Kith never thought that her senior year of high school would be spent in a frat house, especially the frat house of her ex-best friend's, douchey, irresponsible older brother, Cameron. She'd fantasized about going to college since middle school, but...
He's wasting everything, she thought. So was the unfairness of life. He got a free college education; she got a baby. Cameron's lackadaisical attitude towards not going to class or doing anything remotely academic despite being in a place of higher learning was almost infuriating.
So infuriating, that she wanted to hit him, hard. Cameron had the outline of her dream. She wanted to go to college so desperately; she would've been going in the Fall. Unlike Cameron though, she would use the opportunity to its fullest, the right way. "Stop staring me down with those judgy little eyes."
"I'm not judging you."
"Yeah, you are," he laughed. "I can tell by your voice. You're definitely judging me."
"I'm not," she said emphatically. Silence overtook them both. Kith laid there listening to the sound of jewels being cleared from the board. Every so often, Cameron cussed beneath his breath and scratched the back of his head. "Do you actually like Nirvana, or did you just buy the poster?"
"A little of both. The poster's sweet, and I actually listen to the band." Shutting his laptop, he thoroughly rubbed his eyes and sighed. "What do you listen to?"
"Coldplay," she answered with a smile.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "But Coldplay's my favorite."
"Everyone likes Coldplay," he answered.
"Because they're more than a band," Kith said defensively. "They're a way of life." They were even more than that. They were a soundtrack to life.
At dinner, Kith chose a seat next to Austin, just so she wouldn't have to look at him. They said nothing to each other, and Kith only spoke when Cameron or his mom asked her a question. She wasn't really in a talking mood. The food looked great though. The table covered with a white tablecloth was laden in turkey, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Everything was steaming, as it was supposed to be on Thanksgiving.
When she dashed from the table to throw up, Cameron effortlessly came up with a lie, telling his mom and brother that Kith had gotten sick days before, but insisted on coming anyways.
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Kith subdued her excitement when it came time to pack up her things and load back up in Cameron's truck. In the front passenger seat, she watched Cameron hug his mom briefly and brother twice as long. No one had suspected anything. If they did, they were polite enough to keep their thoughts to themselves.
Kith felt she was entitled to keep lying so long as there wasn't clear, visual evidence. Lying was a strong word. She wasn't lying; she was just keeping something to herself. Leaving their house meant that she could breathe. She could move freely without worrying if she'd lose her voice around the corner.
