Rocks stars. Lies. Pop stars. All of them. They don't work.

They fight their way through life, but not like everyone else. They're rich. Popular. Most the time at least.

"Luna! You're here!" Melody said, tackling me. "I'm so happy!"

"Yes, yes, I know. I came for you," I said, pulling her off.

Melody smiled. Then she grabbed my wrist. "You have a free ticket for the front row. In fact, you don't even have one."

I smirked a cocky smirk.

I sat down in the front row as Melody went into the back to get her band ready.

She performs. And the rock song is amazing.

The music thrums through Luna's feet as Melody stands onstage, proud and loud, pacing up the length of the stage and riling up her adoring crowds before the final song. There would be an encore: they all knew this, but ending on their second most popular song still send the stadium up into floods of cheers and screams as Ace, the guitarist, strummed out the opening chord, and Lacey, the drummer banged out the iconic fill that began Jaded.

Luna felt herself get jostled by the crowds as they swarmed up to the front, Melody crouching down with her microphone to catch the plushies and memorabilia thrown at her feet. And then, gilded in red and purple lights from the stage above, Melody rose to her full height, balancing on her platform boots, and stared right at Luna.

"This one goes out to you, Stargirl!" Melody didn't wait for the crowd to settle. She lifted her mic, breathless, electric, the lights painting her in molten gold and violet. “Stargirl,” she says, voice cracking over the mic. “I’ve sung this song a thousand times, but tonight… I want to say something I’ve never said onstage.”

The crowd roars, assuming it’s some dramatic rock‑star flourish. But Luna feels the way she looks at her like a tingling in her spine.

Melody steps closer to the edge of the stage, boots clacking against the metal grate. Her eyes never leave Luna’s. “You’re the reason I can do any of this,” she says, softer now. “You’re the reason I get back up when I fall. You’re the reason I write. You’re the reason I breathe. Luna… I love you.”

The stadium detonates into screams. Ace misses a chord. Lacey throws her sticks in the air. Melody just stands there, trembling, smiling like she’s finally stopped running. Luna’s heart slams against her ribs. She pushes through the crush of fans, security shouting, hands grabbing at her sleeves. She ducks under the barricade, nearly tripping over a speaker cable, and a guard tries to stop her until Melody waves him off with a sharp flick of her wrist.

“Let her through!”

Backstage is chaos: crew members sprinting, lights buzzing, the smell of sweat and hot metal. Luna bursts through the curtain just as Melody comes offstage, still glowing with adrenaline and fear and hope. Melody doesn’t hesitate. She grabs Luna’s face in both hands, eyes wide and shining.

“I meant it,” she whispers. “Every word.”

Luna’s breath catches. “I know,” she says, voice shaking. “And I’m here. I’m right here.”

Melody laugh and pulls Luna into her arms, holding her like she’s afraid someone might steal her away.

Outside, the crowd chants Melody’s name. Inside, Melody presses her forehead to Luna’s. “You’re my encore,” she murmurs. “Always.”