Just What I Needed

Just What I Needed (50)

Groaning, Keely rubbed her temples with the ends of her delicate fingers. Her eyes felt like watering as she stared at computer screen, why in the hell did she have to know the probability of getting a heart of jacks from a deck of cards? She was a bloody musician, not a gambler.

And even if she decided she wanted to be a gambler she'd make an awful one, she thought absently, cupping her chin in her hands as she continued to stare at the screen blankly. It was only brought to her attention during their latest poker game what a full house and a flush was, apparently Seth was the better teacher out of the trio of boys. She'd given up early on in that game, playing her guitar casually while she watched them play, well, mostly watched Seth play.

"What's wrong with you?"

Without so much as looking up from the screen, Keely rubbed one of her hands wearily across her forehead, answering Colton, "Math sucks."

"Sucks what?"

"I'm not answering that," she responded evenly.

Laughter burst out from the couch where she knew for a fact the three were sitting, finishing watching some hockey game.

What really was not pleasing was that Keely had to take her final exams for school on her laptop on a tour bus and had no time to study at all. She and Seth had boarded themselves in a studio for another day, then there had been a concert she had to play and they were back on the road. She was still yet to sleep and her mind was beginning to feel fuzzy. Not to mention that it was oddly cold in the bus, she thought as she rubbed her hands together, hoping to cause friction.

At that point she would have been happy to watch the hockey game with those boys, quite used to the fact she'd hear things that could make her grandmother cry when in the company of those three. As much as sports might bore her, it was a giant step up from doing math. Odd since when she'd been living in Bellingham she'd have hidden in her room to do her math homework instead of watch a game with her dad and Joe. It was probably just because she was doing an exam... yes, that was what she was going with.

At the sound of a body dropping onto the bench seat on the other side of the table, Keely didn't even glance over the top of her computer. "I'm still mad at you guys."

"What for this time?"

When it was certified that the voice belonged to Seth, her eyes flickered upwards momentarily. He was sitting sideways on the seat so his legs could stretch across the bench, his back braced against the wall of the bus. He was rubbing a hand over his exhausted eyes, one of his elbows propped on the table while the other was leaning against the back of the seat.

Bringing her gaze back down to the screen, Keely stared glumly at the math problem in front of her with the four possible answer. She knew enough probability that she had a twenty five percent chance if she guessed. "I'm pissed that you idiots tied my bra to the antenna of the bus while we were driving and the paparazzi took pictures, so now my bra is on the cover of half the tabloids in the country."

"Oh, that one."

"Yeah, that..." her voice trailed as suspicions settled in and her chin jerked up, eyes narrowing on him. "That one? What else have you guys done?"

That mischievous grin she was getting rather used to lit on his face, making the gold shine in his eyes as he looked to her. "Nothing at all," he replied far too innocently.

She just arched a incredulous eyebrow at him while Seth shoved himself up to a sitting position, and leaning his forearms against the table as he looked her straight in the eyes. When her expression didn't change, he snorted, digging into the pocket of hoodie to pull up a bag. Holding it in his hand, he tipped the opening of the little bag towards her, asking, "Forgiveness?"