‹ Prequel: A New Beginning
Hearts So Pure
Don't Give Up On Us
I leaned against the bathroom door. I looked at myself in the mirror. My brown hair was all messed up, sticking out in some places. I was breathing heavy, and my eyes were wide. Disgusted, I turned the shower on.
When I stepped out of the bathroom in the clothes I had been wearing all day, the house was quiet. I tip-toed to the living room, and saw Nicole and John asleep on the couch. Jared had found a recliner to sleep on. I walked back down the hallway to the room Garrett had been in. He was asleep on a bed, and Pat was laying on the floor. I turned back down the hallway, and saw some light coming out from underneath a doorway. I knocked on the door quietly. The doorknob twisted open, and Kennedy stood facing me. “Hey..” I whispered, as Nicole shifted on the couch. “Do you have a big shirt I could borrow or something? This aren’t my preferred sleeping clothes.” Kennedy smiled, and nodded. I walked into the room and he closed the door behind me. As he shifted through some messy drawers, I took a look around the room. The TV was turned on to some news channel. The room was neat, with one bed, some drawers, and a nightstand. Fabric spilled over the half empty drawers, but the floor was clean. There were no beer bottles or pizza boxes, thank God. Kenny turned around and handed me a gray shirt, smiling. “You can sleep in here if you want…” he said. Crap, I thought. I didn’t want to impose. He probably thinks I came in here because I wanted to sleep here? “Oh no that’s cool.” I said. “I can find somewhere in the living room to crash.” But Kennedy patted my shoulder. “It’s fine, Leah,” he said. I nodded, “Well, okay.” He turned around and started grabbing some blankets from the closet, and I took this opportunity to change. Facing the wall, I slipped my shirt off, and threw his on. It smelled like fabric softener and pizza. I turned around, and Kennedy was laying blankets on the ground, for himself I guess. He handed me a pillow. “The bed’s comfy,” he said, still smiling. How the hell could he be so happy all the time? Eventually, I was laying in his bed and he was lying on the floor. He insisted it was alright, but I still felt terrible. This bed wasn’t tiny? “Kenny,” I whispered. “Just… come on. I feel bad. Lay up here with me.” Kennedy turned around. “Leah..” he said. “That’s a nice offer but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable..” “Oh shut up!” I said, half joking. “Your backs gonna hurt tomorrow if you don’t. We’re friends right? Friends are nice to eachother.” Kenny shrugged, and soon I felt him slip into the bed. Even though we weren’t touching, I could feel his body heat radiating through the blankets. He turned his back to me and said, “Night, Leah.” I nodded. “Yeah.”
The next morning, the door was closed and Kennedy was gone. I looked around the room. The clock on the night stand said it was 11 AM. I sat up, and realized I was still wearing Kennedy’s shirt. It had the letters “Arizona” printed on the front. Typical. I got up and opened the door. I peaked my head out and looked down the hallway, towards the living room. I saw Pat sitting with his legs criss crossed with a plate of food in his hand. Jared passed by, also carrying a plate. I guess it was breakfast time. I walked out, and down the hallway. I saw John at the stove, running a spatula through a pan full of eggs. Nicole was sitting on the counter top, holding an empty carton of half and half. “We need more half and half,” she said. Kennedy spoke up, and I noticed him at the other end of the kitchen. “I can go out and get us all some coffee?” He turned and looked at me. “Leah! You’re up. Wanna come with?” I nodded, coffee sounded great. “Cool,” he said. “I’ll go change.” And he brushed past me, back to his room. Nicole turned to look at me. “Leah,” she said, holding back laughter. “Your hair.” My hand shot to my head, and I could feel my hair standing up in some places, a product of last nights sleep. Why was being a girl so difficult? “Ugh,” I said, and walked off, towards the bathroom. The door to the bathroom was half open, so I pushed it open all the way and saw Garrett standing in front of the sink, with a bottle of gel in his hand. Startled, I just stared at him. He stared back, then broke the silence with a “Is that Kenny’s shirt?” I looked down at the “Arizona” printed over my chest, then back at Garrett. He was eying the shirt. I bit my lip and said, “Yeah, this is Kennedy’s.” Then I swung around, crossing the hallway to Kennedy’s door. Shit, that was awkward. All I had to do now was change and leave, then it would be okay. I swung Kennedy’s door open and saw him standing in the middle of his room, in only boxers and a shirt. He had a pair of jeans in his hand I was assuming he was about to put on, before I barged in. “Shit!” I said. “Kenny, I’m sorry..” and I closed the door behind me. I leaned against his door, staring at the ceiling and letting out a deep sigh. Wow, I was so smooth. Then I heard laughing from across the hallway. Garrett’s head was sticking out of the doorway to the bathroom. “Smooth,” he said. I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.” I walked back to the kitchen, just wanting to be around people I hadn’t recently embarrassed myself in front of.
Twenty minutes later, Kennedy and I were both fully dressed, and changed. We were walking to some coffee shop he swore was the best on this side of town. We walked through the doors, and the smell was marvelous. Kennedy went to order while I took a look at the cupcakes on display. Everything looked so good. Then I went and stood next to Kennedy. The guy behind the cash register saw me and said “Kenny! You didn’t tell me you were seeing this pretty thing!” And Kennedy smiled, looking at me. “Oh no, we’re-” but the guy with Josh written on his nametag cut him off. “That’s great, bro! Drinks on me!” Kennedy rubbed his head. “Yeah well-” but this time I cut him off. “Yeah,” I said. “Kennedy’s great.” Josh nodded, smiling, and handed us 2 trays of coffee. “Come on bro!” Josh said. “Kiss her!” And I could see Kennedy’s cheeks getting red. “Josh-” he said, but Josh was chanting kiss her over and over. A couple people behind the counter joined in, and people from all around the store were looking, waiting. “Listen,” Kennedy said. The chanting was getting louder, and I figured, hey, what’s one kiss? I grabbed the back of Kennedy’s head and pulled his face to mine. I felt our lips touch, and I closed my eyes. Then I felt Kennedy’s hand on the small of my back, and I felt his tongue graze mine. My hand gripped his hair tighter, but I felt him pull away. He turned to Josh and smiled “Good enough?” he said, and Josh, including half the people in the coffee shop, cheered. “That was adorable!” Josh said. “Have a nice day, guys.” He said, and we walked out.
When we got outside, Kennedy said to me. “Leah, you didn’t have to do that..” But I shrugged. “Did you see those prices? Come on, Kenny.” And Kennedy shrugged too, and we walked back home.
When I stepped out of the bathroom in the clothes I had been wearing all day, the house was quiet. I tip-toed to the living room, and saw Nicole and John asleep on the couch. Jared had found a recliner to sleep on. I walked back down the hallway to the room Garrett had been in. He was asleep on a bed, and Pat was laying on the floor. I turned back down the hallway, and saw some light coming out from underneath a doorway. I knocked on the door quietly. The doorknob twisted open, and Kennedy stood facing me. “Hey..” I whispered, as Nicole shifted on the couch. “Do you have a big shirt I could borrow or something? This aren’t my preferred sleeping clothes.” Kennedy smiled, and nodded. I walked into the room and he closed the door behind me. As he shifted through some messy drawers, I took a look around the room. The TV was turned on to some news channel. The room was neat, with one bed, some drawers, and a nightstand. Fabric spilled over the half empty drawers, but the floor was clean. There were no beer bottles or pizza boxes, thank God. Kenny turned around and handed me a gray shirt, smiling. “You can sleep in here if you want…” he said. Crap, I thought. I didn’t want to impose. He probably thinks I came in here because I wanted to sleep here? “Oh no that’s cool.” I said. “I can find somewhere in the living room to crash.” But Kennedy patted my shoulder. “It’s fine, Leah,” he said. I nodded, “Well, okay.” He turned around and started grabbing some blankets from the closet, and I took this opportunity to change. Facing the wall, I slipped my shirt off, and threw his on. It smelled like fabric softener and pizza. I turned around, and Kennedy was laying blankets on the ground, for himself I guess. He handed me a pillow. “The bed’s comfy,” he said, still smiling. How the hell could he be so happy all the time? Eventually, I was laying in his bed and he was lying on the floor. He insisted it was alright, but I still felt terrible. This bed wasn’t tiny? “Kenny,” I whispered. “Just… come on. I feel bad. Lay up here with me.” Kennedy turned around. “Leah..” he said. “That’s a nice offer but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable..” “Oh shut up!” I said, half joking. “Your backs gonna hurt tomorrow if you don’t. We’re friends right? Friends are nice to eachother.” Kenny shrugged, and soon I felt him slip into the bed. Even though we weren’t touching, I could feel his body heat radiating through the blankets. He turned his back to me and said, “Night, Leah.” I nodded. “Yeah.”
The next morning, the door was closed and Kennedy was gone. I looked around the room. The clock on the night stand said it was 11 AM. I sat up, and realized I was still wearing Kennedy’s shirt. It had the letters “Arizona” printed on the front. Typical. I got up and opened the door. I peaked my head out and looked down the hallway, towards the living room. I saw Pat sitting with his legs criss crossed with a plate of food in his hand. Jared passed by, also carrying a plate. I guess it was breakfast time. I walked out, and down the hallway. I saw John at the stove, running a spatula through a pan full of eggs. Nicole was sitting on the counter top, holding an empty carton of half and half. “We need more half and half,” she said. Kennedy spoke up, and I noticed him at the other end of the kitchen. “I can go out and get us all some coffee?” He turned and looked at me. “Leah! You’re up. Wanna come with?” I nodded, coffee sounded great. “Cool,” he said. “I’ll go change.” And he brushed past me, back to his room. Nicole turned to look at me. “Leah,” she said, holding back laughter. “Your hair.” My hand shot to my head, and I could feel my hair standing up in some places, a product of last nights sleep. Why was being a girl so difficult? “Ugh,” I said, and walked off, towards the bathroom. The door to the bathroom was half open, so I pushed it open all the way and saw Garrett standing in front of the sink, with a bottle of gel in his hand. Startled, I just stared at him. He stared back, then broke the silence with a “Is that Kenny’s shirt?” I looked down at the “Arizona” printed over my chest, then back at Garrett. He was eying the shirt. I bit my lip and said, “Yeah, this is Kennedy’s.” Then I swung around, crossing the hallway to Kennedy’s door. Shit, that was awkward. All I had to do now was change and leave, then it would be okay. I swung Kennedy’s door open and saw him standing in the middle of his room, in only boxers and a shirt. He had a pair of jeans in his hand I was assuming he was about to put on, before I barged in. “Shit!” I said. “Kenny, I’m sorry..” and I closed the door behind me. I leaned against his door, staring at the ceiling and letting out a deep sigh. Wow, I was so smooth. Then I heard laughing from across the hallway. Garrett’s head was sticking out of the doorway to the bathroom. “Smooth,” he said. I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.” I walked back to the kitchen, just wanting to be around people I hadn’t recently embarrassed myself in front of.
Twenty minutes later, Kennedy and I were both fully dressed, and changed. We were walking to some coffee shop he swore was the best on this side of town. We walked through the doors, and the smell was marvelous. Kennedy went to order while I took a look at the cupcakes on display. Everything looked so good. Then I went and stood next to Kennedy. The guy behind the cash register saw me and said “Kenny! You didn’t tell me you were seeing this pretty thing!” And Kennedy smiled, looking at me. “Oh no, we’re-” but the guy with Josh written on his nametag cut him off. “That’s great, bro! Drinks on me!” Kennedy rubbed his head. “Yeah well-” but this time I cut him off. “Yeah,” I said. “Kennedy’s great.” Josh nodded, smiling, and handed us 2 trays of coffee. “Come on bro!” Josh said. “Kiss her!” And I could see Kennedy’s cheeks getting red. “Josh-” he said, but Josh was chanting kiss her over and over. A couple people behind the counter joined in, and people from all around the store were looking, waiting. “Listen,” Kennedy said. The chanting was getting louder, and I figured, hey, what’s one kiss? I grabbed the back of Kennedy’s head and pulled his face to mine. I felt our lips touch, and I closed my eyes. Then I felt Kennedy’s hand on the small of my back, and I felt his tongue graze mine. My hand gripped his hair tighter, but I felt him pull away. He turned to Josh and smiled “Good enough?” he said, and Josh, including half the people in the coffee shop, cheered. “That was adorable!” Josh said. “Have a nice day, guys.” He said, and we walked out.
When we got outside, Kennedy said to me. “Leah, you didn’t have to do that..” But I shrugged. “Did you see those prices? Come on, Kenny.” And Kennedy shrugged too, and we walked back home.