Soon after returning from the concert, Kaitlyn began sorting through her haul. Clips and photos were chopped up, arranged, and edited into bite-sized servings of Dream Lizards content for posting. She didn't want to dump them all at once, of course. That would be overwhelming and give people too little variety. Instead, she spaced the posts out and sprinkled in a variety of other kinds of content.

  Hmmm… She frowned at one of the videos she'd taken. Maybe I should've brought something more professional to record this stuff. Something a bit higher quality than my phone. It's not like I wouldn't be able to afford it.

  Her phone wasn't bad by any means, but neither was it the best. Then again, bringing a full-on camera to the show definitely would have marked her as some sort of crazy fan or weirdo. No way Elliot would let her get away with that.

  Shrugging, she put the thought away for the future. She'd have to make do with what she had. Besides, this format was probably a better fit for her intended audience anyway.

  Speaking of that… I'm still kind of shocked with how good of a response I'm getting.

  Against all expectations, her Dream Lizards fan page was actually doing quite well. In only a couple of weeks she'd managed to amass a respectable following and pull some consistently decent numbers on her posts. It had already eclipsed the band's official page, which was understandable given how infrequently that one posted. That was even with her success seeming to bolster their numbers. Given a bit of time, she might even start to rival the Kate's Kitchen page. The possibility boggled her mind.

  It can't be this easy. I seriously thought there was a good chance this page was going to die in quiet obscurity. Maybe I was seriously overthinking how hard it is to do this stuff? Or maybe Heather's just way more of a genius than I gave her credit for…

  Silently, she made a note to thank her roommate again. Maybe a tray of pumpkin cream cheese brownies would adequately convey her appreciation.

  The page's success gave her real hope for her plan. Before, she'd feared that there simply wouldn't be enough weeks in the loop to make enough of a difference in the band's popularity. Now, though? Things were looking bright. What effect that popularity would have on the band's fortunes remained to be seen, but she was definitely more hopeful than she had been.

  Setting up one last post for the week, Kaitlyn sighed and leaned back in her chair. Her gaze drifted over to the long keyboard tucked away in the corner. She hadn't touched it much lately, on account of how busy she'd been with everything else. But now…

  The concert really did get me in the mood to play some music myself. Maybe I'll even play some of their tunes, just for fun…

  With a slight smile, she pulled the instrument onto her desk. The plinking of synthesized piano notes filled her ears as everything else faded into the background.

  ***

  "Elli, do you ever get bored of eating the same thing?"

  Esme rested her chin on one hand, staring down her cousin as Kaitlyn looked on with amusement. The steady din of the lunch rush filled the cafeteria around them as swarms of students scarfed down their meals at tables identical to their own. Beneath it all pumped the familiarly inoffensive pop station that seemed to play on loop throughout the building.

  Elliot lifted another forkful of buttered noodles to his mouth. "Don't fix what isn't broke, right? As soon as I get tired of this stuff, you'll be the first to know."

  Esme rolled her eyes as Kaitlyn giggled. "You've been saying that for years."

  "Yup. And I'll keep saying it, because it's true."

  "All I'm saying is that there's an entire dining hall's worth of options over there, and you haven't so much as touched a bit of it. How can you stand it?"

  As the pair continued to argue, Kaitlyn took another bite of her pastrami sandwich. Regardless of how many loops she went through, this particular meal still managed to hold its own as one of the best things on offer. After she added some of her own personal flair, it could even be called legitimately good. It was a shame that Cappy's only offered it once a week.

  Believe me, Esme, I understand. It's absolutely maddening to see, as someone who also enjoys good food. But I really just don't see you winning this one.

  After her conversation with Esme, it felt as though the pair were even more open around her than ever before. It wasn't some watershed moment where their every interaction did a complete one-eighty, of course. But it did seem to her as though they danced around issues just a little bit less.

  Then again, maybe it's just because there ARE less things to dance around. I guess I shouldn't underestimate how important that conversation was.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "Um… excuse me!"

  They all looked up in surprise at the unfamiliar voice. A mousey-looking girl with bangs shading her eyes stood beside their table, fidgeting nervously. She glanced at Elliot a few times before looking away in embarrassment.

  From the corner of her eye, Kaitlyn saw Esme instantly go on alert. Despite everything, the girl's guard dog instincts were evidently still fully active. But if the newcomer noticed, she didn't show any sign of it. She just shifted uncomfortably where she stood. "Um… sorry to interrupt. Are you, uh, in the Dream Lizards?"

  Elliot froze. For a moment, Kaitlyn worried that he'd fallen victim to some sort of game shenanigans. In fact, he went so still that she was pretty sure he'd stopped breathing.

  After what felt like an age, he gave a slow nod. "That's right."

  Esme's eyebrows shot up as the mousy girl's face brightened into a broad smile. "Oh! I knew it! You're the bassist, right? I love your music! I-I thought you looked familiar when I saw you, but I didn't know you were a student! Er, can I get a picture?"

  After a moment of hesitation, he nodded again. "Sure. Why not?"

  "Thank you!"

  He obligingly stood to take a photo with the girl. After another round of profuse thanks and nervous gushing, the girl disappeared among the dining hall tables with a spring in her step. Esme spoke as he levered himself back into his seat with a sigh.

  "Dream Lizards? Is that a band?"

  Elliot nodded. "Yup."

  "You're in a band? A real, actual band?" Esme's tone was one of excitement tinged with disbelief. "You're kidding!"

  He scratched his head and sighed. "Yeah… Sorry for not telling you. You know how I get about these things."

  "I… understand. I just can't believe it! This is… it's…!" The dark-haired beauty looked over to Kaitlyn as though to confirm this was really happening. She remained quiet. Evidently, that tipped Esme off enough for her eyes to widen in realization. "Did you… did you also know about this?"

  Now it was Kaitlyn's turn to flush with embarrassment. "Er, kind of? I saw them at a concert my friend invited me to. I… I kind of thought you knew, honestly…"

  Esme sat back in her seat, shocked. "I can't believe it. I feel so left out…"

  Kaitlyn winced with sympathy. Yeah. I can imagine. Sorry, Esme. It wasn't my place to tell. I hope you understand.

  "If it makes you feel any better, I haven't told anyone else about it, either," Elliot admitted. "Kate only found out on accident. But other than that? I've pretty much gone under the radar with it. Until now, at least…"

  "Well, now you have to tell me all about it!" Elliot's cousin leaned forward, her meal all but forgotten. "What kind of music do you all play? She mentioned you were the bassist, right?"

  "Indie pop. And yeah."

  "How long have you been doing this for? Do I know anyone else in the band?"

  "Ha, no, you definitely wouldn't. They're a bunch of guys I met about a year ago, completely by chance. We've been playing together ever since."

  "What about—" Esme glanced down at her phone and gave a frustrated sigh. "Oh, shoot. I need to get to class. We'll talk about this later! You're going to show me some of your music, alright?"

  She gave the ginger a pointed look before gathering her things and powerwalking for the door. As it closed behind her, Elliot slumped back in his seat tiredly. "Well. That could have gone better."

  Kaitlyn started with surprise. "Really? I mean, she seemed pretty excited about it to me…"

  "Oh, definitely. But she's also pretty upset that I didn't tell her before." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Trust me. She hides it well, but we've known each other for long enough. Hopefully she cools off a bit during class."

  The guy looked down at his mostly-finished meal. With a shake of his head, he picked up the tray and got ready to stand. Kaitlyn followed suit. "But you had to expect this, right? I mean, you're in a band. They pretty much thrive off of popularity. She was bound to find out sometime. Especially if you guys were even remotely successful."

  "I suppose…" Elliot mused as they headed to drop off their dishes. "Still. I kind of figured it would take more time. Bands don't just get popular overnight, you know."

  "Most don't," Kaitlyn corrected. "There's always exceptions."

  He snorted. "Right. I just didn't think we'd be one of them. Mind you, not that this," he gestured vaguely to their table, "Means we are. I wouldn't count getting recognized by one person as 'being popular.' Still…"

  He trailed off, gaze going distant as the pair started heading back to lab. Kaitlyn cocked her head curiously. "What?"

  Elliot shook himself. "Ah. Sorry, I was just thinking."

  "Obviously. What were you thinking about?"

  "Mmm. Just wondering how far this is all gonna go. I started playing with the band as a side hobby. But now… Well, no use thinking about it till it happens, right?"

  Kaitlyn shifted the backpack on her shoulders. "Do you want it to go farther? Or do you want it to stay a side hobby?"

  "Who knows? Like I said, just because one person recognized me doesn't mean we're the next Maze of Ills. If we do end up actually going somewhere… we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

  Kaitlyn frowned in thought as they continued onward. That was a far less direct answer than she would have liked. Maybe even Elliot didn't know what he really wanted in this case? It gave her a little bit of pause.

  There still might be time to back out. The hype train is going pretty strong, but maybe I can stop it if I really try?

  Mulling it over, she banished the thought. It was too uncertain. She needed to see how things would play out for at least a little longer. Besides, if even Elliot wasn't sure what might happen, then it would be better to stay the path for both of their sakes. That was the only way she'd really know for certain what the outcome would be. Hopefully it was one of the good ones.

  Maybe he's not convinced that they'll be a big deal. But… I don't see them slowing down anytime soon. For better or for worse.