𝑫𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒄𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒚 ☘︎ Robert Keating

014

⋆. 𐙚 ̊  february 2021

June's phone buzzed on the kitchen counter where it lay half-buried under a stack of scribbled lyrics, empty mugs, and a tangle of headphones. She was elbow-deep in editing a voice memo when the screen lit up with an unknown number. She hesitated, then swiped to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi! Is this June McCartney?"

"Yes?"

"Maria O'Connell, your new manager, well, technically. We haven't properly spoken yet."

June blinked, straightening up. "Oh! Right, hi! Yeah, I've heard about you through the label. It's so nice to finally talk."

Maria laughed warmly, her voice calm and bright, the kind of tone that made you feel like everything was going to be okay. "Same here. I've been listening to your stuff non-stop this week. I already have a favourite. Don't tell the others."

June smiled, curling the headphone wire around her finger. "I won't. Which one?"

"'She Plays Bass.' It's stuck in my head and mildly ruining my life. Anyway, I'm calling with actual work news, not just to fangirl."

"Oh, okay?" June stood up, nerves sparking in her chest. "Is it... good news?"

"The best kind," Maria said, and June could practically hear her grin. "There's a band, Irish indie-rock, a bit dreamy, a bit punchy, very cool, and they're doing a small Ireland tour in July. They're looking for an opener, and the label pitched your name. They listened, and guess what?"

"They liked it?" June whispered.

"They loved it. Said your sound would be a perfect contrast to their energy without clashing. They want you."

June blinked fast. "Wait- what, like a real tour? Like,... multiple shows?"

"Yes, missy. Four shows. Galway, Cork, Limerick, and Dublin. You'd be playing to actual crowds, if all stays on track with lockdown easing."

Her heartbeat surged. "Oh my god. That's insane."

"You don't have to decide right now, obviously," Maria added gently, "but I wanted you to know. This is happening, June. It's all moving forward. We'll start planning once you say the word."

June leaned against the wall, one hand pressed to her mouth in disbelief.

"Also," Maria said more softly, "you can call me any time. Questions, nerves, ideas, I'm around. You're not doing this alone anymore."

Something about her tone reminded June of a big sister, or maybe a favourite aunt. Someone who wasn't going to let her get lost in the chaos.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Really. This means everything."

"Get excited, kid," Maria said. "This is only the beginning."

They hung up, and June just stood there for a moment in the quiet flat. Then, with wide eyes and shaking hands, she grabbed her phone and opened the group chat.

paul
you guys.
I might be going on tour.

..

Noora and Niamh had gone to sleep hours ago, but June lay in her bed, wide awake, cocooned in her duvet with her notes app glowing dimly beside her. A mug of cold tea on her nightstand, untouched since she made it out of ritual more than thirst.

She had been staring at a blinking cursor for the last fifteen minutes, willing it to give her something, anything, that sounded like her. The label wanted a new single for July, and Maria was already checking in to see how it was going. June had a few half-finished demos and voice notes cluttering her app, some snippets with good bones, but none of them felt right. None of them felt like the moment she was in.