Missed Me, Missed Me, Now You Gotta Kiss Me

Pete's

    I just stared.

  "What?" he finally asked, clearly exasperated.

  "Dude....is that even a band?"

  "No," he said. "It's a person."

  "And there lies the problem! God, why do country artists think they're so above having a freaking band?"

  "What are you talking about?" Liam muttered, loading another hay bale in the trailer.

  "Name one country band."

  I was supposed to be helping Liam in his hay escapade. He had to go to some other person's field to load some needed hay bales. So far, I'd just followed Liam around the field, occasionally having the move the truck around.

  Liam was quiet and for a minute I thought he was ignoring me-I was being fairly annoying, I realized. "Rascal Flats."

  I must have been slow that day as well, because it took me a minute to realize this was his band. "If you're calling that music, than no wonder you're out in the sticks."

  "I ain't out in the sticks," he muttered defensively, loading yet another bale. Maybe the reason I wasn't helping was because I just wanted to watch him. He was like the Hulk! While he didn't look buffed-muscled, yes, but not insane or even noticeable unless he wore short sleeves-he could haul some freaking hay. It was just fascinating.

  I looked around me. While appearances could be deceiving-I had learned-wherever  we were, the field was huge and green with a yellow house not too far off. The trip here, however, entailed the view of a crazy snake road, hillbilly houses-one stories with a bunch of cars in their "driveways"-and a huge, murky looking pond. Aka, out in the sticks. I didn't argue, though. Lord knew Liam was just as stubborn as me, if not more so.

  "Okay, what about Three Days Grace?" I asked. I was totally name dropping, testing Liam's knowledge of music. So far, he was in dire need of some Music Education 101.

  "What?" Liam grunted in annoyance as he lifted another hay bale. I watched his arms muscles bunch in amazement.

  "It's a rock band."

  "Never heard of 'um."

  "What?!" This was like blasphemy to me. Three Days Grace was my all time favorite band. Adam's voice just gave me the chills. Seriously. He was smexy. "Dude, if you're going to college, you're gonna hafta know who Three Days Grace are."

  He blew his shaggy hair out of his nose. He kept saying he needed to cut it, but I always yelled at him when he did. While, yes, it was a little shaggy, it wasn't even passed his ears, just his bangs were getting it his face. I told him it didn't matter; he was always wearing some kind of hat, be it a cowboy hat or a worn out baseball cap.

  "Okay," he said now, leaning against the trailer. He was panting a little bit and I could tell he was trying to hide that he was a little winded. Playing tough guy in front of me. "How 'bout you?"

  "How bout me what?"

  "What country singers do you know?"

  I smiled deviously. "'Sides Taylor Swift?"

  "Your country accent's horrible."

  I shrugged. "Thank you."

  "No, seriously. One you know and like."

  I made a face. "I hate country music, especially girls."

  "Yes, well, I agree with you on the women country singers."