House of Goths

by Maria Bernard

  “Bullshit, that’s what it was.” He swivelled her around so that he stood between her knees.

  “I thought you guys were awesome until that last little bit.”

  He gave her an indulgent smile. He didn’t want to talk about the show. In fact, he was almost glad they wrapped up early so he could hang out with Becky. “Thanks for cheering us on, though.”

  “You’re welcome. My pleasure!” She happily planted her hands on his broad shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Thanks for bringing me.”

  Signalling the bartender, he ordered them both drinks, a beer for him, another ginger ale for Becky. “Or would prefer something stronger?” he said into her ear.

  “I don’t know. I’m not much of a drinker,” she sputtered, squirming at his lingering warm breath in her ear.

  Exactly what was he up to? Suddenly, the amorous Goth was all over her, not that she was complaining.

  “I just figured, if you were ever curious, now would be as good a time as any to have a drink. Don’t worry, I’ll look after you.”

  Why not? She was of age. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious to see what she might be like after a few alcoholic beverages. Besides, she’d be safe… from harm anyway. Nothing bad would happen to her while under his watchful eye, of that he was sure.

  “Maybe next time,” Becky said suddenly shy. She took a sip of ginger ale in an attempt to cool herself off.

  “All right, love,” he said with a crooked smile while giving her knee a lusty squeeze. “No pressure.”

  He was fucked and he didn’t even care. All he could imagine at that moment was having his way with her right on that barstool. She was fucking irresistible and so damn sweet.

  Becky couldn’t even think straight anymore. Kelley’s proximity and heated gaze were doing crazy things to her insides. Wait until she got him home. She’d be sneaking into his bed, just like he’d suggested that morning. Only she would be looking for more than just comfort.

  “Kelley…” She gazed into the inky abyss of his black eyes. For a moment, it was only them. Everyone else faded away and she broke out in goosebumps.

  “Oh, Becky, I love it when you say my name.” He leaned in ever closer, pressing their foreheads together. Their lips were millimetres apart.

  Suddenly, Dorian and Crispin returned, looking as if nothing had gone amiss. They started to clean up the stage.

  Hearing them, Kelley snapped out of his daze and gave his head a shake. Thank God for that or his tongue would have been down Becky’s throat before she even knew what hit her.

  Bracing himself, he grabbed his beer and took a good long swig. Damn, that was close.

  “Sorry, Becky…” He frowned, upset with himself. What was he thinking? He shouldn’t be acting this way. Becky deserved better than him. “I suppose I should give them a hand,” he grumbled. “Will you be all right here or would you rather get back in the booth?”

  Recognizing the regret in his voice, and overall posture, Becky dropped her hands from his shoulders and averted her eyes from him. He was pulling away from her again. Why?

  “I’m okay here,” Becky assured him. Besides, she had a better view of things from the bar. She was determined to remain positive. To be honest, she was enjoying herself. She felt quite grown up and sophisticated sitting up there on that barstool.

  “Be right back, love.”

  Becky turned her attention to her drink for a moment, gazing into the floaty bubbles. Would she ever figure out what was going on in Kelley’s head? Probably not. He wasn’t one to share much. Whatever, at least being out was a nice change from sitting around the house on her own.

  Moments later she looked up from her glass and took in the scene from around the bar. By now, the place was teeming with college students, looking for a night of drinking and partying with their friends. Amongst the goths were others of every type. Mainstreamers or mundanes as Crispin would say, jocks, hipsters, you name it, they were all there in their little cliquey clusters.

  She turned her attention once again to the stage and watched as the guys rolled up cables, dismantled the drum set and took down the banner. She was almost tempted to pinch herself, so chuffed she was to be associated with these sexy guys. Even now she could see a bunch of girls off to the side making eyes at them. She couldn’t fault them either. They were awesome.

  Dorian was quite liking the attention, smiling and winking at them. Crispin would flash them the occasional smile, albeit a forced one. Kelley, on the other hand, spared them no time at all.

  Watching him from a distance, she could understand why people tended to steer clear of the tall dark Goth. He was quite intimidating. Even now, he had such a purposeful expression on his face. Good thing she’d seen through his cold hard exterior to the real man inside.

  She smiled, recalling the first day they’d met. The day he’d practically crushed her. At first, she’d been so overwhelmed by him. But then he’d been so kind and thoughtful to her. Sweet misunderstood Kelley.

  Snapping herself out of her musings, she self-consciously looked around herself. Just then she caught sight of none other than Jax entering the bar. The scoundrel had two very attractive girls with him, one on each arm. Suddenly her heart was racing yet she didn’t understand why. Okay, so he was gorgeous, but so what? He was also an insensitive jerk.

  Sadly, she couldn’t deny that she still had feelings for the guy. Obviously, he hadn’t given her another thought.

  She immediately looked away but not before Jax made eye contact with her. Great, way to ruin a perfectly nice evening! Hopefully, he would just disappear among the crowd. Suddenly, Becky wanted nothing more than to go home.

  Moments later, she felt an undeniable presence at her side. Without seeing him, she knew exactly who it was. Reluctantly, she looked up from her lap and stared into Jax’s icy blue eyes.

  “What do you want?” She frowned.

  “Becks, what a pleasant surprise,” he said, looking her up and down. Damn, she was cute. If only he had the patience and time for it all. Still, he couldn’t help but want her. She was the sweetest thing.

  “What happened to your girlfriends?” she asked, looking up at him.

  “They’re around here somewhere,” he said with a shrug of indifference. Gazing at her, he licked his lips. “What brings you here, Becks?” Signalling for the bartender, he ordered drinks.

  “I came to watch the band.”

  “Aw, yes, the band,” he repeated, looking over his shoulder, catching the murderous glare from Kell. Turning his attention back to the bartender he pretended to remain cool and unaffected. “What’d I miss? Did they fuck up again?” he asked, sliding one of the drinks towards Becky.

  “The were awesome, actually. Hey, what’s this?” She frowned suspiciously.

  “A Black Russian,” he explained, taking a swig of his own. “Thought you might like something a little stronger than that girlie pop you’ve been sipping.”

  Determined to show him that she was not a little girl, Becky grabbed the drink and put it to her lips.

  “Go on, give it a go,” Jax said, raising a perfectly lined eyebrow. “If you can handle it.”

  Before she could think too long on it, Becky swigged back half of it.

  “Whoa, slow down, Becks,” Jax said, reaching for her glass.

  “What?” she gasped, choking down the harsh tasting liquid. “It’s not so bad.”

  “Now where was that fire the other night?” he asked, leaning in close to her, running his fingertip over the dribbled bit on her lip.

  “What do you mean?” Looking him over, she realized just how incredibly handsome he was. For the moment, she even forgot how cruel he’d been.

  “Becks, I’ve been meaning…”

  Before he could finish his sentence, Kell came out of nowhere. He grabbed him by the shoulder and flung the blonde backwards.

  “What the fuck, man?”

  “Opportunistic prick!” Kell scoffed, taking the glass from Becky’s
trembling hand. He took a sniff before slamming it back down on the bar. “Get the fuck out of here before I snap you in half!”

  “Kelley?” she shouted at him. How dare he act this way! Jax was about to apologize. All she wanted was to hear him grovel a bit.

  “What happened to ginger ale, Becky?” Kell growled. “I turn around for a second and you’re accepting drinks from this worthless piece of shit?”

  Feeling uncharacteristically brave, Jax puffed out his chest and came forward. He then reclaimed his position by Becky’s side.

  “Perhaps you should back the hell up and rethink your claim on Becky’s affections.”

  He steeled himself for all of two seconds before Kell’s fist connected with his jaw.

  “Kelley! Stop this right now!” Becky slid off the barstool and would have jumped between them had Dorian not grabbed her back.

  The next thing she saw was Jax making a beeline for the door with Kelley on his heels. Seconds later, Crispin ran after them both.

  “Hey, get the fuck out of the bar,” the burly bartender shouted at Dorian. “Take your shit somewhere else before I call the cops!”

  Before she knew what happened, Dorian whisked her out the back door of the pub and into the back of his van.

  “What’s happened?” she asked, feeling dizzy.

  “Hopefully, nothing,” Dorian said, studying her for a moment. “Have you been drinking, sweetheart?”

  “A little, Jax bought me…”

  “Fuck, Becky, do yourself a favour and stay the hell away from Jax,” he said, smoothing his large hands down her hair before pulling her in for a reassuring hug.

  “He’s not such a bad guy, really.”

  “Come on, now. You and I both know he’s no good.”

  “I think he was trying to apologize.”

  “Well, whatever, don’t let him get into your head. He doesn’t deserve your time.”

  Moments later, both Kell and Crispin returned. Breathless, they hopped into the van. “So, what happened?” Dorian asked as Kell sulked in the back while Crispin buckled himself into the passenger seat and gave his head a shake.

  “It’s a good thing the bastard can run,” Crispin said breathlessly. “That’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”

  “What did you do to Jax!” Becky demanded, glaring at Kelley. “Where is he?” she asked, looking from one Goth to another.

  “He ran off, the coward. Not that I blame him,” Crispin snickered. “I suppose when you’ve got a silverback gorilla on your ass, anyone would.

  “Fuck off,” Kell grumbled, staring off into the dark.

  “Kelley!” Becky frowned at him.

  “Leave him alone, Becky,” Dorian warned as he drove. “Give him a chance to cool off.”

  “Why should I? He doesn’t scare me!”

  Refusing to acknowledge her spunky retort, Kell clenched his jaw and averted his eyes from her the entire way home. Silly little twit. Had she forgotten how Jax had broken her heart? While he may have let it happen the first time, he’d be damned of he was going to let it happen again. Not on his watch.

  Becky sat back and crossed her arms in front of her chest. So much for a fun evening out with her housemates! Staring at Kelley, she wondered what was going on in his head. Why had he gone off on Jax like that? He was only trying to apologize. What if he wanted to give her another chance? Now she would never know.

  When the arrived home, Becky hopped out of the van and stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her. The heck with Kelley and his caveman nonsense!

  “Oh, the drama…” Dorian followed her with his eyes while Kell stomped off into the carriage house.

  “Yeah, don’t make me say it again,” Crispin snarked, shaking his head.

  Later that night, Kell rested in his bed with his headphones on. To think he was just starting to believe that he and Becky could be together. Good thing he’d come to his senses before he made a fool of himself.

  It was obvious she still had feelings for Jax. Well, if she wanted him back, she could damn well have him! Just not around here, at the House of Goths.

  Having calmed herself down, Becky couldn’t help but feel bad about how things turned out. She and Kelley had been having such a nice time until Jax came around and ruined things.

  Frustrated, she tossed and turned in bed. She didn’t like being mad at Kelley. Even if he didn’t want her in the romantic sense, he was still her best friend. Unable to stand it any longer, she got up out of bed and marched into his room.

  He had his eyes closed, lying under his blanket. He didn’t know what hit him. Throwing herself on his bed, she leaned in and gave him an exuberant hug.

  “Becky?” He jumped, flinging off the headphones. Wrapping her in his arms, he hugged her into his chest. He couldn’t help but smile. As far as he was concerned, everything was right in the world again.

  Moments later, she slowly pulled away from him and gazed into his eyes. She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her but couldn’t quite find the words.

  It was in moments like these when she realized that they didn’t need words. They’d only get in the way. They were together. That was all that mattered.

  After exchanging a lingering smile with each other, she got up and left his room. “Good night, Kelley.”

  While she was still upset with him, at least, she could go to sleep with a smile on her face!

  “Good night, love…”

  Chapter 24

  “Halloween party? But that was weeks ago. Besides, isn’t it Halloween every day at our house?”

  “Haha, laugh it up,” Dorian said, leading Becky up and down the Party Packagers Warehouse. They had stopped there on the way home from class. When he’d picked her up that afternoon, he had very excitedly told her of the upcoming event.

  Dorian shrugged. “I know it’s a bit late since it’s already the middle of November. With all the drama around the house, we weren’t quite sure about doing it this year at all. But it’s kind of a tradition at the House of Goths, and besides, we could all do with a bit of cheering up.”

  “That’s true. I suppose most of that drama is my fault. I’m sorry, Dorian.”

  “Becky, come on. None of it was your fault. Things happen, that’s all. Just be sure to get yourself a proper costume. We take this event very seriously.”

  “I’ll bet you do.” She giggled as he bent down to grab a roll of spider web banners from the shelf. Had it truly only been a little over a month since she’d moved into the House of Goths? So much had happened in such a short time. Some good, some bad. Yet she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

  Spotting a couple of girls from her dorm heading down the aisle, Becky turned to greet them. The two girls didn’t even acknowledge her tentative smile. They simply walked past her and Dorian like they didn’t exist. Off they went, giggling and pointing at different items on display, probably planning a party of their own.

  “You know them, Becky?” Dorian asked, having noticed her following the girls with her eyes.

  She nodded solemnly. “From the dorm.”

  “Never mind, eh. You’re better off with us now, aren’t you?” he said, happily draping his arm around her.

  Becky beamed at his affirmation. “So much better off!” She was indeed most grateful that she no longer resided at that miserable soul destroying place.

  ***

  “Spooky,” Becky exclaimed in a husky whisper, seeing the guys all dressed in their various vampire costumes. Crispin was, of course, a Victorian inspired vamp, complete with cape and fangs. Kelley looked incredibly sexy in his Civil War militia version of the undead, and not to be ignored, Dorian looked like a post-apocalyptic vampire, goggles, gas mask and all.

  “What are you supposed to be?” Crispin asked, clutching dramatically at his chest.

  “Can’t you tell?” Kelley said, stepping forward, catching her under the arms, lifting her and exuberantly spinning her around. “She’s a fairy princess.”

&
nbsp; “Kelley…” she sputtered, blushing at his unexpected gesture. He’d been hovering around her the last few days. She could tell that he wanted to say something to her ever since the unfortunate event the other night at the pub. She could have put him out of his misery with a reassuring word but instead, she’d let him wallow in worry. She kind of liked having the upper hand for a change.

  “Yes, love?” he groaned, holding her against him, her stockinged feet dangling in the air. God, he’d missed that. The way she said his name. How long had it been? Too long as far as he was concerned. The little imp sure knew how to hold a grudge.

  “Put me down,” she said with a hearty chuckle, her hands on either side of his made up face. Costume bruises and scars decorated his otherwise handsome features. Dark circles smudged under his ebony eyes, white powder on his cheeks, making him look impossibly paler than usual.

  “I don’t know if want to just yet,” he said, giving her a squeeze, taking the opportunity to hold her in his arms again.

  “Fairy princess, indeed,” Crispin said with a disapproving shake of his head, hands on hips. “This is a Halloween party, not a birthday party for adolescent girls.”

  “Prickly…” She smirked at him, waving her magic wand in his direction. “Watch it or I’ll turn you into a grumpy old toad.”

  “You’d better step off, Crisp. I believe she means business,” Kell said, setting her down on her feet.

  “Dress her up all you want, but she’ll always be a silly little dormouse,” Crispin retorted with a rueful smile.

  Dorian couldn’t help but laugh before turning around to answer the knock on the garage door. The first of their guests had just arrived.

  Chapter 25

  Becky soon lost count of how many zombies, witches, and vampires arrived for the party. She realized then just how out of place her choice of costume had been. Crispin was right, a fairy princess, indeed. What had she been thinking?