The next week after the first gig felt like flying.

I'd successfully booked my first gig for the Stallyns, I'd received my first kiss, and bow had a group of friends that was closer than ever. I didn't feel so alone in school anymore, not with my team waving at me when I would walk by.

In the past, I'd had friends that dumped me when I stopped being useful. That wasn't the case, I could tell. For once, it was just people liking my presence.

I'd been calling around again and hadn't been able to snag another gig yet, but that didn't stop me. The boys were very encouraging about it.

***

It was pouring rain after school on Friday, and my front door wouldn't open up. I cursed everything for a minute, trying to clear my glasses so I could see.

I'd just walked home from school in the pouring rain because I'd missed the bus, which wasn't a big deal because I lived close by, but it was irritating that I'd gotten locked out.

No use standing out in the rain, I guess.

I knew River lived just around the block from me, so I figured I could have a chance to stay at his house until my parents got home and could let me in.

***

My knees were knocking together from nerves and cold alike as I got onto River's porch. I was up to my knees in mud, soaked to the bone.

As fun as playing in the rain was, today was really cold, and my clothes had passed comfortable and reached clingy and annoying.

The door opened a little later, and River looked really surprised to see me.

"Lucky? What are you doing here?"

"Sorry to intrude, Riv, but I got locked out of my house. My parents don't get back til 6, so I can't get home. Do you mind if I come in for a little bit?"

I felt really bad showing up uninvited and guilting him into letting me stay, but I was out of options. I couldn't even get in the garage to stay dry.

"Of course, of course," he said, opening the door for me. I stepped in and stood on his welcome mat, shivering.

He went to the nearest closet and got me a towel, and I started wiping off. I felt too nervous to move off the mat, for fear of tracking mud everywhere.

"How did you get all the mud on you?" He asked, helping me rub down.

"Some jerk in a truck drove through a puddle on my way here and splashed me...," I kicked off my shoes and tried to set them somewhere the mud wouldn't leak.

"Man, that sucks. Hey, I've got a sister, she's probably your size. I'm gonna grab you a change of clothes." He started walking off quickly down the hall.

I stood alone at his doorway, too nervous abiut getting the floor wet to move. I wrapped my drippy hair in the towel to get it out of my face.

River returned with a hoodie and a pair of sweat pants.

"You can change in the first door on your left, then we can wait for your parents for a while." He looked around kinda awkwardly, like he didn't know what to do with a girl at his house alone.

"Thank you so much, you didn't have to do all this," I said, taking the clothes from him. "Sorry about the floor." I added as I started walking.

"Don't worry about it,"

I got into the first room and started peeling the clingy fabric from myself and dropping it into a wet heap. I pulled my wet hair into a ponytail so that it wouldn't drip down my back.

The new clothes were perfect simply because they were warm and dry. It even felt wonderful to get out of my socks.

I was really torn because even my bra was soaked through. I blushed secretly as I dropped it to the floor. I don't know why I was so embarrassed; the sweater was thick enough that River probably wouldn't notice. I wrapped it up in my other clothes and stepped out, cozy and dry.

"I don't know where to put these...," I muttered, holding up the damp heap.

River grabbed a basket and held it out to me, "I'll take these and dry them off for you. You can sit on the couch if you wanna..."

I side-stepped to the couch and took a seat, pulling a blanket around myself.

River came back with a few more blankets and laid down on the couch opposite from me, so that our feet met in the middle. For a little while, we talked about Wyld Stallyns, and the gig search, but it was no different than how we talked in school, so we quickly ran out of topics.

There was an awkward silence before River noted, "You're shivering still."

I ducked my head, "Yeah, I don't know what it is, but I'm always cold..."

River sat up and held his arms open and without hesitation, I went into them. I don't know why. He closed them around me and rubbed my arms to get feeling into them.

"Need another blanket?"

"N-No, I'm fine now...,"

"You wanna watch a movie?"

"Yeah sure,"

He finished rubbing my arms and then sat up and showed me his movie collection.

"You choose, I'll get some snacks or something," he told me.

I rifled through his movies, not sure what to put on.

"Riv, you like Stand By Me?" I asked him.

"Whatever you want," he called from the kitchen.

"I dunno," I yelled back, "you choose!"

River heaved a sigh from the other room before returning with a large bowl of grapes, seeing them on the table, and kneeling down next to me to look.

As he peered through the titles, I struck a conversation.

"You have a sister? Where is everyone now?"

"Who knows," River sighed, "School, jobs, you know... they should be home soon though. I've actually got a couple siblings."

"That's cool. I don't really. Just a dog."

"I like your dog," River grinned.

"I like your smile," I said without thinking. He stopped for a minute. I went red.

"Thank you. I like yours too."

He grabbed Stand By Me from the pile and put it in, leaving me there red-faced and a little giggly.

I climbed back onto the couch and huddled up with River again. The movie started up and River hovered his arm right above my shoulder, like he wanted to wrap it around me but wasn't sure if he should.

We stayed almost touching for several minutes, his hand hovering on the back of the couch, and my shoulders stiff. Neither of us talked, although I think we had so much to say.

We stayed uncomfortably stiff for about 20 minutes, all too aware of each other's company, before I gave in and sagged against him. He gasped as though the movement shocked him, which was surprising, considering we had kissed last night.

He settled in, arm curling around my shoulder gently.

"You look like Chris," I finally said, gesturing to one of the characters in the film. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and he brought his hand to his mouth easily.

"I can see it. Maybe if I was twelve...," I could feel him smirk.

We dissolved into silence again.

"Hey," I noted after a while, "toss me a grape."

River smirked a little and I leaned back, mouth open. He tossed it in a high arc and I caught it easily.

"One of my few talents has always been catching food," I teased, tossing one to him. It hit him in the side of the face.

The grape war went on until the climax of the movie, where I became very still and quiet, very intent on the movie.

River had slouched down and I was kinda curled up on his chest, head resting just below the crook of his neck, and his arm was around my side, the other propped on the arm of the couch. He, too, was serious and focused on the film.

I will admit that I cried, and I tried to rapidly fix my face before he could notice. He didn't comment, but did give my shoulder a little squeeze.

After the credits rolled, we perked up and had another grape war until some of Riv's family came home. His mom walked in the door and we quickly broke apart and skittered to opposite ends of the couch.

"River, who's this?" His mom asked, looking over at me in confusion.

"Oh, uh, mom, this is Lucky, she came over because she was locked out of her house. She lives around the block."

"Did you walk the whole way in the rain?" She asked me. Shyly, I nodded.

"Sorry I didn't... really ask to come in..." I mumbled to the bowl of grapes. I didn't know how to keep eye contact.

"Oh, I understand," his mother said, then she turned to her son. "No, you two weren't up to anything, were you?"

"Mom!" He shouted, turning pink.

"I'm just saying, she's a pretty girl, and you were unsupervised...,"

I burst out laughing, embarrassed all the same.

"I swear we didn't do anything!" River defended. "We watched a movie and talked about the band."

He had a few brothers and sisters congregated around, who, within my nerves, I forgot their names. I was fine until several people arrived, but then the whole house felt overly crowded and I couldn't stop blushing or fixing my glasses.

While River went to get my now long-dry clothes, his mother invited me to stay for dinner.

"Oh, no, I can't possibly. I barged in unannounced, I wouldn't want to intrude...,"

"It's not a problem, honestly...,"

"Actually, it's getting close to time for my parents to get home anyway, I'll have dinner with them. Thank you so much for the offer though!"

I called my mom to tell her that I was going to come home, and to get confirmation that the door would be unlocked.

River returned and handed me the clothes. "Don't bother changing, just return the clothes next time I see ya. I'll give you a ride home so you don't have to go in the rain again."

I grinned and he held up an umbrella for me and took me out to his car.

The ride home was under a minute, but better than walking.

"So sorry about showing up unannounced today," I said as he pulled in my driveway.

"Like I said, no worries. Maybe next time you should stay for dinner."

I leaned across the car to give him an awkward hug, the only type that cars will allow you to give. He kissed me on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Riv. Thanks for everything!"

"Thanks for keeping me company today," he smiled. I kissed his cheek in turn.

I hopped out of the car and awkwardly waved to him before he pulled off.

I had a few phone calls to make about the gigs still, and this time, I was determined.