Who Are You?
Welcome To The Family
.:.:.
Elise quietly sat in the corner on the couch, a cold soda in hand and a dumb smile on her face as she observed the people around the condo. The ladies were sitting at the wooden kitchen table, laughing into their drinks while the men sat around the tv. Dinner had been done the second she and Matt arrived and was gone shortly after. Everyone sat around digesting their meal before Leana spoke up.
“We should play a game!” She jumped off her chair and skipped in front of the flatscreen.
The men groaned as Jimmy threw a pillow at his girlfriend.
“Calm down, guys. It’s only the third inning with no score.” Lacey rolled her eyes.
While they all bickered about what to play, Matt got up from his seat and motioned for Brian to follow. Upon arriving, Elise was warmly greeted by Brian. He was friendly yet quiet, but Elise was the last person to judge. It still surprised her how open she was with this bunch of misfits but she loved it.
Leana and Jimmy acted like the crazy cousins whom you only saw around the Holidays. Gena was caring but devious like an older sister, while Lacey had the mature vibes to keep everyone in line like a mama bear would. Zacky and Johnny bickered like two siblings who were born too close together, and Elise could definitely relate to that. She didn’t know Brian that well but he seemed like the protective brother she never had. That left Matt; and Elise could not put a finger on him. Even though she wished she could in a literal sense. Elise watched the two men walk outside and saw a brief look of sadness on Brian’s face.
“Elise?” a voice asked as she felt a finger poke her pronounced chest.
“Yes?” Elise responded while drawing out the ‘Eh’ sound.
Her face turned to look at a slightly staggering Leana, her face only a few inches from hers, as brown eyes were staring intently at Elise’s unintentional cleavage. Elise thought she was going to fall over if Leana wasn’t careful. The bag of chocolate covered chips was cradled against Lee’s chest, her eyes then closed as the Latina’s Scottish features scrunched up from a toothy smiled flashing on her face.
“I gotta know…” she was whispering now as the green-eyed woman tried to suppress a giggle.
Her body language was enough to make Elise burst out laughing, but the serious look that Lee gave after asking a million-dollar question was what really set her off. Confused gazes quickly fell on the two women as they began laughing.
“Oh, my gosh.” Elise chuckled with a hand covering her eyes.
“What’s going on?” Jimmy asked with a cocked head.
“Lee, you didn’t?” Lacey asked in disbelief from across the room.
Leana nodded her head in affirmation as the other two women at the table chuckled.
Jimmy huffed, “Seriously", what did she say!” Curiosity was eating away at him.
“With hips like that, of course!” Lacey laughed harder at the sight of an impatient Jimmy.
“That’s it,” Jimmy mumbled before taking Leana down to the floor and began tickling her. His girlfriend lie helplessly under the drummer in a fit of laughter.
Zacky stood from his seat and made his way behind Gena and kissed the side of her temple.
“Baby, what are you crazy women laughing about?” Zacky slid his arms over the blonde woman’s shoulders.
“Who are you trying to butter up?” Gena asked while taking a sip of her strawberry soda and vodka.
The sound of the heavy glass door sliding opened caught everyone’s attention. Matt and Brian stopped to look around at the sight in front of them; Jimmy had now pinned Leana to the floor as he carefully sat on her back. Lacey had left the table to sit on a confused Johnny’s lap while Zacky continued to plea into Gena’s ear. Elise was shaking her head at the bodies all around her. The women’s fits of giggles died down as they all wiped tears from their eyes.
“Do I even want to know?” Matt asked Elise who only shook her head again in embarrassment.
Jimmy fell backwards as the tiny body threw him off, “I only asked a legitimate question! The girls and I were talking and all, except Gena, came to the same, and obvious, conclusion!”
“You’re still not making any fucking sense!” Johnny and Jimmy both burst out and glanced at each other.
Elise played with the aluminum tab on her soda can, not sure what to make of the escalating situation. She was self-conscious being in the limelight. It didn’t help that she had eight sets of eyes on her. What made it worse was the subject manner. Bickering voices playfully went back and forth between the couples causing Elise to sink back into the sofa.
“Alright, alright! Everyone shut up!” Leana waved her hands, “I didn’t even get my answer yet.”
“Answer to what!” Zacky threw his arms in the air.
Warmness spread across her cheeks as Elise took a deep breath. Eh, what the hell? We’re all having fun tonight. Her eyes lit up as she shot a smile at Lee.
“Yes.” Elise answered while moving from her seat to the edge of the cushion.
Leana bounced over to her, “Really? I knew it!” She then pointed at Gena, “You owe me twenty bucks!”
Gena rolled her eyes and smirked, “I was half kidding. No offense to you, Elise. I just like betting against these two. So, they really are?”
By now, the guys were about ready to tear their hair out. And for Johnny, what little hair he had.
Gena made her way to Elise and stood with two plastic cups in hand.
“Looks like you could use one of these.” She offered the Solo cup.
Elise warily took the cup from Gena and thanked her while standing up herself.
You’ll be fine, it’s only one.
She sipped the fizzing pink drink and smiled.
“To answer you again, yes. They are. Wanna feel?” Elise wiggled her eyebrows, joking to the blonde next to her before taking another sip.
“Hell yeah!” Gena exclaimed as the two other women snickered. The men’s eyes never left them.
Both hands flew up to Elise’s chest as a goofy smile plastered itself on her face. The guys went quiet while Gena fondled away.
“Stop being a boob-hog, Gee! My turn!” Leana playfully slapped her friend’s hands away while replacing them with her own.
Lacey hung her head in disbelief over her girls.
“They’re only breasts, ladies. You have your own!” Elise laughed before taking her seat back on the sofa.
“That’s seriously what this was all about!” Jimmy shouted as he looked around at his male friends.
Johnny pulled away from Lacey and groaned, “I thought you were trying to get you-know-who to confess about liking the other you-know-who.”
Both Matt and Elise’s head shot towards the youngest member of the group. Awkwardness and butterflies fought to be the dominating feeling inside her stomach but ultimately lost to embarrassment.
Is it seriously that obvious? Have I finally admitted to liking him? Elise questioned in her mind as Matt spoke up.
“Seriously, Johnny? Shut the fuck up, dude. It is not like that.” Matt pulled on the back of his hat and shifted the bill in irritation.
Elise’s stomach fell. Her face heated up as she became lightheaded. She could feel herself being stared at, the holes boring themselves quickly through her. Why did she feel this way? She wondered. Never had Matt expressed any other feeling aside from being friendly. Maybe it was the initial shock of him snapping at their bassist so harshly.
Lacey reached out from the other end of the couch, “Elise…”
“Hmm?” She smiled hoping nobody could see through her.
Apparently, it worked.
.:.:.
The night went on smoothly despite the unexpected bump. Between playing cards and a couple drinking games, Elise was more relaxed than she had been in years. One drink had turned to a few as the hours passed. The alcohol was welcomed with open arms. Being on depression medication in the past seemed to help her condition, or so the doctors claimed, but alcohol wasn’t recommended due to the side effects being unquestionable. Though no matter what she did, Elise never felt normal. So, she stopped all medications and other treatment plans. Elise was relieved to be handling herself so well.
The night turned into early morning quickly, and the gang started to drop like flies. Having paced herself, she remained a survivor along with Brian. Matt and Gena were the most recent ones to tap out at an impressive 3:00 a.m. Elise began cleaning up after Brian went out for a smoke. She hoped her behavior wasn’t intrusive, cleaning up was her way of showing appreciation for such gratuity.
The table was cleared of any trash and empty bottles before she made her way into the living area. Everyone except for Jimmy and Leana were sprawled out on the couches and floor. Elise smiled to herself as she picked up whatever bottles she could.
“You really don’t have to do that.” Brian chuckled as he closed the sliding door behind him.
Elise smiled, “I want to. Thank you for having us over. It was nice to meet you and get to know everyone a little better.”
“Likewise. I must admit, I was a little hesitant to meet the woman who was taking Val’s place.” Brian mumbled before finding an open seat.
“Excuse me?” She asked in utter confusion.
“Lee’s old roommate, Val. That room had been vacant for quite a while, I think Lee was reluctant in renting it out. I even suggested my girlfriend, Michelle, move out of here and take the room but both girls refused.”
Elise nodded. “In case she came back?” She cautiously asked unsure of what the situation was.
Brian looked away but returned his gaze to Elise with a small smile.
“We all knew that was never going to happen. I think Lee did it more for Matt than herself.” Brian spoke softly.
As Elise tried to piece together what he said, Brian interjected her thoughts.
“Sorry,” he rubbed the back of his head, “I’m not sure what all you know. Val and Matt had been high school sweethearts and the best of friends. Once Val wasn’t there with him, it seemed to salt his wound any time anything was mentioned of her. I think that’s why Leana kept the room open. My girlfriend, or Ex-girlfriend now, and Val are twins. I’m actually kind of glad, in a way, she’s not here.”
Her mind was spinning. Is he reminded of this Val chick every time he sees Brian’s Ex? Is he still in love with her? The look on Brian’s face was quickly turning broken. Unsure if she should press the issue, she decided to take a chance.
“May I ask what happened there? It’s ok if you don’t want to…" Elise trailed off, immediately feeling stupid for asking.
Brian smirked at her, “It’s alright. She and I visited her parent’s back in Vermont. That’s where I just got back from. Apparently, she wanted to stay there and didn’t feel the need or want to come back with me. She ended it right then and there at the airport. Years down the drain but what can ya’ do?”
He ran his hands through his long hair and sighed deeply.
“That’s a shame to hear. I never understood why something so wholesome as a relationship could end just like that. My twin and her Ex broke up for some reason and to this day, I’ve no idea why. I just have to trust it. Same when my Ex broke up with me. I never saw it coming.” Elise finished with a half-hearted smile and went back to slowly putting any trash into the bag she was holding.
To lighten the mood, Brian grabbed the bag from her hand, “So, you’ve a twin?” He wiggled his eyebrows causing Elise to chuckle.
Elise went on to tell him of her older twin, Claire. She went into more detail about her than she had with the others. As the minutes passed by, Brian was opening up more and more. He asked questions about herself and her twin while even joking around. Elise was right in assuming. He had the vibe of being a protective brother that she could easily get along with.
“Your sister sounds like a warrior.” Brian spoke after I told him of her accident.
“She is. It’s taken her a couple months to get back to a somewhat normal pattern, but, she’s getting there. After the cars smashed together and sent her to the hospital, she was terrified of cars and cellphones. She freaked out when one of us would be using one in the car even as a passenger. That’s how badly she was traumatized. Her fear of phones got worse further into recovery but yesterday Claire admitted she was thinking of getting one.” Elise mumbled as she took a seat across from Brian who sat with a concerned face.
“Car accidents are no joke. So, how do you keep in contact with her?” He asked.
“Simple emails. I don’t remember much during the time after her accident due to my own issues but when she was in her coma, it was recommended for me to write her emails. I wasn’t sure if she could hear me during her time in that hospital bed so it helped me being able to express everything I was feeling in that moment, update her on what was going on in life, and so on. She couldn’t read them but it helped me. When she finally woke up and able to read them, I think she was grateful to have something to keep her mind off the pain and recovery process. From then on, we went back and forth through emails since she couldn’t use a cellphone. The accident was so scary. Even after she was in the clear, we all had a mini heart attack when the doctor found a tumor on her brain. Turns out it's benign but still. I'm always so afraid of losing her to something.” Elise looked at her folded hands while twiddling her thumbs.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, “You’ve been through a lot that most people don’t know about, haven’t you?” Brian asked with such tenderness it almost hurt.
“There’s always someone out there going through worse. It’s no excuse to hate life, give up, or be bitter to the world.” She gave Brian a smile.
A quick glance at the clock let them know it was beyond their bedtimes. It was 5:15 early Thursday morning. Both were shocked at how quickly almost two and a half hours alone passed by without either of them noticing.
“You’re going to crash here, yeah?” Brian casually asked as he slipped a smoke between his lips.
“I appreciate it but I think I’ll head back, shower, and find something comfortable to wear. I have to get my head right before starting work tomorrow.” Elise answered while slipping the black purse over her shoulder.
“Right on. Where you working? Never mind, sorry, I’ll let you go,” Brian chuckled as he opened the door for Elise, “Mi’lady.”
“Thank you, kind sir. I’ll be working at McConnell’s, it’s my uncle’s place just a few blocks from here.” She answered while heading outside.
Elise turned around just as Brian was lighting up a cigarette, wondering how anyone could stick with it. She tried smoking when she was younger and only succeeded in making herself sick. Going through a whole pack in less than five hours wasn’t the smartest thing to do for anybody, let alone a beginner. She didn’t mind, it was money she didn’t have to spend on a bad habit. She reserved that money for doughnuts and churros; her kryptonite.
Brian walked Elise to her truck and whistled when he saw it.
“Nice four-by. Desert girl?” Brian teased.
Elise shrugged, “He’s my baby. He takes care of my dirt-y needs.” She laughed at her lame pun as the guitarist did the same.
“Well, thanks for the talk, Elise. Tonight was really fun. I needed it.” Brian’s sincerity caused Elise to smile.
“Same. Thanks for letting me ramble. I’ll see you later, Brian. Get some sleep.” She nodded at the man in front of her before climbing inside her truck.
She started the ignition and watched the exhaust plume outside in the cold morning air. The sun was beginning to rise, illuminating everything in a hazy blue hue. It had been awhile since she stayed awake this late and immediately set her alarm for 11:00 a.m. before she forgot and slept in. About five hours of sleep would be fine with her. She had nothing to do that day except study the work packet and get her uniform ready. Surely everyone else had to work or record, right? Her phone buzzed and she looked at the message before heading home.
Matt: Welcome to the family, kid. (;
Elise quietly sat in the corner on the couch, a cold soda in hand and a dumb smile on her face as she observed the people around the condo. The ladies were sitting at the wooden kitchen table, laughing into their drinks while the men sat around the tv. Dinner had been done the second she and Matt arrived and was gone shortly after. Everyone sat around digesting their meal before Leana spoke up.
“We should play a game!” She jumped off her chair and skipped in front of the flatscreen.
The men groaned as Jimmy threw a pillow at his girlfriend.
“Calm down, guys. It’s only the third inning with no score.” Lacey rolled her eyes.
While they all bickered about what to play, Matt got up from his seat and motioned for Brian to follow. Upon arriving, Elise was warmly greeted by Brian. He was friendly yet quiet, but Elise was the last person to judge. It still surprised her how open she was with this bunch of misfits but she loved it.
Leana and Jimmy acted like the crazy cousins whom you only saw around the Holidays. Gena was caring but devious like an older sister, while Lacey had the mature vibes to keep everyone in line like a mama bear would. Zacky and Johnny bickered like two siblings who were born too close together, and Elise could definitely relate to that. She didn’t know Brian that well but he seemed like the protective brother she never had. That left Matt; and Elise could not put a finger on him. Even though she wished she could in a literal sense. Elise watched the two men walk outside and saw a brief look of sadness on Brian’s face.
“Elise?” a voice asked as she felt a finger poke her pronounced chest.
“Yes?” Elise responded while drawing out the ‘Eh’ sound.
Her face turned to look at a slightly staggering Leana, her face only a few inches from hers, as brown eyes were staring intently at Elise’s unintentional cleavage. Elise thought she was going to fall over if Leana wasn’t careful. The bag of chocolate covered chips was cradled against Lee’s chest, her eyes then closed as the Latina’s Scottish features scrunched up from a toothy smiled flashing on her face.
“I gotta know…” she was whispering now as the green-eyed woman tried to suppress a giggle.
Her body language was enough to make Elise burst out laughing, but the serious look that Lee gave after asking a million-dollar question was what really set her off. Confused gazes quickly fell on the two women as they began laughing.
“Oh, my gosh.” Elise chuckled with a hand covering her eyes.
“What’s going on?” Jimmy asked with a cocked head.
“Lee, you didn’t?” Lacey asked in disbelief from across the room.
Leana nodded her head in affirmation as the other two women at the table chuckled.
Jimmy huffed, “Seriously", what did she say!” Curiosity was eating away at him.
“With hips like that, of course!” Lacey laughed harder at the sight of an impatient Jimmy.
“That’s it,” Jimmy mumbled before taking Leana down to the floor and began tickling her. His girlfriend lie helplessly under the drummer in a fit of laughter.
Zacky stood from his seat and made his way behind Gena and kissed the side of her temple.
“Baby, what are you crazy women laughing about?” Zacky slid his arms over the blonde woman’s shoulders.
“Who are you trying to butter up?” Gena asked while taking a sip of her strawberry soda and vodka.
The sound of the heavy glass door sliding opened caught everyone’s attention. Matt and Brian stopped to look around at the sight in front of them; Jimmy had now pinned Leana to the floor as he carefully sat on her back. Lacey had left the table to sit on a confused Johnny’s lap while Zacky continued to plea into Gena’s ear. Elise was shaking her head at the bodies all around her. The women’s fits of giggles died down as they all wiped tears from their eyes.
“Do I even want to know?” Matt asked Elise who only shook her head again in embarrassment.
Jimmy fell backwards as the tiny body threw him off, “I only asked a legitimate question! The girls and I were talking and all, except Gena, came to the same, and obvious, conclusion!”
“You’re still not making any fucking sense!” Johnny and Jimmy both burst out and glanced at each other.
Elise played with the aluminum tab on her soda can, not sure what to make of the escalating situation. She was self-conscious being in the limelight. It didn’t help that she had eight sets of eyes on her. What made it worse was the subject manner. Bickering voices playfully went back and forth between the couples causing Elise to sink back into the sofa.
“Alright, alright! Everyone shut up!” Leana waved her hands, “I didn’t even get my answer yet.”
“Answer to what!” Zacky threw his arms in the air.
Warmness spread across her cheeks as Elise took a deep breath. Eh, what the hell? We’re all having fun tonight. Her eyes lit up as she shot a smile at Lee.
“Yes.” Elise answered while moving from her seat to the edge of the cushion.
Leana bounced over to her, “Really? I knew it!” She then pointed at Gena, “You owe me twenty bucks!”
Gena rolled her eyes and smirked, “I was half kidding. No offense to you, Elise. I just like betting against these two. So, they really are?”
By now, the guys were about ready to tear their hair out. And for Johnny, what little hair he had.
Gena made her way to Elise and stood with two plastic cups in hand.
“Looks like you could use one of these.” She offered the Solo cup.
Elise warily took the cup from Gena and thanked her while standing up herself.
You’ll be fine, it’s only one.
She sipped the fizzing pink drink and smiled.
“To answer you again, yes. They are. Wanna feel?” Elise wiggled her eyebrows, joking to the blonde next to her before taking another sip.
“Hell yeah!” Gena exclaimed as the two other women snickered. The men’s eyes never left them.
Both hands flew up to Elise’s chest as a goofy smile plastered itself on her face. The guys went quiet while Gena fondled away.
“Stop being a boob-hog, Gee! My turn!” Leana playfully slapped her friend’s hands away while replacing them with her own.
Lacey hung her head in disbelief over her girls.
“They’re only breasts, ladies. You have your own!” Elise laughed before taking her seat back on the sofa.
“That’s seriously what this was all about!” Jimmy shouted as he looked around at his male friends.
Johnny pulled away from Lacey and groaned, “I thought you were trying to get you-know-who to confess about liking the other you-know-who.”
Both Matt and Elise’s head shot towards the youngest member of the group. Awkwardness and butterflies fought to be the dominating feeling inside her stomach but ultimately lost to embarrassment.
Is it seriously that obvious? Have I finally admitted to liking him? Elise questioned in her mind as Matt spoke up.
“Seriously, Johnny? Shut the fuck up, dude. It is not like that.” Matt pulled on the back of his hat and shifted the bill in irritation.
Elise’s stomach fell. Her face heated up as she became lightheaded. She could feel herself being stared at, the holes boring themselves quickly through her. Why did she feel this way? She wondered. Never had Matt expressed any other feeling aside from being friendly. Maybe it was the initial shock of him snapping at their bassist so harshly.
Lacey reached out from the other end of the couch, “Elise…”
“Hmm?” She smiled hoping nobody could see through her.
Apparently, it worked.
.:.:.
The night went on smoothly despite the unexpected bump. Between playing cards and a couple drinking games, Elise was more relaxed than she had been in years. One drink had turned to a few as the hours passed. The alcohol was welcomed with open arms. Being on depression medication in the past seemed to help her condition, or so the doctors claimed, but alcohol wasn’t recommended due to the side effects being unquestionable. Though no matter what she did, Elise never felt normal. So, she stopped all medications and other treatment plans. Elise was relieved to be handling herself so well.
The night turned into early morning quickly, and the gang started to drop like flies. Having paced herself, she remained a survivor along with Brian. Matt and Gena were the most recent ones to tap out at an impressive 3:00 a.m. Elise began cleaning up after Brian went out for a smoke. She hoped her behavior wasn’t intrusive, cleaning up was her way of showing appreciation for such gratuity.
The table was cleared of any trash and empty bottles before she made her way into the living area. Everyone except for Jimmy and Leana were sprawled out on the couches and floor. Elise smiled to herself as she picked up whatever bottles she could.
“You really don’t have to do that.” Brian chuckled as he closed the sliding door behind him.
Elise smiled, “I want to. Thank you for having us over. It was nice to meet you and get to know everyone a little better.”
“Likewise. I must admit, I was a little hesitant to meet the woman who was taking Val’s place.” Brian mumbled before finding an open seat.
“Excuse me?” She asked in utter confusion.
“Lee’s old roommate, Val. That room had been vacant for quite a while, I think Lee was reluctant in renting it out. I even suggested my girlfriend, Michelle, move out of here and take the room but both girls refused.”
Elise nodded. “In case she came back?” She cautiously asked unsure of what the situation was.
Brian looked away but returned his gaze to Elise with a small smile.
“We all knew that was never going to happen. I think Lee did it more for Matt than herself.” Brian spoke softly.
As Elise tried to piece together what he said, Brian interjected her thoughts.
“Sorry,” he rubbed the back of his head, “I’m not sure what all you know. Val and Matt had been high school sweethearts and the best of friends. Once Val wasn’t there with him, it seemed to salt his wound any time anything was mentioned of her. I think that’s why Leana kept the room open. My girlfriend, or Ex-girlfriend now, and Val are twins. I’m actually kind of glad, in a way, she’s not here.”
Her mind was spinning. Is he reminded of this Val chick every time he sees Brian’s Ex? Is he still in love with her? The look on Brian’s face was quickly turning broken. Unsure if she should press the issue, she decided to take a chance.
“May I ask what happened there? It’s ok if you don’t want to…" Elise trailed off, immediately feeling stupid for asking.
Brian smirked at her, “It’s alright. She and I visited her parent’s back in Vermont. That’s where I just got back from. Apparently, she wanted to stay there and didn’t feel the need or want to come back with me. She ended it right then and there at the airport. Years down the drain but what can ya’ do?”
He ran his hands through his long hair and sighed deeply.
“That’s a shame to hear. I never understood why something so wholesome as a relationship could end just like that. My twin and her Ex broke up for some reason and to this day, I’ve no idea why. I just have to trust it. Same when my Ex broke up with me. I never saw it coming.” Elise finished with a half-hearted smile and went back to slowly putting any trash into the bag she was holding.
To lighten the mood, Brian grabbed the bag from her hand, “So, you’ve a twin?” He wiggled his eyebrows causing Elise to chuckle.
Elise went on to tell him of her older twin, Claire. She went into more detail about her than she had with the others. As the minutes passed by, Brian was opening up more and more. He asked questions about herself and her twin while even joking around. Elise was right in assuming. He had the vibe of being a protective brother that she could easily get along with.
“Your sister sounds like a warrior.” Brian spoke after I told him of her accident.
“She is. It’s taken her a couple months to get back to a somewhat normal pattern, but, she’s getting there. After the cars smashed together and sent her to the hospital, she was terrified of cars and cellphones. She freaked out when one of us would be using one in the car even as a passenger. That’s how badly she was traumatized. Her fear of phones got worse further into recovery but yesterday Claire admitted she was thinking of getting one.” Elise mumbled as she took a seat across from Brian who sat with a concerned face.
“Car accidents are no joke. So, how do you keep in contact with her?” He asked.
“Simple emails. I don’t remember much during the time after her accident due to my own issues but when she was in her coma, it was recommended for me to write her emails. I wasn’t sure if she could hear me during her time in that hospital bed so it helped me being able to express everything I was feeling in that moment, update her on what was going on in life, and so on. She couldn’t read them but it helped me. When she finally woke up and able to read them, I think she was grateful to have something to keep her mind off the pain and recovery process. From then on, we went back and forth through emails since she couldn’t use a cellphone. The accident was so scary. Even after she was in the clear, we all had a mini heart attack when the doctor found a tumor on her brain. Turns out it's benign but still. I'm always so afraid of losing her to something.” Elise looked at her folded hands while twiddling her thumbs.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, “You’ve been through a lot that most people don’t know about, haven’t you?” Brian asked with such tenderness it almost hurt.
“There’s always someone out there going through worse. It’s no excuse to hate life, give up, or be bitter to the world.” She gave Brian a smile.
A quick glance at the clock let them know it was beyond their bedtimes. It was 5:15 early Thursday morning. Both were shocked at how quickly almost two and a half hours alone passed by without either of them noticing.
“You’re going to crash here, yeah?” Brian casually asked as he slipped a smoke between his lips.
“I appreciate it but I think I’ll head back, shower, and find something comfortable to wear. I have to get my head right before starting work tomorrow.” Elise answered while slipping the black purse over her shoulder.
“Right on. Where you working? Never mind, sorry, I’ll let you go,” Brian chuckled as he opened the door for Elise, “Mi’lady.”
“Thank you, kind sir. I’ll be working at McConnell’s, it’s my uncle’s place just a few blocks from here.” She answered while heading outside.
Elise turned around just as Brian was lighting up a cigarette, wondering how anyone could stick with it. She tried smoking when she was younger and only succeeded in making herself sick. Going through a whole pack in less than five hours wasn’t the smartest thing to do for anybody, let alone a beginner. She didn’t mind, it was money she didn’t have to spend on a bad habit. She reserved that money for doughnuts and churros; her kryptonite.
Brian walked Elise to her truck and whistled when he saw it.
“Nice four-by. Desert girl?” Brian teased.
Elise shrugged, “He’s my baby. He takes care of my dirt-y needs.” She laughed at her lame pun as the guitarist did the same.
“Well, thanks for the talk, Elise. Tonight was really fun. I needed it.” Brian’s sincerity caused Elise to smile.
“Same. Thanks for letting me ramble. I’ll see you later, Brian. Get some sleep.” She nodded at the man in front of her before climbing inside her truck.
She started the ignition and watched the exhaust plume outside in the cold morning air. The sun was beginning to rise, illuminating everything in a hazy blue hue. It had been awhile since she stayed awake this late and immediately set her alarm for 11:00 a.m. before she forgot and slept in. About five hours of sleep would be fine with her. She had nothing to do that day except study the work packet and get her uniform ready. Surely everyone else had to work or record, right? Her phone buzzed and she looked at the message before heading home.
Matt: Welcome to the family, kid. (;
Notes
Yeah, it's been awhile... Hopefully this chapter makes up for it! I have about five or six ways this story could end. I'm trying to figure out which way to go. In the mean time, I'll try to update sooner than I have been. Thanks to everyone that continues to read. Comments and critiques are appreciated. (:
Special thanks for their support: seventhtrumpet, AGirlIKnowNamedLarisa, Avengedlover, and SkyShadows_6661. <3
Well damn! ;) glad you’re back!
6/2/19