I wrote this for when words fail...

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli chuckled. He took her hand and walked back to his bike. He placed the helmet once again on her head and smiled helping her onto his bike. Once they were situated he started to drive again this time he had an even better place in mind for brining in the sunrise. Nickeli drove to the nearest beach and parked. "Well here we are." he said and smiled helping her off the bike. He looked around seeing the stars starting to twinkle out. "Aww we need to hurry." he said and kneeled down taking off her shoes. "Trust me it is easier barefoot." he said before taking his own shoes off. He took her hand once they were ready and ran down the beach with her towards the water.

---

Carmine smiled and nodded. "That sounds like fun." she said and leaned in. She had so much to get done before then. Carmine blushed trying to remind herself not to be weird about this simple time together. It wasn't like a date and even if it was she wasn't ready for anything serious. Carmine stood and sighed. "I will see you there Jeff... I uhh well I have to find a new apartment." she said and looked away feeling embarrassed.

@ Jinx...

Malai smiled and got on the bike with Nikeli. She smiled, wrapping her arms and thighs around him. The ride was nice. She saw they were going to the beach. "Wow, how romantic," she said. She was surprised when Nickeli went to take off her shoes. It was sweet, so...gentlemanly like. She took her shoes in her hand, and grabbed his hand. She happily ran to the beach with him. Nickei was so cool, so adventurous. She really liked the way he was, how fun he was.

---

"Wait, what?" said Jeff suddenly, "You mean you lived with him, and now you have no where to go?" He worried about her. Where would she stay now? Would she be okay? "Wait, how 'bout this?" he started, "The house next to mine is empty. It's cheap rent, too. And, I got connections with the landlord. Why don't I ask him if you can move in? Then, you'd have a nice, safe place to stay."

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli got to the edge of the water just as the first limbs of the sun was peeking up over the water making it look like a moving jewel. He grinned and looked over at Malai. He grinned and pulled her close. He kissed her lips once sweetly gaging her response before kissing her again deeper. He smiled against her lips loving how she felt against his body. He loved how she was spontaneous with him and didn't worry about the future like all the other girls he had meet. All of them asked what he would do if he didn't make it big and he didn't think about that because it wasn't in his mindset to fail.

Carmine frowned and bit her lip nodding. She had lived with him and now she had to figure something else out. He made her stop though as he proposed something else. "Wait... really?" she asked and blushed. "Wow... umm alright. I guess it wouldn't hurt to see the place." She bit her lip. "Do you think the landlord could open it up really quick cause I don't really want to leave any of my things there tonight with...him."

@ Jinx...

Malai snuggled against him as he wrapped his arm around her. She smiled when he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him when he kissed her even deeper. She looked and watched the sunrise. She had never seen a sunrise before. Wow, this was yet another "first" that Nickeli showed her. Wow, he was truly a sweet amazing guy.

---

Jeff listened to what Carmine had to say. "Yeah," he said, "I totally understand. In fact, I could probably talk him into getting it ready for you to move in tonight. He's a friend of the family, so he's willing to do anything for me." He nodded and smiled. "In fact...do you wanna come and see the place right now?"

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli looked over at him. "Well what do you think?" he asked as the sun started to rise the colors starting to dispute. "Doe it earn me a second date?" he asked and turned to her his hand running into her hair. He smiled and leaned in close his lips teasingly close.

Carmine blushed. "Really?" she bit her lip and rubbed her arm. "That would be amazing." she said and stepped closer to him. "It wouldn't be to much of a hassle for you?" she asked softly. Carmine felt her head swooning with all that had happened that day.

@ Jinx...

"It's beautiful," Malai said, nodding. She was surprised by his question. She smiled. He liked her. Wow. "Yes, yes it does. " She saw how close his lips were. So, she went on, leaned in and gave him a quick peck. She pulled away and giggled.

---

"No," he said, "I don't mind." He stood up. "It would be my pleasure. I think you'll like the place. It's really nice. " He looked towards the front door. "Hey, you wanna go right now?"

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Well then beautiful. We should get you back to your place before the pumpkin breaks." he said and smiled walking along the ocean for just a little before he started to head back to his motorcycle. He looked at Malai and found himself truly amazed by this girl and all they had done in just one night.

Carmine smiled more at Jeff as he talked leaning against the table. When he asked if she wanted to go she nodded. She realized that she would have to come back for her car because she was not taking Jeff to her old place so her ex could call her a slut just to make himself feel better.

@ Jinx...

Malai laughed at his pumpkin joke and went with him. She gave him directions to her house. "I hope you don't mind traveling all that way," she said, "It's kind of far." She put on his helmet and got on the back of the bike. It's a fancy, well-to-do neighborhood, so I hope it's not intimidating."

---

"Well, alright, let's go," he said, smiling. He offered her his hand. "Wanna take my car?" he suggested, "It's a nice, cherry red mustang convertable." He wondered if that would impress her. "I can let the top down if you want, and you can feel the wind through your pretty hair."

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli laughed. "Aww sweet heart just cause I wear nice cloths and sing real nice don't mean I ain't known hard times." he said and made sure her helmet was on good before she hopped on. He started his motorcycle and started to drive to her neighborhood. He eventually pulled up to her place and parked. It was a good distance from the bar he had played at. "How did you get out to Luise's?" he asked talking about the bar wondering if she would need a ride somewhere in the morning.

Carmine smiled and slipped her hand into his surprised with herself that she did. She was thinking it was best to take her own car so that way she could go straight to Lee's place and pick up her things but then he started to talk about his car. She blushed and smiled before bitting the side of her lip. She liked cars and they could be impressive but not nearly as much as a man walking out of his gig to console a crying stranger. "Sure that sounds good." Carmine said.

@ Jinx...

"My dad dropped me off," she answered when they got to Malai's neighborhood. "So..." she said, motioning back the the fancy house, "This is my place. Too fancy for my tastes, but...you know." She chuckled. All of a sudden, the front door of the house opened.

"Malai!" said a man at the door, "COme in! Where the hell have you been?"

"I gotta go," she said to Nickeli, "Goodbye."

"Malai!" the man yelled.

"Coming!" she said, running to the house and going inside.

---

Jeff led her out the cafe and down the sidewalk to the parking lot at the resturant where his car was. He unlocked the car. "Nice, huh?" he said, getting in. He waited for her to get in and buckle her seatbelt before driving off. He drove down the main highway that led to the beach, since that's where the house was. Everything was going great, until the check engine light came on and the hood started smoking underneath. "Oh, no," he excliamed, pulling over.

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli was surprised by the nice house in the dingy part of town. He rubbed the back of his neck as Malai ran toward the house. He waved at her and held his helmet in his hands were she had left it. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed guessing he would have to come back here in order to see her again. Nickeli bit his lip instantly wondering how old she was. She had to be 21 at least... right? He hadn't seen the black x's on her hands to say she was underaged.

Carmine nodded and smiled as she got in. The hood was down and they were driving alone. She closed her eyes enjoying the wind in her hair as she heard Jeff. She looked at him then at the car and frowned. She had seen something like this before. She got out and bit her lip. "Pop the hood for me?" she asked. She watched the curious look fill his eyes and she smiled waiting for him. He popped the hood and she opened it up. She took his handkerchief and started to check some things out nodding and humming. She and her dad use to fix up their old beater until she finally died and gave out. "Well I think she will live but I am thinking you need to fix the spark plugs." she said looking up at him and rubbing a finger into a clean spot on the handkerchief.

@ Jinx...

[OOC: Can I write about Malai's home life now that she's left Nickeli for the night? Or should I just go on to when they meet again next?]

@ SecretPiggyMafia
[yes you can write about her time away from Nick but only a few post so I don't get board and have nothing to say. ;) Just FYI if you have questions like this again, message me. }

@ Jinx...

"Where the hell have you been?" her dad yelled the second she was in and the door was closed.
"At the concert, what do you think?" Malai replied, "You dropped me off, remember?"
"You said you were gonna ride the bus back home. It's morning! Who was that boy who dropped you off?" Malai opened her mouth to lie and say he was a friend from the community college she went to, but before she could even utter a syllable, he yelled. "Did you screw him? I swear, you're gonna be just like your mother, a little whore."
Malai wanted to respond to that so badly, but instead, all she said was, "Whatever, I'm going to bed."
"Oh no you, aren't," rejoined her father, "You little lazy tramp. Did you forget about your job? You aren't missing out of work today. Now put on that damn uniform and go before I..."
Before he finished his threat, Malai ran on to her room and did as told.
As she left the house, he called after her, "And you know damn well you're getting punished when you get home tonight, I expect you home on time or else!"
Malai ran out, got in her car, and cranked it. She allowed one, only one tear fall down her face before going to her job at the hotel, where she was a maid. Like always, she worked hard at her job, cleaning hotel rooms. As she cleaned a toilet, she thought about Nickeli and how fun and nice he was. She wanted, no needed to see him again. She needed someone nice to be around her again. She sighed. Would they ever meet again? Well, he said they would, right? And he did know where she lived, so...maybe. Just maybe. She closed her eyes and made a wish that he would return to her.

---

Jeff blinked, surprised. How did she know that? He looked under the hood. No, really, how did she know? All it looked like to him was a bunch or metal and wires and hoses and junk. Despite society deeming fixing up cars as a pre-dominantly "male" thing to do, Jeff never took an interest in it. Sure, he liked pretty cars that looked good, but all of the inside stuff was confusing to him. He didnt' know what part did what or which parts were connected together. It was all just...mess. He never worked on cars or learned anything about them. Whatever he wanted or needed done, he just took it to a shop and got them to do it. He scratched his head. "Wow...," he said, still in awe at Carmine's genius. He blinked. At risk of the possibility of coming off as a sexist douche (that was not his intention, though, considering he was for gender equality), he asked, "H-How'd you know that?" He hoped she wouldn't take it negatively.

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli got back to the tour bus and laid down in his bunk. He yawned grinning like a fool as he thought of Malai. He rolled over and fell asleep.
When he woke he sighed and stretched. He had to see her before the show tonight on the other end of the city. It was about 5 in the afternoon and he was on at 7:45. Nickeli got on his bike and headed off towards town after his band members gave him crap about being out so late. Nickeli pulled up to the house nervously and pulled off his helmet completely unprepared for the situation that was about to unfold. He walked up to the door and knocked. He stepped back and waited.

---

Carmine blushed and bit her lip. "It's nothing, I just am guessing mostly because your liquid levels are fine though I think it is time to change your oil too." She bit her lip again and ran a hand into her hair. "Me and my father use to spend time working on an old beater I use to have to nail on day we just couldn't fix her up. "So I have seen this before, a few times actually." Carmine blushed. "You'll want to take her into a mechanic though just to be sure. My dad was the technical guy that took care of it. I just picked up a few things here and here." Carmine smiled up at handsome and still shocked Jeff. She hoped he would move on now. She grinned at him happy to have amazed him.

@ Jinx...

Malai had gotten home at about five, just like always. The first thing her dad told her to do was change out of her uniform. Malai did as told. her door didn't have a lock on it...not one that she could lock from inside, anyway. When she got down to her bra and panties, her father rushed in an pushed her to the ground. A shout left her lips. He then scooped her up, sat on the bed, and bent her over her knee. Just as if she were a child that needed a spanking. But, instead of how you would punish a child, he hit her much harder. "You're lucky this is all I'm giving you. But, since you've never done this before, I'm gonna be a nice guy about it." POP!

"Ahh!" she screamed in pain. POP POP! "Ahh! Daddy, no!"

"How else will you learn?" he asked, following it with more pops until he had given her one for every year she had been alive. He made damn sure they all hurt, too. So much that they made a grown woman cry like a baby. Malai lied across his lap, crying. Tears poured down and her jaw hurt. Her backside was red. "Now, say it, damn it!" he commanded, "Say it." She couldn't, she was crying so much. "Say it!" POP!

She moaned out something. She then repeated herself, crying, "Thank you, daddy. Thank you for teaching me this lesson."

He pushed her off his lap. She hit the floor, brusing her shoulder. She curled up and cried. There was a knock at the door. He father stood up. He pointed at he harshly, "Stay quiet," he demanded. She nodded, and silenced her cries, tears still falling.

He answered the door. He looked Nickeli up and down. "Oh, that boy from yesterday, huh?," he grunted, "What do you want, boy?"

---

"Oh, so you know a little about cars, huh? I guess that's why your name is CARmine," he joked, before getting serious. "Okay, I'll call a wrecker," Jeff said, pulling out his phone. He pushed a button to try to unlock it. The screen still remained black. Dang it. "Uh, I think my battery might have died," he said to Carmine, "Can I use yours?" The whole time he was worrying in his mind about how much this all was going to cost and if he actually had enough to cover it. God, he hoped so.

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli shifted uncomfortable under the man's gaze. "I was wondering if Malai was home?" he said though his voice strong despite the weird feeling the man made him feel. He heard a whimper from inside and frowned. He wasn't a boy and he hadn't been called a boy for a long time. He ran a hand through his hair. "I uhhh..." Nickeli was trying to think of something that would grant him access to see Malai. That's when it hit him. "I have a business prepossession for her." he said grinning like a fool. He had meet this girl once and already he knew he was going to ask a very strange and forward question that would impact not only him but the band as well.

Carmine giggled. She nodded and dropped the car hood looking out at the scenery as she waited for Jeff. He said his phone was dead and she frowned hoping that she had a charge left on her phone. She bit her lip and looking in her purse pulling out her phone and flipped it up. She held the end key and frowned as it started up then shut down again. She shook her head. "Nothing." she said and laughed at the situation. "Well how about a nice walk then?" she asked him and chuckled as she gathered her purse and slung it over her shoulder.

@ Jinx...

The man thought. "Fine, sure. Whatever," he grunted, "Stay here." He then slammed the door roughly. He went back to Malai's room. "Get off the damn floor," he hissed, "Some filthy boy is out there wanting to talk to you. Put some damn clothes on and go on and act normal. Don't let him know anything's wrong. Cuz if you do, so help me..." Malai nodded and got dressed in the first thing she could fine: grey sweatpants, flip flops, and an old tee shirt. She brushed her hair out and put it in a bun. Lastly, she wiped away her tears and any make up stains that would give away the fact she had been crying. She went to the door. She reached for the knob. Could it be? Would it be him? She opened it to see Nickeli. "Hi," she said, smiling.

---

"Okay," Jeff said, "Let's walk, then." He took her hand and walked next to her. "Where should we walk to, though? The house is too far away from here." He felt kind of bad that this had happened. "Sorry about all this. I sure this drama was the last thing you needed."

@ SecretPiggyMafia
Nickeli blushed seeing her and smiled. She looked so beautiful. "Umm so... The band and I need a crowd starter..." he said stumbling over his words a little. "And uhh we can pay you a little and we will cover your traveling fees if you ummm..." he ran a nervous hand through his hair. "If you want to go onto tour with up... I mean me... I mean us." he said and shifted from foot to foot. Nickeli looked nervously back into her house as if her father might appear again.

Carmine giggled. "Well how about to the nearest phone?" she asked and shrugged lacing her fingers with his. "Actually this drama is a very welcoming distraction." she said and looked up at him. "Indeed very nice." she said rather be thinking about broken cars and a hot singer than her ex and his tramp. Carmine grinned and started to walk with him once everything was good to go.

@ Jinx...

Malai thought about it. "You mean, you want me to...sing as an opening act?" she asked. She looked back in the house. If she accepted, she could tour with the band and be away from home. She could be safe. But, then, what would happen once she got back home? Well, he did say she was gonna get paid a little...maybe she'd have enough to finally move away. "Yes," she exclaimed, nodding, "Yes! Yes! I'm ready to leave...right now."

---

"Well, I'm glad," he replied, smiling and gently swinging their hands back and forth, "I'm glad that I and my awful bad luck streak have provided you with a distraction. " He looked back towards the direction of the car. "I'm not surprised this happened," he said, "I have the worst of luck. Always have, since...well, to be honest, since I can remember. But...that's what happens when you're born on Friday the 13th." He chuckled. "Heh, well, at least I can say I've had good luck at least one time in my entire life...getting the privilege to meet you."