Eternal Blossom

The party was in full swing, and there were people all over the yard. Aiyana and Rayne were working together to make sure that the table full of liquor didn’t go empty, and that the ice chests full of beer were full and still nice and cold.

Brian and Zack were deep in conversation with one of the guests who happened to be a fan. James and Yona were tending to the two grills, one packed with steaks and the other full of chicken. If there were any vegetarians in attendance, they would be very sadly disappointed.

The snack table was full, and the sides were being brought out when Matt and Kristy showed up. Aiyana rushed to the door to answer it, and heard Matt and Kristy bickering on the other side. Rolling her eyes, she debated quickly with herself whether she should tell them to can it for the night, or let it be.

Finally taking a deep breath, she opened the door and hugged Matt as he walked in, then turning her attention to Kristy, who just gave her a glare. Aiyana shrugged, and led them to the back yard.

“Hey, Papa Bear, Jamesykins, Matt and his shrew are here,” she whispered as she got close to the grill so that Kristy couldn’t hear her.

James and Yona exchanged a look before greeting the new comers as Aiyana made the proper introductions. Matt offered to help with the grilling, but was quickly informed he should have fun and let the old men handle the meat.

With a chuckle, Matt took Kristy’s hand and walked over to Brian and Zack. Kristy, realizing where they were heading, let go of his hand, and took off for the table loaded with booze. Pouring herself a large glass of tequila, she also made Matt his preferred Cape Cod.

“Thanks for coming,” Aiyana said with a smile, trying to make peace with the girl as she poured Brian a glass of Laproaig.

“Yeah, like I had any fucking choice,” Kristy sneered. “If I hadn’t shown up you’d probably end up in bed with both of them tonight.”

Aiyana’s jaw dropped as she stood there stunned at the venom and words of the blonde. Not thinking about her next action, she slapped Kristy across the face, and then brought her hand back quickly, connecting the back of her hand with the other side of the bitch’s face.

“You can either snap out of your attitude, or you can fucking leave,” Aiyana yelled as Kristy grabbed her face in shock.

Brian saw the slaps, and immediately head over to the booze table, Matt on his heels. The people enjoying the party closest to them turned to watch the action, but didn’t say a word or step in. All of them knew Aiyana and knew that if she was doing this, it must have been for a good reason.

“What the hell happened,” Brian asked, his eyes wide once he got to Aiyana’s side.
Aiyana’s shoulders were heaving up and down, her fists clenched at her sides as her anger showed itself.

“I thanked this ‘woman’” Aiyana sneered the word, “for coming, and she said she had to, or I’d end up in bed with both of you.” Turning to Matt, she added, “Control your woman, or I’ll beat some fucking manners into her, Sanders.”

The angry woman stalked off towards her father to apologize for her behavior, and then went inside to cool off. Brian followed her, determined to calm her down. The party goers who had been watching went back to dancing and talking, no longer interested since the raven haired woman had gone inside.

Matt looked at Kristy, and grabbed her arm, pulling her to the side of the yard that was practically empty. Kristy’s eyes were welling with fake tears, and she tried to cling to Matt’s shirt front.

“No, back up and look at me. Why would you say something like that,” Matt asked her, already pissed with the situation.

“Matty, I know you want her. It’s no secret. The way you look at her kills me,” she began to sob.

Matt shook his head, and cupped her face in his hands, noting the red hand prints on each side.

“I chose you, Kristy. That should be enough. We’ve argued about this until I’m blue in the face, and I’m tired of it. Please, accept the words I’m saying, and know that I’m with you and not her. Stop this, you really can’t act like a spoiled brat when ‘you’ have me,” he pleaded with her calmly.

Kristy took in his words, but didn’t hear him say he didn’t want Aiyana. She was hurt, but she agreed that she would be nice for the rest of the night. He was right. She had him the front man, and Aiyana only had the guitarist.

Meanwhile inside, Brian was sitting on the couch with Aiyana in his lap, his hand running over her hair in an effort to calm her while her face was tucked into his neck.

“Aiya, she’s just a bitch. I don’t share, and you know it,” he tried to make light of the situation, knowing that they both usually dealt with any rough situation through laughter.

“I know, Bri, but to come into MY father’s home and say that shit was completely uncalled for! I couldn’t hold it back any more, and I snapped on her,” she exclaimed, her words slightly muffled as she spoke against his neck.

“I know, and that was wrong of her. I’m sure Matt’s putting her in her place right now,” he assured her.

“He better, or these people are going to see me kick that scrawny blonde ass,” she smirked, finally sitting up on his lap to look him in the eye.

“Just try to be nice, Aiya. That’s all we can ask,” he smirked, kissing her softly.

Aiyana kissed him back, and soon their tongues were dancing together in a dizzying tango. When she finally pulled back, she smiled at him and ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip before getting off his lap.

Hand in hand, they walked back out to the party, and over to the grills. Her dad smiled at her while James patted her back, letting her know neither of them were upset with her.

Matt looked up from Kristy in his lap and the conversation he was having with a few guests in time to see Brian and Aiyana come outside together. She was breathtaking, he had to admit to himself, but he was going to have to learn to keep his eyes off of her and on his own girlfriend.

After watching the interaction at the grill, he turned his attention back to the conversation at hand, his large palm resting on Kristy’s exposed thigh.

Once the food was on platters, Aiyana and Brian carried them to the tables while Rayne and Zack brought the sides out. It was finally time to eat, and the people wandered by, grabbing a plate when they felt like it.

Aiyana felt a presence beside her as she made her own plate, and looked up into a pair of hazel eyes that she knew all too well. Trying not to say anything snarky to him about his woman, she gave him a smile and went back to adding things to her plate.

Brian led her over to one of the picnic tables, and they sat down to eat, glad when Rayne and Zack took up the rest of the space beside them on the bench. Other people had already made their plates and were scattered amongst the other picnic tables eating, and enjoying themselves.

“I saw that double slap, girl. Maybe next time you should wear your rings,” Rayne snickered as she cut up her chicken.

Zacky laughed loudly, and kissed her cheek before cutting up his own steak. Brian just shook his head with a smirk, hoping that Rayne’s comment wouldn’t reignite the fire that he’d managed to help her put out inside because of the blonde.

Aiyana just bit her lips together to keep her mouth shut. The last thing she wanted to do was start even more shit at her dad’s house. She already felt embarrassed enough that she’d lost control that way. She should have been the bigger person and walked away, but for some reason she just couldn’t do that.

James and Yona came over to sit across from Brian and Aria, and the comfortable silence as they began to eat was like that of one large and extended family. Everyone was comfortable and everyone was content.

That is, until Kristy and Matt showed up to take the last two spots at the table, sitting across from Rayne and Zacky. Matt sat closest to Yona, keeping Kristy at the end of the table and farthest from Aiyana.

Instantly, the air thickened, as nobody at the table other than Matt was okay with Kristy even breathing too close to them. Yona and James had heard the conversation, and were surprised that Aiya hadn’t broken the blonde’s nose.

“You are a master behind the grill, Yona,” Matt complimented after taking a bite of his steak.

“Thank you, young one. A kinder compliment would be to teach your lady some manners,” he got out as he stood to refill his glass.

Aiyana gave a snort into her glass of Dr. Pepper, trying hard not to make eye contact with anyone else at the table other than James, who had his head turned so that Matt and Kristy couldn’t see the cheeky grin on his face at Yona’s comment. The table grew eerily quiet as they all finished their meal in awkward silence.

As people finished eating, they made their way over, thanking Yona for dinner, and then heading for the door. With the awkward tension and thick air permeating the table and leaking out into the entire yard, most people knew that it was probably safe to call it an early night. Yona thanked each of them for coming, and waved to some as they left his house.


Once done eating, Matt turned his head to look at Aiyana, and frowned, looking both sad and nervous as he spoke, “Aiya, I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have,”

“Shouldn’t have what, Matt? Shouldn’t have brought me so that you could come by yourself,” Kristy interrupted with a scoff.

“No, I shouldn’t have brought you so that you wouldn’t have caused a scene with your insecurities,” he bit back.

Aiyana rolled her eyes, and put a hand on Brian’s arm as she leaned in to ask him if he needed another drink. He nodded, and she took his glass and empty plate with her as she left the table.

“How’s your face feeling,” Rayne asked Kristy with a big smile once Aiyana was at the booze table, the last bite of her food on her fork as it paused mid stride to her mouth.

Kristy looked over at Rayne, surprised by the comment, and threw her drink into Rayne’s face as she called her a bitch.

“Oh, I got your bitch right here,” Rayne yelled as she got her legs free, dropped her fork, and went over the table at Kristy.

The look of utter surprise and horror as the small brightly tattooed girl came at her could only be described as comical. Zack sat there in shock just long enough to watch
Rayne’s fist land on Kristy’s nose, causing a loud and sickening crunch as they both ended up on the ground, Rayne on top.

Matt sputtered into his own drink, tossing it down as he climbed out of the picnic table so he could wrap his arms around Rayne and pull her tiny frame off of his girlfriend.
Holding the swinging and kicking wildcat, he shifted her so he was holding her around her waist with one arm so he could look down at Kristy.

The blonde’s nose was bleeding profusely, and James stood, helping the young lady up as Zacky came around to claim his own woman, cringing as he saw Kristy’s face while she was being helped up.

Aiyana got back to the table, and saw Rayne still glaring over Zack’s shoulder at Kristy who was being escorted into the house by James. Looking at Brian and her father who were still seated, she asked them with wide eyes what happened.

“Kristy threw a drink in Ray’s face and called her a bitch, so Ray went over the table at her,” Yona responded as if it was the most natural thing on earth.

Closing her eyes to try to regain her calm, she gave Brian his drink and turned around, only to be met with Matt’s broad chest. Stepping back a foot, she looked up at him in question.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Matt opened his eyes, and they were instantly trained on her cleavage. Noting his mistake, he quickly moved them up to her face before speaking.

“I think I’m going to take Kristy home. I’m sorry, Aiya. I really should have known better than to bring her here. She’s always bitching about how I’m not over you when that’s not the case,” he said with a sigh and a grimace.

Aiyana nodded, understanding immediately both Kristy’s insecurities and Matt’s guilt at bringing her.

“Alright, I understand. I’m sorry things are awkward. Maybe she’ll come around one day,” she tried to soothe his guilt by placing her hand on his forearm in a friendly manner.

Matt, appreciating her understanding, said goodbye to everyone else, and gave her a hug, whispering again to her that he was sorry.

Luck it would have, was not on their side that day, for Kristy came marching back over with a wash cloth held to her nose, fuming mad that Aiyana and Matt were hugging and that they’d been talking while she wasn’t there.

“What the hell, Matthew?! Her whore of a cousin decks me, and you’re out here comforting HER,” Kristy came tearing across the lawn screeching like a banshee.

Matt let go of Aiyana and turned around to her, not even sure what to say to her rant. She was pissed because he didn’t run after her? She was the one that threw the drink in the face of a girl like Rayne. She should have known something was going to happen.

As his mind went through what just happened, she stopped in front of him, and he could see the bruises on both eyes showing already, immediate proof that her nose was indeed broken.

“Don’t bother saying anything, Matthew. I can’t take this anymore. We’re done. Don’t call me. Don’t even fucking think of me,” she screamed at him, and turned on her heel, marching for the door.

“Well fuck,” Matt groaned, running a hand over his face.

Brian stepped up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Bro, it’s okay. She was just a bitch anyways. She’ll get over it and…”

“Bri, I don’t care about any of that right now,” he said with an eye roll, “she was the one driving. How the fuck am I getting home?”

Yona, who had been silent for the entire screaming match, just cleaning up the table, laughed loudly. Aiyana turned around to look at her dad, and smirked, knowing what he was about to say.

“You can crash here for the night. I’m sure we can get you home tomorrow,” he said with a huge smile, “give her some time to clear out of your house, or you’ll get caught up in that hell wind.”

Matt thought about it for a minute, and then nodded as he spoke, “yeah, I think that may be best. Thanks, Yona.”

Yona waved his thanks off as he walked to the trash can, not thinking it was really worth the thanks. He was the one who’d gotten the entertainment, after all.

Notes

I was informed by someone we needed a little more drama. Did that fit the bill, dear?