The Lincolns

Chapter 1

Danny

Danny was on his computer again.
"This one's a Harry Potter crossover," he said loudly across the room. ""The Lincolns Go To Hogwarts". It's by that girl again: Lincolnlove75."
Luke rolled his eyes dramatically. He was sat sideways on an armchair, his legs dangling over one side. A police car screamed past in the street down below.
"Stalker," he said in a singsong voice. Zak got up to get a drink from the minibar, punching Luke lightly in the stomach.
"Hey!" Luke threw up his hands in defence. "I speak nothing but the truth."
As Zak took out a bottle of water from the fridge, he said, "If you refer to every one of our fans as stalkers then you're probably going to win most unlikeable band member. Again."
"We're not having this argument again, we've all decided Luke is the most hated out of us all," Max said, coming in from the bedroom. He slouched onto the sofa.
"Fan-fiction is usually great stuff," Danny said, looking back to his computer. "The dedication these girls put in."
"And guys," Luke corrected.
"But mostly girls," Danny continued. "I might tweet about this."
Max bounced up from the sofa quickly and came to Danny's side, looking at the laptop over his shoulder. "Remember to word it carefully. Holly doesn't want another storm in a teacup."
"What?" Danny asked, opening up Twitter and composing a message.
"You name names, you'll look like you're favouring only certain fan-fiction and then you'll have every teenage girl with Internet on the planet baying for your blood."
"Noted." Danny sent the tweet and then got up from his chair. "What's the schedule today?"
"Um," Zak consulted his phone and then, with a victorious smile, said, "a shop opening then the gig tonight. That's it."
Luke punched the air and sat round in the armchair.
"Anyone fancy going shopping with me this afternoon after we do the opening?"
Everyone shook their heads. Luke tutted contemptibly:
"I'll see if Holly's up for. She usually is."
"Is this the next step in your burgeoning romance?" Max grinned and Luke shot daggers at him.
Danny made his way over to the balcony, the door of which was already open.
"God, Madrid is roasting," he breathed as he stepped out of the air-conditioned hotel room, blowing air into his cheeks.
He leaned onto the railing and was instantly assailed by an eruption of cheers and screams. Danny jumped back from the edge; there was laughter. Then he peered over the balcony.
A knot of fans were gathered on the pavement far below at the entrance to the hotel. Some displayed handmade signs, others had brightly-coloured face-paint on while many of them were screaming the band's name in Spanish.
"Hola," Danny shouted down nervously, waving. The crowd swooned as one.
"Are they out in force again?" Zak asked, suddenly at Danny's elbow.
"España ama Las Lincolns!" chorused the fans and both Zak and Danny smiled down at them.
"The Lincolns love Spain!" Zak yelled and again the assembly giggled excitedly.
Danny was experiencing a tingling sensation at the pit of his stomach, the same feeling he always got whenever he stepped out into public.
It was the exhilarating feeling of fame.

Martha

"Oh my god, I've got two million hits. I've actually flipping done it! Two million hits," Katy squealed, leaping out of her seat to Martha's surprise. She turned and pointed theatrically at Martha, like an enthusiastic TV host.
"Couldn't have done it without your help," she said. "You're my muse."
Martha managed a slight smile.
"Cheer up, chicken. But think about it: "The Lincolns Go To Hogwarts" is getting two bloody million hits. And you wrote some of them."
"That is pretty cool. All those people have seen your story, Katy."
"Well, it's kind of our story, Marty!" Katy said, clicking onto Twitter and navigating to The Lincolns' official page. The account had reposted a message by Danny:

Love my fans and everyone who has supported me over the years. Read some of your fan-fic. Some really creative people. Much love D x

Katy read the tweet with widening eyes. "Would you bloody well look at that?" she breathed. "Marty, read that."
"I did, Katy."
"Read it again. Danny reads fan-fiction. He actually, properly reads it. You don't know how this makes me feel," Katy said, gulping in breaths.
Martha sat down at the computer and clicked on the tweet. She scanned it quickly.
"Oh my God! Katy, look, this was sent from Madrid. What are they doing in Madrid? Are they on tour?" Martha was quickly transforming into the panicky fan-girl she strived so hard not to be like.
"No, you wally, they're doing three charity concerts in Madrid this week. No tour, just fundraising," Katy sighed. "Bloody fundraising."
Martha batted Katy's arm lightly. "It's for charity and the tour will happen. It's been so long since their last one – it has to happen."