What Girls Are Made Of

i. rocks off

I can feel the thunder of the audience in my veins as the lights dim and my platform lowers. I'm left panting beneath the stage in the dark, alone for the first time in weeks. I wait for my assistant to untangle me from all of these wires while I enjoy the solace.

I might take a break from showbiz after this tour. We play our last show tomorrow on Domino. Maybe the girls and I can go on a long-deserved vacation. Or maybe we'll just start writing that new album that we've been meaning to get around too. No rest for the weary, am I right?

Suddenly, my assistants descend on me and I'm swarmed by six different people telling me seven different things. Someone takes my guitar and turns off my mic. I don't listen and I let them usher me to our room.

"Good job out there, Mat," Ana says as I walk in.

"Thanks. You too," I reply as I collapse into my seat.

"What about me?" Prue jokes as she struts into the room, drumsticks twirling in her hands. She drapes her long legs over me as she takes a seat beside me on the couch.

"Yeah, yeah, you did great, you beautiful beast," I oblige as I push her leather-clad legs off of me. Ana drops into the seat next to me and Ryder strides through the door brandishing his clipboard.

"Nice work, girls," he announces, propping his foot up on the coffee table. "If you bring that energy to your next concert in the kingdom of Domino, you girls will blow Shouting into Sunday out of the water."

"Shouting into Sunday?" Ana scoffs. "Ryder, you're ambitious."

He shrugs cheekily and responds, "That's why I'm here."

"I'm looking forward to the end of this tour," I say, falling back onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. Ryder laughs obnoxiously and Ana and I share a look.

"You're so funny, Matlin," he says as his fake laughter dies down.

The three of us cringe as I correct him.

"Please, don't call me that."

"Right, right, sorry."

Ana changes the conversation by saying, "We should go on vacation after Domino."

"I was literally just thinking that!" I exclaim.

We laugh but Prue frowns.

"I was actually hoping to get a head start on this next album," she says, peering at us with pleading blue-green eyes that can get absolutely anything from anybody. Well, anybody else except us.

"Prue, we need a break."

"Yeah, you literally got strep throat last week," Ana adds. "We need to go on vacation."

Turning her sweet eyes on Ryder, Prue asks, "What do you think, Mr. Manager?"

She bats her eyelashes and he swallows hard, loosening his tie with finger. I clear my throat and arch an eyebrow at Ryder, reminding him of the topic at hand.

"Right, right, a vacation will be good inspiration for your next album," Ryder says, coughing into his hand. Prue pouts but I grin in triumph.

"So then it's settled," Ana says, crossing her arms definitely. "Don't schedule us for anything this summer."

"Wait, all summer?"

"Ryder, we deserve a break."

"And we'll come out with so much content," I add.