Finding Home by Lauren K. McKellar

shadow when Lou came to the door.
    ‘Helping yourself to some make-up, then?’
    I froze, dropping the eye brush on the floor. Specks of grey splashed out across Lou’s white bathroom tiles.
    ‘Sorry,’ I muttered and pushed past her, racing out of the bathroom, through her room and then out down the hallway.
    ‘Amy,’ she called out, ‘it’s okay.’
    ‘Don’t worry about it,’ I yelled back from the privacy of my bedroom. I wished I hadn’t been caught. There was something about that moment, and how it might translate to an intimate, emotional connection with my aunt, that I wasn’t ready for. Not yet. Possibly not ever.
    I was going to be late, so it was a good thing she’d helped speed me along. I did a quick floor check, eventually uncovering a bottle of bourbon I’d swiped from one gig or another and had managed to sneak into my luggage. Perfect. I stuffed it into my oversized handbag, smeared some lip gloss over my lips till they tasted like cherry and headed out the door before Lou could ruin any other part of my evening.
    I was determined that tonight was going to be a good night.
    * * *
    This party felt completely different to the one held at Rachel’s house a few weeks earlier. The music was grungy rock and it was pumping, but not at a volume where you couldn’t talk. There were a lot of people I recognised but also a whole heap of people I didn’t, and everyone seemed older and more grown-up. My shimmery top, which only a few hours ago had seemed like a good choice for the evening, now felt silly. Over the top, even. I wished I’d just worn something plain.
    I glanced back at Kyle and Lily — my entourage — as they stopped in the hall. Was I really about to do this?
    ‘Go on, then.’ Kyle nudged me forward through the doorway. We were in. There was no turning back now.
    Clearly, this was not a problem for Kyle. Within seconds a random guy was high-fiving him and then dragged him away to chat about cricket or something equally as boring.
    ‘Are Ashley’s parties usually like this?’ I waved my hand in the direction of a group of guys passing around a joint as their ringleader picked out a few notes on a guitar.
    ‘What do you mean?’ Lily walked into the large, open kitchen and I followed, eager to get to the part where we started drinking.
    ‘Just…older.’ I shrugged.
    ‘I guess. He and Nick know a lot of band guys.’ Lily started to measure some liquid over a spoon, like the seasoned pro she was. The girl could pour a mean drink.
    ‘And Luke?’ I asked.
    Lily stopped pouring. She looked at me, square in the eyes. Uh-oh. Had I gone too far?
    ‘Amy, I thought it was funny when Coral was pissed off at you for flirting with him. But stay away from Luke.’ She said the words in a whisper, causing me to lean in closer. Her breath smelled heavily of the bourbon we’d sculled in the car on the way over here.
    ‘Why?’
    ‘If a guy would cheat on his girlfriend, then he’s not worth it, is he?’ she said, pulling away and getting back to mixing drinks.
    ‘So you think Luke would cheat on Coral, then?’ I took a sip of the drink she offered and grimaced. It was far too sweet, but I wanted to forget about the incident in the bathroom. I needed to forget.
    ‘Lily?’ I waved my hand in front of her face to regain her attention.
    ‘Look, they’ve been together for a long time, and they seem pretty rock-solid,’ Lily said. Disappointment set in. ‘Having said that, it disgusts me to announce that since you walked into the room he has not taken his eyes off you.’
    My heart raced. I looked around, to the left, to the right — and then I saw him.
    He was sitting on the couch and laughing, one hand around a beer and the other resting on the sofa. His brown hair was spiked, and he was wearing a chequered shirt, one that oh-so casually emphasised the definition of his body underneath. He looked drool-worthy. He grinned, and I noticed that cheeky little gap between his teeth. My