The Aviators

Michelle is watching me. I can feel her eyes boring into me. I am trying to ignore her from where I’m sitting next to Matt on the chaise lounge. He has one heavy arm resting around my shoulders the other hanging over the armrest. He’s talking to Brian about some random baseball stuff. I’m relaxing against him leaning into his side.

And Michelle just keeps on staring at me. It’s slightly irritating. I look over at her and frown. She blinks looking a little surprised, perhaps? I turn away and snuggle closer to Matt’s body; his arm tightens around my shoulders and I absently press my lips against his shirt-covered chest.

Michelle sees this. She purses her lips, takes a deep breath then says out loud so everyone can hear. “God, you’re such a whore.”

I freeze, but Matt responds quicker than I can. His head snaps around and he pegs my twin with a cold glare. “Back the fuck off, Michelle. You’re not any better.”

I see her eyes widen and wonder what she thinks of Matt’s comment. Guess I’ll find out in a second.

She stands and points a finger at my master, seething. “You have some nerve saying that, Sanders. I’m one of your best friends’ girls and you say that to me?”

Matt snorts, voice dripping in disgust. “You’re being a bitch, Michelle. There’s no excuse for it. Particularly when you’re being one to Val. She’s done nothing to you.”

Michelle is shaking a little. I hide a smirk as she swings around to Brian who has just been sitting there observing the scene. “Hey...are you just going to sit there and let him talk to me like that?”

Brian gives her a weird look. “Well, normally I’d tell him to fuck off. But, don’t you think it’s odd? She’s your fucking sister.”

Michelle shakes her head in vehemence. “Hardly. Our parents put her in that orphanage when we were five.”

Matt blinks and looks down at me, surprise in his eyes. “You never told me that.”

“No...”

“Why not?” There is genuine interest in his tone.

Shaking my head I peer up at him. “Didn’t think it was relevant.”

Michelle laughs, as she’s giving me this scathing look. “Not relevant. You must be stupid.”

Matt snaps at her, “Shut up, Michelle.” Then he looks at me, expression grave. “You should’ve told me. Everything about you is important to me. You do know that, right?”

I nod slightly not meeting his gaze.

He grimaces, and then shoots a cool look toward my twin. “And, you... You shouldn’t judge her.”

Michelle sneers, “You’re one to talk. She belongs to you. She’s a fucking slave. You probably judge her all the time.”

I stiffen at her words, my throat seizing. Trembling, I lever Matt’s arm off my shoulder, lurch to my feet and rush out of the dining room. I hear the uproar that results, but block it out as I dash through the kitchen into the hallway and into Matt’s bedroom.

I shut the door and slide down to the floor leaning my back against the solid wood. I can feel tears forming at the corner of my eyes. Resting my face against my knees and wrapping my arms around them, I rock myself slowly.

Eventually, I hear the voices wind down and then the heavy footsteps of my master leaving the dining room and approaching the room. They halt outside the bedroom door.

There’s silence for a long moment and then Matt’s husky voice whispers through the crack beneath the door. “Val...let me in...”

I shiver. I want to be alone. I really wish I could tell him to go away, but...that’s never going to be an option.

I close my eyes then shuffle away from the door. “It’s not locked...”

The door creaks open and then Matt is looking down at me, worry evident in his hazel eyes. I avert my gaze from his.

“Val.” His voice is low, firm.

I peek up at him.

He sighs as he moves to crouch in front of me, resting his forearms against his thighs. “You gonna come back out?”

I shake my head.

Matt sucks on his bottom lip. “You can’t stay in here.”

I shake my head again.

He sighs and reaches out to lift my chin up. “I know what she said upset you. But...”

I cut him off abruptly feeling my emotions swell inside me. “Dammit, she has no idea what I’ve been through! She can’t just say things like that. I hate her...I wish Brian wouldn’t keep bringing her over here.”

Matt’s eyes narrow and I realise that I’ve done the one thing he really detests. What’s that? Well, I will tell you, just not now. I cringe back against the door and shake a little.

He rocks a little on his heels and stares hard at me. “Valary, it isn’t even about you, really.”

I blink at him. “What do you mean?”

Matt strokes his thumb lightly against my cheek. “We’ve never really gotten on. I don’t give her shit because she makes Brian happy.” He takes a deep breath and adds with a wry smirk, “She puts up with me because Brian and me are in the band.”

I nod slightly.

Matt keeps stroking my cheek. “I’m not asking you to be her best friend. But, you need to be nice. Not just ‘cause she’s your sister. But ‘cause that’s what I want.”

Yeah, he’s being nice about it, but you have to realise that even so, he is actually giving me an order. And, if you were in my position you would know that disobeying him is not an option.

I nod to let him know I understand; he stares hard at me then his expression softens and he shifts to sit by me. “Right. So, before we go back out there, you want to tell me what’s going on in your mind.”

I look down at the floor and shake my head slightly.

Matt clears his throat next to me. “Hun, that wasn’t a question.”

I shiver.

He slides his arm around my shoulders pulling my small frame into his bigger one. “C’mon, Val. Tell me.”

I shake my head and pull out of his grip. His eyes narrow, but I hold my hand up in a placating gesture. Then I walk over to the night stand on my side of the bed and grab the slim notebook that I like to write in. I hold it for a moment close to my breasts then I go back over to Matt and hold it out to him.

Matt tilts his head. “What’s this?”

I tremble and murmur low. “That’s what I think...that’s what’s in my head...”

Matt looks down at the cover. “You’ll let me read this?”

I bite my lip and watch his lowered lids. “Yes, Master...everything I have...it’s yours...y’know?”

He looks up at me, his expression gentle. “Valary...”

I shake my head again. “Read it, please...I mean...not now...maybe we should go join the others...but...y’know...later...”

Matt leans his head back against the door staring at me unblinkingly for a long moment. I wonder what he’s thinking. I mean, even without his aviators he’s still able to hide his true thoughts and emotions from me.

I wait.

He sighs softly rubbing at his jaw. “You have this...so...why the player?”

I flush and mumble half under my breath, “Like to hear my voice...”

Matt chuckles low, and pushes up from the floor holding my journal in his left hand. “I see. Well.” He walks up close to me, towering over my height. He smiles down on me. “I’ll have a look at this later. You’re right. We should get back to the others. They’ll think we’ve fallen down a hole.”

I giggle at his words. He smiles sliding an arm around my neck, pulling me close and pressing a soft kiss to my hair. Then he grasps my hand with his free one, tossing the notebook onto his night stand before leading me from the room.

We walk back into the dining room. The guys are once more going over plans for the new album. Michelle is sitting with Pinkly on her lap. Bella has abandoned Jimmy and is sitting watching my twin and the little white fluffy dog.

Matt squeezes my shoulders and murmurs in my ear. “Go. Make nice with her.”

I look up into his face. There is sternness to his features. I nod once then turn to walk to the empty seat next to hers. Yeah, there just happens to be a spare seat right next to her...wonder how that happened?

I sit down feeling a flutter of nervousness in my gut. She looks up as I sit. A small frown creases her brow. I clear my throat, but she speaks first, voice soft.

“Valary.” She hesitates and looks over to Matt.

I look over too. He’s sat by Brian elbow resting against the table, nodding slowly at something the guitarist is saying.

We watch him for a moment. He lifts his other hand to scratch at his head. He’s grown his hair; you might have noticed, it’s all shaggy and this weird kind of brown, black, blond colour. And he’s not wearing a bandana or ball cap right now. He’s just in his home, lazy kind of state.

Michelle looks back at me after a few minutes. I meet her gaze and lift an eyebrow.

She twists her lips slightly. “I’m sorry...”

I blink at the apology. “For what?”

Yeah, I know for what, but I want her to say it.

Michelle shifts her weight on the seat. “For what I said before. It was...uncalled for. I guess I’m just ignorant of the whole situation. Right?”

I lift my shoulders.

She sighs then looks down before looking at me again expression thoughtful. “Y’know, the first time I met Matt was in high school. And we hated each other.”

I blink cocking my head to the side, just listening not worrying that she’s just changed the topic. She’s given me an apology, no point in labouring over it.

She gives me a weak smile. “He was such a jerk to me...and me to him.”

I nod.

She laughs faintly. “Then his best friend, Brian...” Her eyes go a little bleary as she casts an eye towards the guitarist. “Brian fell for me...real hard. Matt hated that.”

I smirk faintly. Michelle frowns at me. I make my face expressionless. She scratches Pinkly around the ears; the little dog has fallen asleep on her lap.

Then she sighs and looks at me. “Can I ask you something?”

I roll my eyes remembering something Matt said to me once. Yeah, sure. You can physically ask me something, but whether I’ll let you is another thing altogether.

“Val?”

I incline my head to her. “Yeah.”

She purses her lips. “Don’t answer if you don’t want to...but, what’s...” Michelle pauses and looks down obviously unable to meet my eyes, perhaps she’s nervous of my reaction to whatever she’s about to ask me. “What’s it like being the woman in Matt’s life?”

I quirk an eyebrow at her. She doesn’t see because she’s not looking at me. I sigh deciding to answer. What harm can it do, I ask you? “It’s not what you think, Michelle. I’m not his wife or his girlfriend or whatever the fans of the band think I am.”

I suck at my tongue before going on. “He bought me...paid for me with cold hard cash.”

Michelle squints at me as if not quite believing me. “But, he cares for you. I see that.”

Shrugging I look away from her. “Sure. He cares. But, I’m his property, Michelle. It’s not love or anything. But you wouldn’t know about that. You grew up with a family who loved and cared for you.”

Yeah, I sound bitter, so what? I’m not asking for sympathy, it’s just a human emotion, a human response to a situation that’s not so good.

Michelle grimaces; I see it from the corner of my eyes. “Do you hate our parents for taking you to the orphanage?”

That question sounds like it just came out of nowhere, right? But, I am sort of expecting it. I turn my face to her.

“No.” That’s my honest answer.

I have nothing to add to that. I look away again. And at that moment, Matt looks over to us and gives me a questioning look. I force a smile on my lips and turn my body back toward my twin. His gaze narrows and I know he’ll quiz me about the conversation later when everyone leaves.

Better step it up so I have something good to tell him. “What’s it like being with Brian?”

Wow, great question...way to change the subject...

Michelle suddenly smiles, a genuine one too. Not the fake crap she was giving me a moment ago. “He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever known.”

I can say the same for Matt...

“He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body...I mean he acts the pompous prick on stage...”

So does Matt...

“...but he’s a sweetie to me. He...makes me feel special.”

I wish Matt’d do that for me...but who am I to complain? He’s better than any other man I’ve known.

“He...well. This is going to sound corny, but he’s like an angel.”

A giggle slips pass my lips. “He’s not like any angel I’ve ever heard of.”

Michelle giggles as well. She sounds exactly like me... “Yeah, well I said it’d sound corny.”

I smile feeling this sudden overwhelming sense of normality falling over me. What? That makes no sense? Well, I mean that I’m actually just sitting here talking about normal girly things. Y’know, guys, relationships. It’s oddly satisfying.

I could totally get used to this. Yep, I really think I could.

Notes

:D I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I'm still currently writing it, and I started writing it five years ago.