Free Love Songs (Secret Songbook #1) by Jamie Campbell Page A

There’s a difference there, Harper. Mara probably doesn’t even know who we are.”
    Harper just shook her head, refusing to listen.
    They found Mr. Monroe waiting in his car. He was wearing his old letterman jacket from high school, it was a bit sad.
    Kaley had no idea how she did it, but Harper managed to convince her father to drop them off at Mara’s party. It happened so fast Kaley didn’t even have time to add in her opinion. They were in the car and driving down the road in no time, a satisfied look on her friend’s face.
    Mara’s house was easy to find, it was the only one playing loud music and had teenagers spilling from the door. Her poor neighbors, Kaley thought to herself.
    She was suddenly glad Harvey wasn’t popular enough to throw parties or she could have been one of those poor neighbors. She wondered what he was up to tonight, she didn’t see him at the game. He was most probably at home, wondering the same about her.
    She was rarely out at night.
    Mr. Monroe’s car sped away, leaving them on the curb. Kaley watched it go, wishing she was in it. The thought of turning around and entering the party was frightening.
    The only good thing was she probably would go unnoticed. She could find something to drink, holding it in her hand and using it as an excuse not to be dancing. She never really drank anything alcoholic, but if she held it, then nobody would bother her to ‘lighten up’.
    “Come on, this is going to be so great.” Harper grabbed her arm and dragged her away to her doom.
    Inside was even worse than outside. The loud music vibrated through her body like a sonic boom and hundreds of bodies writhed around her in time to the beat.
    Three times, random arms and legs hit Kaley as Harper dragged her through the crowd. Her grip was so tight there was no chance she could slip away – which was probably the point.
    They eventually made their way through the crowd and into another room. When Kaley looked up and around, she saw they were in the kitchen. People sat on the benches, a couple were making out on the table, and dozens of bottles of alcohol littered the remaining spaces. Harper poured two drinks from a keg into red Solo cups and handed her one. She took a sip, it was beer.
    “I’m gonna go dance, come with me,” Harper yelled through the noise. At least, that’s what it sounded like. She downed her drink and dragged Kaley back out again. Finding a spare table for her drink, Kaley put it down without drinking any more than the initial sip.
    The living room, which was now the dance floor, was packed tightly with people. Harper immediately started shaking her booty. Whether it was her time in the band or whether it came naturally, she was actually a pretty good dancer. She didn’t look like she was having a seizure when she waved her hands around or moved her hips.
    Kaley, on the other hand, thought for sure she looked like a crazy person. She didn’t like dancing in front of others, she felt too self-conscious. Inside her bedroom was fine, but out in public didn’t feel right. She moved her hips side to side in time to the music but that was about all she could do.
    “It’s hot, I’m going to get a drink,” Kaley yelled. Harper nodded and turned around to dance with the person beside her – a guy Kaley knew only as Birdy. He was tall and lanky with a big nose, there were no prizes for guessing how he had earned his nickname.
    Kaley returned to the kitchen and found some water in the refrigerator. She poured some into a plastic cup and drank, not realizing how thirsty she had been.
    Standing in amongst the chaos, it was like being in another world. There were people everywhere, each lost in their own world. Small groups of people were dotted around, yelling to each other to be heard but still laughing at everything that was said.
    Couples were pressed into private spaces – like against walls – and passionately making out oblivious to anyone else.
    Others rushed through the