Gifted Connections 2

He froze for a moment before responding. When he kissed me, any residual shyness was gone. He was sure of himself. I found myself getting lost in his kiss. We hadn’t kissed since I had returned, and I was reminded what a great kisser he was.

“Ugh, get a room,” Jemmy yelled.

“Hush,” Rachel admonished her. “It’s kind of a turn on.”

Drake blushed before brushing his lips with mine once more. “You’ve been drinking,” he softly accused me.

“I needed it,” I said petulantly.

“Come on,” he sighed. “Let’s get you back out there.” He gave me a small smile.

When we got out of the bathroom, I noticed there was no music on, and Ben, Rick, Mike, and Taylor were no longer on the stage. They must be taking another break. In my slightly tipsy, uninhibited state, I took the steps up to the stage.

“Blake,” Drake groaned as if he was dealing with a naughty two-year-old.

I smiled and waved at him.

“Woo hoo! Blake,” Jemmy and Rachel yelled in unison.

I smile out at everyone and stood behind the keyboard. “Hello everyone,” I called out to the crowd. Their hum of conversation didn’t die as I began to speak. “My name is Blake, AKA Misty, and I want to sing you a little song, well not you. This song is to my Lost Boys,” I giggled as I adjusted the mike.

“Hey.” Taylor came running towards the stage. “That’s my keyboard, dude.”

Jemmy and Rachel held onto his arms. “Let her use it,” they begged him.

Taylor looked at Drake who shrugged. “She won’t hurt it.”

I smiled at them before turning back to the keyboard and began to play the opening to Lost Boy by Ruth B. I looked at the corner where Jace, Jaxson, and Troy were sitting, and winked at them. I smiled over at Drake, and finally, I looked up to the catwalk and blew a kiss up to Remy who was he was still brooding. I opened my mouth and poured my soul into the song.

This song was almost the perfect representation of us. I had been lonely. I didn’t have any companionships from people around my age. I had Ella, but there wasn’t much you could burden a seven-year-old with. It was my job to protect her from it. Oftentimes I struggled on my own.

Before I met Jace, I had no place to call home. I couldn’t call that trailer a home. It was just the place I stayed at until I got my ticket to freedom. In most homes, you looked forward to going to it at the end of the day. Not the trailer—that place had always filled me with dread. I never knew what I was walking into.

Jace was like my Peter Pan. He whisked me away to a place where I could run free. He brought me to my very own lost boys. Since I met Remy, Troy, Noah, Drake, and Jaxson, I was never alone anymore.

I finally had a family. It wasn’t the most conventional family, but it was mine. They took care of me. They didn’t hesitate to take care of my siblings either. This was our story. It had its ups and downs, but it was ours.

When I finished the last notes, I opened my eyes, not realizing I had closed them. The clapping, cheers, and whistles warmed my soul. I missed this adrenaline rush.

Ben came rushing up the steps. “That was amazing, do you know any other songs?”

I smirked at him. “Let’s play Broken by Seether and Amy Lee.”

Ben smiled. “Sweet, I know that song.”

I had to refrain from giggling and telling him that I was well aware of that fact.

Chapter 25

I sang a few songs with the band, swapped numbers with Ben, and finally decided to join my people again. Jemmy and Rachel kept giving me drinks, and the natural high of performing again had me oblivious to the crush of bodies that was surrounding me. I looked up at the catwalk and noticed that two other girls that were on other Knights teams had joined Remy.

I decided I had enough. I marched my way over to the steps. I had enough of his crap! As I got to the steps he turned around and looked at me, with hooded eyes.

“Leave,” I told the girls.

“Blake.” One of the older girls, dressed as a ‘sexy’ nurse, had the audacity to speak to me in a slightly condescending tone. “What’s wrong, sweetie? We’re just up here keeping Remy company.”

“Which one of these girls are you hooking up with?” I demanded of him, looking over the other older girls. One was dressed as a devil, one a witch, and ironically, the last was another Wonder Woman.