“Yep, he really missed you,” Ursula said, handing the tabby cat to Adriana as she reached the front door.
Adriana smiled and stroked Shorty’s soft fur. “How could I have lived without you, baby,” she cooed and made baby talk to the cat.
Micky raised an eyebrow as he watched his normally composed and elegent wife turn into a puddle of goo-goo as she petted the animal.
“And,” Ursula said with a laugh as she pointed over to the van, “I brought you another surprise from my monthly trip back to 2001.”
“What’s that,” Adriana asked as she looked up from the cat to see the van’s door opening.
A young woman about 25years old, and nearly 6 feet tall, with very long, straight blonde hair and green eyes bounced out of the van. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans, a long sleeved white dress shirt, and a pair of black chunky heeled boots, which made her look even taller. The woman looked over at Adriana and Ursula and waved excitedly.
“Oh my gosh,” Adriana exclaimed as she pushed Shorty into Micky’s arms and began to run towards the woman. “Kat!”
“Adrian,” the woman screamed as she the two embraced.
“Woah,” Micky said, steadying the cat, “what’s all the screaming about?”
“Micky,” Adriana exclaimed as she pulled the woman over to introduce her, “this is my cousin, and one of my best friends growing up, Katerina Johanson.”
“Hi, there” Katerina said, extending her hand to Micky.
Micky shook Katerina’s hand, and mused at the subtle resemblance he noticed between Adriana and Katerina. Katerina was taller, tanner, thinner, her hair longer and blonder, but their eyes were nearly exactly the same, “Nice to meet you,” he said.
“Come on,” Adriana said, motioning everyone in, “let’s go inside and catch up on things. I’ve got so much to tell you!”
“I could hardly believe it when Ursula told me,” Katerina said as she sat on the sofa in Micky and Adriana’s apartment. “I mean, I know we hadn’t been in contact in awhile, but I didn’t think that much had changed. I’m just glad Ursula showed up when she did or I would have been spending the night on the porch of your old apartment. In the middle of April! It gets pretty cold at night there!”
Adriana walked into the living room and handed Katerina a cup of steaming Earl Gray tea.
“I had to run next door and borrow some of this from Peter’s tea collection,” Adriana said as she took a seat on the arm of the chair where Micky was relaxing, listening to everyone chat.
“You’re one of the only people I know who drinks hot tea in the middle of the summer, well, accept Peter,” Adriana continued as Micky put his arm around her waist.
“Oh wow,” Katerina said as she saw Micky rest his head on Adriana’s side, “you two are so cute. I wish I could have made it for the wedding.”
“I should have found a way to contact you,” Adriana said, taking a sip of her bottled water. “You would have probably been one of the only members of my family, besides my mom, who wouldn’t have had me committed to a loony bin if I told them all that has happened.”
“That’s why I didn’t think you’d mind if I brought her along for a visit,” Ursula said.
“So,” Adriana asked, “how was The Big Apple?”
“Ugh, well,” Katerina said as she sat down her cup, “it started off alright, I suppose. I had a few gigs, but nothing really promising. I never really made any money waitressing at the Tavern on the Green, but I did write a jingle for Bobby’s Corner Shoe Mart! That’s when I knew I had to leave. I need my integrity, ya know?”
“You’re a musician,” Micky asked, perking up in his chair.
“She sure is,” Adriana said with a giggle. “Remember the little fake bands we’d make up when we were kids?”
“Oh, man,” Katerina laughed, “those were the days. We’d sit around in your room singing New Kids on the Block and Wilson Phillips songs. We had such great taste in music!”
“I know, I know,” Adriana said, groaning at the mention of two of the worst musical groups ever. “Oh, what was that song we made up for Ryan down the block?”
“Oh,” Katerina exclaimed, putting a hand to her forehead, “didn’t it go something like ‘Blue eyes, blue eyes’,” she sang, “ ‘You have really great blue eyes.’”
“Yeah,” Adriana laughed as she joined in singing, “ ‘Blue eyes, blue eyes, will you marry me?’”
The two girls doubled over with laughter as Micky and Ursula exchanged looks of amusement.
“But seriously,” Adriana said as she began to recover from the giggle fit, “I always knew you’d be the one to go somewhere. You really have talent, Kat.”
“I wish all those NYC critics thought so,” Katerina said quietly, fingering her cup of tea.
“Who could possibly not like your work,” Adriana asked.
“The critics,” Katerina said, taking a drink.
“So,” said Adriana quietly, “that’s why you left?”
“No,” answered Katerina, “Writing jingles is just not where I wanted to be, so I decided to come back home for a few days and see if maybe I can get refreshed. Maybe write some new songs, get a new perspective on things. Visit my favorite cousin.”
“Well,” Adriana said, looking at Micky, “you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. Right, Micky?”
“Sure, of course,” he said, nodding.
“I’d love to stay and catch up with you for a few days, if that’s okay,” Katerina said, looking at the two.
“Great,” Adriana said, standing up and motioning everyone out the door. “then there’s some people I want you to meet. You’re not going to believe this!”
“Let me guess,” Katerina said, smiling with surprise as she stood before Mike and Davy at the Pad, “I have to admit that while Adrian was the big Monkee fan, I was more into the Beatles, but let me see if I can remember who you guys are…”
“…You’re M-ark, right,” Katerina asked, extending a hand to Mike.
“No, I’m M-ike,” Mike said with a smile, shaking Katerina’s hand.
“Oh, Mike, right,” Katerina said, pointing at him and grinning wide. “And you must be…. let’s see…um…Billy,” she asked as she stood in front of Davy.
“No ‘luv,” Davy said with a laugh, shaking her hand “I’m Davy.”
“Finally,” Mike said with a sigh, “someone from the future that has no idea who we are. Or who we’re supposed to be, actually.”
“Hmm,” Katerina pondered, “there’s Micky, Mike, and Davy. That’s only three. Isn’t there four of you in your group?”
“Yeah,” Davy said, “Petah’s out on the beach for awhile. When he goes on those walks, we neva’ know when ‘ell be back.”
“Alright then,” Katerina said with a shrug.
“Katerina’s a musician, you guys,” Adriana said to Mike and Davy.
“Oh really,” Mike asked, folding his arms, “what do you play?”
“Piano and guitar mostly,” Katerina answered, looking at the tall Texan with a bright smile on her face.
“We’re supposed to practice soon anyway,” Micky said, walking over to the drum set. “You wanna jam with us for a couple minutes?”
“Are you sure,” Katerina asked, looking at Mike.
“Sure,” Mike said, shruggin,“it might be kinda cool to have a girl’s perspective in the band for a little bit.”
“Ya know,” Davy said as he walked over to pick up his tambourine, “I always said that. Did anybody eva’ listen to me? No. It’s ‘cause I’m short, I know.”
“Davy,” Ursula warned, kissing him on the cheek and moving to sit down on the couch.
“I feel betta’, I feel betta’,” Davy said, smiling at Ursula as she sat down.
“So,” Micky asked, “what do you guys…I mean, what do we wanna do?”
Peter walked up the back steps of the Pad, his windbreaker jacket slung over his shoulder. Stopping halfway he paused to look at the setting sun. The beautiful orange, yellows and pinks contrasted brightly against the light blue sky. A cool breeze began to blow and he put his jacket on over his bare skin.
Resting his chin on his folded hands, he leaned against the rail and watched the night develop in the sky, a thousand thoughts going around in his mind.
Suddenly the hard banging of a drum interrupted his revere.
“Oh no,” Peter thought, “I’m late for rehearsal. Mike’s going to kill me.”
Peter sprinted the rest of the way up the stairs. When he got to the door, what he saw there stopped him dead in his tracks.
The guys were playing, but there was somebody else at the microphone in front holding Davy’s tambourine. It was a girl.
He couldn’t even see her face. All he could hear was the music, and her voice. That voice…
“You keep playin’ where you shouldn’t be playin’
And you keep thinkin’ that you’ll never get burned
Well I just found me a brand new box of matches
And what he knows you ain’t had time to learn.
These boots were made for walkin’
And that’s just what they’ll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.”
The song ended with a flourish. Adriana and Ursula stood up and applauded the song. Peter couldn’t help but join in the applause himself.
“Peter,” Adriana exclaimed as she saw him at the door, “get in here. I want you to meet my cousin, Katerina.”
Peter’s heart leapt into his throat as the mystery woman turned to look at him. Her golden blonde hair shone in the setting sunlight from the picture window. Her eyes were nearly the same as the girl he had fallen in love with before.
As he stepped into the Pad, Katerina walked over to him. “You must be Peter,” she said, extending her hand politely.
Peter couldn’t help but stare for a moment. He noticed that she was only a couple of inches taller than he was as he shook her hand slowly.
“Yes,” he said, looking into her bright eyes.
“What do ya know,” Davy said with a shrug, “He’s the only one she got right.”
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