Ready When You Are

“Nice of you two to show up.”

Garrett shrugged and took a seat on a bar stool and looked over at me as I did the same. His fingers were still lightly holding mine, grazing over them and making my stomach flip. I smiled at myself, looking down at the ground slowly.

Sitting the bar already were Tim, Max, John, Jared, Austin, Trey, Kennedy, and Pat. Judging by his slouching and overall sloppy appearance, Kenny was already drunk out of his mind. John was on his way there.

Pat moved over next to me and Garrett, playing with his hair nervously and drinking some water.

“I couldn’t find you guys after the fans left.” Pat said, sipping his water and looking over at me. “How’d you find us?”

“Went to the nearest bar.” I shrugged.

Pat nodded and looked at the lights in the dimly lit bar area. I peered over at Garrett and our eyes met for a second. He smiled, leaning in to kiss me softly on my forehead. I leaned on his shoulder as the bar tender approached me and I shook my head slowly, my eyes still on Garrett’s adorable smile.

“Where are we sleeping tonight?” I looked over at Pat as he rested his head on the table.

“The van.” He said simply, “We’ll take turns throughout the night. Well I won’t but the other guys will.”

I laughed as I felt Garrett’s arm stretch around me.

Pat leaned into my ear. “Are you and Gare like-”

But he was interrupted by the slamming of the door of the bar. Walking in was Emerson, her arm draped around the bulky boy from the bar at the venue. She was laughing uncontrollably, and a little fake if you ask me, and non-chalantly eyeing Kennedy. Turning to look at him, his eyes went wide and his jaw clenched. I saw John and Austin fighting devious smiles.

“Oh Ned! You are so FUNNY.” Em said, sliding onto his lap at one of the booths across from us.

The guy laughed, obviously intoxicated and very interested in Emerson’s cleavage, “My name is Nate.”

“Oh you!” She laughed, slapping his chest and kissing him lightly on the cheek.

I knew I was supposed to side with Emerson on this one. She was my best friend and the reason I knew these people in the first place. But the look on Kennedy’s face made me feel sick. I couldn’t be her wingman in this any longer.

“Em.” I said through my teeth, catching her attention. I shook my head.

“Oh hey Kenley!” She exclaimed. “Ned that’s my best friend in the entire world!”

Her overall excessive confidence and loudness in this situation made me want to drag her out of the bar and yell at her. But I couldn’t.

She laughed and went on, “And that’s Pat, Garrett, Austin, John, Trey, Olivia, and Jared!”

Kennedy’s eyes shot to the wall as his name skipped her tongue purposely. I looked at him and bit my lip as his eyes met mine, apologizing enough for Em and me. He nodded slowly, whispering something in John’s hear as he stood up to leave.

The boy Em was with kissed her, but her eyes were wide open as Kennedy walked past the booth, not meeting her gaze at all.

As soon as the door shut I turned to her.

“Emerson!” I yelled. “Go and talk to him right now!”

Em gave me a sharp look as Nate stopped kissing her.

“I’m a little busy, Kenley.” She eyed Nate.

I shook my head.

“Nate, go home pal.” Austin joined in.

John nodded along with him. “Em might be hot but believe me, she's a raging bitch most of the time. Trust us.”

Nate, being the sad excuse for a boy that he was, did as John instructed, leaving Em in the booth alone looking up at us with a look of disbelief plastered on her face.

“What the fuck guys!?” She exclaimed, standing up from the booth.

Jared shrugged. “We were just being honest with the guy!”

Em shot him a quick death glare and turned to me, squeezing in between me and Garrett, which did not make me happy.

“So do you think it worked? Was he jealous?”

I put my head in my hands and shook slowly. “You need to go talk to him, Em.”

Em bit her lip and nodded.

“Good idea. Rub it in his face. Thanks, you’re a doll.” She said, completely missing my point. She grabbed a beer out of Austin’s hand and took a long sip, “See ya later guys.”

Austin shook his head and laughed as Em exited the bar, Garrett’s hand teasing mine again.

“Can those two just fuck already? God.” John rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples, taking a long gulp of beer down.

Then John turned to me and Garrett, leaning over the bar. “Same goes for you too.”

Garrett let out a little laugh before turning and placing one more kiss on my forehead as I crashed into his chest.

***

Dawn was barely breaking as Jared honked the horn loudly and I woke up.

I rubbed my eyelids with one hand while I felt pressure on the other. Looking down at it, I saw it was still wrapped in Garrett’s, my head on his shoulder. I couldn’t help but smile. I let out a yawn.

“Mornin’.” Garrett said as I felt a light kiss on the top of my head.

“How close are we, bro?” John said through a long yawn.

Jared checked the GPS and looked at the back of the bus through the rearview mirror. Olivia was fast asleep in the passenger seat.

“About twenty minutes or so.”

Pat was curled up in a ball next to Garrett, rubbing his nose and pushing his hair out of his face. He was busy with his computer, probably doing something related to band promotion. John was running his hands through his hair continuously, obviously deep in thought. Max and Tim were beside him, both still asleep as Trey and Austin followed behind us for most of the way.

And then there was the mystery of Emerson and Kennedy, who never came back to the bar. John had gotten a text from Kennedy right before we left around three saying to leave without him. I didn’t want to know the reason why.

I kissed Garrett on his shoulder, holding his arm closer to me. As I started to recognize buildings and landmarks in Tempe, it started to dawn on me that last night was over. I had so much fun, a lot more than I anticipated. I didn’t want it to end.

“I saw that.” John whispered through his teeth, a little laugh at the end.

I giggled and settled into Garrett as we looked out the window.

Soon we pulled into Pat’s driveway and everyone began to slowly pile out of the van.

“Practice on Wednesday guys!” Pat yelled as people grabbed their bags from the uhaul and flipped out their cell phones. The boys all nodded.

Olivia sent me a smile as she and Jared left in his car holding hands. They were an adorable couple. The way he looked at her was just… contagious. They seemed like a picture perfect couple. They weren’t overly gushy or mushy with each other and they hardly fought. Their relationship just seemed sweet.

“Kenley, help me beautiful.” I turned to see John in sitting in the back of the uhaul in the middle of all the equipment.

I squinted at him and went in. “What do you need?”

John patted the spot next to him and I waddled over.

“A chat.”

“About?”

“You and Garrett over there.” My eyes clicked as he said those words. I thought he wanted me with Garrett.

“What about it?” I laughed.

John shook his head and looked at me. “How’d Brendan take it?”

I squinted at him again. “Take what?”

“How’d he take the news that you were dumping him? A douche bag like him probably had some douche bag remarks to make, I’m guessing.”

And all I could think was: fuck. How did I let this happen to myself?

Whenever I was with Garrett it was just so easy to forget. About anything that was bothering me. And lately, for some reason, that included Brendan. It was as if last night, he didn’t exist.

“I uh,” I coughed, “I didn’t exactly do that.”

John’s eyes went wide as he nodded. “Thought so. So what’s the plan?”

I wasn’t sure.

“I don’t know.”

John nodded again. “You need to be sure, and soon. I quite like you Kenley, and I want you to stick around. But if you hurt Garrett because of that dickhead-”

“It’s just hard-”

John shook his head quickly. “See it’s not. You and I both know that you and Garrett are fucking soulmates or some shit. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. Had he just called Garrett my soulmate?

“Ready?” I turned to see a pair of blueish green eyes staring down at me and I smiled. “The yellow ride of glory awaits.”

I laughed and John smirked at me, his eye brows lifting up.

“Yep.” I said, jumping out the uhaul.

“See ya man.” Garrett yelled back to John as he grabbed my hand softly. I could practically hear John’s sly smile from the pavement. He thought he was so smart.

And I couldn’t fight it.

That feeling that told me it was all too possible that he was right.