Serenading Sirens

From that night stemmed each day of me spending time with the guys. I stayed away from the parties they went to frequently, usually every weekend and sometimes during the week. I wasn't sure I could ever plunge myself that deep into their fun. But every other activity officially included me. And that made me the happiest I knew I would ever be.

There were absolutely no regrets to my decision to give up. I knew I would just be missing out if they weren't a part of my life. Thanks to them, I met new people at every show, every public place we went. That shell seemed like a distant memory as I slowly got into the swing of having someone to talk to in every class, even if it was only to discuss where All Time Low would be playing that weekend. I was no longer shy, and I definitely was no longer the loner that I had been for almost eighteen years.

After that first Saturday with the boys, I got a lot of attention. But it wasn't the kind of attention I was beginning to enjoy. Glares were everyone's favorite expression those first few days. It wasn't difficult for me to figure out why. They were all envious. Rian, Jack, and Alex of course were friends with most of the kids in our school. The three of them were hardly outcasts anymore with how big their fan base was. The ones that were hateful toward me though were only that way because of how close I was.

In such a short time -I really couldn't get over how immediately it had all happened- I had went from a girl who basically refused to talk to anyone to the one these boys spent all their time with. All Time Low's best friend. I didn't look at it as much more than getting the liberty of confidants. I honestly didn't see what the big deal was. And I was thankful when the first few of those envious people decided to talk to me.

What a weird change I was in. The month or so that followed was just the same. The glowers were down after a short time, and a lot of those decided to speak with me. Because of the latter change, I was also granted the task of selling tickets during the week. Jack had deemed it too much of a task for him if they wanted the right amount of money. That was all it took for people to flock to me.

The boys seemed to be up on their high horse about this. If I didn't know any better, I would say that maybe that had been their main goal all along. But Alex's words of the plan stuck in my head, if only distantly. They would probably be even dimmer if I could get his actions from that first show to leave a chance to get rid of the former. That was all that seemed to take up my thoughts every second of the day. It was hard to focus on anything else, honestly.

I went to sleep thinking of Alex's arms around me. His lips whispering a question that was so irrelevant to the real reason I had been shaking. How pathetic of me, I would think when I woke up in the morning. But that all changed when his greeting smile seemingly melted my insides the moment I walked to my locker. He was slowly changing my perspective of life.

All I ever looked forward to now was the time I got to spend with all of them. And for some reason it seemed silly to me that that had replaced me wanting to get out of Maryland. I put all thoughts of my future to the side unintentionally. For once, the present was so much brighter than I could have ever imagined it to be.

I loved the flipping of my life.

________________________________________________

Jack threw himself down next to me, his tray sliding halfway across the table. Rian caught it and slid it back over just as Alex sat next to him. Jack didn't even stare at the food he had bought while he rested his head in his hands. I snaked my arm through his to steal his fruit salad before asking what was wrong.

He let out a long sigh, his bangs blowing off his forehead. Then he swung his head to look at me, then back to Alex and Rian, and back to stare at me again. "I hate school," he moaned. "When's graduation?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Is this about the calculus test again?" I questioned. He nodded which earned a shove in the other direction. "It's algebra review right now. If you're having that much trouble, it really is a mystery how you got in there."

Jack scoffed. "Not all of us are geniuses at math like the powerful Clarke," he complained.

I shook my head, opening my mouth to tell him that I wasn't that much smarter. But I quickly closed it when the other two agreed with him.

"I don't know how you do it, but your grades are phenomenal," Rian insisted with Alex backing him up with violent nodding.

I snorted. "You don't know how I do it?" I asked sarcastically. "Try my friendless state of seventeen years."

All three of their faces twisted into understanding. They obviously didn't get that I was fine that it took me that long to meet them.

"Tutor me!" Jack exclaimed, trying to change the subject. He clearly wasn't very good at subtle.

Staring at him for a good sixty seconds, I tried to figure out if he was being serious. Jack definitely had a knack for saying things he didn't mean for various reasons. They were usually beyond ridiculous. "If you're positive," I began. He nodded with a large grin. "I'm not all that great," I tried to remind him. "But I guess if you're willing..."

Jack pumped his fist in victory. "All right! So band practice at Clarke's after our tutoring session tonight," he announced.

I was stunned too long. By the time I went to protest, they were already scrambling from the table in response to the bell. Only Alex stayed behind, as usual, to walk me to class.

He was chuckling, staring at my shocked expression. "I can make him not mean that, if you don't want us practicing at your place," he began telling me. "Our stuff's already in the trailer from the last show..."

My attention faded out briefly. Every intention I had had of saying no to Jack immediately vanished. It wasn't because it would be easier for them. Now it was simply because Alex was the one asking. I couldn't deny anything to this boy. "It's fine. I would love to have you guys practice there." I hadn't even realized that I had cut him off.

He didn't seem to notice either as he beamed at me. "That's great! I'll see you then?" he inquired, stopping just in front of the door to our class. He was too excited to remember that we shared it.

"Or, you know, right now," I laughed, pushing passed him politely before taking his hand to pull him to our seats.

"Oh, right." Alex laughed nervously as he sat in the desk next to mine.

________________________________________________

Somehow Zack had already been informed about the location change in their practice space for the night. So I didn't even get the pleasure of a confused expression when I asked him if he needed a ride to my house after work. I angrily huffed at the loss of my fun as he walked away. Once he noticed this action, he came running back and asked if I was really mad. Though I wasn't at all, I played along.

"You should call Alex if you want a ride," I snapped, and turned on my heel in the other direction. I didn't even know where I was going. But I certainly had to get the smirk off my face before I burst out laughing.

My game continued until we were ready to leave, our shift being over. Zack had followed me around the entire time to try and reason with me. All I could do to make sure that I let it go on as long as possible was pretend to stalk away like he was the worst thing in the entire world. As we walked out the door together, he threw his hands up.

"I don't understand why you're mad!" he exclaimed, completely frustrated by this point. "I can't help that they already told me. I'm sorry that you like to see me confused." With that, he started walking away from me.

"Where the hell are you going?" I asked crossly, still part of the game. He stopped, turning slowly to face me again. "Get in the car," I demanded.

I could see him shaking his head in confusion at the contrast between my words and my mood. Zack sighed as he slid into the passenger seat and looked at me, the look I'd been waiting for on his face. I beamed at this.

"Our first best friend fight," I explained to him with a giggle. "And I just wanted to see that." I pointed to his face before turning the key in the ignition and starting on the way to my house.

Now it was his turn to pretend to be angry. Ignoring his actions, I turned the music up. I didn't have the room to think about it anyway. The fact that there were going to be four rather loud musical instruments in my basement -amps projecting that loudness even further- was really all I could worry about. My parents had never picked a better week to be out of town. And on top of that, they were all going to be in my house.

These boys that I had grown so greatly fond of. One of them still picked me up every Saturday for whatever we would be doing, but they still had yet to be inside. I had kept that detail close. It was something, at least, that was still a complete secret to them. I had a feeling that the tutoring that was supposed to happen the moment Jack arrived wasn't going to happen. I knew that they would flock around all the rooms and find everything I wish they wouldn't. My breath caught in my throat as I thought of this.

Zack had to scream my name to get my attention. When he had finally achieved that goal, my frantic face looking over at him, he informed me that we had passed my driveway at least six times. He thought I was just playing another joke up until that point.

"Not paying attention," I mumbled guiltily as I did a few illegal moves to get us back to where we needed to be.

The driveway wasn't empty, a dirty white van and a matching trailer taking up my parents' usual spots. This sight only had my throat tightening more around my air. Though I could clearly see that Matt, Alex, Jack, and Rian were all just sitting on my porch, waiting patiently, I was extremely worried about them wandering around my house unattended by me.

I exited the car, Zack not far behind me. I was positive that my knees were visibly shaking and silently prayed that it wasn't easy to notice. None of the boys seemed to pay attention though as I approached them. They all waved and jumped up, ready to move their things into the basement. I walked them around to the side door and began helping them unload everything.

Once everything was ready, they didn't start tuning or messing around like I was starting to expect they would. They put a driving force behind my first instinct as they ran up the basement stairs and through the door to the kitchen. I was quick to follow, trying to be illusive about how I was trailing very closely behind. I was sure they would feel offended if they thought I was apprehensive about them walking around my house alone.

"This place is huge," Matt almost squeaked as they did their inspection. We walked slower and slower the further we got.

"Hardly," I muttered under my breath.

Yes, my parents had money. But really, we weren't rich. And our house was just as average as any of the three of us.

"Where's your room?" Alex questioned excitedly as he turned to me. His eyes were sparkling with the same enthusiasm that laced his voice.

Swallowing hard, I took lead. This is what I had been afraid of. I was with them though and that was a lot better than what I had feared.

We reached my room at the end of the second floor hall. My door was shut like always, decorated with the signs Hadley had made me on Post-Its and the magazine poster of Heath Ledger in the middle of the chaos. I let them examine everything a while before pushing it open. Immediately, I went to my bed to sit and clutched my stuffed elephant. This visit had been sprung on me, so nothing was hidden. There was no use in trying to do it now.

Every movement they made seemed like a blur, but everything took a long time. They searched my music collection, flipped through magazines and books that littered my shelves, and stalked my computer thoroughly. There wasn't one inch of the room that hadn't been invaded by the five of them, and I found myself embarrassment free by the time it was over. Anything that had been found that may have led to that was shrugged off by all parties.

We all made our way back downstairs then. I sat on top of the washer to watch them play songs I already knew by heart and new ones they were trying out. Once they were satisfied with the amount of work they had done, they ran back up to the kitchen to find food. When they found something that was actually in date, they all gave me their best sad looks to ask if I would make it. Finally, we all settled in the living room to eat and flip through pointless television while we talked.

It was late by the time I said goodbye to the five boys, a hug received by each. I rubbed the arm of my waving hand to protect myself from the cold night as I stood on the porch. They beeped their horn repeatedly as they drove away to announce their departure. I giggled as I made my way back into the living room.

I slipped my arms through the sleeves of my red hoodie that was lying on the couch. I hadn't remembered leaving it downstairs, but I was grateful for it thanks to the air growing cooler inside. Once it was zipped -the hood propped in place on my head- I noticed something odd. The sleeves were too long, almost covering my hands completely. As I shifted in the soft fabric, a pleasant smell escaped it. That of a sweet cologne and I could also smell a hint of some kind of alcohol, all mixed in with cigarette smoke that I knew automatically didn't belong there. This hoodie definitely wasn't mine.

It was Alex's.

Two months ago, if I even would have been put into this situation, I would have ripped it off while cringing and thrown it back where it had been discarded in the first place. But now I found myself trying to pull it tighter around me without unzipping it. I deeply inhaled Alex's partying scent as I ascended the stairs to my room to think about him some more.