by Cleo Fox
I'm not one to turn down a drink. "I take a drink."
Titus nods. "So will I.
Navin opens the bag with the wings and breadsticks. "Sure."
Lance pulls open the pizza box and nods as he pulls out a slice. "Yeah."
I think all of us want to remain on her level. No matter what that is. The more comfortable she is the less likely she'll run away again, maybe she'll even open up to us more.
She opens the vodka and pours about three and half shots into each of the five cups before capping it, a little over half is gone. She fills the cups up the rest of the way with the soda.
I take a cup from her as she offers it.
After taking a long drink from her cup, she points to the cupboard next to Navin. "Youll find plates in there, and there’s ranch, and bluecheese dressings in the fridge for the wings. We can watch a movie or continue to list to a random mix of 80s and 90s music."
***
My body hums with the vodka and the weed, Evie can go hard. She sits between Titus and Navin on the sofa, while Lance and I take up the chairs. The credits on the action movie roll and the pizza and wings sit massacred on the table, we ate everything. I had been worried she didn't eat anymore with how small she's gotten. She used to have curves, but now looks like a shadow of her former self. I hope she stays around so that we can bring her back to where she was.
Lance stretches. That was a good movie. Can't remember the last time I saw action movie, we're normally too tired during tours to really watch anything."
She nods slowly. Her eyes glassy as she leans her head against the back of the couch. "Yeah, it's been a while since I watched a movie in general. I ten to just have the tv on in the background. It was good. And those wings were really good, crispy, I should've ordered extra for tomorrow." Leaning forward, she grabs the remote and goes back to the selection of movies and shows.
I pat my stomach. "They were good, but they could've been hotter, it the hot ones didn't even make my tongue tingle."
Titus laughs. "We'll have to buy some of the Korean nuclear sauce, just so you can burn your tastes buds off like you like."
Between the vodka and weed haze and being around Evie again, I want to make out with him so bad, but I push away the impulses, we could have fun later if he's feeling up for it. If it weren't for him, I think I would've lost my mind after she ran off. I don't know how Lance and Navin did it.
Navin looks at her. "I have a question, you don't have to answer it."
I shift in my seat, by the tone of his voice I can tell it will be one of the hundred questions that's gone on in my head since the second she opened the front door, but how serious are we talking. Out of all of us, I think Navin will be the best at approaching the sensitive stuff, but who knows. Will he ask her about why she has limp only sometimes, or the man she dated, or what made her run off?
She glances at him, her thumb pushing the side button to make the titles scroll, but it doesn't look like she's taking in any of them. "Yeah?"
"Why is your old bedroom door locked? It was the only one of the bedrooms we couldn't get into."
Her shoulders stiffen and her her scrolling stops. "I lost the key to it." She leans back into the couch. "So, tell me what's it like to be on a world tour."
I think we all know that was a lie. Earlier when she opened the basement door, it's clear the chain around her neck has two keys. But it's clear she doesn't want to talk about it if she's changed the topic to us.
Navin glances around at us, and give a slight shake of my head, it's not the time to press issues like that, she'll tell us in her own time. I'm sure of it.
Titus pulls out his phone. "It's awesome, well for the most part. It would be great if they gave us more time in each place, but that only happens sometimes. Here are some of the pictures. I sent a bunch of them to you through text, but I guess your number has changed, huh?"
She shakes her head and pulls out her phone from her jacket. "No. I've kept the same number all these years, part of me hoped one of you would reach out, but I understood when you didn't. I figured it was for the best. I never got your texts. The only person that texts me now is my mom, and it's normally nagging me to call her. She doesn't get how to text." She hands over her phone to him, I crane my my neck to see that it's on her text messaging screen.
I frown. "So you didn't get any of our texts or calls that night?"
She shakes her head. "No."
Lance sits forward and leans onto his knees. "Didn't your mom tell you we were trying to get a hold of you? We called her for weeks before she finally told us to stop that she didn't know anything."
Evie licks her lips and nods. "She wasn't lying. I basically called to let her know I was alive, but not much else. I kind of went MIA on everyone."
Titus's thumbs fly over her phone, before his phone chimes with text. He picks up his phone back up and frowns. "Your number comes up as a random number." He frowns. I don't understand."
She shrugs. "I haven't changed it, you can ask my mom to confirm it."
Navin frowns. "What happened? What made you run? What did we do wrong? That day was such a good day, and then you just left."
She rubs at her eyes and swallows hard. "You did nothing wrong. I...I didn't run because of you. But I did do it so you could live out your dream."
Titus hands her phone back and rubs her shoulder.
Navin runs a hand through his hair. "You ran for us?"
She stands. "I can't do this right now."
Before any of us can say anything, she runs for stairs. A moment later a door closes. We all look toward the stairs.
Lance stands and Navin reaches out to stop him from following her. "Let her be. She'll tell us eventually. No reason to pry it out of her. Besides, I think Harper has something to do with this. I don't know how, but it's the only thing that my gut keeps saying over and over. He was the first thing she asked about this afternoon."
Taking his seat, Lance growls. "I swear, if she tells us that bastard hurt her, I'll kill him with my bare hands!"
I nod. "I think we all will. The has never sat right with me. We should've left a long time ago. I'm pissed at myself because I didn't.
Titus pushes his glances up his nose and tugs at his paling blue hair. "That's the thing about hindsight. It's always twenty-twenty. What bothers me was how her number was taken out of our phones. How? We still had our texts that were with her number."
Navin shakes his head. "I don't know, but Harper had our phones that night. Maybe had something done to them.
I sigh and rub a hand over my eyes. "We have a few weeks to decide what we're going to do with the bastard. But between the kush and vodka, I can't think anymore. I need some shut eye."
Navin nods and stands. "Yeah, let's go to bed. Tomorrow, we start to try and get her to want to stay. Maybe we can become her friends again, and she'll want something more, but let's not force anything on her. The last thing I want is for her to run again."
We all nod.
I wait for Navin and Lance to head up first, before I stand from chair. Holding out my hand to Titus I smile. I still want to fuck, but I'm not sure either of us have the energy. "Ready for bed, Ty?"
He blinks sleepily up at me and takes my hand. He stands. "So ready. It's been a long day of traveling and emotions.
Chapter Seven
Evie
* I lay upside down on the small inflatable couch our parents got us for the basement. I stair up at the ceiling that we've covered in band posters. Mazzy Star's Fade into you plays on the cd player. The guys also lounge around. Titus and Darius play their game boys. Navin strums softly on the guitar, practicing shifting notes, while Lance sits with notebook. An empty bottle of coke rests on my stomach, and sigh as loud as I can. "I'm bored!"
Lance taps his pen against his notebook and looks at me from his sitting position next to me. "What do you want me to do about it? Our parents are lame with their adult parties and inviting everyone from town."
I f
lip my legs over my head and land on the floor, bottle still in my hand. "We need to get them to at least buy us a portable tv for down here or something."
Darius looks up from his game. "You could read the book you brought down here."
I roll my eyes. "I've read it so many times the spine is falling apart. Let's play a game."
Titus looks up. "I am playing a game. You can watch over my shoulder if you want."
My gaze goes to the bottle in my hand. Navin stops strumming his guitar. "What kind of game? We've played all of the ones down here. I mean, we can, if you're THAT bored. Just not Life, that one takes too long."
I continue to stare at the bottle. "No, I was thinking of a game we've never played before. Spin the bottle?"
Dead silence falls over the room as they all look at me with wide eyes. Lance frowns. "You do realize it's just us down here, and you're the only girl, right? Normally more variety is needed for a game like that."
I shrug a shoulder. "What, you afraid to kiss a boy? It's just a peck. It can pass the time for at least half an hour, or if you really hate it, we can go back to doing nothing and I'll slowly go insane from boredom."
Navin plucks a string. "Do you want to kiss us, like for real? Isn't a girl's first kiss supposed to be special or something?"
I roll my eyes. "This wouldn't be my first kiss."
Titus's mouth fell open. "It's not? Who did you kiss?"
I fiddle with the bottle, I'd meant to take the secret to my grave, but the cats out of the bag now. "Rick Mathers last year in the sixth grade , when we went on that nature hike field trip."
Lance's nose scrunches up. "You let Rick Mathers be your first kiss? He's such a asshole."
My cheeks burn. "Whatever, he was cute and we were partners in finding the different kinds of plants. It's not like we went out or anything. Jeez. We don't have to play the stupid game."
Lance sighs and tosses his note book next to him on the couch. "Nah. I want to prove I'm a better kisser than greasy hair Rick Mathers. Let's play."
He gets down the floor.
"Seriously? We're actually doing this?" asks Navin, guitar in lap.
Lance shrugs running a hand over his crew-cut. "Well, no one is making you, but I hear the game works better with more than two people. Unless you want to watch only the two of us kiss. Perv."
I get down on the floor and sat on my knees across from him. Shit, is this really happening? A part of me figured they would never go for it, but now they are. My heart hammers. I glance over my shoulder at the others. Darius shuts off his Game Boy and crawls over to us, taking up the spot on to my right.
Instantly Titus comes over take up the spot across from him and next to Lance. Navin sighs. "Okay, but this never leaves the basement." He sets his guitar down and comes over to sit on my left.
Lance motions to me. "You suggested we play the game. You should go first."
My heart has never beat so hard in my life. Not even when we have to do sprint runs for PE. I set the bottle down in the middle of our circle and spin it. It wobbles on the super thin carpeting that covers up the concrete floor of the cabin.
After a lifetime of seconds, it comes to a stop, the black cap points at Darius. He looks at me with wide-brown eyes and swallows hard. What will his fuller lips feel like?
I lean in toward him expectantly and pucker my lips like I did for Rick. He meets me half way and closes his eyes. I do the same. Our lips touch for a moment. He lingers for a second, a second longer than Rick and a shock of excitement spreads throughout my limbs. I like this kiss a lot better than one I had with Rick. I lean in closer to him as he pulls away.
We open our eyes, and a small smile pulls at his lips. Did he want it last longer, too? I smile back at him.
Lance clears his throat, breaking the spell over us. "Let's go counter clockwise. Navin, you're next."
Navin sighs. I look at him as he reaches out and spins the bottle. After three rotations, it lands on Lance. They both stiffen and look at each other and then down at the bottle, as if to make sure there's been no mistake. I bit my lip. Will they do it?
Navin moves first, getting onto his hands and knees to cover the distance of the small circle.
Lance closes his eyes tight, forcing Navin to meet him. Their lips touch for only a single second before Navin scrambles back to his seat. Lance peeks open eye, his shoulders relax. "I guess that was so bad."
I roll my eyes. "It's just as kiss. You're turn."
Lance spins the bottle, it lands on Titus, the two of them quickly kiss.
Titus's turn lands on Navin, as does Darius, I can't help but feel a bit sad. I was hoping at least one of their turns would land on me, but I guess the odds are just too great.
I spin the bottle and watch as it lands on Lance. He also does a fist pump, but stops him self half into it.
He looks at me and leans onto his knees to close the gap between us. I close my eyes, waiting for him to make the first move. He clearly wants to. His warm lips meet mine, and once again, tingles shoot all over. I lean more toward him, wanting more pressure.
His lower lip moves a little bit, and I don't hate sensation, but just as quickly as it started, it ends.
I open my eyes to find him smirking like fool as he sits back in his spot. "Was I better than Rick Mathers?"
I shrug, not wanting to give him an even bigger head than he already has. "It was okay, I guess."
He hmphs in return.
Navin spins and my heart-rate spikes, again as it lands on me. I turn my head head to look at him. Without hesitation, he reaches up and strokes my cheek with his thumb. I blink at him with wide eyes, I didn't expect him to be tender. My eyes flutter closed and I lean in toward him.
When our lips meet, he doesn't hold still, he moves his mouth, I move mine in turn. Oh, this is nice. I like this.
"What the hell is going on down here?" Darius's mother's voice fills the basement and we instantly break apart. I look at her and then to the others. We're so grounded.
***
Titus and I stand near the basketball court in the waiting in line for lunch to be served, it was pizza day. The others already went ahead of us, due to having different classes before lunch and are waiting for us in our spot we staked out on the lawn at the start of the year. He nudges me with his shoulder. "Hey, so, um. I was wondering somethin'."
I look at him. "Yeah?"
He pushes his Harry Potter glasses up his nose and grips at his brown hair that's starting to get shaggy.
I frown at him, giving him more of my attention. "What is it, Ty? Why do you look like your about to give a speech or something?"
"When we played spin the bottle, the other guys got to kiss you, but Dar's mom showed up before I got a chance, and I was wondering if, maybe, we could kiss, too? If you want."
I smile. I've been wanting to kiss one of them again since that day. I step closer to him, and glance around to see where the teachers supervising us were. Busy keeping an eye on a couple of boys who were roughhousing too hard.
"Sure. Close your eyes."
He does. Casting one more cautious gaze toward this teachers, I close my eyes as well, and press my lips to his. Before he can pull back, I bring my hand up to his cheek and move my lips like Navin had. After a second he does the same to me, and we go back and forth. I can totally see why older kids like to makeout all the time in movies. This is really fun.
Someone nudges Titus, causing us to pull a part. We look at him and he motions to the moving line. "Less smooching, more moving. I want my pepperoni slice."
We he hurry to catch up with the moving line. I look at Titus as we come to a stop. "That was really awesome."
He grins. "Yeah, I liked it, too. A lot."
I lick my lips, debating on whether I should pull into another kiss, but then my gaze travels to the the others on the lawn, they're watching us. It was fair us just kissing one time, but what would it mean if we kissed another time? The only way to make it fair would be to kiss al
l of them again, if they want to.*
Chapter Eight
Navin
* I get off the stage and head toward the backroom the club has set up for acts. It's nothing fancy. Concrete floors with a couple lawn chairs and a mirror for the people that need to do their makeup. It's not one of the biggest shows we've played, but for not being signed it's still something. We'll get a few hundred for it by the end of the night.
A pair of arms wrap themselves around my waist as a chest presses into my back.
I smile, glancing over my shoulder to find Evie, she rests her chin on my shoulder. "That show was so good! You guys are really getting over the jitters you used to have.
Loosening her grip on my waist, I turn in her embrace to face her and capture her wine-red lips in a kiss. "Yeah, all those rehearsals Lance has been putting us through have been killer, but they're really paying off."
I glance around for the others.
Her hands travel up my back and her fingers grab at the back of my head, running through my long hair, so good. My eyes close. "The others went to see if they could get a couple beers off Greg for a job well done, and maybe talk to a couple of the fans that showed up, see if they can get more people to sign up to the email list."
Opening my eyes I peer down at her. "You read my mind."
She presses herself as flush as she can get with my body. "I always read your guys' minds. It's my job as as a good girlfriend."
I run my hands down to her ass. "Think Greg will give them those beers? He knows we're nineteen."
Her eyes flutter she stands on her toes to get closer to my mouth, she's only couple inches shorter than me, but it still makes a difference. "You know he doesn't care as long as we don't go around town gloating about it."
I kiss her. She moans, and moving down to grip at the back of my shirt and pull it up. I let her take it off, heart hammering as she tosses it to the side. She presses into my chest until I fall back into one of the lawn chairs. I stair up at her. There's no mistaking the hungry look in her eye. I'm dick strains against my jeans.
She looks over her shoulder at the flimsy door that blocks out the rest of the club. Lifting her leather skirt she pushes her black lacy panties down over her round ass and steps out of them. "Get your dick out."
