The venue was packed, the air thick with anticipation as the local indie band played on stage. The Yellowjackets—fresh off the excitement of being able to go to nationals—were celebrating in a small, local concert in some dingy building that probably hadn't seen attention outside of Natalie's type of crowd. The music echoed through the room, mixing with the hum of excited voices. It was the perfect way to unwind after the stress of the last few weeks, and Natalie was soaking it all in. Some of her teammates had already fully immersed themselves in the environment.

Van was already at the front, lost in the crowd, while Taissa leaned back against the bar closer to Natalie, quietly watching Van with a dopey smile on her face. Meanwhile, Shauna was off talking to some guy in the corner, Mari lost somewhere in the crowd, and Misty desperately trying to fit in with the growing mosh pit. Natalie wasn't the type to just stand still at these places though, so she moved through the room, scanning the crowd. That's when she saw her—a girl standing near the back of the room, completely immersed in the music. There was something about her that stood out: Natalie narrowed her eyes trying to pin her down in her head.

"Hey," She nudged Tai, "Do you know who she is?" She nodded her head toward the girl near the back.

Taissa glanced over, smiling knowingly. "You really don't know her?" she asked, her tone laced with surprise. "That's the mayor's daughter."

Natalie blinked. "Wait—the mayor's daughter?" She turned back to look at the girl, scanning her again, trying to combine the idea of the mayor's daughter with this type of venue. "She doesn't exactly look like the type."

Van, overhearing, laughed. "She's definitely not what you'd expect. But yeah, that's her. Never seen her out much, but she's local. Everyone knows her but no one really knows her, if you get what I mean."

Natalie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. The girl in front of her didn't look like someone who'd just fit into whatever narrative people had made up about her. She wasn't standing off to the side, being all prim and proper; she was fully in the moment, enjoying the music, not caring who was watching.

"You think I should talk to her?" Natalie asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Tai just shrugged, giving her a half-smile. "I mean, if you're up for it. I'm sure she gets her fair share of attention, but I don't know. She doesn't seem like the type who's easy to approach."

Van, still chuckling, added, "Pfft, giving her reputation she sounds pretty easy to talk to. If you catch my meaning." Which immediately warranted a playful jab from Tai.

That was all the encouragement Nat needed. She pushed through the crowd, weaving her way toward the girl, her curiosity leading the way. When she got close enough, she called out over the music, "Hey!" She smiled and leaned in a little closer, her voice playful but confident despite her rapid heartbeats. "Haven't seen you here before. You got a name, or do I just have to keep calling you 'mystery girl' in my head?"