Chapter Text
The crowd is roaring.
Loud cheers are echoing as they finish their set and walk off stage, the noise of the fans happiness drowns out every emotion expect pure joy.
Backstage as they often do, they huddle up and squeal and giggle in excitement, the adrenaline of performing still pumping.
"That crowd was so loud!!" Lara squeals.
"I knoww, that was so fun." Says Manon.
"Ugh this never gets old." Megan agrees, she as the all the other girls are on cloud nine.
As they continue relishing in the triumphs of performing, they are moved into their trailer to remove mic packs, costumes, etc.
Daniela is getting her makeup wiped out as manon comes around the corner and wraps her arms around her neck giving her a hug from behind.
"Soooo how do you feel?" Manon asks, its a tradition of theirs to always check in after every performance.
"Great actually! I was worried about my back after rehersals but I woke up with no pain today so I could finally go full out." Daniela replies looking up at manon who is still wrapped around her.
On the other side of the trailer another conversation is happening.
"Omg, I need food. Right now." Says Yoonchae.
There's a chorus of agreements from all the others and they begin to debate on what to eat.
"So what do we want?" Says Sophia, "We are at a festival so pretty much anything you want, you can get"
"Waittt I want a churro" says Megan.
Lara laughs "Churros are not an actual meal Megan"
"Yeahhh, I want real food" says Daniela.
"Whoa." Sophia laughs, "Look who finally wants food"
Daniela jokingly gasps clutching her chest, "I have eaten"
Manon chimes in "one protein bar for breakfast does not count dani"
"It counts. Food is food." Daniela scoffs but there's no heat to it.
Before Manon can argue Megan butts in
" Ha! So churros are food"
Daniela laughs realizing how she contradicts herself in that moment.
"Okay. What are we eating!" Yoonchae says
Manon begins to look beyond them at the food vendors, "We could do that pizza vendor," she point to the vendor just a few feet in front of them, "its litteraly right there.
At the sound of the word pizza Yoonchae is delighted "Ooohh, yes I want pizza"
"Finee. But im getting my churro" Megan whines, determined to get the one thing she was so exicted for (minus performing) at the festival.
"Megan you can get you churro for God's sake, just let us eat a real meal." Manon rolls her eyes playfully.
Sophia takes all the orders and goes up to the window, the group of girls following behind their spokesperson.
They settle at a picnic table by the trailer waiting for their food.
"Ughhh it is hot. I need a touch up of makeup already" Daniela says looking at her face using her phone camera.
"Girl you look beautiful, what are you talking about" says Manon.
Daniela scoffs and rolls her eyes, "Obviously, but management and paparazzi may beg to differ" she says confidently.
"We can always just swing by and get touched up on the way to do...whatever we decide to do" Yoonchae says.
"Yeah im getting all yucky and sweaty thats fine by me" Lara adds.
"Oh wait I think our food is ready" Megan says and gets up to grab it.
Somehow Megan manages to balance six plates of pizza in her arms.
"Oh my gosh, I didnt realize you had that talent" Sophia laughs
"They dont call me the all-rounder for no reason" Megan winks at Sophia, giggling as she gracefully sets down all the plates on the picnic table.
They begin munching on their food and every once in a while someone would go "mhmm" or "yummm".
"Wait what time is Zara Larson performing?" Megan asks abruptly, "I wanna see her."
Lara picks up her phone and immediately gets up, "Omg in like 10 minutes." She is already shoving the rest of her pizza in her face.
Everyone follows quickly, finishing their food, and putting their stuff away.
Sophia looks and make sure everyone is somewhat ready to go, "Okay! Let's gooo we dont wanna miss her set."
And with that they are scrambling away.
Daniela is searching her purse making sure she isnt missing anything jogging. "Welp there goes me wanting to touch up my makeup."
"It'll be fineee. We look hot anyways." Lara replies.
And just as Zara comes on stage they arrive.
Fortunately as artist they automatically get to get somewhat in the front because of their vip passes because if not they wouldve been miles away from the stage.
After a little bit of lollygagging and messing around zara begins singing Midnight Sun.
Megan reaches in her purse to record and is met with nothing but her lip gloss, license, and some money. No phone.
Her smile drops. "Oh shit."
Daniela and Manon both hear her and simultaneously go "What??" They exchange looks and laugh at their telempathy.
Megan looks up at them with a worried look, "I cant find my phone." Megan says, "like its gone gone."
"Megannn. Your always losing stuff" Manon laughs.
"You can just get a new one girl" Lara says eavesdropping as the girls collectively join the group.
Sophia chimes in, "Don't worry we can send you all of our videos."
Megan shakes her head. "No. No. It's not that. I don't care about taking photos or videos."
She laughs nervously. "I just—we're at a festival with so many people. What if someone took it?"
Daniela places a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay. It's not like they can get into it."
Megan nods.
Daniela tries to smile.
But the smile doesn't quite reach her eyes.
Maybe because she knows exactly what lives inside those phones.
Late-night breakdowns.
Voice notes sent at three in the morning.
Messages written during panic attacks and deleted five minutes later.
Things that belong to friends—not strangers.
Yoonchae nods. "The only thing they can see is your lock screen and your phone case, and there's nothing wrong with that."
"We can just get you a new phone. No worries," Manon says.
"It's probably back in the trailer anyway," Sophia adds.
"Hopefully," Megan mutters.
"Okay—I guess you're right." Megan exhales. "Let's just have a fun night. We can worry about phones later. "
"Amen to that. Honestly I haven't wanted to open my phone in a while" Daniela says, referring to the hate train they've all received.
"People love to assume they know everything about me and im tired of it"
"Oh they defiently don't," Manon adds. "Your a little crazy" she jokes.
Daniela swats her arm "Manz!"
She can definitely tell Manon is messing around to get her mind of off the publics assumptions and expectations. Dani has been flooded with hate as the girls usually do but it feels like she gets scrutinized for everything and sometimes she cant take it.
She knows everyone gets hate and because of that she tries to keep it contained.
But sometimes it just doesnt work like that.
Manon has been there for a few breakdowns and has been her rock through the hate trains. Her being her roomie automatically makes her the one who sees her crying or freaking out over something.
There was only one other incident. And that was with Megan.
~~~~~~
Daniela is tired.
Days and days of rehearsals, performances, interviews.
It is nonstop.
And because of that she has gotten little sleep. Little food. And has little energy.
There is only one more rehearsal she has to bare through before the fun part (the actual festival) and then they have a break.
As this is there last rehearsal it is grueling.
Sohey, Grant, Missy, all of them are pounding into them to ensure the performance goes well.
And Dani in the present time can say it went well.
But Dani at the last rehearsal truly thought she was done for.
They were running through Gabriela for the third time.
Its going well. As well as six overworked and exhausted girls can.
As they begin the dance break section Megan gets a glance of Daniela as is automatically on edge.
Daniela doenst look right.
Shes not iniured or anything.
But anyone can clearly tell Daniela is clearly exhausted.
Megan makes a mental note to just check in.
Daniela, like Megan thinks—is utterly exhausted
She is running on fumes.
The muscle memory of doing the turns, the steps, just all of motions probably millions of times kicking in automatically.
She is getting pulled up by the dancers onto the walkway of chairs and in the choas of dani focusing everything she has in staying upright and to not look green from her nausea that overcomes her from getting pulled up she doesnt notice one of the chairs being misaligned.
And neither does anyone else.
At least not until—
"Oh shit!" Daniela cries too late crashing onto the ground.
Everyone is running towards her to soften the landing but she thuds right on the ground.
The first thing daniela does is grab her back, "Ow!" She hisses.
The girls are surrounded her.
As Sophia notices shes grabbing her back, recalling the pain her psoas injury had caused her previosuly, she crouches in front of dani, I'm gonna go get an ice pack for your back, okay?" Sophia says softly, concerning eyes flooding Danis vision.
Daniela nods even though her eyes are squeezed shut in pain.
Manon is behind her putting her hand gently—very gently on top of the hand daniela has on her back. "Dani," she begins moving in her face, "Hey—What do you need?" She asks cupping her face.
"Just give me a minute" Daniela says cautiously.
Daniela finally opens her eyes and sees Yoonchae, Lara, Megan, and Manon all very anxiously very worriedly looking at her.
Daniela immediately goes to ease their worries "I'm okay guys. I promise im fi—"
Shes cut off by Lara covering her mouth.
"Stop. No your not." Lara says harshly but there's no real heat behind it.
"No Lara im being serious it just triggered my back and knocked the breath out of me" Daniela explains.
Daniela goes to get up—even though she is nervously greenish pale, Megan notices.
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I am fine okay." Daniela says reassuring the girls. But there is definently a wall Dani is putting up.
Her back aches but thats the least of her worries. Daniela is going to throw up.
There is a murmuring of disagreement to letting her go but Daniela is quick to clarify, "I will be back in just a second dont worry about me." She squeezes Yoonchaes hand and walks away.
Once she is out of the rehersal rooms doors though—
She bolts straight for the bathroom.
She makes it to bathroom and closes the door quickly but doesn't even think about going to closer the stall door.
The first open wide stall she sees she bolts and tumbles unto the floor in front of the toilet and vomits.
She violently gasps and sinks unto the seat.
Exhaustion getting the better of her.
The bathroom is too bright. And is blinding her.
The kind of bright that makes everything feel worse—like it’s highlighting how exhausted Daniela is instead of letting her hide it.
She’s barely managed to push herself upright against the edge of the stall when the door opens again.
“Dani?”
Megan’s voice is careful, soft—like she already knows what she’s walking into.
Megan was slightly confused. Dani had said her back hurt and she was quietly scanning her to figure out whats up
The noise from the studio is muffled, replaced by the quiet echo of tile and running water.
“Meg…” Daniela tries to answer, but her voice comes out weak.
Megan immediately crosses the room fast, slowing only when she gets close like she doesn’t want to spook her. “Hey—hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Daniela wipes her mouth quickly, embarrassed, already shaking her head like she can undo what just happened. “I’m fine. I just— I got dizzy. It’s nothing.”
Megan doesn’t respond right away. She just crouches beside her, eyes scanning her face—too pale, too tired, the kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from one bad moment, but from too many stacked together.
They've all been running on fumes and from personal experience, Megan knows how tight schedules can mess up your health.
“Dani…” Megan says again, quieter this time. “You threw up.”
Daniela’s jaw tightens like she’s trying to push the truth back down with it. “Yeah. I know.”
A pause.
Megan doesn’t judge her. Doesn’t rush to fix it. She just sits there with her, steady. “When was the last time you ate something real?”
Daniela stiffens at that. She has to actually think hard to figure out an answer and Daniela is realizing the extent of her exhaustion
“…I don’t know,” she admits finally, voice smaller now. “We’ve just been… going nonstop. Rehearsals, interviews, fittings. I grab stuff when I can, but I guess it’s not really enough.”
Megan’s expression softens immediately—concern replacing everything else. “Dani.”
“It’s fine,” Daniela tries again automatically, but it comes out weaker this time. “It’s just the schedule. Everyone’s tired.”
“I know everyone’s tired,” Megan says gently, but firmly enough to cut through it. “But your body doesn’t care about schedules. It needs food. Water. Rest.”
"You will end up passing out. Or worse" Megan gently adds stroking her arm.
Daniela swallows hard, staring at the floor.
That’s when Megan shifts a little closer, lowering her voice even more. “You didn’t do anything wrong, okay? But this is your body telling you it’s running on empty.”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen like this,” she mutters.
“I know,” Megan says instantly. No hesitation. “I know you didn’t.”
Silence settles between them for a moment, not uncomfortable—just heavy.
Then Megan gently nudges her shoulder. “Can you stand? Or do you need a minute?”
“I can stand,” Daniela says quickly, like she needs to prove it. But when she tries, she sways just slightly before catching herself on the sink.
Megan is right there in an instant, steadying her without making it a big thing. “Okay. No rushing.”
Daniela exhales, frustrated with herself more than anything.
Megan leans back just enough to look at her properly again. “We’re gonna fix this, alright? Not just tonight. Like… actually fix it. Food. Water. You’re not skipping meals anymore on my watch.”
A faint, tired laugh almost slips out of Daniela at that. “You’re gonna babysit me?”
“If I have to,” Megan replies without missing a beat.
"Meg."
"Im serious, Dani. "
"We need you to be okay."
That finally gets a small, real reaction out of her.
From the hallway, faint voices echo—someone calling her name, probably Sophia or Manon checking in. The world outside this bathroom is still moving, still demanding.
But Megan doesn’t rush her.
She just says, softer now, “They’re worried about you too. All of them. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay to make it easier for everyone else.”
Daniela's eyes flick up at that.
For a moment, she looks like she's about to argue again. Then she doesn't.
"...Okay," she says quietly instead.
A beat passes before she adds,
"But can we not tell the others? I don't want them worrying about me."
Megan gives her a look, "You know we're going to worry no matter what, right?"
"That's exactly why telling them makes it worse."
Megan groans dramatically, "Ugh. Fine."
Daniela smiles victoriously.
"Don't look so proud of yourself."
That only makes Daniela grin wider.
Megan points a finger at her.
"This stays between us."
Daniela raises an eyebrow.
"Not because I'm okay with it," Megan continues. "Because I know you're going to be stubborn anyway."
A laugh escapes Daniela before she can stop it, "Deal."
Megan holds out her pinky.
Daniela hooks hers around it.
"Good," Megan says. "But if you pass out, all bets are off."
~~~~~~
So when Megan texts Daniela the morning of the festival, it isn't surprising at all.
The message appears while Daniela is getting ready.
"Hey Dani 🩷
Please eat before the set today. I'm serious, No repeats of yesterday. We need you okay tonight."
The text immediately warms Daniela's heart.
Her sisters care, they always care.
She quickly types back:
"Don't worry, Meg! I'm ready for the performance. Thank you and I love you 🫶"
Then she locks her phone and continues getting ready
What neither of them knows is that someone is scrolling through Megan's missing phone.
And when they open her messages, this conversation is sitting right at the top.
But it isn't the only thing they see.
Right above it are dozens of messages.
To Megan and Daniela, they're ordinary conversations.
To strangers?
They look like something else entirely. Harmless jokes and conversations can easily be twisted by the public
And by tomorrow morning, the internet will be convinced it knows the whole story.