Kiara's fingers drummed against her thighs rapidly until she jumped, feeling cold fingertips closing over hers. She looked over to find Mila frowning at her, her brows knitted deep in thought and the edges of her mouth slightly pointing downwards. Other than that, she looked beautiful with her hair curled to perfection cascading down her back, her thigh high black boots, her fishnet leggings pressed against her skin under the pleather miniskirt, a graphic patterned crop top sweater, faux black leather jacket, black nails, and dark make up. She looked like she belonged in the scene they were heading to.
Kiara on the other hand felt severely underdressed. She glanced down at her outfit and grimaced, I look like I threw something on in a hurry because the dog needed to pee.
"This is why, I always ask you to call me first before you put an outfit together," Mila chided as she saw the expression on Kiara's face.
"It's a gig! I wanted to be comfortable," she grumbled as she looked at her feet. She had on her black trusty Chelsea boots, the ones that she knew she could stand, walk, even run in if needed. Black ripped at the knee's skinny jeans, a long sleeved grey coloured t-shirt that was tucked in, a thin rose gold leather belt, with a warm black satin lined trench coat. She decided to endure Mrs. Jones wrath the next day with a bright neon pink painted on her nails and stacking some of her favourite bracelets on her left hand. She kept her makeup simple and her hair in an elaborate braid down her back, as she took into account how hot the venue would be with so many bodies crammed into a bar.
Hearing the name of their stop over the subway intercom, Kiara adjusted her grey backpack on her shoulders as she walked towards the door. Pushing up her glasses on her nose, she walked out of the train with a sigh.
"Mila, I think I'll just head home," Kiara said dejectedly. "I mean I've been working with Emre for weeks and he hasn't invited me to any of his gigs. Plus, I know I will look totally out of place there. You go, I'll see you Monday," Kiara grouched as she pulled out her phone from her pocket, about to call her father.
"Stop it," Mila said as she plucked Kiara's phone from her hands. Slipping it into Kiara's jacket pocket, Mila walked around Kiara as though surveying what she could do to help with Kiara's appearance. "Well, first of all let's get rid of the princess braids," she mumbled to herself as she loosened the braids that Kiara painstakingly made.
"See, already a big difference," Mila gushed stepping in front of Kiara. She extended her hand out but before she could do anything, Kiara gripped her hand with a vice like grip.
"Touch my glasses and I will break your pretty fingers," Kiara almost growled.
"But you don't need them 100% to see though," Mila whined. "And you know; for a small...innocent looking thing, you are hella violent!" Mila grumbled, as she snatched her hand back.
"Just leave it," Kiara said tense, "I already feel super uncomfortable, I don't need to add to that without being able to see clearly."
"Fine."
They both walked to the venue in silence.
"You really think it's a good idea for us to be here? He has never, not even once, invited me...," Kiara trailed as they stood in line to enter the bar.
"Yes, it'll be fine...," Mila said distracted, her eyes going over the line and to the front of the bar, as though looking for someone. Her face split into a huge smile as she spotted a man with dark hair in the front of the line next to someone who Kiara was pretty sure was a bouncer.
"Just wait here a sec," she whispered into Kiara's ears, as she dashed to the front of the line. Kiara watched with wide eyes, her best friend, the elusive social butterfly of the school; smile and flirt with someone who looked much older than them.
"Come on," Mila gestured from the front, waving her hand at Kiara.
Kiara slowly and with tentative steps walked to the front of the line. Her movements cautious as she watched Mila and the stranger interact with an intimacy that was inherent.
"Kira, this is Robbie; my brother's best friend. He's helping us get in," she said with a sly wink.
"Seriously Mila, you need to make sure you don't get into any trouble. Your brother will have my balls. I'm not joking," Robbie said sternly, but there was something in his eyes that glowed differently as he looked at Mila. Kiara studied them with her head cocked to her side.
Kiara watched as Mila giggled happily, landing a surprise kiss on Robbie's cheeks as she squealed a thank you. Robbie, face flushed with embarrassment, waved them in as he looked anywhere but at Mila. Kiara watched shocked as she followed behind Mila. What on earth is happening, she thought to herself. She had never seen Mila act like that with anyone that wasn't Kiara herself.
"Ummm...who was that? And why did we need help coming in?" Kiara shouted over the music.
Mila rolled her eyes at Kiara's questions. "This is a bar babe, and we're underage? Robbie owns this place, so he helped us in. You remember Vinnie right? He's Vinnie's friend," Mila answered nonchalantly.
"Oookay, and what was with that kiss on the cheek?" Kiara asked, eyes wide with disbelief. "You hate PDA!"
Mila shrugged her shoulders and continued walking in. Finding a place to leave their coat and jacket, they ventured deeper into the bar and Kiara felt her heart thundering in her chest. She swallowed as she looked around, the girls in their sexy outfits, smoky eyed makeup, and the guys in their band tees, with their pints of beer in their hands.
"Mila, this is a bar...and we're underage...," Kiara trailed as things suddenly clicked in place. "We really shouldn't be here," she whispered ugently, tugging Mila closer to her body.
"Jesus, Kiara! Look Robbie will never let us get in trouble. He has our back, so can you chill the hell out?" Mila answered, whispering furiously as they headed to the bar hand in hand. "Enjoy the one freaking night off will you, and just be a normal teenager?"
Kiara exhaled a rushed breath, nodding as she followed Mila's lead. She sat herself at the bar as she watched Mila squeal again, launching herself at another dark-haired young man.
"Frannie! I didn't know that you'll be here tonight!" Mila said happily, as she ruffled the young man's hair.
"Stop touching the hair M!" Frannie said annoyed, but his eyes bugged out when it registered what Mila had on. "You mean to tell me that Robbie let you in, with you dressed like that? Shit M! What did you do, dazzle him with your smile?" he teased.
Kiara smiled to herself as she listened in on their conversation, "No, she landed a kiss on his cheeks."
Frannie looked from between Kiara and Mila in confusion.
"Oh shit, this is my friend from school Kiara. You know the one, the musical genius!" Mila said with a flourish.
"Hi Kiara, I'm Francesco, Robbie's brother. But everyone calls me Frannie," He extended his hand out to shake.
"Little brother you mean," Mila added with a huge smile on her lips.
Kiara smiled brightly as she took his hand shaking it quickly before dropping it. She watched as both Frannie and Mila were wrapped up in their own conversation. She swivelled her body to face the bar, her eyes roaming the shelves stacked with different kinds of alcohol. Her fingers played with the bangles and bracelets she had on.
"You don't look like should be here, princess," she heard a friendly voice say from behind the bar, her eyes latching itself on the owner of the voice. Her lips quirked up slightly as she studied the man behind the counter. Pale white skin, light brunette hair, with equally light hazel eyes, sharp nose, and an angular jaw. He had a smile playing on his lips as he too looked at her, as he dried a glass.
"What gave it away?" Kiara asked, chuckling lightly.
"The stack of bracelets; Hermes, Cartier, Tiffany's. And the fact that you look like you still have a curfew," he said as he leaned forward, bracing his arms on the counter.
"They could be fake. And I could just have really great genes," she answered with a cock of her eyebrows.
"Are they?" he asked, a full smile on his lips.
Kiara drummed her fingers on the bar, sucking her teeth loudly she shook her head.
"So, just water for you then?"
Kiara nodded bashfully and watched as the young man push off from the bar as he picked up a bottle of water and handed it on Kiara. As she was about to pull out her card to pay, he shook his head and gestured behind her. She smiled as she took in Frannie and Robbie standing behind her. The bartender handed Mila another bottle of water before sauntering off to take orders from the other patrons.
"So, what time will the band come on?" Kiara asked, as she sipped on her water.
"They should be out in another 10 mins or so, I think," Robbie answered as he glanced at his watch. Kiara noticed Frannie quietly creeping away from Mila and Robbie, as he stood next to her.
Nudging him with her elbows, she nodded towards them, "What's the story there?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked instead with raised eyebrows. "She's been in love with him since forever, he's finally realising she's more than just his best friend's little sister," he said, his hands flying all over the place.
"He's...um...a bit...old isn't he?" Kiara said tentatively.
"Hmmm...he's 25 to her 18...," Frannie said thoughtfully.
"...And that's not...weird...in any way?" Kiara asked innocently.
"I would say it's not. They both have clear boundaries. And yes, when we see them together like this their chemistry just sizzles, but I also think thank they both have real respect for each other...So if you are asking if they are fooling around behind our backs, the answer is a big fat no," Frannie said as he looked down at Kiara who was looking at them with a small smile on her lips. "What's your story?" he asked his eyebrow raised.
"No story. I just came to watch the band play," she said, her fingers busy peeling the label off the bottle.
"Yeah, sure. I'll believe that..." Frannie said offhandedly.
Before she could react, Kiara shrieked as a body suddenly came barreling towards her, caging her in their arms. "Papa ki pari (Daddy's angel), what are you doing here?" she heard the mocking timbre in her ears and pulled back, her eyes squinting as she tried to get a good look at the person in front of her.
"Ahad?! What are you doing here?!" Kiara almost shrieked, eyes wide.
"I asked you first!" she heard him again, and she rolled her eyes.
"I'm here to watch the band," she said quietly. "You're not gona tell Mama, right?" she whispered dolefully.
"No," he whispered, "If you promise to keep this a secret..."
Kiara tilted her head as if asking him 'what', before she realised a young blonde woman walking into outstretched his arms. She took in the picture that they made; Ahad with his tanned skin, dark hair, dark eyes and the blonde with her fair skin, and pale blue eyes. They look like night and day, Kiara thought to herself with a small smile.
"This is Raine, my girlfriend. Raine, this is Kiara...we're kind of family friends...," he shot Kiara a cheeky smile.
Kiara rolled her eyes, "What he means by that is he used to make my life hell! There was this one time, he dropped the piano lid so quickly it almost smashed my fingers in!"
Raine looked horrified at Ahad, to which he only shrugged, "I was ten, and I was sick of hearing her play."
"You still haven't answered me yet, Papa ki pari; what are you doing here?" he asked as he pulled Raine closer to his side. "How did you even get in?"
"Eh...mmm...a friend from school is in the band...I came to watch them...," Kiara answered, as she tucked her hair behind her ears. "My other friend got us in," aware that Raine was studying her.
"You must mean Emre," Raine said, as she turned to Ahad, "Axel's band mate, you know the Turkish one." Kiara watched as Ahad nodded knowingly. "Axel, the singer, that's my little brother," Raine continued, as she looked at Kiara with genuine smile on her lips.
"He's not that little anymore babe, he's turning 20 this year," Ahad chided, before planting a kiss on Raine's temple.
"He's still little to me," she said with a little pout as she looked at Ahad, playfully.
"Oh God, so much fuckin' love in the air. I'm gonna puke," Frannie said behind her all of a sudden, and Kiara burst out in laughter. Mila and Robbie moved closer to them as they stood around Kiara, introducing themselves to the rest of the group.
They continued chatting until they heard the first couple of guitar riffs and everyone instantly turned towards the stage. It was weird, but Kiara could feel her heart thundering in her chest as it dawned on her this was the first time she would be watching Emre perform live.
Oddly she felt nervous; nervous for him. Wringing her fingers together, she trailed behind the group as they moved closer to the stage. The sound of the drums kicked in and when the spotlights flashed, Kiara was lost in the world of Emre's music.