Free She's Only Seventeen: A Novel of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll by K. M. Ellis

pass herself from Shane to Drew like a prized animal.
    “Plus”, she started, “I’m waiting for Drew to get back”. She smiled then at the sound of his name, like it was something magical that she had spoken.
    “God, Kat, screw Drew.”
    “I plan to”
    “Jesus, no. I didn’t have a problem when you were seeing Shane; honestly, I would so much more prefer that you were sleeping with him than Drew. Anyone but Drew. He’s only going to hurt you again trust me. I know what type of person he is.”
    “Like you tried to warn me about Gary, oh wait you didn’t!” she said defensive
    “Maybe not Gary but other men! And then, when Gary didn’t want you anymore, what do you do? You come over and suck my fucking dick to try to get over him; I am NOT having that shit again.”
    She looked taken back.
    “I did that because I wanted to, not because of Gary,” she said softly.
    “Sure you did.”
    “Just forget it, I don’t want to argue with you, Thomas, you’re my best friend, my only friend, you get me.”
    “Not right now, I don’t,” I responded.
    She looked so sad, something I hadn’t seen in months. The worst part was I had caused it. I sighed, “Come here,” I said, pulling her into an embrace.
    She looked up at me after a moment, “I don’t like fighting with you,” she whispered.
    “Me either, Kat.”
    Her eyes looked like they would start flooding at any moment. Putting my hand behind her neck, I drew her toward me till our lips touched. When hers opened to mine, I pulled her closer. She pulled away first, which was relieving, I didn’t have the strength to. She wrapped her arms tight around me and laid her head on my chest. We stayed that way for a long time, reflecting what had just happened, and for once, I had caught a glimpse of the Kat she used to be, not the Kat she had been the last couple of months and for that, I’d forgive her. I’d always forgive her.
    James
    March 1985
    If I thought that Kat should have been with anyone, it should have been Thomas. The way they bounced off of each other was magnetic in a way that I had never seen with anyone. I was aware, as well as Ian, that they had slept together before once, but every time I tried to talk with Thomas about it, he dismissed the subject as if she did not exist in that manner to him. In truth, they were inseparable. She and I had stopped sleeping together it was really only a convenience thing anyways but I was sure it wasn’t the last time. We all hated seeing her with Drew again, but there was not much to change that. Plus it hadn’t affected the band at all. In fact, Kats demeanor had changed and her energy seemed to bounce off of audiences playfully. It could have been worse. It could have been far worse. But that was yet to come.
     
    Shane
    April 1985
    She sat there across from me, knowing I had been trying to make eye contact with her the entire time.
    “One more time, Kat, please?” I overheard Thomas say.
    She pouted, “I’ve really had enough for today, and besides, everything is perfect, don’t be such a micro manager.”
    He laughed, “Right, so when you mess up next show you can’t blame it on me.”
    “BUT do I ever?” she said coyly.
    She began singing, “ if I was a puppet, played by your hand, I’d never touch a grain of sand. I’d never see the sainted sun; words wouldn’t slip off of my tongue. My brain, my heart would all be yours, nothing to call my own. I’ve never been a queen per say but I won’t live with this misery.”
    Thomas’ guitar came exploding into the room, his eyes on Kat, she meeting him with a smile.
    “And when all is said and done, I’ll never say that you were the one for me… you were never the one for me,” Kat sang softly as the song ended.
    “Excellent,” Thomas breathed out.
    Neptune began emptying out of the studio, leaving Kat and I alone.
    “You don’t need to stare, Shane.” She said when she got close enough.
    So she had seen me
    “We really need to stop