Who Are You?
Bat Country
.:.:.
Work flew by which was surprising for a Sunday night. Maybe it was from having Monday off, or the fact she could join the group earlier than planned for a get together tonight, but Elise was in a good mood. In reality, she was giddy for the opportunity to spend more time with Matt.
The night they went to the beach was the remedy neither of them expected. They didn’t say a thing to one another but instead basked in the feelings around them. Elise felt safe and welcomed while in Matt’s arms. Matt adored the opportunity to hold her tight against him and enjoy the peaceful silence between the two. It was almost 9:00 at night before Elise was gently shaken awake and escorted home. All the way from the moment he hugged her goodnight until now, Elise couldn’t stop smiling. She didn’t know it, but Matt had been doing the same. Her smile grew wider the second she clocked out of work and made her way back home where the party was just beginning.
.:.:.
“About time you got here!” the lanky man rushed Elise the second she walked through the door. A surprise squeal erupted from her chest as Jimmy wrapped her in a tight hug.
“Let the poor girl get settled after work, Jim.” Lacey laughed against the rim of a glass bottle.
Elise smiled and tried to return the energetic man’s hug before shaking free of his embrace. She greeted everyone in the apartment then made a bee line for her room. Matt was going to be there soon leaving Elise little time to find something suitable to wear. Despite it being a casual night inside, she still wanted to dress to impress. Elise finally gave up and decided on black yoga pants and a plain black top. Just as the shirt was slipped over her head, a knock sounded at her door.
“Come in.” Elise called out.
“Hey!” Matt greeted, his dimples bringing a smile to Elise’s face. “Sorry I’m late. Did you just get home?”
The woman made a small noise affirming Matt’s question as she walked towards him. The two softly hugged as Matt quickly pecked her cheek. They made their way back to the living room where all the commotion was going down.
“What are you idiots doing now?” Matt asked his friends in confusion at the sight in front of him. Elise couldn’t help but laugh at the antics both Jimmy and Johnny seemed to get into with each other.
“This lanky giant made a bet that he could lift my hands off my head but there’s absolutely no way!” Johnny laughed just as his friend, red faced and out of breath, threw his arms up in a huff.
“He superglued his palms to his head! That’s the only explanation for this bullshit!” Jimmy threw himself on the couch next to his girlfriend.
“It’s practically impossible, Jim. It doesn’t matter how big and strong you are. Though it doesn’t help to have toothpicks for arms.” Zacky chuckled as everyone in the room joined in at Jimmy’s expense. The drummer mumbled a curse word while crossing his arms.
Elise’s laughter quieted as she took in the happy faces before her. Everyone appeared to be having a good time and a wave of warmth passed through her chest. Even Zacky and Gena seemed to be getting along better, even if they had alcohol to thank for that.
“Hungry Elise?” Matt loosely gripped Elise around the waist as he lead her into the kitchen where Chinese takeout containers littered the counters.
The two sat at the table together and began to dig into their plates. It was silent between them as they watched their friends socialize. Curiosity hit Elise when she noticed someone was missing.
“Where’s Bri tonight?” Elise asked Matt who had just taken a bite of orange chicken.
He swallowed, “He should be on his way over. I think he got stuck at work late but don’t worry, your boyfriend will be here soon.” Matt smirked at the way Elise rolled her eyes.
“Jealous, Matt? Don’t worry,” She mocked, “I’ll ask Brian if you can join us for a threesome.” Elise finished with a winked.
His smirked turned devilish as he leaned forward towards Elise, “We’re not even sure you can handle just me yet.” The quiet, dangerous tone of Matt’s voice was enough to make Elise go crazy but she kept her composure.
Her smirked now matched his, “I’m more concerned about you being able to handle me, Matthew.” Elise seductively licked the sauce off the end of her chopstick, making sure to not break eye contact with Matt.
“You play a dangerous game, woman.” Matt practically growled.
“Is there any other game to play?” Elise asked before turning her attention back to her dinner.
A soft chuckle sounded from Matt as he shook his head at the woman in front of him. “Looks like your player three is here.”
“Actually, you’d be the third player.” Elise stuck her tongue out at Matt just as Brian walked into the dining room.
“Do I even want to know what you two were talking about just now?” Brian laughed while hugging Elise in her seat.
Matt bumped elbows with his friend in greeting, “You probably would, you perv.”
“Oh, shit. Well, do tell.” The guitarist took a seat and grinned, his tattooed fingers locked together before resting them under his chin.
Elise pursed her lips to keep from showing her amusement. Matt raised a brow at her and waited for her answer while Brian’s grin only grew wider.
“That’s for me to know and you to never find out.” Elise gave another wink before excusing herself from the table.
Brian and Matt remained in the kitchen to talk amongst themselves while Elise joined Leana and Lacey on the couch. Zacky and Jimmy seemed to be terrorizing Johnny about something while Gena sat alone with her phone on Matt’s favorite OS chair.
“Elise?”
Elise’s ears perked up at the sound of her name. “Hm?” she questioned turning her attention to Lacey.
“We were planning another girl’s shopping trip. We’d love for you to come along.” The motherly woman smiled warmly at Elise who nodded in excitement.
Spending time with the other girls seemed long overdue and Elise was looking forward to a new outfit or two while having the chance to strengthen the bond with the others. They made their plans for Wednesday which left Elise with three days to mentally prepare. Although she was excited, a part of her was a little on edge about being around Gena for a lengthy period of time. She wasn’t sure why but something about Gena made Elise uneasy now. Had Elise done something to upset her? The redhead tried her best to push the negative thoughts from her mind.
“So, how are things between you and the Gorilla?” Leana nudged Elise’s shoulder.
Elise chuckled, “I think it’s alright. We spent almost all evening at the beach last night then he brought me home. I don’t even know why we had a hiccup, that I caused, but it all seems to be better…until I screw it up again.” She sighed.
From the corner of her eye, Elise saw Gena abruptly sit up from the chair. Her eyes followed the blonde as she whispered to Zacky and left to grab her purse.
“Later, loves. I’ll talk to you later, Lace, and I’ll see you all in a few days.” Gena gave a quick wave to the group as Zacky walked her outside. Once they were gone, everyone gave a look to each other, most just shrugged their shoulders without saying a word.
“Any who, you’re not going to screw anything up. Just be yourself and make sure you guys are openly communicating. Everything will work out.” Leana patted Elise’s knee before getting up from the couch.
Lacey turned to look into her unsure eyes, “Lee is right, hon. We all see the way you look at one another. It’ll be difficult at first and you’ll have a lot of hurdles to overcome but you two are great together. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to hear all this from you ladies, really.” Elise exchanged a quick hug with Lacey before the brunette left to find Johnny.
Everyone seemed to be off in their own little bubbles while Elise was left alone to watch. Matt and Brian were still at the table while Johnny and Lacey were chatting with Jimmy and Leana on the patio. Zacky hadn’t returned since walking Gena outside and Elise wondered if they were alright. Her dwelling didn’t last long. The cushions bounced as Matt plopped himself next to Elise.
“Why are you by yourself, loser?” Matt asked before taking a sip of beer.
“Just watching everyone and enjoying the alone time, loser.” Elise snatched the bottle of Bud from Matt’s grasp and took a sip. “Gross, it’s warm.”
He shrugged a shoulder, “It’s practically all backwash by now.” Matt grinned at the disgusted face before him.
She knew he was joking but the thought alone grossed her out. Elise loved joking around with him and how comfortable she felt but something nagged inside her brain. Flashbacks of what she and Brian saw yesterday still preyed on her nerves. She wanted so badly to forget everything but knew that wasn’t the best course of action. If she wanted something serious with Matt then she was going to have to open Pandora’s box, which meant he would be introduced to more of her own demons.
“You ok?” Matt asked while rubbing her knee.
Elise nodded, “Can we go be alone for a few? There’s something I need to talk about.”
.:.:.
Worry flashed across Matt’s hazel eyes despite his best attempts to keep a straight face. He followed Elise to her bedroom where he shut the door behind him. They sat on the bed and Elise instantly began playing with a loose string on her blanket. Matt knew she was nervous. Hell, he was probably more nervous than she.
“I saw you yesterday in your room. I’ve tried so hard to put it past me but I just can’t. I’m so sorry, I wasn’t trying to spy on you, I was just worried about Brian going to see you and I was afraid because I didn’t tell him the full story about our dinner the other night. I didn’t want him blaming you for what happened when all of this has been my fault.” Elise spoke so fast she wasn’t even sure how she managed all of that in one breath.
Matt sat in utter confusion as his mind tried to process each word that was fired at him. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words he wanted to say.
“Yesterday? Yesterday I…” then it hit him, “You mean the Ouija board? You saw that?”
“I didn’t mean to. Brian opened the door but I don’t think you heard us over the music.” Elise was picking at her nails now.
“It’s just a silly board, Elle. I’m sorry if it bothers you but I don’t mean any harm when I do it.” Matt scratched the back of his head.
Elise forced herself to look at him, “I’m really scared of that stuff. I grew up in a Catholic home and have heard so many stories of bad things entering the home from messing with…that. I’m not judging you, Matt, I just want to be open with you.”
His face softened as he gazed into her emerald green eyes. Despite what she had just said, relief still washed over him. “Shit, I didn’t know. I promise I’ll try not to do it anymore, if that makes you feel better.”
“That’s not fair of me to ask that of you.” Elise’s gaze dropped to the floor.
“Hey,” Matt held her chin in his fingers, “It’s no big deal. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop. I’m sure you’ve never had to deal with this before so I understand.” He was surprised when she shook her head.
Elise inhaled deeply, “That’s the other thing. I don’t like it because I fear I already have something following me.”
Matt was both intrigued but also worried for her. He wanted to know more out of curiosity but had to know incase there was some way of helping.
“Have you ever had it looked into?” He asked.
“No, I don’t want to put any more energy into it than I have.” Elise sighed.
Matt grabbed her hand and held it in his warm grasp, “Can you tell me why you think you’re being followed?”
She nodded, “I don’t think it’s bad or wants to hurt me, it’s more like a playful being that wants attention. I’ll find things have been moved like my hair brush or a piece of clothing has been unfolded and thrown on the floor.”
“How long has this been happening?” Matt was at maximum attention.
“Not very long. A few months? I think I know why but I don’t want to admit it…” Elise trailed off and tried to remove her hand from Matt’s.
His grip only tightened, “You can tell me. I’m here for you.”
“My meds. I’ve been off my meds for a little while now and I think they were blocking my mind from ever noticing what’s been happening to me. I don’t want to start taking them again, Matt, I can’t.” Elise was on the brink of tears. She felt so weak and vulnerable in this moment and didn’t know how to act. Matt took action and wrapped her in a strong hug. Her body and mind instantly began to calm.
“Here’s what we’re gonna do; I’m going to stop what I’ve been doing and you’re going to continue on without taking any meds. We aren’t going to speak of this ever again. Sound good?” Matt whispered in her ear as he continued to hold her in his arms.
She sniffled in response as she looked him in the eyes, “Thank you.”
“For what?” Matt smiled.
Elise finally stopped sniffling and smiled, “For being you.”
We can’t stop here. This is Bat Country.
Work flew by which was surprising for a Sunday night. Maybe it was from having Monday off, or the fact she could join the group earlier than planned for a get together tonight, but Elise was in a good mood. In reality, she was giddy for the opportunity to spend more time with Matt.
The night they went to the beach was the remedy neither of them expected. They didn’t say a thing to one another but instead basked in the feelings around them. Elise felt safe and welcomed while in Matt’s arms. Matt adored the opportunity to hold her tight against him and enjoy the peaceful silence between the two. It was almost 9:00 at night before Elise was gently shaken awake and escorted home. All the way from the moment he hugged her goodnight until now, Elise couldn’t stop smiling. She didn’t know it, but Matt had been doing the same. Her smile grew wider the second she clocked out of work and made her way back home where the party was just beginning.
.:.:.
“About time you got here!” the lanky man rushed Elise the second she walked through the door. A surprise squeal erupted from her chest as Jimmy wrapped her in a tight hug.
“Let the poor girl get settled after work, Jim.” Lacey laughed against the rim of a glass bottle.
Elise smiled and tried to return the energetic man’s hug before shaking free of his embrace. She greeted everyone in the apartment then made a bee line for her room. Matt was going to be there soon leaving Elise little time to find something suitable to wear. Despite it being a casual night inside, she still wanted to dress to impress. Elise finally gave up and decided on black yoga pants and a plain black top. Just as the shirt was slipped over her head, a knock sounded at her door.
“Come in.” Elise called out.
“Hey!” Matt greeted, his dimples bringing a smile to Elise’s face. “Sorry I’m late. Did you just get home?”
The woman made a small noise affirming Matt’s question as she walked towards him. The two softly hugged as Matt quickly pecked her cheek. They made their way back to the living room where all the commotion was going down.
“What are you idiots doing now?” Matt asked his friends in confusion at the sight in front of him. Elise couldn’t help but laugh at the antics both Jimmy and Johnny seemed to get into with each other.
“This lanky giant made a bet that he could lift my hands off my head but there’s absolutely no way!” Johnny laughed just as his friend, red faced and out of breath, threw his arms up in a huff.
“He superglued his palms to his head! That’s the only explanation for this bullshit!” Jimmy threw himself on the couch next to his girlfriend.
“It’s practically impossible, Jim. It doesn’t matter how big and strong you are. Though it doesn’t help to have toothpicks for arms.” Zacky chuckled as everyone in the room joined in at Jimmy’s expense. The drummer mumbled a curse word while crossing his arms.
Elise’s laughter quieted as she took in the happy faces before her. Everyone appeared to be having a good time and a wave of warmth passed through her chest. Even Zacky and Gena seemed to be getting along better, even if they had alcohol to thank for that.
“Hungry Elise?” Matt loosely gripped Elise around the waist as he lead her into the kitchen where Chinese takeout containers littered the counters.
The two sat at the table together and began to dig into their plates. It was silent between them as they watched their friends socialize. Curiosity hit Elise when she noticed someone was missing.
“Where’s Bri tonight?” Elise asked Matt who had just taken a bite of orange chicken.
He swallowed, “He should be on his way over. I think he got stuck at work late but don’t worry, your boyfriend will be here soon.” Matt smirked at the way Elise rolled her eyes.
“Jealous, Matt? Don’t worry,” She mocked, “I’ll ask Brian if you can join us for a threesome.” Elise finished with a winked.
His smirked turned devilish as he leaned forward towards Elise, “We’re not even sure you can handle just me yet.” The quiet, dangerous tone of Matt’s voice was enough to make Elise go crazy but she kept her composure.
Her smirked now matched his, “I’m more concerned about you being able to handle me, Matthew.” Elise seductively licked the sauce off the end of her chopstick, making sure to not break eye contact with Matt.
“You play a dangerous game, woman.” Matt practically growled.
“Is there any other game to play?” Elise asked before turning her attention back to her dinner.
A soft chuckle sounded from Matt as he shook his head at the woman in front of him. “Looks like your player three is here.”
“Actually, you’d be the third player.” Elise stuck her tongue out at Matt just as Brian walked into the dining room.
“Do I even want to know what you two were talking about just now?” Brian laughed while hugging Elise in her seat.
Matt bumped elbows with his friend in greeting, “You probably would, you perv.”
“Oh, shit. Well, do tell.” The guitarist took a seat and grinned, his tattooed fingers locked together before resting them under his chin.
Elise pursed her lips to keep from showing her amusement. Matt raised a brow at her and waited for her answer while Brian’s grin only grew wider.
“That’s for me to know and you to never find out.” Elise gave another wink before excusing herself from the table.
Brian and Matt remained in the kitchen to talk amongst themselves while Elise joined Leana and Lacey on the couch. Zacky and Jimmy seemed to be terrorizing Johnny about something while Gena sat alone with her phone on Matt’s favorite OS chair.
“Elise?”
Elise’s ears perked up at the sound of her name. “Hm?” she questioned turning her attention to Lacey.
“We were planning another girl’s shopping trip. We’d love for you to come along.” The motherly woman smiled warmly at Elise who nodded in excitement.
Spending time with the other girls seemed long overdue and Elise was looking forward to a new outfit or two while having the chance to strengthen the bond with the others. They made their plans for Wednesday which left Elise with three days to mentally prepare. Although she was excited, a part of her was a little on edge about being around Gena for a lengthy period of time. She wasn’t sure why but something about Gena made Elise uneasy now. Had Elise done something to upset her? The redhead tried her best to push the negative thoughts from her mind.
“So, how are things between you and the Gorilla?” Leana nudged Elise’s shoulder.
Elise chuckled, “I think it’s alright. We spent almost all evening at the beach last night then he brought me home. I don’t even know why we had a hiccup, that I caused, but it all seems to be better…until I screw it up again.” She sighed.
From the corner of her eye, Elise saw Gena abruptly sit up from the chair. Her eyes followed the blonde as she whispered to Zacky and left to grab her purse.
“Later, loves. I’ll talk to you later, Lace, and I’ll see you all in a few days.” Gena gave a quick wave to the group as Zacky walked her outside. Once they were gone, everyone gave a look to each other, most just shrugged their shoulders without saying a word.
“Any who, you’re not going to screw anything up. Just be yourself and make sure you guys are openly communicating. Everything will work out.” Leana patted Elise’s knee before getting up from the couch.
Lacey turned to look into her unsure eyes, “Lee is right, hon. We all see the way you look at one another. It’ll be difficult at first and you’ll have a lot of hurdles to overcome but you two are great together. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to hear all this from you ladies, really.” Elise exchanged a quick hug with Lacey before the brunette left to find Johnny.
Everyone seemed to be off in their own little bubbles while Elise was left alone to watch. Matt and Brian were still at the table while Johnny and Lacey were chatting with Jimmy and Leana on the patio. Zacky hadn’t returned since walking Gena outside and Elise wondered if they were alright. Her dwelling didn’t last long. The cushions bounced as Matt plopped himself next to Elise.
“Why are you by yourself, loser?” Matt asked before taking a sip of beer.
“Just watching everyone and enjoying the alone time, loser.” Elise snatched the bottle of Bud from Matt’s grasp and took a sip. “Gross, it’s warm.”
He shrugged a shoulder, “It’s practically all backwash by now.” Matt grinned at the disgusted face before him.
She knew he was joking but the thought alone grossed her out. Elise loved joking around with him and how comfortable she felt but something nagged inside her brain. Flashbacks of what she and Brian saw yesterday still preyed on her nerves. She wanted so badly to forget everything but knew that wasn’t the best course of action. If she wanted something serious with Matt then she was going to have to open Pandora’s box, which meant he would be introduced to more of her own demons.
“You ok?” Matt asked while rubbing her knee.
Elise nodded, “Can we go be alone for a few? There’s something I need to talk about.”
.:.:.
Worry flashed across Matt’s hazel eyes despite his best attempts to keep a straight face. He followed Elise to her bedroom where he shut the door behind him. They sat on the bed and Elise instantly began playing with a loose string on her blanket. Matt knew she was nervous. Hell, he was probably more nervous than she.
“I saw you yesterday in your room. I’ve tried so hard to put it past me but I just can’t. I’m so sorry, I wasn’t trying to spy on you, I was just worried about Brian going to see you and I was afraid because I didn’t tell him the full story about our dinner the other night. I didn’t want him blaming you for what happened when all of this has been my fault.” Elise spoke so fast she wasn’t even sure how she managed all of that in one breath.
Matt sat in utter confusion as his mind tried to process each word that was fired at him. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words he wanted to say.
“Yesterday? Yesterday I…” then it hit him, “You mean the Ouija board? You saw that?”
“I didn’t mean to. Brian opened the door but I don’t think you heard us over the music.” Elise was picking at her nails now.
“It’s just a silly board, Elle. I’m sorry if it bothers you but I don’t mean any harm when I do it.” Matt scratched the back of his head.
Elise forced herself to look at him, “I’m really scared of that stuff. I grew up in a Catholic home and have heard so many stories of bad things entering the home from messing with…that. I’m not judging you, Matt, I just want to be open with you.”
His face softened as he gazed into her emerald green eyes. Despite what she had just said, relief still washed over him. “Shit, I didn’t know. I promise I’ll try not to do it anymore, if that makes you feel better.”
“That’s not fair of me to ask that of you.” Elise’s gaze dropped to the floor.
“Hey,” Matt held her chin in his fingers, “It’s no big deal. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop. I’m sure you’ve never had to deal with this before so I understand.” He was surprised when she shook her head.
Elise inhaled deeply, “That’s the other thing. I don’t like it because I fear I already have something following me.”
Matt was both intrigued but also worried for her. He wanted to know more out of curiosity but had to know incase there was some way of helping.
“Have you ever had it looked into?” He asked.
“No, I don’t want to put any more energy into it than I have.” Elise sighed.
Matt grabbed her hand and held it in his warm grasp, “Can you tell me why you think you’re being followed?”
She nodded, “I don’t think it’s bad or wants to hurt me, it’s more like a playful being that wants attention. I’ll find things have been moved like my hair brush or a piece of clothing has been unfolded and thrown on the floor.”
“How long has this been happening?” Matt was at maximum attention.
“Not very long. A few months? I think I know why but I don’t want to admit it…” Elise trailed off and tried to remove her hand from Matt’s.
His grip only tightened, “You can tell me. I’m here for you.”
“My meds. I’ve been off my meds for a little while now and I think they were blocking my mind from ever noticing what’s been happening to me. I don’t want to start taking them again, Matt, I can’t.” Elise was on the brink of tears. She felt so weak and vulnerable in this moment and didn’t know how to act. Matt took action and wrapped her in a strong hug. Her body and mind instantly began to calm.
“Here’s what we’re gonna do; I’m going to stop what I’ve been doing and you’re going to continue on without taking any meds. We aren’t going to speak of this ever again. Sound good?” Matt whispered in her ear as he continued to hold her in his arms.
She sniffled in response as she looked him in the eyes, “Thank you.”
“For what?” Matt smiled.
Elise finally stopped sniffling and smiled, “For being you.”
We can’t stop here. This is Bat Country.
Notes
No cliffhanger this time! Looks like things are better between the two. I wonder what's gonna happen to them in a couple weeks... (:< Thanks to everyone that continues to read this and to HereticBlood6661 for the comments. You truly are the best! Next chapter is being written right now. Also, this isn't going to turn into a supernatural story or anything. Things will return to normal in the next chapter.
Well damn! ;) glad you’re back!
6/2/19