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It’s been only a day since I came back to Tempe to live with my cousin and met his band, The Maine.

After their band practice yesterday Jared talked the boys into helping me unpack, but I mostly did all the work since I made it clear that I didn’t really like anyone but myself to touch my stuff when I flipped out upon seeing John open a box filled with high school stuff. The boys mainly hung up band posters and spent the morning rummaging through my album collection in which earned me a lot of praise, especially from Garrett when he saw that I had almost all of Ryan Adam’s albums. Apparently he likes the singer too. Also, I found out that Pat had an alter ego that day. I swear I will never meet anyone more obnoxious, weird and funny than ‘Ratboy,’ and boy did that kid have big ears.

By afternoon they all just went to Jared’s room and played video games. Kennedy and John offered to stay with me and help but I politely declined, I knew I’d get sentimental and shit at some of the stuff like I did when I packed, I’d rather not let them see me cry over a mug shaped like a girl’s torso with a bikini on which my dad gave me last year for a gag birthday present. I spent two and half hours rearranging my cd collection and putting all my clothes in the closet, then shoved the rest of the unopened boxes under my bed, my laziness got the best of me again. I plopped down my bed, looked around my room and I couldn’t help but smile. Being here still feels surreal.

A silent knock on my door made me sit up straight. Kennedy opened it and peered his head through the door with an unsure look on his face. “Hey, can I come in?”

“Yeah, sure.” I said to the boy with brown hair, he wasn’t lanky like John, but still skinny. I could hear the boys shouting and laughing at the other room, which made me think about why he’d rather be in here, but his question answered my wondering.

“You remember the song yesterday, the one that you played on the piano?”

My brows lifted voluntarily and my eyes shifted to my walls as I recalled the day before, “I know of it,”

“Did you write that?” He asked me, and I almost laughed at his question. Never could I write anything as good and heart-meant even as that song even if my life depended on it, but I certainly know who could. “Mayday Parade.”

“The song’s called Stay. I heard if from a band called Mayday Parade in Florida.” I continued.

He said as he let out a dry laugh and looked at me with tired eyes. “Oh, I thought you wrote it.” A compliment I was unsure if I deserved to get. Then, I recalled the encounter with him yesterday and remembered that he had red eyes. I wasn’t sure if that was from his short sleep or from the song, so I asked.

“Kinda both,” he bluntly answered and looked down at the floor.

I watched him as his eyes followed the swaying of his feet and I could tell that something was bothering him. “What’d happened?- May I know?”

Still looking at the floor, he let out a dry laugh again. I didn’t really know this kid a lot, but he was Jared’s friend and he seemed nice. They all seemed nice, but something about him felt different to me. “She cheated. A lot of times actually, I was too stupid to notice.”

“You’re not stupid.”

“Is admitting that I still want her back enough to convince you that I am? I’m stupid, Garrett thinks I’m stupid. Hell, even she thinks I’m stupid.”

“Well okay, I guess you are.” It was a long shot in an attempt to make him laugh, which to my surprise, worked. He lay on the foot of my bed inches from my toes with one of his arm over his stomach and the other covering his face as he closed his eyes. This boy really looked like he needed somebody to talk to; it was evident in his sad expression. I know how that is- that hopelessness and dependency towards a person whose far too preoccupied to give a shit about you- wrapped up into one choking feeling that doesn’t seem to go away no matter how many times you say ‘never again’ to yourself. Admittedly, it really sucked to see someone else feel that way, but I thought I was in no position to tell him that I was here and ready to listen, on account that I’ve only met him yesterday and I don’t even know his last name. The action would only seem fake and plastic. I thought of something else that’ll cheer him up, but I was never good at these things so I just ended up staring at him sulk on the foot of my bed.

He opened his right eye, making him crinkle his nose, and looked at me as he chuckled, now both his brown eyes were open.

“Thanks.”

The word caught me off guard. “What for?’

“For letting me in your room alone even though you don’t know me that well.” We both laughed, “Sure thing, Kennedy. We’re friends, I think. At least I hope so.”

He cleared his throat and licked his lip. “Mae, I know this sounds really weird, but can you sing for me?”

Sure, it was weird and I even asked him if he was drunk -in which he strongly said no-, but it was funnier to me that someone would want me to actually sing for them. I immediately felt my cheeks blush, I wasn’t the best singer in the world, John was absolutely better than me, but the guy was sad and I guess agreeing would make him feel better in some way. I wasn’t really much help earlier so I softly said ‘okay’ and waited for him to speak again.

“Do you know Here You Me?” I was curious about why he wanted that song, I’ve always thought that song was about a dead friend or lover, but maybe he interpreted it differently. Or maybe he just likes the melody. I nodded. “One of my favorites.”

I began to sing the Jimmy Eat World song and found myself looking at Kennedy, smiling. His looked really relaxed unlike ten minutes ago when he looked like he hadn’t slept for ages. I noticed his lips move in sync with the words under his forearm, an evident smile appearing when the lyrics paused. As I sang the chorus his voice joined mine, I couldn’t help but smile more at this boy.

“May angels lead you in, here you me my friends.
On sleepless roads the sleepless go, may angels lead you in.”

He opened his eyes after the chorus and looked at me with a smile.

“You really have a beautiful voice, Mae.” His remark made me think about my days in Florida again, precisely the last moment someone ever said that to me before Kennedy. But, reminiscing about one of my exes is really not the appropriate thing to do when you have a half-stranger-half-friend of a guy lying on the foot of your bed being all sentimental and all. I looked at Kenny and he seemed a bit happier. He fixed his shirt and ruffled his hair as he sat up facing me and gave me a weak smile.

“You too, Kenny.” I said with a sincere smile. He laughed dryly.

“Seriously Mae, Thank you.” Seeing his weak smile now slightly bigger and genuine, I returned the smile and chuckled. I could tell that Kennedy was a really nice person. He was like no one I’ve ever met before. He was really easy to talk to, I could tell you that. And the fact that he was cute didn’t hurt either. I caught myself staring at him with my stupid smile still on my face and my cheeks immediately began to turn red again.

I guess he noticed, because his cheeks did the same. We both let out a soft chuckle as we faced the other direction and the room fell silent after that.