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CHAPTER THREE. narrative
When we get to the karaoke bar, Caitlin and the rest of the girls are already there. We all went in, finding the other girls at a table fairly easy. It was a bar and restaurant-ish type of place, Iowa Hawkeye sports jerseys hanging around the place. This included Megan Gustafson's retired jersey.
"Welcome home ladies!" The server says as she follows us to the table filled with our friends and the girls smile and wave at her. Everyone in Iowa follows the Hawkeyes. It doesn't matter if you root for another team all together, all of Iowa is a fan of the Hawks.
I continue with my water drinking, but I don't order any food. Not yet at least. It's not very busy as it is getting pretty late, but it's nice not having it be so busy.
"Hudson, come on!" Ben says, getting up and heading for the karaoke.
The Clark boy says something under his breath but none of us catch it because of how fast Benny pulls him away. "Oh God, I see this going terribly wrong..." Everett says as she takes a sip of her sweet tea that Jada had ordered for her.
They talk to the girl who is playing music for tonight and the starting notes of Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me begin to play. I cover my mouth with my hands, too busy laughing to pay attention to much else.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Kate says with a smirk on her face as she pulls out her phone from her back pocket.
I grab my phone and take a couple of photos. "This is the best thing I've ever seen," I say, wiping tears from my cheeks as my eyes start watering from all the laughing.
When they finish up their song, they head back to the table with huge grins on their faces. "So how did we do?" Benny asks as he throws his arm around Hudson's shoulder and all of us throw thumbs up in the air.
"You guys are great," Kylie says, laughing and trying to calm down.
Hudson grins. "Come on! Who's next?" he questions.
Caitlin gets up from her seat and just when I think she's about to walk away, she turns back. "Ledger, come on. Me and you!"
I am shocked by her calling my name out of everyone in our group and I shake my head. "In your dreams,Clark..." I say.
She pushess her bottom lip out in a pout. "Not even Unwritten?"
One of my favorite songs. Of course she would choose that song. It has been my favorite ever since I heard it in a Pretty Little Liars episode which I made Caitlin watch when we were still civil, so dating.
"Whatever. You get this one," I say, getting out of my seat. Our entire friend group begins cheering as the two of us make our way up to the stage and Cait tells the girl to queue the Natasha Bedingfield song which she does with a nod.
I hate you, I mouth to her as I hold a microphone in my hand. She just shrugs with a grin while holding a mic. I already know that our friends are holding up their phone and taking pictures and videos since this is the closest Caitlin and I have been in years.
"I am unwritten, can't read my mind. I'm undefined," Cait says leaning in towards me.
I start on the next line, "I'm just beginning, pens in my hand. Ending unplanned!"
Caitlin wraps an arm around my shoulders and I let a laugh escape my lips, one that surprises me and Caitlin. "Staring at the blank page before you, open up the dirty window. Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find," Caitlin sings.
"Reaching for something in the distance, so close you can almost taste it. Release your inhibitions, feel the rain on your skin..." I belt out then almost like clockwork our group of friends bust out singing.
I find myself also wrapping an arm around Caitlin, an unconscious act really. We all sing the chorus and then Caitlin and I go back to taking turns singing the lyrics.
Once the song is over, we return our microphones. No one could wipe the smiles from our faces. This was the most fun I have had in a while and if we're being honest it is because I am with this group and not Asher and her group of cheerleader friends. For the last couple of weeks while all the girls were traveling, Asher has been wanting me to spend more time with her and her group and it made me feel uncomfortable.
Even when I am with them, she acts like I'm not even there. She really only hangs out with me and my friends when we're getting coffee or something.
I drop my arm from around Caitlin and she does the same. It feels weird, being this close to her after so long. We used to be best friends, even before we dated, then after that, we just hated each other.
"Um, thanks," I say softly and she just nods as I retreat to my seat.
"Who's next?" Caitlin asks.
Kate looks over at Jada. "You wanna sing some ABBA?"
