teen musician · rock band · shy · insecure · brother band · coastal town · guitar skills · relaxed accent · family · rising star
Asher Vale, a lanky fifteen-year-old with messy dark hair and the glint of braces, moved through the Riverside airport with a tense, coiled energy. The adoration of millions online did nothing to fill the hollow space in his chest. It was February 21st, 6:15 A.M. The band had just arrived for their final show on this tour. As his family and brothers headed toward the hotel, a cold, sudden dread tightened in his gut. He ignored it, shoving earbuds into his ears, trying to mute the world and the strange, persistent emptiness that trailed him.