to be anywhere near ready for rehearing tonight. Raven is sipping on a wine cooler. When she sees me, she jumps up and offers me a cooler of my own. I decide what the hell. One can’t hurt right? I twist the cap off and take a sip. Hmmm it tastes like strawberries. Kai pulls me into his lap forcefully by the belt loops on my jeans. Jake squeezes in on the couch beside of us. Raven sits on the floor on a pillow between his legs laying her head back in his lap.
Hunter passes a joint to Jake and he takes it between his lips and takes a hard drag. I watch curiously, as he holds the smoke in his mouth and then he blows it into Raven’s mouth.
“That’s called a shotgun,” Kai informs me. “Want to try it?” He asks me as Jake passes the joint to him.
“Okay.” I shrug and take another drink for liquid courage. Go big or go home right?
Kai takes a puff inhaling sharply. My head is on his shoulder and he leans over capping his mouth over mine blowing the smoke between my lips. I suck it in and it burns through my lungs.
Hunter and Vance start dicking around with their guitars. They start playing the melody for ‘Skinny Love,’ by ‘Bon Iver.’
I start singing along as they play. Kai is rubbing his hands up and down my arms and kissing my neck making me forget some of the lyrics.
Jake starts singing in my place as I turn into Kai kissing him deeply, not caring that his ex is beside of us and that his friends are watching. They end the song and Jake pulls Raven into his lap kissing her.
Vance looks at Hunter and says, “Dude I’m not making out with you, so don’t get any ideas.”
“Don’t worry, you aren’t pretty enough for me,” he says chuckling.
“I’m pretty,” Vance, says looking at the rest of us wanting us to confirm. We all burst out laughing. “I’m going to need something a hell of a lot stronger than beer and pot to see you as pretty man,” Jake teases.
“Fuck you all, I’m pretty damn it! I need a woman. I can’t wait until we hit the beach. I bet I’ll get laid after our show.”
“Sure you will man.” Hunter smacks him in the chest with a can of beer. I get up from Kai’s lap and have Raven walk me upstairs to the bathroom.
“I have never seen Kai act that way with anyone, ever. He is totally in love with you Katie.”
I grin at Raven. “I am totally in love with him too.”
“Good. I know he has always had a thing for you, even when we dated he talked about you.” That makes me smile.
“Raven, I am glad we can talk like this about Kai and stuff.”
“Me too! And it isn’t because I have a buzz either. I can see a big change in Kai, he is happy now.”
We join the guys downstairs and they have started practicing. They mainly do cover songs for now. They are playing ‘Do I wanna know,’ by ‘Artic Monkeys.’
I sneak up behind Kai and sing the back vocals and Raven gives me a thumb up.
Kai tells me to stay by his side he want us to try to play ‘Home,’ by ‘Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.’ I love this song.
Kai and I naturally fall into harmony on the lyrics; the guys are not so much on trying to play it. Kai tells them to sit out the next time and pulls up the instrumental version YouTube with Raven’s laptop.
It is nearing midnight so Kai says we had better pack it up and call it a night. Raven needs a ride home, so she rides with Kai and me.
Raven hears Kai make a comment about getting into bed with me tonight. “Awe Kai do you crawl through her window?”
“No, she is sleeping in the guestroom.”
“How in the hell did you get Kelli to go for that, she barely wanted me coming over to watch a movie,” she says looking offended.
“Well I am sort of living there now,” I tell her.
Raven’s mouth drops then shuts. I think I stunned her into silence. “Huh,” she says whispering under her breath.
“It’s complicated,” I throw her and Kai’s favorite line at her. Kai busts out laughing. And kisses my cheek. I think he might still be buzzed.
By the time we get her home, it is nearing one a.m. We are going to be late. I hope Kelli and Kent don’t get mad at us. Kai tells me not to worry they are probably in bed.