Free Sweet Beginning by V. M. Holk Page B

year apart, so people use to mistake us for
twins.
    We celebrated Emmett's thirty-fourth and my thirty-fifth
birthday while I was home. His birthday is Christmas Eve and mine is the day
after Christmas, which we hated as kids. When we got a little older, our
parents let us have half birthdays in the summer with our friends.
    I was glad that I didn't run into Lynn. Being a small town,
I was worried we would. I haven't seen her at all since I've moved. I was glad
not to have that headache and enjoy my short vacation.
    On my way home, Sue called me and asked me to go out for New
Year's Eve. I met her one night at, "The Buffalo Bar" as the local's
call it. I'm told that for many years the owner had several buffalo's in the
back. When the new owners took over, they got rid of them. That hasn't stopped
people from still calling it the buffalo bar, when its real name is
"Emil's Bar".
    We've gone out twice, Sue is nice enough. I don't see us
going very far, I think she realizes it as well. But that doesn't mean that
either of us needs to be alone.  We enjoy each other. I told her I will pick
her  up at around nine. We plan on going to the buffalo bar.
    ~~~
    Anne
    Jaylah decided that we should go to the buffalo bar. I
haven't been here since the new owners took over. I heard that they fixed it up
nice, it was pretty run down. We left the house around nine-thirty. There are
alot of people here already. We have some of our other friends meeting us here.
It will be nice to see everyone, it's been a long time. 
    We open the door to a blast of music and we look for our
friends. We have known Josie and Sarah, since high school. As I look around and
realize I know the majority of the people here.
     We find them in front by the stage. Josie has been divorced
for a couple of years now and never had any kids. Sarah has been married for
fourteen years, she left Rodger at home with the kids. He went to school with
us too and Sarah always had him wrapped around her finger. 
    Thank god Josie and Sarah got here earlier, so we have a
table. The bar is doing karaoke, it's one of Jaylah's favorite things. Which is
why she decided to come here tonight. Jaylah goes up to add us to the list and
pick out our songs. I go to the bar to get us a couple of drinks. I look over
to see Sue, another friend from high school.
    "Hey Sue, how are you?  Haven't seen you in
awhile."
    "Good Anne, sorry to hear about you and Kyle. I
couldn't believe it when I heard it." she says.
    That's another problem with small towns everyone knows your
business. "Thanks.  Happy New Year, talk to ya later." I grab the
drinks and head back to the table.
    All night they rotate between the DJ and karaoke. Jaylah has
already gone up and sang her favorite song "Reign O'er Me" by The
Who. I have to drink more before I get up there to sing. We dance and sing
along with all the songs.
    They call our group of four up to sing "Seven" by
Prince. I down the rest of my drink and follow them up on stage. Thankfully we
are all going up. As the song starts up, I scan the faces in the bar. Lots of
people are singing along, the dance floor is full. 
    I am still looking around as I sing, I do a double take. Is
that who I think it is? Is that Kyle? Can't be, that guy has his hands all over
that redhead. The redhead laughs, then starts kissing the guy.
    Kyle has the girls this weekend, or did he tell me he was
going out. I rack my brain to remember the conversation we had. I think he said
his parents were going to have a little party at their house with Katie and
Shannon. 
    I keep singing the song, I look over at Jaylah. She raises
her eyebrow at me in question. I smile weakly at her, then look back at the
couple. Then the man turns. HOLY SHIT, it is Kyle! Are you fucking kidding me!
Who the fuck is he kissing. 
    I stop singing and drop the mic. Jaylah follows my line of
sight and sees what I am looking at. Thankfully the song ends as I walk off the
stage. Josie and Sarah, look over at Jaylah