All frat parties are somehow the same. It's the same shitty music, the same shitty beer, and the same shitty standard-issue-frat-guys™. Trade the yard and the band and this easily could have been the party I met Kaden at a few weeks back. The only main difference is that the firepit here seems a lot more poppin'. Probably because it's about twenty degrees cooler than it was a month or so ago.
Even when it gets cold here, it doesn't get cold like Maine. We're located just on the south side of the equator, here. The coldest it gets in winter is around forty-six degrees on a rough day. But when you live somewhere like this for any length of time, you acclimate to their temperatures. Hence all the people hovering around the firepit like it's below freezing.
We walk in together, but once we're just inside the gate of the back yard, Kaden gives me a playful smack on the ass. "Go make me proud."
I roll my eyes. "No problem, Coach."
Brandt and Kaden slip off to the fire pit, while I choose the kegs and frat guys. I give the guy standing beside the kiddie-pool full of kegs a five and he hands me a fresh cup right out of the bag, which I appreciate, before pouring me a glass.
"Thank you, what's your name?"
His smile is white, wide, and all-american. "Brett."
"Hi, I'm Vale," I tell him, flashing a coy smile and tilting my head to the side.
"Yeah, I–" he huffs a small breathy laugh before catching himself, "I know who you are."
"Oh? And what have you heard about me, Brett?"
"All good things, I promise." Suddenly Brett looks more than a bit shy as he said that. Is he turning my game back on me? What's the play here?
I walk around to the other side of the keg and stand next to Brett, crossing one leg in front of the other. "You guys have a nice turnout tonight. Who's the band?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. I think they're new around here. Deadly Nightshade, I think." I scrunch my face, trying to remember if I've heard the name before. I haven't. I stand watching them play a few songs and they're really good.
They're an all girl ensemble, and I don't recognize any of them from school, which I would normally assume means that they're townies, but I hadn't met Kaden until this year and he's basically the God of everything Brentwood, so it's possible I could have missed them. Or, maybe they're new in town. Or from out of town."
The lead singer has a perfectly cut a-line with chunky nineties highlights that I really like. It's a bass heavy rock-style band, but the sound is definitely uniquely theirs, and I'm a fan. I'll have to see if I can get an album for the radio.
I'm still watching the band and I don't realize a familiar face beside me, snaking a hand around my hips and pulling me to his side. It's Brad/Chad/Thad? I think his name was Brad. I'm going for it.
"Hey Brad," I say, giving him a suggestive glance. "How are you doing?"
"Better now that I found you, gorgeous."
God, that is so unoriginal. "Happy to see you, too. You looking for something tonight? Or are you just hanging out, having a good time?"
I take a sip of my beer while I wait for him to respond, giving him some breathing room in the conversation is a good trick I've learned. If you let them, Guys like this do all the work and I just have to pretend the care about what they're saying.
"I'm good, but I have a buddy that is interested, for sure. I'll have to bring him over in a few minutes." I nod at him, and the guy to my left, Mr. all-american smile, leans in.
"I want three, if you've got them. I want to make sure and do it when Kaden isn't around. That guy will kick my ass."
I chuckle at the very real fear in his voice. "Yeah, he's threatened me, too. He's all bark, though." I reach into my bra pulling out three pills, putting them inside another small bag and hand them over to my new friend.
"I don't think so, Vale. The guy is dangerous when he wants to be. He probably wouldn't hurt you because," he gestures a hand up and down my body, "well, you're you."
I wish I could tell him he'll be fine, but I still think that my method of leaving Kaden and I unconnected is the best way for us to deal. I'm going to stay the course, for now at least.
"That'll be ninety." I put my palm up and let him put the money in my hand before tucking it into my bra. I don't miss the way his eyes trail down my neck to my chest at the motion. I guess I can't blame the guy, I mean my hand is basically feeling up my own tits. Maybe I should get a fanny pack.
Brad wanders off, telling me that he'll find me in a little bit, and I wander toward the crowd, scoping out the band. I think their stage presence is phenomenal for our age. The crowd is definitely vibing on them, but they don't seem as enthralled as they've been watching Black Canvas, but that is also because they're new whereas Black Canvas has been working the scene for a couple of years, and working it well.
I enjoy the set completely. Some of their songs are a little dirtier, like some earlier Nirvana, but with a softer, deeper voice from their lead singer. Some of the others are like newer Manson, but without the electronic additions. The girl they have doing back-up vocals is completely tone-deaf. That's really my only critique of them.
When they set wraps up, I wander toward the open area they were playing in, while the rest of the crowd wanders off to other activities.
"Hey. You guys had a great set," I say to the two girls closest to me while they start packing up their gear.
"Uh, thanks." The singer says, hardly sending a glance in my direction. The guitarist is nicer.
"Yeah, we appreciate your support. We're still figuring out our sound, but I think we're on our way."
I raise my eyes in surprise. "I'd say you've figured out your sound pretty well. You could do with a keyboardist, but otherwise I thought you guys were killer. Do you have a CD or anything? I work at the campus radiostation, and I could play your stuff during our locals hour, as long as you're local.
She nods, letting her lips spread into a warm smile. "We are local. I'm Josie," she says, reaching out her hand to shake mine.
"Like the pussycat?" She laughs, a full hearty laugh like it was the funniest thing she's ever heard. Her, I like.
"Yeah, just like the pussycat. What's your name?"
I smile, suddenly remembering my manners. "I'm Vale. Vale Clarke."
"It's nice to meet you, Vale," she says, leaning down to lock her guitar into it's hard case covered in band stickers, "We actually don't have an album recorded yet. We're not really set up for it. I agree with you on the keyboardist, though."
I chew the inside of my cheek a moment and she looks at me in confusion. The look on her face tells me she's waiting for me to spit out what I'm holding in.
"Ok, so I might be in a position to help you with both of those things. I don't know any of you, and you don't know me, but I have a full recording setup."
The singer stops and leans her head in at this point, obviously catching what i justsaid. "Sorry, I'm Rue."
"That's an interesting name."
She scrunches her nose as though I offended her, but I was being ernest. She does have an interesting name. She crosses her arms and shoots back, "Your name is Vale."
I shrug a shoulder, "True. So do you guys wanna record in my basement? I have a set of drums. I'm not sure if it's the same setup your drummer has, but I have some. Amps too. You'd need to bring your guitars, but that's about it.
A smile spread across both of their faces as they met eye to eye. "Let's try to do this in a couple of weeks, sound good?"
I agreed and we exchanged numbers. I felt an odd excitement well within me. I was excited to help them, of ourse. I loved music, and if I can help my fellow women, that's all the better. No one talks about how the rock industry is so male dominated, but it is. We women gotta stick together.
I haven't decided yet if I'm going to show them my piano skills. Trying to give time to a band might interfere with my selling, but on the flip side it would be nice to feel like I was creating something for society as opposed to destroying it, which is where we all know the path of vice leads.
I'm walking away from the stage when I run into Brad. "Hey, my friends are back behind the garage and they want to buy from you.
I shrug and offer him a sexy smirk, "Sure. Lead the way."