𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐲
-𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝟐-

𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐡, 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟎/𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟏

"You ready?" Eddie asked a now sixteen year old Stevie. She took a deep breath and nodded. He followed her up the steps onto the small stage, the rest of the band close behind them.

"Evening," Billy greeted the small crowd, "were the Dunne brothers." He said with a slight smile, readjusting his microphone.

"For now.." Eddie added. Stevie glanced at him and shook her head, letting out a breathy laugh. He looked back at her with a grin and Warren shouted a quick 'woo' before counting them in.

Stevie looked down, two hands on her microphone and tapping her foot to the beat.

✯✯✯

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧: We did ten proms.. twenty graduation parties — I mean I don't even know how many sweet sixteens (laughing)

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞: It was fun (she nodded) I got to spend time with the people closest to me and.. do what I loved.

✯✯✯

Stevie kept her eyes closed as Billy began singing. After the first few lines she began joining in, slightly quieter than he was. Eddie nodded along and watched her as she sang. He too was singing along with Eddie — also not as loudly.

✯✯✯

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦: The band was a distraction, an escape.. you know? None of us ever thought of it as anything more than that. Not even Billy.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞: (looking down) I did.

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦: And then one night, everything changed.

✯✯✯

Stevie's eyes diverted to Billy as he stopped singing, his eyes fixated on a man in the crowd. She looked to Graham with confusion who was too focused on the man in the crowd.

The two brothers stormed away from the stage after the song finished and Stevie looked around. Eddie, Warren and Chuck hesitantly put their instruments down.

She was the first to follow after the pair. "Hey— Billy!" She heard Graham shout. Stevie caught the door just before it closed on her and joined them outside. "He's supposed to be in Georgia, Graham." Billy pointed.

"Well he's not, alright?" Graham's voice was shaking slightly. "I bet he never even fucking left." He looked away.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Eddie asked.

"Not now.. Eddie." Graham shook his head. Stevie gently linked her arm around Graham's in a reassuring way, looking up at him.

"You sound great tonight man.. and you were fucking ripping in there!" Warren stated, completely oblivious. "What's going on?"

"You see the guy in there in the plaid suit?" Graham asked.

"Who? The creepster with a comb over and the girl half his age?" Warren joked with a chuckle. Stevie wrapped her arms around herself, starting to feel the chill of the night air.

"Yeah. He's our dad." Graham spoke lowly, almost ashamed.

✯✯✯

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦: I mean, i was four when he left. So i never really had a father but it was different for Billy. He worshiped the guy.

✯✯✯

Billy paced slightly. "I'm gonna say something," he told them. Stevie slowly shook her head. "Billy." She warned. "Billy— no, hey!" Graham tried to grab him as he pushed past Stevie, causing her to stumble backward.

"No I have to!" Billy shouted.

Graham chased after his older brother, closely followed by the rest of the band.

Billy automatically got in their dad's face, catching him by surprise. "Help ya?" The older man asked with his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, you know who I am?" Billy breathed heavily. The man raised his eyebrows. "Should I?" He asked. Stevie looked around at the other boys with caution. "Yeah you should." Billy panted.

"Well, then of course I do. I'd recognise that guitar anywhere. Anything else?"

Graham tried to grab Billy's arm. "Hey, he's not worth it, all right? Let's go home." He attempted. Billy pushed his younger brother away and stormed up to the stage, grabbing his guitar.

He pushed it into his father's chest. "Take it. Go on, take it. I said fucking take it!" he shouted.

Stevie jumped and her eyes widened. "Billy," she whispered.

"I've got no use for it." The older man admitted, "I gave it to you— something to remember me by." He said.

And within seconds Billy was smashing the guitar up on the floor. Stevie covered her mouth and moved closer to Eddie and Warren.

"There you go, asshole." Billy walked off.

Graham lingered for a second, staring down at his father who was much smaller than him. And then he send his fist forward, letting it collided with his dad's face and sending him to the floor.

Warren and Chuck grabbed Graham. "Come on! Come on." They took him away.

Stevie was the first outside and she ran a hand through her hair.

"Guess we're not getting paid for that gig, huh?" One of them asked. Eddie stared at Billy. "Billy," he began, "you okay, man?"

✯✯✯

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦: You know, I can still see the look on Billy's face. I mean that was the moment this thing became real.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞: Something changed that night. I could see it in his eyes.

✯✯✯

"Guys, come here." Billy instructed. "Come here." He repeated. They all hesitantly moved to him. Stevie stared down at her feet. "You're my brothers," he began, "and my sister." He included the blonde girl. "I love you. We work hard, we stick together. We're gonna be the biggest fucking band in the world some day. Do you trust me?"

Stevie nodded along.

"We're family. Come here."

And the whole group stood in a huddle, their arms around each other.

✯✯✯

𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲: I really believed it too. You know, even before I met Daisy.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞: And that's when I knew it was for real. I finally had a family.. a real one. Sure, I had my parents but they weren't much of a family. (she said with slight guilt)

✯✯✯

Stevie pushed open the door to the same record store she had went to since she was ten years old. And there sat Mr Lee behind the counter like always.

"Stevie!" He said with excitement, "you haven't been here in a while. I thought you'd started losing interest in music." He said, placing his hands on his hips.

She shook her head. "Never," she smiled. Stevie leaned her elbows on the glass counter and sighed. "I'm actually in a band now," she said.

Mr Lee's eyes lit up and he raised his eyebrows. "Are you now? And how is that going for you — is it good?"

"Amazing. We do gigs every now and again. I love it."

"Oh well i'm pleased for you, Stevie. I really am." He nodded. He looked up for a moment to think before raising a finger as if he'd had some sort of idea.

She watched Mr Lee walk around the counter and to one of the record stands. His fingers searched through the small pile before he finally pulled one out. He smiled proudly and placed it in front of her.

"Oh— I'm sorry.. i don't have anything on me." She winced.

He shook his head. "No, it's from me. Say it's a congratulations." He suggested.

Stevie gently took the record in her hands and examined it. It was the Jackson 5 record from 1969. A wide grin made its way onto her lips and she looked up. "Thank you — so much." Stevie said gratefully.

"Remember me when you're famous." Mr Lee said with a slight tormenting tone.

He was the one adult who truly believed in the girl. He knew she'd make it far. Whether it was with the band or by herself. He could see it in her eyes.

✯✯✯

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞: That day I went home and the first thing I did was play that record (shaking head with a smile) and I was obsessed with it for weeks. It got me in quite the trouble with my parents but I didn't care.

✯✯✯

Graham, Eddie and Warren stepped into Stevie's house with a frown. The girl had invited them over the day previously. But when turing up, she didn't answer the door. So they took it upon themselves to enter the house.

And to their surprise, all they could hear was music. Specifically by The Jackson 5.

Graham and Warren began taking their shoes off but Eddie was already one step ahead of them. He made his way upstairs, following the sound and as he walked past Stevie's bedroom, he backtracked, realising that's where she was.

He pushed the slightly ajar door open quietly and leaned against the doorframe.

She was dancing around her room and singing 'I want you back' loudly. He stood there for a moment just watching.

✯✯✯

𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞: It was nice seeing her so happy. I should've known then really (he shrugged) that I was starting to feel admiration toward her. I remember the way she was just carelessly jumping around, her eyes closed and her hair moving as she jumped. And even still she looked perfect.

✯✯✯

Stevie suddenly came to a stop when she saw the three boys out the corners of her eyes. "Fuck— jesus christ!" She placed a hand on her chest, getting a fright.

Stevie moved to turn the music off and tucked her hair behind her ears. "How long have you been stood there?"

"Long enough." Eddie teased.

Stevie rolled her eyes and walked to them. "What are you doing in my house? Don't you have someplace else to be?" She asked.

Graham threw his arm around his best friend's shoulders. "You invited us over, Franklin," he reminded her. Her mouth fell into an 'o' shape and she winced. "I did." She remembered.

And that afternoon, the four teenagers sat and laughed over stupid things. They made random beats with things in Stevie's house and just acted like complete children. It was a moment that Stevie especially would cherish.

✯✯✯

Stevie was in her element — more than she'd ever been. She seemed to be completely engrossed in practicing that day. Stevie had her eyes closed, one hand on her microphone, another running through her hair.

"Have love— oh baby will travel.." Billy sang.

✯✯✯

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧: For that next year it felt like all we did was practice.

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦: During these rehearsals I began to realise how much Stevie did truly love the music. She seemed to connect with it like no one else.

𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞: The way she moved to the music (he looked up, remembering) it was like she was in a world of her own.

𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲: You could say me and Stevie were alike in that way.

✯✯✯

"Oh, baby, will travel.." Billy gripped onto the microphone. Camilla, the band's new photographer, slowly moved around the room whilst capturing different angles of the band.

She moved the camera over to Stevie and Stevie placed her fingers to her lips, blowing a kiss to the camera and winking. Camilla smiled and kept the camera on the girl for a few more moments, capturing her beauty.

✯✯✯

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧: If my hands were red and raw by the time I got to bed — I knew it was a good day.

✯✯✯

"I said, if you need loving then.. mm-mhm i'll travel." Billy continued. Stevie peered over her shoulder at Eddie, "i'll travel," she sang only a few seconds after Billy had.

Billy had began working them hard. Like extremely hard. They'd play song after song for days on end. Nobody would complain though.

"Let's go again," he instructed after sipping from a cup.

"I said if you need loving, then mm-hm i'll travel," Stevie sang extremely close to the microphone, completely feeling the music. Graham strummed his guitar and watched her with admiration.

✯✯✯

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧: We had a lot of good days back then. (he looked away) 

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞: I loved it.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫: And when you joined them, Camila, what were your thoughts?

𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚: (looking away to think for a moment) they were great. I could tell they were going to go somewhere with it all (smiling) how could they not? And Stevie, oh Stevie, (the smile grew wider) she was truly electric.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞: Camila? She was great. I mean, at first I was weary because she was just some girl with a camera and, you know, that started as my job (chuckling) but I grew to love her. It was nice having another girl around.

✯✯✯

Stevie entered her home with a satisfied look on her face. The fifteen year old stopped in her tracks when she saw her mother sat at the table with a pile of bills in front of her.

"Mom?" She asked.

The older woman looked up, meeting Stevie's eyes. "It's alright, honey, you go on up to bed." She said, expecting the girl to apologise for coming home late.

"Is everything okay?" Stevie frowned, placing her hands on a chair and looking at the pile of bills.

"Yeah— yeah everything's fine." She stuttered, wiping a hand over her face.

Stevie looked around. "Where's dad?" She asked. And that was the moment she knew. She watched her mothers's face drop and her eyes fill with guilt. "He's.." there was a pause, "he left us, honey."

Stevie's heart dropped. "What— no he wouldn't do that." She refused.

Stevie's mom just leaned her head against her hands. "He's gone, Stevie. I'm going to have to find a job— with him gone there's nobody to pay our bills."

"I can." Stevie said. "I'm sure that soon enough—" she felt her throat tighten but she didn't want to cry in front of her mother, "soon enough the band will get another gig — and.. and whatever money I get from it, i'll put it toward the bills."

"But what if you don't go anywhere?"

Stevie felt annoyed that her mother didn't believe in her. But who could blame her? They were a group of teenagers who performed in a garage.

"We will go far, mom. I swear. And i'll be bringing money in."

✯✯✯

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦: I never doubted it for a second (he scoffed) not everybody felt the same.

✯✯✯

Stevie sat in the back of the van with her knees up to her chest. She just watched out the window as they pulled up to Chuck's house to rehearse again.

"Vie, you coming?" Eddie tapped her leg. She sniffed and nodded, climbing out after him.

"Why's it closed?" One of the boys frowned. Billy got out of the passenger seat and looked at Chuck strangely. "Hey man," he said.

"What's up man!" Warren, being his usual oblivious and joyful self, greeted Chuck.

"Why's the garage door closed?" Billy noticed.

Stevie leaned against the van, saying nothing.

"Look — I don't know how to say this so i'm just gonna say it." He sat on the stairs. "I got into college." He said. Warren chuckled slightly. "All right?"

"We didn't even know you applied," Graham said, trying to stay positive.

"W-was this like before or after I spent all my money on this van?" Warren's positivity began fading. "*I know, i'm sorry it's just they have a really good dental program." Chuck explains

"So what, you're just going to be a dentist now?" Billy asked.

Eddie lit a cigarette and handed it to Stevie, getting the impression something was off with her.

"I don't know.. I guess so." Chuck shrugged.

"Chuck, come on." Billy walked to him slowly. "All right, please don't do this. Not now. Right? Not when things are starting to happen.."

"What do you mean just starting to happen?" Chuck looked away.

"Dude — we open for the Winters on Thursday." Billy reminded him. "And that's just the beginning." He pushed. "This is just a real opportunity." Chuck shook his head.

"So is this—"

"Billy, I know this is your dream, man." Chuck cut him off, "but just because you want something to happen doesn't mean it's going to. Do you really think that there's a future here?"

"Well, yeah, Chuck I do."

"You're out of your fucking mind."

Stevie pushed away from the van and moved in front of Graham, beside Billy. "No— no Chuck. Y'know what?" She caught the boys attention, "there is a future here and it's without you." She pointed a finger at him, clearly irked by something.

Chuck glared at her and went to send an insult her way but chose not to, deciding to make his way up into the house instead.

"Great cardigan, Chuck." Warren looked down. "Very dentist-like."

"We gotta cancel the gig." Eddie spoke up. "No man, we're not cancelling." Billy refused. "What are we gonna do, we don't have our bassist?" Eddie argued.

"We're not cancelling." Billy said sternly. He thought for a moment. "Eddie, you switch over to bass."

Eddie's smile dropped. "No."

Billy glared at him and he sighed. "For how long?"

"Thanks man— we owe you." Billy patted his chest. Eddie just looked at Stevie who had her arms crossed over her chest. She scoffed. "This is bullshit." She muttered, walking away.

"Vie where are you going?" Graham shouted when realising she wasn't getting in the van but instead walking away from the house.

She ignored him.

"Stevie?" He asked, holding onto the door. Eddie too looked over to the girl. "Stevie, come on." Eddie urged. She stopped and turned. "I need a fucking minute, alright?" She snapped.

Graham raised his eyebrows. "Alright— alright whatever." He raised his arms in defence and climbed into the van. Eddie sighed and threw his cigarette to the floor, standing on it. "Vie." He said quietly.

She let out a breath and put her arms to her side, storming to the van and getting inside. Eddie shook his head and got in, closing the door.

Stevie had taken her original space beside the window and had her knees up to her chest again. Every now and again, Eddie would look at her to make sure she was alright. But both him and Graham could tell she wasn't.

"Listen, Stevie, if there's something bothering you. You can talk to us." Eddie offered.

She just shook her head and continued staring out of the window.

Graham just shrugged.

✯✯✯

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦: It was weird because she was always just so.. happy. And then one day she wasn't. We just hoped it wouldn't last long.

𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞: Honestly? It worried me. But she came to me that night which surprised me (taking a breath) because I would have expected her to confide in Graham or even Billy.

✯✯✯

Stevie paced outside Eddie's home with a tear stained face. She had called the Dunne household but nobody picked up and due to the late hour she assumed they'd be asleep.

So it left her one place. Eddie Roundtree's house. Well — there was always Warren but he could he dim at times.

After a lot of thought, Stevie finally knocked on the door. "Just a moment!" An older voice called out. A few seconds went by but finally an older woman answered the door. "Can I help you?"

"Is Eddie.. home?" She asked hopefully.

The older woman looked over her shoulder. "I haven't seen you since you were a little girl," she said. Stevie raised her eyebrows, unaware that Eddie's grandmother knew who she was. "You've got your mother's beauty, Stevie."

Eddie came down the stairs. "Who's at the door?" He asked.

"I'm assuming a friend of yours," She stepped aside to let Stevie in. And with slight hesitation, she entered the house. Eddie furrowed his brows together when seeing his close friend stood there. "Stevie? What're you doing here?"

"I've got some.. trouble going on at home." 

Eddie wasn't too sure what the trouble could've been but he nodded and let her go upstairs. And the moment he closed the door, he heard her shaky breath and noticed the way she was avoiding looking at him.

"Vie?" He asked.

✯✯✯

𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞: And she just.. broke down. Right in front of me. I'd never seen Stevie so upset.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫: What did you do?

𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞: I just.. held her. What else could I have done? I'd never seen Stevie Franklin cry before. But that's when she told me about her dad.

✯✯✯

"Stevie i'm.. so sorry." Eddie had wide eyes. Stevie stood beside his window awkwardly, once again avoiding his eyes. "I don't know what we did wrong, Eddie." She croaked.

Eddie walked forward and wrapped his arms around her without a second thought. And it finally made sense. Her little outburst at rehearsal that day. He could tell something had been on her mind but he never thought it'd be something like that.

"Why did you come here?"

"Because Graham and Billy have their own shit about their dad.. i didn't want to pile it on them." She said. Eddie partially understood her reasoning.

"You'll be alright, Stevie." He muttered, a hand on the back of her head.

✯✯✯

𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞: I think that's where it all started. That's when I knew.

©-shelbysecret-

Leave any opinions here:

tiktok: shelbysecret.wp