𝙱𝙻𝙰𝙲𝙺𝙾𝚄𝚃 - 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚂𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝙺𝙴𝚂

e i g h t t e e n

IMESSAGE

YASMINE

YASMINE
hey kansas, have you checked your email lately?

KANSAS
no, i'm on vacation right now, what's up?

YASMINE
go check it, i sent you something a few days ago

KANSAS
YAS
WHAT
STOP
NO
TAYLOR SWIFT?

YASMINE
I KNOWWW
SO IS THIS A YES

KANSAS
YES
YES IT IS
IM ABOUT TO CRY

YASMINE
YOU CANNOT TELL ANOTHER LIVING SOUL ABOUT THIS
THIS IS
SECRET
UNDERSTOOD

KANSAS
YES
I LOVE YOU

YASMINE
I LOVE YOU TOO

REAL LIFE

k a n s a s

yasmine has been my manager since my career started. she was childhood best friends with my mom, and has been in my corner forever. she and i are close, and i look up to her as more of a maternal figure than my own mother.

but not only meeting but recording a song with taylor swift? this was big, even for yas.

suddenly, chase slams my door open, standing in the doorway.

"why the hell are you screaming?" he asks, breathing heavily.

"can't say." i reply with a smirk, chase flopping onto my bed and glaring up at me.

"you're so annoying sometimes." he muttered, and i laughed.

"you're pouting on my bed like a child and i'm the annoying one?" i ask, chase quickly nodding, his former frown now a wide grin.

i find myself staring at him, his face his still heavily freckled from filming, skin still deeply tanned.

"you scared me today." he whispered, the mood quickly becoming more somber.

"yeah..." i trailed off.

something happens on the river every year. someone gets drunk, can't walk for the rest of the trip and has to ride back in someone else's canoe, people get hurt all the time, but never anyone with our group. years of floating those rivers, nothings ever happened to anyone with us.

"don't do that. never again." he says, sitting up and suddenly serious, quickly grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly.

"i'll try." i reply with a small smile, attempting to lighten the mood, but chase remains serious.

"i'm serious, kan. i thought you were dead." he mumbles, and i look down, using the hand chase isn't clinging onto like a lifeline to push my hair away.

"i know. i've heard." i add, looking up at him. "i've pulled dangerous stunts like that my whole life, people typically don't bat an eye. i'm surprised waylon even came-"

"i have never seen waylon more scared than i did. today." chase cuts me off. "he loves you, like, a lot."

"i'm the only family he has." i explain. chase's hand is still gripping mine tightly.

"i know, i know."

"and it's such bullshit that mom and dad are putting him up in an apartment with jolee when i'm the one who pays their bills and rent. i was the one they exploited for money, i'm the one who lost my entire childhood to make them happy, me. not waylon. and i love my brother more than anything in the world, i just want an apology. if i deserve anything, it's that." i rant, briefly forgetting chase was even there until i feel his hand brush my face, cupping my cheek.

"you deserve so much more than that. you gave your parents everything they have, if anything you deserve all your money back, plus an apology, plus them to stop pestering you for more cash, cars, or vacation homes." chase explains, and i nod, leaning back, away from his hand.

"i know, i know i do." i explain, shrugging. "it's what i deserve, but i know it's not ever gonna happen."

"kan-"

"you should go." i say suddenly, a pained look flashing across chase's eyes.

this isn't right. mads is my best friend, why am i sitting here letting her ex boyfriend hold my hand? why was i in hawaii with him a week after they broke up? besides, i've been friends with chase for four years, being anything more would mess everything up.

"kansas, come on-"

"i said go." i cut him off again, this time firmer, he quickly lets go of my hand, and without another word, he leaves my room, slamming the door behind him.

and suddenly, i'm nowhere near as happy as i was five minutes ago.

kens speaks 🪐

slow burn for yall bc i feel like it