"Play that last one again, I like the ending." I asked of Beth as she turned into the crowded road.
"No." She locked eyes with me in the rearview mirror, but still restarted the song. "Okay, so I have an outfit idea for you." She added.
"Well I've been building a Pinterest board since the moment Lil first mentioned a tour." Cat shoved her phone to the front seat to show Beth and Lilianna.
"I mean... they are a rock band. She needs to be cool and- ooh! I like that one!" Lilianna pointed to a photo on Cat's screen that I could not see.
"I mean don't I get a little bit of say? Considering I'm the one on stage?" I butted in.
"No!" All three of them said, their eyes still on their tasks. Cat soon leaned back next to me, continuing to scroll and pin outfit ideas. Secretly, I smiled when I watched her add a vintage denim vest. She knew what I wanted, and I had always trusted them to make me look and feel beautiful.
Soon, we pulled into a small, familiar cracked parking lot. We piled out of the car and through the doors, hearing a welcoming bell chime. It was relatively busy inside our favorite local vintage store, but I narrowed in on the first rack I saw and watched my friends disperse to their own.
"Brooklyn!" Beth called for me from the opposing wall. I looked up to see her holding a simple flowing sundress. "It's casual, but you can wear it a lot of different ways." She added, twisting it so that the dress would move.
"Eh," I shook my head in indecision. "I'm always casual. If I'm gonna be doing this, I might as well do it."
"Oh! Okay then," she smirked at me and went back to digging through.
As I was peeling through options, I stepped further and further down the aisle I was in. I pulled out a black velvet jacket with gold detailing. The way the light caught on the gold was captivating, but I couldn't help feeling like it wouldn't look right on me. This cool, dark look was always what Cat pulled off. I turned it around and around, weighing the option in my mind.
"I like it. If you don't buy it, I might." A voice said from beside me. I jumped slightly, startled at the proximity of a stranger I was unaware was near. I turned to face him. He had dark hair falling to his shoulders and a small scarf around his neck. His button up shirt was only buttoned once, exposing his tanned chest and the long necklace he let hang in the gap. His lips were pursed and there was a faint hint of a mustache, so faint it could have just been in my mind. It was only after I'd taken an awkward amount of time to admire him that I realized he was no longer looking at the jacket.
He was just looking at me.
"Oh," I laughed nervously. "I'm not sure if I can pull it off. Not really my style. I'm sure you'd find better use of it." I smiled genuinely at him and held the jacket out.
"Oh come on. This is a great find. Treasure some might say. Just going to hand it off to a stranger?" He smiled back, not taking the jacket from my outstretched hand. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lilianna step out of the store talking to someone on the phone.
"Please," I stretched my arm out further to him. "You already seem much cooler than me."
"Well, if you say so." He took the jacket from my hands. "My brothers are gonna give me hell for this." He shook his head, laughing to himself. "This is the third jacket I've bought this week."
"Third? Maybe I should've thought harder about that offer. I didn't know I was handing over my treasure to a hoarder."
"Not a hoarder, just a guy with a mysterious joy for wearing cool jackets he takes from girls in vintage stores." He glanced down at his phone. "I gotta run, but thanks for the treasure." He smiled at me as I gave him a small nod and waved. I went back to picking through the hangers, but I couldn't help watching him as he walked out the door and climbed into a black Jeep.
"Brooklyn!" Cat waved at me from the other end of the store. She held up a full denim jumpsuit with a halter neck and flared bottoms, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.
"Now we are getting somewhere," I called out and rushed to her side.
We stayed in the store for a couple more minutes, accumulating a small stack of pieces I wasn't entirely sure I could pull off, much like the jacket I no longer had, but Cat had insisted would fit with the vibe of the tour and catch the light right on stage. The door chimed again signaling Lilianna's re-entry. Cat flipped through each of the pieces while Lilianna's mouth gaped open.
"They're perfect!" She giggled, a new sense of light beaming from her face. She took the stack out of Cat's hands and laid them on the checkout counter, pulling out her card.
"No, Lil. My clothes, my card." I told her, getting my own wallet out quickly to beat her to the cashier.
"Actually, Brooklyn Rose, you are officially going on tour with Greta Van Fleet as of, oh I don't know," She looked down at her watch, "ten minutes ago? So, as your manager, these are on me." She grinned and handed her card to the cashier. "Oh and ladies?" She looked over at Beth and Cat, "You all better get to shopping. We are all going with."
-----------------
After piling the car full of bags and spending more money than we needed to, Beth finally started driving home. She turned on the song she had replayed the most from the band we'd soon be touring with: Flower Power. "Lil, how in the world did you pull this off?" She asked from the front seat.
Lilianna had switched with Cat and was now next to me in the backseat. She had been typing away on her phone almost since the moment she'd revealed that not only I, but my three best friends would be touring together.
"Well," she giggled to herself, unable to contain her excitement, "The band's manager called me and said they had some budget changes. He had just texted the boys to tell them they needed to have an emergency meeting. Someone donated," she paused, "a lot of money for the tour. To see the boys succeed. So, they decided to invest in a tour bus instead of a van. That opened up exactly three extra beds. The only catch is that we will have to be staying with the band, but I figured you all would be okay with that, since we all can go." She looked at us tentatively, then more stern as she added, "Plus, I didn't need another reason for this one to back out." She pointed at me. I smiled.
I genuinely smiled as I looked at her, and up front to my two friends. Not only was I going to take a leap of faith to follow my dreams, my three best friends were doing so too. For me. For my dream. I felt my eyes welling up and forced them back.
"They better not be ugly," Beth said as Lilianna's phone buzzed. She picked it up quickly and barely spoke before hanging up.
"Well, it's time to find out. They want to meet us. Now."
Beth quickly jerked her head around to see if Lilianna was serious. Seeing that she was, Beth asked, "Where to?"
"The park. Next to the coffee shop." She snuck a glance at me from the corner of her eye. The place she had heard me singing. The park where she had come up to me and asked me if I had ever wanted to sing professionally. The same place I was found by Lilianna, I would be meeting the people I'd practically be living with for 4 months.
Four months. I tried to imagine what a tour bus with 4 guys and 4 girls might be like. I tried to picture what this band could look like. My imagination did nothing but make me nervous for the unknown. I watched as Beth took the last turn before we arrived at the park. I knew we were close. My heart started racing and I wiped my shaking hands on my jeans.
"How do I look?" I spoke quietly into the thick silence. I adjusted my plain crochet top, silently cursing myself for not putting on a cuter outfit when I was practically pulled out of bed by Lilianna. Beth parked the car and turned to face me, as Cat and Lilianna were.
"Brooklyn, you look great. This is going to be good. For all of us. I just know it." Cat sighed and gave me a soft, reassuring smile.
"Remember, these are just people! They want to play music, just like you. Don't be nervous. They've heard you play. They love your music." Lilianna added on.
"Yeah, B, you look great, don't overthink it." Beth tapped my knee. "Now, let's go find out if they look great!" She laughed and opened her door.
Each one of my friends piled out of the car as I sat, still contemplating what my life was becoming. What would my mother say if she saw me right now? The thought practically catapulted me out of the car. Away from silence. Away from mediocracy.
"This is what you wanted . This is your dream. They are just people, they won't hate you." I recited to myself over and over, eyes closed. "This is what you wanted. This is your dr-" I slammed full force into something.
Someone. "Oh my god I'm so sorry I was just on-" I looked into the familiar eyes of the same person I had interacted with only hours before.
"Woah! I didn't think you'd want the jacket back enough to attack me. You can have it!" He laughed.
I could've fainted from the embarrassment coursing through my body. I felt my stomach curl up into a ball. This is what you wanted. This is your dream. I pushed through the nerves.
"Well, long time no see. Sorry for that, I was just..." My voice trailed off, trying to find a good excuse.
"Jake." He said simply, sticking his hand out. "I take it you're Brooklyn?"
My eyes widened. How could he know my name? The only way is if...I glanced around to find the park completely empty, all but 3 other young guys mingling with my friends and another man who was probably their manager. He's part of the band.
"Yes, I'm Brooklyn," I responded, shaking his hand. I could practically feel the redness on my face. "You're in the band?"
"In the band? I started it." He smirked and turned back. "These losers just had to get over it."
"Did I just hear you call us losers, Jakey? I prefer the term philanthropists." Another boy approached behind Jake, his same height, but with a ball of curls on top of his head. He patted Jake's shoulder and then turned to me. "I'm Josh, the much cooler, and older, brother. A pleasure," he bowed to me and I smiled. This must be the front man.
Beth and Cat came and stood next to me as I said, "Hello, Josh, I'm Brooklyn." Beth nudged me and I turned towards her. She opened her eyes just slightly wider, so little of a gesture that most would not even catch it. I, on the other hand, knew what she was saying. They're hot. I gave her the same look in return just as a taller figure stepped into the circle.
"Hey! I'm Danny. I'm the adopted brother of the bunch." His hair was long like Jakes, but with curls like Josh. He turned to look at Cat, who he was standing next to.
"I'm Cat. Hairstylist for, as I literally just found out, all of you." She looked at me, beaming.
"Oh great Jake did you hear that! Finally someone who might make you look half as good as me." Josh said, winking at his brother.
"Please, Josh, don't make me bring up Cat in the Hat on the first meeting. You know I have the video." Jake rebutted.
"Okay okay boys, I'm also here to make you look good," Beth added from beside me. "I'm the official photographer for this tour."
"That's right guys," Lilianna and the boy's tour manager entered the group, "this right here is your all star crew! We are so thrilled to be joining you all." She always knew how to sound professional, but still so warm hearted. I made a mental note to mention that to her.
"We sound so professional! I love it," Danny said, locking eyes with Lilianna.
"And what about me? Can't forget about America's favorite baby brother," a voice said from behind Jake.
When Jake turned, I locked eyes with the last Kiszka brother.
"Sam, why do you always have to make an entrance? Plus, no one in America thinks you're the favorite. Or even knows who you are." Josh rolled his eyes playfully.
His hair was slightly ruffled, also long like Jakes. The sleeves of his denim button up were rolled up and his matching jeans made him look straight out of a vintage dream. He had more buttons done than Jake, but not by many, his upper chest and large necklace still on display. His skin was practically glowing and his lips looks softer than a cloud. He ran his fingers through his dark hair.
We were still holding eye contact when he said, "But they will. One day, they will." Jake turned to him and smiled before playfully shoving his arm. I couldn't take my eyes off of the brothers as they interacted, so similar, yet I could already tell so different.
This was going to be a long 4 months.