𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖, Kendall Knight.

𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. Out of Tune.

"No more interruptions." Gustavo huffed. "I mean it."

Kimberly nodded.

▄︎▄︎▄︎▄︎▄︎▄︎▄︎

AS THE MUSIC began playing, Kimberly and Mindy started to sing. The tension in the studio began to fade, and for that brief moment, they were just two girls singing, trying to make it in the unforgiving world of the music industry.

Gustavo leaned back in his chair, listening intently. Kimberly's voice had an unexpected depth, a rawness that seemed to give the lackluster song some life. It wasn't the usual polished performance he demanded, but it had something unique.

"Not bad, but it can be better," Gustavo grumbled. "We'll keep practicing."

Gustavo then left the studio, presumably to continue working his magic behind the scenes. Kimberly and Mindy exited the recording booth and found Kelly waiting for them outside.

"Hey, girls," Kelly greeted them, offering a friendly smile. "You did a great job in there."

Kimberly's glance swept briefly over to Mindy, who looked reserved. She knew her friend was upset with her, and the guilt gnawed at her deeply.

Kelly handed them an itinerary for the next day. "Here's the schedule for tomorrow. We've got a busy day planned, so be sure to be well-rested and ready to go."

Kimberly accepted the itinerary, nodding in agreement. "We'll be prepared, thank you."

Mindy, still wearing a mask of reserve, took her own copy of the schedule. Kimberly couldn't ignore the tension between them.

The atmosphere was awkwardly silent, as they walked out of the building and into the Palm Woods. Kimberly could sense Mindy's discontent, but didn't bring it up. 

Finally, after a few minutes of walking...

"Kim, why did you walk out of the studio like that?" 

...Mindy stopped and turned to Kimberly, her eyes revealing the frustration she was trying to contain.

"I'm sorry, Mindy." Kimberly sighed, realizing that her actions had upset her deeply. "The song, it's not... it's not what I expected, and I was overwhelmed."

"That's not an excuse, Kim. We're here to prove ourselves to Gustavo. We can't afford to walk out of recording sessions or let our personal feelings take over."

Kimberly looked down at her feet, feeling a weight of guilt. She had let Mindy down, and she knew it. "You're right, Mindy. I-I should have handled it better."

Mindy crossed her arms, her voice tinged with frustration. "And what about the cigarette? You know it's not good for you, and it's against the rules here."

 "I-I know, and I won't do it again. I promise."

·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

-'๑'-

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

AFTER THEIR RECORDING session, Kimberly and Mindy headed back to their room. Despite the rocky start, they managed to complete the demo recording, and that was a small victory in itself.

As they entered their room, they didn't expect to find an unexpected gathering in progress. Benjamin was sitting on the couch, a stern expression on his face, and beside him stood a woman with fiery red hair, who Kimberly instantly recognized as her mother, Anastasia Kramer.

Kimberly's eyes widened in shock, and her instinct was to turn and leave. She had no desire to be part of a family confrontation. But before she could make her escape, Benjamin's voice rang out, commanding her to sit down.

"Kimberly, sit."

It was the kind of voice you didn't argue with. Kimberly reluctantly took a seat on the edge of the couch, her nerves on edge. She didn't say anything, but just waited for them to speak.

Mindy, sensing that this was a family matter and feeling like an intruder, quietly slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

She also sensed that it was going to be ugly.

∞ ₒ ˚ ° 𐐒𐐚 ° ˚ ₒ ∞

Eli's Notes:
   ★ Hi guys! I hate posting like once a month,
but that's what school's gonna do for me, sadly.
Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter! Kendall
and Kimberly's relationship will soon to form in a
properly fashion within the next chapter! Vote and
comment! <3