Wanna Live It Up Just Because

Arpeggio sat on the bed in the hotel room that she and her older sibling shared, awaiting her sister's return with items necessary for the last part of her lesson. Apparently a banana would suffice in teaching her how to put a condom on. How that would work, Arpeggio didn't know but she wasn't going to question it. She didn't want an explanation as to how a banana was similar to a man's defining part. She had seen enough pictures in school; she didn't see how they were the same.

The last part of the photo shoot had gone well. Arpeggio simply had to lay "unconscious" in a hospital bed with bandages wrapped around her throat and mock IVs attached to her skin. The rest of the band members were told to do what they did while she was unconscious. Arpeggio finally got to see what they did while waiting for her to wake up. Of course, Dorian was pacing. Dante was reading a book on suicide and depression. Jazz was drinking copious amounts of coffee to calm her nerves. Lestat sat in a chair on one side of Arpeggio, holding her hand; and Neon sat on the other side, clutching her hand tighter than necessary.

She guessed Neon really did hold her hand that tight because that hand ached when she came back to a conscious state. Arpeggio always assumed she had it rested in an odd position; according to the shoot, she had been wrong.

The door to the hotel opened and shut.

"I'm back and I got what we need," Neon said walking into the bedroom.

Arpeggio raised her eyebrow at the paper bag in Neon's hand. This was not on her list of things to do today. She just wanted to go back to sleep. In fact, she wanted to sleep next to Jack. But she wouldn't tell Neon that, she would definitely deny her request to share a bed with her boyfriend.

"The woman at the store downstairs looked at me weird when I put the condoms and the banana on the counter," Neon stated.

She sat on the bed next to Arpeggio, kicking her shoes off. She poured the contents of the bag onto the bed. Arpeggio stared at the box with a helmet of some sort on it and the word "Trojan" in large letters across it.

Why the hell was it called "Trojan?"

"Okay," Neon started, "I need you to pretend that the banana is guy's member."

"Can I not?" asked Arpeggio.

It seemed awkward to pretend such a thing, especially sitting across from her older sibling.

"Arpeggio, would you just play along?"

"I'm pretending the banana is a banana. If it makes you feel any better, I'll pretend its blue with unicorn stickers on it."

Neon mock glared at Arpeggio. In return, Arpeggio flashed an innocent smile. Neon chuckled at her sister's antics. She was too adorable for her own good.

"Fine, you can pretend it’s a banana. I'm sure it will stretch your imagination."

"Oh, it will."

Neon shook her head and grabbed the box of condoms. She opened the box and extracted a single condom. Arpeggio stared at the wrapper in her sister's hand. Neon ripped the packet open and held a rubbery-looking object up.

"This is a condom," Neon stated.

"I kind of figured that considering a banana can not be a condom. A banana can only be blue and covered in unicorn stickers."

Neon stared at her sister in disbelief. This side of her was not one she had ever seen. She liked it though. It was carefree.

"Okay, Miss Smartass, put the condom on the banana," Neon instructed.

"Why would I do that? A banana can’t get me pregnant."

"Well pretend the banana can get you pregnant."

Arpeggio turned her attention to the banana and, in the most serious voice possible, said, "Mr. Banana, I don't want to touch you because you can get me pregnant."

Neon burst into hysterical laughter.

"You are such a nerd," she exclaimed.

"And you love me for it," Arpeggio claimed.

"I think Jack is rubbing off on you."

"I don't see anything wrong with it."

"You wouldn't, you hormonal teenager, you," Neon reached to pinch Arpeggio's cheek but paused mid-action.

She squinted and tilted her head to the side. Arpeggio watched her sister, not quite sure what she was doing.

"What happened to your lip?" asked Neon.

Arpeggio's eyes went wide. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Bullshit. Let me see," Neon demanded.

Reluctant, Arpeggio removed her hand from her mouth. Neon studied Arpeggio's lip before a wide smile broke out on her face.

"Did Jack do that?" she asked.

"Yes," Arpeggio mumbled.

Neon started laughing again. Arpeggio was confused. She was sure Neon would kill Jack the minute she found out. Was she wrong? Neon calmed her laughter.

"Looks like you had a productive first kiss," Neon teased.

"You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? You guys are dating. He's your first boyfriend, I expect you to end up with a swollen lip. I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon though."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Back to the banana. Put the condom on it."

Arpeggio groaned and snatched the condom from her sister's outstretched hand.

"Fine, it can't be that hard."

Arpeggio studied the condom for a moment. It didn't look difficult. There couldn't be much to putting it on. She didn't see why she had to practice.

Arpeggio put the condom over the tip of the banana and stretched it down the length. The plastic material coated the surface of the banana. Neon watched her sister, slightly amused. Arpeggio didn't realize she was putting it on in a fashion that would cause it to fly right off the banana when she let go. Neon had done that in high school during Health when their teacher made all the girls put condoms on bananas.

It was much easier putting them on Armand.

The door to the hotel room opened just as Arpeggio let go of the condom. The small object flew out of the bedroom area and into the living room of their hotel room. Arpeggio jumped at the sudden movement.

"Ow. What the fuck?" Jack's voice rang through the rooms.

Arpeggio's eyes widened. There was a pause.

"Why did a condom just hit me in the eye?" Jack called.

Neon immediately burst into hysterics. It wouldn't have been so amusing had it not been for Jack getting hit.

"Neon, you suck at putting condoms on," Jack yelled.

The statement caused Neon to laugh harder. She fell backwards off the bed. Arpeggio continued to sit, too embarrassed to move. Jack appeared in the doorway, holding the condom in between two fingers. His eyes gazed over the scene in front of him. Arpeggio stared up at him like a deer caught in headlights. Neon was curled in the fetal position taking deep breathes to calm herself.

"What are you two doing?" Jack asked.

"I was trying to teach Arpeggio to put a condom on a banana," Neon replied.

Jack smirked at Arpeggio, who ducked her head to avoid his gaze.

"Let me help you," Jack instructed, walking to the young girl's spot on the bed.

"Keep your pants on, Jack," Neon instructed.

"Kill joy."

Jack took hold of Arpeggio's hands and placed the condom in a proper grip between her fingers. He steered her hands to the banana and helped her slide the condom on. When she let go, it didn't fly off the banana.

"One day, you'll be doing that for me," Jack whispered in her ear and placing a kiss on her cheek.

The hotel room door opened again.

"Jack, we have to go. Please wrap up your make out session so we can get this shit done," Alex called.

"Don't mind him. He's a little frustrated because our shoot got pushed back. I'll see you later," Jack pressed his lips to Arpeggio's before leaving the room.