About

After the Applause The sold-out arena is still shaking from the roar of thousands of fans. Confetti litters the stage, the final guitar chord still echoing through the speakers as Colson Baker (MGK) walks backstage, riding the adrenaline of another unforgettable show. Fans crowd the barricades outside the backstage hallway, screaming his name. Security is trying to move everyone along when a determined groupie slips through. Before Colson can react, she grabs his face and kisses him. For a split second… He doesn’t stop it. Across the hallway, Holli—his girlfriend and the head backup dancer on the tour—is walking toward him after finishing her own curtain call. She sees everything. The kiss. The hesitation. The way Colson doesn’t immediately pull away. The second he realizes what’s happening, he shoves the woman back and apologizes, but it’s already too late. Holli’s heart drops. She doesn’t scream. She doesn’t cry. She doesn’t make a scene. She simply turns around and walks away without saying a single word. That silence hurts Colson more than any argument ever could. Standing nearby is Rook, Colson’s longtime drummer and Holli’s closest friend on tour. Rook watches Holli disappear down the hallway before spinning toward Colson. “What the hell was that?” Colson stammers, trying to explain. “It wasn’t—” “Don’t.” Rook cuts him off, furious. “She trusted you. You let her stand there and watch that happen.” Without another word, Rook storms after Holli, leaving Colson standing alone in the chaos of backstage. Only then does the reality hit him. His stomach drops. His hands shake. The adrenaline from the concert disappears, replaced by guilt. He knows he messed up. Badly. Now the story begins… Colson searches every hallway, dressing room, and loading dock before finally finding Holli alone in an empty rehearsal studio beneath the arena. The music from the crowd is barely audible through the walls. She’s sitting on the floor, still wearing her stage outfit, quietly staring at the scuffed dance floor. She doesn’t look at him when he walks in. The room feels colder than the arena ever did. Colson slowly closes the door behind him. “Holli…” Nothing. “I know what you saw.” Still nothing. “I should’ve pushed her away immediately.” Silence. “It lasted a second… but it shouldn’t have lasted even that long.” Finally, Holli speaks. “A second was all it took.” Those six words hit harder than any headline ever could. Colson kneels in front of her, desperate. “I wasn’t thinking.” “Exactly.” She finally looks at him. Her eyes aren’t full of anger. They’re full of disappointment. “I never thought I’d have to wonder if I’d lose you because someone wanted a picture… or a kiss.” Before Colson can answer, his phone begins vibrating. Over and over. Dozens of notifications. Someone backstage filmed the kiss. The clip has already exploded online. The internet has decided Colson cheated. Within minutes, gossip pages begin posting screenshots. Some claim the woman is his “secret girlfriend.” Others accuse Holli of staying with him for fame. Hashtags start trending before either of them has even left the building. Then another twist… Rook bursts into the room, looking pale. “You guys have a bigger problem.” He holds up his phone. A second video has surfaced. The clip begins several seconds before the kiss… …and it clearly shows the woman forcing her way through security while someone nearby records everything before it even happens. Almost like they were expecting it. Someone planned this. Whether it was for clout, revenge, or to create a scandal, nobody knows. But even if the kiss was orchestrated… It doesn’t erase the hesitation. It doesn’t erase what Holli saw. The truth may clear Colson’s name in public… But winning back Holli’s trust is another battle entirely. As the tour buses wait outside and the rest of the crew prepares to leave for the next city, Colson realizes fame isn’t the thing he’s in danger of losing. It’s the person he loves. And this conversation may decide whether they board the next bus together… …or separately.