Kat brushed the beads of sweat that lined her forehead away as the band played their last song. It was pretty packed in the place, almost sold out in fact. She wished they had some form of air conditioning however as she felt like she was stuck in a sauna.
"Weren't they like super good?" Crystal asked nudging Kat.
She gave a nod in return but felt like it was a redundant question, of course they were good; it was the whole reason the room was filled all the way to the back and why Kat had fallen for Jacob to begin with, he was talented.
"Coming?" Crystal asked while motioning to the door that led to the backstage area.
"I'm gonna get a drink first" She replied.
As much as she wanted to run up and give Jacob a massive congratulatory hug, she was dying for some hydration and she still felt weird about his attitude towards her before soundcheck. He didn't really apologise nor did he really acknowledge it, he got on with his prep for the show and she figured they would talk it out and get back to normal once it was over.
She leaned against the cold railing of the bar thankful for the short relief from the heat as she waited for the bartender to serve her. Everyone else seemed to be in the same boat, all trying to get the attention of someone to take their order.
She tried to zone out and observe the drinks on the wall to take her mind off how parched she was until she felt a sharp slap on her behind. She could still see Jacob on stage sorting instruments so she knew whoever had just felt her up wasn't her boyfriend.
"Hey sexy, wanna come home with me?" A drunken brunette asked.
"What the fuck?!" She exclaimed while pushing him away.
"Bitch" He muttered before returning to talk to his friend.
She felt disgusted by his actions and ditched trying to get a drink altogether deciding she'd rather get away from all the drunken bodies. She pushed through the wave of people trying to not get upset at just being groped by a complete stranger who was probably twice her age.
She was dying to get to the party and drink away all the bad memories from the day and let loose. Jacob's crowds were busy but they were filled with sleazy older guys, at least at the party it would be people her own age that she somewhat knew by now.
She walked through backstage and found Jacob's band members who were all conversing with one another with some drinks in hand, they didn't pay much attention to her and she didn't engage in any conversation as they tended to keep to themselves, she figured they wanted to keep up their cool band persona instead of trying to get to know her.
Her eyes fell on Jacob and Crystal sitting suspiciously close in the corner laughing away at something which only fuelled her anger. She just got felt up out there and was on the verge of tears and here they both were giggling and playfully hitting one another.
"What's funny?" She asked walking over to them.
"Oh uh.. it's nothing" Crystal dismissed.
Kat made a statement in the way she sat herself on Jacob's lap; a one up to her dangerously close position next to him on the couch. She could see a flicker of annoyance flash through Crystal's eyes, despite it being brief she knew it was there even if she tried to hide it.
"So uh I have some bad news" Jacob said.
Crystal excused herself to go talk to the other band members predicting an argument was about to break out.
"What?" Kat asked wondering what could possibly happen to make her night worse.
"I can't stay for the party, we gotta get back on the road tonight" He explained.
She felt her heart drop, surely he couldn't be serious. She had barely even gotten to spend time with him in between him setting up for the show and him actually playing it.
"Seriously?" She asked in a deflated tone.
"Sorry, we have band rehearsal tomorrow and Crystal has to be back before her parents notice" He added.
Kat couldn't help the scoff that escaped her lips, the reason Jacob had to go was because Crystal had to? That was bullshit. Why did she even come if it meant she would have to leave so soon, surely she knew that would affect Jacob and her's time together.
"You can skip a rehearsal" Kat replied "Crystal can carpool with the others"
It wasn't just Jacob's car that they had drove here with so surely she could leave with them and she could still have her night with Jacob.
"She doesn't know them, babe" Jacob replied.
Her hurt was quickly being replaced with more anger, why was he so concerned over Crystal and not her? She was his girlfriend, not her.
"This is bullshit, we hardly had any time together" She whined.
"I'll make it up to you" He replied.
She laughed internally at his response, it felt like all he ever did was make things up to her and she was growing tired of it.
The drive back to Hawkins was awkward and there was clear tension in the car. Crystal tried her best to keep conversation flowing from the backseat but eventually gave up and looked out the window instead. Kat had barely spoken to either of them, her focus was at the passing buildings as they sped down the road. She couldn't believe she was about to be dropped off like some forgotten about toy while they spent the next eleven hours together driving back to New York. She tried her best to not think about the fact they would need to potentially stop for part of the journey, perhaps in a cheap motel along the highway where there's only one room...
"You could at least make the most of the time we have just now" Jacob commented while gripping the wheel.
"Don't do that" Kat replied in a harsh whisper "You're the one ditching me early for no good reason"
"I have a reason" He replied.
"No good reason" She scoffed.
Silence fell between them again, they were on the outskirts of town now so she had mere minutes left before he was away again until who knows when. Long distance wasn't working in the way she thought it was and she questioned if it was all worth it.
He pulled into a gas station to fill up his tank again and Kat took this as an opportunity to go use the bathroom, making sure she didn't look too much of a mess before she turned up to the party that she would now embarrassingly have to attend solo after singing praises of her boyfriend attending.
She fixed her eyeliner and fluffed her hair one last time before exiting the dull lit bathroom and back out to the lot.
She felt like she had experienced a swift hit to the chest, winding her completely. Her eyes fell on her boyfriend and her best friend kissing as his hand gripped her hips.
This couldn't be fucking happening.
Crystal noticed Kat before Jacob did, she tapped him on the shoulder while turning to hide the patronising giggle escaping her lips as he looked like a deer in headlights.
As if her night couldn't get any worse.
"Kat we-"
"Go to hell" She replied not giving him a chance to plead his case.
She didn't know what was worse; the fact they had obviously been hooking up this whole time like she had suspected or the fact Crystal didn't seem one bit remorseful about the situation as she hid her smirk and looked innocently up at Jacob who gave her silent threats to cut it out.
"You were supposed to be my best friend" Kat whispered, voice wavering with hurt.
"I'm sorry, it just happened and well i'm not gonna say no am I?" She laughed, clearly tipsy with whatever alcohol she had consumed throughout the evening.
She knew her best friend's true colours came out when she was under the influence, normally she wasn't the collateral damage however.
"Fuck you" Kat spat while giving her a swift slap to the face.
She didn't care if it was nasty or petty, she deserved it. Did she think she wasn't gonna face some consequence for her actions?
Crystal dramatically cradled her face in her hand muttering obscenities at Kat but she simply ignored them all and started to storm off down the street ignoring Jacob's pleas to come back. As far as she was concerned, they were both dead to her.
She couldn't believe how quickly her day had gone from amazing to terrible; from being cheated on to groped and discarded like yesterday's takeout. Tears streamed down her face and she tried her best to quieten her sobs as she walked down the streets that were thankfully familiar to her enough to know where she was going. She hugged herself for both comfort and heat as the cold wind of the night hit her, she couldn't help but spiral about how rapidly her life had declined.
It was no surprise she immediately threw back whatever alcohol she could get her hands on as soon as she made it to Steve's house. The party was in full swing, everyone dancing and singing to the music playing loudly over speakers.
"Hey, where's your boyfriend?" Steve asked as he handed her another drink.
"Crashed over a bridge hopefully" She bitterly smiled as she raised the shot and downed it.
Steve could tell something had clearly transpired but didn't pry, figuring she would rather focus on having a good time than relive whatever had upset her.
"Screw him" Steve boosted "You're still gonna have an epic night"
She appreciated his focus on the good rather than the bad, she needed to focus on having fun rather than wallow in her self pity. Speaking of, she knew just the way to distract herself...
She searched the house for the one person she knew could take her mind off her sadness. Right when she was about to give up and go dance instead, she spotted him.
His curly hair that was normally fixed to perfection was lying messily by his shoulders, the heat in the room as well as his predicted intoxication playing a role in the appearance. He wore his usual tight jeans paired with a deep red shirt and jacket, he looked like god's gift as he flashed his pearly whites laughing at whatever Tommy had just told him.
She simply walked over to him and grabbed his wrist leading him away from his group and up the stairs of the house pushing lingering teenagers out the way until she found an empty room, closing it behind her and quickly attaching her lips to his as she leaned against the door.