Walk With Me

Brian drank from his beer as he watched the three girls dancing on the dance floor. His eyes mainly darted on Erika rather than his own fiancée. He had no idea why, ever since their encounter at the cemetery the other day, he became attracted to that girl. He even lied to Michelle. Well that was because he didn’t want Michelle to know that he was at the graveyard, visiting Jimmy again. He didn’t want to worry her. But at the same time, he also didn’t want Michelle to find out that he was there with another girl.

He and Erika shared the same sad experience. Both lost their best friends, and found them in a state that they could never wash away from their mind. Erika had the worst, because she actually watched her best friend die in front of her. While Brian just found out after Matthew panicking from Jimmy’s bedroom.

Today at the practice, he brought Michelle over so that he can focus, and also to distract him from thinking anymore about that kid. But when they were playing Nightmare, Erika kept stumbling and laughing and she looked so cute. He couldn’t stop thinking about her now.

He sipped again from his bottle. Erika was laughing happily with the twins. They clicked so fast that he wondered what exactly they had in common. Well, aside from having vaginas.

“You gotta eat, dude. You’re too skinny!”

Brian turned around when he heard Zacky’s voice. Zacky, Matthew, and Johnny were sitting in a booth with Arin and they were bullying that poor kid. He picked up his bottle and made his way towards them.

“No matter how much I eat, I never seem to gain weight.” Arin stated calmly although by the looks of it, he seemed uncomfortable sitting between Matthew and Zacky.

“Wow, now you’re gonna make me so jealous.” Valary had returned from the dancefloor together with Erika and Michelle. Brian caught Erika’s eyes were looking at him, but he was quickly being interrupted by Michelle who suddenly stepped up and kissed him.

“Baby let’s go home right now? I’m fucking horny.” She whispered to his mouth. Brian smiled at her. This is the Michelle that he fell in love with. Always say whatever that crossed her mind and regretting it later. He glanced at them for a bit and his eyes immediately locked with Erika’s. She glared at him for a short moment before looking down at her own feet.

“Guys, I’m heading home first. Chelle’s drunk as fuck.”

They all murmured in agreement and moved on with their conversation. Erika watched bitterly as Brian circled his arm around Michelle’s waist. It seemed like she never parted with the dog too. She sighed, forcing herself to wake up and come back to reality because Brian will never look at her the same way he looked at Michelle. Of course. She was just an ordinary girl. Plus, they’re getting married soon.

“Val’s not drinking tonight, so she’s buying!!” Drunken Johnny yelled suddenly.

Erika turned to look at him but her eyes accidentally met Arin’s. Arin had been watching her all along. He saw how she looked at Brian and Michelle, the envy in her eyes. He smiled briefly at her before drinking from his bottle of beer again.

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Erika stared at her own reflection in front of the mirror. Today is the day, she thought to herself. After a few weeks of practice, she and Arin can finally pull it off and hoped that they were ready to be on stage with the guys.

She slapped her own face hard, only to scrunch up in pain and regret after. She was just making sure that she wasn’t dreaming.

She was getting comfortable with the boys too. They were a whole lot different than her old band mates. They treated her like one of them, they even watched football games with her. Matthew too, now eventually accepted her as a professional drummer and not just a girl anymore although he was always being a bit bossy and overprotective towards her. Probably because he already grasped the concept of a father figure, seeing that his wife is now 3 weeks pregnant. Matthew also had gotten used to call Arin and her as ‘America’.

“You can do this Erika. You’re one of the guys now. This is what you’ve been dreaming of. Don’t stray off. Forget about your crush on Syn. He’s engaged anyway, and Michelle is awesome. Remember what you’re here for.”

After done motivating herself in front of the mirror, she put on her backpack - not forgetting her fedora hat - and went out of her room. She dressed in a pair of worn out blue jeans which ripped across the knees, her one and only black Metallica tshirt and her brown combat boots.

As a girl, she definitely packed some girly stuff too like extra pairs of shoes, her hygiene care stuff and a bag of makeup. While packing last night she wondered. Maybe Matt was right about her not being comfortable touring with them. She was on the verge of forfeiting this but then she remembered, this is what she and Emily had been dreaming of. If she doesn’t want to do this for herself, at least she has got to do this for Emily.

“What are you wearing?”

Erika was heading downstairs when her mother suddenly stood at the end of it, hands across her chest.

“Uh…tshirt and jeans?”
“Don’t be a smart ass. Wear something decent! This is a piano competition, not some God-forsaken trashy orgy-”
“Mom! Relax. It’s just for the journey. I’ll change into something else later.”

Her mom inhaled deeply, and then opened her mouth to continue but was interrupted by the sound of doorbell.

Erika smiled. “I’ll get that.” She quickly finished running down the stairs, and went to the door.

“Hey, girl!” Michelle hugged her tightly once she opened it.

She had promised to pick Erika up so that she wouldn’t have to drive all the way to Burbank and left her car there. Oh, newsflash - Michelle and Valary had become her most awesome guardian angel now. They clicked so fast and Erika loved being around them. Probably because the twins didn’t create too much drama and they resembled Emily an awful lot.

“Hey, Chelle. Um, can I ask you a little bit favor? Just a tiny bit.”
“Sure, bitch. Whatever. What is it?”
Erika leaned over as they parted from the hug. “Can you pretend to be my piano instructor? In front of my mom?” she whispered to her ear.
“Uh, I guess.”
Erika clapped happily but not long after, her mom appeared from behind the door.
“Who is it?”

Her eyes widened as she saw Michelle in front of the door, wearing her shades on, and her heels too high.

“Hi, Mrs Wesley. I’m Erika’s piano instructor. Michelle DiBenedetto.”
Erika’s mom shook her hand and smiled politely.
“Hello there, Ms DiBenedetto. I hope that sounded right.”
“About right. Well, Erika. You’re ready?”

Erika smiled, kissed her mom on the cheeks and thanked God Michelle didn’t curse. They both walked towards a black BMW which Erika can see Brian was driving it, with his tattooed arm hung lazily over the window and he had his aviator on.

Erika’s mother frowned when she saw Brian but she can only watched his car sped away.

Notes

A/N: sorry, only one chapter today for this story..running out of them already..gahh