KickiPop™ Chronicles Blog Post #8 The Day Everything Changed

KickiPop™ Chronicles – Blog #8: The Day Everything Changed 

The girls stormed through the halls, making their way to the principal’s office. They entered the reception area, ready to demand answers, but before they could even ask to see Principal Bradley, he emerged from his office.

“Hi, girls,” he greeted with his usual upbeat spirit—until he saw their faces. “Uh-oh… what’s wrong?”

All the girls erupted at once, voices overlapping with frustration.

“Whoa, whoa! One at a time,” Principal Bradley said, holding up his hands. “Start at the beginning.”

“Everly doesn’t even like us,” one of them blurted. “She shouldn’t be allowed to sing our songs!”

The principal calmly reminded them of the contest rules. “When you submit a song, anyone is allowed to create their own rendition. It’s part of the competition. She had every right to record it.” He looked at Catalina and Melody. “But remember—no matter who sings it, the song is still yours.”

Aya crossed her arms. “But she also stole our name, and she had no right to do that!”

Principal Bradley sighed softly. “Ah… so you haven’t spoken to your parents yet?”

“No… why?” Melody asked suspiciously.

“I was hoping they’d talk it through with you first, so you could decide as a group,” he said gently.

“We don’t know what you’re talking about,” Miyoshi said.

“I met with your parents yesterday,” he continued.

“You did?” Miyoshi gasped—her parents hadn’t mentioned a thing.

“Yes, with all of them. I didn’t want to tell you before they had the chance. They’re going to speak to you this evening. But listen… it’s nothing bad. Don’t worry about it all day. It’s actually exciting—good news, I’d say.”

The girls exchanged doubtful looks.

“In regards to the recording issue,” he added, “next time I’ll make sure there’s at least 24 hours between releases of the same song. That way, each version has its own day.”

The girls nodded. They still didn’t like Everly singing their songs, but rules were rules.

The rest of the school day felt like walking through fog. They couldn’t focus.

What did their parents want to talk about? What was going on?

They could hardly wait for the bell to ring.

That evening, they were all meeting at Melody’s house. So, Melody’s mom offered everyone a ride, and the plan was to grab snacks before rehearsal. But as they headed to the kitchen, Melody’s mother stopped them gently. “Hold off on snacks. I’ll bring something out later,” she said with a mysterious smile.

They began setting up to rehearse—until the doorbell rang.

Melody opened it, surprised to see Aya’s mother.

“Hello,” she said warmly. Melody, who had known her most of her life, let her in and called for her mom.

Before she could finish, the doorbell rang again.

This time, it was Miyoshi’s and Catalina’s parents.

The living room quickly began to fill. The girls glanced at one another, confused.

“Are we… going home?” Catalina asked.

“No,” her father replied. “We want to talk to you all together.”

They barely had time to react before—ding-dong!—the doorbell rang a third time.

Prisha’s parents stood in the doorway, smiling. Melody recognized them instantly.

“Everyone else is already here,” she said.

“Oh good! We’re not late?”

“Not at all—come in.”

Melody’s parents emerged from the kitchen with hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

“Are we having a party?” Melody asked.

“Not exactly,” her mother said. “Girls, take a seat. We want to talk to you about something your principal brought to our attention.”

“Are we in trouble?” Prisha whispered.

“No, not at all,” the parents assured her.

Melody’s mother began. “I’ve worked in the school’s music department for over a decade, and I’ve never seen anything like this year’s contest. The excitement is unbelievable. You girls… you are extraordinary songwriters. We are so proud of you.”

The girls glowed.

“In fact,” she continued, “the principal and I feel that you haven’t just created a band—you’ve created a movement.”

“What do you mean?” Melody asked.

“KickiPop has captured the imagination of the entire school,” her mother said. “You’re not just making music… you’ve sparked something.”

“What does that mean?” Catalina asked.

Catalina’s father spoke up. “It means you’ve created something special. Something bigger than just a group.”

Prisha’s father stood. “In the entertainment industry, there are genres, brands, identities. We believe KickiPop™ is more than a band name—it's a brand of music.”

“And here's the problem—or opportunity,” he continued. “All the students want to record under the KickiPop™ name. They’re submitting their songs as KickiPop™.”

There was a knock at the door.

Melody answered—and nearly dropped her glass.

“Principal Bradley?!”

“May I come in?”

“Everyone’s in the living room,” she said.

Prisha’s father nodded to him. “I was just explaining branding.”

“Please continue,” the principal said, taking a seat.

Aya spoke up. “But they can’t record under our name. It’s ours, right?”

“That’s what we’re here to discuss,” Prisha’s father replied. “You chose a very brandable name. We’d like to officially brand it. It’s done all the time.”

“So if we brand KickiPop™,” Prisha asked, “who can use it?”

“You girls would own the name,” the principal confirmed.

The girls lit up.

“Great! Let’s do it!” Aya said.

“And,” the principal continued, “we’d like the school to be able to use the name too.”

“What does that mean?” Melody asked.

“It means other artists could release music under the KickiPop™ brand—or a variation of it.”

“But we’d still be KickiPop™, right?” Aya insisted.

“A version of it…” Prisha’s father said carefully.

“A… version?” Catalina echoed.

“Yes. You would own the brand, but other groups could exist under it.”

“So then what would we be?” Aya asked.

Melody’s mom smiled. “Everyone at school calls you the KickiPop Girlz.”

“They do?” the girls said together.

“I’ve even seen it written on notebooks,” Melody’s mom laughed. “It looks really cool.”

“I’ve heard it too,” the principal added.

“There could also be financial benefits,” Prisha’s father mentioned.

That got their attention.

“Go on,” Melody said. “We’re listening.”

“As owners of the brand, if it’s licensed to the school, you’d be entitled to a percentage of any profits.”

“Do we get time to think about this?” Melody asked.

“Take a week,” the principal said. “Talk it over. Make your decision.”

“Thank you,” Aya said. “We have big decisions to make.”

Melody’s parents gestured to the table. “Now please… enjoy

the food.”

It felt like a celebration…

…but on the girls’ minds, one thought echoed:

KickiPop™ was no longer just theirs.

It was becoming something bigger.

As the laughter and clinking plates echoed through Melody’s living room, the girls tried to smile—but their minds were spinning. KickiPop™… a brand? Other students using their name? Record deals, ownership, contracts?

This wasn’t just friendship and music anymore.

The girls all stared at one another. For the first time, none of them had the right words.

Were they ready for this?

Just then, Principal Bradley cleared his throat.

“There’s one more thing,” he said. “A decision you’ll have to make… before the Battle of the Vibes begins.”

The room fell silent.

What decision? And what would it cost them?