Keeping us Safe

When I woke up in the morning and my hair was stuck to my face from the sweat. I stretched and got up and walked upstairs and into my bedroom, I couldn't sleep up here last night because of some bright flashing I saw in the window a few nights ago. It was like someone was taking a picture of me, it just freaked me out and I've been sleeping on the couch. I grabbed clothes once I got in there and I walked into the joining bathroom. As I showered I washed all of my tattoos and some of my piercings out, as I washed my hair some of my shampoo got into my eyes. I went insane trying to wash it out, when I finally did my eyes hurt like hell. When I was all done I got out and wrapped myself into a towel wrapping my hair up with a second one. I walked around my bedroom until my body was dry, I rubbed myself with the towel for a minute and grabbed my bathing suit. It was a red bikini top and black bottoms, I wasn't the skinniest and my stomach wasn't flat, my brother used to tell me I had curves but I don't know. I pulled shorts over my bottoms and changed my belly ring from a dangly star to a dangly handcuff. I grabbed my beach bag throwing sunscreen, Chap Stick, my phone, two water bottles, a towel, and a few granola bars into it and walking out my back door. I was about noon so the sun was high up in the sky. I walked to my usual spot and laid out my towel, I rubbed on some sunscreen over my tattooed areas. I pulled my shorts off and laid down on my towel putting headphones into my phone and playing some Elvis, don't laugh at me, he's the King. I pushed my sunglasses up on my nose and laid back enjoying the sun. A few minutes into sunbathing a football hit me in the side, I pulled out my headphones and sat up.
"I'm so sorry, I’m so so sorry ma'am." A guy said
I looked up and it was one of Jimmy's friends.
"It's okay. Hey can I join you?" I asked
"If you can handle tackle football. I'm Johnny by the way." He said I stood up and pulled my shorts on.
"I'm Grace and I think I can handle it." I said
"Right on." He said
I picked up the ball and we walked over to the group.
"Hey Grace" Jimmy said coming over to me and hugging me
"Hi Jimmy." I said hugging him back
"What are you doing over here?" He asked
"Your friend Johnny hit me with the ball and I want to play." I said
"This is Grace?" Johnny asked pushing Jimmy
"Yeah." Jimmy said rubbing the back of his neck
I looked over and Johnny and he just smiled.
"So are we going to play?" Johnny asked
"Can Jimmy introduce his lady friend first?" The guy that answered the door yesterday asked
"Brian this is Grace, Grace this is Brian. And that hulking thing over there is Matt. And the vampiric one is Zacky." Jimmy said
"Nice to meet you." I smiled
"You ready for tackle football? You look somewhat frail." Brian asked
"Bring it porcupine." I said winking at him
"I like her." Zacky said
"Be on her team then. Zacky and Grace, Jimmy and I, Matt and Johnny." Brian said
"Why do I have to get short shit?" Matt complained.
"Who starts?" I asked
"How about your team." Brian said
"Okay." I said
I looked over and Zacky and he motioned me to run down the beach. I started running and Zacky threw the ball at me and I caught it a continued to run. I hit the touchdown area and looked back at Zacky.
"New girl one. Brian zero." I smiled
"New girl." Jimmy smiled.
"Your throw." Brian said
I smiled and threw a perfect spiral to Jimmy.
"Damn!" Zacky said
"She throws better than you Mattie." Jimmy laughed
"Mattie." I smiled
"Caleb calls me that now thanks to you Jimmy." Matt said
"Who's Caleb?" I asked
"She's my fiancée." He smiled
"Cute." I said
We kept playing and it was hours of joy that I haven't had in a while.
"Grace go long!" Zacky shouted.
I started running since we were tied with Jimmy and Brian. I kept running and the ball landed perfectly in my arms, I ran for a touchdown when arms snaked around my waist and pulled me down. I let out a laughing scream and the arms started to tickle me.
"No! Ahh!" I squealed
When my back was safety in the sand I opened my eyes and Jimmy was smiling down at me.
"We win." He winked
My heart melted a little, he helped me up and Zacky gave me a hug and said we'd win next game.
"Who wants to go to mine and play some games?" Jimmy asked
"I'm in." Matt said
"Same!" Johnny shouted
"Definitely." Brian and Zacky said
"Grace?" Jimmy asked
"Sure, I've got nothing better to do." I laughed
"Do you need to go put stuff away?" Zacky asked
I nodded.
"I'll help her." Brian said
"Okay, we'll see you two in a few. Brian be good." Matt said
I gave Matt a funny look and he just smiled. Brian walked up to me and put his arm around my shoulder, I grabbed his hand and flung it off. The guys behind us started laughing. I walked over to my stuff and grabbed it, Brian followed close behind me, and I walked into my back door and up to my room.
"So this is your house." He said
"Yeah." I said as I pulled a shirt over my head.
I kept my shorts on and pushed my phone into my back pocket.
"It's lovely. Do you play piano?" He asked
I heard him push the keys down on the red grand piano in my living room
"Yes, can you please be careful with that." I said.
"Sorry." He chuckled
I rolled my eyes and walked downstairs. He was sitting on my couch.
"Let's go." I said
"Okay." He said
He got up and walked over to me pushing me against one of my walls.
"You're an awfully sexy girl to be living on her own." He said getting into my face.
I pushed him.
"Brian stop." I huffed
"Why? Aren't I attractive? Because you are and I would do many naughty things to you." He asked
"Not anymore porcupine. Now get off." I said
He tried to kiss me and I punched him in the jaw and pushed him out of my house. I locked my back door and left out the front locking it behind me. I walked to Jimmy's and knocked on the front door, Jimmy opened it giving me a confused look. I looked up at him and he stepped outside.
"Brian do something?" He asked
I nodded.
"What happened?" He asked
"He just pushed me against my wall and got real close and started saying creepy things, he tried to kiss me and I punched him in the jaw." I said looking up at him
"Well then. Come in and see what happens now." He smiled
I walked in behind him and all of the guys turned to look at Brian. Jimmy walked over to him and looked down at him.
"I know this has happened once today already but." Jimmy said
Brian looked at him waiting and Jimmy decked him in the same side I did.
"Now apologize." Jimmy growled
"I'm sorry Grace." Brian said
"I'm sure." I said sitting on the couch next to Matt.
Jimmy walked over and sat next to me.
"Want to play Call of Duty?" Matt asked
"If you want to lose." I said
"Ha!" Johnny laughed
"No one has beaten me yet." Matt said
"I bet I could get close or even beat you." I said
"You want to bet? Bring it on girly." He said
"How much?" I asked
"Thirty?" He asked
"Thirty works." I said
I picked up Jimmy's second controller and Matt and I went at it for hours. The first round I was three points from beating him so I gave him thirty dollars, the second round was fifty dollar bet and I lost by one fucking point so I played him. Were in round three now and it's a one hundred dollar bet and I was one point behind him with a minute on the clock.
"Come on Grace you got this." Jimmy said
I smirked at Matt and watched the clock fall down nearing the end I got four kills and beat him by three points.
"Booyah!" I yelled jumping up and holding my hand out
"I don't like her anymore." Matt whined as he gave me a one hundred dollar bill.
My phone chimed in my pocket telling me I had an email. I pulled it out and checked it, it was from the boss at the pet clinic and it was telling me I had an interview tomorrow at noon.
"YES!" I squealed jumping around
"Are you having a problem?" Brian asked
I stood still and sent a glare in his direction.
"No, I have a job interview tomorrow." I said
"Congrats. You have to tell me how that goes." Jimmy said
Apparently all of my squealing woke Prince up and he walked down from the upstairs and jumped on me.
"Isn't it exciting Prince?" I smiled
He licked my face and sat down next to me.
"Well Jim we've got to head out." Brian said
"See you guys tomorrow." Jimmy said
All of the guys left and Jimmy walked into the kitchen.
"Grace. Do you want something to drink?" He asked
"Water?" I asked
"Yes ma'am. One bottle of water coming right up." He laughed
I smiled and sat down on the floor with Prince. He moved and put his head in my lap, I felt oddly comfortable at Jimmy's house.
"He really likes you." Jimmy said sitting next to me handing me the water
"I like him." I said
"So Brian tells me you live down the street." He said
I nodded.
"There used to be a guy that lived there." He said
"Yeah. He died." I said
Jimmy nodded
"So if you don't mind me asking. Who is Lucan?" He asked touching the scripted name on my inner wrist
"It's my brother’s name." I said
"Oh, is he older?" He asked
"Two years. He used to be my best friend." I said
"Used to? Did you two have a fallout?" He asked
"My best friend Jacie and I had a fallout cause of Lucan but that brought Lucan and I closer." I said
"What happened?" He asked
I don't know why I was telling him this.
"Lucan proposed to Jacie and she said yes and a few weeks later Lucan and I found her cheating on him with his friend in their bed." I said
"Harsh. What happened to your bother?" He asked
I pulled the dog tags from under my shirt and showed him.
"I saw those at the beach. I just didn't want to ask. I'm so sorry for your loss." He said
I pulled out my phone and showed him my lock screen, it was a picture of Lucan and a few weeks before he left and died.
"That's the man that used to live in your house." He said
"Lucan left it for me." I said
"He seemed like an awesome brother. I bet my sisters wished I was like that." He smiled
"How many?" I asked
"One younger one older, Kaite and Kellie." He said
I nodded.
We sat there on the floor for what seemed to be hours getting to know each other. He told me about his job that we was the drummer for the famous band Avenged Sevenfold which I thought was cool. He explained what was wrong with Brian which wasn't much. We just talked, by the time I left I had his number and he told me whenever I wanted to come over just to come down and walk in, by the time I got home it was midnight. I set my alarm for six in the morning and went to bed.

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