Arin was lighting up the fire in the barbecue pit when a sound of car honking filled his front porch. Ric took the matches in his hand and motioned for him to go. As he arrived at the front door he dropped his jaw wide.

The whole gang is here!

“What the fuck…”

“Yo Kidday! Got a room for more?!” Johnny yelled from his window on the driver’s seat. There were 3 cars settling in the porch and Arin couldn’t shut his wide mouth now when each of the boys brought their significant other with them too. Including…Zacky?

He raised his eyebrows when he saw Zacky came with the girl which they met the other day. What was her name? Meaghan or something?

“You didn’t tell me the whole family will be here!” Arin scoffed when Matt reached him first and hugged him tightly.

“Did you actually think we would miss this opportunity to visit you?” Brian lazily said when it was his turn to hug Arin.

“Yeah plus, Lacey needs a vacation so what the hell.” Johnny added and received a slap from his wife on the shoulder.

“Hi Arin. Nice house!” Lacey complimented, followed by the twins hugging him in turns.

“Details, don’t forget.” Valary whispered in his ears and he just stuttered a smile. Meaghan, the girl that Zacky brought, hugged him awkwardly and Zacky followed suit after her.

“Wow, that was fast, Zacky. I didn’t think you’re interested in her.”

“Shut up. I’ll tell you the details later.” Zacky replied his whisper and Arin gladly invited them in after that.

“My dad’s at the back. You guys have a seat, make yourselves at home. I’ll call him out.”

“No need to.” Ric suddenly emerged from the backyard and widened his aging eyes at the sight of a sudden large family grew in his living room.

“Wow, this is a surprise!”

“Hi, Mr Ilejay. I’m sorry for this sudden visit but we just can’t live without your son so,”

Ric laughed aloud and patted on Matt’s arm, feeling a little bit intimidated by his huge feature.

“Call me Ric. You guys are a bunch of family huh? Really close with each other?”

Brian nodded in agreement. “Yep, we all grew up together.”

“Thanks for making my son apart of this. Hey, we’re in the making of barbecue at the back. Care to join us?”

“Sweet! Yeah boys, let’s go.” Matt – holding River in his arms, Brian and Johnny moved to the backyard while Arin showed the others the rooms they will be staying at.

His house was actually big, and meant for big families to come and have a sleepover because his dad’s side of family has always been there for Christmas and they are huge in numbers.

“I have 4 spare bedrooms, 2 upstairs and 2 in the basement. I guess you can call on dibs on whichever rooms you want.”

“Where’s your room Arin? We wanna see our kid’s room.” Michelle tugged his arm and wiggled her eyebrows, making him a bit uncomfortable.

“My room’s in the basement but since you guys are gonna occupy it, I guess I’ll sleep in the living room.”

“Oh don’t be silly! Girls can share a room – except for Matt and Val since they have River. And Lacey too since she’s..”

“Chelle!”

“Oops.”

Arin and Zacky looked at each other, raising their eyebrows when the twins chattering about something they don’t understand.

“Okay how about this. Me, Brian and Arin will share a room downstairs. Val and Matt will take a room upstairs cause River’s gonna be cranky when we make a lot of noise. Lacey and Johnny, you guys can choose either upstairs or downstairs.”

Arin nodded at Zacky and pursed his lips. Zacky was playing host and he couldn’t thank him enough.

“I wanna be downstairs.” Suddenly Meaghan spoke and all heads turned to her. A few silent moments passed by as the girls stared at her from top to bottom with her short striped dress and childish headband on top of her platinum blonde hair. Then suddenly Michelle spoke.

“Downstairs it is! I can sneak into your room to be with Brian then.” Michelle giggled and pulled her luggage along.



Meanwhile at the backyard, the boys were all helping Ric to light up the pit while the old man sat on the bench beside River. He can’t help but adore the little boy as he missed the presence of a baby in his home. He can’t wait for Arin to get married and have a baby of his own but alas, two years ago, he can sense that Arin had closed his heart from committing himself seriously anymore.

“Uhh..uhh..abbrr..” River showed a block of toy to Ric and he laughed looking at him.

“Aww what is it, little man? You want me to play with you?”

River smiled and took a bite on the toy, showing his two little front teeth. Ric picked him up and kissed his chubby cheek and got a glare from that little munchkin.

“Poor dad. I think he wants a grandson of his own.” Johnny said while arranging meat and vege on the barbecue sticks.

Matt looked over his shoulder. “Yeah maybe. And all he gets is a rock star attitude out of his son.”

“Do you think Arin will settle down, at all?”

“I dunno, dude. You should be discussing this with the girls.”

“I’m just saying. If he joined us when we were, I dunno, touring for City of Evil then he will get to enjoy all the fun we had. But now, we’re all fucking married and left all that behind. I feel responsible for his wreck life now.”

“What the hell has gotten into you, Christ? He’s not wreck! He’s still our drummer and he did an amazing job at it. As for his personal life, I don’t think we should meddle in.” Brian spat suddenly while casually putting a meat on the grill.

“Amen.” Matt added and raised his brow at Johnny.

“Jeez, I guess my hormones just kinda kicked in.” Johnny said nervously while scratching his head.

Both Matt and Brian laughed. “Who’s the pregnant lady now? You or Lacey?”

“Fuck Matt, you knew?!”

“Haha, you think you can hide it from us that long? We’re guys and we noticed that kind of stuff, Johnny.”

Johnny rubbed his short hair and chuckled a little. “I was planning to tell you guys. Tonight probably. Now the secret’s ruined.”

“Congrats, bro. Welcome to hell.”

The three of them laughed aloud and in the background, Ric was happily playing with River around the garden.

---

“Hello, Kim.”

Kimberly widened her eyes as her mouth dropped open at the sight of his best friend – or ex-best friend more like. She thought that he’s still in the other side of the world; she would never think that he’d be here, standing stock in front of her and smiling sheepishly with his gorgeous British feature.

“What? No ‘oh hello, Doug! Haven’t seen you in ages!’ No hugs, no kisses?”

Doug swayed his hips slowly forward until he stood directly in front of her, towering over her clear brown eyes and rosy cheeks. His long wavy locks strung down a few strands as he smiled warmly at her.

“I missed you, Kimmy.” He started. His dark irises glistened under the fluorescent light, gazing all over her.

“How…how did you find me?”

He stifled a short chuckle when Kimberly finally spoke. “I’m just jammy. We must have a great bloody connection.”

He laughed even more when Kimberly looked really shocked by that answer.

“I’m pulling your legs. I came to find you but thought I could make a stop here, buy myself some beer. Are they any good? American beer?”

Kimberly blinked a couple of times and stuttered again, gaining a few steps backwards while at it.

“Um…uh..I guess…there’s Corona..um..and-”

“Hey,”

Kimberly stopped talking and stared at him. “Huh?”

“It’s only me, Doug. What are you so afraid of?”

She ran her eyes away, didn’t dare to look at his dark gazes. He had betrayed their friendship. With only just a kiss.

“Well, I’m here now. And I’m a little lost. Could you please tell me where this address goes to? I’m looking for my friend and I think she’s mad at me.”

Kimberly can’t help but let out a small chuckle and when she looked up, Doug was doing a silly face to match the silly voice that he did earlier. That earned an even louder laugh from her.

“You’re a weirdo, Doug.”

“I could say the same to you.”

She stopped laughing gradually and surrendered when he pulled her into a tight hug. She felt like crying on his chest but she held back.

“I miss you Doug.” She wrapped her arms tightly on his back.

“I do too.” He replied, resting his chin on top of her head. “Now do you know where can I find this friend of mine? I need to apologize to her, immediately.”

“As a matter of fact I do. I think I’ve seen her somewhere in a place called Awesomeville.”

“Oh really? Is that far from here? My feet bloody hurt and I’m bloody knackered.”

She smiled and bit her lip hearing his accent. “Let’s go to my house. My mom would be thrilled to meet you.”

He smiled at her and nodded, hoisting up his backpack too.

“Super.”

---

Arin sipped on his beer watching his father talked with the boys while the girls were playing with River in the living room. He wondered what the hell was his father talking about because it sure got the boys’ attention fully. He shook his head and smiled at the view.

“Thanks for having us, Arin. We don’t know how to repay you.”

Arin turned around. It was Valary who stood beside him, holding an empty milk bottle which belonged to River. He smiled and ruffled his hair.

“Nah, don’t mention it. You guys are welcome here. We’re family, remember?”

“Jeez, where’s this kid had gone to all this while?”

“Huh?”

“You were a bit of a cocky ass when we were on tour. Reminds me of Brian in the early years.”

“Really? Was I that bad?”

Valary laughed. “Not baaad, I wouldn’t say bad. I’d say….a jerk. Well, to be honest ever since we started the tour, you’ve been whoring non-stop. Like you were going to die at any minute.”

His turn to laugh. “And now?”

“Well, maybe it’s the hometown thing, or I dunno. You’ve become the kid that came to his audition three years ago. The kid that nailed Unholy Confession so hard and looked up to Jimmy so much.”

Arin looked down to his feet and sighed heavy. “I’m still that kid, Val.”

“Really? I’m glad.” Valary patted his back and rubbed it softly – a motherly gesture that made Arin felt comfortable at once.

“So..tell me about this girl…” Valary started after Arin took a seat on the bench facing the garden.

“Oh here we go.”

“What? You promised to tell me everything! That’s why I came here in the first place!”

He rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing to tell! We broke up and then she came back. That’s it.”

“Woah, woah, woah. Hold on, little brother. You call that nothing? Tell me EVERYTHING Arin or I swear we will stick around until your dad is annoyed with us and begged us to leave.”

Arin widened his eyes and leaned away his body. It’s not that he’d never seen Val being this provocative and persuasive before. It’s just that it’s freaking him out sometimes. He wondered mindlessly how Matt became attracted to her in the first place.

“Okay, fine. Fine. What do you wanna know?”

Valary smiled in triumph and took a seat too, scooting closer to him.

“I know her name is Kimberly. Hm…where’s she now?”

“Dunno. Probably home.”

“And where is this ‘home’?”

Arin sipped his beer and hissed in relief of the cold liquid that went down his throat.

“Here. Two or three streets away.”

Valary gasped happily. “That near? Wow, Arin! Then what are you waiting for??”

“For you to stop bugging me?”

She slapped him on his thigh hard and he flinched in hurt.

“Why did you guys break up?”

That was quite a taboo topic for him actually. He crushed his empty can of beer with one hand angrily and that kind of intimidated Valary a bit.

“She left me. For a job.”

“Oh. What kind of job?”

“Val, do you really wanna know-”

“Arin, you promised.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Arin….” She glared at him sternly and he rolled his eyes again, admitting defeat.

“Fine. She got a job offer in England doing fashion stuff because that’s what she’s been studying then she left me right after I got the offer as the drummer. Happy?”

Valary raised her perfect brows and leaned aback, trying not to show how pitiful she felt for him.

“You still love her, don’t you?”

“Fuck no.”

“Arin, you called her name when you’re drunk.”

Arin rubbed his face and buried his palms in his hair. He didn’t respond to Valary for quite a moment until she started again.

“I don’t want you to get lost in this wreck lifestyle, Arin. Sure you can have your fun, listen to those two devils called Brian and Zacky when they tell you to bang some groupies or what, but at the end of the day, you’re still alone.”

He felt like his heart had been stabbed fifty times by those words. What she said was true. All of it. It wasn’t exactly because Brian and Zacky that encouraged him to live like that. It was his choice. His own way to get over Kimberly.

“So what should I do now?”

“You have to see her. Tell her how you really feel. How badly you want her back.”

“What if she agreed because of what I’ve become? Because of my fame and money?”

“Seriously? You think she came back because of that?”

“Well, what else?”

Valary let out a hefty sigh and chuckled. “You don’t know women, Arin. If she came back because of your fame and money, she would cling on to you 24/7. She will be right by your side, asking for your damn wallet even now. I don’t see her now. Do you?”

Arin stared at Valary and let her wise words sunk deeply into his head.

“No I-”

“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, ARIN! GO GET HER ALREADY!”

Suddenly Michelle and Lacey came out behind the sliding door and threw a fit at him. He stood up abruptly and bulged his eyes at them.

“What the fuck? How long have you guys been listening?!”

“Long enough to know that you still have feelings for her. Whoever she is.” Michelle took a seat on the armrest beside Valary while Lacey approached him closer.

“Do you know I once decline John’s proposal?”

Arin’s eyebrows elevated high, he did not see that coming. He shook his head slowly.

“I refused to marry him, because I was mad at him at the time. But he didn’t give up. He tried almost everything. Including..” she snorted a laugh. “..dropping on one knee in front of everyone, naked.”

“Whaa?” Arin gasped. He laughed out loud for the longest time, until a tear popping out from his eyes. But then he cut off his laughter.

“Wait. What’s your point?”

“My point is, once the girl has turned her back on you, you’re doomed to let your dignity down.”
He frowned, still not getting what Lacey was trying to say. Michelle then rolled her eyes and explained better;

“What Lacey meant was, you better hurry before she turns her back on you, kiddo.”

He blinked rapidly a couple of times.
Oh shit! She saw me with the groupies the other day!

Notes

A/N: haha yeah..it's not Arin she's meeting..well...but the whole family is in town yay XD