Sarah and Kevin 2

January


Kevin leaned against the wall outside Jimmy's bar and drew in a deep breath. The air was so cold that his lungs burned. His jean jacket was not warm enough to protect him from the January chill at midnight, but he shivered gladly. Now that the band had finally gone under financially and he would have to return home, he didn't give a damn whether he was comfortable or not.
The flood light behind the bar made everything a faded gray. The trees, the dead grass, the salt on the asphalt of the parking lot, they were all a dirty white color. The world is dead and so is MourningStar, thought Kevin ruefully. How cliche. He smiled darkly and rested his head against the brick wall.


Just then, the door slammed open, barely missing Kevin as it crashed into the wall beside him. Peter stumbled out.


"Hey, man. What are you doing out here?" Peter's words slurred slightly. Kevin could smell the alcohol on his breath and rolled his eyes. Self control was not Peter's strong point.


"Jimmy wants to see us. He says he may have good news." Peter grabbed Kevin's sleeve as if to pull him inside.


"Thanks," Kevin said as he shrugged Peter off. "I'll make it in myself."


The cold air must have sobered Peter up a little. He managed to walk down the hall to Jimmy's office without hitting the wall once. Kevin followed him in silence, looking over the top of his fogged up glasses.


"Hey, Kevin," Jimmy greeted him. "Have a seat." Jimmy gestured toward the sofa and chair with a thick finger. Scott and Tom were already sitting on the sofa. Kevin took the chair and Peter fell down next to Scott.


"So, MourningStar is pretty much dead, huh?" Jimmy asked. They all nodded glumly. "What are your plans?"


"Going home, I guess," answered Scott. Kevin, Peter and Tom shrugged, then nodded in agreement.


"What if I told you that I could give you a second chance?" Kevin leaned forward and pushed up his glasses as the fog cleared off them.