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Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Day I Left the Band, He Thought I’d Be Back: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

40 Kabanata

Chapter 1

I was checking next month’s rent for our practice space when the festival dropped its first wave of posters.The landlord’s email was polite enough.The lease renewal was ready, and the money would come off my card on Monday as usual. If the band wanted to add late-night slots, we just had to give him a heads-up.I forwarded the email to Ben and clicked open the festival page.Our band was slotted for Sunday evening.On the poster, Noah stood front and center, with Lila right beside him.I zoomed in and looked for my name three times.Nothing.The bio, however, mentioned *Across the River*, calling it one of the band’s biggest crowd-pleasers.Staring at the title, I thought back to that beat-up tape recorder in a high school garage six years ago.Noah had been sitting cross-legged on the floor. When I finished singing it for the first time, he clapped louder than anyone."The day we hit a real stage," he’d said, "you’re singing the opening line."Later, we formed a band and worked our

Chapter 2

So everyone knew about the setup. I was the only one kept in the dark until I saw the poster.I dropped it and asked him something else instead. "Tomorrow afternoon—you want me to teach her how to sing the second verse?""She listened to the demo, but there’s a spot where you catch your breath early, off the sheet music. Just walk her through how you do it.""Let her sing it her own way."Noah frowned. "She only has three weeks. Can you not do this right now just to spite me?"He knew how badly I wanted to sing that song.Now he’d put someone else in front of the mic, and he was asking me to coach her.He didn't even see anything wrong with it."I'm not coming tomorrow," I said."Ivy.""Thanks for dinner."I shut the door, done wasting my breath.Through the wood, he stood out there for a moment before saying, "Call me when you’ve cooled off."I unwrapped my burrito. The lime sauce tasted just the way I liked it.Noah always remembered the little things. He knew which peppers I couldn'

Chapter 3

A guitar amp hummed on his end. Noah walked a few steps somewhere quieter."We've always done it this way. What's the problem?""Before, I knew for sure I’d always be in the band."Dead silence on the other end.I waited a few seconds before Noah finally spoke. "So you're really planning to walk?""I haven't decided.""You say you haven't decided, yet everything you're doing is packing up to leave."He was right. I couldn't deny it.I looked at the printed lease, remembering how we’d painted those walls together. I’d picked out the ugly outlet covers by the window, and photos from our very first gig were still taped up inside.If I really left, there was a lot I’d miss—which was why I didn't want the landlord taking the room back just because I was gone."I'll ask the landlord how a transfer works," I said. "Until the paperwork goes through, we'll stick to the usual arrangement.""Does it really have to be right now?""Yeah," I said. "I can't keep running errands for you guys forever."

Chapter 4

Noah froze.So did I.I’d never actually said that second part out loud to him before.That night at Danny's, he’d helped me off the stage and said I clearly hated being stared at. He was running a fever at the time, so I didn't argue with him.Yet I’d asked him plenty of times after that if I could sing the first verse of *Across the River* at a gig.He’d say yes, and then he’d forget."You could've told me sooner," Noah said.I didn't bother explaining anymore."I won't be at Friday's gig," I said. "I'll let Ben know so you guys have time to adjust."Noah stared at me. "You'll be there. Every time you get mad, you can never bring yourself to let a show fall apart."He looked at me with total certainty.I stopped trying to convince him, turned around, pushed open the door to the room, and told Ben I wouldn't be playing Friday.Ben said he’d tweak the setlist and check in with our regular fill-in bassist.I slung my guitar case over my shoulder and told them goodbye.The subway entranc

Chapter 5

The bar wasn't exactly quiet—nothing like practicing alone in my apartment.Oddly enough, the low hum of the room actually calmed my nerves.After I stepped off, a girl walked up to the edge of the stage."What was that second song called?" she asked. "Where can I stream it?""*Last Spin Cycle*. I haven't recorded a studio version yet.""Can you let me know when you drop it?"I gave her my music handle, suddenly remembering the page was almost entirely backstage shots of the band—not a single track she could actually hit play on right now.She followed me anyway.Offstage, Ben handed me a water."Second song was great.""What about the first one?""I've heard the first one for three years," he said. "Second verse was different tonight. I liked what you just did way better."I held the bottle, not twisting the cap off for a long moment.Ben looked toward the stage, waiting until the next act went up before speaking again. "There's something else you should know. On the festival applicat

Chapter 6

I went quiet for a second, a wave of exhaustion hitting me.I was standing up for my own rights, and he was brushing it off as a petty fight."If you'd been straight about the songwriting credits from the start, we wouldn't be having this conversation.""I'm not just talking about the credits." Noah looked at me. "You've been skipping rehearsal for days, talking to the landlord about the lease, playing bar gigs on your own. I don't know where you're leaving us in all this.""I don't know either," I said. "I just know I'm done sitting in the crowd being your audience.""If you want the first verse at the festival, I can rework the live set.""Does Lila know about that?""I'll tell her.""Then it's not yours to promise on her behalf. Noah, whether it's me or Lila, you don't get to just make calls for us whenever you feel like it.""Then I'll ask her!" His voice rose. "Ivy, I'm trying to figure out how to make this up to you!"I looked at him.I didn't get what he thought he was making up

Chapter 7

The clerk had her phone propped against a shelf, listening to music while restocking.On the screen, Ben counted in four on the sticks, and Noah stepped up to the mic. Way in the back, there I was, head down, checking a guitar cable.Danny had filmed it last summer."You know 'em?" the clerk asked, noticing how long I’d been staring."Yeah."I didn't mention that I was in the frame too.If she gave me a surprised look, I wouldn't know how to explain it.Thankfully, she didn't pry.She handed me the paper bag and went back to nodding her head to the beat.Once I got home, I stopped checking the clock.Halfway through frying an egg, Ben sent a backstage photo.Lila had the spare guitar from the practice room slung over her shoulder, looking as grim as if she were walking into a final exam.That guitar usually sat in the shared locker, and one of its strings was long overdue for a change.*Remind her to change the strings,* I texted him.*Already done. She insisted on doing it herself,* B

Chapter 8

That afternoon, I took my guitar to a neighborhood community center down the street.They rented out practice rooms by the hour on weekends, and the walls had way better soundproofing than my apartment.I paid for two hours, walked in, and just sat there for the first ten minutes.Ben wasn't in the room to count me in, and Noah wasn't there to tell me which verse was dragging.I ran through *Across the River* twice and decided to pull back on the ending, keeping it soft.When I finished, I hit stop myself, listened to the playback, and re-recorded the final line twice.On my way out, the guy at the front desk asked, "Want the same slot next week?"I’d planned on waiting to hear back from the festival first, but as the words reached my lips, I didn't hesitate."Yeah."He flashed me an *OK* sign and penciled my name into the schedule.Sunday afternoon, my audition video showed up in a local musicians' group chat.Maya was the first to send me screenshots.She circled the application ID i

Chapter 9

Another crack spiderwebbed across my chest, a sharp ache curling through my body.Even if Noah had been unfair about the lineup, part of me still believed that after knowing me this long, he’d have some basic trust in me.Now I knew better. The second something went wrong, I was the first person he suspected.Staring at that comment about the *ex-guitarist poaching the old band's track*, the last bit of softness I had left for him vanished."I want this settled fast too. So if this starts hurting my name, I'm putting out a statement.""What are you gonna post?""Nothing yet. I'm getting my receipts together first."Panic crept into Noah's voice. "We can handle this privately!""The only reason I haven't hit post yet," I said evenly, "is to give you time to handle it privately."Silence stretched on his end."I'll get to the bottom of it," he said.By Sunday evening, a cold, clammy rain was coming down over Brooklyn.The local musicians' chat was still blowing up.Right after that rando

Chapter 10

That guy passed the video to his assistant.The assistant dropped a screenshot into a group chat, gossiping about a band they knew dealing with a *member going solo and walking off with an old song*.That was where the *ex-guitarist poaching the band's track* rumor started.My hand paused mid-pour over the glass.When Noah called me this afternoon, the very first thing out of his mouth was asking who *I’d* sent the video to."What did he say once he found out where it came from?""Said to get the posts deleted first, then handle it in-house."Ben set his phone on the table."He wants you to pull *Across the River* from your solo set. In exchange, he’ll have the festival add your name under *Featured Songwriter*."I stared at him, and after a beat, I actually laughed."Featured songwriter?""When did a song I wrote note by note turn into a project I was invited to guest on?"Ben looked down, not defending Noah.I flipped open the binder he’d brought over.One page had a note: *Across th

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