RAVISHANKAR:What?
MORRIS:You saw it go down. Was it defiant or a cry for help?
RAVISHANKAR:Man . . . You’re going to get me in trouble.
MORRIS:Say no more. I think we can draw our own conclusions.
RAVISHANKAR:It’s just . . . with Hannah, I think it’s always going to be a little bit of both.
Chapter 36
Hannah
Sunday, August 18, 2024
We’re halfway through recording our new song, “A Fever I’m Learning to Live With”—I’m belting the climax, “You’re a dream I’ll never touch, an idea that will haunt me,” Kenny’s wailing on the snares, Ripper’s killing it on lead guitar—when Theo bursts into the live room, clutching his phone, his face a vicious shade of red. Kenny, Ripper, and I falter.
“What’s wrong?” I take an instinctive step toward him. Theo’s whole body is transformed—his shoulders high and tight, his jaw clenched, his hazel eyes radiating anger. He lifts an accusatory finger, pointing it at Ripper, and I freeze.
“Outside. Now.” We’re standing in the middle of Studio C in the famous Paramount Recording Studios in Hollywood, and the acoustics sharpen Theo’s words.
I look back and forth between the men. “What’s happening?”
“Hey.” Kenny slides around his drum kit and approaches Theo, hands up. “Let’s practice some peaceful breathing exercises, yeah?”
Ripper is the only one who doesn’t seem surprised by Theo’s outburst.
“You going to man up and step outside?” Theo asks.
We all turn to Rip.
Ripper yanks his guitar over his head and drops it on the hardwood floor, so forcefully the microphone stand beside it falls over. “No need. Say what you want.”
Theo’s eyes gleam. “Fine. How dare you threaten to leave the band?”
“Hold up.” I muscle off my guitar. “Ripper did what? When?”
“We got Ripper on a podcast calledMusicians on Musicians—”
“Oh, I love that show,” Kenny says cheerfully.
“Where he proceeded to hint about leaving us behind, after talking shit about the band. The episode just dropped. It already has a couple hundred thousand downloads.”
My stomach drops. Neither Ripper nor Theo will look at me.
“Rip?” Kenny’s voice is gentle. “What’s going on?”
“I didn’t talk shit,” Ripper says through gritted teeth. “I told the truth.”
Ginny appears behind Ripper. Thank god she’s solid this time, no more of that strange fading.
Theo holds up his phone. “Ripper says, and I quote: ‘It’s been hard to watch Hannah grapple with losing her and try to lead the band at the same time. I don’t know how well it’s working.’”
I take a sharp breath. Ripper still won’t look at me.
Theo scrolls his phone. “Booker Morris asked Ripper if he thinks Hannah sees him as a threat—” “Wait, our friend Booker?” I’m confused. “From Dead to Rights?” Theo glances at me, and his anger softens into something like re
gret. “Ripper said yes.”
