We Could Make It Right

“What the fuck is taking you guys so long ?!” John yelled from the top of the stairs. Faintly straight after, I heard his mom telling him to watch his language, kind of amusing stuff to be honest. I drew my attention back to what Kennedy was trying to tell me. A part of me wanted to hear what he had to say whilst the other side practically couldn’t care less.

“We’ll be up in like, 5 minutes bro!” I yelled back to him.

“Whatever” he finished off, drunkenly calling out to his brothers who almost always saw the drunk side of John more than his sober.

“Anyway..” Kenny continued.

“So,”

“You wanna be her friend ?,”

Maybe more than that

“Yeah..I guess but –”

“But what Gare ? it’s perfect! You just broke up with Rach, get back in the game,”

Yeah just broke up. Four months of worthless loneliness and seething towards every guy that talked to her.

“That’s the thing , I—”

“You still like her don’t you?” was the last thing he said before I completely zoned out. I couldn’t speak no matter how hard I tried. I felt my mouth quiver, it suddenly become somewhat awkward for me to even say anything. “Garrett..” I heard, but still did nothing. “God damn it.. Garrett Nickelsen! Attention to Garrett Nickelsen!”

“I care about her” I spat then paused for a few seconds. “Y-You never forget your first love” I said. That’s all I managed to get out of my mouth. After 5 minutes of being zoned out, that was just the first thing that came to mind. “And that’s why you’re inviting them to the show at Josh’s party tomorrow night” Kennedy finished off for me.

“Josh’s party…”

“Yep” he said popping the ‘p’. “It’s brilliant Gare, trust me”

“Why do I have a feeling I’m gonna regret trusting you Kenny ?”

“You won’t, believe you me.”

By the time I got home, my head was spinning miles an hour. I can’t seriously be taking a plunge this serious can I ? I mean, it’s obscure.. this is Katie; sweet and apparently delicate Katelynn. That’s all Vee could ever describe her as and to be honest, she’s right. I screwed up big time with introductions, I’m never good with introductions. It could’ve been “Hi , I’m Garrett, nice to meet you” or “Hey there I’m Garrett” but no.

Not this time around.

With Heartbreaker playing soundly in my room, I laid down on my bed thinking of why I suddenly wanted to be her friend, let alone someone she could trust. It was around the time 'Come Pick Me Up 'started playing, I had enough of thinking. I couldn’t work out why, maybe this is something that just shouldn’t be worked out ?

God send me a sign, any sign.

Katie

Outside, the weather was just absolutely amazing. It wasn’t too hot, nor was it too cold. Day’s like these I could get used to. I changed out of my pyjama’s and into a pair of faded jean shorts & a slim-fit v-neck. My wavy brown hair was in a loose ponytail and the shades sat firmly on my eyes.

I was sitting on one of the steps on the porch waiting for the girls. According to Vee, it’s tradition that they go out to breakfast, wherever that may be. Rachael’s parents didn’t mind, Vee’s didn’t know, but they trusted the Roberts’ family so well.

“So where are we going?” I finally asked as I heard all-too familiar voices behind me.

“John’s actually invited me to go to his place for breakfast, do you guys wanna come?” Vee asked hoping for the answer that I was going to say. She said it with such grace, don’t get me wrong.

“Nah, it’s cool..” Rachael said giving out a bit of a smirk. “Enjoy ‘breakfast’ with John”

“But you guy’s –”

“Go already! Don’t keep the boy waiting – Katie & I will just use this time as bonding time” she said giving me that same angelic smile from my first day here.

Vee suddenly looked slightly confused, almost like a lost puppy. She took out her phone and dialled John’s number. “John, I got the a-okay, I’ll see you in a bit”.

We then started walking off in our separate ways. Vee started walking off through to this shortcut that apparently lead to John’s street. Rachael and I started moving more towards the east, talking and laughing away until we were approached by one of her neighbours who was outside his home with what from a far looked like a set of keys.

“Rachael!” a boy with platinum blonde hair yelled out. We stopped walking for a moment and she looked over me and to the boy wearing an out-dated Third Eye Blind t-shirt and camo shorts.

“Joshua!, Hey” she walked over to hug the boy. “Who’s this pretty little brunette?” he said shooting a smile my way. I became a little pink due to flattery, but I knew it was nothing big.

“Josh could you not go one day without laying the moves on anyone?” Rachael jokingly accused, but he took it in good humour. “This is Katie, the –“

“The new girl, yeah, Cameron said that there was this new chick in his homeroom,”

“I’m Josh, Josh Montgomery” he let out his hand. “Rachael’s next door neighbour and maybe once that Nickelsen dude is gone, future lover” he winked.

I gave out a light giggle, but all Rachael did was roll her eyes but let out a small smile straight after it. “He’s uh.. gone, Josh. We broke up,”

“Sorry to hear that Rach” Josh said becoming upset for her sake. He pulled her into a hug and she didn’t refuse. I stood there, helplessly, but I couldn’t help but smile over how adorable it was. “Hey, listen, where were you guy’s going?” he let himself out of the hug.

“We were actually gonna go grab some breakfast,” I spoke up.

“Perfect! ,I’ll take you guys,” he offered.

“Josh, you don’t have to” Rachael laughed softly.

“C'mon, I need to get some shit for tonight anyway,”

I looked at Rachael in a way that read ‘let’s go’. It was definitely an easier option than getting a bus to and from. “You win, Monty”

“Don’t I always?” he said giving a smug smirk.

“No,”

“Touché”

We eventually got to his car after a few more minutes of small talk. Every now and then, he’d speak to me so I wouldn’t feel left out. Nice guy, Josh is.

“I like this girl, she’s less reluctant to speak unlike someone I knew 4 years ago” he said referring to a younger Rachael.

“Josh, I was younger then,” she said as we stopped at the second set of traffic lights.

“Eh, whatever.”

“So what’s going on tonight?” I asked from the back seat, feeling like a child for the first time in years sitting on the middle seat.

“Right!, I’m having a party, and y’know, it’ll be awesome because my party’s are awesome”

“Up ourselves Montgomery?”

“Maybe,” he played along. “nah but seriously.. you guy’s should come”

“I dunno..” Rachael drifted off, leaving Josh a little bit sad looking. “How can I say no to you, Joshy? she finished, scruffing up his hair.

“Hey! No touching the hair.”

We eventually got to the nearest shopping centre. I didn’t quite get the name of the place we were at because of how fast Josh was driving. I’m surprised he didn’t get pulled over. When we got into the complex, we decided to go out separate ways.

“I’ll see you lovely ladies tonight, I’ll be expecting you two to look hot – don’t fail me” he joked as he moved off to get his supplies.

We laughed it off and next stop: Breakfast.

**

“Rachael, I feel like a tramp” I said looking in the mirror.

“Katie, you look fine..it’s just makeup,”

“Yeah, but I don’t like makeup” I whined.

“Katie, c’mon just this once.. besides it’s only eye-liner”

“Fine, you already won with the dress so I guess this is the icing on the cake” I said being defeated. Yes, laugh, I don’t like makeup. I’m just another one of those girls who hate the fake stuff that make you feel beautiful.

Already, music was blaring from next door. There were loads of people piling up to get in and it was extremely loud. We left the house and brought only a small purse to put the necessities . I tried pulling at the dress that I borrowed from Rachael, but the more I pulled, the more it revealed up top.

We walked inside and there was already drinking games going on. People passed out on the floor, people making out on the sofa’s. You name it, it happened. After a few minutes, I lost Rachael in the crowd of people. I soon enough made out someone I recognised.

“Kennedy!” I yelled and made my way through the crowd of people in that small space. “Kenny, it’s me, Katie” I yelled again, and this time he heard. He looked around and I finally got to where he was. He looked shocked to see what I was wearing. This nice, innocent English girl wearing practically nothing.

“Katie, shit is that you?,”

“Yes, Kennedy it’s me.. look, do you know where the others are? I lost Rachael and –“

“Rachael’s here ?,”

“She lives’ next door and Josh is her friend of course she’s here” I felt my throat dry up from yelling.

“Look can we go somewhere quieter ?,”

“C’mon I know a place” he said grabbing my arm and dragged me through the crowd and into the backyard. Surrounding us were people who were already as wasted as could be and people vomiting in his pool.

“Okay..” I said catching my breath. “Rachael is here, and I can’t find her or any of the others and you’re the only one I saw and fuck this stupid dress” I finished all in one breath.

I saw Kenny felt a bit uncomfortable with that whole dress situation, so he let it slide and went back to the first thing I said. “Gare can’t know Rachael’s here”.

“Why not?,”

“We’re performing here, it’s gonna ruin the way he plays”

“You’re what ?!”

“Performing”