chapter twenty-three | the bolter

THE ATMOSPHERE OF the hotel building was different somehow. The Good Riddance tour had just made its way to Bristol, England.  One show had been completed and there was one more after this one before they went to Paris, France. On her way up to her hotel room, she constantly felt that someone was watching her, silently judging every move she made. She wasn't sure who it could be, but she had her suspicions.

Mila tried to shake the feeling off as she stepped into the elevator, her guitar slung over her shoulder and her backpack in hand. The soft ding of the elevator sounded louder than usual in the silence, making her jump slightly. She chuckled nervously to herself, brushing it off as paranoia.

As the elevator opened, she was now face-to-face with Gracie, a soft smile breaking across her lips. "Hey," Gracie said, her voice warm but tentative. She stepped aside to let Mila off the elevator, her eyes briefly scanning the guitar slung over Mila's shoulders.

"Hey," Mila replied, her voice quieter than she intended. The tension between them felt almost like you could cut it with a knife, though neither of them seemed ready to address it head-on.

"How was your soundcheck?" She asked her curiously.

Now that she had mentioned it, her soundcheck didn't happen. She was on stage for like a few minutes until they kicked her out. Mila shifted her weight uncomfortably, grip tightening on the strap of her guitar. "It...didn't really happen," She admitted, her voice laced with frustration. "I was on stage for like five minutes before they told me to pack it up. Something about scheduling issues."

Gracie frowned, her brows knitting together in concern. "That's weird. Did they give you any explanation?" She asked her curiously, following her as she walked back to her hotel room. Hearing this from her made her confused, the last time that she checked there weren't any issues with schedules. Something wasn't right here.

Mila shook her head, glancing over at her to see the confused expression on her face. "Not really. Just said they needed the stage cleared for other stuff." She sighed, glancing over at Gracie as they walked down the hallway together. "It's like... I'm getting pushed aside lately. Like I don't belong here anymore."

Gracie stopped walking, her expression softening. "Mila, come on. That's not true; you know that, " She reassured.

Mila paused, turning to face her. "Isn't it? It feels like ever since... well, everything, I've been more of a liability than anything else." Her tone came out quieter than she thought.

"You belong here," Gracie was quick to correct her, her voice firm. "No matter what anyone else says or thinks, you do. If someone's making you feel otherwise, I'll handle it"

Mila blinked, taken aback by Gracie's resolve. For a moment, she was reminded of why she fell for her in the first place—her unwavering loyalty and determination.

"Thanks," Mila said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gracie smiled, a flicker of warmth passing between them. "Always." She replied, watching as she opened the hotel room door.

The two flashed familiar smiles at each other, now going their separate ways. Once she walked into her room, she leaned her guitar against the wall and walked toward the bed, flopping down onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. Gracie may have said everything was okay, but she couldn't help but feel that something just wasn't right.

She hoped that she was wrong, but she wasn't sure anymore. She felt that everything was slowly being ripped away from her.

First, it was Gracie. Now, the opening act spot in this tour. She felt that she could be replaced at any time and she would never know. She feels like that's exactly what's going on and no one was telling her anything. She needed some answers, she needed them now.

Mila had just finished her set for the show. She wasn't sure if she was going crazy or not, but it seemed shorter this time than it did before. She walked toward the wings, the crew taking her guitar like normal, they also seemed quicker than usual. Her suspicions from earlier were coming back, this time with more evidence than before.

Something was going on, but she wasn't sure what it was. She truly felt that she was being pushed out of the tour until someone could come by to cut the tie at any minute. She started her way back toward her dressing room, replaying the events from today in her head.

She was soon pulled out of her thoughts by the sounds of footsteps approaching her like she was trying to catch up. Once she looked over her shoulder to see who was approaching her, she was met by the gaze of Audrey. "The set was great tonight, it was just...short? What happened?" She asked curiously, hopeful to get to the bottom of this.

Mila let out a small sigh, slowing her pace so Audrey could catch up. "I don't know," She admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. "I thought it felt shorter too. I barely got through three songs before they cut me off, I didn't even get to finish talking to the crowd."

Audrey frowned, her brows knitting together. "Did they say anything? Any reason why?"

Mila shook her head, a sigh releasing as she continued her walk. "Nothing, just told me to wrap it up and leave the stage. It's weird, right?"

Audrey hesitated, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah, it's weird. It's not like you're running overtime or anything."

Mila glanced at Audrey, searching her face for answers she didn't have. "Exactly, and then there was the soundcheck thing yesterday. They cut me off after five minutes. Something about scheduling, but it felt off." She admitted, watching as Audrey grew more confused.

She nodded slowly, her gaze drifting as if piecing something together herself. "That does sound strange. You're not imagining it, Mila. Something's definitely...off." She agreed

Mila's stomach churned. The uneasy feeling building over the past few days now felt like a storm brewing inside her. She could feel the fragments of evidence circling her mind, but they refused to align into a clear picture. "Do you think—" She started, soon stopping herself.

"Do I think what?" Audrey pressed, her tone gentle but curious.

"Do you think they're trying to edge me out of the tour? Like, do anything they can to make me quit?" She asked her curiously, glancing over at her once again.

Audrey shot her a questioning look. That didn't sound like something anyone would do, she felt there was something else going on. She might have to talk to Gracie about it. "Why would someone do that? You've been great out there, Mila. The fans love you." She wondered out loud.

"Thank you, that's what I'm saying!" She exclaimed. Mila ran a hand through her hair, her frustration evident. "It's like they're trying to make it look like I'm the problem. Cut sets, rushed soundchecks, and weird vibes from the crew. It's like they want me to feel out of place."

"Have you talked to Gracie about any of this?"

"Not yet, I don't want to add more to her plate than she has already." She admitted, finally reaching the dressing room to change into her normal clothes. After a day like this, she just wanted to unwind before she fell into a spiral over everything. "If something else happens then I'll talk to her, I promise."

That was something that Audrey could agree with. She knew how Mila could be about getting help from people so she had to be extra cautious with her. "Okay, I'll be checking in with both of you, though. Just to be sure you've actually talked to her." She firmly spoke, trying to get her point across. With that, Audrey had split from her friend, going to watch her best friend perform from the wing.

A sigh escaped her lips as she walked into her dressing room. Once the door was closed, she leaned against the door, sliding down until she was sat on the floor.

She knew something was coming, she was scared to find out.

The walk back to the hotel was quieter than usual without Gracie by her side. It allowed her to think things through, and look back at all the things that could be taken as signs of her being fired. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming her way, and she couldn't shake the dread that someone was about to deliver the final blow.

When she finally reached her room, the hallway was eerily silent. She slid the keycard into the door and pushed it open, sliding inside. The room was dim, illuminated only by the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Mila froze in her tracks when she saw Jordan sitting in the armchair by the window, her arms crossed, a folder resting on her lap.

It was like the final reveal in a horror movie, the secret everyone was waiting for was finally coming.

"Jordan," Mila said, her voice tight with surprise and suspicion. "What are you doing here?"

Jordan looked up, her expression unreadable but her posture stiff. "Mila," She began, her tone clipped and professional. "We need to talk."

The second she heard those words, her heart sank. Any suspicions that she had were looking just as likely as ever before. She dropped her bag by the door and crossed her arms defensively. "About what?" She questioned with a curious tone.

Jordan sighed as she stood up and smoothed out her blazer as if preparing for a performance. "About your position on this tour." She replied dryly, no sign of emotion in her at all. She was like a machine, a robot with a mission. She knew what this mission was.

There it was, Mila's worst fear, materializing right before her eyes. "What about it?" She asked, though she already knew the answer. She hoped she got it wrong, but she knew that wasn't the case.

Her career with Gracie would be over in a matter of seconds.

Jordan walked closer, her movements calculated and deliberate. "It's not working out," She said bluntly, holding the folder out toward Mila. "Effective immediately, you're off the tour."

Mila stared at her, her breath catching in her throat. She didn't take the folder, her hands clenching into fits at her sides. "Are you serious? After everything, you're just kicking me off?"

Jordan's expression hardened. "This isn't personal, Camila. It's about the tour, about Gracie's reputation and success. Your presence has been...distracting. The media is eating up this drama with Tessa, and it's reflecting poorly on Gracie." She spoke up, her tone showing her true colors. She knew that she was lying to her face, something she was good at.

Lying to get her way.

Mila's eyes burned with anger and disbelief. "Distracting? Reflecting poorly? I've one nothing but support Gracie—on stage, off stage, every step of the way, and this is how you repay me?" She asked, growing angrier by the second, her voice getting louder.

Unlike Mila, Jordan's voice remained icy and composed. "It's not about repayment. It's about what's best for Gracie. Right now, what's best is for you to leave." She was doubling down on her argument. The longer that this went on, she knew there was no winning with her.

"You don't get to decide what's best for her. You're doing this for yourself, not her. If you think she's going to be okay with this, you're dead wrong."

"Gracie will understand eventually. She had to focus on her career, and this tour can't afford any more distractions. Role Model is on his way to replace you right now, and you better start packing. Your flight is scheduled to leave tomorrow morning."

As Jordan left the hotel room, the door clicked behind her and Mila stood frozen. Her chest heaving with frustration and hurt. She glanced at the folder on the table but refused to touch it. The longer she looked at it, the more curious she became. She had to know what was inside.

She picked up the folder on the bed, soon seeing everything that was given to her. The sight of everything made her sick. The folder contained: A termination letter, an NDA, a flight itinerary, a statement draft, financial details, and press clippings that consisted of damaging headlines and rumors that involved Mila, Tessa, and Gracie. A constant reminder of what Tessa was doing to them. This was Jordan's way of guilt-tripping her, she could tell.

It was working.

Once again, Jordan and Tessa were winning.

At that moment, she realized that there was no way around this. The decision was final and she couldn't do anything about it. She was on her own now.

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AUTHORS NOTE !

guys, i know mila has

probably been through

enough, but she needs

the development. i hope

you all enjoyed and thank

you so much for all the

love and support you've all

given me in 2024. happy

new year and i'm so excited

for you all to see the stuff i

have planned for 2025! hoping

there's no mistakes!