PTX FM (Scömìche, Kavi)

5

I was greatful for the cool autumn air outside, as it was pretty warm in the house. I also hoped it would sober Scott up a little, as I really wasn't sure what to do with him in his current state.

The garden was full of perfectly kept hedges covered in fairy lights. The trees, with their sparse red and yellow leaves, were also glowing with lights. Plants swayed in the breeze. It was chilly, but not unbearably so thanks to a small patio heater. The moonlight shone down over it all, creating a magical feeling that seemed a million miles away from the party inside.

"Mitch," It came out as almost a whisper as Scott took a step towards me. He seemed less inebriated than previously, and there was suddenly something quite serious about him.

I stayed where I was, having to tilt my head to look up to him with our close proximity.

"Yeah?" I asked, keeping my voice soft. I felt like making noise would break us out of the other worldly atmosphere.

Carefully, Scott leant down and pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes, resting my hand against his chest. I reasoned he was still sober enough to know what he was doing, and enjoyed the feeling for a moment.

A sudden bright flash broke through the dark. I took a step back, giving Scott a look that was somewhere between shock and worry. I could easily see the photographer with their camera, still snapping away.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered. Not knowing what else to do, I turned and ran back into the party, away from Scott and the repeated noise of the shutter going off.

I quickly located Kirstie, looking for the only really familiar face in the crowd. I trusted her, despite only having met her twice.

"I need to leave," I told her, my breathing heavy from running and pushing my way through the crowd.

She nodded wordlessly and placed a hand on my arm, leading me to a different exit to the one I'd been through with Scott. She got into the back of a black car that was idling there, and slid across the seats, allowing me to follow.

"You don't need to go, you should enjoy the party with your friends," I told her.

"Its fine, I was looking for an escape. Its easy to get overwhelmed in big parties," She patted my arm. "And anyway, theres no one I'm particularly bothered about there." Kirstie turned her head to look away from me and out the window as she almost whispered her last comment.

She was being so lovely, and guilt was eating away at me. I had, only minutes before, kissed her boyfriend. Even though Scott had started it, I felt the blame was on my shoulders too. Id carried it only, even if only briefly.

"Where to?" The driver asked. Kirstie turned to me, head tilted slightly in a questioning look.

I gave him my address and he nodded.

"Thanks, Pete," Kirstie said with a smile to the driver.

The car began to roll forwards, and Kirstie settled back in her seat. For a moment it was silent apart from the engine's hum.

"I kissed Scott," I blurted out suddenly.

She turned to me, smiling sympathetically.

"I guessed something like that had happened. "

"I'm so sorry, I know he's your boyfriend, we were just outside and then it happened, it was all so sudden," Kirstie nodded supportively, showing a surprising lack of desire to murder me.

"And a camera flash went off and then I ran," At this Kirstie's eyes widened.

"I had to tell you, its probably going to be in the papers or something tomorrow, oh gosh," I was heading towards getting a little hysterical now.

"It's ok, it really doesn't bother me," Kirstie leant over the empty middle seat to rest her head on my shoulder. She was impossibly lovely.

"You two have the weirdest relationship, you know?" I muttered, hoping this didn't cross some line that somehow hadn't already been crossed by me kissing her boyfriend.

"You don't know the half of it," She sighed. "But what you will be worrying about is what the papers are going to say tomorrow. I'll let Esther and Avi know," She smiled as she said their names, "And we'll see what they come up with, ok?"

I nodded slowly, and Kirstie pulled out her phone from a clutch bag. She sat up properly again and began to pull out the hairpins in her up-do with one hand as she scrolled through her contacts with the other. When she came to Avi (whose name had a seemingly unprofessional twinkly heart emoji next to it), she tapped to call him, shaking her now loose and wavy hair out.

"Hey Avi." She looked out the window, moonlight highlighting her dainty features, with a soft smile. There was something beautiful and intimate about the situation, and I almost felt like I was intruding. Which was weird, because I was running away from the guy I just kissed with his girlfriend, and she was calling his manager.

"I'm sorry its so late," Kirstie laughed at something said on the other end of the line, her face lighting up. I sat in total silence, not wanting to disturb her.

"So yeah, there's a bit of a situation. Scott kissed Mitch," She said with certainty, switching into a more professional mode. I was impressed, as I'd never told her who initiated the encounter. Maybe she was psychic.

"Yes, I know, but the issue is that there was a camera" She frowned at something Avi said.

"Mitch doesn't know who," She said, looking to me for confirmation, so I gave her a nod combined with a shrug, "But we all know theres lots of people who are very interested in the Scömìche story, so the photos are easy to sell."

Her face became contemplative as Avi spoke. After a minute had passed, she nodded, then remembering that she was on the phone, verbalised her agreement.

"Ok, I'll talk to him about it. I'll text you later. Bye," After repeating her farewell in response to Avi, Kirstie hung up the phone and turned to me.

"Is it really such a bad thing if the photos get out?" She asked me, trying to read my response. I was suprised.

"Well, yeah, because then Scott looks bad, because he's kind of cheating, and I ran away too..."

"If I promised you that Avi doesn't want to fight you, and told you that I honestly think you'd be helping both Scott and me, does that change anything?"

"How is this going to help you?"

"The fangirls are going to love it," She said with a smile, trying to change topic.

I raised an eyebrow. That didn't answer my question. Kirstie sighed.

"Honestly, that's for Scott to tell you, but I'd ask him in the morning. Give him time to sober up a bit, because he seemed a little out of it."

That seemed like fair advice.

We sat in comfortable sleepy silence for a while, and eventually the car pulled up outside the flats where I lived. Kirstie placed her hand on mine and gave it a light squeeze.

"Things will all get sorted out in the end, sometimes in the last way you expect." She sounded so wise despite her youth, and I was infinitely greatful to her.

"Thank you so much Kirstie, you're a literal angel," I told her, giving her a hug.

"See you soon, Mitch."

Kirstie waved as I got out of the car, giving a polite nod to the driver, and headed towards my flat, ridiculously ready to go to sleep.