What I Like About You
1
"Up! Up! Up!" I woke up to my best friend chanting in my ear. "It's concert day!"
I groaned and opened an eye, peering over her at the clock.
"Jaz, it's 9 in the morning." I groaned, sitting up, running a hand through my messy red hair.
"C'mon, Kenney, you know how important today is to me." My energetic friend pouted.
I sighed again. I did know how important it was for my best friend to have this day to see her favorite band, 5 Second Of Summer. I just wasn't a morning person.
"Sorry, Jazzy, I know." I grumbled, standing up and stretching. "Let's go get ready, yeah?"
My friend cheered and ran down the hall of the small apartment we shared, going to her bedroom. I padded into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee before following her into her room, a look of distress on her face, clothes scattered all around her.
"What do I wear?!" She asked. "I mean, like, I want to look good because what if Luke sees me and he-"
I cut off her rambling by picking up a floral crop top and skinny jeans from her floor.
"Wear this, and your white converse." I instructed easily. She grinned and threw her arms around me.
"You're the best!" She called as she started to change.
"I take it we're not going to school today?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. We both attended the same college that was a few blocks down the street from our apartment.
"I mean, you can if you want, but I have a ten a.m. that I'm skipping." She shrugged.
I shrugged in response, knowing that I wouldn't be going to class today either. Not that I really wanted to anyway. I yawned, and flopped down on my best friend's bed.
"Hey, Jaz?"
She hummed in response, letting me know that she was at least half listening.
"Can we go over again what they look like before we go?"
My friend laughed and rolled her eyes before pulling out her phone and enthusiastically showing me pictures of Luke, Ashton, Michael, and Caleb? Conor? Something with a C. I zoned out, and then was brought back to reality when Jasmine squealed.
"Go get dressed, Ken! We have to leave!" She screamed.
I laughed, but got up from her bed and went back to my own room, picking out a flannel, skinny jeans, and combat boots to wear. I threw money, my cigarettes, lighter, and phone in my pocket before joining my best friend at the door.
When we got to the venue, security checked our tickets and we filed in with the other girls. The opening act played, and I wasn't a fan, but Jasmine bobbed her head along to the beat. Halfway through, I told Jasmine I was going for a cigarette, and made my way to the smokers pole outside the back entrance of the venue. I inhaled slowly, pulling out my phone and checking my email, when the door opened and someone else joined me outside.
"Do you have a light?" A deep Australian voice asked.
I turned around and came face to face with one of the band members. Shoot, he was the one with the C... Caleb? Nope, sounds wrong. Damn. I quickly nodded my head and handed him my lighter.
"Thank you." He mumbled, lighting his own cigarette and taking a drag. As he did, I couldn't help but admire him. His toned arms, his tattoos... I could see now why Jaz liked this band.
"I'm Calum." He spoke up again.
Calum! I knew it started with a C!
"I'm Kennedy." I supplied, smiling at him gently.
"Not a fan of the music, Kennedy?" He asked, smirking.
I shrugged.
"I'm just a little out of my element, is all. But, my best friend is like, insanely excited to be here so."
"Well that's nice of you then. You must be good friends."
I took another drag of my cigarette, and Calum did as well.
"Yeah, we've been friends since we were 7, and we're 20 now, so."
"Wow." Calum breathed, seeming impressed. "That's a long time."
"Yeah." I admitted, shrugging again.
We both stood and smoked in silence for a minute, before I spoke up.
"Hey, Calum?" I asked softly.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Shouldn't you be inside, like, warming up or something? Not like, talking to random girls outside?"
I swear I saw a blush creep up on his cheeks, just as my phone vibrated in my pocket, a text from Jasmine asking me where I was. I stubbed out my cigarette.
"Listen, I've got to go. But you're an interesting fellow, Calum."
"Wait!" Calum grabbed my wrist, then blushed when I turned around. He scratched his neck. "I- uhm I was wondering, we're going to be here for a couple more days and I was wondering if uhm-"
"Calum." I cut off his rambling, holding my hand out expectantly. He gaped at me and I laughed, flicking his arm. "Are you gonna give me your phone or not?"
He grinned and pulled out his phone, and I grabbed it and put in my number. "Call me and we'll hang out tomorrow, yeah?"
He nodded and I laughed and how flustered he looked. The kid could perform for thousands, but not ask a girl for her number. It was endearing. I turned and opened the door.
"Kennedy, wait! You forgot your lighter."
I turned to see him holding up the lighter.
"Keep it." I said before closing the door to a gaping Calum.
Jasmine was going to kill me.
I groaned and opened an eye, peering over her at the clock.
"Jaz, it's 9 in the morning." I groaned, sitting up, running a hand through my messy red hair.
"C'mon, Kenney, you know how important today is to me." My energetic friend pouted.
I sighed again. I did know how important it was for my best friend to have this day to see her favorite band, 5 Second Of Summer. I just wasn't a morning person.
"Sorry, Jazzy, I know." I grumbled, standing up and stretching. "Let's go get ready, yeah?"
My friend cheered and ran down the hall of the small apartment we shared, going to her bedroom. I padded into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee before following her into her room, a look of distress on her face, clothes scattered all around her.
"What do I wear?!" She asked. "I mean, like, I want to look good because what if Luke sees me and he-"
I cut off her rambling by picking up a floral crop top and skinny jeans from her floor.
"Wear this, and your white converse." I instructed easily. She grinned and threw her arms around me.
"You're the best!" She called as she started to change.
"I take it we're not going to school today?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. We both attended the same college that was a few blocks down the street from our apartment.
"I mean, you can if you want, but I have a ten a.m. that I'm skipping." She shrugged.
I shrugged in response, knowing that I wouldn't be going to class today either. Not that I really wanted to anyway. I yawned, and flopped down on my best friend's bed.
"Hey, Jaz?"
She hummed in response, letting me know that she was at least half listening.
"Can we go over again what they look like before we go?"
My friend laughed and rolled her eyes before pulling out her phone and enthusiastically showing me pictures of Luke, Ashton, Michael, and Caleb? Conor? Something with a C. I zoned out, and then was brought back to reality when Jasmine squealed.
"Go get dressed, Ken! We have to leave!" She screamed.
I laughed, but got up from her bed and went back to my own room, picking out a flannel, skinny jeans, and combat boots to wear. I threw money, my cigarettes, lighter, and phone in my pocket before joining my best friend at the door.
When we got to the venue, security checked our tickets and we filed in with the other girls. The opening act played, and I wasn't a fan, but Jasmine bobbed her head along to the beat. Halfway through, I told Jasmine I was going for a cigarette, and made my way to the smokers pole outside the back entrance of the venue. I inhaled slowly, pulling out my phone and checking my email, when the door opened and someone else joined me outside.
"Do you have a light?" A deep Australian voice asked.
I turned around and came face to face with one of the band members. Shoot, he was the one with the C... Caleb? Nope, sounds wrong. Damn. I quickly nodded my head and handed him my lighter.
"Thank you." He mumbled, lighting his own cigarette and taking a drag. As he did, I couldn't help but admire him. His toned arms, his tattoos... I could see now why Jaz liked this band.
"I'm Calum." He spoke up again.
Calum! I knew it started with a C!
"I'm Kennedy." I supplied, smiling at him gently.
"Not a fan of the music, Kennedy?" He asked, smirking.
I shrugged.
"I'm just a little out of my element, is all. But, my best friend is like, insanely excited to be here so."
"Well that's nice of you then. You must be good friends."
I took another drag of my cigarette, and Calum did as well.
"Yeah, we've been friends since we were 7, and we're 20 now, so."
"Wow." Calum breathed, seeming impressed. "That's a long time."
"Yeah." I admitted, shrugging again.
We both stood and smoked in silence for a minute, before I spoke up.
"Hey, Calum?" I asked softly.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Shouldn't you be inside, like, warming up or something? Not like, talking to random girls outside?"
I swear I saw a blush creep up on his cheeks, just as my phone vibrated in my pocket, a text from Jasmine asking me where I was. I stubbed out my cigarette.
"Listen, I've got to go. But you're an interesting fellow, Calum."
"Wait!" Calum grabbed my wrist, then blushed when I turned around. He scratched his neck. "I- uhm I was wondering, we're going to be here for a couple more days and I was wondering if uhm-"
"Calum." I cut off his rambling, holding my hand out expectantly. He gaped at me and I laughed, flicking his arm. "Are you gonna give me your phone or not?"
He grinned and pulled out his phone, and I grabbed it and put in my number. "Call me and we'll hang out tomorrow, yeah?"
He nodded and I laughed and how flustered he looked. The kid could perform for thousands, but not ask a girl for her number. It was endearing. I turned and opened the door.
"Kennedy, wait! You forgot your lighter."
I turned to see him holding up the lighter.
"Keep it." I said before closing the door to a gaping Calum.
Jasmine was going to kill me.