Shooting Stars and Satellites

We were only halfway into the movie, when the front door opened and a slew of voices began filling the room.

“Alaska!” Pat shrieked, before jumping on top of my lap.

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his skinny frame. “It’s nice to see you, too, Patty!”

He grinned and grabbed the bag of Sour Patches from my hand, shoving a few in his mouth. “I love these!”

“You love everything, Pat,” Jared commented, taking a seat on the far right end of the couch.

“That’s not true, because I hate you!” he retorted, causing the group of us to laugh.

“Where’s Kenny?” John asked, as Garrett joined us on the couch.

“Out macking with Roxie in the driveway,” Garrett answered, a disgusted look on his face.

I laughed. “My brother’s a pimp!”

John rolled his eyes. “You can’t be a pimp with one girl, ‘Laska.”

“You would be the one to know,” I said.

“Ooh!” Garrett, Jared and Pat cheered.

John smirked and rubbed the stubble on his chin with his index finger and thumb. “I suppose you’re right.” He looked at me, wriggling his eyebrows. “How’d you like to be my bottom bitch, ‘Laska?”

I went to smack him, but the maneuver was rather hard, with Pat sitting on my lap. “First of all, never reference to South Park again, because you just ruined the show a little for me. And second of all, if you ever call me a bitch again, John, I won’t hesitate to chop your dick off.”

“She’s serious, too,” Garrett added, covering his crotch with his hand.

I had to laugh, remembering the summer before junior year, when Garrett had grabbed my boobs, due to a dare from John, and I chased him all around the house, a kitchen knife clutched in my right hand. “I forgot all about that,” I said, trying to calm myself down from laughing.

“That wasn’t funny, dude!” Garrett cried.

I rolled my eyes. “Like I would actually stab you, Garebear. I’d probably be on a million fans’ hit-list.” Kenny and Roxie came into the living room, hand in hand, and smirks perched on both of their faces. Roxie’s eyes had a dreamy glaze to them, and I had to laugh as I noticed that my brother’s lips were looking extra shiny. “Nice lip gloss, Ken. Can I borrow it sometime?”

Everyone in the room broke out laughing, save for Kennedy, who wiped his lips with the back of his hand, before flipping me off. He and Roxie sat down on the loveseat, and cuddled into each other. It made me miss Gavin and how he would always find a way to wrap his arms around me.

“I’m glad to see you and John are both still alive,” Kenny joked.

John grinned. “We had a great time together.”

Kenny’s brows arched and he gave John a look. “Please tell me you didn’t make out with my sister, JohnO.”

He laughed. “We didn’t, but someone here seemed to want to,” he said, turning his head towards me.

I scoffed. “Like I’d really want to kiss you, O’Callaghan.” Oh, what a lie to leave my lips.

“You know you do.”

I rolled my eyes. “And catch herpes? No thanks.” I gently pushed Pat off of my lap, and stood up. “Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I have a phone call to make.” I could feel Garrett and Jared’s eyes looking me up and down, their stares particularly lingering on my legs.

Roxie threw a couch cushion at their heads, breaking their gaze. “Stop beings pigs,” she told them.

I gave her a smile. “Thank you!”

She laughed. “It was my pleasure, babe.”

“Babe? I thought you only called me that,” Kennedy whined.

She rolled her eyes. “You thought wrong.” He pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, and Roxie laughed, pulling him into her arms. “You’re such a baby,” she joked.

He smiled and cuddled into her chest. “I’m your baby, mama,” he told her.

I began fake gagging, along with everyone else. Jared threw the cushion back at them. “Okay, okay, break it up you two, before you make all of us upchuck!”

I laughed and began making my way upstairs, leaving the rest of the group to their mocking of Kennedy and Roxie’s affectionate ways. I walked into my room, and shut the door, plopping myself back on my bed. I grabbed my phone from the stand, and noticed I had two missed calls, both from Gavin. I smiled, and quickly hit his name, calling him back. It took only two rings for him to pick up.

“Hey, beautiful,” he answered.

I smiled and felt myself blushing. Gavin had always had that effect on me. “Hey, handsome,” I joked, leaning my back against the headrest of my bed, pulling my knees to my chest.

He chuckled. “Handsome? That’s a new one.”

I smirked. “I know. You like it?”

“I love it. How’s my little cripple doing at home?”

I sighed. “Your little cripple is bored and going stir crazy. Plus, you know, I miss the fuck out of you.”

He laughed. “Believe me, I miss you too, beautiful. My mom’s actually been wondering why I haven’t gone out these past couple of days.”

I laughed. “Did you tell her what happened?”

“Yup.” He let out a yawn. “She laughed and said to tell you to be more careful, the next time you decide to climb a tree.”

“Oh, there won’t be a next time,” I stated. I ran the fingers of my left hand over the cast. “When do you get off?”

“Around seven. Why?” he asked.

“Feel like swinging by and picking me up?”

“My Alaska wants to sneak out? Who would have ever guessed?” I could imagine the wide smile on his face.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “You didn’t answer my question, babe.”

“Of course I’ll come pick you up, beautiful,” he said.

“You’re being awfully sweet today,” I teased.

He laughed. “I haven’t seen my girlfriend in two days; a guy’s bound to turn on the charm when that happens.”

I smiled, feeling butterflies form in my stomach. “Your girlfriend loves you very much.”

“I would hope so, because her boyfriend loves her just as much.”

At this point, I was really missing Gavin. “So, I’ll see you around seven?”

“You will.” He let out another yawn. “You know, Kennedy’s only going to hate me more for this.”

I sighed. “Don’t worry about him, Gav. He doesn’t know you.”

“But he knows about me.”

“People talk a lot of shit, and that’s what he hears.”

“People suck.” I heard a few muffled noises, before Gavin began talking. “My break’s over, love, but I’ll see you at seven, okay?”

“Alright. See ya later, Gav.” We both hung up, and I laid my phone back on the stand. I closed my eyes, letting a smile overtake my face.

“What’s that smile for? Did you just have phone sex with Gavin?”

I sighed and opened my eyes. “What’re you doing up here?”

“We want you to come watch us practice,” he said.

“John, I’ve seen you guys perform a million and one times. Hell, I’ve watched you guys practice before you were even ‘The Maine’.”

He laughed and shrugged. “So? Just come on, Alaska. We’ve got a new song we want your opinion on.”

“A new song?” I asked, looking at him skeptically.

He nodded his head. “I just wrote it the other day.”

I swung my legs over the edge of my bed, and stood up. “Fine. But I hope you know I’m going to be blunt with my opinion.”

“Which is why I requested you come,” he said, swinging an arm around my shoulder.

I laughed and rolled my eyes as we made our way down the stairs, and into the basement. The guys were already setting up, and Roxie was sitting on the well-worn grey couch, which sat before the ‘stage area’. I took a seat next to her, and John walked over to the mic.

“I know something you don’t know,” Roxie sang.

I looked at her, laughing a little. “And what would that be?”

“I’ll never tell,” she said, winking her right eye at me. I groaned and went to hit her on her shoulder, only, with me having a bad aim, I accidentally hit her boob.

“Hey! Hands off my woman!” Kennedy yelled.

I laughed. “It was an accident! Calm down, psycho boyfriend!”

He stuck his tongue out at me, before going back to tuning his guitar. Roxie laughed and looked at me. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

I glared at her. “Then why would you bring it up!?” I asked, throwing my hands in the air.

“To torment you,” she joked.

I laughed. “Please?” I puckered out my lower lip, hoping the puppy dog face would work on her.

She lifted her right pinky finger in the air. “Pinky promise you won’t say anything?”

I laughed and laced my left pinky finger with hers. “Pinky promise I won’t say anything.”

She leaned forward, whispering in my ear. “John likes you.” She backed away, a satisfied smirk on her face.

My eyes widened and I looked at her, shaking my head side to side. “You’re lying.”

“Oh, but I’m not.”

“How do you know?” I whisper-yelled.

“He told me! And, I mean, it’s pretty obvious that he flirts with you, Alaska.”

I looked at John, and bit down on my bottom lip. “But … I love Gavin.”

“He knows that, babe. That’s why he’s trying to keep his distance from you,” she told me. I sighed and sank a little lower into the couch.

“Alright, Roxie, Alaska,” John said, looking between the two of us, “I wrote this a few days ago, and I need you two to be completely honest with how you think it sounds.”

Roxie nodded her head. “I wouldn’t be anything but,” she said, smiling.

“Alaska?” John looked at me.

I sighed, nodding my head. “I already told you I would.”

He smirked, and Pat began drumming, eventually being joined with Kennedy, Jared and Garrett on their guitars and bass.

“I’m on a trip,
I can’t get off, can’t get over.
I want it all; I want it all inside of you.
I call you up, you’re getting off, I’m coming over.
You’re 21; I see your eyes, you’re barely sober.
I hear your voice; you’re calling out from me to you.
I pour a drink; you move in quick, you’re moving forward.
Then you said, no, woah, ooh, I’m never gonna be inside of you.
And I said, no, woah, ooh, I’m never gonna see inside of you.
Because I know I’m gonna fall, and you’ll be waiting for it all.
Because I know, I know, I know, I can’t get inside of you;
Inside of you.

This fragile game,
It’s like a train, that’s headed nowhere.
It never stops, and I can’t see the exit sign.
We’re headed north, I see the cliff, we’re getting closer.
Oh, yeah, baby.
So don’t say that you just want to run away.
Replay all the things that I tried to say.
I’m 21, so you’re getting off, I’m coming over.

Then you said, no, woah, ooh, I’m never gonna be inside of you.
And I said, no, woah, ooh, I’m never gonna see inside of you.
Because I know I’m gonna fall, and you’ll be waiting for it all.
Because I know, I know, I know, I can’t get inside of you;
Inside of you.

I’m on a trip.
I can’t get off, can’t get over.
I want it all; I want it all inside of you.
I call you up, you’re getting off, I’m coming over.
No, woah, ooh, I’m never gonna be inside of you.
And I said, no, woah, ooh, I’m never gonna see inside of you.
Because I know I’m gonna fall, and you’ll be waiting for it all.
Because I know, I know, I know, I can’t get inside of you.
I know I’m gonna fall, and you’ll be waiting for it all.
Because I know, I know, I know, I can’t get inside of you;
Inside of you.

I’m on a trip.
I can’t get off, can’t get over.
I want it all; I want it all inside of you.
I call you up, you’re getting off, I’m coming over.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Roxie looked over at me, as John finished singing. “I wonder who that could be about …”

I bit down on my bottom lip, and felt my stomach turn; because as much as I may be in love with Gavin, John was starting to grow on me.