We Could Make It Right

“You were right” Vee simply stated as she walked into the living space, chucking her purse and binder on the sectional followed by herself next to the lanky figure. She crossed her legs and faced John with solemn eyes.

“What?” he replied, his eyes lowered along with his eyebrows. “Sweetheart,” he adjusted himself as so he could face her properly.

“Not that I’m denying about me being right and all..”

“But what exactly am I right about ?”

“Keith..” her voiced lowered. “He.. He’s a jerk”

“Jerk.. Nah.. I-I can think of better words to describe him-”

“John just shut up and cradle girl will you ?” Kennedy yelled from across the room as he looked down on his phone. “She doesn’t need reminding of that dickhead”

“Thank you Kenny” she half smiled.

I looked over at Kennedy, unison with John. Both of us having distorted and confused faces

“What…he broke up with her because of that new centrefold from Milwaukee”

“Thankyou Kennedy for making me feel better” she rolled her eyes.

“I’ll just shut up now.. but y’know Garrett, if all else fails you should totally go for her” his faced formed into a smug type of smirk. “What, I’m just saying-“

“Thanks for shutting up, bro” John butted; preventing him from continuing, letting Vee rest calmly on his shoulder. Slightly trying to block out any noise and closing her eyes.

“So..” I finally said. “Vee, there’s no way were working on Ancien—”

“Go to hell Nickelsen”

“I’ll take that as a no.”

+

“Catalina Whitney” A voice that came from my left said. I was standing on my front porch, arms leaning against the railing; just staring out at the world around me. John left for home, taking Vee with him. The others wouldn’t give the two cents about Trey helping out with song-writing since John left. Making Trey’s afternoon easier. He set up the old VCR from the garage and played our incredibly out-dated copy of Fight Club. Minutes into the movie, Pat had enough so he left with Jared to pick up some Chipotle. Either that, or to leave. Either way, it would’ve ended with getting food.

“What?” I replied, seeing him move further to the railing through the corner of my eye.

“The new centrefold. Her name’s Catalina—”

“And you’re telling me this, why ?”

“Just in case things don’t work out with Katelynn,”

“Wh-Why wouldn’t things work out with Katie ?”

“You know what they say, Gar, girls from broken families are harder to maintain”

“What are you saying, Katie’s a wreck ?” I felt myself tense up for no obscure reason. Even after months, I still don’t know what it was that made me react to such small things.

“That’s not even close to what I’m saying at all – I’m just giving you the heads up. Personal experience” he implied, rising his right hand.

“I don’t get you Ken. You’re so fucking bipolar about this.. I don’t even get it. One minute you’re telling me to go for it; now you don’t want me to because of a centrefold? Don’t you want me to be happy bro ?”

“What the fuck man ?!, of course we want you to be happy! Everyone wants and fuck, loves it when you’re happy! But do you remember the last time you got this attached to a girl ?”

“I don’t really wanna know but I have a gut feeling you’re going to tell me anyway-”

“She broke your heart, Garrett. Into tiny little pieces”

“Look,” I tried to change the subject but ended up returning to the subject matter.”I love that you’re looking out for me man, but I’m not going to hook up with the centrefold, no matter how tempting it is to most ..even John, for that matter, and besides.. there’s just something about Katie that tells me she’s not hard to ‘maintain’. That she’s not that broken –yeah – sure she comes from a broken family and that the only family she has is on another continent – ”

“Where are you going with this Garrett ?”

“I-I just want to be there for her, y’know ? even if it’s just for a shoulder to cry on but don’t stop me from being there for her” I felt the anger slowly rising.

He went silent. Gave me his signature Kennedy ‘I’ve just been defeated ‘ but somewhat calm looks. My guess was that he was completely and totally awestruck by this, but that didn’t surprise me the least. As luck would have it, moments later we saw Jared and Pat pulling up with 2-3 bags worth of Chipotle. “We got food!” Pat beamed in excitement. “Let’s go in, you don’t have to miss us as much now that I’m back Gare-bear” he smugly replied, patting both mine and Kennedy’s shoulders before opening the door, followed by Jared.

“You guys coming ?” he asked turning around slightly.

I did half a nod before using proper words. “Yea – We’ll be in soon.” I replied as he left.

“I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into” Kennedy cautioned before his stomach got the better of him. “Patrick don’t you fucking dare finish all the good shit, share, you dumbass!”

+

“Yes, that was Katelynn spelt L-Y-N-N at the end, not L-I-N” I repeated into the cell-phone. Ordering cakes for a 16th should not be difficult. But apparently it is when nearly all cake shops that John had listed on some sticky-note we’re in fact erotic cake shops, trust him to fuck with us when it came to party planning.

After trying to convince at least 6 different cake shops across Tempe that I didn’t want a penis-shaped cake for a bachelorette party, there was this one bake shop on the other side of town. Tiffany’s Bake Shop – to my luck, originally an erotic bakery, but apparently under new management.

“Now is it possible to get the cakes by tomorrow ?” I started to tap the pen closest to me against a notepad simultaneously. “Great, Now you promise me that you guys are no longer an erotic bakery ?, No ? Awesome. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” I said holding down the end-call button on the cell phone.

“Hallelujah” I rejoiced briefly before taking a deep breath in then out again. “Tough afternoon ?”

That voice said taking me by surprise. I shuddered slightly as I twisted around in that bar stool to face her. “Katie, scare the living shit out of me why don’t you!”

“Sorry!” she giggled all cute and Katie-like, strands of her dark brown hair falling in her face. “It’s just that I was shooed out of my own home; well Vee’s home by John and Vee after I came back from Cameron’s and I couldn’t even get changed when I got back and..”

“I’m rambling, aren’t I ?” she paused, leaving an embarrassed look on her face,her cheeks slowly turning a rosy pink.

“Just a little, but you’ve got nothing on Vee’s, mine & Halvo’s combined” I smirked, leaving her just that little bit more comfortable.

“Well that’s a relief then isn’t it ?”

“Yeah…how, how did you get in here, Katelynn ?”

“Door was unlocked, something I still don’t get about you Americans, don’t you ever lock the doors? There are intruders out there-”

“News flash darling, you’re an American now. Besides, if anyone’s the intruder here, it’s you” I joked.

“Oh my god, you got me!” she played along.

“C’mon” I said after a few minutes, grabbing the car keys only centimetres away from me.

“What-where are you going ?”

“Out. You’re coming with.”