Page 54 of For One Night Only

VQ:When I was relaying the story to the rest of the band, Keeley said Glitter Bats would be a great band name, and the rest was history.

CS:I kept trying to come up with alternatives, but they wouldn’t have it.

MKH:So this whole time, it’s just been an inside joke?

CS:[nods] At my expense, of course.

Sloane and Quinn share another of those secret smiles, and I nearly feel like I’m intruding. So many people have suggested the chemistry between them was manufactured for the stage, but there’s nothing fake about this ease they have with each other. Forget music—someone should cast these two in a romantic comedy.

MKH:It seems you have a lot of stories like this.

VQ:[smiles] That’s what happens when you start a band with your best friend.

MKH:And that’s all it’s been between the two of you? Just friends?

CS:[clears his throat] No comment.

VQ:[blushes] What he said.

MKH:Fair enough. There’s been a lot of speculation about you two, though, both before and after the Glitter Bats broke up. People have also made a lot of accusations about you specifically, Valerie. Do you want to discuss any of that?

VQ:Yes.

Sloane squeezes her hand under the bar. It’s subtle but impossible to miss. Quinn squares her shoulders and turns to me.

VQ:I know certain people have made allegations about my behavior. I’ll call it what it is—misogyny and biphobia. I’ve done a lot of things wrong, but I’ve never cheated on anyone in my life.

CS:The media hasn’t been fair to Valerie, and the way they’ve framed her love life is a thinly veiled commentary on her sexuality. It’s beyond problematic.

VQ:[mouthsthank youto Sloane] I hate to name names, but I want to make it clear that I was no longer in a relationship with Theo Blake when I was spotted with Roxanne Leigh. When Theo booked theFantastical Mystsgig, we ended our relationship amicably. F-ck, it was his idea to break up. If he was hurt by the way things ended, it was news to me, but we had broken up more than a month before I went out with Roxanne. And nothing really happened that night.

MKH:So you didn’t do anything wrong, but your reputation was still put through the wringer. It seems like that’s happened to you more than once.

VQ:It has, but I’ll also be the first to admit I haven’t always made the best decisions in the past. We got a record deal ten years ago, when I was just seventeen…I had a lot of growing up to do. Going viral, finding that instant success…it’s hard for anyone to navigate, and even worse when you’re still a kid. I was cocky and immature and sometimes careless. I made plenty of mistakes.

MKH:But you’ve grown up a lot, haven’t you?

VQ:I hope so. I know I’m not perfect, but that has nothing to do with the specific night we’re discussing—even if the media tried to spin it as yet another of my so-called wild escapades. My only regret was the negative attention that landed on Roxanne as a result. She’s an incredibly talented, intelligent woman, and it was never my intent to put her in a position that could harm her image or career.

Quinn is selling herself short—she’s definitely grown up since our first interview. She handles herself with the grace and poise of a star twice her age. It’s clear by the look in her eyes that this whole experience has caused her pain, but she’s trying to protect other people—Leigh, and maybe even Sloane.

CS:I know I said no comment, but I will say this about my relationship with Valerie: the two of us have known each other since we were kids, and there’s a complicated history there. If we are together…[pauses suggestively]…orbacktogether, as has been implied, it’s not a rebound, and people should stop treating it that way. We have a lot of love and respect for each other.

VQ:I think Caleb summed it up.

It’s clear they’re still being coy, but these two have been involved in too many headlines for me to add to the noise. We’ll leave any speculation up to the fans. But I can attest that the warmth and respect between these two is palpable.

MKH:What can fans expect during the concert?

Sloane and Quinn share yet another private glance.

VQ:Of course we’re planning to play songs we love, that we hope the fans love, but it’s not just going to be a blast from the past. We have a surprise up our sleeve.

CS:I’m just excited to get back out there and give the fans the closure they deserve.

I wouldn’t miss the concert for the world—I got my ticket when they first went on sale, and they’re nearly sold out. If you want to try your luck at nabbing one of the remaining seats, or if you’re interested in the livestream, visit TicketChampion.Live for details.

Sloane and Quinn invited me to a closed practice next week, and I can’t wait to share what I can with readers. Keep followingBuzzwordfor more exclusive Glitter Bats content.

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