?"

Kendrick hesitated for a moment, then decided to stop dancing around it. "Sedona."

Dave blinked, sitting up straighter. "Sedona? The artist we just signed to the tour?"

"Yeah," Kendrick said, keeping his tone casual.

Dave whistled low, shaking his head. "Man, that makes sense now. You've been looking out for her extra heavy."

"She's talented," Kendrick said simply, shrugging. "She's got something real, and she's figuring it out. I respect that."

Dave studied him for a moment, his smirk fading into something more thoughtful. "It's more than respect, though, isn't it?"

Kendrick looked away, his gaze settling on the notebook in his lap. "She's. . . different, Dave. She's got this way of seeing the world, you know? Like she's searching for something, but she ain't afraid of what she might find. It's rare."

Dave leaned back, nodding slowly. "Sounds like you're vibing with her."

"We vibe," Kendrick admitted. "But it ain't like I'm tryna make something happen. She's got her path, I've got mine. I just. . . I don't mind helping her figure hers out."

Dave didn't say anything for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "You know, for someone so good with words, you're terrible at admitting when you're into somebody."

Kendrick chuckled, shaking his head. "Ain't like that."

"Sure, sure," Dave said, his tone teasing but not pressing. "Just don't overthink it, man. If it's real, it'll fall into place."

Kendrick nodded, his gaze distant as he thought about the conversation with Sedona earlier, the way her voice had lit up when they talked about her music.

"Yeah," He said quietly. "We'll see."

Dave watched him for a moment longer, then stood, clapping a hand on Kendrick's shoulder as he headed for the door. "Just remember—don't let her distract you too much. We got work to do."

Kendrick laughed, shaking his head. "I got it, man. Don't worry."

But as the door closed behind Dave, Kendrick leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling.

Sedona wasn't a distraction. If anything, she was the opposite.

She made him want to stay focused—on the music, on the moment, on the possibilities ahead.

And that, Kendrick thought, was something worth paying attention to.

—

©kashdemi
Volume I- Redamancy.
Chapter Sixteen.
— ０１／０７／２５
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Happy New Year! May 2025 be filled with blessings, wealth, good health, and all your troubles be put away. I have good faith in this year and hope it can only grow.

Kendrick wants her so badly and this chapter only proves it. The thing is when is either going to make the first move???

Thoughts on the chapter? And what do you expect for the next one?

Stay tuned for the next chapter, & til next time!
- shea