Tenney in the Key of Friendship

Two Surprises

The next morning, Tenney walks into class to find Jaya already at Ms. Carter’s desk, and their teacher waves Tenney over. Principal Schreiber is fine with the girls selling books at the Magnolia Hills Spring Clean to raise money for Mina’s school, Ms. Carter reports, adding that she and Jaya are impressed by their initiative. Tenney beams and turns to share the moment with Jaya, but Jaya’s eyes stay fixed on their teacher, and she keeps her back to Tenney through first period, barely nodding when Tenney whispers how glad she is that Ms. Carter is on board. Tenney chalks it up to a funny mood… maybe an unfinished breakfast.

The mystery clears up the moment the bell rings. In the hallway, a blur of golden hair steps between them, and it’s Holliday Hayes. Her dad said they can set up collection boxes at his company offices. Jaya’s face lights up.

After Tenney cut their phone call short the night before, Jaya called Holliday, who showed up loaded with ideas. Confused, Tenney asks what the boxes are even for, and Jaya explains they’re for the book drive before praising Holliday as a fantastic addition to the team.

Tenney can only smile politely, privately stung. Holliday, who headed up the sixth grade’s Jamboree planning committee, has always had a bit of a mean streak. Tenney had assumed the fundraiser for Mina’s school belonged to just the two of them.

At lunch, the three of them sit down over cafeteria pizza to hash out logistics: collection boxes made from old shipping boxes at Holliday’s dad’s store, more around the neighborhood and at spots like the senior center, the grocery store, and the library, plus a schoolwide email, flyers, weekly reminders, and Holliday’s offer to make the morning announcements herself. When talk turns to scheduling their next planning session, Tenney has to admit she’s already booked solid with meetings with Zane and Portia three times a week to polish her songs before the City Music Festival. Jaya’s face falls at the delay, with only a few weeks left before the Spring Clean. After an awkward silence, Holliday suggests that she and Jaya just meet the next day without Tenney and text her the details afterward, and just like that, the plan starts moving forward without her.

That afternoon, Mom drives Tenney to Shake Rag Studios in the food truck, its robin’s-egg-blue paint reading “GEORGIA’S GENUINE TENNESSEE HOT CHICKEN” in tomato-red letters, promising to swing back by 4:30 PM. Inside, Zane and Portia listen next to a baby grand piano as Tenney plays through her reworked song. Portia points out, gently, that Tenney didn’t really rework the song, just shifted a few notes in the chorus and sped up the tempo. Cheeks burning, Tenney tries to argue, but the replay comes out even worse, stumbling and mumbled.

Then Zane brings in a surprise: Logan Everett, the drummer from Tenney’s disastrous run-in in his rehearsal room. Logan barely remembers her name, trailing off with a blank “Oh. Hi…” Zane thinks Tenney’s song could use what Logan brings, and if the two of them click, he suggests Logan could join her onstage at the City Music Festival artists’ brunch. The last thing Tenney wants is to make music with him, and one glance at Logan sagging in the corner tells her he feels the same way, but with Zane’s smile fixed on both of them, it’s clear the jam session is already decided.