Possessions
Chapter 5
By: Makena
The five settled into their two hotel rooms; Benji and Joel in one room, Chris, Billy and Paul in the other. Chris sat on the end of one of the two beds in his room in thought, watching Paul flip through TV channels and Billy going through his duffel bag.
"What do you think Makena's doing right now?" he asked finally. Paul and Billy frowned and paused what they were doing, both looking at Chris.
"Why?" Paul asked. Chris shrugged.
"Just curious," he lied. "Cause I know the whole situation between her and Benji and whatever and I was just curious."
"I don't know," Paul said, looking down at his watch. "She's probably shopping with Raemie right now."
Chris paused. "So... she's here?" he asked.
"Yeah," Billy replied. "Why wouldn't she be?"
"I saw her down stairs," Chris said. "In the lobby - I didn't know she was coming! What's Benji gonna think about this?"
"I donno," Billy said with a shrug. "He'll probably be happy."
"Wait," Paul said. "You saw her down stairs?"
"Yeah."
"How was she?" he asked. "Did she look okay?"
Chris glanced at Billy who shrugged a little. "Is... this a trick question?" he asked. Paul rolled his eyes.
"No," he said. "I mean, did she look sad or what?"
"Oh! Yeah, she looked fine to me. Why?"
Paul sighed. "Aaron asked me to keep an eye on her," he said.
Billy raised an eyebrow in question. "Why?" he asked. Paul shrugged.
"Who could know."
---------------------------
"What about pink?" Makena shook her head, going through dress choices. She paused and held one up for Raemie to see.
"Agh!!" she shouted. "I'm going blind!"
Makena laughed and looked at the tangerine colored dress that created new colors whenever light hit it. She put it back and continued to go through the dresses. Raemie stopped searching for a moment and looked at Makena.
"Aaron said you two went out in high school," she began.
"Yep," Makena admitted, still digging for the right dress. Raemie sighed and glanced at a deep blue dress.
"I know what happened and everything," she continued slowly. "But... do you still like him?"
Makena stopped searching and looked at Raemie, trying not to laugh. "No," she replied, struggling to keep a straight face. Raemie nodded, not sure if she believed Makena or not. Makena laughed.
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"Well..." Raemie began.
"Look, this isn't going to turn into some high school tear fest or some Julia Roberts movie, okay?" Makena told her. "I have no interest in Aaron above being friends."
"Oh," Raemie said, obviously relieved at Makena's answer. "So... are you, like, a lesbian then?"
Makena laughed again. "No," she replied, still laughing. Raemie laughed at herself as they continued to look through dresses.
Benji sat on his hotel bed, strumming random notes on his acoustic guitar and looking at the song he had written. He hummed some of the lyrics in attempt to fit the words with the song before shaking his head.
"Slow song," he muttered to himself, making a note of that at the top of his paper. "It should be a slow song."
The bathroom door opened and Joel stepped out, wearing a towel around his waist and dripping wet. Benji looked up at him, still trying to fit notes to the words.
"Hey, Joel?" he asked as Joel walked towards his duffel bag on the other bed. "I know we're recording soon, but do you think we could add a new song to the list?"
Joel shrugged and stepped towards Benji's bed, looking over his brother's shoulder to see what he had written. "Is that the song?" he asked. Benji nodded, strumming a couple of notes. Joel sighed and shook his head, walking back towards his own bed.
"What?" Benji asked. "Is that a no?"
"No," Joel said. "We can put it on the track, but... you're supposed to write songs to help you forget, not keep your mind on her."
Benji didn't say anything as he looked at his song. "Still..." he said. Joel sighed and slipped a black Distillers t-shirt on over his head.
"Find something to do, Benji," Joel said. "Go down and get ice or something - just find something that will take your mind off of her. Okay?" Benji sighed but nodded, putting his guitar down on the floor and yawning, rubbing his eyes.
"I'll go get something to eat," he said as he stood up. "Do you want me to get you anything?"
Joel shook his head. "No," he replied. "Just go."
Benji sighed slightly and turned, walking towards the door.
"Wait, Benj!" Joel called before Benji opened the door. He turned and ducked as Joel threw a small object at him. Joel laughed and watched Benji pick the card key up from the floor.
"Take that in case I'm gone when you get back," Joel explained as Benji pocketed his key.
"I doubt I'll be gone that long," Benji muttered, opening the door. He sighed and stepped into the hall, closing the door and turning to walk. As soon as he turned around, he noticed a girl with blond hair that had been pulled up into two messy buns trying to get into her own room just across the hall. He paused, astonished.
"Makena?" he asked. The girl stopped, her key half way through the door, listening for her name again.
"Makena?" Benji asked again. The girl turned around. Benji took a breath, looking her over; she had the same blue eyes, the same blond hair - she was even the same height, although slightly taller since she wore boots to better improve this. The two of them stood in the hall, staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity, neither of them knowing what to say or how to act.
Finally, it was Makena who rushed up to Benji and wrapped her arms around his body, resting her face on his shoulder.
"Benji," she whispered, clutching onto him. Benji, surprised at first, now hugged her back. Makena finally let go and started at him in the face before slapping him. He stared at her in shock, not sure what he had done to deserve it.
"Fuck you!" she screamed. Benji frowned until he realized that he could smell alcohol on her breath.
"What the hell did I do?" he asked as Makena turned towards her door, trying to open it again.
"Nothing." she said. "Absolutely nothing."
She successfully opened the door and slipped inside. Benji tried to follow, but the door was slammed shut before he had a chance to intercept it. Benji stood at the door for a minute before another door from the opposite side of the hall opened.
"Benji? What are you doing? What's with all the noise?" Benji turned to see Paul sticking his head out the door and Billy stepping into the hall. He sighed and turned around to face them.
"Makena's in there," he told them bluntly. "She slapped me."
"She's in there?" Billy asked before Paul elbowed him in the ribs. "I mean, she's here?"
Benji frowned. "What do you know?" he asked them, walking towards them in a menacing way. Billy and Paul backed up.
"Nothing," Billy denied. "I didn't know she was going to be at the wedding." He paused as Paul elbowed him in the stomach again. "At the hotel."
"You knew?!" he asked. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me?!"
"I didn't... oh, look Billy - we rented a movie and it's about to start now!" Paul said quickly. "Bye, Benji!"
Before Benji had a chance to say anything, the door slammed shut and he was left standing in the hall again, denied access to three rooms.