Utopia

I closed my eyes as I breathed in the California air. This was it. This is where I would have my fresh start—this small city an hour away from the capital, Sacramento. After a day of driving, we were finally here and I could honestly say that nowhere else called to me like this place.

“So Kendra, I know you were expecting more,” my brother stated and hopped out of his old Volkswagen hippie van, “but this is all I have.”

I turned my head and looked at him smiling. He grew taller than his dad and now stands at six foot, while I took after our grandmother from our mom’s side and was around five-foot-two. We both had brown eyes but his was darker. Basically the only thing that was similar about us in appearance was our feet.

“This is all I ever wanted, Nick.” I replied as he hugged me. I sighed in his chest and broke the hug. “Thanks for taking me in, it’s just that Mom—”

“I know.” Nick said with disapproval in his voice. He then smiled and rustled my hair. “You’ll have fun out here your senior year, guarantee it!” he said and opened the back door to get my bags and suitcase.

“I hope so.” I said with a small grin.

He gave me the keys to the house and once I unlocked it, I immediately wandered around. It was a small but cozy house with one bathroom and two bedrooms. The kitchen was connected to the dining room in the back of the house and the living room was to the left when you walked in. In the hallway, heading towards the kitchen, the rooms were placed along with the bathroom and laundry room. Nick placed my things in the spare bedroom, which was the first door, and it was now officially mine.

“The closet is loaded with my friends’ shit so I’ll just get you a dresser sometime.” he said as I looked around the small room. The queen bed took up most of it, but I could maybe squeeze in a small desk in the corner.

“Okay,” I replied as he walked out of the room.

“Oh and,” he said at the doorway, “some friends are coming over tonight, I told them you were coming and they wanted to throw a kickback sooo,” he trailed off. I understood. He started to go away again but came back. “Um, if you want to party, you can.”

I nodded, once again, understanding. He did an awkward grin, not quite sure if I approved or disapproved of him saying that. He didn’t know that I was moderate partier.

*

There were a lot of things that had changed over the years about the both of us. For example, Nick was a frequently high-on-cloud-nine person. His attitude was a lot more laidback than it’s ever been, but yet he still listened to the same music as he did before—which actually got me into that music scene that old people would probably call satanic “screamo” music.

I was more of a woman from the last time he saw me, which was around the time I was eleven. I lost all my baby fat, partied a lot, and I basically just grew up.

We were playing pool in his garage with the door opened for his guest to arrive.

“I’ve heard you’ve got into some trouble before,” Nick said out of nowhere.

“I have,” I answered and he looked at me before concentrating, and hitting. He missed and I scanned for an opening. I found one and bent down to focus.

“What are you okay with?” he asked and I smacked the ball, sending it flying a different direction.

Does he mean drugs?

“What?” I asked.

“I have arrived!” I heard someone chuckle. We both looked and Nick extended his arm for a bro-fist kind of thing. The man looked a lot younger than Nick around eighteen or so. He had that long skater hair with some scruff around his chin, blue eyes and somewhat sunken in cheeks. He was probably skinny underneath those baggy jeans. We made eye contact and I got a glimpse of how beautiful his eyes actually were. “Hey man, is that your sister?”

“Uh, yeah,” Nick said. I set the pole down on the side of the table and extended a hand out for one of those awkward handshakes. “Kendra this is Travis, Travis this is my little sister, Kendra.” Nick introduced and Travis pushed aside my hand and enveloped me in a hug. I was instantly greeted by the smell of weed and cigarettes. He stepped back and looked at Nick then to me.

“Nick was telling me the other day about you coming to stay with him, how’s California so far? Have you enjoyed your first California high yet? Shit you don’t look anything alike.” Travis questioned but before I could respond to anything, someone else caught my attention behind Nick. “I’m going to go inside.” He said distracting himself. Travis wandered off as I turned back to him so I stuck with Nick.

Another man with blue eyes approached, a lot quieter than Travis for sure. Nick saw him and turned around greeting him with a, “Hey bro, what’s happenin’?” The man looked to me and grinned.

He was about the same height as all three of them around five-foot-ten. He’s brown hair was cut shorter on the sides but was longer on top, the usual hairstyle I seen nowadays.

“Hey girly, my name’s Stephen.” he said nicely, with a hand out. I smiled and took his awaiting hand.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kendra.” I said and we dropped our hands to our sides again. “Uh,” I turned to Nick, “wanna finish this pool game?”

“I gotta go get shit set up, that’s probably what Trav is trying to do. Um, Stubbs—Stephen—will play with you.” Nick said and I glanced back to Stephen would did a short and sincere smile to me. A really cute smile. Stubbs must be his nickname.

“I’m down. I’ll try not to kick her ass too hard,” he joked and I rolled my eyes and picked up the pole. Nick handed Stephen, his pole and left us alone.

“Stubbs, huh?” I said smiling, and he shook his head.

“My cousin called me that a long time ago and it just stuck with me.” He explained and sunk a ball in, with ease. We rotated spots.

“Is there a specific reason why he called you Stubbs?” I asked somewhat flirtingly. He hit the ball but didn’t sink one. He looked at me, his eyes trying to figure me out.

“Was that a sexual suggestion of dick size, ma’am?” he asked and I looked to the table smiling.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied and he scoffed.

“You’re one of the worst liars I know, and I met you like two minutes ago.”

“Perhaps,” I started and then bent down to find my angle. “I was just trying to distract you so I could win this game,” I finished and sunk in two stripes. He gave me a sideways smile, as I passed in front of him. I hit my last one in and now was onto the eight ball.

“You sly devil,” he said as I bent over. I pulled back once I was confident I’d sink it. Stephen loudly coughed and pushed my elbow as soon as I was about to hit it. It barely scraped the cue ball. I looked at him and he looked around.

“You okay? You kind of missed the ball.” He said and I playfully whacked his bicep.

“Takes one to know one,” I said to him and he won.

I heard Travis laughing while coming back out to the garage. “Bro, like, that actually happened and I was standing there like what the fuck dude, haha.” He chuckled, talking to my brother who was right behind him. I could tell he smoked every day.

Nick motioned me to follow with his head, and we went through the side gate to the backyard, Stephen following me. “Just us four?” I asked as Nick started a fire in a stone pit that was surrounded by six chairs.

“Well, Olivia is supposed to show up any second with Desiree.” Nick said and then looked back at me. Travis and Stephen both took a seat and began to fire up the bong. Nick looked at me, still unaware of my thoughts on this situation. I took a seat by Travis and when he was done he passed it to me.

I was aware of my brother watching, as I took a hit. I then passed it to Stephen and it went around once more before I heard a girl’s voice.

“We brought the alcohol!” Nick jumped up and slid through the backdoor of the house, probably going to greet them. As soon as he disappeared, the two girls came in from the side gate. They had a height difference between them around four inches. The girl with dirty blond hair, held the paper bag, most likely filled with liquor with the girl with dark curly hair carried an extra chair.

Nick reappeared.

“Ready to party?” he said.

“Hell yeah,” the brown-haired one said.

“Nick! Is that your sister?” the blond one said. She pushed the bag into Stephen’s arms and came straight to me. “I’m Olivia! I’ve heard so much about you!” We hugged. I saw over her shoulder, the other girl, Desiree, giving my brother a hug and then a small peck on the lips. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend. Hell I didn’t know anything about him.

“I’m Kendra.” I smiled and saw Stephen get up.

“What you give her a hug but not your own boyfriend?” he said and she turned around looking somewhat irritated, rolling her eyes. I was somewhat disappointed that he was taken. She gave him a quick hug and kiss, and then turned back to me. I saw Stephen roll his eyes as well and then he went inside with the alcohol.

“Tell me about yourself! How’s California so far?”

“It’s go—”

“Bro, don’t pressure her like that.” Travis called out to Olivia and she shot him a glare.

“Shut up, Travis. Half the time you don’t even know where the fuck you are.” She said and then we sat down. I looked to Travis but he didn’t say anything and hit the bong once more. “Ready to get totally plastered?” she smiled nudging me on the arm. I nodded.

And the night began.