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Trashed and Scattered

Chapter Twenty-Two: The First to Cast a Stone

Peyton sat all the way back in the passenger seat of Brian’s car, swimming in the smoke of his burning cigarette. She’d considered having her dark knight drop her off at home, but he’d quickly shut that down.
I want you to come,” he’d said with a distinct grin. “I kind of like talking to you.”
She kind of liked talking to him too, so she’d reluctantly agreed to partake. Besides that, she figured ducking out at the last second would only give Jimmy the upper hand. She was never one to willingly given up the reins. Her mind toyed with the very real situation at hand; she would have to sit through an evening with Jimmy and his girlfriend. While she welcomed time with Jimmy, raveled in it…looked forward to it…It was different before.
A small portion of her heart wished that Jimmy had never confessed his love affair to her—because then she could have easily slipped back into old habits and let the safety of his icy blues consume her. Like a rabid beast, the truth had ripped security from her reach. Now she was stuck somewhere in the middle of where she wanted to be and where she’d always known to go. Perhaps, she figured, she’d put entirely too much stock into Jimmy and their past…and their present.
They were nothing. They were less than nothing; they were shadows of a former life, desperately skipping along the walls in an effort to evade the light. But Natalie was the light of Jimmy’s life, and would seemingly destroy everything before they’d had a chance to properly plan their escape.
“Ready?” Brian asked simply as he flicked the cigarette through the crack in the window.
She nodded once, “Sure.”
Brian admired her bravery—he knew that his intimate circle could be nothing short of intimidating. They were boisterous and obnoxiously nosy, qualities that he found endearing but could appreciate that others may not. Peyton faced it all with a grace that Brian had never before encountered in his short life. You’d almost think she was an old friend of them all; she stitched herself seamlessly into their group.
But he watched as her eyes flickered and she swallowed hard as she climbed from the comfort of his car. He couldn’t help but smile; what a beautiful thing when strong people break their nerves down. Maybe she was human after all.
They walked the distance from the car to the door together, walking accidentally in sync all the while. Brian held the door for her, sneaking a quick peak as she scooted inside before him.
Her eyes lit up at the sight. When he’d said it was dingy, he wasn’t kidding. But Matt’s welcoming face stepped in the way of her leering, relaxing her qualms about belonging in a place like this.
“Hey!” he beamed widely. “I honestly thought you’d skip out.”
She smirked, “I thought about it.”
“I wasn’t having that shit,” Brian grinned from beside her.
“We’re under specific orders,” Matt informed the new additions to their crowd. “Peyton doesn’t know Jimmy. I mean…She doesn’t know…You know what I’m saying?”
Brian glanced down at Peyton for reaction and was surprised to find none. Her face was unflinching as she shrugged her shoulders and breathed the word “okay”.
Though she put on her bravest face, her heart cracked into five pieces. Each chamber collapsed into another, until there was nothing left but a steaming crumple of something that used to beat. It was a new form of rejection that Peyton would have never been able to adequately prepare herself for.
More ammunition, she figured. She wrapped her fingers around Brian’s wide arm and glanced up at him with her most entrancing stare. He nearly fainted under her touch.
Matt led the two through to the back, where everyone had gathered around a pool table with beers flowing. They’d dragged a few high-top tables together, despite their circular shape. The girls were seated together, seemingly ignoring the men’s game happening before them.
Jimmy’s eyes met Brian’s first—he had to consciously fight back the jealous rage that flowed through him effortlessly as his gaze fell downward onto Peyton’s grip on his best friend. Brian was at ease, reaching over to pat the top of Peyton’s grasp with his free hand. Jimmy’s heart nearly burst from its cage.
But as Peyton’s emerald gaze found him, she dared him to say a word. She dared him to try her. He tried to apologize without words; he tried to explain with just a look. He needed her to know he hadn’t planned this; he hadn’t intentionally abandoned her…Even if he had abandoned her.
She blinked and was gone, melting her way between Johnny and Matt, who had taken up two stools at a table.
Brian let her go, leaning himself up against the pool table as Zach groaned for Jimmy to take his shot.
“Everything good?” Brian asked his best friend quietly.
Jimmy glanced up quickly before refocusing back down onto the ball at the end of his cue.
“Yep,” he replied simply, missing his shot entirely—which pleased Zach greatly.
“You should really put your glasses on,” Zach grinned at his tall friend. “At least make this a fair game.”
Jimmy laughed, “I’m in a merciful mood, man.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Zach grumbled with a chuckle, lining up his next shot.
Brian watched as Peyton and Matt immediately got to reconnecting. He was showing off his arms to her as she grew ever closer to his skin. She was soaking up each and every piece of art that Matt had instilled into his skin; she laughed happily as she landed on the microphone stapled to his arm. He nodded with excitement.
Brian relaxed into himself, neglecting the guilt that would have typically sprung up by now. He liked to watch her; she was effortless. She was magnetic. When her eyes found his for a second, and a subconscious smile spread across her lips, he was sure the magnets between them had melted, solidifying themselves into some permanent and toxic chemical combination. He didn’t mind at all.
“You’re in my way,” Jimmy grunted, shoving at his friend with impatience.
Brian snapped back into reality, “Uh…Sorry, man.”
“How was the ride in?” Jimmy asked knowingly, trying to hide the venom behind his grit teeth.
“Good,” Brian shrugged. “She’s cool. I can see why you like her so much.”
Jimmy took a second to get a good look at his brother; scowling as he did another once over of the woman in the corner. Before he could find the balls to call Brian out on his lusting, the familiar brown eyes glanced down at him.
“How’s Natalie?” Brian asked, a layer of smugness laced delicately through his curiosity.
Jimmy shrugged, taking another shot and sinking a solid, “Fine.”
“Glad to hear it,” Brian grinned, pushing himself from the edge of the table and over to the growing clatter of chaos.
The blondes watched as Syn intertwined himself into the mystery of the new girl. The dynamic was interesting; she was supposed to be there with Brian, they’d thought, but she seemed sincerely interested in Matt. Odd.
“What’s her deal?” the taller blonde asked. “Who is she?”
Natalie shrugged, taking a sip of her drink, “I’m not sure…Jimmy said she’s a tattoo artist. She’s the one that did his handcuffs.”
“Oh! So that’s who I have to thank for Johnny’s dumb cowboy?”
“Guess so,” Natalie shrugged again.
Her eyes fluttered over to her lanky man just in time to catch him staring—but not back at her. Natalie followed the gaze back to the newcomer; what did she say her name was? Penelope?
The look radiating through her man’s blue eyes was one she’d never seen before. She worked hard to place it, to really familiarize herself with it…But she couldn’t. A wave of suspicion rose up within her, causing her fingers to tremble and shake. She tried to ease the threat with a swig of her drink.
“Let’s go say hello,” Natalie suggested from behind her scowl.
“We match,” Matt grinned, reaching out to run his thumb overtop of Peyton’s silver lip ring.
She smirked, “I look better.”
The guys all laughed, nodding in collective agreement.
Their joyous conversation was interrupted by the introduction of two light-haired women stepping into the midst of it all. Peyton straightened out her nerves, instructing them to keep it together.
“We weren’t properly introduced before,” the tall blonde said. “I’m Crystal; I’m Johnny’s girlfriend.”
“Peyton,” the green eyed beauty replied simply, raising a beer Matt had thrust on her.
“This is Natalie,” Crystal said with a thumb point to her left. “Jimmy’s girlfriend.”
Peyton nodded, pursing her lips in absence of a decent reply.
“What brings you to our little slice of heaven, Peyton?” Crystal asked with absolutely no curiosity at all.
Peyton shrugged, harboring all of the blondes’ resentment and freeing it back into the world without a second thought, “I’ve come to steal your boyfriends. Obviously.”
Natalie was genuinely appalled. Possibly because she’d caught her boyfriend ogling this girl, but probably because deep down, Natalie knew that Peyton could. Jimmy had never looked at her that way…He’d never had to restrain himself from mounting her right then and there. But the look he’d given Peyton only a moment ago…She was sure it was nothing but desire.
“O…kay,” Crystal replied, completely void of any real processing capabilities.
“She’s joking,” Matt laughed nervously.
“I am joking,” Peyton grinned, leaning into Brian with eyes locked on Jimmy. “I’ve only got eyes for this guy right here…He isn’t dating either of you, is he?”
Jimmy grumbled something to himself, tearing himself away from the spectacle. He prodded Zach to hurry up and take his victory already—it was a landslide victory for the Vengeance camp.
“No,” Natalie smiled. “He’s all yours.”
She was relieved to find Brian snake an arm around the new girl’s shoulders. They were sweet—if not the most attractive couple she’d ever seen. Peyton’s sense of humor wasn’t particularly encouraged though. Her joke wasn’t funny.
“So where are you from?” Crystal asked, climbing into a stool next to Matt.
Peyton was annoyed to realize that the girls were staking a claim. She sighed to herself with impatience; she hated women. They were so catty and fake. She adored only two women in her life, and even then, Hannah certainly walked a thin rope at the best of times.
“New York,” Peyton said simply, taking a deep swig of beer.
Natalie gasped, “New York? I’ve always wanted to go to New York! Is it magical like it is in the movies?”’
Peyton smirked, “Yes.”
“I’m so jealous,” Natalie swooned, leaning against her now-seated friend. “Aren’t you so jealous, Crys?”
“Not really,” she shrugged. “I’ve been to New York. It’s dirty and it smells like shit.”
Peyton shook her head, “You were probably standing too near to the tunnel. You likely just got caught upwind and caught a whiff of your own personal, and distinct I must say, aroma.”
Matt scoffed with a laugh so loudly that it nearly eased the tension.
Crystal opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally landing on, “You’re joking, right?”
Peyton nodded once, not entirely convincingly.
Brian laughed, “I’m going to grab a fresh round. Anyone want anything?”
“More brew!” Jimmy screeched as he racked up a new game at the table. “And a new opponent!”
“I’m all over it,” Johnny grinned, stepping up to the table.
“Matthew!” Jimmy shouted with a chuckle. “Matthew! You’re on team Rev! Lucky you!”
Matt snickered, “Dammit, Jim! I hate playing with you. You know that. You’re a weak fucking link!”
“Fuck you!” Jimmy snickered.
“Be nice,” Matt warned the blondes as he slunk away with Johnny to join in the new round of pool fun.
Brian leaned into Peyton’s ear, sending chills through her arms as his breath hit her skin, “You good here?”
“Yep,” she smiled up at him.
He disappeared toward the bar, digging through his back pocket as he walked. The hyenas immediately closed in around the new meat, curiosity biting at their jaws.
“How long are you in Cali for?” Crystal asked.
Peyton surveyed the fullness of her beer and was thoroughly disappointed by the results, “Um…I’m not sure. A little while.”
“How’d you meet Brian?” Natalie asked then, an urgency dripping over her coolness.
“Um…” Peyton faltered, working out a storyline in her mind that didn’t involve Jimmy. “I met him through Zach, I guess…”
“Well how’d you meet Zach?” Natalie pressed.
“At a tattoo convention,” Peyton shrugged. “He was one of my client’s. He paid me to come out and tattoo him and some friends a few days later…Brian was one of those friends.”
“Cute,” Crystal offered lamely.
“Jimmy’s tattoo looks really good,” Natalie smiled. “I’m not crazy about his neck being so covered…But they’re really well done.”
Peyton flinched, “Thanks.”
“You make a cute couple,” Natalie informed the green eyed threat. “Brian seems to like you.”
“How do you get that?” Peyton laughed awkwardly, taking in the last of her beer. “We’ve been here for two seconds.”
She shrugged, “I can just tell. I’ve known Brian for a long time; he’s Jimmy’s best friend. They’re pretty much inseparable…Have you spent a lot of time with Jimmy?”
Peyton glanced up at the drummer, who had once again fallen into disregard for her. He was focused on his task at hand, uncaring of the interrogation going on just over yonder. As his eyes flickered up from his steadied hands wrapped around a pool cue, and met her gaze with surprise, she couldn’t help but think back to the night before.
The way his eyes would meet hers every so often, when the throes would be just right. A fire would burn behind the ice in his eyes and she’d melt beneath them.
She cleared her throat of the past, “Um…No, not really. Today a bit…I guess.”
“Oh,” Natalie offered.
Natalie wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or suspicious. She decided she’d just have to keep a watchful eye on the new mix in the group.
“I like your tattoo,” Crystal spoke up then, feeling a little left out.
Peyton shimmied her gaze down her arms and back up again, “Which one?”
“The Evil Queen one,” Crystal clarified with an almost friendly smile. “It’s cool.”
“That isn’t the Evil Queen,” Natalie noted. “That’s Maleficent. Different villain, Crys.”
Crystal furrowed her brows, “What? Really?”
Natalie looked to Peyton for confirmation. She nodded along awkwardly, wishing she could sink into the wall and disappear.
“Sorry,” Crystal half-laughed. “I don’t know my Disney very well obviously.”
“I only know Maleficent because Jimmy’s made me watch that stupid movie nine thousand times,” Natalie groaned.
Peyton’s ears perked up and her heart slumped out of its rubble.
“Jimmy likes Disney movies?” Crystal asked, her voice reeking of judgement.
Natalie giggled, “Only Sleeping Beauty. I swear we watch it every other day. It isn’t even a good one. I like Cinderella the best.”
Peyton looked back to Jimmy, who was openly staring back at her. She almost smiled but felt somehow too heavy. He waved with a couple of fingers, casually and without causing a stir. His eyes told her that he was sorry; she looked away.
“What about you, Peyton?” Natalie asked happily. “Favourite Disney movie?”
Peyton wanted to lie, because somehow the truth made everything too obvious. But she knew that if she lied, she’d be asked about the tattoo. So, there was no choice but to come clean and hope that they bought it as coincidence.
“Sleeping Beauty,” Peyton smirked. “It really is the best one.”
They had no reason not to buy it. Sleeping Beauty was a crowd favourite. No one in their right mind would have made the connection between Peyton and Jimmy without having any background suggestions.
“You and Jimmy would get along then,” Natalie laughed with a roll of her eyes.
Peyton just nodded her head, unsure of what else to do.
Brian finally returned, invoking a sigh of relief that Peyton hadn’t realized she’d been harboring. As he passed out the drinks, he couldn’t help but notice the hint of hostility as Jimmy snatched a beer from Brian’s grip.
He sank back to Peyton’s side, handing her a beer and feeling pleased as she muttered a genuine thank you. She wasted no time slamming back half the bottle, needing all the liquid crutch she could get.
“Well,” Natalie smiled, tilting her drink to Peyton. “Here’s to new friends.”
Peyton met her stare, squaring off for a dominance that neither woman was sure why they needed.
“Yeah,” Peyton nodded. “New friends.”
She knew that she could never be Natalie’s friend. Natalie could be the fucking pope and Peyton still wouldn’t let herself get wrapped up in that dynamic. There needed to be a distance in order to appease Peyton’s conscience. Any friendship that they formed would be a shell of the truth—and Peyton didn’t need that kind of conflicted confusion.
But she was all for playing the part. New friends could include Brian, she figured. And to that, she’d drink.
“Alright, fuckers,” Matt’s voice boomed as he appeared back into the mix with a drink in each hand. “I vote we finish these drinks and move the party back to my house.”
Brian looked to Peyton for opinion. She smiled up at him.
“I’ll take your silence as a yes,” Matt laughed before disappearing.
Natalie smiled, “Better go get one more then.”
Brian waited until both blondes had cleared out before ensuring Peyton had survived unscathed. She’d brushed him off, swearing up and down that she was fine.
“They’ll corner you again, you know,” Brian chuckled.
Peyton rolled her eyes, “Maybe I should just bail out.”
“Fuck that,” Brian protested with a smirk. “You’re in for the ride, remember?”
“I remember,” Peyton grinned. “But…if you leave my side again, I swear to god I’ll hunt you down with a vengeance.”
Zach’s voice pipped up from across the pool table, “Did someone say vengeance?”
“Shut up,” Brian quipped over his shoulder before turning back to Peyton.
“I mean it,” she insisted daringly. “I can’t handle any more girl time.”
Brian laughed, “I won’t leave your side. Promise.”
“I swear I’m not needy,” Peyton snickered, polishing off the rest of her beer.
“Sure you’re not,” Brian teased. “I’m just that mesmerizing.”
Peyton snatched the beer from his hand and took a satisfied gulp, laughing as Brian’s face scribbled itself out in an impressed kind of horror.
“It’s something like that,” she grinned deviously.
As Brian snatched his beer back, locking his grip on it, he silently swore he’d stand by her side until she begged him to go. And even then…
He ignored the scalding hot glare ruminating from the reverend behind him. Brian figured Jimmy had made his bed, and now he’d lay in it. Whether he wanted to or not. After all, Jimmy didn’t know Peyton—wasn’t that right?
Once the blondes returned, bee lining it for Peyton, she groaned quietly.
“Please, for the love of god,” she muttered to Brian. “Get me the fuck out of here.”
Brian laughed with a pointed nod, “You got it.”
He gave his hand to Peyton as she hopped down from the tall stool and onto her feet. With a quick farewell to the group and a promise to meet with them at Matt’s within the hour, Brian and Peyton set off.
“You okay?” Matt asked Jimmy quietly, nearing a whisper.
Jimmy scowled, swallowing hard, “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Matt shrugged with his lips pursed, “I don’t know, man.”
“I’m fine,” Jimmy insisted, his eyes focused on the door. “I’m fine.”

Notes

xx

Comments

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RamonaFoREVer RamonaFoREVer
6/18/19

@fyction
It is one of my favourite things. I melt every time!!

kiss my sas kiss my sas
6/11/19

@kiss my sas
I know! Isn’t it sweet?! Guh. Pellivan <3

fyction fyction
6/11/19

@fyction
BUT PELLIVAN IS TRUE LOVE!!!
I still get giddy when Peyton says 'I love you' to Jimmy... urgh! Such a long time coming!

kiss my sas kiss my sas
6/11/19

@kiss my sas
I mean.... Breyton could be revived... never say never ;)

fyction fyction
6/11/19