Track Seventeen
Your POV
You didn't go home after the studio. You stayed late. Mostly to avoid thinking.
Madison was there. Not in a weird way. She had her own session in the other room and wandered in while you were replaying Daniela's solo clip (yes, you watched it. All of it. Multiple times. Quietly.)
"You look stressed," Madison says casually, leaning against the console.
"I'm not."
She gives you a look. "You're spiraling."
You roll your eyes. "Why the fuck does everyone keep saying that?"
"Because you do this thing where you get quiet when you care too much."
You don't respond.
Madison isn't flirting. She's comfortable. She's always been comfortable. But she sees how you feel about Daniela. She realizes that your not going her a chance, and as your friend, and nothing else. She wants to help.
"You going to her show?" she asks.
You hesitate. "I don't know."
"You should," Madison shrugs. "If you like her."
The way she says it isn't accusatory. It's observational. You lean back in your chair. "It's not that simple."
"It never is," she replies.
And because you're in your head, because you don't want to unpack your feelings out loud, you pivot.
"You still doing that late session tomorrow?" you ask.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Cool. I'll probably be here."
Normal conversation.
Neutral. Safe.
Daniela's POV
An hour later, Madison posts an Instagram story.
It's harmless.
Studio lights.
A blurry shot of you at the board.
Caption: "Back in my favorite lab with yn.silence
You didn't even know she posted it. You're in the background, laughing at something someone said off camera.
It looks easy.
Relaxed.
Unbothered.
Daniela sees it in the hotel room while half the girls are getting ready to go out for food. Her stomach drops instantly. Because you told her you were tired. You sounded distant. You forgot to watch her clip. You felt emotionally unreachable.
But here you are. Laughing. Present. With another girl. Her brain does the worst possible thing.
They don't have trouble showing up. Just not for me.
Manon notices her go quiet. "What happened?" Daniela turns the phone so she can see.
Manon squints. "Okay... and?"
"That's Madison."
"And?"
"They told me they were exhausted."
Manon tilts her head. "Maybe they are?"
Daniela shakes her head slightly. "It's just... I don't feel them reaching anymore." "This is after we just had a conversation about them pulling away. I can tell they were trying to get out of a talk. But now look what they're doing..."
That's the real wound. Not Madison. Not the studio.
The contrast. You struggling with her. You looking easy somewhere else.
Both POVS
She debates not saying anything. She almost doesn't. But she's already irritated by the clip.
So she sends:
Dani: Looks like you're having fun.
You see it immediately. You frown. Fun?
You: Just working.
Three dots. Gone.
Then:
Dani: Right.
That word again.
Right.
Short. Closed. Pulling away. You feel it. You type:
You: What's that supposed to mean?
She stares at the screen. She wants to say: It means you look fine without me.
Instead she types:
Dani: Nothing. I'm about to head out with the girls.
You read it and feel something tighten. This is the part where old-you would shut down.Old you would say "See? Drama. I knew this shit was messy."
But instead, you sit with it.
And realize something ugly and honest. You've been emotionally withholding.
Not maliciously. But protectively.
And now she's reacting to the space you created.
Later she goes out with the girls, but she's not fully there.
She's replaying everything. You are lying about watching the clip. You sound distant. You are laughing on Madison's story. The fact that she had to be the one to reach out.
She hates that it feels like she cares more. Manon catches it again later in the hotel.
"You're creating worst-case scenarios," she says gently. "Am I?"
"Yes." Daniela exhales.
"I just don't want to feel stupid." "You don't," Manon says. "But if you want them, don't let insecurity write the narrative for you."
Your POV
You finally call her. She answers, but she's quieter. You don't dodge it this time.
"I saw your tone shift," you say. She laughs softly. "My tone?" "Yeah. The 'right.'"
She sighs. "You looked... fine," she admits. "Like nothing was weighing on you."
You sit up straighter. "Dani." "You don't owe me exclusivity," she says quickly. "We're not labeled. I just—" "It's not like that." Silence.
"I've been pulling back because I'm scared," you say honestly. "Not because I don't care." She doesn't speak.
She closes her eyes.
"And Madison?" she asks quietly.
"Is my friend. And I didn't even know she posted that." You don't rush the reassurance. You let it sit. "Im not trying to look unbothered... but I don't want it to seem like I'm all over the place." That one makes her pause.
"Those aren't the same thing." "No," you agree. "They're not." And that's when the miscommunication stops being about Madison.
"Y/N... i don't know if you don't care but we had sex." she says
"what Dani of course i care what are-" you immediately say till she cuts you off
"let me finish please" she says
" we had sex. we talked about our fears, we talked about spiraling and pulling away over and over again. i told you i like you and you said you did too. But now i don't even know."
The silence after becomes loud. You're not sure if you should even say anything. In fear of saying the wrong thing accidentally and also wanting to fully hear her out before interrupting again.
She then starts again. "I don't know if you hooking up with girls and doing this push and pull thing is regular for you.
It's not...or is it? you think to yourself.
She continues, " I try to continuously give you the benefit of the doubt because i know some of your history. But you're not giving me a chance to get to know you more than you put on; and figure this out, but you're also not giving yourself the chance to know me more...and that hurts."
You're silent after. Not knowing what to say. Sorry not feeling like enough, but saying nothing at all feels like a dick move.
I don't know what to say Daniela. a lot of the things that have happened the past few days i just, i keep panicking and that takes over me completely." you say
"I know but when does it stop Y/N" she asks. And that's it. She hangs up, leaving you frozen. You realize. It becomes about not just fear but something else And you're not sure what.
And that changes everything.