Clash Of The Rockbands
She's A Keeper
“You’re worrying about Daphne, aren’t you?” James asked after a long lapse of silence between us. I nodded, leaning my head against his shoulder.
We sat in the dark living room, lit only by the pale light thrown off by the television. Syn had gone to bed a half hour previously, and since then James and I had just watched TV. We sat in the loveseat, my legs slung across his lap, his hand resting on my knee. His other arm wrapped around my shoulders, and his fingers scraped gently against my upper arm.
“I’m always worrying about her nowadays.” I told him quietly, just staring at the screen and not really paying attention to what it flashed out at me.
“She scared you.” James stated. I nodded, trailing my index finger up and down his ribcage.
“She’s really the only family I have left. All four of our grandparents died years ago, and both of my parents didn’t have any siblings. I don’t want to lose her.”
“You won’t.” James told me confidently. “She’s doing much better.”
“Yeah...” I trailed away, staring blankly at the screen, my mind on other things. Suddenly, the television clicked off, throwing the room, and us, into complete darkness.
“Let’s go to bed.” James suggested. I slid my legs out of his lap and we both rose to our feet.
Ten minutes later, we both slipped under the scarlet sheets spread across James’s bed. Dim, faint moonlight seeped through the curtains of the large window set into one wall, casting the bed in its dim gaze.
“God damn!” I suddenly exclaimed, lurching away from James.
“What?” he asked. I saw his dim outline prop itself up onto one elbow, looking at me.
“Your hands are ice cold!” I snapped, glaring at his hand that had just grazed my skin not covered by my canary yellow tank top.
“Oh...” James replied. I suddenly felt both of his hands press against each side of my neck.
“AGH!” I screeched at him, dragging his hands away. He just laughed. “It isn’t funny!”
“I’m sorry.” he apologized.
“It’s okay,” I sighed, cautiously scooting closer to him.
He dropped down off of his elbow and carefully wrapped his arm around me, being extra meticulous so he wouldn’t touch my skin with his ice cold fingers. They really were like ice. I wondered if mine were.
“Are my hands always cold?” I asked.
“Yeah,” James answered nonchalantly. “And I live with it.”
“Unlike me,” I replied. James’s lips pressed against my forehead.
“It’s fine. I surprised you. I should just be thankful I didn’t get bitch-slapped and kicked out of my own bed.” James said. I smiled as I nuzzled my face against his bare, cool chest. His skin always felt cool. You know, the pleasant sort of cool, that feels refreshing and exhilarating, like a cool breeze on a hot summer day or a quick sprinkling of rain in the middle of the afternoon.
James tightened his arms around me, his cheek pressed against the top of my head. If Rayne, Jen, AM, or Kim had been around with a camera, they’d exclaim, “Adorable moment!” and would’ve taken a picture. I felt James’s fingers begin to slip through my chestnut, black, and blonde hair, snagging gently at the miniscule slivers of tangled knots. There weren’t many, but his fingers seemed to be magnetized towards them. I pressed a soft kiss to his chest, wallowing in the simple affection.
James’s fingertips slipped beneath the hem of my tank top to graze smoothly across the pale skin of my lower back. They didn’t feel ice cold anymore, but just pleasantly cool like his chest. I could feel a sliver of the bright red hair of my side bangs scraping against my closed eyelid, tickling it annoyingly. I ignored it, switching my attention back to James as his palm pressed against the skin that made up my waist.
I stayed completely, almost deathly still. I breathed slowly and carefully, even though my heart began to race, just at James’s simple touch. I heaved a contented sigh as his fingertips smoothed out the skin stretching across the side of my ribcage. My breath rolled down James’s chest, twirling in endless cartwheels past my lips.
“I love you.” James whispered in a voice so quiet I wouldn’t have heard it if a pin had dropped. I smiled.
“I love you too.” I replied just as quietly, my lips moving against his chest. James’s hand slipped away from my skin and back out from under my tank top to station itself against my back as his arm wrapped around my ribcage.
I felt sleep enclosing me in its lovely oblivion. And, within minutes, I had fallen asleep right where I was meant to be.
In James’s arms.
**********
James’s POV
When I awoke the following morning, I blearily opened my eyes. I stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds, letting my eyes adjust to the pale yellow light shining in from the sun. I reached my arm over to feel...complete emptiness. Where Melrose had once been, there was only a slightly-crumpled sheet and lots of empty air.
Great...Another one of those girlfriends who spend the night and just leave without saying good-bye in the morning.
I sighed and rolled myself out of bed. I didn’t figure Melrose to be one of those types of girlfriends, but I guess I judged wrong. I dragged a clean pair of jeans and a shirt on before heading downstairs to the kitchen.
As I neared the closed kitchen door, I could hear the faint sounds of a song. I couldn’t quite make out the lyrics, but I could hear the beat, and it sounded as though someone was singing over the words.
Probably Syn...being an idiot...as usual.
I walked over to the door and pushed it open — it was one of those swinging ones — to see a very interesting sight.
“So what? I’m still a rockstar!” Melrose belted out the words to Pink’s “So What”, using a spatula as a microphone. The song itself came from the radio sitting on a counter.
Melrose must have sensed my sudden presence because she whirled around, the spatula still hovering near her mouth. The instant she saw me, her face instantly burst into a bright red, highly embarrassed color. The hand holding the spatula fell to her side as she grinned in humiliation. I just smirked at her as her neck flamed red as well.
“Good morning,” she said hastily, turning around and walking over to the stove.
“You didn’t leave.” I replied.
“Leave? Why would I leave?” she asked, looking around at me.
“Some girls spend the night at their boyfriend’s and then just leave in the morning without even a good-bye.” I answered.
“Oh...Well, I’m not ‘some girls’.” Melrose replied before turning back to the stove. I sauntered over and peered over her shoulder to see what she was cooking.
“Oh my God, you are the most amazing girlfriend on the planet.” I gushed the instant I saw what she was making.
Pancakes! And...if I recalled right...we didn’t even have any Bisquik! Which meant she went all the way to the store and bought some, to make the pancakes.
“You guys seriously need to go grocery shopping.” Melrose informed me as she flipped the pancakes. “I couldn’t find, like, anything in your cupboards or pantry. The fridge had nothing but beer and leftover pizza in it. You seriously need female influence in this place.”
“It’s a bachelor pad.” I said defensively.
“A bachelor is a single man. Neither of you are single. That’s no excuse.” Melrose replied. I curled my arms around her waist and rested my chin gently on her bony shoulder. Her shoulder really is quite bony. There’s nothing but skin there. No muscle, no fat, just skin, possibly a few nerves and veins, and then bone. But I love her shoulders anyway.
“Uhhh...” I stalled, trying to think of something to say.
“I know I often leave you speechless, but you needn’t make it so obvious.” Melrose commented with a smirk. I kissed her cheek before pulling away as she grabbed the plate sitting beside her and scooped the four perfectly cooked pancakes onto it. She turned, handed the plate to me, and turned back to the stove to make more.
“I knew I smelled pancakes!” Syn announced as he stepped into the kitchen five minutes later. Melrose grinned as she shoveled four more pancakes onto a plate. She held the plate out to Syn, and he gladly took it from her. “I don’t know about you,” he muttered as he sat down across from me at the kitchen table, “but I think she’s a keeper.”
“She most definitely is.” I agreed as he began to douse his pancakes in syrup.
We sat in the dark living room, lit only by the pale light thrown off by the television. Syn had gone to bed a half hour previously, and since then James and I had just watched TV. We sat in the loveseat, my legs slung across his lap, his hand resting on my knee. His other arm wrapped around my shoulders, and his fingers scraped gently against my upper arm.
“I’m always worrying about her nowadays.” I told him quietly, just staring at the screen and not really paying attention to what it flashed out at me.
“She scared you.” James stated. I nodded, trailing my index finger up and down his ribcage.
“She’s really the only family I have left. All four of our grandparents died years ago, and both of my parents didn’t have any siblings. I don’t want to lose her.”
“You won’t.” James told me confidently. “She’s doing much better.”
“Yeah...” I trailed away, staring blankly at the screen, my mind on other things. Suddenly, the television clicked off, throwing the room, and us, into complete darkness.
“Let’s go to bed.” James suggested. I slid my legs out of his lap and we both rose to our feet.
Ten minutes later, we both slipped under the scarlet sheets spread across James’s bed. Dim, faint moonlight seeped through the curtains of the large window set into one wall, casting the bed in its dim gaze.
“God damn!” I suddenly exclaimed, lurching away from James.
“What?” he asked. I saw his dim outline prop itself up onto one elbow, looking at me.
“Your hands are ice cold!” I snapped, glaring at his hand that had just grazed my skin not covered by my canary yellow tank top.
“Oh...” James replied. I suddenly felt both of his hands press against each side of my neck.
“AGH!” I screeched at him, dragging his hands away. He just laughed. “It isn’t funny!”
“I’m sorry.” he apologized.
“It’s okay,” I sighed, cautiously scooting closer to him.
He dropped down off of his elbow and carefully wrapped his arm around me, being extra meticulous so he wouldn’t touch my skin with his ice cold fingers. They really were like ice. I wondered if mine were.
“Are my hands always cold?” I asked.
“Yeah,” James answered nonchalantly. “And I live with it.”
“Unlike me,” I replied. James’s lips pressed against my forehead.
“It’s fine. I surprised you. I should just be thankful I didn’t get bitch-slapped and kicked out of my own bed.” James said. I smiled as I nuzzled my face against his bare, cool chest. His skin always felt cool. You know, the pleasant sort of cool, that feels refreshing and exhilarating, like a cool breeze on a hot summer day or a quick sprinkling of rain in the middle of the afternoon.
James tightened his arms around me, his cheek pressed against the top of my head. If Rayne, Jen, AM, or Kim had been around with a camera, they’d exclaim, “Adorable moment!” and would’ve taken a picture. I felt James’s fingers begin to slip through my chestnut, black, and blonde hair, snagging gently at the miniscule slivers of tangled knots. There weren’t many, but his fingers seemed to be magnetized towards them. I pressed a soft kiss to his chest, wallowing in the simple affection.
James’s fingertips slipped beneath the hem of my tank top to graze smoothly across the pale skin of my lower back. They didn’t feel ice cold anymore, but just pleasantly cool like his chest. I could feel a sliver of the bright red hair of my side bangs scraping against my closed eyelid, tickling it annoyingly. I ignored it, switching my attention back to James as his palm pressed against the skin that made up my waist.
I stayed completely, almost deathly still. I breathed slowly and carefully, even though my heart began to race, just at James’s simple touch. I heaved a contented sigh as his fingertips smoothed out the skin stretching across the side of my ribcage. My breath rolled down James’s chest, twirling in endless cartwheels past my lips.
“I love you.” James whispered in a voice so quiet I wouldn’t have heard it if a pin had dropped. I smiled.
“I love you too.” I replied just as quietly, my lips moving against his chest. James’s hand slipped away from my skin and back out from under my tank top to station itself against my back as his arm wrapped around my ribcage.
I felt sleep enclosing me in its lovely oblivion. And, within minutes, I had fallen asleep right where I was meant to be.
In James’s arms.
**********
James’s POV
When I awoke the following morning, I blearily opened my eyes. I stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds, letting my eyes adjust to the pale yellow light shining in from the sun. I reached my arm over to feel...complete emptiness. Where Melrose had once been, there was only a slightly-crumpled sheet and lots of empty air.
Great...Another one of those girlfriends who spend the night and just leave without saying good-bye in the morning.
I sighed and rolled myself out of bed. I didn’t figure Melrose to be one of those types of girlfriends, but I guess I judged wrong. I dragged a clean pair of jeans and a shirt on before heading downstairs to the kitchen.
As I neared the closed kitchen door, I could hear the faint sounds of a song. I couldn’t quite make out the lyrics, but I could hear the beat, and it sounded as though someone was singing over the words.
Probably Syn...being an idiot...as usual.
I walked over to the door and pushed it open — it was one of those swinging ones — to see a very interesting sight.
“So what? I’m still a rockstar!” Melrose belted out the words to Pink’s “So What”, using a spatula as a microphone. The song itself came from the radio sitting on a counter.
Melrose must have sensed my sudden presence because she whirled around, the spatula still hovering near her mouth. The instant she saw me, her face instantly burst into a bright red, highly embarrassed color. The hand holding the spatula fell to her side as she grinned in humiliation. I just smirked at her as her neck flamed red as well.
“Good morning,” she said hastily, turning around and walking over to the stove.
“You didn’t leave.” I replied.
“Leave? Why would I leave?” she asked, looking around at me.
“Some girls spend the night at their boyfriend’s and then just leave in the morning without even a good-bye.” I answered.
“Oh...Well, I’m not ‘some girls’.” Melrose replied before turning back to the stove. I sauntered over and peered over her shoulder to see what she was cooking.
“Oh my God, you are the most amazing girlfriend on the planet.” I gushed the instant I saw what she was making.
Pancakes! And...if I recalled right...we didn’t even have any Bisquik! Which meant she went all the way to the store and bought some, to make the pancakes.
“You guys seriously need to go grocery shopping.” Melrose informed me as she flipped the pancakes. “I couldn’t find, like, anything in your cupboards or pantry. The fridge had nothing but beer and leftover pizza in it. You seriously need female influence in this place.”
“It’s a bachelor pad.” I said defensively.
“A bachelor is a single man. Neither of you are single. That’s no excuse.” Melrose replied. I curled my arms around her waist and rested my chin gently on her bony shoulder. Her shoulder really is quite bony. There’s nothing but skin there. No muscle, no fat, just skin, possibly a few nerves and veins, and then bone. But I love her shoulders anyway.
“Uhhh...” I stalled, trying to think of something to say.
“I know I often leave you speechless, but you needn’t make it so obvious.” Melrose commented with a smirk. I kissed her cheek before pulling away as she grabbed the plate sitting beside her and scooped the four perfectly cooked pancakes onto it. She turned, handed the plate to me, and turned back to the stove to make more.
“I knew I smelled pancakes!” Syn announced as he stepped into the kitchen five minutes later. Melrose grinned as she shoveled four more pancakes onto a plate. She held the plate out to Syn, and he gladly took it from her. “I don’t know about you,” he muttered as he sat down across from me at the kitchen table, “but I think she’s a keeper.”
“She most definitely is.” I agreed as he began to douse his pancakes in syrup.
♠ ♠ ♠
So, after this chapter, we descend down into the deep, terrifying world of FILLERS! Scary, I know. But don't panic. Once the fillers are all over, the drama will pick up FAST and slap you upside the head very hard. And even the fillers are mildly entertaining. =}Comments?