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Seattle, Washington - the summer of '94.
It had been a challenging year for Kat Mikaelsen: irritated by her parents, furious at her sister, and angry at the world for cursing her with such a dysfunctional family. Now she was being dragged around Seattle, Washington, on yet another infamous "family vacation".
Staring at rocks, churches, and "tourist attractions" bored her to death. Having to endure lectures on Christianity and family values made her want to smash her head against the wall. She would have been better off staying at home, but no. Her parents forced her to come.
And in the midst of all that, she was confused about herself. She was growing up, hitting puberty, and confused about what she wanted to do or become. Kat was a blank slate.
Having been dragged around Seattle, again, by her parents, she was finally allowed to be "free". Unfortunately, her parents had tasked Dylan with chaperoning her and making sure she didn't get lost or misbehave. They expected her to go to the nearby bookstore, but Kat scoffed at that idea. Loitering in a bookstore wasn't exactly a thrill to her.
"Come on, Kat. I don't wanna be here babysitting you, but... ugh. Just... hang out in here, OK? I don't care where, just don't get lost or they'll go ballistic at me," Dylan said, not wanting to be there either.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kat spotted something more interesting. No, scratch that. Something way more interesting: an intriguing, punk rock store.
The Punk Singers.
"Ugh, this is so boring. I'm gonna go into the store next door. Don't even try and stop me!"
Dylan made a half-assed attempt to convince her not to do that, but to no avail. Keeping Kat in check was getting more difficult by the day, ever since she had begun dating Corey.
Kat HATED Corey. She was constantly fighting with him, annoyed by his self-righteous behaviour and the way he treated her and Dylan.
Having successfully freed herself of Dylan's oversight, at least temporarily, she wandered over to the shop window of the intriguing store. It was... it was like the display was screaming at her. Aggressive t-shirts, albums, and hand-crafted zines.
Whatever was going on, it was certainly much more fun than a boring bookstore. Sure, there was no one in there apart from the store owner, but who cares? Kat wanted to explore something different for once.
With her curiosity piqued, she entered The Punk Singers. The store owner was alerted to her presence as the brass doorbell rang, and they were stunned to see a young girl in their store.
"Um... hi? Are you lost? If you're looking for the bookstore, it's right next door."
Kat shook her head as she surveyed the scene inside the store. It was a little overwhelming, but exciting. All of the displays, the album covers, the zines... it seemed fun. She inquired:
"So... what's this all about? Like, there are so many girl bands, and those cool, um... uh, I guess homemade magazines? They look super interesting."
The store owner seemed more relaxed and also intrigued. This girl didn't look like the sort of person who would be interested in this, but who were they to judge?
"Forgive me if I'm being rude, but you... at first, I thought you wouldn't be interested in all of this. It's all very... um, how to describe this? Like, it's an in-your-face, female-led movement."
They seemed fearful that it would overwhelm the girl who stood curiously in their shop, but no. It only seemed to further her curiosity.
"It sounds super cool. I'm tired of my parents saying no to me for being a girl, or... sorry, you probably don't want to hear about my boring, dumb family."
That was relatable. Maybe this girl wasn't like the rest. It seemed like she, too, was tired and angry with the status quo and being bossed around. Maybe there was a rebel hidden inside of her?
"I'm... I'm Marvelous, and just to let you know, I don't like being referred to as she or her. I prefer they or them, if that's cool with you," the store owner said to Kat, revealing their name.
Kat seemed a little confused at first. She understood about how they wanted to be referred to, but the name seemed... different, unique.
"Marvelous? What? Oh, wait... sorry, I'm dumb. That's your name. I think it's super cool!"
"Thanks! What's your name? No pressure if you don't wanna say," Marvelous replied, warming up to Kat.
"Katherine, but I prefer to be called Kat."
They smiled at each other. Marvelous realised that Kat didn't just wander in by chance; she was meant to be there. Kat had something bubbling inside of her. Something... special. She just needed some inspiration from somewhere or someone. Was Marvelous the one to kickstart her change?
Before Kat had a chance to follow up, the door swung violently open. A girl, dressed in an oversized black t-shirt and ripped jeans, wearing lots of jewelry, shouted outside towards someone:
"I don't give a FUCK what you think! See you in hell, asshole. GO. FUCK. YOURSELF!"
She slammed the door shut before turning round and seeing Marvelous... and the young girl in the store. What was she doing in the store? Was she lost?
The girl looked apologetically at Kat before saying:
"Sorry about that, kid. I... whatever. Are you... what... what are you doing in here? Like, this place is... different from the rest."
Kat couldn't care less whether it was different. Back home, she was used to... standing out from the crowd. She was a loner, constantly mocked at school and by Corey for being different and weird.
She looked at the girl with curious eyes. Her oversized t-shirt, with its cutout letters, read:
When she talks, I hear the revolution.
Kat loved that. It sounded so cool.
And it wasn't just her t-shirt; her whole look was incredible. Her hair was a bright blue mullet, shaved at the sides. Chains hung from her ripped jeans, her studded bracelet, and her choker looked rad. Her satchel was patched up with different colours and badges.
"Oh. My. God. You look so amazing! I love your hair, your t-shirt, and all those cool badges on your bag. I-sorry, I'm talking too much again. Just ignore me..." Kat said, enamoured by the punk girl's fashion.
"Thanks! I love my look too. You should see the reaction I get from all of these dumbass men who think it's funny to mock me for the way I dress. I don't care, it just fuels my fire."
All three of them nodded at each other, as if to relate to what this blue-haired girl said. Kat had barely been in the store for an hour, but it felt like she had known these people forever. They just... get her. Now she didn't ever want to go home. She had found her place, her people.
"I'm Claire, by the way. I guess you've already met Marvelous?"
"Yeah! They're super cool!" Kat replied.
Kat realised those two already knew each other. She desperately wanted to talk more about how they knew each other, but Claire's t-shirt and its message... she wanted to know more about what "When she talks, I hear the revolution" meant.
Looking around at the store, she finally saw all the t-shirts pinned to the walls. They all had the same feminist messages on the front.
When she walks, the revolution's coming.
In her kiss, I taste the revolution.
"Woah, these t-shirts. I love them so much. What do all these messages mean?"
Claire handed her one of her homemade zines. It was a colourful, beautiful mess. Its cover and title were made with cut-out letters and pictures from various magazines and newspapers. And the zine's name made Kat chuckle.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
The number of questions she wanted to ask was growing exponentially. Who are these people on the front? What does the name of the zine mean? Every question she could think of, she wanted answered, no matter how long it took.
She looked at the images of the punk singers and read the cover title:
Bikini Kill: Hated in the nation, but not by us girls... The future is NOW.
"So... I have like so many questions. Be warned: this might take a while..."
Claire and Marvelous didn't care. They could see Kat was taking a genuine interest in the Riot Grrrl movement, and they were more than happy to help.
"Ok... first: who are Bikini Kill?"
Kat strapped herself in as Claire began to monologue, and fangirl, over who Bikini Kill were.
"Kathleen, Billy, Kathi, and Tobi. They essentially created the Riot Grrrl movement. Punk music, politics, powerful feminist lyrics, I-... I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Sorry, I kind of geeked out there."
Marvelous laughed out loud as Claire continued to fangirl over Bikini Kill.
"Um... where was I? Oh, yeah. I guess I answered your first question. Let me guess, your second question is: What's a Riot Grrrl?"
"Are you a mind-reader? I was totally going to ask that!" Kat replied, in awe of Claire's anticipation.
Claire explained how a "Riot Grrrl" isn't just a fad or a short-lived craze; it was real. She reiterated her earlier comment about punk music, politics, and the new wave of powerful feminism. Who cares what the men think? Why should they have any say in what girls can and can't do? Society was changing, and the music scene was rapidly changing too, because of the pressure from the movement, and there was nothing that could stop them.
All the pent-up anger and feelings about how men treated them came out in the form of hyper-aggressive punk rock, filled with no-holds-barred lyrics.
"THAT is a Riot Grrrl. Look, I know you're young, but surely you relate to that, right?" Marvelous asked Kat.
Kat related to that so much. She explained how her parents essentially hovered over her, trying to mould her into their version of a god-loving daughter. Her sister was erratic, constantly arguing with her, and she got kicked out of college for sneaking boys into her dorm room... and when she met Corey, Kat lost it. She went to war every day with him, and when he got a job on the farm, Kat spent every single day plotting his demise. He would always bang on about respecting him, her parents, her sister, etc...
"...Oh my god, I hate him SO much! He-... sorry. I'm just gonna shut up." Kat said as she finished venting her frustrations to Marvelous and Claire.
She feared they wouldn't care about her family drama, but she was wrong. Claire pointed at her and said:
"Kat, you're awesome. You know what? You're a Riot Grrrl now. Welcome to the revolution."
Claire handed her a yellow badge with No means NO written on it. A souvenir for Kat to keep for life. But Kat was still interested in the zine Claire had brought.
"I'd love to buy your zine, but I don't have any money. And I also live super far away... fuck."
Little did Kat know that Claire was about to extend her generosity far beyond the badge she was given.
"Give me your address. I'll send you my zines, as well as some others. And don't worry, they're free."
"Holy shit, that's super generous of you! I don't know what to say." Kat replied, almost speechless at Claire's generosity.
Claire was just happy to share her passion with someone new. She talked about how becoming a Riot Grrrl and meeting all the wonderful people that make up the movement opened her eyes to her newfound sexuality. Boys were out of the picture, forever. It was girls to the front, forever.
"... Yeah, when I see Bikini Kill, and how hot Kathleen and Tobi are, I melt. And then when I see all those stupid guys cat-calling me or mocking my look, I just remember one thing: fuck them," Claire said, as she turned to the window and put her middle fingers up at everyone.
Kat had never been in love before, and she didn't think about a relationship. Seeing how toxic Corey and Dylan were put her off a relationship. Deep down, she was still confused about her own sexuality, and she felt pressured to find out who she loved before life was over. But Claire was quick to reassure her.
"There's no rush, Kat. You're young and you've got your whole life ahead of you. So many people just... rush it. You know... falling in love, getting married, having kids. Like, not all of us want that. We're different, and that should be celebrated. Love is love, Kat. Your heart will tell you when it's true love."
"Spoken like a true rebel," Marvelous said to Claire as they exchanged a warm smile.
This was everything Kat needed to hear. Who knew where her life was going to go? But now she was a Riot Grrrl; she wasn't just content to let Corey, Dylan, her parents, or any dumbass man walk over her or anyone she cared about. She had found her people.
But she had one more question that needed to be answered.
"Yeah, I guess I've got time on my side. Oh! I nearly forgot: the zine's name, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, what's that about?"
"Basically, I kiss girls and I shoot guys. Um, metaphorically, of course!"
Kat and Marvelous laughed. They didn't care if she shot guys. Because if she did, they probably deserved it.
Kat wanted more of the Riot Grrrl movement in her veins. She wanted to listen to all the Riot Grrrl music, but there was a problem...
... How? She didn't have a CD player, and Corey broke her cassette player.
"Guys, I wanna listen to all this music, but um... fuck. Sorry, being a kid sucks. My parents won't let me have a CD player, and Corey... UGH, he broke my cassette player."
Claire walked over to her and attached her CD player to Kat's dungarees and put headphones over her ears.
"Here's a taste of the revolution, Kat."
She pressed play as the powerful, spine-chilling lyrics of Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" flowed through Kat's body. She began to nod her head. The lyrics... the incredible lyrics... she was inspired. Writing down your feelings and making music out of them? Maybe there was a way for her to take out her frustration.
Before she even knew it, the song was over. She pressed the stop button, removing the headphones from over her ears, before looking at Claire and Marvelous. They had been nattering to each other before they realised Kat had finished listening to the song. Naturally, they were very eager to hear her thoughts on it.
"So, what did you think?" Marvelous asked her.
Kat walked over to them, clasping her hands together, before shouting:
"This... FUCKING RULES! Like, guys, the number of times they said revolution, and rebel girl... I think I wanna be one!"
"What do you mean? You already are one, Kat. You take this youthful energy, and you turn it into whatever you want."
The taste of the revolution left Kat wanting more. Nay, needing more. She was addicted, and she couldn't get enough of this movement. But yet again, she was reminded that she didn't own a CD player, and her parents were reluctant to buy her one.
With a heavy sigh, Kat attempted to hand back the CD player... but Claire refused it.
"It's yours now, Kat, and so is the CD. It's got more than that one song on it. It's a whole album by Bikini Kill. Give it a listen when you can, and just enjoy the female revolution!"
Kat gave her a big hug, which surprised Claire. But she embraced it.
The kid was a part of them now.
A sudden knock on the window sent Kat back to reality. It was Dylan, ushering her outside. Her time was up, and she had to return to the dreaded Mikaelsen family vacation.
Why did it have to end?! Kat was transfixed by the movement, and she didn't want to leave... but she had to. It was time to say goodbye to the two people she now considered to be her friends. Two revolutionaries who introduced her to a new movement: Riot Grrrls.
"I guess she's here for you," Claire said, dejected that she would be leaving. Marvelous, too, was dejected. But they were just happy to meet someone new, someone who appreciated what they were doing.
"Yeah, that's my older sister. I hate her too, but not as much as Corey..." Kat replied, clenching her fists.
"He's the asshole boyfriend of your sister, right?" Claire asked.
Kat nodded. He was so used to getting his way... but that would all change very soon. Because Kat was leaving Seattle forever changed. And her family was going to be in for a very nasty surprise the next time they said no to her.
"You should write a song about him!" Marvelous said.
"... Or curse him! Curse that fucker," Claire replied.
Ideas, ideas. Writing a song about that fuckface would be good? But Kat couldn't play any instrument, let alone sing. Was there anyone like her back home in Velvet Cove, or anyone who would want to thrash guitars and drums and scream provocative lyrics into a microphone?
But cursing... Kat was curious. Why not? If it worked, it worked. If not, she would find another way to get at him.
Several knocks were heard as Dylan was growing impatient with Kat.
"Guys... you changed me, for the better. Like it was only an hour ago, I walked in here unsure of what I wanted to do, or how to make change happen. But you guys... now I know what to do with my life: cause chaos and rebel."
And as she hugged them goodbye, she asked Claire:
"Promise you'll send those zines and albums?"
"Yeah, 'course. I got you. And hey, one final piece of advice before you start your revolution..."
Kat was all ears to what Claire was about to say.
"You know you’re part of the revolution when you don’t even hesitate to stop something bad from happening. So the next time Corey, Dylan, or your parents tries to lecture you, or you see someone cornered by a jerk, remember that their time is up, and our time is now."
As soon as Kat left the shop, Dylan tried to interrogate her about the CD player and headphones, as well as what Kat was talking about in the store with the others. But Kat just flipped her off and kept on walking. Her mind was filled with one thing, and one thing only...
Riot Grrrls.
Velvet Cove, Michigan - the summer of '95.
It had been a year since Kat's life was changed. She was all-in on the movement. She had managed to sneak past the zines from her parents and Corey and kept her CD player carefully hidden. There was no chance Corey was going to break it.
Saying no to Corey and Dylan was so satisfying. Flipping them off was even more satisfying. Naturally, her parents started to ground her more often as she amped up her rebellion, but she didn't care. It just meant that, while they were busy working on the ranch, and Dylan was at the Blue Spruce, she had more time to curse Corey, write music, and listen to not just Bikini Kill, but all the new bands Claire was sending her through the mail.
Claire and Kat kept in contact as much as they could. Claire would send her zines, photographs from gigs, stickers, and badges. Kat didn't have much to send back, but she was excited to share lyrics and her opinions on the music.
Seattle started out as a boring, lifeless family vacation, but Kat came back with unrivaled determination to challenge those who said no to her. A new look, and a new goal: disrupt.
It was a beautiful summer's day in Velvet Cove. Dylan had told Kat to stay at home, hoping to avoid further drama and chaos. But there was no chance Kat was going to sit inside all day while the weather was so good. And besides, it was summer break. No. More. School.
Why should she be locked in a cage? Why shouldn't she be outside?
No. It was time to enjoy summer, even if it was all by herself. All she needed was her journal and CD player.
She was also struggling to write lyrics. There was only so much inspiration in her room and outside her window. She had written a song title, See you in hell, but there were no lyrics.
It was time to find some inspiration or disrupt something. Being under lock and key was no longer acceptable. She freed herself from the grasp of the Mikaelsen ranch and, armed with her bicycle, headed out towards the centre of Velvet Cove.
She had hoped to find inspiration along the way, or something to disrupt, but nothing was happening. Velvet Cove was just... it was a lifeless, soulless town, devoid of anything interesting or anyone to stand up for.
But as she was passing by the Movie Palace complex, she noticed something going on. There was a girl with a camcorder who looked nervous and intimidated. Kat clenched her fists after seeing it was Dylan... and Corey confronting the poor girl.
NO. Dylan and Corey were not going to get away with harassing some poor girl. It was time to stand up to those bullies.
And as Kat prepared herself to intervene, she remembered the parting advice Claire gave her:
"You know you’re part of the revolution when you don’t even hesitate to stop something bad from happening. So the next time Corey, Dylan, or your parents tries to lecture you, or you see someone cornered by a jerk, remember that their time is up, and our time is now."
Their time was up. She turned her bicycle towards them, tossing it down before stepping in front of the girl. She confronted Corey, who was being unabashedly aggressive towards the girl, and shouted:
"Leave her alone, loser!"