Suburban Blues // Billy Hargrove

VI - change of plan

Kat brushed the beads of sweat that lined her forehead away as the band played their last song. It was pretty packed in the place, almost sold out in fact. She wished they had some form of air conditioning however as she felt like she was stuck in a sauna.

"Weren't they like super good?" Crystal asked nudging Kat.

She gave a nod in return but felt like it was a redundant question, of course they were good; it was the whole reason the room was filled all the way to the back and why Kat had fallen for Jacob to begin with, he was talented.

"Coming?" Crystal asked while motioning to the door that led to the backstage area.

"I'm gonna get a drink first" She replied.

As much as she wanted to run up and give Jacob a massive congratulatory hug, she was dying for some hydration and she still felt weird about his attitude towards her before soundcheck. He didn't really apologise nor did he really acknowledge it, he got on with his prep for the show and she figured they would talk it out and get back to normal once it was over.

She leaned against the cold railing of the bar thankful for the short relief from the heat as she waited for the bartender to serve her. Everyone else seemed to be in the same boat, all trying to get the attention of someone to take their order.

She tried to zone out and observe the drinks on the wall to take her mind off how parched she was until she felt a sharp slap on her behind. She could still see Jacob on stage sorting instruments so she knew whoever had just felt her up wasn't her boyfriend.

"Hey sexy, wanna come home with me?" A drunken brunette asked.

"What the fuck?!" She exclaimed while pushing him away.

"Bitch" He muttered before returning to talk to his friend.

She felt disgusted by his actions and ditched trying to get a drink altogether deciding she'd rather get away from all the drunken bodies. She pushed through the wave of people trying to not get upset at just being groped by a complete stranger who was probably twice her age.

She was dying to get to the party and drink away all the bad memories from the day and let loose. Jacob's crowds were busy but they were filled with sleazy older guys, at least at the party it would be people her own age that she somewhat knew by now.

She walked through backstage and found Jacob's band members who were all conversing with one another with some drinks in hand, they didn't pay much attention to her and she didn't engage in any conversation as they tended to keep to themselves, she figured they wanted to keep up their cool band persona instead of trying to get to know her.

Her eyes fell on Jacob and Crystal sitting suspiciously close in the corner laughing away at something which only fuelled her anger. She just got felt up out there and was on the verge of tears and here they both were giggling and playfully hitting one another.

"What's funny?" She asked walking over to them.

"Oh uh.. it's nothing" Crystal dismissed.

Kat made a statement in the way she sat herself on Jacob's lap; a one up to her dangerously close position next to him on the couch. She could see a flicker of annoyance flash through Crystal's eyes, despite it being brief she knew it was there even if she tried to hide it.

"So uh I have some bad news" Jacob said.

Crystal excused herself to go talk to the other band members predicting an argument was about to break out.

"What?" Kat asked wondering what could possibly happen to make her night worse.

"I can't stay for the party, we gotta get back on the road tonight" He explained.