The List

Chapter 3

After I shut the door to my apartment and finally get back to the couch, Kyle starts bursting out laughing.

"What is your problem?" I raise my voice at him while also trying not to start laughing.

"I CANNOT believe that just happened. Oh my God! CROW FREAKING BRENNAN." He falls to the floor while wheezing.

"Stop it or you're gonna make me laugh!" I quietly snort out a laugh and fall on my side.

We both are too busy laughing that we don't hear the front door open.

"What the fuck are you two doing?" Penelope freezes in her tracks.

"Oh heyyyyy Pringles" Kyle's wheezing gets louder and starts to space out more.

"Pringles? What the hell Kyle? Get off the floor," She grabs his arm and drags him to his feet. "What are you two doing?"

I sit back up and try to catch my breath. "What is your problem today? You're killing the mood Pen."

She rolls her eyes and sits down beside me and opens Twitter on her phone. As Penny opens her DMs, Kyle sits down on the other side of her. She opens her DMs to Kevin Smart, Jake Miller's drummer and The Stolen's Bass Guitarist.

"Early this morning, I got a DM from Kev asking about you. It says, 'Hey, so this is totally weird but I saw that you were all over that Marianne girl's Twitter and I assumed you two were friends. It would be so dope if you could get her to DM me.'" Penny looks over at me and nods her head over at my phone. I realize what she's trying to say and pick up my phone. I reluctantly open twitter and DM Kevin.

Marianne: 'Kevin! My friend, Penelope told me about your DM! So, here I am, DMing you. What's up?'

I send the DM and set my phone down. I look over my shoulder and see Penny staring at where my phone was. I push her face away and stand up, not sure what to do.

Soon after Kyle and Penelope left, Kevin DMs me back. 'Dope! I'm so glad you DMed me! I'm in NY with Jake and the crew and It would be dope if you would maybe get lunch with me so we could.. talk.'

'Oh wow, that's really random but I have nothing else to do! When?' Instead of turning off my phone, I stare at the DMs waiting for a reply.

'Now? Starbucks on 53rd?'

'Sure! I'll be there in 10' I send the DM and hop off my couch and run into my bedroom to get ready. I kinda just throw on warm clothes considering this is New York City and do an okay job with my makeup. I don't want Kevin to think I'm a hoe because of my makeup. I then run out of my apartment, almost forgetting to lock my door.

The drive there is oddly fast for NYC but once I get there, I see Kev's tall figure talking to a shorter, Jake Miller. I fall out of my car, not at all gracefully but I assume at this point that Kevin and Jake aren't looking until I move my eyes up to Kevin, offering to help me up. I shyly give him my hand as he pulls me up from the concrete.

"You okay?" Kevin looks me up and down, making sure that I'm not hurt anywhere.

"Yeah. I'm fine thanks. Sorry about the terrible first impression though." I let out a laugh and smile at him.

"No that's fine. The list being leaked was my first impression of you." He pauses then his jaw practically drops to the ground. "oh my God I am so sorry. That is not what I meant."

"Hey Kevin it's fine, I swear. "I laugh and start to walk inside with Kevin and Jake following. Once we get inside I realize that the whole crew is here so I dart my eyes away as Jake walks over to them and Kev stands beside me the whole time.

After ordering our drinks, Kevin and I sit at a separate table than everyone else.

"So it'd be so dope if I could maybe get to know you as more than List Girl." He looks down, pauses, then looks back up. "Oh my God I did it again."

I notice how awkward he gets around me and nervous he is trying to talk so I shake it off. "It's fine, I understand. What do you want to know?"

"Just about you, I guess." He smiles at me, anxious to get to know me.

"Well you probably already know that my name is Marianne but I usually go by Mary or Annie, depending on the person. I grew up in Michigan but moved here for college. I haven't talked to my real dad since I was five but my stepdad adopted me, out of my request when I was 12. My older sister lost her mind and moved to Germany and my little brother is a senior in highschool." I continue to tell him about me and my life as he does the same. We sit there for what feels like hours but once he hugs me goodbye, I wished I had more time to just talk to him.