Sequel: A Million to Two ›
Status: Alive once again! Never leaving a gap like that again if I can help it xD Hugs xx
A Thousand to One
Zeeeee-bra
I managed to balance in a press-up position, slowly looking up to face my fate.
Curiosity definitely killed the cat in my case.
He stood in front of me, looking down at where I balance with a mix of unreadable expressions running through his face. Was he angry at me? I knew for sure I was ticked off at his brother, at least a little pain would need to be inflicted the next day; lifesaver or not.
My arms started to shake as their stamina waned. Jared had stepped up from the stool when I fell but since then had been planted to the spot with his guitar grasped firmly in one hand by the neck. I groaned at the pain in my knee and arms, “A little help here?” was all I managed to say.
His shadow seemed to hesitate, then within a few seconds my torso was surrounded by his warm arms; picking me up easily.
My feet were reunited with the ground as he lowered me down carefully. I smiled a shy thank you as he stared intently at my face; his eyes were a silvery blue in the moonlight, beautiful big orbs that up close I could be lost in for days.
“Umm, are....are you okay?” he asked; immediately all my pain was forgotten as the sharp surge or butterflies attacked my stomach. Jared was way too amazing to be speaking to me.
Dumbfounded, I just stared at him for a moment before remembering his question. “Yeah....thanks.” My cheeks burned ferociously as I took interest in my bare feet, jeez this was so awkward. Part of me wanted to compliment him on the music I’d heard, but the rest of me did everything to shut those compliments up. There was no way that I could let him know I had been spying before.
I half laughed at the stupidity of the situation, me sneaking around only to be sneaked up upon. My knee twitched in a spasm and I let out a sharp hiss of pain, jolting me out of any other thoughts “Fricking hell that hurt!” I winced, clutching the bandaged injury. Jared seemed to snap out of our shared awkwardness and knelt down to re-tie the dressing.
“You seemed to have a nasty fall earlier; I hope it gets better soon.” He finished up making a new knot out of the bandage and got back to his feet smiling, “And you’re really cute when you curse.” Jared broke eye contact when he said the last part, looking down and rubbing the back of his neck, almost as if he was nervous to say it. It made me wonder if he had meant that as a compliment. He turned back to rest his guitar next to the piano, offering me the piano stool to sit on. I accepted it gratefully and hobbled over, while he walked to the brass instrument room and returned with a cushion and chair. Jared straddled the chair a few feet away from me and placed the cushion under my knee. I had to hand it to him, despite being a pig to Matt over the rooms; he was a gentleman when he wanted to be.
“Umm, thanks.” Was all I could manage.
We exchanged a shy smile before he replied, “No problem. But seriously, what kind of a curse is fricking?” Humour was clear as day on his face, his American accent gingerly trying to pronounce my English curse.
I gave him a mock frown. “Hey, don’t knock my curses!” Ruining the effect by cracking a smirk at his amused expression, all the tension from over a day ago had thankfully dissolved. Jared and I were able to talk at ease with each other- finally!
“So what kind of music do you listen to?” Jared asked me.
I smiled; it was one of my favourite questions to answer: “Everything, if you limit yourself to one or two genres’ then you limit how much you can love music in general. My dad brought me up on Ska music and underground bands but whatever I like, I generally listen to. What about you?” Jared’s smile had continued to widen as I’d carried on venting.
“Well, pretty much the same except it was my Mom who brought me and Shan up on 70s stuff, all hippy’s and free love y’know?” I had to laugh at Jared’s impression of a hippy as he swayed around and talked with a husky voice, but being able to laugh with him made my butterflies even more vicious. “Yeah she brought me and Shannon up, I still live with her but Shan’s moving out soon…” This thought seemed to sadden Jared, not surprising seeing just how close they were. Jared chuckled, “You know once, she taught us that if a band made good music and looked pretty they’re worth listening to and will probably do well-”
“But if they make awesome music and aren’t so good looking, that’s when you have something special.” I finished for him, while wearing what can only be described as a Cheshire Cat smile. “My Dad taught me that too.”
We talked like that for what seemed like hours, sometimes about deep things like global warming or our dreams for what we wanted to be, but mostly light hearted quips at each other’s habits. Plus trying to teach Jared how to pronounce Zebra the correct way earned me a small shove on the shoulder, sending a rush of endorphins to my brain and tingles to my arm (not to mention the butterflies, if they were bad before you can imagine now). The more time we spent together the more I noticed the similarities he shared with Shannon; the way Jared would explain things with his hands, how both brothers could mock-frown the same way right down to the shared symbols i'd one day have to ask them about. After all, if Shannon had them tattooed on his arm and Jared had them embossed on guitar straps, they must surely be important to the brothers.
“Jared?” he looked up from his hands directly into my eyes. I just about managed to get my question out before freezing: “I’m guessing you play guitar?” I indicated with my hand to the acoustic guitar, still leaning precariously against a leg of the piano.
“Yeah,” he half smiled, rubbing the back of his neck once again, “ever since I was a little kid, I used to play piano too but not very well.” I noticed how he left the song writing and singing talents out, but said nothing, after all I hadn’t been here before when he was singing……….right? “Which reminds me,” he cut into my thoughts and stared at me, I arranged my face into a curious expression, “when can I hear you play the piano?” A small smile creeping across his face; uh oh, I'd forgotten about that...
Curiosity definitely killed the cat in my case.
He stood in front of me, looking down at where I balance with a mix of unreadable expressions running through his face. Was he angry at me? I knew for sure I was ticked off at his brother, at least a little pain would need to be inflicted the next day; lifesaver or not.
My arms started to shake as their stamina waned. Jared had stepped up from the stool when I fell but since then had been planted to the spot with his guitar grasped firmly in one hand by the neck. I groaned at the pain in my knee and arms, “A little help here?” was all I managed to say.
His shadow seemed to hesitate, then within a few seconds my torso was surrounded by his warm arms; picking me up easily.
My feet were reunited with the ground as he lowered me down carefully. I smiled a shy thank you as he stared intently at my face; his eyes were a silvery blue in the moonlight, beautiful big orbs that up close I could be lost in for days.
“Umm, are....are you okay?” he asked; immediately all my pain was forgotten as the sharp surge or butterflies attacked my stomach. Jared was way too amazing to be speaking to me.
Dumbfounded, I just stared at him for a moment before remembering his question. “Yeah....thanks.” My cheeks burned ferociously as I took interest in my bare feet, jeez this was so awkward. Part of me wanted to compliment him on the music I’d heard, but the rest of me did everything to shut those compliments up. There was no way that I could let him know I had been spying before.
I half laughed at the stupidity of the situation, me sneaking around only to be sneaked up upon. My knee twitched in a spasm and I let out a sharp hiss of pain, jolting me out of any other thoughts “Fricking hell that hurt!” I winced, clutching the bandaged injury. Jared seemed to snap out of our shared awkwardness and knelt down to re-tie the dressing.
“You seemed to have a nasty fall earlier; I hope it gets better soon.” He finished up making a new knot out of the bandage and got back to his feet smiling, “And you’re really cute when you curse.” Jared broke eye contact when he said the last part, looking down and rubbing the back of his neck, almost as if he was nervous to say it. It made me wonder if he had meant that as a compliment. He turned back to rest his guitar next to the piano, offering me the piano stool to sit on. I accepted it gratefully and hobbled over, while he walked to the brass instrument room and returned with a cushion and chair. Jared straddled the chair a few feet away from me and placed the cushion under my knee. I had to hand it to him, despite being a pig to Matt over the rooms; he was a gentleman when he wanted to be.
“Umm, thanks.” Was all I could manage.
We exchanged a shy smile before he replied, “No problem. But seriously, what kind of a curse is fricking?” Humour was clear as day on his face, his American accent gingerly trying to pronounce my English curse.
I gave him a mock frown. “Hey, don’t knock my curses!” Ruining the effect by cracking a smirk at his amused expression, all the tension from over a day ago had thankfully dissolved. Jared and I were able to talk at ease with each other- finally!
“So what kind of music do you listen to?” Jared asked me.
I smiled; it was one of my favourite questions to answer: “Everything, if you limit yourself to one or two genres’ then you limit how much you can love music in general. My dad brought me up on Ska music and underground bands but whatever I like, I generally listen to. What about you?” Jared’s smile had continued to widen as I’d carried on venting.
“Well, pretty much the same except it was my Mom who brought me and Shan up on 70s stuff, all hippy’s and free love y’know?” I had to laugh at Jared’s impression of a hippy as he swayed around and talked with a husky voice, but being able to laugh with him made my butterflies even more vicious. “Yeah she brought me and Shannon up, I still live with her but Shan’s moving out soon…” This thought seemed to sadden Jared, not surprising seeing just how close they were. Jared chuckled, “You know once, she taught us that if a band made good music and looked pretty they’re worth listening to and will probably do well-”
“But if they make awesome music and aren’t so good looking, that’s when you have something special.” I finished for him, while wearing what can only be described as a Cheshire Cat smile. “My Dad taught me that too.”
We talked like that for what seemed like hours, sometimes about deep things like global warming or our dreams for what we wanted to be, but mostly light hearted quips at each other’s habits. Plus trying to teach Jared how to pronounce Zebra the correct way earned me a small shove on the shoulder, sending a rush of endorphins to my brain and tingles to my arm (not to mention the butterflies, if they were bad before you can imagine now). The more time we spent together the more I noticed the similarities he shared with Shannon; the way Jared would explain things with his hands, how both brothers could mock-frown the same way right down to the shared symbols i'd one day have to ask them about. After all, if Shannon had them tattooed on his arm and Jared had them embossed on guitar straps, they must surely be important to the brothers.
“Jared?” he looked up from his hands directly into my eyes. I just about managed to get my question out before freezing: “I’m guessing you play guitar?” I indicated with my hand to the acoustic guitar, still leaning precariously against a leg of the piano.
“Yeah,” he half smiled, rubbing the back of his neck once again, “ever since I was a little kid, I used to play piano too but not very well.” I noticed how he left the song writing and singing talents out, but said nothing, after all I hadn’t been here before when he was singing……….right? “Which reminds me,” he cut into my thoughts and stared at me, I arranged my face into a curious expression, “when can I hear you play the piano?” A small smile creeping across his face; uh oh, I'd forgotten about that...
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Long time no see! This story now has THREE STARS 0.0 wow thanks all, you have no idea how much I appreciate it xIf you read this don't be a stranger, leave a comment so I can say thanks =)
I'm away 'til the 1st september so this is the last update for a while, but someone told me to tell you the next update will be 'soon' (if you're on twitter you'll know what this means) xD x
Hugs xx