The second we got inside the restaurant I regretted tagging along. In the corner I saw Kayla and a few other familiar faces. Not Samantha or Charlie. But Stephen, Marc, Monica and Jasmine. I swallowed and took a deep breath. I never wore jeans when I lived in Manhattan. And I never wore tees like this and I never had my hair up in a bun. So there was just no way they would recognize me.
"Let’s sit over here" Tino said and pointed towards a table a few meter from my old friends.
"Sure" Austin said and they walked over. It was me, Austin, Tino, Alan and two guts from We Came As Romans. Andy and Lou.
"Wait, isn’t that Kayla?" Tino asked when he saw the people in the corner.
"Yes it is, and I don’t want to talk to her" I said and sat down beside Austin.
"Why not?" Tino asked and looked at me.
"Well it wasn’t just Charlie that dumped me when I became deaf" I said and swallowed. I looked at Kayla and she looked so happy. I missed it a little and it made my heart ache a little. Not being a part of that.

I was standing and picking some salad when Jasmine and Kayla walked over to pick some as well.
"Just look at them, tattoos and all… How do they get a job?" Jasmine asked. I swallowed and picked my salad.
"I have no idea, how would anyone want to hire them?" Kayla asked.
"They actually have jobs, and they get in quite some good cash for it too" I said and looked at them. Kayla and Jasmine looked at me, and they just stared. Glared a little. Then Kayla realized who it was.
"Mairin?" she said. Jasmine looked surprised.
"So you finally got out from rehab?" Jasmine asked.
"Rehab?" I asked and looked surprised.
"Oh darling, everyone knows you got into rehab" she said with an evil grin.
"Rehab? I got into an accident and went temporary deaf… I was locked inside my room before i moved to LA to spend some time with those tattooed guys you speak so bad about" I snapped and glared at her.
"You don’t have to lie" Jasmine said and laughed.
"Well ask Kayla, she was with me on the night of the accident" I said and glared at Kayla. Kayla looked nervous and swallowed, and Jasmine looked at her.
"Yeah, it’s actually the truth" Kayla confessed.
"Hey Rin, what’s going on?" Austin said and popped up next to me. Kayla and Jasmine stared at him, and looked a bit scared.
"Just catching up a little" I said and gave him a smile. He saw that it was fake and he raised an eyebrow. He took my hand and laced his fingers with mine. Kayla looked a bit surprised when he raised my hand and kissed my fingers.
"Well come back to us, we have to get back soon if we’re getting up early tomorrow" he said and smiled. This time I smiled for real.
"Yeah, I have a few things to show you guys" I said and laughed.

- - -

"No, she was with some tattooed man that called her Rin… he kissed her fingers and she looked so happy. I have never seen her so happy" Kayla said and looked at Samantha. Samantha looked skeptical.
"And she was walking around with jeans and a big tee?" she asked.
"It said Slipknot, and her hair was in a messy bun" Kayla continued.
"Whatever Mairin is doing here… We have to get her out from Manhattan" Jasmine said.
"That you got right, she’s no longer queen here" Samantha said.
Kayla swallowed and looked a bit nervous.
"But what are we going to do about her?" Jasmine said.
"What if I do something?" Charlie said and walked inside the room.
"Hello love" Samantha said and kissed him. He kissed her back.
"I’ll figure something out and get her the hell out of Manhattan" Charlie said with a chuckle.