Girl With Guitar by Caisey Quinn

stage.
    When Trace was on, when he really gave it his all, it was like no concert she’d ever been to. Kind of like jumping on a runaway freight train driven by a conductor with Attention Deficit Disorder.
    She watched as he gave a melodramatic little spiel about a new song he was nervous to try and pleaded with the audience to bear with him. Then he began playing the piano and belting out a popular boy band song, poorly mimicking the high notes on purpose. Kylie laughed in spite of herself. Next he sang one of his own hits, followed by a cover of an Adele song that nearly blew her and the entire audience out of their seats.
    Damn, the boy could sing. And Lord, those jeans. Oh no. She was becoming a Trace Corbin fangirl. She could feel it happening and she was powerless to stop it.
    She was busy mentally punching herself in the face repeatedly when she saw Trace’s little sister making her way over, his older sister not far behind.
    “Kylie!” Rae squealed, hugging her like they were old friends. It made her miss Lulu even more than usual.
    She barely had time to respond before the girl launched into a complicated story about how she’d seen The Rum Room video online and how she’d shown all of her friends. The girl barely took a breath. Cheerleader , Kylie thought. Definitely a cheerleader . Not that she didn’t enjoy the high-spirited girl’s open kindness. But if they’d gone to high school together, Kylie knew they certainly wouldn’t have run in the same circles.
    “So you’re coming tonight, right?” Rae asked, catching her off guard. “To the party?”
    “Way to put her on the spot, Rae,” Claire Ann said, shooting Kylie an apologetic smile.
    “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I am.” Rae’s answering smile was so big and open, Kylie smiled back. She knew the girl was probably only a year or two younger than her, but she felt like they were at least a decade apart.
    “With Trace? Like, as his date?” Rae pressed.
    “Rae,” her sister warned.
    “I was just asking,” the younger girl said, a gleam twinkling in her eye.
    Kylie fought off a smile. “He just asked if I’d come. I said I would.” There. That was the truth.
    “Cool. I’m so excited! I can’t wait to tell all of my friends and oh, you’ll get to meet some of them! But ignore Deidre. She’s got issues about Trace but he’s never really—”
    “That’s enough, Rae. Keep talking and she won’t come,” Claire Ann interrupted, practically dragging the younger girl away.
    “See you tonight, Kylie! Great show by the way!” Rae called out as she was pulled onto the dance floor.
    She just smiled and shook her head. A loud cough from beside her reminded Kylie that Pauly was still sitting in the booth with her. “So, you’re going to a party with Trace? You sure that’s a good idea?” he asked. But Kylie heard what he wasn’t saying. Do not go to a party with Trace. It’s not a good idea.
    “Um, yeah. I guess so. I told him I would.”
    Pauly shifted in his seat and leaned closer to her. For a minute he didn’t say anything as they both watched Trace on stage. He was singing a love song to some girl he’d pulled up on stage. It was Kylie’s favorite song of his. Goodbye in Your Eyes . Reminded her of her dad. The last time she’d seen him.
    She’d been eating breakfast at the kitchen table the morning he’d gone to work for the last time. The night before she’d had an argument with Darla that he’d tried to settle to keep the peace. She couldn’t even remember what the fight was about, but she felt like he’d taken Darla’s side and she’d told him so. Just before she’d slammed her bedroom door in his face.
    That morning she ignored him because she was still hurting. Before he left for work he stopped, leaned down over her shoulder, and whispered, “You know you’ll always be my best girl,” in her ear before he kissed her on the top of the head and left. Forever.
    Words she should’ve said were still jammed in her throat.