Page 4 of For One Night Only

But there’s a way I might be able to fix my reputation—and make a lot of other fans really happy too. I just can’t do it alone.

“What if I could pull off a Glitter Bats reunion?”

“Yeah, and what if I could winHollywood Idol?” Wade famously can’t carry a tune, so I don’t need to hear the laughter in his voice to know he’s not taking me seriously yet.

I pop off of the barstool and start pacing, mind spinning as the idea falls into place. “I’m not joking. Everyone loves a good reunion.”

He folds his hands together on the counter. “Fine, I’ll humor you.Hypothetically, I think a Glitter Bats reunion would guarantee some excellent press very quickly. But you need to be realistic here.”

Caleb was Wade’s client too back in the day, so Wade knows just how adamant he was about leaving the industry behind. But I wouldn’t be asking Caleb to come back permanently; it would just be temporary. A reunion concert.

My throat tightens, and I swallow thickly. This isn’t a door I ever planned to open again, but I’m desperate. I just might have to grovel. “I think I might be able to make it happen. Could you reach out to the label and the rest of the band?”

I haven’t had the courage to talk to the band in years, and the label, well…after everything that happened, it’s better if this comes from him.

Wade nods, already making notes on his phone. “Sure can—that’s my job. You know the others won’t agree unless Caleb is on board, and I don’t want you to get your hopes up. It’s not going to happen.”

Yesterday, I’d have said he was right. But it’s been six years, and I have nothing to lose.

“Leave Caleb to me.”

BuzzwordArchives

[Ten Years Ago]

Glitter Bats Take the Internet by Storm!

By Mary Kate Hampton, college intern

If you haven’t heard “Midnight Road Trip” yet, you might be living under a rock. Glitter Bats, an indie pop-punk-inspired band hailing from Seattle, is going viral with a homemade music video of their debut single, which has been featured on an episode ofRiverwood. And who can resist that bridge?“I’ll take any road / as long as it’s with you…”is destined to live on in social media captions for years. The harmony Caleb Sloane sings over Valerie Quinn’s melody gave me chills the first time I heard it.

Started by best friends Quinn and Sloane (who co-lead, sing, and play guitar and bass, respectively), Glitter Bats also features Keeley Cunningham on drums, Riker Maddox on rhythm guitar, and Jane Mercer on keys and synth. The group first connected two and a half years ago at an exclusive summer camp for standout high school music students, and when they realized they had magic on their hands, the band was born. Before they went viral, they earned local praise playing in coffee shops, opening for groups touringthe PNW, and winning a Battle of the Bands fundraiser for an animal shelter. All the band members are in their teens—Mercer and Maddox are nineteen, and Cunningham and Sloane are eighteen, with Quinn coming in youngest at seventeen—but they seem remarkably grounded for kids finding success at such a young age.

When this reporter reached out to the band for comment, both Quinn and Sloane were eager to talk.

“All this attention is so much more than we ever dreamed of!” said a wide-eyed Quinn in a video call earlier this week. She wore all black, with her signature pale pink hair styled in messy curls. The excited energy she brought to our conversation was palpable, and it’s no wonder she connects so well with an audience.

“I agree—it’s all about music resonating with people, and we couldn’t have imagined this response. We’re so grateful for our fans. God, I can’t believe we have fans,” Sloane added. He wore a Blink-182 T-shirt and eyeliner, his brown hair falling to his shoulders in a mop of haphazard curls. When I asked about plans for an album, the two shared a conspiratorial look.

They didn’t confirm anything, but rumor has it that Glitter Bats was recently signed by Label Records, so stay tuned for updates. I know I’ll be one of the first to preorder anything new the band puts out.

The band can be found all over social media at @GlitterBatsMusic.

2

Caleb

When you used to be famous, people recognize you in the most inconvenient places.

It would be worse if I was still in LA. My appearance has changed a lot since I stopped wearing all the leather and eyeliner and cut my hair, but the superfans are too smart to fall for my Clark Kent act. I mean, I’m not nearly as recognizable as my former bandmates these days, but I still have my own Wikipedia page.

Wikipedia is forever.

“Oh my god, you’re Caleb Sloane, aren’t you?”

I smile politely at the barista handing over my iced matcha. She’s tall, white, and lanky with dyed red hair in two long braids and a name tag that reads “Betty.” Closer to my age than some of the usual staff—which is probably how she recognized me—she looks every bit our fan base with ripped jeans, heavy makeup, and black nails.

My mouth goes dry with panic, and all I want to do is forget my order and run like hell out the door. But I don’t want to be a jerk, and I can’t afford to alienate the only dog-friendly coffee shopin town. I’ll go anywhere I’m allowed to bring Sebastian Bark, the pit bull I adopted after I finished school, who sits impatiently at my side for one of the treats on the counter.

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