Midnight Heat - Josh Kiszka

Chapter 2

A/N:
Hi everyone! Please let me know if you like this or if you see any errors. This is a new writing style for me and I'm trying my best. tysm

The sun finally set, and the cars started pulling in. The front half of Annie's lawn was covered with the cars of townsfolk that she either knew or knew of. They all waved at her as they took in the scene. Annie smiled and waved back. They truly didn't know what went through her mind. They didn't know that this event truly did back bad memories, but created good ones in the process. That was a good enough excuse for her to relive her trauma.

Hay bales littered the back 2 acres of her land. They were going to be used as seats. Luckily, she didn't have to pay for them as she had asked Pops to bush hog and bale her property for her. The kind, old man agreed as always.

He tended to Annie ever since the accident. He must have known that Sam was all Annie had in this town. She'd moved here with him when he was offered a new position in his company. It just so happened the home her grandfather had left her was only 30 minutes via interstate to his new office.

Annie sat on her porch swing cross-legged thinking about how she should know these people. Not only has she lived here for five years, but she grew up to the age of 10 in this small town, only to move away when her parents divorced. The faces of the strangers seemed familiar, or maybe it was that she'd just seen them over and over again.

Gracie trotted up the porch stairs and sat next to Annie on the swing. "Nervous?" Gracie asked.

"Yeah." Annie sighed. "I'm done being lonely. Tonight is the night it happens."

Gracie leaned her head on Annie's shoulder. "You've been alone far too long. It's not good for your mental facilities."

"Mental facilities" Annie scoffed "who needs those?"

"You know what I mean." Gracie said firmly. "It's not good for you, the most outgoing introvert I've ever met, to be trapped in a rut of -go to work- go home- go to work- with nobody to share your life with. You're the most monogamous person I've met and the fact that you have been single since then is astounding."

Annie untangled her legs from underneath her and rested them on Grace's lap.

LATER THAT HOUR

Annie and her Gracie laid on the porch swing together, laughing about their past. Annie ignored the feeling of existential dread of this day and what it meant for her.

Annie's legs were propelled foreword as Grace shot up. "They're here!" Grace proclaimed.

Annie gazed into the field. She spotted "them". A tan and grey bus was pulling into the grass ever so carefully. Nobody got out of the bus, however.

"Who?" Annie asked.

Grace ignored her best friend and took off in a sprint toward the bus. Annie didn't feel like running so she stayed put on the swing. She watched as the tall, blonde girl almost fell running to the bus. Annie giggled and remained watching.

As Grace arrived to the bus, Annie watched as she knocked on the door. The door opened just a second or so later and Grace climbed the stairs. Annie wondered who or what was in that bus that Grace was so excited for. Annie decided she'd investigate. She stood up and headed toward the bus, each step more careful than the last one to prevent her bare feet from stepping on a pebble.

When she reached the bus, she heard laughing from deep voices, followed by a cackle from Grace. She smiled. Annie took a deep breath and knocked on the bus door. She was nervous, but why?

Grace opened the door. "Hey. Come in." Grace fanned her hand toward her body, motioning for Annie to follow. Annie climbed the three small stairs into the bus. It was dark, but not to where she couldn't see. The small sitting area to her left was illuminated by five or six overhead lamps, probably on their dimmest setting, with the curtains drawn. Sitting on the two couches were four boys, most of them looking oddly similar. Twins, she guessed. Grace sat next to the dark haired boy. His curls were perfect. She grabbed the end of her hair ever so slightly. She wondered why some people were so naturally gifted with curly hair. On second glance, there was another curly haired boy. A mullet.

Annie's gut wrenched. Sam had a mullet. She hadn't actually seen anyone sport a mullet since her lovers death.

"Annie, this is Josh, Jake, Sam, and Danny. Grace said motioning in a circular fashion. "They'll be our entertainment for the next three nights." Grace shot Annie a sly look. She knew what she was thinking.

She presumed that the ones named Josh and Jake were the twins. They could be triplets. Sam looked almost identical to the pair.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Annie said with a small wave.

"Same to you." The one named Danny smiled and offered his hand. Annie surprisingly shook it.

The other boys all mumbled. They seemed tired. Or...maybe hungover. Annie couldn't tell. She hadn't ever been hungover herself so she always assumed people who were probably hungover were exhausted, like herself.

The mullet-boy patted the empty spot to his right. "We won't bite. Have a seat."

Annie recoiled to herself. She expected meeting people would go more smoothly, but her social anxiety was obviously preventing the effortless facade she wanted to fabricate. She sat down and crossed her legs, attempting to take up as little room as possible. Grace was sat on the couch accords from her, legs also crossed, but Grace was more extroverted. She didn't care if her presence was known. Grace bounced her top leg and caught Annie's attention by striking her foot with her own. Annie glanced up, not realizing she was looking at the floor. Grace gave her the look of sadness and disappointment only Grace could give her.

Annie straightened her posture and looked around. "I really appreciate you guys being our entertainment. But um...what do you do?"

The boys and Grace all laughed. "Annie, remember that song that you fell in love with three years ago? The one that-" she halted her sentence.

"Oh. Yeah?" Annie was confused.

"That's their song. They're a really popular band." Grace finally clued her in.

Annie's face got hot. She knew it must have been red with embarrassment.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I've haven't really listened to any songs but that one for quite some time." Annie said sheepishly.

"Like at all or just of ours?" The one named Jake questioned.

"At all." Grace answered.