a large part of her life,
whether she wanted to admit it or not.
She felt empty. Really empty. She was glad
graduation was around the corner.
* * *
Sitting on Katie’s couch, Johnny was
laughing at the two-page spread of the Battle of the Bands. The
pictures were black and white, but the biggest one was of Spawn of
Satan. “Look how young we were!”
Katie laughed too. She pointed at another
picture that had a girl drummer. “Look at her hair. Can you believe
we wore it like that then?”
Johnny smiled and looked closer. “Look at
some of the clothes.”
Katie snickered again and then caught
herself yawning. She covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
Johnny looked up and shook his head. “No,
don’t be. Sorry, kid. I guess it’s getting late. Guess I should
probably go.” He closed the yearbook and set it on the coffee
table. “It’s been fun, though.”
Katie wasn’t about to argue for him to stay.
It was Tuesday night, and she still had most of the week to
struggle through. If she didn’t get enough sleep tonight, she’d be
even sleepier tomorrow, and Grant was due back Thursday. She wanted
to be alert and awake when he got back. Katie stood and stretched.
“So what’s the plan for the rest of your stay?”
“I’ll probably be here a couple of weeks.
I’m going to start making some calls tomorrow, tapping into the
local music scene. Start auditioning guys as soon as possible,
probably slap together my new band by Monday. That’s the plan
anyway. Oh, and hang with my mom. She’ll kill me if I don’t spend
more time with her.” He stood up and carried his empty beer bottle
in the kitchen. “We’ll have to get together at least once more
before I go.”
Katie wandered toward the kitchen. “Yeah.”
And, she thought, she’d have to introduce him and Grant to each
other too. But that could wait. It was too late now to launch into
that spiel tonight. God, she was such a wuss. “We still have
catching up to do. But no more beer.”
He grinned. “Deal.” Katie walked toward the
door, pausing in front, turning to face Johnny. He said, “It was
really good to see you, Katie.”
“You too, Johnny.” They embraced each other.
“I always forget how much I miss you until I see you again.” They
both patted each other on the back. As she started to pull away,
she felt that Johnny wasn’t ready to let go yet. So she leaned her
head against his chest again and lost herself in his hug.
Inherent in the hug was the message that he
had missed Katie as much as she had missed him. That much she
believed and knew in her heart. He did let go, almost reluctantly,
Katie thought, and she smiled. It really was good to have her best
friend here.
But as she did at last pull back and her
eyes met his, she realized she was dead wrong. It was more than
that. His pupils were dilated as though he had been in a dark room
for several minutes, and they were gazing into hers. Could it
be...?
Yes. She read him like her favorite book,
and their lips met before she could ponder it more. A thought, an
image of Grant flashed for all but a second in her mind, and then
it was swept away, along with any guilt she should have felt. Her
brain told her that Johnny had been in her life long before Grant
had been, and so what they did together didn’t matter. It was a
lame justification, but it was out of her mind almost as quickly as
it had entered. This moment had been a fantasy for far too long,
and there was no stopping it now.
No one had ever kissed her like Johnny had.
Maybe it was the years of unrequited yearning, but she swore he was
different. And his gentle tongue was exploring her mouth, warm and
tender but insistent. Katie supposed with what fleeting thought she
had left that he’d had plenty of practice with plenty of
uninhibited women, so of course he would be a good kisser. Every
nerve ending in her body stood at attention. She definitely wasn’t
sleepy anymore.
She’d always loved the way Johnny
smelled--kind of
whether she wanted to admit it or not.
She felt empty. Really empty. She was glad
graduation was around the corner.
* * *
Sitting on Katie’s couch, Johnny was
laughing at the two-page spread of the Battle of the Bands. The
pictures were black and white, but the biggest one was of Spawn of
Satan. “Look how young we were!”
Katie laughed too. She pointed at another
picture that had a girl drummer. “Look at her hair. Can you believe
we wore it like that then?”
Johnny smiled and looked closer. “Look at
some of the clothes.”
Katie snickered again and then caught
herself yawning. She covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
Johnny looked up and shook his head. “No,
don’t be. Sorry, kid. I guess it’s getting late. Guess I should
probably go.” He closed the yearbook and set it on the coffee
table. “It’s been fun, though.”
Katie wasn’t about to argue for him to stay.
It was Tuesday night, and she still had most of the week to
struggle through. If she didn’t get enough sleep tonight, she’d be
even sleepier tomorrow, and Grant was due back Thursday. She wanted
to be alert and awake when he got back. Katie stood and stretched.
“So what’s the plan for the rest of your stay?”
“I’ll probably be here a couple of weeks.
I’m going to start making some calls tomorrow, tapping into the
local music scene. Start auditioning guys as soon as possible,
probably slap together my new band by Monday. That’s the plan
anyway. Oh, and hang with my mom. She’ll kill me if I don’t spend
more time with her.” He stood up and carried his empty beer bottle
in the kitchen. “We’ll have to get together at least once more
before I go.”
Katie wandered toward the kitchen. “Yeah.”
And, she thought, she’d have to introduce him and Grant to each
other too. But that could wait. It was too late now to launch into
that spiel tonight. God, she was such a wuss. “We still have
catching up to do. But no more beer.”
He grinned. “Deal.” Katie walked toward the
door, pausing in front, turning to face Johnny. He said, “It was
really good to see you, Katie.”
“You too, Johnny.” They embraced each other.
“I always forget how much I miss you until I see you again.” They
both patted each other on the back. As she started to pull away,
she felt that Johnny wasn’t ready to let go yet. So she leaned her
head against his chest again and lost herself in his hug.
Inherent in the hug was the message that he
had missed Katie as much as she had missed him. That much she
believed and knew in her heart. He did let go, almost reluctantly,
Katie thought, and she smiled. It really was good to have her best
friend here.
But as she did at last pull back and her
eyes met his, she realized she was dead wrong. It was more than
that. His pupils were dilated as though he had been in a dark room
for several minutes, and they were gazing into hers. Could it
be...?
Yes. She read him like her favorite book,
and their lips met before she could ponder it more. A thought, an
image of Grant flashed for all but a second in her mind, and then
it was swept away, along with any guilt she should have felt. Her
brain told her that Johnny had been in her life long before Grant
had been, and so what they did together didn’t matter. It was a
lame justification, but it was out of her mind almost as quickly as
it had entered. This moment had been a fantasy for far too long,
and there was no stopping it now.
No one had ever kissed her like Johnny had.
Maybe it was the years of unrequited yearning, but she swore he was
different. And his gentle tongue was exploring her mouth, warm and
tender but insistent. Katie supposed with what fleeting thought she
had left that he’d had plenty of practice with plenty of
uninhibited women, so of course he would be a good kisser. Every
nerve ending in her body stood at attention. She definitely wasn’t
sleepy anymore.
She’d always loved the way Johnny
smelled--kind of
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