Sequel: Running From Lions

Coffee Shop Soundtrack

Seven.

I sat in bed staring at the ceiling. I kept hearing her voice in my head.

“I was tired of waiting for something that was never going to happen.” She had said. But it did happen. We did happen.

Throughout high school, Makenna was the only girl I ever went back to. Why didn’t she see that? She was the only one that ever mattered to me. I know I never told her that, and I didn’t do anything to show her either, but she had to know.

Makenna was my best friend for a long time. Pat and Makenna have been friends since birth, their mothers went to childbirth classes together and remained close afterwards. So naturally when Makenna switched to our high school freshman year, we all were really good friends. Makenna and I were especially close. Closer than anybody knows.

Makenna yelling at me last night, it brought back so many memories. Of course, not all good, but memories none the less. We fought all the time. It was always my fault of course, and I know that. I’m not happy about that. But her screaming at me, it felt so familiar. And because of that, I wanted her back into my life more than ever.

My phone rang and my brain clicked back into reality.

“Hello?” I answered, not even bothering to see who was calling me.

“Hey what happened to you last night?” Garrett asked, probably only to make sure I wasn’t still at some random bar from last night.

I shrugged but then realized he couldn’t see it. “I just left. I didn’t know anyone but you guys and Ash, I just wasn’t feeling it.”

“Well tonight Pat and Jared are having a bonfire get together thing. It will be small, just us. In?”

“Is Ken going to be there?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.

“Yeah, that’s okay, right?” He asked. “I mean, you guys seemed fine yesterday.”

I shut my eyes for a second. What was I supposed to say to her after what happened last night? “Yeah, it’s fine,” I lied. “What time?”

“Like eight.”

I hung up with Garrett and jumped in the shower. After getting ready and running errands I decided that I should probably talk to Ashlyn. She hasn’t called me or texted me at all, which means she’s definitely mad.

I called her number but she didn’t answer. That wasn’t a good sign. Usually when she’s mad, she at least picks up to make sure I know exactly why she’s mad.

To be completely honest, I didn’t care. I liked having Ashlyn around, she was great, and great in bed too. But she clearly wasn’t the girl that’s been running through my mind and lately I just seem to be forgetting that she exists. And I know I’m a horrible person for that, but right now I don’t care.

Before going over to Pat and Jared’s, I tried calling Ashlyn one more time, but she still didn’t answer.

I drove over to their place and parked on the street. I could feel my stomach in knots as I got out of my car. Tonight would be exactly how it used to be. All of us together, Makenna and I acting like nothing was wrong when really we were fighting. The only difference between back then and now is before I would have known exactly what to say and now I was clueless.

I heard voices from the back and walked around the house to the backyard. All of the guys were here but there was no sign of Makenna yet. I sat in an empty chair next to Garrett and joined in on their conversation around the fire. It was perfect, the sun was just starting to set.

“We have all night, we could play everything if we really wanted to, plus new stuff.” Kennedy said.

“Woah, I am not playing a four hour set,” Pat said.

“I wasn’t being serious. I was just saying that we don’t have to cut anything that we don’t want to cut off of the setlist. We have all the time in the world.” Kenny said back.
“When is this show again?” I asked.

“Saturday,” Garrett said. “Don’t forget. Seriously.”

I rolled my eyes, “I’m not going to forget.” Although I wish I could. I loved playing hometown shows while we were back, but I didn’t like seeing people from high school show up pretending they’ve been my friend forever.

“Are we going to practice at all beforehand?” Garrett asked.

“Depends on what we’re playing,” Jared said. “If we play really old stuff, I don’t even know if I remember half of that shit.”

We talked more about the set list and stuff that’s been going on until it got dark. I started to think that Makenna wasn’t even going to show up. She probably heard I was coming and decided she would ditch it. I was sure that was why until I heard feet rustling in the grass, coming closer.

“Hey guys,” I heard her calm, soothing voice. She stepped into the light from the fire and looked directly at me and then at Pat, taking a seat next to him on the bench he was previously spread out on.

“Hey Kenna, I feel like I’ve seen you so much but I haven’t actually talked to you at all.” Garrett said in his usual spirited tone.

She laughed. “I know.”

“Well tell us what’s going on.” Garrett said. “How’s life treating you? How’s whats his name treating you? He’s in the military, right?”

I wanted to kill Garrett then and there. “Yes, tell us all about your amazing married life.” I said, sarcastically. I felt all of the guys eyes dart toward me, surprised that I said something at all.

“Okay, well, Derek is great. He’s perfect.” She said, looking straight at me. “He treats me like a princess. I don’t know what else to say about him. I miss him.”

“Where is he right now exactly?” Jared asked.

“He’s stationed in Korea for a year,” she said. “It sucks but we spend all of our money on plane tickets when we can. That’s why I’m here for a few months though. I didn’t want to spend all of the time alone, so I came back home.”

I couldn’t believe I was sitting here listening to Makenna talk about her perfect life and her perfect army husband. I hated it. I could feel my anger building up every second.

“Excuse me,” I said. I didn’t know if the conversation was going to go past that, but I wasn’t going to sit there for it any longer. I got up and went into the house sitting on the the couch and burying my face in my hands.

I heard the sliding door open and I looked up.

“Hey,” Makenna said.

I let out a sigh. “Hi.”

“I’m just going to grab a sweatshirt from Pats room,” she said. She started to walk towards his bedroom but stopped and turned towards me again.

“John,” she started, “I’m sorry about last night.”

I wasn’t expecting her to say that. “It’s fine,” I shrugged. “I’m sorry too, I guess.”

“No, I don’t know why I flipped out at you. You were right. I’m married. You can date whoever you want.” She said.

I nodded and watched her walk towards Pat’s room. A few minutes later she came out with a gray sweatshirt in hand.

“Are you going to come outside or are you going to sit in here all night?” She asked me with a half smile on her face. “I promise I won’t talk about Derek anymore.”

Every time she said his name I felt like blowing up but I smiled anyways. “Yeah, I guess.”

I stood up and grabbed an acoustic guitar that was sitting next to the sofa. I followed her outside and lifted the guitar up a bit when I came into view with the guys, “I figured we could be cliche,” I said.

I sat down and strummed a little bit and started singing Kumbaya My Lord but stopped and laughed.

“You guys should all do one of your songs for me,” Makenna said.

“What song?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Whoever She Is?”

I nodded and handed Garrett the guitar. He started playing and Pat and Jared both played different beats with their hands and their chairs. I started singing and Kennedy sang some background stuff. From there we played all sorts of stuff, just messing around until finally we got tired of singing and started talking and laughing.

Makenna stood up and stretched out, “I’m going to go. I’m exhausted.”

“Okay, I’ll text you tomorrow.” Pat said, turning back to the conversation him and Garrett were having about some xbox game.

“Bye guys.” She smiled once and started towards her car in the front of the house.

I stood up. “I have to get going too,” I said. Nobody really cared, they just said bye and went back into their conversations. I walked to the front of the house just as Makenna was getting to her car.

“Kenna,” I called and she looked up. I walked over to her car and stood in front of her. I wanted to talk to her. Actually talk to her, but I didn’t know what to say. Makenna and I weren’t in the same place that we once were. We’re not how we used to be, I only wish we were. So I jammed my hands in my pocket and swallowed my pride. “Makenna, I miss you.”

She looked down at her feet. “Don’t John.”

“Makenna, I miss talking to you. I miss hanging out. I miss having my best friend.”

She looked at me but didn’t say anything.

“If you don’t feel the same way, then just say it. But please be honest with me.”

She pulled her car keys from her pocket and unlocked her doors. “I have to go.” She got in and I watched her start her car and drive away.
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This one is so boring, I know. I'm sorry.