96

Before Rana can count you as one of the volunteers staying behind, you tell her that you have to go. She doesn't hide her disappointment as her expression wilts a little more—but she nods in understanding and doesn't try and stop you from leaving.

You leave the glass-strewn street and head towards Skippy's, which is right around the corner. It's still a little early for the concert to start, but you can already see a line forming in front of the blue door—and as you get a little closer, you see that Marlowe is standing near the head of the line, wearing a sleek leather jacket that you imagine would go pretty well with their bike helmet and typing quickly on their phone.

When you walk over to join them, they seem so engrossed in what they're writing that they don't even notice you—but after a second, they blink and look up, and at once their face creases with a smile.

"Oh my god, I didn't even see you!" they say, laughing and tucking their phone away in their pocket. "Sorry—it's just that this concert review is the first full article I've gotten to write as an intern, and I've been feeling a little anxious about it—so I wanted to make some notes while I still had time. It's only supposed to be 500 words, but I want to do my best to capture the atmosphere, and…sorry. You're not going to have a great time if you have to listen to me stress about writing."