Promise Me This

Kate spent almost all night on the phone with Kendall, and by the time she stumbled into bed, it was well past midnight. The conversation was everything she needed to reassure herself. He missed her too, but was excited to see all of the fans, and for the rush of being on stage. She could hear the smile on his face, when he talked about it.

Her alarm clock rang out at five the next morning; she had decided to pick up an early shift at the diner. She groaned, swatting at the snooze button, but missing. The shrieking noise wouldn’t stop, so she forced herself up. She always wondered why she never took the morning shifts, but every time one opened up and she latched on to it, she remembered. Being to work at six, defiantly not her forte.

And yet, the alarm continued it’s attack on her ears, and she picked it up, her sleepy hazel eyes searching for the off button. When none caught her sight, she instead yanked the batteries out, tossing them across the room, sending them rolling into the hallway. She’d worry about it later, she decided, and walked into the bathroom to get ready.

It took her half an hour to do so, throwing on her black jeans and work shirt. Her still-wet hair was thrown into a quick bun. Even though she hated it, she had no time for breakfast. She instead grabbed a pop tart, and quickly made her way to the bus stop. The only thing she liked about working so early was that there was never anyone on the bus. It gave her time to think, and if she wasn’t careful, sleep.

She made it to the diner with five minutes to spare, and greeted Lacey, Jay’s mom, with a big grin. It was returned, and she sat down on one of the metal and red vinyl stools at the counter. She looked up gratefully as Cole, Jay’s brother, handed her a cup of coffee. His blue eyes resembled his sisters, and they sparkled the same way. The only difference was he had his father’s ginger hair and height.

“You looked like you could use it,” he teased, sitting next to her. He was around 23, and almost finished with college. His major was psychology, and for some reason, he felt that gave him the right to pry. However, he was just as sweet as Jay.

“Well, long night,” Kate mumbled out, taking a sip of the hot liquid.

“That’s right. Jay mentioned Kendall was taking off,” he commented.

“Yeah. I spent most of last night talking to him on the phone.”

“Well, you better wake up, because it looks like the morning rush is already starting.”
Cole pointed to the glass doors, where people were streaming slowly in. A groan escaped Kate’s lips, and Cole stifled a laugh.

“Where is your sister anyway? Or Dean?” Kate asked, referring to their father. He had insisted it wasn’t Mr. Hemmingway to her, but Dean. He was by far the funniest of the family, with a slight beer-gut and salt and pepper hair. There were also his always smiling sea blue eyes.

“They’ll be here soon. Hey, you might want to get table three,” Cole warned, and Kate rolled her eyes, picking up her pen and paper, plastering a smile on her face, and strolling over. Most of the morning went like that, and as it was Saturday, she barely had a chance to breathe. She saw Jay sneak in through the back, and sent her a questioning gaze, but continued waiting tables.

“So, did you tell him? What did he say?” Kate grilled, sliding into the storage room with Jay during their break. Jay rolled her eyes, sitting on an empty crate.

“I told him. He went mute for about five minutes. But then his eyes lit up, and his face got so adorable, and he smiled like an idiot. Everything really is great,” she whispered, a small smile on her face. Kate grinned, engulfing her in a hug.

“I’m so ecstatic for you guys! Have you told your family yet?” Kate whispered, eying the door. Jay nodded slowly, still beaming.

“They’re thrilled. Mom cried tears of joy for an hour. Dad cracked some jokes,” Jay cringed. “I pray to God the baby doesn’t have his sense of humor.”

“Or Jesse’s,” Kate pointed out, grimacing. Both girls started laughing as their thoughts went to Jesse’s math jokes, and Cole poked his head in.

“The lunch rush arrived. You girls care to help? Or just gossip?” he asked, arching his eyebrows. They rolled their eyes in response, standing up.

“Let’s do this,” Kate groaned, checking the clock. Four more hours until she could reunite with her beloved bed, blankets, and pillow.



“Have a good night, Poodle,” Dean called as Kate picked up her bag. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. He’d heard James refer to her as poodle once, and now it had stuck. Another excuse to get James back.

“See you tomorrow, dear,” Lacey murmured, wrapping her frail arms around the tiny girl.

“Bye Dean, by Lace,” she said brightly, turning to Jay and Cole. “And I guess I’ll say bye to you dorks too.”

“Well, don’t I feel loved,” Jay sniffed, pretending to wipe away a tear. Cole just rolled his eyes, punching her playfully on the arm. Kate pulled them in for a group hug before departing.

She walked the block to the bus station. Normally, she would have walked, but the eight-hour shifts always killed her, especially on Saturdays. The bus was reasonably crowded, but she managed to find an empty seat near the back. She gazed out the window lazily, watching the buildings pass by.

As soon as she arrived home, she threw down her purse and hit the shower. With a day spilling multiple meals and beverages on herself, she wreaked of breakfast food. After fifteen minutes, she shut the steaming water off, wrapping a plush blue towel around her body. She rummaged through her drawers, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She slipped them on, and grabbed her laptop to check email.

She found a fleece blanket, and carried it with her to the old textile couch. She started some tea while the laptop powered on, putzing around the living room. When she heard the familiar chime, she sat down, setting the sleek black computer on her lap. She went to her email, finding one from Carlos. She couldn’t help but smile; it was links to pictures from the first night of the tour.

She scrolled through them, a feeling of pride surging through her. Those were her boys, and they were amazing. Another link at the bottom of the page caught her eye, and she involuntarily felt her eyebrows rising on her clear forehead. She drummed her fingers against her thigh, and her fingers went to click on it.

The headline of the article read ‘Kendall’s Girl?’ and Kate couldn’t help but notice, the picture under it was not her.