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The managerial office at WKNT was, in reality, little more than a storage space where someone had once thought to stick a desk and a few chairs. Wall to wall shelving contained all manner of physical media: boxes upon boxes of vinyls, literal thousands of CDs, even one or two disused tape decks. Though it was cramped, poorly lit, and smelled vaguely of skunk weed and mildew, Dani would have gladly spent hours poring over all the old music, much of which would have been considered “classic” by the time she was born.

The station manager, a graduate student from Australia by the name of Lucas Taylor, sat across from Dani with his feet up on the desk. With his camp shirt half-buttoned over a white tank top and his sandy hair in a messy curtain style, he would've looked right at home at the beach. In his hands, he held Dani’s pitiful, mostly blank excuse for a résumé. [color=#6890e3]“What's a ‘Heb?’”[/color] he asked, his accent dulled by years in the States but by no means eradicated.

Dani leaned forward. [color=#79dbbc]“Oh, that's H-E-B,”[/color] she corrected him, sounding out each letter. [color=#79dbbc]“It's a Texas grocery store.”[/color] And just shy of a cult, frankly.

Lucas nodded. [color=#6890e3]“Right, so two years stocking, and that was your last job?”[/color]

Worrying her lip, she nodded back. That wasn't strictly true, of course; between the ages of 16 and 20, she had worked plenty, but it wasn't the sort of job you listed on a résumé – particularly when you were trying to remain incognito. Unfortunately, omitting her time as Aurora left quite the unsightly gap in her work experience. She had come to the interview fully prepared to be laughed out of the room.

[color=#6890e3]“Well, to be frank, no one else really wants the job ‘cause the pay’s shit, the hours are shit, and I can't offer work-study,”[/color] Lucas explained. [color=#6890e3]“You seem alright, so if you're cool with that, it's yours.”[/color]

Dani lit up. (Not literally, though it wasn't far off.) [color=#79dbbc]“Yes!”[/color] Then, softer, [color=#79dbbc]“I mean, yes, I am [i]definitely[/i] cool with that. Thank you.”[/color]

Smirking at the sudden burst of enthusiasm from the girl whose demeanor had otherwise been so reserved, Lucas said, [color=#6890e3]“No worries.”[/color] He swung his feet around and stood up. [color=#6890e3]“Come on. I'll introduce you to the crew.”[/color]

Dani liked the sound of a “crew.” It sounded official. It sounded… not lonely. Taking a second to rein in her excitement – it wouldn't do to completely blow her first impression – she slung her backpack over one shoulder and followed Lucas out of the broom closet of an office.

The rest of the station wasn't much bigger, but what it lacked in size, it more than made up for with character. At its heart was the lounge, a half-finished room with exposed wooden rafters and ductwork strung with globe lights. The floor might've been hardwood, but it was so scuffed and uneven that it was difficult to know for sure; a collection of thrifted rugs lay one on top of the other, exactly none of them matching. There was a couch that somehow looked in worse shape than the one at home, and absolutely anywhere there was a flat surface, there was a collage of concert posters and skateboard stickers.

Across the way, Dani could see through the window into the recording booth, which at least had pretensions of professionalism. The equipment inside seemed archaic, but it must have been operational because the red “ON AIR” light above the door was on, and there was a girl with a pixie cut and giant headphones sitting behind a microphone. Just then, an adjacent door opened, revealing a peek inside another small, dark room. 

Out of the darkness stepped a stocky Asian boy about Dani's age, or perhaps a bit younger, with square glasses and short, spiky hair. In one hand, he carried a cup from Shake Shack, while the other lazily tossed a hacky sack in the air. He also, apparently, felt perfectly comfortable walking around the station in Crocs.

[color=#6890e3]“Maxwell! Just the fella I wanted to see,”[/color] Lucas announced. Beckoning the boy over, he said, [color=#6890e3]“Max here's our ace audio engineer. He literally keeps the lights on for us. Anything ever breaks, this is who you call. Max, this is Dani, our new PA.”[/color]

[color=#c42d30]“I told you the flyers would work!”[/color] Max said excitedly. [color=#c42d30]“It's very nice to meet you, Dani. I love your shirt! That’s from the Fever to Tell Tour, isn't it?”[/color]

With furrowed brow, Dani looked down at the faded Yeah Yeah Yeahs tee beneath her red checkered flannel. [color=#79dbbc]“Uhh… I’m not exactly sure. Maybe?”[/color] It was one of many shirts she had reclaimed from her late father's wardrobe. She'd never gotten the chance to find out if he'd actually seen all these bands in person. From the stories he used to tell, it wouldn't have surprised her, though.

[color=#6890e3]“Mind like a steel trap, this one,”[/color] Lucas explained. [color=#6890e3]“I've learned it's best just to assume he's right.”[/color] As Max chuckled, Lucas motioned for Dani to continue following. The two of them marched over to the recording booth, and Lucas waved at the girl inside. She held up a finger, finished speaking into the mic, and removed her headset. Lucas then opened the door, saying, [color=#6890e3]“How's it going? Got a second?”[/color]

[color=#db72ca]“Yep!”[/color] The girl was everything Dani wanted to be and everything Elena feared she would become. Short auburn hair framed a teardrop face with multiple nose piercings, including a septum ring. Her loose-fitting tank top revealed not one but two tattoo sleeves in progress. As she stood, it became clear that somehow Dani wouldn't be the shortest one at the station. [color=#db72ca]“You're new,”[/color] the girl observed matter-of-factly.

Dani nodded. [color=#79dbbc]“I’m Dani. I just accepted the open position.”[/color]

[color=#db72ca]“Francesca,”[/color] the other girl said, [color=#db72ca]“but only my Nana calls me that. For everyone else, it's just Frankie.”[/color] She offered a hand, which Dani shook.

[color=#6890e3]“Frankie's one of the three best DJs on staff,”[/color] Lucas put in.

With a fake guffaw, Frankie explained to Dani, [color=#db72ca]“There are [i]only[/i] three DJs on staff, not including when Lucas fills in.”[/color] As she stifled a yawn with the back of her hand, she said, [color=#db72ca]“Shit, sorry. I was up all night consoling my roommate about her breakup.”[/color]

[color=#6890e3]“Marketing exam for me,”[/color] Lucas answered with a yawn of his own. 

Dani bit down on her lip to avoid adding a third. Once the danger had passed, she offered, [color=#79dbbc]“Why don't I run and grab everyone some coffee?”[/color] Her own caffeine levels had gotten precipitously low, and she could think of no better way to ingratiate herself with her new coworkers.

Frankie smirked. [color=#db72ca]“She's good.”[/color] Dani felt a twinge of pride as the DJ sat back down and picked up her headphones.

[color=#6890e3]“What a fine idea,”[/color] Lucas agreed. To Frankie, he said, [color=#6890e3]“Text me what you want, yeah?”[/color] and then nodded Dani towards the door. Once they were back in the lounge, he fished out his wallet and produced a CSU branded card. [color=#6890e3]“Here's our official purchasing card.”[/color]

Frowning at it, Dani asked, [color=#79dbbc]“Really? Isn't there, like… paperwork I would need to fill out first or something?”[/color] It seemed incredible that she'd be trusted with that kind of responsibility right off the bat. Hadn't she [i]just[/i] finished the interview?

Lucas just shrugged. [color=#6890e3]“Yeah, probably.”[/color] She was starting to get the impression that this wasn't a very “by the book” outfit – which suited her just fine. [color=#6890e3]“The PIN’s 1-2-3-4, so try not to lose it.”[/color]

A few minutes later, Dani was standing in line at Brewed Awakening, the fair trade coffee shop located on the first floor of the Student Union. Since coming to campus, she had taken a liking to this place; the earthy smell of the dark roasts and abundant greenery in the decorations made it feel very grounding. She would have come here more often to study – or even just people-watch – but the limited seating and high traffic nature of the Union often made it difficult to find a table.

Dani’s earbuds were in, as they so often were whenever she was out and about. It was a defense against the unwanted approach, the uncomfortable conversation. So long as she kept them in, she dictated the terms of engagement. Even so, the girls directly behind her in line were near enough and loud enough to be heard over her music. Dani didn't [i]want[/i] to eavesdrop, but simple curiosity eventually won out over decorum.

[color=lightgray]“How long has she been missing?”[/color] one asked.

[color=darkgray]“Since last Thursday!”[/color] the other answered. [color=darkgray]“At first, I thought she was just staying with that guy, the one she met at Harborlight.”[/color]

The club name pricked Dani’s interest. She'd never been, but it'd been a near thing. The first time an invitation came around, she was still concerned with preserving her squeaky-clean public persona; the second time, when rebelliousness had taken hold and she should've been the target audience, she was so over the superhero scene that the thought of partying with a bunch of strung-out Grays felt like just a different sort of social obligation.

[color=lightgray]“How'd she swing an invite to that, anyway?”[/color]

[color=darkgray]“I never told you?”[/color] The second girl lowered her voice, but not so much that Dani couldn't still hear her. [color=darkgray]“She's a Gray.”[/color]

The first girl gasped. [color=lightgray]“I thought they had their own housing?”[/color]

They did. Specialized dorms with increased security and other accommodations for the empowered. Optional but encouraged. Dani hadn't considered it for even a moment. 

[color=darkgray]“I guess she didn't want anybody to know.”[/color]

[color=lightgray]“Weird,”[/color] the first girl said. After a beat, she considered aloud, [color=lightgray]“Who knows how many more there are like her?”[/color]

Dani could only smirk. [color=#79dbbc][i]Who, indeed?[/i][/color]