Teenager Runway {Cole}

katherine

After a month following K on the two clubs she would gig for, I was already very familiar with all equipment and routines, as well as with K and her friends.

-"where is K?" - Simona, her best friend asked me.
-"she went to the ladies, she will be here soon?"
-"Have you eaten yet, Cole?"
-"Nope, after I finish putting things together I might grab something."
-"don't worry I will get burgers and fries for us, tell K I will be back soon with food."
-"OK, thanks Simona."
-"no worries pretty face." I blow her a kiss. She stick her tongue out to me making a funny face.

Simona and K are friends since primary school, I was told. Simona likes girls, her girlfriend Christy is a paramedic and when she is working nights Simona shows up on K's gigs to support K on whatever she asked her to do, normally that means sorting out food and drinks for us, K told me she would never trust Simona near the turning table.

-"K, Simona just showed up, she went to grab burgers for us..." I told K once she was back.
-"oh cool...I am so hungry, I forgot to have lunch today."
-"how can you forget to eat?"
-"I don't know, just forgot... hey, you already have finished putting all the equipment together, gosh you are getting faster than me."
-"please, make sure I did right, I don't want you to find out later when we start the Gig."
-"I will." - she said bending down to check all the cables. -"Cole..."
-"yep."
-"where do you live?"

I took a few seconds to think about what to answer, I didn't want to lie to her, but I didn't have an opinion, so far I have managed to avoid questions that gives me no choice but to lie.

-"the other side of the river in Hamsterton" - it was the place where my maternal grandparents used to live.

-"wow.. that is a long way from here. More than 1 hour on the train, no?"
-"u-hum"
-"who do you live there with?"
-"some friend."
-"is that a girlfriend?"
-"no"
-"OK. I sense you are not very comfortable talking about it..."
-"no, I am not." I said quite sharp, not that I meant to, but because I didn't want to add to my lies to K.
-"sorry Cole, it is not my business."
-"No K... I didn't mean to be rude, Sorry... it's just... since my Mom died I haven't really found a place for me..."
-"I understand..." she placed her hand on my shoulder and I saw on her eye a genuine empty for me, she really cares, and that was nice to feel.
-"Thank you!" I said.
-"it is ok... but the reason I brought this up, is because I was thinking, if you want to, you could stay over after the gigs, I have a spare room where you can crash for 2 or 3 nights so you have to get the train back every time. Only if you want of course."

I just stop everything I was doing to look at her, is she really offering me a place to stay, that would be better than sleeping in the cold gym, but I felt like too much to have from her, didn't feel right to accept. She is very generous, I realised that so far...

-"it is very kind of you K, but... I don't want to disturb your life, I don't want to be intrusive, make you and your family uncomfortable... I can't accept."

-"I said, only if you want to.... I live on my own anyway, and my place is quite big, you would disturb me at all, well as long as you don't decide to do a gig on my living room." She looked at me smiling, and I smiled back to her. "What do you say?"

-"I will think about, all right?"

-"Sure... hey, Simona is back with food... oh man I love you, Si... I am so hungry."

-"I love you too darling" Simona kissed K on the lips, hugging her sideways, they always great each other with a french kiss, I keep wondering if K is also gay, or if it is just a habit they have.

-"Hey pretty face, coming and joining us?" Simona call me.
-"I am coming." I was also very hungry.

-"I was just telling Cole, he could crash at my place after the gigs if he wants, so he doesn't have to travel back to his place so later in the night."

-"oh, that is a great idea. Are you staying?" Simona asked me.

-"I don't know, I don't want to take advantage of you generosity K, it doesn't feel right, you are already doing a lot for me."

-"don't be silly Cole, and if makes you feel better, I could use some help moving the equipment from my house to the car and back."

-"ok, I will give you an answer by the end of today."

-"is not my place to say, but you should really accept that, her place if very neat and cool. You would feel at home."

-"wow... Si... if I ever decide to turn my home into a boutique hotel I will get you to marketing it."

-"you know I would do it."

They carried on chatting between then, and I got lost on my thoughts about accepting or not K's offer. Before we finished Greg join us for a while, and soon it was time to start the show.

-"Cole, I am very happy with all the supporting you are giving K." Greg told me, putting his arm around my shoulder.
-"Thanks Greg, but she is the one helping me..."
-"well enjoy then, K is an amazing person."
-"I know."

After the gig I told K I would accept her offer, she was genuinely happy with my answer.

-"that is great Cole, you can stay tonight then." I wasn't expecting that, I thought she would want me to start the weekend after. She saw me arriving in my tracksuit and got changed there, so she knew I have enough to stay.

-"are you sure?"
-"I wouldn't asked is I wasn't. Let's go."

Simona was telling the truth, K's place was super cool. She had a big open plan living room, it looks more like a studio, she has all sorts of instruments, a piano, a cello, a drum set, a few guitars, a base... I was speechless. On an adjacent room, smaller one, she had like a proper acústico studio where all the equipment lives.

I carried most of the things back into that room, as she tidying up everything into their proper place.

-"thank you Cole I really appreciate your help."
-"well is the minimum I can do.."
-"you must be exhausted, let me show your room."

I follow her to a spacious room, it has it own suite, a big bed all nice and clean.

-"please make yourself at home, if you wake up before me, there is plenty to eat and drink in the kitchen, open the doors and explore to find whatever you like, don't wake me, deal?" She smiling.
-"deal!" I give her a hand shake, and she started walking away from the room.

-"K..."
-"yes..." she turned back to look at me.
-"what is your name?" She laughed a bit.
-"Katherine Alessandra Victoria Montseirra. K basically..."
-"it is a long and beautiful name."
-"too long... my parents loved giving us traditional royal names."
-"do you have siblings?"
-"yep... 5 brothers, all older than me, I was the baby of the house."
-"wow... it must have been hard to grow up with so many brothers."
-"It was a nightmare, but super fun at the same time, my brothers are very nice people, they used to be super protective over me, my poor boyfriends used to have a hard time..." - as she speaks her eyes bright up. -"do you have brothers or sisters, Cole?"
-"no, I am an only child. Are you still close to your brothers?"
-"oh yes. They call me all the time, to check on me. But, they respect my space now a days. Don't worry, none of them would show up here and kick you out, mind you, they would have done that 10 years ago. Anyway, I will let you sleep, I can see you are pretty tired, good night."
-"good night, and again thanks so much for everything you have been doing for me."
-"you are very welcome."

She walked way, and I only take my clothes off and crashed in the soft warm bed.