Star Shines In Her Eye

The Note

     We burst through the doors of the Kiszka Home. This has always been my second home. There is a coziness and familiarity that makes me feel warm and smile deeply from within my heart. Danny shot up from the couch and ran over to us. He's the tallest of the boys and he immediately picked me up and swung me around. He planted my feet on the ground and held me by the shoulders to look at my face. He has always been the most genuine human and he makes me feel connected to his soul when he looks into my eyes. "Damn it is so good to see you, Leah. I'm so excited you're joining us!" Danny says sweetly, hugging me again. "Right back at you, stud! How do you look even better than when I last saw you?!"
     As I set my bag down, I'm tackled from the side by a shorter boy with long hair. "Jesus Fuck, Jake!!" I yell, playfully pushing Jake off. "Lookin' like a smoke show and a half, Kazmierski!" Jake says in his raspy voice, calling me by my last name. "Thank you, Jacob, you look mighty fine yourself, might I say? May I have this dance?" "Certainly, m'lady. Samuel, play that funky Polka, white boy" Jake swings me around as we do our Polish folk dancing our grandparents taught us when we were much younger. We fall to the ground laughing as the other boys roll their eyes at us. We've all done weird little bits to make each other laugh our entire lives.
     I sit up to see Josh standing in the doorway pretending to play it cool. "Hey there, partner" Josh says with a fake twang. "Howdy, Joshy boy" mimicking his accent, still laughing with Jake. There's a tension between the two of us that I hope no one else can sense. Josh walks over and takes my hands to help me up. Hopping up, I hug him tightly around his neck "Good to see you, J." I push his shoulder playfully and say "If you don't give me back my leather fringe vest I'm going to kick your ass." I say, trying to cut the tension. Sam yells "DO IT!!" We all laugh as Josh submits and turns to go grab it from his room.
     I thrifted the vest last summer while visiting the boys on tour in Texas. Josh loved it immediately and wore it for the show they had that day. He conveniently forgot to give it back to me and we've been in a text war about it ever since. He handed me the vest and I stroked it lovingly "My precious!" I growled. The boys laughed as I slipped it over my shoulders, completing the look. "Looks better on you, Kaz." Jake said punching his twin in the arm. We sat around for a bit, drinking beer and catching up on the last couple of months apart.
     The boys had a show at DTE which was about an hour south, right outside of Detroit. We headed there as one big team on the tour bus. The boys had only just gotten back home from Australia the week before but they are always excited to play a show in Detroit. As we all sat on the tour bus I noticed there was something in the small leather pocket on the inside of the vest that Josh gave back to me. I looked at Josh and he motioned for me to wait. I obliged and tried to ignore whatever it was but it was taking over my brain and I couldn't concentrate on the conversation. I excused myself to the bathroom and pulled a small note out of the little suede pocket. I unfolded the note and read the short message to myself. "Meet me at the mouth of the woods after the show and festivities tonight -J" I folded the note back up and placed it in my back pocket, making sure I didn't lose it. I've always saved things like this and this felt like the most important thing to save. The note sent a shiver down my spine but his wording also made me giggle. Such a strange human, a strange human that I so badly want to climb like a tree.
     We arrived at DTE and I headed out while the boys stayed back to do their pre-show chat and to finish getting ready to go on. I snapped several photos of the stage just to make sure I was happy with the angles and lighting I would be working with. The boys did their sound check and I could not stop staring at Josh. He was wearing my favorite performance outfit and it felt like he knew. He had on black leather pants and a cropped black vest that exposed his tanned bare chest and stomach. As he did vocal warm ups the feathers in his dark curls swayed by his neck. I suddenly realized I had been staring too long and began taking photos of the band as they tuned and jammed out a bit.
     It was a perfect night and the boys did an extra long set, by the time they finished it was almost midnight. I snapped photos as they came off stage looking sweaty and pleased with themselves. "Incredible show, m'boys!" I shouted to them. Sammy chased me with arms stretched out wide trying to give me a sweaty hug, I screamed trying to escape his grasp. We made our way back out to the bus where the boys sat and discussed the show while I took a few black and white photos, their hot cheeks showing through the filter. Josh stood up and grabbed a bottle of tequila and poured shots for all of us "A TOAST! To our first show back home in over a year, to no one falling on stage and to Kaz for finally being an official member of the GVF family!" We all took the shot and I grimaced at the sharp taste. Within 15 minutes of the drive we were all drinking and celebrating the official month long break before their next leg of the tour.
     I gave all of the boys big hugs before hopping off the bus to run home. Josh whispered "Don't forget" into my ear before letting me go from our hug. It would have been easier to text me and make plans to meet but he was a strange, romantic man who did not like using his phone. I walked inside of my big empty childhood farmhouse, my parents were out of town, visiting my grandparents in the UP. They assured my they would be home soon and that they missed me terribly. I ran upstairs and put leggings on with a large vintage UMich crew neck sweatshirt that my mom got when she was a student. Sammy spilled Jack on my Birks so I rinsed those off and set them aside to dry. I decided I would meet Josh barefoot, I wanted to feel the grass under my feet. My head was still spinning from our brief drinking binge and I was worried about not being able to stop myself from kissing Josh.
     I headed towards the back of my families property where there was a line of woods that extended to the Kiszka's plot of land. I passed the little sign we painted as kids that said 'Now Entering Kiszmierski Territory.' We all would run around where our properties met, as kids. Playing Lord of the Rings adventure games, sword fighting and digging up worms. I could see Josh's silhouette in the moonlight, it was almost eerie but familiar. I skipped up to him, playfully, singing 'Dancing in the Moonlight' by King Harvest as I approached him. He grabbed me by the hips, slipping his hands under my sweatshirt, holding onto my bare waist with his cold hands, kissing me hard on my lips. I guess I didn't have to worry anymore.