Praying for a Riot

“What are you guys doing tonight?” Kay asked Lauren and Mandy, whom were both sitting at Lauren’s kitchen table, playing strip poker.

“Nothing…why?” Mandy sighed, pulling her shirt off and throwing it to the ground, whilst Lauren smirked “Are you doing anything Laur?”

“Nothing at all.”

“Umm…well Rhys wanted to know if you wanted to go out tonight. You know…umm…meet him?”

“Sounds good…can I bring Jams?” Lauren glared at her current hand, and pulled her shirt off, throwing it at Mandy.

“I don’t see why not.” Kay said, sipping her water and watching both her best friends with amusement.

“Ahaha…hell yes!” Lauren grinned, then smirked at Mandy “Alright…off with the bra…you’re losing your touch.”

“Fuck…” Mandy glared, and threw her black bra at Lauren, the bra landing on her head “So Rhys wants to meet us?”

“Yes…” Kay said, laughing whilst Lauren wore Mandy’s bra as a hat “I’m sure you’ll like him…”

“I’d better…” Mandy said, smirking at her hand “Alright Laur…the bra…I want it…”

“Damnit!” Lauren glared, before throwing her bra at Mandy “Are we like…evenly losing?”

“I think so…”

“What in the name of hell is going on!?” Ian stood in the door, looking utterly shocked.

“Jesus Christ Ian…must you walk in on everything?!” Mandy glared at her husband.

“Oh God, tell me about it…” Kay laughed “Remember that time he walked in on Laur and Mikey having sexy time?”

“Don’t remind me…” Lauren cringed “Ian walks in on all the good shit…”

“Not intentionally!” Ian look horrified, and Mandy laughed.

“Nah, you walking in on people fucking is like…your calling.”

“It is not!” Ian crossed his arms and pouted

“It so is…” Kay laughed, and Lauren and Mandy giggled.

“BOOBS! That’s it, I’m leaving now!” Ian yelped, and covered his eyes trying to walk away, but he successfully walked the wrong way and into a cupboard “FUCK!”

The girls burst into fits of laughter as Ian stood up, fixed his hair and ran off again “YOU ALL HATE ME!”

“He acts as if he’s never seen boobs before…jeez…” Mandy shook her head and laughed “and you know…just for that, I’m gonna wear a slut dress.”

“Oh wow…we haven’t had a slut dress in a while…” Kay smirked “They’ve been neglected…”

“Oh god, I know.” Mandy shook her head, snatching her bra from Lauren’s head “We should all meet here before we go out, pick up Jams, then go to wherever we’re meeting Spiderman…”

“That sounds good.” Lauren agreed, taking her own bra back “It’s five now…how about we meet around seven?”

Kay and Mandy nodded, as Mandy pulled her shirt and hoodie back on “Alright…see you then.”

Kay and Mandy left, leaving Lauren on her own. She wandered over to the kettle and switched it on, before picking up her cell and dialling Jamie’s number.

“Jams!” she grinned, when he picked up the phone.

“Hey gorgeous.”

“How do you fancy coming out tonight? Kay wants us to meet her new boyfriend…”

“That sounds good…I’ll go. What time do you want me to pick you up?”

“Me, Mand, Ian and Kay are gonna pick you up around seven…is that okay?”

“That’s perfect babe.”

“Alright…I’ll see you later Jamieface…”

“Bye gorgeous….”

“Bye…”

---

Seven came quicker than Lauren expected, and she grinned when Mandy and Kay knocked at her door.

“Jesus, I feel underdressed.” Lauren laughed, looking at Kay and Mandy. Kay was wearing black drainpipe jeans, a black shirt and a black beret sat on her head. Her make-up, like the rest of her attire, was black too.
Mandy, on the other hand, was wearing all red. She had her red slut dress on, red stilettos, and scarlet red lipstick. A smirk danced across her lips, as she looked Lauren up and down.

“So? Jams is gonna love it. He has a thing for tight, skinny jeans…” the smirk becoming more and more apparent by the second. “And he loves tight shirts like that too…and it’s Metallica? Good god, he’ll love it…”

“Lets go! Rhys is waiting…” Kay said impatiently, tapping her toes and frowning “and if we leave Ian out there any longer, he’ll get bitchy…”

Mandy rolled her eyes “Alright Kay…we’re coming…”

“Finally.” Kay muttered under her breath, walking out of Lauren’s apartment, Lauren and Mandy snickering behind her, mocking her as they made their way out to the car. Kay slid into the back seat, glaring, as Lauren slid into the back beside her, and Mandy got into the front.

“Why so smug, love?” Ian asked, staring at his wife’s chest.

“Nothing.” She swatted his head away, raising an eyebrow “Alright. We have to go and get Jams now.”

Ian nodded, and started the car, as Mandy messed with the radio, smiling to herself when she found a station that was playing Aerosmith. Kay bit her nails nervously, Ian glared at the road ahead of him, and Lauren smiled.

The next five minutes were silent, apart from the radio. Ian wasn’t happy that Jams was going to be with his “skank- of-a-whore girlfriend”, and he was also very overprotective over Kay, and he’d be watching this Rhys like a hawk.

“Yeah, well look. We’re at Jams’ place.” Ian said, sighing in annoyance. Tonight was not going to be fun.
Unless he got laid, of course. He rolled his eyes as Jamie made his way to car, smiling, and glared out the window when he got in.

“Hey gorgeous,” Jamie kissed Lauren’s cheek quickly and looked around “hey Mand…Kay…Ian…”

Kay and Mandy said their hellos and smiled to Jamie, whilst Ian simply growled at him in an “I’m-really-not-amused” fashion. Jamie stared at his best friend, who glared back in the rear-view mirror.

“Ian Watkins…the possessive bastard…” Kay snickered, and everyone but Ian laughed. He growled again, started the car, and made for the grungy rock club in town, which was only around a ten-minute drive. Kay sat back, and smiled to herself. She had butterflies in her stomach, and all because of some mushroom headed Englishman.
A very cute, mushroom-headed Englishman, with insane friends.

“What on earth are you smiling at?” Mandy turned and looked at Kay; surveying the smaller woman.

“I was thinking about Rhys…” her cheeks turned a slight pink, even though no one but Mandy was paying any attention to her.

“Awww. You’re cute.” Mandy smiled, and turned back to fiddling with the radio, and frowning to herself when she couldn’t find a good song.

“We’re here!” Kay yelped excitedly, four minutes later “And look….there he is…”

Kay pointed at a man with a bowl cut, standing beside four other…well…freaks.
She jumped out of the car, and rushed over to Rhys.

“Kay!” he smiled, gathering her up in his twig-like, but surprisingly strong arms and hugging her “How are you?”

“All the better for seeing you…” she giggled, her cheeks turning pink “and you?”

“Well…I was cold…and bored…but now you’re here, I feel spiffy.” Rhys grinned, and Kay smiled, snuggling into him “Where are your friends?”

“There…” Kay pointed to the four people walking over, and she started pointing people out “Ian, Mandy, Laur and Jams.”

He felt, understandably, intimidated. Ian and Mandy were scary, in most people’s eyes. He bit his lip, and took a step forward, one of his hands in Kay’s.

“Erm…hello…I’m Rhys.”

Mandy looked Rhys up and down, almost glaring “Spiderman?”

“Well, if that’s what you, erm, want to call me…” Kay’s grip on his hand tightened, as Rhys smiled nervously.
The Watkins’ scared him already…

Lauren looked up from where she was standing and gasped “Oh my god!”

“What?” Jamie raised an eyebrow, and watched his girlfriend carefully.

“IT’S JOSHUA THIRD!” she almost squealed, and Joshua looked in her direction.

“I know, Laur…” he said, laughing at her, as she untangled herself from him, and walked over to Joshua.

“Hey…I’m Laur…and I was wondering….can I pet your hair?!”

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

“Shall we all go inside?” Ian said, almost snapping, “I’m kinda freezing my balls off out here…”

“Sheep boy has a point…it is cold…” Mandy agreed, and she pulled Ian into the tiny club, The Horrors, Kay, Jamie and Lauren following close behind. The group assembled at a table in one of the corners, the girls sitting on their significant others laps, and Faris, Joe, Josh and Tomethy sitting awkwardly around the three couples.

“Heh…well this is cosy…” Joe smirked, and Faris rolled his eyes.

“Shut up, Joe.”

“I’ll get the first round of drinks,” Rhys offered, and Kay stood up with Rhys to help with the drinks.

“You’re such a sweetheart, Rhysy…” Kay smiled, snuggling up to Rhys, unaware of Mandy’s glare. On the other hand, Ian was glaring at Jamie, for no reason at all….

Two hours later, when the alcohol was well and truly flowing, the atmosphere was less awkward. Lauren and Jamie were up dancing, Kay and Rhys were snuggled in the corner, and Mandy and Joe were laughing at random people.

“This sucks.” Ian pouted, crossing his arms.

“Oh, tell me about it.” Faris agreed, sighing “I just don’t get them at all…”

“Hah…tell me about it…” Ian laughed, raising an eyebrow at the laugh Joshua emitted.

“Just ignore him.” Faris said softly “They’re freaks…”

“I gathered…”

“Ian, can we dance?” Mandy tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to her.

“Maybe later, eh love? I can’t dance…”

“I don’t care. It’s the slow song, and even Kay and Spiderman are up there…” the glare Mandy gave Ian forced him into standing up, and awkwardly swaying on the dancefloor. He couldn’t understand how other people did this so naturally…he just found it awkward.

As the song ended, he rushed back to his seat, to avoid further embarrassment, as his “dancing” had been humiliating enough.

“You can’t dance for shit….” Mandy hissed and glared, and Ian sighed.

“I don’t understand women…”

“I don’t either…” Faris smiled slightly, and Ian smiled and nodded.

“You’re alright Faris…you aren’t as bad as I thought you would be…”

“Thank you.” Faris nodded “You aren’t bad yourself…”

Faris and Ian talked for the rest of that night, until Mandy deemed it time to leave…

“Hey, Ian, Mand, we’re going.” Jamie said, grabbing his coat “I’m staying at Laur’s tonight, so I’ll see you tomorrow some point…”

“Alright….Bye Laur, bye Jams…” Mandy waved the couple off, and seconds later, Rhys and Kay approached her.

“We’re going now Mand…I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye Kay…bye Spiderman…” Mandy said, and smiled. She still wasn’t too keen on Rhys, but Kay was happy.

“Alright Ian…time to for us to go…”

“Aww…okay…” Ian pouted standing up, and grabbing his coat “Bye Faris.”

“Bye Ian.” Faris waved, as Ian and Mandy left. It had been a good night really…he’d made a new friend, and he’d been forced to realise that Lauren did really like Jamie….

As for Lauren, Rhys, Jamie and Kay…

It’s times like these you learn to live again,
It’s times like these you learn to love again….