Rabbit in the Headlights

Disclaimer: I once swallowed a marble…'r chymeriadau ydy Josh's mo chloddia.

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This chapter is for Mischie because she isn't allowed to read this yet and that is very sweet of her!

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'So where are you from then Kirsten?' asked the girl on Ben's lap. 'I'm Karen by the way.'

'I'm from Southern California.'

'Where?' That was Rosie.

'Uh…Newport.'

No one else appeared to blink but Rosie had narrowed her eyes.

'So what's Berkeley like after living in Newport…Beach was it?'

'It's great. I really love it here…' Kirsten's treatise on her love of Berkeley was cut short by Sandy.

'You lived at the beach? Did you surf?'

'Beach yes, surfing no. It's a great place for it though.'

A lively debate on surfing spots began and Kirsten sighed with relief. However Rosie wasn't letting her get away that easily.

'So, you not finding Hartley Court a little…difficult after Newport?'

It was Kirsten's turn to narrow her eyes. This girl didn't know anything about her, she was stereotyping her and that was something Kirsten hated.

'Actually,' she replied, her tone icy, 'I seem to be coping alright thanks.'

The older girl gave a half-smile half-sneer as she stood up, 'Just as well; Sandy lives in a mail truck.'

Sandy had turned his attention back to Kirsten at that moment and was surprised to see her looking intrigued rather than disgusted.

'Really?'

He nodded.

'Wow, so where do you park it?'

'Usually outside the gym…not far to the showers,' he explained.

Kirsten laughed. 'How big is it? Does it still have US Post on the outside? Do you have a special license?'

'Whoa! Too many questions,' Sandy joked. 'You'll have to come see it sometime, I mean if you're really that interested…'

'Well…if you don't mind?'

'Not at all.'

Sandy was just trying to figure out how he could turn it into a date when there was a shout from the other room. Several of the chairs nearby were quickly vacated.

'Pizza's arrived,' Sandy explained to the puzzled-looking Kirsten. 'Yes it really does cause that much excitement!'

Apparently it did; the scavengers returned with woops and cheers and deposited a pile of pizza boxes in the centre of the circle. Someone else brought a crate of beer, another some wine and Karen began to pass round a bottle of vodka. The joint also began to make its rounds; Kirsten passed it over, thankful when no one commented on her refusal.

The next hour or so was spent eating, drinking, talking and drinking some more. Kirsten was relieved to find most of Sandy's friends weren't as scary as they looked even if some of the things they said made her feel like a naive freshman who had never thought about anything seriously. Which she probably hadn't, but it wasn't exactly self-esteem building. Ah well, she had Sandy's encouraging smiles for that.

'A toast,' someone declared drunkenly a little while later, getting gingerly to their feet and staring at their glass intently as they swayed slightly. 'A t-toast to the highly sssuccessssful return of the Headlights!'

'The Headlights,' everyone chorused, clinking bottles, glasses and plastic cups.

'And to one hell of a cast,' Sandy added. That prompted another toast.

Sandy's best mate, Paul, appeared to be considering standing up but thought better of it, simply raising his cup to the centre of the circle, 'To our esssteemed director Ss-a-andy Co-o-hen, may you drive us all crazy again in the future.'

'To Sandy!' Everyone knocked back another gulp of their poison of choice.

Sandy laughed, taking a drag on the joint. 'Thank you, thank you. Now I would get up and make a speech but quite frankly I don't have the fucking energy…'

'Thank God!'

'Oy! Anyway, as I was saying, instead of a speech I simply propose another toast; 'To Paul, my joint MC and Ben our techie.'

'Ben, your turn,' Sandy insisted once all the glasses had been re-filled.

'To Karen, for being both artistic director and my girlfriend.'

Everyone laughed and the toasts continued round the circle, Karen toasted Mike for doing the heavy lifting, he toasted Clare of wardrobe, Clare toasted Vic her assistant, Vic toasted the band; James, Pierce, Helen, Matt, Lisa and Joaquin (in his absence) who in turn collectively toasted Rosie the musical director.

Rosie stood up, smiling wickedly. 'To Kirsten, for a really excellent performance; it certainly caught Sandy's eye.'

There was an intensely awkward moment and it was obvious that most people were trying to figure out exactly what part Kirsten had played in the production. She felt herself going red. Sandy glanced at her apologetically; this obviously wasn't the type of drunken compliment he'd joked about her receiving.

Just as Kirsten was wishing she'd never come Paul caused a diversion by falling off his chair.

Sandy had never been so grateful to his best-friend.

The crowd erupted into loud guffaws as they scrambled to see if he was okay.

'Passed out,' Ben said, looking at Sandy.

'I don't doubt it,' Sandy was quick to add. 'He was wasted from the interval and then he had the nerve to tell everyone the wrong notes were my fault!'

'Let's get him outside,' someone said, 'he'll most likely puke as soon as he comes round.'

Watching the boys lug Paul towards the door Kirsten could almost swear she saw him open his eyes and wink at her, the next minute he just looked motionless. She felt a hand on her arm. It was Karen.

'You want to come fetch him some water?'

Rosie seemed to have disappeared in the general melee.

'Sure.'

'Don't take any notice of Rosie,' Karen said as they picked their way through the mess of the kitchen.

'I just feel like I shouldn't be here.'

'Aw honey, don't be stupid…hey!' Karen broke off her comforting speech to shove a canoodling couple off the counter next to the sink. 'Go get a room.' She began to rifle through the cupboards for a clean glass, 'Rosie just loves to give Sandy's girls a hard time.'

'I'm not, Sandy's girl or anything, I mean, we just met.'

'But you like him.'

Kirsten traced the pattern on the lino with her toe. 'Ye-ah,' she admitted quietly.

'Well, he likes you too.' Karen smiled as she noticed the younger girl's uncertain expression. 'He was a nervous wreck before you turned up. I'd be surprised if he doesn't have a crick in his neck he kept craning over everyone's head to look at the door so much. Plus, Rosie wouldn't have been so beastly if she didn't think he was serious.'

'Is…is she…'

'Jealous? Nah, that's just Rosie for you.'

Kirsten followed Karen to the garden where they found Sandy, Paul and Ben laid out on the grass laughing.

'I take it you don't need this then,' Karen said, proffering the glass of water threateningly.

'Aw babe you didn't really think Paul had fainted did you.'

She glared at the three of them.

'Give me a little more credit,' Paul muttered.

Ben was still chortling and Karen grabbed his hand and hauled him off. Sandy turned to Kirsten, 'Kirsten this is Paul, Paul this is Kirsten.'

'Hi Kirsten.'

'Hi, thanks for…'

'Pretending to pass out? My pleasure. So what part did you play in the production, apart from being accosted by Sandy?'

Kirsten blushed. 'I was…uh…in the audience!'

'Ah, particularly important, a necessity in fact,' Paul said seriously. 'No audience, no laughter…well, except for Sandy laughing at his own jokes. Did you enjoy the show?'

'Yeah I'm really glad my roommate dragged me out tonight!'

Paul chuckled but Kirsten didn't feel uncomfortable. She was happy that not all of Sandy's friends had the power to make her feel about two inches tall.

'Well I'd best be off,' Paul declared. 'I have to get up and study tomorrow.'

'See ya man.'

'Bye Paul.'

'Nice meeting you Kirsten,' Paul hollered from the sidewalk. 'And Sandy, I was not wasted. You were the one singing the wrong notes.'

Sandy harrumphed, making Kirsten laugh. 'That guy wouldn't know good vocals if they hit him in the face.'

'Well I thought your singing was very good.'

'Oh you did, did you? You obviously have a good ear.'

Kirsten laughed and then shivered.

'Are you cold?' Sandy asked in disbelief. 'It's about fifty degrees out here.'

'That's cold for California.'

'Fifty degrees in December! I'm still not used to it yet,' Sandy told her. 'Back in New York right now it's probably about minus five.'

She shivered again. 'You live in New York?'

'Used to. How about we head back inside?'

Kirsten wanted to ask more but the shortness of his tone stopped her. She nodded, smiling to herself as Sandy slid his arm around her waist and propelled her back into the house.

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Do you like Paul? Aw bless him. Please review!

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