the river | e. roundtree

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THE WORLD TOUR BEGINS
—
Kathryn Summers: Suddenly I was on the road. 3 weeks of pure bliss with Eddie had finished.
I didn't know it then but the easiest most peaceful years of my life were right ahead of me.
—

Kathryn was seething, she had been listening to the Aurora album on the bus ride to their first stop. Really listening to it, from start to finish, hearing past Daisy and Billy's voice and she was pissed after discovering that Billy had re-recorded most of her parts on the entire track.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked, shaking the girl. Kathryn slipped off her headphones, looking over at him. "Your gripping that seat with a lot of force," he chuckled, looking down at Kathryn's white knuckles.

She took a deep breath. "That asshole re-recorded so many of my parts," Kathryn whispered, loud enough for only Eddie to hear. "I can't believe i'm only just noticing it now."

Eddie chuckled. "He did it to me too, Kat," Eddie said. "That's just the kind of guy he is."

Kathryn glared in Billy's direction, shaking her head. "Fucking dick," she muttered. "Does he think he's better than me?" She laughed, although there was not a hint of humour behind her tone. "He came to me, asked me to join his band."

Eddie sighed, shaking his head. "He's just an arrogant asshole, Kat," Eddie said. "Save your breath."

Once they were back on stable ground and safe and sound in their hotel rooms, Kathryn walked out onto her balcony and screamed her lungs out. All that pent up frustration she felt on the bus coming out into the open.

Kathryn was about to hit the peak of her career. She had made it, people knew who she was. She was making music for people all over the world and yet she still wasn't being taken seriously by the lead singer of her band.

A knock on her door made her groan, she turned around, walking towards her hotel door and opening it to find Karen on the other side.

"Are you screaming in here?" Karen laughed. Kathryn stepped aside, letting her in.

"Billy re-recorded my parts on Aurora, Karen," Kathryn said. "So yes, I am screaming in here," Kathryn shut the door behind Karen, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I want to speak up... but where will it get me? Talking to Billy is like talking to a fucking brick wall."

Karen sighed, sitting down on the couch. "I know, Kat," Karen said. "He can re-record your parts all he likes but you'll always be a better guitarist than him."

"I know," Kathryn said, sitting down next to her. "Wanna do cocaine?" She asked. Karen smiled at her, nodding her head.

—
Interviewer: Did you ever bring it up? To Billy I mean.

Kathryn Summers: Eventually, not until the day of the infamous Chicago show.

Interviewer: What about you and Eddie. Would you say that you two were dating at this point?

Kathryn Summers: Unofficially, yes. We didn't really have a label but we only had eyes for each other. Plus, I didn't want him to end up like social pariah like I was.
Eddie didn't need to be dragged into my drama. I knew the second the press got word we were together they'd mention Tom Rhodes.
Eddie didn't deserve that, he deserved to shine in his own light, not be punished because of me.
—