Right in Front of You

37. Mrs. Robinson

Kay had to admit that as shallow as it sounded, one of her favorite things about hanging out with Kyle was becoming an Uncaged girl.

The moment word was out that Kyle and Cecily had broken up, Sonia had hurried to congratulate Kay and welcome her as the third and final member of the band girls.

The status came with great perks. For one, she got to attend band rehearsals. It didn't seem so from the outside, seeing as they didn't hang out at school, but the band were a small, loving family. Even Vincent, who'd seemed so weird, was warm and friendly.

Kay had been fascinated to see them at work. She and Kelly would sit on the sideline while the band members argued over their next song. Then Sonia would start to randomly bang the table or her chair or the floor with something and give everyone a rhythm. Then they'd all start chipping in, suggesting different ways it could go. Except for Dustin who just wrote everything down, like a secretary. Or so Kay had thought at first. It turned out Dustin was actually writing his own part of the music, ignoring everyone else.

What shocked Kay most, however, was Kyle. Joey joked and said he had lyric superpower, but that was actually true. After they agreed on the theme and the instrumental part, they'd start playing and Kyle would just churn out lyrics. And not the let's-try-this-and-see-where-it-goes type. The entire-song-at-once type. And someone had to write it down because he couldn't do it twice without seriously altering it. Then, they'd all suggest changes. If they had any. They almost never did.

The other great thing about being an Uncaged girl was front row seats at every concert. And after New Year's, the requests kept pouring in.

Kay suddenly had a ton of wholesome school friends who she went to study with so that her parents wouldn't ground her for spending time with the band. She wasn't sure how long the lie would last, but every time, one concert longer was enough.

Seeing the band play up close was amazing. She loved it when Kyle smiled or winked at her and all the girls in the audience would swoon and claim it was directed at them. But Kay knew the truth. Sure, it wasn't as obvious as Joey's dedications to Kelly or him pulling her on stage occasionally, but there were little things.

Like how when they would sing covers, Kyle would sing her favorite tunes. Or how he'd ask her which of their songs she wanted to hear next. Kay felt like a superstar. And the best part of it was that she could enjoy all this and stay anonymous. She would've been embarrassed in Kelly's stead.

Even now, as she waited for the band to come back on stage, Kay let out a happy sigh. Uncaged's latest gig was in an exclusive bar that looked more like a cabaret than anything. There was no light except from the reddish lamps on every table and the neon contour of the bar, and there were actually high tables and stools. People sat down to listen instead of jumping up and down in front of the stage. That didn't stop the fans. The place was packed even if they had to pay to get in.

"What?" Kelly asked from next to her.

"Nothing. I'm just happy," Kay answered.

Kelly smiled weakly. "I'm really glad to hear that. But I know what would make you even happier."

"What?" Kay asked surprised.

Kelly nodded towards the stage. "Kyle."

Kay fought the impulse to roll her eyes. "He's already a pretty big part of why I'm happy."

"God, why can't you see it?" Kelly slammed her palm on the table, making Kay jump.

"See what? And why are you so angry?"

To Kay's shock, Kelly's eyes filled with tears. "The way he looks at you. Not even Joey looks at me like that. He loves you, Kay. And you're just stupidly being friends when you could be together, truly happy."