The backstage of us - Gracie Abrams x Role Model

It's just a simple question

Song recs for this chapter:

• 21 – Gracie Abrams
   • For the First Time – Mac DeMarco
• I Wish I Was – The Avett Brothers
• Don't Blame Me – Taylor Swift
• Motion Sickness – Phoebe Bridgers
• Falling – Harry Styles
• Mess It Up – Gracie Abrams
• Yellow – Coldplay
• Can I Call You Tonight? – Dayglow

_______________________________
Gracie's pov.

I've always found it funny how I can sing in front of thousands of people and pour my heart out on stage, but making one phone call still freaks me out. Today was no exception. I had a reason to call Tucker, better known as Role Model in the music industry, and ask him to open for me on the US leg of my tour. He was the perfect fit, no doubt about it, but somehow, dialing his number made my heart race.

With my phone in hand, I stared at his contact for way too long, mentally rehearsing what I was going to say. *You're just asking him to open for you, Gracie. It's not that deep. It's not that big of a deal. For the love of God stop overthinking...*

I took a breath, hit "Call," and waited as the phone rang. One ring, two, and then...

"Gracie! Hey, what's up?" His voice was warm and casual, instantly easing some of my nerves.

"Hey, Tucker! How's it going?" I tried to match his tone, sounding more relaxed than I felt. My heart, though, was doing its own thing, beating fast... Probably way too fast.

"All good over here. Didn't expect to hear from you today—this is a nice surprise," he said, curious but friendly.

*Okay, just say it.* I ran my hand through my hair, standing up and pacing a little. "So, I'm getting ready for the US leg of my tour, and I had this idea. I wanted to ask if you'd be my opener for the shows?"

There was a pause, long enough for me to start second-guessing myself. Maybe he was too busy, maybe he didn't want to—

"Are you serious?" His voice broke through, sounding excited. "Gracie, I'd love that! That's amazing. I'm in, 100%."

Relief washed over me, and I couldn't stop smiling. "Really? That's awesome! I just think your sound and vibe would be perfect for the tour. I've been thinking about it for a while."

"I'm honored, honestly. This is going to be incredible. Thank you for thinking of me," he said, his enthusiasm contagious. I could hear the smile in his voice, and it made me feel lighter and happy.

We spent the next few minutes ironing out the details—dates, cities, rehearsal times. He'd join me and the band in about a we, and the first show was in a little over a month. Everything was coming together fast, but it felt right.

After the logistics, the conversation turned more casual. I mentioned how I'd been working on a few new songs, and Tucker talked about how he'd been in a bit of a creative slump. "Sometimes I just need to get on the road to really feel inspired again," he admitted, and I totally got it. Performing live has always been the thing that frees me creatively.

"You know, I've been wanting to do something different for this tour," I said, thinking aloud. "Maybe a duet. Nothing too crazy, just something acoustic, emotional. I don't know, it's just an idea."

"I'd be down for that," Tucker replied, intrigued. "We could jam during rehearsals, see what happens."

I liked the idea of that—no pressure, just vibing and seeing where the music took us. There was something about Tucker's energy that felt right, like we could create something together.

Later that night, as I was lying in bed, my phone buzzed. It was Tucker.

**Still buzzing from our convo. Can't wait for this tour. It's gonna be legendary.**

I smiled at the screen, feeling a warm rush of excitement. **Same here. Already thinking about how we're gonna blow people away. No pressure though, lol,** I texted back.

What started off as simple exchanges about the tour turned into longer conversations—songs we loved, random memories from past tours, little quirks and stuff like that. I shared that I always carried a journal with me, even though I rarely filled all the pages.

Over the next few days, texting him became a regular thing. Sometimes it was tour-related, sometimes it was just casual banter. But there was something comfortable about it, something that felt easy. I found myself looking forward to seeing his name pop up on my screen.

One night, I was going through potential setlists, trying to figure out which songs to keep and which ones to cut, when I got a text.

*Any thoughts on that duet idea? Got a few songs stuck in my head...*

I grinned, typing back as quickly as i could .

To be continued...

AHH i finally finished my first chapter ever... Im soo proud of it because it took me kinda long but I hope you'll enjoy reading it the way I loved writing it.
Not sure when the next chapter is coming out because I'm going to London for 3 days and I have a lots of stuff at school but I'll try my best.
Love, Sz.