Page 8 of Wish We Were There

Taylor’s expression softened. “Yeah, for sure.”

They ended up talking for another hour, mostly about the band’s history and their favorite songs. Zach only came up a few more times; overall, Parker thought it was a good balance for the episode, shedding some light on what happened without lingering too long on the most depressing parts. Once he turned the mics off, though, Taylor shot him an inscrutable look, making him pause with uncertainty.

“Can I... tell you something?” Taylor asked softly, sounding worried all over again. “Off the record?”

“Yeah, of course,” Parker answered, even before he’d fully processed what Taylor said. Not that it was an unusual request—he and his podcast guests would often chat about things that weren’t public information before or after the recording—but for Taylor to ask in such a way made him unsettled. Taylor let out a long breath, shifting nervously on the couch, which only made Parker more worried.

“It isn’t official yet,” Taylor finally blurted out. “But... There’s probably not going to be a band anymore after all this. I’m leaving Get Well Soon.”

Parker blinked. The band would never be the same without Zach, of course, but to hear Taylor confirm it... He couldn’t make sense of the jumble of feelings that swelled in his chest. What would happen to the other band members? What would happen to Taylor?

“Oh,” he finally managed to croak out. “Are you guys, uh, gonna start a new band, or...?”

Taylor shook his head, but somehow Parker wasn’t surprised. “No. Not me, at least. I actually... I’ve only told Kylie so far.”

This must have been what he stopped himself from saying before. He hadn’t been talking to the rest of the band because he didn’t want to break the bad news.

“That’s... I mean, that’s a bummer, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” Parker said. “It’s understandable... after everything. Do you know what you’re gonna do once it’s official?”

To his surprise, Taylor smiled wryly at him.

“I have an idea, but this is super off the record too,” he said. “I’m actually planning on opening a music venue downtown. I already have a space in mind. I wanted something catering to queer indie artists, so... There aren’t really any venues like that, so I figured I might as well make one.”

Parker’s open mouth morphed into a grin. “Taylor, that’s awesome. That sounds amazing! Where is it?”

“I haven’t signed anything, but Zed Miller is selling The Bridge,” Taylor replied. Parker’s grin widened. The Bridge had been a popular venue around the time Get Well Soon had first started, and many of their first shows had been there. He remembered it well—he’d covered it countless times, especially in college when he was writing for the school newspaper. It had been mostly local bands at the time, but occasionally larger acts came through. Get Well Soon had still played there once or twice after they got bigger, hosting smaller hometown shows. The venue had been closed for a year or so, but Parker didn’t know why.

“I heard it closed down, so that’s awesome that you’re gonna get it,” Parker said, laughing. “I mean, I know you said it’s not official, but—c’mon. That’s too perfect.”

Taylor chuckled. “Yeah, when I heard he was selling it, I thought so, too. It’s not official-official yet, but I think it’s gonna happen. Will you help me promote it and stuff when it does?”

Parker paused, surprised, then grinned. “Yeah, of course. I’d love to. In fact, you might have already thought of this, but maybe you could do a farewell charity show to kick it off. It’d get a lot of publicity that way, if it’s a venue you’re opening and Get Well Soon performs its last show there.”

The idea seemed perfect to him, but Taylor visibly balked at the suggestion. “I... I don’t know. A farewell show would make sense, I guess, but...”

“People love charity shows,” Parker protested. “The fans will want to make sure everyone is taken care of.”

“I don’t need donations for that,” Taylor said, shaking his head. “That would seem too cash-grabby, I think.”

“Then a charity show for someone else,” he offered. “One of the LGBTQ charities you’ve worked with before, or something like MADD, you know? Something relevant that people will feel a part of.”

Taylor was silent for a long moment, making Parker’s heart sink. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea after all.

“I’ll think about it,” Taylor finally said, scrubbing a hand through his hair. Parker’s disappointment must have been obvious on his face, though, as Taylor added quickly, “It’s not that I don’t like the idea, Parker, I just... I feel weird thinking about performing at all right now. But it’s in the future. It’s not even a sure thing.”

“Yeah, of course,” Parker agreed. “No pressure. Just an idea.”

“I’m going to check out the venue next week,” Taylor continued brusquely, clearly eager to move on. “Will you come with me? I feel like I’m going to need some moral support.”

Again, Parker was taken aback, and he took a moment to process the request before answering.

“You’re sure?” he asked. “You don’t want Kylie or anyone from the band to go with you?”

Taylor shook his head. “No. This is me moving on, you know? It’s going to be my project, just me. I’d rather have you come with me than them.”

Parker’s heart threatened to burst. He was certainly reading far too much into it, but Taylor’s request was stoking the little embers of his crush up into a roaring flame. Taylor wanted him to tag along, no one else. It had to be obvious on his face, surely—he glanced down at his laptop, too embarrassed to look Taylor in the eye.

“Y-Yeah, of course,” he stammered, nodding quickly. “Just tell me when. I’ll be there.”

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