Finders Keepers

I don’t know why I accepted Kendall’s offer.

Maybe I was stupid, or maybe I really was that desperate. It wasn’t that I was expecting anything from her; Kendall was different than that, obviously. She showed me that the first night I met her. She just kind of seemed like she genuinely wanted to help me, which while I found it odd I guess I still appreciated it. All of my other friends were pushing me to move on, but none of them were actually trying to help me do so. Kendall was different, and maybe that’s why I wanted her help.

Regardless, I did want her help, and I actually wanted to make an effort.

Maybe that’s why I found myself actually pulling myself out of bed and getting a shower. Maybe that’s why I pulled my phone out and started to dial Kendall’s number.

That is until I realized I didn’t even have it.

After muttering some choice obscenities and throwing my phone onto my unmade bed, I called John instead. “Gary! What are you doing up? It’s barely past noon,” he joked, poking fun at the fact that I had been sleeping a lot lately.

Asshole.

“Yeah, yeah, make fun all you want. I just have a question.”

“Ask away, bro.”

“Do you, uh...” I trailed off, suddenly feeling awkward for what I was about to ask. “Do you have Kendall’s number?”

I could almost hear John’s smirk through the phone. “Gonna apologize for calling her a bitch?”

I sighed. “Just give me her number, man.”

He rattled off the numbers and I scribbled them down on what appeared to be an old receipt. I thanked him before saying my goodbyes and hanging up. I dialed the numbers before folding the paper up and stuffing it into the pockets of my jeans. I hit send and then, I waited.

It rang a few times before the ringing stopped and I heard a rustling on the other end of the line. “Hello?”

“Kendall? It’s Garrett,” I informed her awkwardly. What else was I supposed to say?

“Oh! Uh, hi Gar. Uh, not to be rude or anything but how’d you get my number?”

I laughed and nervously scratched the back of my neck. “John-o gave it to me. Hope that’s okay.”

“No, I don’t ever want you calling me, even after what I said at your house the other day,” she said, her sarcasm thick.

I chuckled and nodded. “Good to know. Are you doing anything today?”

“That depends on what your next question is, really.”

I smirked. “Funny, Kendall. Feel like hanging out?”

“And again, that depends.” I could hear the smirk in her voice. This girl was something else.

“I was thinking a movie? Maybe lunch. I just feel like going out and doing something instead of being cooped up in my house all day.”

She sighed, which instantly freaked me out. Was she regretting the whole friends thing? Did she not want to help me after all? “I suppose we could do that,” she finally said, but this time with a hint of laughter in her voice. She really was good at fucking with me, that much was obvious.

I got her address and decided to go pick her up, and then told her when I’d be there before hanging up.

It would be an interesting day, if nothing else.

***

Kendall was something else.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot of the Tempe Marketplace and parked in front of the movie theater, Kendall was shaking her head. “Do we have to see a movie? That’s like... the worst first date idea ever.”

That was right around the time I would have started choking and sputtering if I had been drinking anything. Luckily for me (and the interior of my car) I was dry mouthed. I was still shocked at what she had said, though. “First date?” I asked hesitantly.

Her blue eyes went wide. “Isn’t that... isn’t that what this is?” she asked, her voice extremely innocent and suddenly, slightly sad.

Oh shit. Damage control time. “Oh, Kendall, I mean, I think we got our paths mixed or crossed or something because I’m just not--”

She cut me off from rambling any longer with a loud laugh. “Chill, Garrett. As fun as it is to see you sweat, I know this isn’t a date. I know you aren’t looking for that. I just like to mess with you.” She threw me a wink before grabbing her bag and climbing out of the car.

I shook my head in amazement, but pulled the key out of the ignition and followed her towards the sidewalk in front of the theater.

When I finally reached her, she had already taken out her camera and started snapping pictures of people. “So what do you want to do, if a movie doesn’t interest you?”

She snapped a picture of a couple standing in front of the ticket booth, hands intertwined and staring up at the sign above the window informing everyone of movie times. I watched as she checked out the picture on the screen of the camera and when she was satisfied she skipped over to the couple. I watched in amazement as she took out her camera and showed them the picture. I watched as their faces lit up in surprise at the picture. I watched as she thanked them and waved goodbye and made her way back to me. “They loved it,” she gushed happily.

“You’re insane,” I concluded.

She just nodded.

“So what are we gonna do?” she asked, tucking her camera away and focusing on me.

I turned my head to look around at all of the shops and stores, and just as I was about to suggest something, Kendall was interjecting. “Oh! Wait! I know!” she grabbed my wrist and started dragging me down the sidewalk.

I didn’t even have time to say anything as we stopped in front of Red Robin. “Food, we need food. Or I do. Regardless,” she shrugged, and then we went inside.

We got seated and ordered our drinks and then skimmed the menu. I wasn’t starving, but I ordered a plain burger and fries while Kendall ordered the bacon cheeseburger and onion rings.

She took a sip of her coke and peered at me over the glass. “Know why I didn’t want to go to a movie?”

I shook my head and sipped my Sprite.

“Because we wouldn’t be able to talk, which is the whole reason we’re out and about right now. Right?”

I shrugged. “I guess so, yeah. I mean, I’m out because I couldn’t stand another day in my house. And you’re out because you’re being friendly. Right?”

She laughed and shook her head. Her brown hair was down and wavy and it brushed in front of her shoulders as her head went from side to side gently. Her laugh was genuine, but I wasn’t sure what she was laughing at. “I’m not here just because I’m being friendly, Gar.”

“Then why are you here? Why do you want to help, Kendall? This doesn’t really make any sense.” I was getting frustrated. I wasn’t trying to be a douche, but I couldn’t help it. None of this made any sense.

She scoffed. “I see your prick-ish-ness is back and as heavy as ever,” she quipped.

Okay, I deserved that. I sighed. “Sorry. I’m not trying to be a prick here, I just don’t get why you want to help. I mean, I’m a big boy. I could handle this on my own.”

She rolled her eyes. “Could you though?”

“Of course I could!” I defended myself, falling back against the red vinyl of the booth. “It sucks to get broken up with, but I could have dealt with it on my own.”

“Look Garrett,” she said, obviously getting fed up with me. I could hear it in her voice. “I’m here to help because your friends were worried about you. Maybe it was for good reason, and maybe it wasn’t. Regardless, I’m here and I’ll keep being here either until you’ve moved on or until I have to go back to school. Whichever comes first. So you might as well get over it and deal, because I’m not going anywhere.”

I didn’t say anymore, because what could I say? No, I don’t want your help? Obviously not, because I did. I wanted Kendall’s help and I wanted to be her friend, probably because I needed it. That didn’t mean I wanted to openly admit it, but whatever.

Funny enough, when our food came, that was when the conversation started. Kendall asked about the band, she asked about Troy and Teagan, she asked about me personally. The only thing she didn’t ask about was Macy, and I couldn’t have been more thankful for the fact.

When we finished lunch and were walking around the Marketplace, I realized Kendall had done most of the talking. “So you know all about me, but I know little to nothing about you.”

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and noticed her cheeks turning a light pink. “What’s there to know? I’m boring,” she shrugged, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger gently.

I laughed and shook my head. “You’re anything but boring, Kendall.”

“Call me Kenna. Kendall makes me sound like a boy and I hate it.”

“I like your name, actually. But okay. Kenna. See? That’s something I didn’t know. What else is there?”

She shrugged again. “I go to ASU and I major in Management with a minor in photography. I’ve lived in Arizona my entire life, but I was born in Phoenix. I moved to Tempe for college.” I watched as her shoulders raised yet again. “Like I said, I’m boring. I’m nothing compared to the rock star here,” she said playfully, a smirk attached to her face.

I laughed. “I’m not a rock star, Kenna. And you aren’t boring.”

“Whatever you say.”

We were quiet as we walked, just taking in the atmosphere. Suddenly, Kendall was breaking the silence. She grabbed my arm, exclaiming, “OH!”, stopping me dead in my tracks.

“Okay, I actually have something to show you back at my apartment if you want.”

I gave her a skeptical look, but then agreed because really? What else was I going to do?

***

“Okay, really Kendall? This is freaking amazing,” I informed her as we sat on the couch in her living room, looking at what she wanted to show me.

“I’d love to do this like you don’t even understand, but I don’t know. It’s a lot of work and I’m not sure if I could ever do it.”

The sketches sitting in front of me were of what Kendall called her “dream job”, which was to open a cafe/bakery type thing in Tempe. Apparently, another one of Kendall’s hidden talents was baking.

“Please tell me you’ll still try and do this though, regardless of how hard it seems. If it’s your dream, you should go for it.”

She just smiled at me and nodded.

As she was telling me more about her plans, the sound of a key going into the lock echoed through the front hall and then the door opened. There stood Trey and Teagan in all their glory.

“Garrett?” Trey asked, almost not believing it was me.

I rolled my eyes. “Hey.”

“What are you doing here?” Teagan asked next, stepping further into the apartment.

I shrugged. “Kendall and I were hanging out. She was just telling me about--”

She stopped me though, slamming the book in our laps shut and shaking her head. “I was telling him about ASU and school and stuff.”

I gave her a funny look for lying to Teagan, but didn’t push it.

Like a true older brother, Trey harassed me for a minute or two for finally getting out of the house and socializing with people other than the guys, but when he had finally exhausted that, he and Teagan went off to her room. I shuddered at the thought of what they were probably going to do and stood up.

“This was fun,” I told Kendall as she followed me to the door. “I’m glad we went out.”

She smiled and nodded. “It was fun. See? I can be nice sometimes. We’ll do it again soon, okay? Next time, maybe we’ll actually see that movie.”

I nodded and then said my goodbye, starting to leave, but I stopped when I reached the hallway. “And hey Kendall?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”


She cocked her head to the side. “What for?”

“All of this. For helping me.”

She smiled then in understanding and nodded. “I’ve been there, Garrett. I know how it feels, and I know how bad it sucks. I just want to help you.”

“Well thanks,” I repeated and she just nodded.

I left then with a sense of accomplishment. I had only thought of Macy a few times that day.

Maybe this all really was going to work out.