She's Only Seventeen: A Novel of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll by K. M. Ellis

Kat…”
    “Tom’s not stupid; he won’t say a word, no matter how angry he may be at me.”
    Shane shrugged, “he won’t stay mad at you forever,” he consoled.
    I sniffed a little, holding back fresh tears, “I think he hates me,” I said softly.
    “He doesn’t hate you,” Shane said, folding me into his arms.
    I leaned into him; he was all I had now.
    James
    August 1985
    “Kat’s not coming today,” Tom told us.
    “Why?” Ian asked
    “I don’t want her here, were taking a break from each other,” he responded.
    “So we don’t have a singer anymore is what you’re saying?” I asked
    “No… I… it’s just a break, she has had a lot go on.”
    Ian and I both looked at each other, both thinking the same thing, they had gotten into a fight.
    After practice I went to see Kat. She answered the door and brought me in to Shane and her house with a smile.
    “Shane out?” I asked
    “Practice” she sighed.
    “Speaking of practice, why were you not there today?”
    She laughed, “Tom didn’t tell you?”
    I raised my brows in confusion, “No, he just said you needed a break.”
    “He kicked me out the other day.”
    “What?!” I asked, surprised at the response.
    “Yeah,” she sighed softly.
    “So that’s it?”
    “That’s it.”
    “Kat, he said it was just a break that means he still wants you there.”
    “Possibly,” she answered in a low voice as she straightened one of Shane’s guitars on its stand.
    “Cheer up, Kat, Ian and I will keep asking about you and soon enough he will forgive you or let you back in or whatever he’s pissed about, I don’t really want to know.”
    “It’s cause he wants me,” she said smiling to herself, “He wants me and he’s just now figuring it out that he fucked up.”
    “I think you both fucked up,”
    The smile fell from her face as if it had been smacked off, “I think so too sometimes,” she said with seriousness in her voice.
    I stood up, “anyhow, like I said, Ian and I we will do whatever it takes to get you back in there, threaten to quit, whatever works.”
    She giggled, “Thanks, James” she added while giving me a hug.
    She felt warm and inviting, I let go of her instantly.
    “I’ll call you, Kat… or stop by…okay?”
    “Okay,” she said waving good bye to me as I went out the door.
    Drew
    September 1985
    Kat was gone. Well technically she was but she was gone from the intimate part of my life, I still was forced to see her all the fucking time. I hated myself for it. I put my thoughts and energy into Tammy, who I found made an excellent companion for myself. She soothed me and I asked her to stay with me in New York, which she gladly accepted. Kat and I began to make a sort of peace between us over the next few months, which worked out great because she actually really liked Tammy. Well it would have been great with the exception that I was still in love with Kat. Seeing her with Shane was hurtful, but they were happy. Actually I had never seen Kat so happy, and it hurt more than I would ever let anyone know.
    Shane
    September 1985
    “That’s everything”, Kat said putting the last box down.
    “Finally,” I responded, wiping sweat from my forehead.
    I looked around, “I think we’re gonna have to get a bigger place, Kat.”
    “I was hoping you would say that,” she purred as she hopped over to one box and pulled out a small, ugly locked box.
    “What the hell is that?” I asked her.
    She turned and smiled.
    “You know how I turned eighteen last year, right? Well I may have inherited a shit ton of money from Mr. Pete Crowne.”
    She fumbled around.
    “How much are we talking Kat?” I asked, peaking over her shoulder.
    She smiled and showed me the document she was holding.
    “Holy fuckin’ shit Kat.”
    “Aren’t you happy?” she asked, sounding concerned.
    “Kat…that’s a lot of money, what are we going to do with it all?”
    She encircled her arms around my neck, “Well, let’s start with buying a