The Gods of Song and Poetry

Chapter 12 - Hard Labor

"Seriously, Kelly, I'm confused. Just two days ago we seemed like we were cool. Now you act like you're ticked at me. What happened?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, then went to leave the garage.

"Kelly!" I protested, but she kept walking.

My anxiety level was sky high. I had been so sure today was going to be an awesome day, and now the girl I wanted to ask out was being a little you-know-what to me. I racked my brain trying to figure out what I could have done to upset her, and came up empty.

I decided to go to the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face just to calm down and think. The window was open and chatter from the backyard drifted in. I couldn't make out individual conversations, but I could tell who was talking, and a new voice was conversing with the girls. Kala was here. Good. At least I'd have a friendly person to talk to.

I went back outside and found Kala at the kids' table chatting with the girls. She was wearing a black mini-dress that laced up the sides. I guess everything she owned was either athletic or erotic...or both.

Everyone was here except Mey and her family. I noticed Kelly and Kristy were sitting kind of quietly, but Pixie, DJ, Rizzy, and Shogun were laughing with Kala about something. As I walked up, DJ looked at me with a sly grin and elbowed Shogun, who looked up at me and mimicked her friend's expression.

"Hey Kala, I'm so glad you made it!" I said. Kala stood up from the table and gave me a big hug.

"Thanks for inviting me! I would have been puttering around that big, empty house by myself otherwise. My uncle doesn't get back for another two weeks."

As we broke our embrace, we sat down at the table side by side, but half turned towards each other so that we could talk comfortably. She took my hands as we spoke.

"So," Kala tilted her head and grinned, "how are things?"

I made a disgusted frown and gave my head a small shake. "I'll fill you in later."

"Oh come on!" said Rizzy. "Talk about it now!"

"Yeah," said DJ. "You don't have to hide anything around us. We're dying to hear about it!"

I gave Kala a puzzled look. Did she say something about my situation while I was inside? Kala just raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

"Hear about what?" I asked.

"You two!" DJ exclaimed.

"Dating? Girlfriends? What's going on?" Shogun demanded.

"Us?" I questioned, motioning back and forth between myself and Kala.

"Yes!" Rizzy confirmed. "What's the buzz?"

"Uh, we're friends," I said.

"Ugh," Rizzy rolled her eyes. "We all know. Just spill already. We want details!"

Kelly and Kristy were still quiet, but listening attentively.

"If I had a girlfriend," I said, "I'd be bragging about it. Okay? Kala and I are just friends. I swear."

Shogun and Rizzy looked at each other. Shogun took out her phone and started scrolling. When she turned it around and plunked it on the table, I could see it was open to Tara's Instagram account.

I started scrolling and saw picture after picture from the party two nights ago. Many of them featured Kala and me. We were hanging all over each other even more than I remembered. In one we were holding hands. In another, Kala was grabbing me around the shoulders, hugging me from behind. In a third one we appeared to be slow dancing, looking at each other with goofy smiles and red cheeks, our faces ridiculously close. They went on and on, each one decorated with heart stickers and comments about "romance" and "new love." The last was taken just moments before I woke up. Kala and I were spooning in bed like intimate lovers. It really did look incriminating.