Kennedy In Denver (In Denver Series Book 1) (2 page)

We call ourselves the
September 4
. We are young, beautiful and talented, so of course we are all roommates at the Barton Conservatory for The Performing Arts in New York. Starting with freshman orientation until the day Henry Lloyd Burns entered our lives, we were inseparable. I knew people would often look at us and try to figure out how four such random people could possibly be friends.

I was the only working class kid out of the group. My dad, Cian, worked in a union factory and my mother, Moira was a pre-k teacher’s aide. I got my mother's wild, curly red hair and my father's green eyes. I definitely heard my share of Harry Potter/Ron Weasley jokes growing up, but I loved my Irish heritage, and so did my parents. That's why they named me after their favorite Irish family. You can't get more Irish than Kennedy Brennan. And, here I am attending Barton on a full scholarship plus a stipend.  I just completed my dual majors of a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) that would allow me to teach music to grades Kindergarten-Twelfth Grade, and a Bachelor of Music (BM), an intensive program that prepared me to be a professional musician.

Whitney DeWitt obtained a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. She doesn't need a REAL degree, as I like to tease her. She is the daughter of a Governor, with a run for the White House in his very near future.  This girl is classy. Whitney walks the campus looking like a blonde Jackie O in vintage, quilted Chanel and a double strand of pearls, rocking Jimmy Choo's like I rock, well—Converse. It's all about fashion with Whitney, but never about being stuck up. She is just gifted when it comes to her unlimited charge cards and store accounts and very generous about sharing. I know what you're thinking, "poor little rich girl", but you couldn't be further from the truth. Whitney's dad thinks she hung the sun and the moon. He's a very involved father, even for a Governor. Her mom is really bohemian for a Governor's wife, a well-known photographer in her own right and descended from Ansel Adams. If there were such a thing as art aristocracy then she would be it.

Emma Casey obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree with her focus on Musical Theatre. She is the wild child of one of America's leading Psychiatrists and Neurosurgeons. She comes from a brain trust. I like to think her Goth look was more to aggravate her parents then actually her style. While Emma does dress Goth, she only listens to upbeat show tunes. The girl is a nut, and I love her. How can you take a Goth singing show tunes seriously? She is hiding a deeply conservative streak; I mean she's still a virgin. Emma talks about getting her V-card punched, but hasn't made a move to see the deed done. I'm starting to think she's saving it for marriage.

Pilar Valle also earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree, and could be considered a work of art herself. She is probably one the most beautiful people I have ever seen that wasn't on a screen or in a magazine. Pilar's mother was Latina Supermodel and Telenovela Star Paloma Valle. Standing at 6'0” in flats, Pilar is a stunning Amazon. I always imagine that if Wonder Women were an actual person she would look like Pilar. Her mother claims she has no idea who her and her sister’s father is. Pilar doesn't know to this day, if she is telling the truth or just being dramatic. I guess when your mom is an actress it can be hard to know when they are telling you the truth. I love watching her telenovelas, but Pilar doesn't need to know this. An angry Pilar is not to be fucked with.

Four years ago, Divine intervention brought the
September Four
together, but tonight evil will tear us apart...

Pain is a funny thing. A person's brain has a built-in mechanism, an off switch. When the mind or body has reached its tolerance for pain, the mind flips the switch for you. I'm guessing that's why I didn't feel when Henry Lloyd Burns slit my throat, stabbed me nine times and left me for dead. What the brain doesn't turn off are all your other senses. In fact, it amplifies them. With that in mind, for the next four hours, I listen to the screams of my best friends as the sick bastard went from room to room. I lay on the floor and wished for death, but I wouldn't get it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why can't I find my phone, this alarm just keeps beeping and beeping."

Oh my god, it feels like I was hit by a truck. I hear my mom's voice... "Someone call a doctor. I think she is waking up!"

Then, I think, it's my dad's booming voice? Yelling frantically, "Help! HELP!" I wonder if my Dad is in trouble.

When I try to open my eyes again, everything is blurry, and I can't swallow. I instantly start to panic why can't I move.  

"What's happening Kennedy, honey?" my mom whispers. "Please stay calm, the doctor is coming. Please honey, just relax."  

I try to nod my head, but it's too heavy.  

"Hello, Kennedy." I hear as I feel the tape being pulled from my eyelids.

"I'm Doctor Francis, you have a tube in your throat that we need to remove, and then you should be able to talk. It's ok to open your eyes."

My eyes lock on the doctor as he removes the breathing tube. I try to speak, but nothing will come out, and it burns so bad.  

"Kennedy," he says. "You have been in a coma for the last nine weeks. Can you tell me who the president is?”

I lick my lips and reply, “President Obama."

The doctor beams before he continues his questioning, "Very good. Now, can you tell me your full name and date of birth, please?"

I have to think for a minute. "Umm, it's Kennedy Rose Brennan. I was born May fiftieth nineteen ninety four"

"EXCELLENT!” he says while checking me over. "Do you know why you're in the hospital?" The heart monitor starts beeping faster; I automatically turn and stare at it accusingly.

"I think...we were attacked in our house...I was stabbed." I try to talk through the sobbing, but nothing wants to come out. "How are my friends are they ok? Can you take me to them?" The doctor and my parents exchange an uneasy look, and I gratefully let the darkness overtake me again.

Two more days passed before I woke up again. My room was empty, so I pushed the call button. A short, older nurse comes in with a somber look on her face. "It’s good to see you awake Kennedy, I'm nurse Deena, are you in pain?"  

I shake my head and ask, "Can you please tell me where my parents are?"  

The nurse replies, "Oh yes, dear, they are staying across the street at the Hyatt. They just left about thirty minutes ago to shower and change."

I'm at a loss, but I respond anyway, "Oh, ok, thank you."

She continues with the questions. “Would you like to shower? I can help you..." I just nod until her lips stop moving. After thirty minutes of steaming hot water, I feel slightly human again. I'm sitting on my bed and look for the TV remote, "Nurse Deena? Can you please turn on the TV?"

"No honey,” she responds. “You don't want see all the foolishness on the TV. Just you keep that mess off. You have enough to worry about."

My forehead wrinkles. "Why? What's going on?"

"Please, dear. Just lay back and relax dinner will be around soon, and your parents are on their way back.

"No!” I exclaim anxiously. “What’s going on?"

She sticks her pen in her pocket and says, without looking at me,

"The man who did this to you says you girls were all hanging out at a club, dancing suggestively and drinking heavily. He claims he was invited back to your house for sexual favors. He claims due to the medication he is taking for depression he snapped when your friend Emma told him no. He is pleading not guilty by reason of mental defect, and his legal defense has leaked videos of you and your girlfriends from the nightclub doing body shots and dancing."

"But, we weren't at a nightclub! We were at a karaoke bar, and we never did any body shots! We haven't done anything like that since we were freshman. If there are videos, they are old and not from that night!"

My voice is trying to elevate, but it's unable to due to my injuries, frustrating me further. I feel the panic starting to take hold; I'm trying to adjust my breathing.

"Breathe, honey," nurse Deena says.

"What's going on?” I hear my father.

"What's going on? Turn on the TV, Dad", I manage to say.

"Baby girl, you don't want to see that, but more importantly, the police and the district attorney have asked not to let you see anything until you give your statement. They are right outside. Are you feeling up to talking to them?"

"Yes, I just want this to be done,” I said.

I turned to the door, where two detectives were waiting along with two people from the district attorney's office, and a lady with a video camera.

"Hello, I'm Detective Bliss, and this is Detective Chufee, and this is District Attorney Noel Perez and Assistant District Attorney Heather Franks. Lastly, this is Meagan Golden, our court reporter. She is going to record your testimony while we get everything set up. I would like to say that we are doing everything possible to make sure your attacker never sees the light of day. If you're ready please start at the very beginning of that night."

I'm already in a panic and can't remember any of their names, it's beyond crowded in this room now. I don't look at any of them, I pick at the blanket on my bed and after a deep breath just start telling them what I remember.

"It was ladies night at the Last Kangaroo. It's a bar about a mile from our house. We decided to go have a few drinks since we were all graduating on Saturday. This was it, officially our last night out as the
September 4
! We got dressed and arrived at the bar around ten. They were just about to start the karaoke contest. Up for grabs was, Best Group, Best Solo, Best duo, and the coveted: Best Random pair!  They have already picked two previous contestants to sing a duet at the end of the night, each category got a cheesy blue ribbon—like the kind, you win at a spelling bee. I was drinking soda since I'm only twenty the bar has people watch to make sure no one is underage drinking, it being a college bar people get drinks and give them to the younger students. The owner of the bar was scared to lose her liquor license so she always has off-duty police watching for underage drinking. The girls ordered a round of tequila shots and we found a table in front of the stage area where there was a table of rowdy guys next to us.  Tristan was there with some of the guys from our Conservatory. They always sing boy band covers or songs that would allow them to all sing loud, off key and all together. We all have been going to the Last Kangaroo since freshman year for ladies nights and karaoke; it gave us a chance to sing to an audience. With so much coursework, it was our only outlet.  

The girls had their second round of shots and Whitney was called up for her song. She sang ‘Brighter Than the Sun’ and when she came back to the table the waitress brought over a round of shots and said it was from an admirer. The girls did their shots, and we watched as the group of guys got up to sing. They sang "Friends in Low Places"; I was focusing on Whitney who was telling us her agent had set up a few auditions for scripted reality shows and a few pilots. Pilar was called up to sing her grandmother's favorite song. It's a Spanish song called "Ayer" by Gloria Estefan. I guess that's not important.”  

"No", Mr. Perez said. “Everything is important
.
”

“After Pilar was finished, the waitress came over with another round from the secret admirer. Emma and Whitney drank their shots, but Pilar switched to soda. She was already buzzed. Some girls from our class got up and sang ‘Dirty’ by Christina Aguilera. The crowd was getting a little rowdy, so we were going to head out, but decided to stay because after four years of trying Emma finally got picked for the Random Partner Random Song category. It was only ribbon she was missing in completing her 1st place blue ribbon collection for her graduation cap.

When another group of guys got up to sing, we asked the guy at the table next to us to take a few pictures and a video of us for Facebook and Instagram. I gave him my phone and Emma was called up. She sang ‘Part of Your World’ from the Little Mermaid. The guy at the table next to us started talking to me. He was sitting alone, so we asked him to join us. He was handsome and polite, and he bought a round of drinks. I was called up to sing next. I sang ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?’  Emma and I were up next for the duo category and we sang ‘What Is This Feeling’, from Wicked. It was time for the group category, we decided on ‘Wings’, by the British group Little Mix. I got my phone back and posted the video on Facebook, and then Emma got called up for the Random Duet Random Song category. I tutored the DJ, Ryan, so he pairs Tristan and Emma together as a favor to me. I wanted her to have the best shot at winning. I reminded her she owed Tristan a kiss; it was part of a deal we made at the house. When they finished singing ‘The Time of My Life,’ she kissed him. It was stupid, but I thought if I could just get them to kiss, she would realize her feelings for him. Tristan has been in love with Emma for the entire time he has known us. I thought that if they could feel the connection they would give it a try. I just wanted my friends to be happy. We waited for the ribbons to be given out. Then we said bye to everyone, loaded in Whitney’s Range Rover, and I drove home.

"Hey, where did the cute guy go, Emma?"