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Being tucked away inside for the last couple of days had been driving McKenna insane. She had plenty of time for writing, of course, which was the most important thing to her at this point. But being cooped up was not something that helped with her creative juices. It was stifling. And therefore she hadn't been able to tell whether what she was doing was actually good or if she was just hitting a wall.
Kenny was sitting on the roof, looking out over the courtyard and watching as people headed indoors. She felt comforted by the air on her face and she chewed her lower lip before slipping her phone out of her pocket and shooting a text, seeking company and a friendly face. She'd left her notebook back in her dorm. It was a much needed break from class work and writing that she needed.
When the door that led to the roof opened, Kenny glanced over her shoulder and smiled, "Carter!"
Carter had a thankful break between his classes. He sat in the lecture hall packing his last book up when he finally decided to check his phone. He was fortunate never to give his number out to fast hook ups; few had his real digits, and those who did knew the best way to catch him was through text. The familiar name lit up - the only girl he'd ever really befriended without the thought of sex - and he couldn't help but smile.
Even with time on his side, he was still quick to make it towards the roof. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been up there, but he still remembered the steps all the same.
The glasses still perched on his face meant he could catch her smile with the utmost perfection. Closing the door behind him, he took a few steps towards her before stopping and holding his arms out.
She wasn't proud of the way she reacted, but with a tiny squeak of excitement, she stood up quickly and skipped over to him. Kenny threw her arms around him and squeezed, "Ugh, I don't think you understand how completely awful this place is without you."
Carter was probably the most beautiful man that McKenna had ever seen in her life. Easily. But he was also a complete sweetheart that she adored and couldn't have been happier to have befriended. Sure, she had heard plenty about him from around the school. However, her experiences with him had always been so much different than any of the other accounts. It was kind of nice not having to worry about his reputation because she knew that he hadn't seen her like that when they first met.
It also helped that she had been a complete recluse when they had first gotten to know each other. A few years hard at work and the awkwardness had faded between her and most people. Only returning in certain instances. "I missed you, so much. Tell me everything!"
Carter was immediately happy to see she'd taken the hint and come to him with open arms. He lifted her feet off the ground with ease, grateful to hear that she genuinely missed him. Of all the people he'd reconnected with, she was the first to admit it.
When he put her down, he took strides towards the edge of the roof. Someone wanted to hear how he'd been, and that was admittedly a little foreign.
"Well, I went home for a long time. It was nice... Considering how busy it was." He explained. He felt no need to bore her with the details of his life. In his mind, he considered all the things he'd done in the years he was gone to be incredibly boring. "I'm happy to be back. It may not be to my usual tastes, but you're here." And people like her made the mundane town life bearable.
Her feet leaving the ground made her laugh and she squeezed him tighter for good measure. It was kind of amazing how easily she slipped back into her patterns with him. It had been way longer than she could even fathom since she'd been around him, but he was still one of the people she had always adored. He set her back down and she followed him back to where she'd been sitting before.
Kenny sat cross-legged and rested her chin in her hand while the other sub-consciously reached for one of his. She had never blamed him for leaving, in fact, she was always still surprised that she hadn't, but her aunt was here and her brother. While it was no Louisiana, Oregon had some things that made it worth it to stay. Listening to him talk about Paris had always fascinated her and she'd been dying to go forever. It amazed her that he was even back.
The last couple of words that left his mouth made her smile widen and she squeezed his hand, "You're too sweet, Cart. I'm glad you came back, although, it's Paris, I can't imagine why you ever would! You oughta take me with you next time."
Now sitting, Carter didn't flinch when she reached for him. She took his hand in her own like she had a right to it; on some level, she did. He'd never even consider holding hands with a girl or boy who developed interest in him, and as such, this was completely different.
Paris was always dreamy to those who never lived there on a regular basis. Still, he had to appreciate her wide-eyed status about it.
"If your brother will let me, I absolutely will." Carter declared. It wasn't as if he couldn't afford to bring a second party next time he visited. "Anytime you like."
Kenny had been told by plenty of people that she was overly affectionate when she achieved a certain level of comfort. And the people that had a problem with it, well, she never took it as a personal dig. It was just who she'd grown up to be. She was well aware that if Carter had minded anything that she did, he would have put her in her place. But as he allowed her to hold fast to his hand, she didn't think much more of it.
With a very unladylike snort, McKenna laughed, "I haven't told Cam that your even back yet. Pretty sure he would think that you're trying to corrupt my innocence." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she shrugged, "But what he doesn't know won't hurt him. I'm plenty old enough to decide that we immediately need to go because I'm impatient and haven't gotten to spend nearly enough time with you lately."
Her older brother was a little protective when it came to guys, namely Carter. He liked to believe the stories and although they were not raised to be judgmental, she found that her brother was of men when it came to her. If there was anyone that he didn't need to worry about though, it was definitely Carter. He had better things to go after than her and she probably wouldn't have noticed if he'd chose to go after her anyway. "How's the family? Your brother? He didn't come back with you, did he?"
Carter rolled his eyes jokingly at the mention of her brother's name. Somehow they managed the movement almost perfectly in tandem. Carter had had plenty of time to work magic on her innocence, but he'd never had the thought. "You can call him from the runway." He offered with a grin; "On the other side of the world."
Imagining the look on her brother's face made the idea all the more appealing.
"No, he didn't. He's decided to stay where he's most comfortable." He explained. Negative experiences stopped him from bothering with this country all together, it seemed. "But that's alright. I suppose it was bound to happen at some point. We couldn't stay attached to each other forever, now could we?"
Exhaling a sigh, he glanced out towards the view instead; "My mother's still a bitch, and my father's still perfect. Not much changes as years pass."
McKenna giggled and shook her head, "At least I'll be far away from that ranting and raving when it happens. Can't you just picture it?" Cameron would lose his damn mind, he'd attempt to call one of their parents or Olivia and lucky for her, they would likely try to cool him down about the whole thing. Everyone had to know that Carter was not a threat to her mind or body.
Her face fell when he revealed that his brother had stayed put. Saying that it was bound to happen made her feel a little sick because while she joked about ditching her brother so she could go off to visit Paris, she knew she'd be back. Moving anywhere that Cameron wasn't, the thought made her uncomfortable even though she knew it was pretty likely, too. Cam had never been one that enjoyed flashy spotlights the way she did. Kenny squeezed his hand.
And just the few words on his parents made her frown deepen and her eyebrows pull together, "You just need to be adopted into my family already. It sounds so difficult with yours." But she didn't realize that she'd had it relatively easy growing up with parents that allowed her to be whatever she wanted without a single judgment in their bones.
Carter immediately glanced at their joined hands when she squeezed it. He squeezed it back a second later. It was nice to be able to talk about such burdens without being overly grilled for it; there were few people in this world that Carter could confide in, and most of them didn't live in this country anymore.
"Oh, it's never been anything less. I suppose you simply get used to it." Sad as it was, it was still the fact of his life. He didn't really feel so rocked by it when he went home and things never changed.
"But sure, I'll come stay with your family. Maybe then your dear friend Olivia will give me the time of day." He added with a grin, nudging her shoulder with his own as he laughed.
Her face fell again at the sadness of his own truth, but she was relieved that he didn't seem tormented about it the way she knew she would have been if the roles were reversed. Of course, he was far more composed with his emotions than she'd ever been.
She smiled when he accepted her offer for him to be part of her family, but it quickly turned to a grimace at the insinuation of him hitting on her aunt. "Oh no you don't! That's my aunt, you can't hit on my aunt, Carter. Least of all if you're adopted into my family, then she'd be yours, too." Kenny stuck her tongue out for emphasis, but found herself still smiling at the way he laughed.
"You know, you're kind of the best," She nudged him back and smiled wider. "Wanna hear something that's sure to get Cameron's panties in a twist? I haven't mentioned it to anybody yet..."
It was admittedly funny, how similar Kenny and Cam were. The slightest mention of one of their family members and she was adorning her own brand of over-protectiveness. He had to laugh at that. Truth be told, Carter had never met her, but likely wouldn't be able to help himself when it came to hitting on her. It'd be worth it, if just for the reactions he'd get alone.
Glancing back towards her, he couldn't stop the curiosity in his eyes when she spoke again. "Always." He replied. Anything he could use to infuriate Cam was absolutely worth listening to.
McKenna shifted uncomfortably, although she knew that Carter wasn't going to judge her. He had never given her reason to believe he would anyway. It was silly, probably one of the most outrageous things she'd done and so unlike her. But she was a grown up now and she had to take the world by storm somehow. What better way?
"I auditioned for a gig and uh, I made it. I've got a job now..." She trailed off, still not quite sure how the tone of her voice should be when she finished. Should she sound happy? Excited? Embarrassed? She was a little bit of all three. "At the new burlesque club that's opening up. The Green Fairy?" Cameron was going to have a shit fit when he found out that she would be wearing minimal clothing, traipsing around in front of dozens of men every night. But the owner seemed okay, not really sleazy, but young and it was a start to something. At least she was singing and dancing.
Kenny looked up at him, "Was that a stupid thing for me to do, ya think?"
Of course, Carter felt the corner of his mouth pull upwards at the idea that she got a job. A gig, as she called it. Though she seemed skeptical to give that information, he had a sneaking suspicion there had to be more to the story than that. Getting a gig - for whatever - had to be a good thing, right? His blue eyes studied her curiously.
Recognition his his eyes when she dropped the name of her new employer. He'd seen the fliers plastered around town. Who hadn't? This entire place was slowly developing to accommodate the new crowd that moved in. A specified club was an inevitable turn in this formally sleepy-town vibe stricken place.
"I don't think it's stupid." He reassured her. Sure, the business would seem automatically questionable given its nature. Most men were overprotective of their sisters, and hardly wanted them to be in a negative space or situation. "I do think your brother should be barred from entering the facility. Make sure you give the bouncers a recent photograph of him." He added, humour lining every word and mention of her brother's potential fury.
"And I'd like to be there when you tell him. For support, of course." Of course. Who wouldn't want to be there for that?
McKenna's shoulders eased and she let out a breath of relief. Well at least she had one supporter. Although she couldn't help but smile when he told her to bring Cam's photograph to the club. Odds are it wasn't a terrible idea, the owner would probably fire her if Cameron came and caused a scene. And she needed the money. "God, you're probably right," She groaned.
When he offered the moral support of telling her older brother about her new job, she nudged him, "You're just interested in seeing my brother's head explode." Carter was a good person, she had no doubt in her mind about that, but she definitely knew he wasn't offering out of the goodness of his heart this time.
"You'll come visit though, right? I mean, I at least know you're not going to throw a hissy fit about it." Of course she was well aware that it was probably weird to invite someone she saw in a strictly platonic way to come see her shake her goodies at the crowd, but she was afraid that she was going to be nervous and make a fool of herself. At least with a familiar face, she wouldn't feel too nervous. "Unless that is majorly weird to you, in which case forget I asked."
