BET

Chapter Twenty

Kasia

Peter pulls into the driveway at the guy's house and Evelyn and I maneuver our way out of the Jeep first, clumsily tumbling out of the backseat so that the guys can get out too. When they all jump down onto the pavement, Henry reaches for my hand to pull me towards the house with them.

I pause, looking between him and my friends who sit in the Jeep waiting to take me home. They'd drive to my place next and drop me off there where I would stumble to my bed and fall asleep all by myself. I look back at Henry who smiles at me, still holding my hand, and realize that he means for me to come with them. To stay here with them. 

I turn back to the car, leaning in. "I'm going to stay here tonight." I say.

"Are you sure?" Juliette asks, her brows furrowing together. "We can take you home."

I nod, smiling. "I'm sure. Thank you though."

"Kasia, will you be okay?" Evelyn says, practically hanging out of the back of the jeep.

"I will be fine, sweetheart." I confirm, touching her face. "I trust them... surprisingly."

With my words, I look behind me at Henry who still holds onto my outstretched hand but clearly isn't listening to the conversation I am having as his eyes are trained on the sky, marveling at the stars. Behind him, Keagan and Simon stumble up towards the front door of the house, both of them clumsily trying to find a key to unlock the door.

"You have my number. Call me if you need anything." Peter says, leaning over Juliette.

I nod and smile one last time at them before turning around and walking towards the house with Henry who holds my hand and follows after me like a puppy. When we finally approach the door, Simon is leaning down and haphazardly pushing his key into the lock, while Keagan stands over his shoulder watching his movements closely.

"Motherfucker cocksucker dumb bitch key." Simon slurs, nearly face planting into the door as he pushes his entire body weight into the key without lining it up properly with the lock.

"Come on, man. I have to piss." Keagan whines, crossing his legs behind Simon.

At those exact words, Simon drops his entire set of keys onto the ground at his feet.

"Fuck it, I'm going in the bushes." Keagan announces, drunkenly stumbling around the side of the house.

"Let me," I say, pushing my way past Simon and kneeling down to grab his keys. "Which one is it?"

Simon points towards one of the keys on the ring. "The one with the big butt."

I look up from the keys in my hands to his face, staring down at me. "The big butt? How does a key have a butt?"

"You know, like the part that doesn't go in the lock. The part you hold. That- that's the butt."

"Wouldn't that be its head?" I ask, holding up the key. "Like this is it's legs and-"

"Why would you hold it by its head?" Henry asks loudly, his eyes wide like a traumatized child.

"Oh, he is losing it." Simon mumbles, pointing to the key I'm holding. "Hurry, let's get him inside before he starts panicking."

    I quickly push the key in the lock and open the front door. We all spill inside and I follow after the guys as they stumble upstairs.

-

    My eyes flutter open, squinting at the light that streams in from the window. I blink at my surroundings that begin to come into focus, seeing a room I don't recognize at first. My head pounds as I sit up in the bed, running a hand over my face. I look beside me, realizing I am not alone in the bed and seeing Simon lying to my right, his face buried into the pillow. Henry lays to my left against the wall. At the bottom of the bed is Keagan, who barely fits across the bed using Henry's feet as a pillow.