Matt woke up with a knock on his door again but this time he didn’t cursed or complained inside his head. He was actually happy that he had finally had a few hours of sleep, enough for his headache to decrease, but not really to disappear. He smiled to himself and to the sun making its way through the white curtains and got up, almost forgetting he had to answer the door.

When he opened it, there was just an empty corridor facing him. His urge to cuss appeared quickly but it was repressed at the same time his nose captured a really tasty cinnamon fragrance coming from the floor. He lowered his gaze and found the source: a covered bowl with a piece of paper on top of it.

He crouched and picked it up, the container still hot from what was inside it, but not in a way to burn his hands, and held the paper until he closed the door. He was wondering who might’ve sent it to him, since he really didn’t know almost anybody in there. The paper would probably solve the mystery.

He placed the bowl on the table and unfolded the paper:

Rehearsal today, at 7. VIP tickets to my garden bench reserved to you.
Your neighbor across the street, Rye. XXX

Matt’s lips set up a bigger smile while reading it, but he wasn’t aware of it. He kept the note inside his pocket and walked towards the window, grabbing his aviators in the way to open the curtains. When he saw Rye’s window open and found her leaned over it, he waved discreetly. She replied with the same move together with a grin she couldn’t really hide.

Little did he know she was there just waiting for his appearance. He had no idea how much that single hand movement meant to her. When he closed the curtains again, she couldn’t stop jumping and being all smiles around her room. It was all it takes to make her insides shake like an earthquake, a hand wave in appreciation.
She just hoped he would be there later tonight, on her bench. And would enjoy her lovingly-made apple pie.

Later that day, Matt was feeling better and decided to show up on Rye’s band rehearsal. After all, that girl was being too nice to him, even after what he did, and he had to show gratitude somehow. Last time he was there, it helped him find his sleep for a few hours. He wasn’t feeling too lonely knowing he met at least a person in there and she lived just across the street. Not that he wanted to be around people now but… he felt good when he looked at her sweet smile. He felt a little less damaged.

Rye was outside of her garage door, waiting for who’d get there first, Matt or her guitarist, who was running late as usual. When she was almost giving up on both of them, those persons came from different sides of the streets and arrived in front of her at the same time. And Rye just remembered she hadn’t introduced them yet.

“Hey.” Matt only beckoned to Rye.

“Hey, Rye.” Leyla didn’t even look at her friend, she had her jaw dropped in a mixture of an amused grin. “Hey you!”

Matt waved shyly at the unknown red-haired girl in front of him and showed a tiny smile. Leyla had her eyes shining like Rye never seen before.

Oh… no… really?

“Leyla, I want you to meet…”

“Matt Sanders, oh god, I’m a huge fan of your work!!” Leyla interrupted her friend without noticing, stepping towards him and instead of grabbing the hand he showed, she went for the big hug, kissing his cheek in an impulsive act.

“H-Hey… thank you, I appreciate it.” he gasped a startled answer as Leyla made that hug last too long for Rye’s taste.

She’s scaring him away!

Rye felt a flame of jealousy climbing up her belly and attacking her heart instantly. She didn’t know where to look at, as dying of that need of doing the same her friend did. But she couldn’t. It wasn’t right to greet a man like that. And she didn’t wanna act all fangirling towards him anyway.

But her friend just did it.

“Oh and… I’m so sorry for...” Leyla pursed her lips and stepped back, facing the ground, not really able to finish her sentence. Matt’s nod was almost invisible. They had Jimmy on their minds now.

They all looked away, trying to find more interesting things to stare at, letting grow a really awkward silence between them. Rye felt responsible to break it.

“So… are you getting in tonight, Matt?” Rye asked shyly, regretting the words she used. It sounded like she was inviting him to her bedroom or something.

“Hm, do you mind if I just… stay here again? You know… headache.”

“Oh… if you need us to lower out volume, you can just knock on the door, okay?”

“I guess your music is not really the problem. Don’t worry.”

Just by the sad look on Matt’s eyes, Rye could see he needed someone to talk. And she would trade anything to be that someone, even her own band rehearsal. But she couldn’t let her friends down just to be with him.

She sent him a peaceful look and Leyla noticed she was being left out on that conversation. She could clearly see they had a connection somehow.

“Rye, we gotta go.” Leyla mumbled to her friend discreetly, not really wanting to break their talking moment.

“Okay so… anything you need you can knock on the door. Anything out of tune you can yell with us either, we could use some tips from you.” Leyla was almost pulling Rye’s arm to get inside, she was so reluctant to leave him there and to be back and see he can be gone again.

Matt chuckled at her remark and waved.

“I mean it, just stay until the end so we can…”

“RYE!” Leyla really pulled her by the arm this time.

“Alright, I’ll try to be here! Now go!” she watched him seating at her bench again, just like at the other night. She was inside already when he talked again. “By the way… that pie was incredible.”

Rye came back running and only her head appeared on her garage door now, with a smile that brought a different kind of heat to his heart.

Inside, Leyla poked her friend’s arm in a joke tone. “Hey, disguise this silly smile already, you’re too obvious!”

Rye poked her back, her grin and flushed cheeks never disappearing from her face.

---

After the rehearsal, Rye’s band mates were properly introduced to Matt and were gone. Even Leyla, who didn’t really wanna leave him alone with her questions about the new album, left at some point. It was finally just Rye and Matt.

“I told you I’d be here.” he said it a sort of seductive and mysterious way, but she thought it was probably her imagination.

“Yeah, I’m really glad you did.” her smile glistened by the moon light as she sat beside him. It was hot as ever but a slight night breeze was caressing them.

“You guys sounded pretty tight tonight. When’s the gig?” Rye laughed.

“Gig? We just do it for the fun, Matt. Not really worth anyone’s money or time…” Matt couldn’t see why she was so discouraged.

“Oh, you can’t say that! I saw a lot of people here watching you before I messed up your tiny concert that day. You girls are good, I’m telling you. You have any written songs already?”

“Oh I have a few… but never showed to anyone, not even to my band.”

It was so easy for Rye to tell him things she would tell not even to Leyla. It simply slid out of her mouth.

“You’re keeping the gold, it’s not fair!” he poked his arm on hers slightly and she smiled shyly.

“Not really worth it. We are happy with what we have now, a few covers and stuff we like to play.”

“But if you ever record, you gotta have something other than just covers, you know.”

“Record? Stop making me daydream about it, Matt. We’re just a garage band, nothing more.”

“Every band I know started as a garage band. Including mine.” he raised one eyebrow. He had a strong point.

“Yeah, true that. But you can’t compare your band to mine.” Rye could only diminish herself, like it was the shield she always hid behind.

"I’m not comparing. And while you girls were playing in there, I was thinking about a way I could repay you that amazing apple pie you sent me. And I guess I just figured out how.”

“That was just a treat, Matt. You don’t need to feel you have to repay me.”

“No, I do. I was here researching for a few good recording studios around here and, well, even though I’m struggling with Malay, I managed to find one really good. I wanna take you there and show you how you can start doing your own recording.”

“Matt, we are a bunch of broke students, we don’t have money for that kind of fancy thing.” she snorted a laugh.

“Hey, I never say you have to pay for anything. I’m inviting all of you. It’s on me.”

“No I… we can’t accept it.”

“Yes, you can. But with one condition. I want you to bring your songs to your band so we can record them too. Can you do that?”

She breathed heavily, a knot crunching her stomach out of anxiety now. That wasn’t how she had planned to show her songs. Maybe only to him, not to everybody.

“I’m too shy to show my stuff. I shouldn’t have said anything to you…”

“Do we have a deal or not?” he showed his warm hand towards her and she was hypnotized by those fingers, she had to take it just to feel his skin.

“Call your friends, we’re going tomorrow.”

---

“Leyla, Leyla, come over here… you are the one that likes sound engineering, right? You gotta listen to this track.” Matt called out, waving through the recording room glass.

Matt was only calling Leyla here, Leyla there, all the time. A thing with her guitar, teaching her better chords, better effects, how to record. Never telling Rye to improve anything. And that was starting to bug her really deeply.

Rye watched Leyla stepping out of the studio room with the same feeling of jealousy she once had when they met and was trying to swallow it somehow. But, then, well, she couldn’t really do anything if Matt was ‘digging’ the occidental girl who showed her hair around and was always clingy on him. She knew he would never look at her the same way he looked at those jumpy girls he was used to back on his country.

What was she thinking anyway? That he would’ve simply fallen for her after the magic apple pie or something? She needed to keep it real and remember she’ll never be the type of woman he would date. They were completely opposite and there’s nothing to do about it. Right?

But she couldn’t really keep hiding her feelings that way. She felt like a stupid teenager being stole by her best friend.

“Rye, c’mon, get over here! You need to listen to this!” Leyla called out in the mic with big headphones over her ears, with a big excited smile forming on her lips. She had no idea Rye wasn’t really content with her behavior.

Rye moved his gaze at Matt quickly and she saw his eyes glued on Leyla’s amusement face, not even a glimpse at her. Yeah, she was convinced now, he was definitely into her and she could only accept it.

“Not now, Leyla. I’m gonna go get some fresh air. Be right back.” Rye placed her acoustic guitar back on the stand and left the room with heavy and angry steps.

Leyla frowned as following Rye getting through the exit door with her eyes. She didn’t understand that attitude but she really wanted to know what was going on.

“Hey, Matt. I’m gonna…” he nodded, already getting her intentions. He noticed how weird Rye was acting with all of them that day since they got at the studio, but he was as clueless as Leyla.

With his assurance, she left the room and went to look out for her friend. She saw her
leaning on the wall close to the bathroom entrance soon after, her eyes stuck on the ground.

“Hey cereal, what’s up!?” Rye looked up at Leyla and faced the floor again, pursing her lips.

“Nothing really. I’m just not… feeling so comfortable being here today.”

“Why not?”

“You know me and my insecurities…” she shrugged.

“Oh Rye, c’mon! Matt was clear when he said he wanted to bring us here. He said he just wanted us to have fun and get to know recording processes, not a big deal. It’s not like it was a test to go into a tour with Avenged Sevenfold. Lose this pressure off your shoulders. He’s like a big friend to us now.”

“Really, a big friend?” she snorted a sarcastically laugh. “He doesn’t act like a big friend when he’s around you.”

Leyla widened her eyes and narrowed them almost at the same time. What the heck was that??

“Oh my… god. Are you insinuating that…”

“I’ve seen how he looks at you.” she crossed her arms and looked with the corner of the eyes at Leyla, jealousy burning her tongue.

“How… How can you think that, Rye? I’m you best friend, I know how you worship that dimpled guy more than anybody. How can you…” Leyla kept shaking her head, speechless.

“I’m not saying you are throwing yourself at him, I know you admire him too. But… I think he likes you, I dunno.”

Now Leyla laughed a little. It got Rye even sadder.

“You wanna know what we were listening to when I called you on the recording room?”

“Your guitar track?”

“Nope. Matt was showing me your track. And he kept saying how it was flawless and how he didn’t even need to fix anything with filters and effects they usually use on studio. And when we were talking on our way here? He was trying to make me convince you to show your songs so we could work on it today. He even wanted me to steal it from you if you were resisting, so we could make you a surprise. But I told him you don’t really like surprises so…”

Rye heard her friend blabbering and was getting more and more flabbergasted at each sentence. She got it all wrong.

“He was talking… about me?” she put out her saddest puppy eyes ever.

“We only talked about you all the time, Rye.” Leyla grinned back at Rye’s shy smile and pressed her cheek softly. “Silly girl.”

“Yeah, I’m feeling stupid now…”

“Forget about it. C’mon, let’s get back in there. You don’t wanna miss the opportunity of hearing your ‘flawless track’.” Leyla grimaced at the last words, acting cocky just to tease her friend.

Leyla showed her hand and when Rye grabbed it, she pulled her close playfully and placed an arm on her shoulder. Rye answered it by tickling her belly and she had to explode in her normal scandalous laughter that echoed loud on the quiet corridors. Rye wasn’t sure if she should laugh at her friend or at her own silly thinking. She started giggling at both as they got back inside the studio room.

Everything was good again.

Notes

A little healthy competition between Rye and Leyla? :O hahahaha

What an outrageee!! =p

(well...only on Rye's head... hahaha xD)