Kori smiled and giggled as Kevin said it would be crazy if he had heard some of his songs and even have them saved. She agreed with him. That would be crazy. Then Kevin told Holden to take his time. Which only made her smile a little wider. Kori never took her eyes off of Kevin as they talked. She giggled lightly when he said good. She wasn’t sure what to think about it. She nodded her head about the meeting half the school. “Isn’t there two schools here?” She asked a little confused. She kept watching him. Trying to read his ques, or face. She wasn’t sure what to make about the way he seemed to swallow a little harder. She couldn’t help but giggle a little when a he kinda laughed. She watched him closely when she asked if he was jealous. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted him to say. Then he said Maybe and she felt her heart skip a beat. She wasn’t sure what to think or how to feel. Then he said a little which made her blush some. She just hoped he didn’t see it. Then he said he talked himself out of it though. That it seemed unfair. Then he said again that Holden seemed cool. She smiled and giggled at him “Well you have nothing to be jealous of.” She said as she absentmindedly rubbed her hand on his arm. “He does seem cool.” She smiled as he quietly spoke. He said yeah, I meant it. Then he added on I’m starting to think. She wasn’t sure what was coming next. She was nervous. “Oh.” was all she could say at first when he said he should stop leaning it to her so easily. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Did she do something wrong to make him feel uncomfortable. Her mind was racing but she kept that smile on her face. Her hand still on his arm. “So, when do you want to hang out again? Maybe we can chill in one of our dorms and watch some movies?” She said with a smile. Then before he even had time to respond Holden walked back up. However, right as Holden walked up Kori gave Kevin a look like saying you can answer my question later if you want. She didn’t want him to feel pressured to hang out with her. Kori smiled sweetly at Holden when he what the drink was and all. She heard him say he could get a soda for them if they preferred. “Let’s see how this taste.” Kori brings the glass to her lips without much expectation, and the first thing that reaches her isn’t the taste but the smell — warm coconut drifting up like sunscreen and sunlit skin, sweet and familiar in a way that makes her think of summer even if it isn’t. When she finally takes a sip, the pineapple hits first, bright and sharp, all golden sweetness with a little bite to it, like juice running down your wrist on a hot day. Almost immediately, the Malibu follows, smooth and soft, carrying that creamy coconut flavor that wraps around the pineapple instead of fighting it, mellowing the edge and turning it playful instead of overpowering. As she swallows, the flavors blend into something unexpectedly easy — not harsh, not heavy, just light and tropical, like it’s pretending to be harmless. There’s no burn, only a gentle warmth that settles in her chest, the kind that makes her blink and smile without realizing she’s doing it. The aftertaste lingers sweet and faintly fruity, coconut hanging around longer than the pineapple, like the echo of a laugh after the joke’s already passed. She pulls the glass away, a little surprised, a little amused — because it doesn’t taste like alcohol the way she expected it to. It tastes like a memory she hasn’t lived yet. “Taste like coconut and pineapple juice.” She giggles. Then she heard Holden say that he hoped he didn’t interrupt their convo. Part of her wanted to say yes you did, but she decided to smile instead. “Well it’s a party isn’t it? Aren’t we meant to talk to a lot of people? This is actually my first party.” Part of her wanted to be alone with Kevin, but the other part of her was enjoying getting to know Holden too. She smiled at them both. “Want to play your song now?” She asked Holden then looked back to Kevin. She took another sip. This was kind of an awkward situation for her. Mostly because she wasn’t sure how she was feeling, and didn’t understand her emotions in this moment. Which kind of scared her, but she kept a smile plastered on her face. She took another sip. “Not sure which I like better.” She giggled and smiled at the boys. Part of her hoped Kevin would answer her last question here and now. The other part of her kinda hoped he would wait till they were alone again to answer it. Just as much as she didn’t want Kevin to think her and Holden were more then strangers… she also didn’t want Holden to think her and Kevin were more then friends. Sure she had a crush on him… After their short convo… she knew he had a crush on her too. However, they were only friends with a crush on each other. Part of her didn’t want to mess up their friendship by dating.