Home

“Well Jared’s pretty fucking late.”

I let out a weak laugh under my breath as I shot my head up from my forearm that rested on top of the counter and looked at John, “Isn’t his cousin moving to his place today? Maybe that’s why.” I shrugged and took a chip from the bag and popped it into my mouth. I placed my fist on my cheek and continued to chew idly. I glanced at the wall clock next to the fridge and my eyes widened for a second. He really is fucking late, and knowing the time made me sleepier.

“Do band practice without me, I’m going to go to my room and take a nap.”

I stood up from the kitchen counter stool and slowly walked towards the door, my eyelids getting heavier by the second. “Wait! I can already see his pick-up truck, sleep later dude.” Pat shouted from the kitchen but I only let out a large yawn and walked up the stairs.
I regret staying up late and thinking about her. Why the hell do I still fucking do that?

The staircase felt longer, but eventually I reached the top and found my way to my room without passing out in the middle of the narrow hallway. I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open and swung it back with all my force to close it. It didn’t close, I didn’t care. I took my shirt off and plopped my body down my bed. I went out like a light.

“Ken, Kenny-“ Garrett was shaking me awake from my nap, and I never wanted to punch this boy harder in my life.

“Fuck you.” I mumbled under the pillow now covering my face from the bright light Pat just turned on. I groaned lazily in an attempt to shoo him away from my room, but all I got in response was laughter. He shook me again, this time harder. “Let’s just leave him there. He’ll get up sooner or later.” I heard Pat tell Garrett and felt my bed get lighter on my left. “I told him not to think about that Sarah too much. He never fucking listens.” Garrett slammed the door for his last attempt to make me wake up. It did, a book fell on my fucking head from the shelf next to my bed.

I let out a yawn before sitting up on my bed and throwing the damn book on the floor. I looked at my phone for the time.

“Ughh.” I shot my head up and closed my eyes. I’ve missed practice entirely.

Then I heard something that caught my attention, I raised a brow as I went down the stairs and made my way towards my living room. I stood by the door frame with wide eyes to see a girl with chocolate brown hair wearing a gray cardigan and ripped up denim jeans sitting in front of the piano, pulling up the cover and wiping the keys. Before I could say anything, she started playing. A smile crept into my lips. My brain lost it when she started singing.

“I need some time just deliver the things that I need for now,
Everything that I feel’s like a warm deep calm casting over me,
And it’s taking me to somewhere new.
If you believe that everything’s alright, you won’t be all alone tonight.
And I’d be blessed by the light of your company,
Slowly lifting me to somewhere new.”

I found myself taking small quiet steps into the room and taking a seat on the couch, silently listening to the girl in awe. I had my eyes glued to the girl in front of me like a she was a ghost. Then my eyes stung as I heard the next verse float in the air and my smile faded.

“Oh, can you tell I haven’t slept very well,
Since the last time that we spoke?
She said ‘please understand if I see you again,
Don’t even say hello.
Please.’”

I lost my trance of the words when she started singing again, the lyrics hurt me like hell but how she sang it completely made me want to listen to it again and again. Her voice sounded sincere, which made me think about her and the words and if it hurt her like I did. Then I realized that the music stopped and she was now looking at me. I quickly stood up from my seat and stuttered in search for words. Smooth Kenny, Smooth. My hand instinctively scratched the back of my neck and I finally spat out something. “I’m Kennedy.” Well, I’m fully awake now.

“Mae, Mae Monaco. Jared’s cousin.” She said with a chuckle. “Nice shirt.”

My face turned red when I realized that my shirt was upstairs. “I-I’m sorry, I was sleeping and I heard the piano and I went down to see who was playing and it was you and, and-“ Shit, I mumbled that pretty fast. I found myself looking at my feet before hearing her laugh at what I said.

“Nah, it’s okay.” She put her hand on my shoulder, and I felt my cheeks get hotter again. “Did I wake you?” My head automatically shook while I looked up at her and gave her a smile. We heard the guys walk up the basement stairs and into the kitchen next to us. They were laughing and talking about some video game, on their way to the living room.

“No man I swear I already got you but the controller fucking broke!”

“Just admit that you suck at the game, Pat.” Tim told his brother with a chuckle.

“There you are-“ Jared addressed Mae before noticing me next to her, shirtless.

“What the hell man, why are you half naked?” he told me with a chuckle before pushing me towards the stairs to get dressed and getting laughs from all of the other guys and Mae on the way. “Sorry, I was sleeping and I heard something downstairs and forgot to put on a shirt.“ I said to Jared in defense.

“Come on Kenny, she just got here and you’re already scaring her away?” John shouted from down stairs before Jared and I entered my room. “Get your ass going, were going to eat out.” I nodded my head, picked up my shirt and put it on.

I stood there for a second, thinking twice on my choice of words. “Well, you’re cousin’s, different.” That seemed appropriate enough.

Jared let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, she is.”

I shrugged it off and walked towards the door, he quickly put his hand on my arm and looked at me with concerned eyes, his other hand scratching his head. “Just remember, she’s dealing with a lot at the moment.” He looked down and started speaking again. “I can’t really tell you why but she really needs us to be there for her because of all the shit she’s been through and I need you guys' help on this. It's our job to make her feel home.”

“She may not seem like it right now in front of us, but she’s a bit self destructive sometimes. I’m not really sure if she even notices it.”

His words made me think about the girl downstairs that just a few minutes ago made a sad song feel like something you’d play at a goddamned wedding. She didn't seem destructive at all- she looked almost as if she was perfect.

I nodded with a smile and gave him a reassuring pat on the back before going down the stairs and entering the living room again. We found the guys and Mae talking about Tom Petty, they stood up to follow us out of the front door and into the band van. I sat next to Mae and John, still chatting away about the singer when the engine started. I closed my eyes and tilted my head towards the window. All of my thoughts flooded my head all at once. How I missed the practice, the show on Friday, Jared’s speech, the song, the girl next to me, and the girl I was losing sleep for. I decided to just catch up on my sleep on the way to where ever we were going.

“Get your ass up Ken, we’re here.”

I stepped out of the van and followed the guys into the pizza parlor we always went after band practice, I sat next to Garrett and John and in front of me Pat next to Mae and Jared, Tim had something to do in the office.

Pat and Garrett went on a rant about something he was on tv and the others joined the conversation, leaving Mae and me quiet since she was pre-occupied about her thoughts and I was half asleep. After we ate, Jared asked us to help his cousin unpack tomorrow, we agreed. I can’t help but steal glances at the Mae whenever I could.