Midnight Heat - Josh Kiszka

Chapter 4

The scene was happy. Warm and laughing. Annie took in the heat from the fire warming her back as she watched the four gallop around the stage. She couldn't help but smile. They looked like total idiots. Maybe she could have been an idiot with them if she wasn't an /actual/ idiot and embarrassed herself. Annie heard a grunt as someone sat next to her.

"Here we go" she mumbled.

"Where are we going?" Grace asked.

"Aw Jesus fuck. I thought you were a man here to sweep me off my feet." Annie said leaning back, placing her hands behind her, bracing her weight on her wrists.

"Well I'm sorry to rain on your self deprecation party over here. I just wanted to watch." Grace giggled.

"Mmhmm." Annie laughed.

"What exactly is your plan to snag a man?" Grace asked.

"I don't know. Just hoping it will happen." Annie admitted.

"Oh. Well." Grace didn't finish her sentence.

"How did you get them to play?" Annie asked.

"I'm related to the drummer. Distantly, but we knew each other as kids." She answered.

"I'm gonna need more than that." Annie scoffed.

"I told Danny some of your situation and he felt for you." Grace admitted. "I guess he just didn't tell the others. I didn't mean for you to look...what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Like an ass" Annie laughed and laid down in the grass. She folded her hands on her stomach. Her shirt had risen ever so slightly.

"If that's what you want to call it." Grace cackled as she laid her head on Annie's stomach. "I love you and I want you to be happy."

"I love you too G. I'm trying to be happy again."

The girls sat there for about an hour listening to the music. "How much am I paying for this?" Annie finally realized to ask.

"Nothing". Grace said.

Annie leaned up. "Want a drink?"

"Please. I hate being sober at a party. I was just trying to be nice for you." Grace said.

"Well. Sad Annie is gone."

"R. I. P."

Annie meandered over to the table that held the refreshments. She looked over the selection of beer that Pops had bought. She picked out two of a brand she'd never seen before. Pops came up beside her with a bottle opener. She held the two drinks to him and he popped off the tops. He grabbed them from the ground and tossed them in the nearby recycling bin that was almost full of tops from different brands. "Thanks" she said.

Annie walked back to Grace, beer in hand. She sat with her legs crossed and handed the beer to her friend. "Ew" Grace said. "I've never seen this."

"Me neither." Annie said as the band finished the last bars to the song.

"Alright we're gonna take a second to chill out and we'll be back in a few." Jake said as Josh handed him the microphone.

Josh slid onto the ground about two feet in front of Annie. "May I?" He said, gesturing for the beer.

"Uh. Sure." Annie handed over the cold drink.

She stared in shock. It was a wonder her mouth wasn't agape. She fully took in the man's body. He was her height, around 5'5". He had beautiful teeth.

Annie leaned over to Grace "they were rich kids weren't they?"

Grace spat out her beer.

Josh handed back the drink. "What?"

"What makes you say that?" Grace said, trying to prevent a laugh from escaping.

Annie tapped her front teeth.

Grace handed her beer to Annie and threw herself to the ground in a laughing fit.

"WHAT?" Josh asked again.

"I'm a bitch." Annie said, suppressing her own laugh.

"I doubt that. What did you say?" Josh smiled.

"You were probably a rich kid to afford such great orthodontic care." Annie said.

"Oh. I get that a lot." Josh said, scratching the back of his head. "Wait. Was that a backhanded compliment on my teeth?"

Grace flopped some more on the ground.

"I take that as a yes." Josh laughed.

"No! It was a- inference." Annie recoiled once again at her awkward demeanor.

"I can take a joke. Don't worry." Josh laughed.

"Where are-" Annie trailed as she looked around for the rest of the band.

"Oh, we're doing an acoustic song next so they went to get the proper instruments." Josh replied.

"I like your mullet." Annie blurted. She immediately facepalmed in horror. Why is she so bad at social interaction?

"Thank you." Josh said.

The rest of the band members joined them on the grass, forming a small circle. A few other party goers huddled around the circle to sit.

"Wow. I'm on the inner circle" Annie joked, looking at Josh.

He looked at her, their eyes locking. Her heart fluttered. A connection. She knew she felt it.

Sammy started tapping on his legs. The others followed suit with playing their instruments. Josh swayed back and forth to the rhythm, not breaking the gaze that he and Annie had. Grace hummed along to the tune that Annie thought was familiar.

Josh started singing. He placed his hand on Annie's as he began singing the song that meant oh so much to her. Annie felt a lump in her throat.

Do not cry. She told herself. You wanted this. Maybe not from him but you wanted it.

"You're the one I want,
You're the one I need"

Annie gulped. She took a breath "you're the one I had" she sang along as a single tear shed from her eye.

STOP IT ANNIE she yelled at her own mind.

"Sam" she whispered as she broke the gaze. She ripped her hand from Josh and ran to the house.