An Unchosen Fate

Chapter 1, Part 1

Kelsey woke with a start, her heart beating wildly. She rolled over to find Zeke sound asleep next to her. The pain and guilt gnawed away at her as a tear slipped down her cheek. Part of her wanted it to be real, but at the same time she felt relieved that it was only a dream.

"I don't understand," she thought. "Why am I thinking like this. I'm such a horrible person." Kelsey closed her eyes, replaying the remnants of her dream in her mind before they could slip away. Long, lingering kisses down her neck... fingers running through his sandy colored hair as she slowly stroked his cheek with her fingertip, looking deep into his eyes...Holding hands as they laid back talking, looking at the universe spread before them in an unforgivingly perfect night sky. It wasn't the first time she'd dreamt about him. What she didn't understand was why. When did her love life become such a mess?

Kelsey knew she was beginning to develop feelings for Mike for a while now, but usually she didn't remember her dreams anymore; nor could she comprehend why her problems tended to manifest themselves as fantasies and alternate worlds in the dream realm. Not once, not twice, but persistently. It was driving her insane, to put it mildly. Sleep was the one place she could escape. Now she didn't even have that. "I'm so tired," she thought as she drifted off to sleep once more.

A few hours later she was headed to work, nervous but happy. Her anxiety was always at it's peak these days, mainly because she didn't understand her feelings or how she was going to react. "Keep it together," she mumbled under her breath. "Confidence is key."

As she pulled in to the parking lot, she glanced over to see Mike's truck. He was bent over, captivated by his phone. She watched him for a moment. "I wonder what he's doing," she pondered. Kelsey parked her car and walked confidently to the bench outside, pretending not to notice him as she fought the urge not to look while passing by. She sat down on the bench, lighting up as per routine and slipping some headphones into her ear. She sang along in her mind, pepping up for the long day ahead. "Night and day! I know you're fine but I just want to say..." Heavy music always drowned her worries.

Suddenly a hand waved in front of her face, snapping her back to reality. Glancing up she saw Mike, her co-worker and now best friend. Mike smiled. "What's up?," he asked before sitting down, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Her eyes lingered on his lips for a moment as images of her most recent dream flashed across her memory in a blur. "I wonder if his lips are soft...". Mentally slapping herself, Kelsey quickly looked away as to not draw attention to the fact she was staring at his mouth. "Same s**t different day," she replied with a grin. She glanced back over at Mike, noting the sparkle in his eyes as the sun reflected in them. They were exceptionally blue today.

Mike was a few years older than her, but she had never felt so close to someone in her entire life. At the same time, he was completely out of reach. "I wonder what he's thinking," she said to herself. As if reading her mind, Mike started telling her about his most recent accomplishment. Although they worked together in a factory, Mike was learning to produce his own music. In fact, their love of music was one of the things that brought them together. It was a bond that couldn't be unshared or even explained to someone who didn't experience it firsthand.

She started to reminisce of the first night they shared their love of music together...

6 months earlier

Kelsey, Zeke and Mike walked onto the back deck after an intense video game match, laughing. "Keep playing like that and we'll never make it past round ten," Zeke teased. "It was the lag, man, I couldn't do anything. One minute I'm shooting and the next minute I'm getting attacked out of nowhere," Mike said defensively. Kelsey laughed, looking at the two most important men in her life. She was beyond happy that things were going the way they had been, especially after everything they'd been through recently. "Who wants another beer?," she asked them. They both agreed and she walked into the house to grab a round for the three of them. Although she was a bit of a lightweight, she still liked to unwind sometimes on the weekends.

Walking back outside, she noticed Zeke was on the phone. "It's dad," he mouthed to her. "I'll be right back, guys," he said as he walked off into the night. For a moment Kelsey and Mike sat in awkward silence, and then suddenly they were talking about random topics. When they started talking about music, though, that's when things changed.

Mike pulled out his tablet and started explaining to her how once you create a beat, you are capable of anything. "Close your eyes, feel the music, and just sing whatever comes to your mind," he told her. After a few minutes the melody started flowing through her, and they were well on their way to making a song. "This is so amazing!," Kelsey exclaimed, excitement bubbling through her. Their eyes locked, and for a moment it felt like just the two of them in their own little world. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was fate. Either way, Kelsey knew something was happening. She was either lucky, or screwed.

Present Day

"So like I was saying, once I figure out how to balance the EQ on my tracks, the vocals will be so much better. The sky is the limit," he said. She looked at him, smiling in awe. "That's so great, I'm so proud of you! Don't forget us little people when you make it big." He glanced at his phone, standing up. "We better head in. I still gotta change my boots." They put out their cigarettes and together they walked inside to face the day.