Love, Secrets, and Rock 'n Roll

The Olsons were known far and wide for one thing and one thing only: rock music. This family produced some of the biggest legends in rock history and every member wore that fact like a badge of honor. Yet, for as much time as they spent in the blinding flashes of the paparazzi and the constant interviews, for as known as their names were in every house, rock-loving or otherwise, for as documented as their lives were, there was one secret that none of them were ever willing to talk about. A secret that was buried so deep that you would need an oil drill to reach it. Even whispering about it could silence a whole room. However, all of that would change because of one pesky reporter.

         Daniella Michaels didn’t immediately know that her boyfriend Mark Schwartz was related to the Olsons. She knew that his family was involved in the music industry, but he was in accounting and didn’t talk much of them. So, when she showed up as his date to their annual family reunion, needless to say, she was surprised.

         The mansion they were staying in was huge and the minute they walked in the door they were assaulted by silver, gold, and platinum records adorning the walls. Those very walls must have been quite sound-proofed because it wasn’t until the door was opened that she could hear the blasting rock music, the rhythmic beating of the drums and intense melody of the guitar. Almost immediately her foot started tapping to the beat. However, it wasn’t until she laid eyes on rock legend Eddie Olson that she put two and two together.

         “Are you…related to the Olsons?” she whispered to Mark as he handed her a drink.

         “Oh. Yeah. By marriage. They’re on my mom’s side,” he said back nonchalantly.

         Daniella was dumbstruck. “And you didn’t think to mention this why?”

         He quickly looked uncomfortable. “Honestly, I didn’t know how you’d react. Some of my cousins have had a history with significant others who were only with them for the fame. We just hit 10 months and by now I think I’ve tricked you into liking me all on my own.” She rolled her eyes at that but smiled nonetheless. “And then the family reunion was coming up and I know how you probably would’ve freaked out if I tried to casually bring it up so…I’m throwing you in the deep end. Sorry.”

         Daniella opened her mouth like she was going to say something, then closed it again. “I want to be mad and say you’re wrong, but you know me too well and you’re right.”

         They clinked bottles and went about the party. Throughout the night, Daniella met much of his family from his parents to grandparents to cousins, all while trying to reign in her inner fangirl. As a rock-lover, that was pretty hard to do.

         Midway through the party, Daniella found Grandma Olson in the kitchen with another gin and tonic.

         “Daniella!” She greeted. “I’m so glad you came. Mark hasn’t stopped talking about you since before you got together.” She lowered her voice, imitating Mark. “Grandma, there’s this girl. I met her in a coffee shop and I swear I’ve never seen someone so radiant and smart.”

         So, clearly Grandma Olson was very drunk and this was made more evident by the sloshing around of her glass.

         Daniella laughed. “Anything else I should know?”

         “Yes.” Grandma Olson looked around and, seeing no one, leaned in. “This family has a very big secret, but you can’t tell anyone.”

         Things went from being light-hearted and casual to tense so quickly that Daniella almost got whiplash.

         Leaning in as well, she whispered. “What is it?”

         “It’s about our family history. We are not proud of it but-“

         That’s when her boyfriend walked in with a confused look. “What’s going on here ladies?”

         Grandma Olson looked surprised and nervous, but luckily Daniella could cover. “She was just telling me about all the nice things you’ve been saying about me. Apparently, I am the smartest, most radiant girl in the world.”

         Mark flushed a charming shade of pink. “Ah. I see. Well you know, she’s very drunk as she always is at these functions. She’s…she’s clearly exaggerating.”

         “Aw,” she reached up and pecked him on the lips. “Don’t be embarrassed, babe. It’s very sweet.”

         She didn’t think it was possible, but he seemed to become even more of a tomato. From the corner of her eye, Daniella saw Grandma Olson leave the room only turning back to give her a wink.

         The rest of the party went fairly well. Family members were no more drunk than usual for a reunion and for the most part, everyone was having a good time. Daniella was having so much fun that she almost forgot about her conversation with Grandma Olson until Mark was dropping her off back home.

         Sitting in the parked car, she looked over and started, “So your grandma and I had a fun little chat.”

         He rolled his eyes, “yeah, yeah. I thought you were cute. And gush about you a lot. And you come up in almost every story I tell.”

         She couldn’t help but smile. “We only talked about a third of that, but I’d be happy to hear more.” He shot her a look. “Actually, I was referring to a conversation we started about a big secret your family has.”

         Mark’s fingers rapidly tightened around the steering wheel and his face lost any hint of the blush from before.

         “Don’t bring that up again.”

         “Mark-“

         “Daniella, I’m serious.” He looked her dead in the eye with the intensity of a man in battle. “Nothing good happens when someone brings up the secret and especially when someone tries to find out the secret. I need you to trust me. Stay away from it.”

         In all their time together, she had never seen him like this. “O-okay. I’ll stay away.”

         “Ok.”

         “But just give me a hint. Do you guys, like, collectively murder people because I feel like that’s something I should know before this goes any further.”

         “Worse.”

         What the hell is worse than that?!

         He saw the panicked look on her face. “It’s nothing that anyone actively does now. It’s just a bad history. Nothing you need to worry about.”

         She could see in his face how much he wanted her to stop asking about it, so she did. For now.

         A month later, the secret was still bothering her. She was a journalist for Pete’s sake. She needed answers! Granted, she wasn’t in the entertainment side of the biz, but she needed answers nonetheless!

         For the next few weeks, she decided to look for what she needed herself. Clearly Mark wasn’t super comfortable with the questions, but her search history was her business and what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, right?

         Daniella started with basic Google searches for the family’s history. It was hard to get past the blogs, tabloids, and magazines, but eventually she found some more educationally articles written about the family. Using a 25-cent notebook, she started to take notes and putting pieces together. That is, until a lethal virus wiped her whole hard-drive.

         She didn’t think much of it at the time. Surely, it must just be a coincidence. Servers get infected. She must have clicked on a bad ad on accident and forgot about it. It happens.

         What was more worrisome was when she started her research back up, but then she walked into her apartment to find it had been broken into. Suspiciously enough, only that cheap notebook and her laptop were gone. Had they been smarter, they would have covered their intentions by stealing more valuable items, but they didn’t and that was what tipped her off to who was behind it.

         However, she didn’t have proof or answers and her curiosity was at an all time high. Now she was invested and she didn’t give up easily. So, she decided she had to draw them out. They could take away her laptop and her notes, but she had a whole ten dollars when she went into the office supply store and got a whole bunch of those notebooks. She could do this all day.

         While Daniella could have resorted to doing all her research on her phone, she figured that would end in a similar fashion. The next best thing was forcing them to confront her in a public place where she could do all the research she wanted: the library.

         For the next three weeks, Daniella stopped at her local library almost every day after work to use their computers, look up historical records, and go through old newspapers. Yet, for as much research as she did, she was coming up with surprisingly little that could be considered a secret big enough to warrant infecting her computer and breaking into her apartment.

         One day, Daniella was off in the corner of the historical archives, once more with her nose in a book when that book was pulled out from under it. She looked up and saw a big bulking man whom she recognized as one of Mark’s cousins.

         “Tim! What’s up?” she tried to jokingly say. “Long time, no see.”

         He was not having it.

         From around her back she felt another presence reaching for her new notebook and stack of documents. She slammed her hand on them. She looked up to see Mark’s aunt Lydia. Her eyeliner was so sharp Daniella was sure could slice your finger open trying to rub it off and her leather jacket did very little to disprove that theory.

         “Heyyyyy. May I help you?”

         Aunt Lydia was also not having it.

         “Let go of the papers now before I take them, give you a thousand paper cuts, and throw you in a pool of lemon juice,” she practically growled out.

         “…ok. Solid point. Counter offer: I finish up my work here and then never touch it again.”

         “No.”

         Daniella uncomfortably nodded her head and smiled up at her. “You’d make a great lawyer.”

          “Hands. Off. And leave the notebook.”

         Daniella licked her lips and looked down at the pile of papers and all her hard work, then back up at Aunt Lydia’s piercing glare. With a sigh, she lifted her hand, but not before taking one last glance at the top document where she read the words that put everything together. Daniella watched as they packed up all her work and all the articles and stuffed them in their bags as her mind sorted out the last-minute information.

         It wasn’t until the started to watch away after one last glare that she finally said something.

         “I know your secret.”

         The two terrifying Olsons slowly turned around.

         “Up-and-coming musician Wilma Wolf, nee Olson, takes the stage with her new take on country tunes,” she quoted. “You guys have a history of country musicians.” Then it hit her. “Ugh! That’s atrocious!”

         In a flurry, Daniella was picked up and driven to the mansion where the reunion was held. No one said a single word the whole time, Daniella mostly because she had a piece of duct tape over her mouth. Yet somehow, when they arrived, most of the core family, including Mark, were there.

         It wasn’t until they seated her in a chair in the middle of the room that anyone said anything.

         “So she knows,” Aunt Lydia said.

         There was a series of groans that echoed through the room.

         Mark looked at her. “I told you to stay away.”

         Fear clenched her gut. Oh God, they’re going to kill me, aren’t they?

         Aunt Lydia stood in front of her. “Yes. We have a history of,” she gagged, “country musicians. I know. Country music is the absolute worst. A truly shameful history. That is why we tried so hard to protect it.”

         “Then maybe make sure you don’t have any records in a public library,” Daniella muttered.

         Aunt Lydia fixed her with a glare. “What?”

         “Nothing.”

         “That’s what I thought. Now, we can’t have you telling anyone, so we do what we must. Mark?”

         The fear came back even stronger.

         He gave her a sad look as he stood in front of her. “I wanted to do this the right way, when we were ready.”

         Now she was straight up confused. Which then increased ten-fold when he got down on one knee.

         “Daniella, will you marry me? You have to say yes.”

         “What?”

         Grandma Olson spoke up. “One thing you wouldn’t have found in your research is when someone learns our secret, they have to marry into the family so they bear the association and thereby have to keep the secret as well, in addition to signing a prenup. So dear, you have to say yes. Your life will be a living hell of overwatch by us if you don’t. Plus, Mark here is in love with you and I can tell you’re in love with him too.”

         This was far faster than she ever wanted, but Grandma Olson had a point.

         “Well, this is highly unethical and wrong on so many levels, but if I’m going to be forced into a crazy family with anyone, I’m glad it’s you,” she said with a smile that was 75% love and 25% fear of Aunt Lydia. “If it makes you feel better, if you had asked on your own, I would’ve said yes then too.”

         Mark smiled back and pulled her up so they were both standing.

         He pecked her on the lips and said, “Welcome to the family. Good luck.”