"It's like me

To never see

When it came, when it went

And it's gone away."

-Kutlass, "It's like me".

Time slowly moved for Kyleen. Her inner self had not fully matured enough yet to understand that she was now twenty-one, and very near the next phase of adulthood. As a result, she did not feel the need to continue on with her Music major at the collage she attended. On the other hand, she preferred to play at the now renovated Club Corner.

A new floor was added, as well as one more less threatening Gargoyle. The roof was still considered the main dance floor, but the inner sanctuary was where the music resided. If people wanted to lounge, they did it in the new third floor. Couches and large chairs surrounded the center stage, encasing it in a wide variety of leather and velvet. The lights were positioned so strategically that it was hard to tell where the actual source of the illumination came from.

When Kyleen would sit on the barstool, and prepare to play for Red, a light would appear out of nowhere and would shine upon her small frame.

And when the light did shine on Kyleen, she would keep her head down.

Her hair (which had grown about five inches at this point) would surround her face in a flurry of sandy brown and blonde, and her single visible eye would peer out to the crowd with a sad and angry look.

Everyone got a kick out of that, seeing the emerald from within the darkness beam out to the audience and strangely touch their hearts in a sympathetic way. It was something that no one understood, yet they had a grand comprehension of how hurt she really was.

On this night, Red walked up the small set of stairs that lead to the center stage. He stood by Kyleen quietly while she tuned her guitar, hunching over it like an obsessed hermit.

"Hey, Kyleen?" Red said in his silky and unbroken Irish tone. "The show doesn't start for another hour, did you want to go to the bar and get something to drink?"

Kyleen straightened up and arched her back a bit. Light pops emanated from her spine before she turned to face him.

She didn't say a word while she undid the strap to her guitar and set it down next to the stool before standing.

"Maybe even talk a little?" Red encouraged subtly.

She brought her right hand to her face and brushed her long hair away from both her eyes and bringing it to where it grouped behind her neck.

For the first time, Red noticed that her eyes remained just a little more than halfway open, even when she was looking up at him.

"Or maybe you'd prefer to go home and rest?"

Kyleen shook her head, and spoke very quietly. "I don't want to rest, Red. But thanks for the suggestion," She turned away to head toward the bar.

Red followed and as he walked, he placed one hand in his pocket and found his wallet. Pulling that out, he put a slight quick in his pace to get along side Kyleen.

"You do wanna talk though," Red mentioned in the duration the bar came into reach. "Right? I mean, you've been rather quiet, lass."

"I have?" Kyleen asked obliviously.

"Yes, very quiet. You're almost as quiet as my dead grandmother."

Kyleen chuckled a little. "That's pretty quiet, Red."

Red poked her with his wallet, and Kyleen looked up at him.

Red was the type of man who really had a calming effect about his person. He had a medium frame that was covered in lean muscle, and his deep blue eyes were surrounded by wavy locks of bright red hair (hence his name, fancy, non?). His long legs made him slightly taller than Jonah by about two inches, and his nimble hands made it possible for him to do nifty tricks with the handling of the microphone. The voice he possessed was very soft and low when he spoke, but in singing he had gained a reputation as being a man who could reach octaves that no normal man could reach.

"I'll take a Smirnoff Triple Black," She muttered, reaching in her own pocket to pull out a small wad of bills.

Red placed his hand on her shoulder. "No," He said, smirking. "I'll take care of this one."

Kyleen reluctantly removed her hand from her clothing and rested her elbows on the black marble bar. Looking down, she started to follow the lightning-like patters that spread themselves about on the smooth surface.

Red saw her eyes dart this way and that slowly.

"I'll have a Ginger Charrie with four cherry's please?" Red said, relaxing a bit and slouching in his barstool.

Kyleen got her bottle right away, and took a glass from a little rack near the mini-cash register that lie to the left of her. She poured a good amount into the glass, and started sipping at it.

"Kyleen," Red cleared his throat. "I've heard about you not finishing your major. Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yup," Simple as that, not even a pause.

"Why though? There's a lot of promise for someone who completes that."

"Because I could," She took another sip from the glass.

Red's drink reached him and he poked a straw through the narrow glass. The cherries at the bottom of the drink nudged aside as the red tube poked each one of them.

"Why are you so concerned?" Kyleen looked over at Red, swiveling about in her stool to face him fully.

"Because, I just am. I've known you for over five years, Kyleen. In all those years I've never seen you so anti-social and down."

He poked the straw through one of the cherries and pulled it out of the drink. Ripping out the stem, he ate the cherry slowly.

"Thanks for the caring notion," Kyleen began, pouring another glass full. "But I'm fine. I'm getting paid good, I'm doing what I love, and I have my own place. Life could not get any better than this."

"Then act like it's gotten better, lass. Cheer up a bit," He was now trying to pierce a second cherry. "Because I am getting very worried about you."

Kyleen closed her eyes for a moment and took in a silent breath.

Like Jonah, Red had told her many times that he was worried about her and her emotional well being.

It was nice to know that people did worry and care for her, but at the same time she was getting so tired of everyone pushing their own concerns to the side just to focus on her inner turmoil.

"Red," She said calmly, looking back toward her drink. "Thanks again for your concern, but you really should not be troubled about me. Okay? The only thing you should worry about is if weather or not I make it to practice, and if I make it to work on time."

Red gave a light scowl, but the expression turned quickly into a smirk. "You're not just a band member, you know. You're not just the guitar bit in this pack. You are a person, someone who I care for. You've been my friend Kyleen, the least I can do is return all the favors you've done for me."

"I don't need anything," She stated very blankly, shutting her eyes again. "But thanks."

Red finally got that cherry he was aiming for, and pulled it out of the drink, holding it up by the stem to let it drip dry while he was in thought. The clear droplets of the Ginger Charrie fell back into the source, making "plunk" noises.

"Kyleen," His voice came out a little stern. "Perhaps you need another vacation."

Her eyes opened at the sound of that. "Vacation?"

"Yes," He nodded, finally eating the cherry.

She shook her head.

Even though she did not say anything, Red took the silence as a final answer.

Loud and clear.

"Alright then, we've got about forty five minutes. Let's do this."

She nodded and took the bottle with her.