A Song for the Season

Nashville, TN – 2017
Author Kellen Hertz
Cover Illustrator Angela Jun
Originally Published © 2017 American Girl
ISBN 9781338137033

Table of Contents

Hitting a High Note

Standing in the wings of the Ryman Auditorium, Tenney closes her eyes and replays the last hour: bright lights, cheering fans, her foot stomping in time with Logan’s drums. It’s one of the most important nights of her life. A gust of cold air makes her open her eyes to stagehands hustling past with instruments, coils of wire, and sound equipment, and she hugs herself for warmth in the spangled concert dress her little sister, Aubrey, picked out for her. It’s beautiful, but not exactly insulated.

Beside her, Logan Everett watches the stage with awestruck eyes, and Tenney can hardly blame him. Less than a year ago, the two of them were just starting out as a duo, and their families and manager, Zane Cale, warned them how hard it would be to break into the music industry. They spent months fine-tuning every harmony, and tonight it paid off. Their opening set started shaky with nerves, but the mistakes were small enough that Tenney doubts anyone noticed. Halfway through, she’d spotted Zane grinning in the wings, his orange cowboy boots tapping to the beat. “This is so incredible,” Logan whispers. “I know,” Tenney whispers back.

Now they’re watching Belle Starr, one of the biggest stars in music, close out the final show of her world tour, her platinum-blonde hair glowing under the stage lights as fans wave their arms and sing along to every word. Watching people connect so deeply with her music, Tenney can’t help but wonder if her own songs will ever make anyone feel that way. Belle builds to the final chorus of “Star Like Me,” Aubrey’s favorite song, and by the time she leaps into her last high note, the stage erupts in swirling lights and a shower of glitter. The crowd’s roar thunders through the theater. “Wow,” Logan breathes.

Once Belle comes offstage, blowing kisses to the crowd, she kicks off her high heels and wipes the sweat from her forehead, looking exhausted until she spots Tenney and Logan and brightens, pulling them into a hug. A stagehand swaps her sparkly microphone for a water bottle. Belle asks what they thought of the show, and when they tell her they loved it, she says it wouldn’t have been the same without them. In fact, she’s thinking of doing an encore of “Reach the Sky,” one of Tenney’s own songs. Tenney is flattered and shocked that Belle would want to sing one of her songs. But even cooler, Belle wants them to sing it with her!

There’s a flurry as stagehands set up Tenney and Logan with earpieces and guitars while Belle swings her own guitar strap over her head and slips back into her heels. As the three of them blend their voices together, Tenney opens her eyes mid-song to see camera flashes exploding across the dark auditorium like a sky full of stars. She never wants the moment to end.

Continue
Back to Tenney