Chapter Text
(Y/N = Your Name) (N/N = NickName)
Band practice for Löded Diper was currently happening in Rodrick's garage like usual. After practicing songs for half an hour the band decided to take a short break. Everyone was chatting and relaxing until Rodrick stood up to catch everyone's attention.
"Hey, guys! I have a surprise for you all. Just wait here, you'll love it!" Rodrick smiled and briefly exited the garage before coming back about 2 minutes later, but this time he was accompanied by someone. It was a girl looking to be a little older than the rest of the band. She had dyed her hair a wine red and her cat-like eyes quickly scanned the room and everyone in it. Y/N cocked an eyebrow.
"Who's this?" She asked, confused.
"Our new band member." Rodrick proudly announced. There was a short silence, but the band had always been very welcoming so everyone instantly gathered around the new band member to get to know her. Everyone was introduced.
Apparently, her name was Becky, she was 21 and a professional musician. She seemed okay, but Y/N paled when Becky mentioned that she was gonna be the band's lead guitarist. What? SHE was the band's lead guitarist. Y/N had always been the lead guitarist of the band! And they already had a rhythm guitarist. There couldn't be two lead guitarists. So was Y/N just gonna be.. Replaced?? Y/N shot Rodrick a confused but irritated look. Suddenly Y/N felt threatened by this new girl. And what did Rodrick think he was doing? Inviting someone into the band without asking the others first? What kind of stunt was that?! Rodrick had probably gotten blinded by the fact that Becky was a 'professional' musician. Typical. Y/N wondered if Becky even was a professional musician or if she was just another artistic failure who claimed to be able to make a living. Becky smiled as she talked with the rest of the band. Everyone seemed to like her. But there was something about Becky that just rubbed Y/N the wrong way. She couldn't put her finger on it. There was something in the tone of her voice that just seemed... Fake.
After some time of the band speaking and having some fun, talking about music with the woman they knew little about, Y/N's doubts about Becky had increased even more. Y/N wondered what sort of secrets and scandals she hid behind that pretty appearance of hers. Or maybe, Y/N was just a jealous, insecure girl.
Y/N bit her tongue that the answer could possibly be the latter. Was she just jealous? She didn't want to be a jerk for no reason, but a part of her genuinely did not like Becky. She stared down at the ground, but her eyes flew up when she saw Becky walk over to her guitar. She picked it up and let her fingers strum over the strings of Y/N's guitar. HER guitar. Y/N frowned.
"Hey, that's m-" She objected, but Rodrick hushed her.
"Shh, let her play, N/N," Rodrick said. Y/N clenched her jaw but kept her words in. Y/N stared at Becky as she played a few tunes on her guitar. Her stare then flickered to Rodrick. Rodrick never let anyone touch his drum set. Y/N is barely even allowed to play on it for longer than 5 minutes before Rodrick takes the drumsticks from her. But now a total stranger could just go ham on Y/N's guitar and that was FINE? Hypocritical, much? Y/N crossed her arms and bit back her words when she saw Becky tune her guitar differently without even asking. Who raised her? Y/N always had her guitar tuned very specifically just the way she liked it and now Becky was ruining it. Y/N was usually a very open person and didn't mind sharing, but Becky was an exception. The way her nails scratched over her guitar's strings made Y/N want to pull her teeth out. Becky played a short melody. She wasn't extraordinary. She wasn't bad either. She was just average. Was SHE going to be Y/N's replacement? No way.
Rodrick was just sitting there, doing absolutely nothing, no problem with her doing it. Why did he even bring Becky into the band? And without asking too?
This was ridiculous. Becky was ridiculous. Y/N couldn't stand it. She looked at her watch and thought that now was a fine time to make an excuse to leave. She just needed to get out of here.
She opened her phone and pretended to get a text from her mom.
"Oh, sorry, guys. I gotta go. My mom wants me home." She lied. Y/N walked up to Becky and took the guitar out of her hands, giving her a bitter smile.
"I'll be needing that, thank you." She said with a sugary-sweet voice and turned around, walking towards the door. She shook her head when she heard Rodrick protest behind her.
"Hey, wai--" Rodrick didn't get to finish before Y/N shut the door to the garage. Y/N breathed out and walked away from the garage. She met Rodrick's mom on the way out.
"Going home so soon, Y/N?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Y/N was usually the last one to leave when there was band practice. She always helped Rodrick clean up and write the last notes down for their latest music number.
"I'm just tired." Y/N lied yet again.
Before Rodrick's mom got a chance to reply, Rodrick had caught up with them in the meantime of their short talk.
"Hey!" He called, running towards Y/N. He was clearly annoyed with how Y/N acted towards Becky, his eyebrows were low and he frowned.
Y/N looked up at the ceiling for a moment, gathering the energy to talk with a probably confused and irritated Rodrick. Y/N sighed and turned around to face Rodrick with a tired glare. Rodrick immediately began rambling on about how she had so suddenly left with a bullshit reason, but Y/N quickly stopped him noticing that other members of Rodrick's family were beginning to listen in. Rodrick's family didn't need to know that there were problems with the band, they were already enough on the fence about it.
"Rodrick, not here," Y/N said and hastily grabbed Rodrick's arm, leading him outside where they could talk under four eyes.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you acting so... Off?" Rodrick, narrowed his eyes at Y/N as if he was trying to figure her out. Y/N looked off to the side, but she knew this conversation was inevitable.
"Listen. Becky? I don't think she should join the band." Y/N gave it to Rodrick straight. She had never been the type to beat around the bush and was in general a very forward person.
Rodrick's eyebrows furrowed. For a moment, Rodrick just stared at Y/N in both confusion and irritation. "What? " Was all he could respond with.
"Look, I know it sounds bad, but she just... I don't think she fits." Y/N honestly explained. It sounded horrible out loud. Refusing someone solely based on first impression? It was bad, but that was genuinely how Y/N felt. There was something about Becky... She swore there was!
Rodrick looked at Y/N like she was talking alien. She sighed. "Trust me. When have I ever been wrong about someone? And I'm telling you, something's not right with Becky." Y/N crossed her arms.
Rodrick blinked. He couldn't believe his ears. Since when did Y/N become so closed-minded? "Are you serious?" He asked and Y/N's silence was enough of an answer. "Oh my god, you are." He said with widened eyes.
His surprised look quickly faded and hardened into an annoyed glare. "There's nothing wrong with Becky. You're just bitter because you aren't the only girl in the band anymore. Becky is talented and a professional, we need her." Rodrick said and that's when Y/N lost her cool.
"What? You seriously think that is what this is about?!" Y/N frowned. "And Becky is not talented. She's average at best!" Now Y/N felt the anger rise. Rodrick and Y/N had been friends for nearly a decade and he was taking BECKY'S SIDE? Seriously?!
"Becky's got problems. Can't you see it? You're just blinded by the fact that she's a 'professional musician', aren't you? Well, I don't believe that bullshit for a second. If she really was oh so good and professional, then why is she searching to be in a high school band, huh? She's 21! A grown adult, if I absolutely have to spoon-feed it to you!" The argument between the two was getting heated very quickly and they both had a feeling that they were both going to regret this later, but it was way too late to back out now. They were both too prideful and stubborn to do that.
Rodrick laughed - not of amusement, but anger. "Wow! You're really taking her being good at music as a personal attack, aren't you?" He said and crossed his arms. "Yeah, Becky's 21 and so what? That only means that she's got experience. I bet you're absolutely horrified that you've been shown up by another girl. You're scared that you're not special anymore because you aren't the only girl now. Because you're just that insecure."
Rodrick's words stung. THAT was what he thought of Y/N? Some kind of jealous and attention-seeking BRAT?
"Rodrick, I promise you, you are going to EAT those words!" Y/N yelled, scrunching up her nose in anger. "I don't give a damn whether Becky is another girl or not. What I do give a damn about is the fact that you're seriously standing here and calling me insecure and jealous! You won't even listen to me! This is like talking to a goddamn wall!" Y/N argued, speaking through gritted teeth.
"Your brother's right, you are a certified jackass." Y/N narrowed her eyes and shoulder-checked Rodrick, walking away and towards her own house. Before Rodrick could protest, Y/N was gone. Rodrick stared at the spot where Y/N had just been standing.
Rodrick grimaced. Why was she so pissy all of of a sudden? What was her problem? He headed back inside, fuming with both disappointment and anger. Y/N was so out of line. What was wrong with Becky? She may lack a few manners, but she's cool otherwise. Right?
When Rodrick entered the house his brother came up to him.
"I eavesdropped." Rodrick's younger brother, Greg, honestly admitted, feeling guilty. Rodrick glared down at the younger boy. Rodrick quickly turned to face Greg, his face was a mask of rage that Greg had never seen before. "What did you hear exactly?"
"Uh.. Kinda, like, you know.. Everything." Greg admitted to his older brother. He had never heard Rodrick and Y/N have such a heated argument, so of course he couldn't help but eavesdrop. Typical.
"It was wild. I can't believe you actually said all that to her!" Greg seemed almost impressed. Greg had also known Y/N for a while since it was Rodrick's childhood best friend. Y/N had always kind of liked Greg and shared her bag of chips with him when Rodrick refused, as an older brother now does. Rodrick groaned in annoyance. So the little midget had heard everything, huh? Rodrick bit his tongue and internally cursed. Why did Greg have to be so nosey?
"Don't tell Mom," Rodrick commanded with a threatening tone. "It wasn't that serious anyway." He lied, trying to play off the fact that he and his best friend had just quite literally been at each other's throats.
"Yeah, right." Greg raised his brows, he wasn't believing Rodrick's words for a second. "What did you even do? She seemed really mad." Greg asked and looked out the window to where he had watched Rodrick and Y/N chew each other out.
"I.." Rodrick trailed off into a sigh.
"I invited a new person to join the band and Y/N was being a dick about it. I mean that's not my fault, she just-" Rodrick began rambling but was cut off by his younger brother.
"And did you ask the rest of the band about this decision? It's kind of a huge thing to get a brand new band member." Greg asked, crossing his arms. He had a feeling about where this all went south.
Rodrick rolled his eyes but shook his head. "Okay, no, but so what? Sure, it's fair for Y/N to be a little irritated about that, but she basically exploded! I swear it's just cause Becky's another girl and that's she's a little bit better on guitar-" Again Rodrick got cut off.
"Wait, did you say guitar? The new girl is a guitarist?" Greg asked, realizing the problem. "As in lead guitarist?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Rodrick replied, his patience wearing thin.
"Are you stupid?" Greg shook his head with wide eyes. "You invited another lead guitarist to join the band? Without telling Y/N? Dude, you signed up for Y/N to get mad. I mean, that must've looked like you were totally gonna replace her with the new one! Did you even think about that?"
Rodrick paused completely.
"Of course you didn't." Greg sighed.