Wake Me Up Forgotten Faces
..Seven..
She awoke in a panic, her chest feeling tight and her head aching.
10:30 was an unacceptable time for her to wake up...
Suddenly - as she glance around the room - the tight knot of panic in her chest dissolved, being quickly replaced by the light feeling of relief.
She wasn't at home with Alan but safe in the company of her family.
After taking a shower - enjoying the luxury of hot water - she quickly changed into the clothes Gena had left out for her and headed downstairs.
"Johnny you fucker!" It was Zach's light-hearted tone that she heard first - telling her she's find them in the kitchen. "Can you not go a day without spilling something?!"
A male voice she's never heard before chuckled "Sorry man."
"Hey Emmey!" Gena grinned once Emily had plucked up the courage to walk in the room.
"Morning," She replied with a wave, dipping her head in an attempt to conceal her bruises with her drying hair from the guy she had heard and the dark haired girl stood with Gena.
"How're you today?" Zach asked as she perched herself on top of one of the kitchen's tall stools.
A plate of pancakes landed in front of her and she was soon joined by the four others; all eating the same breakfast.
"Oh Emz, you remember Johnny the band's bassist and this is his girlfriend, Lacey," Zach introduced them between mouthfuls.
"Hi," She greeted them quietly. The couple grinned a greeting in reply - their eyes doing the usual glance over her bruises.
"Dude," Johnny began almost in shock "You have to be the bravest chick I know..." His sentence trailed off as his bandmate and the two girls looked up to glare at him "What?"
Emily chuckled, swallowing a mouthful of pancakes. "It's fine guys!" She laughed as Johnny looked triumphant "I've never been called a 'dude' and a 'chick' in the same sentence before."
The short bassist stood up and bowed "There's a first time for everything honey!"
*
It was like being in a dream.
The heating was on, she could eat whenever she liked, could watch whatever she wanted on television at any time...Zach and Gena even had a cleaner come in for 2 hours a day.
It was like she had been sucked into an alternate reality.
Zach's music blared from upstairs as he took a shower and Emily lay across one of the sofas while Gena fixed them up a snack.
Her eyes just started dozing as a loud knocking echoed through the house.
Panic tightened her chest once more and she sat up, as the loud knocking repeated her heart pounded.
She scrabbled off the sofa and skidded in to the kitchen "There's someone here!" She wheezed as Gena wrapped protective arms around her cousin's fragile body.
"It's fine," She shushed, gently rubbing Emily's back "It's probably just one of the guys - you grab yourself a glass of water and I'll answer the door okay?" She disappeared through the living room and to the front door. As Emily sipped on her water she heard Gena's angry exclaim "Matt you dick!"
"What?" A smooth male voice defended himself "I just thought I'd come to welcome the new addition to the A7x family!"
"She's not a dog you shit-head!" Emily heard her cousin sighing in disbelief.
"What is it, fucking 'Lets Call Matt Hurtful Names Day' or something?" He replied, almost in shock "Cause I sure as hell missed that memo!"
Despite how scared and nervous she had been only a couple of moments before Emily couldn't help but snort with laughter.
"Emz? You can come through!" Gena called "It was just Zach's stupid lead singer and his lovely wife!"
"Oh yeah! Be nice to Val why don't ya!" Matt grumbled as Emily entered the room.
She was unable to contain her laughter once more. Matt - more commonly known as M Shadows - was exactly how she remembered him; huge. Huge in height, in muscles, in voice...and there was just something funny about a man as huge as Matt sat sulking like a 4 year old.
A smile lit up his face when he saw her and he quickly jumped to his feet, towering over Emily's 5'6'' frame.
Nothing about Matt scared her. although he looked pretty scary - with the muscles and the height to prove it - everything about Matt was sweet. His dimples, the way his eyes twinkled when he smiled...
..Plus, the inside information she had off Zach and Gena proved Matt was a real softie deep down.
"Hi, I'm Matt," He said softly as he gently took her tiny hand in his big one for a friendly handshake.
"And I'm Val," A beautiful blonde haired woman appeared from behind him. She also shook Emily by the hand "It's nice to finally see you again!"
"You too," Emily smiled, slightly overwhelmed. In the past few years no-one but Hannah had paid so much attention and interest to her.
"So, how you settling in?" Val asked as they all sat down.
Matt groaned "If this is gunna spiral into some shitty girly conversation I'm going to find Zach."
Gena shrugged "You're very welcome to...but he's in the shower."
Matt paused standing up half way through and flopped right back down. "Fucking great."
10:30 was an unacceptable time for her to wake up...
Suddenly - as she glance around the room - the tight knot of panic in her chest dissolved, being quickly replaced by the light feeling of relief.
She wasn't at home with Alan but safe in the company of her family.
After taking a shower - enjoying the luxury of hot water - she quickly changed into the clothes Gena had left out for her and headed downstairs.
"Johnny you fucker!" It was Zach's light-hearted tone that she heard first - telling her she's find them in the kitchen. "Can you not go a day without spilling something?!"
A male voice she's never heard before chuckled "Sorry man."
"Hey Emmey!" Gena grinned once Emily had plucked up the courage to walk in the room.
"Morning," She replied with a wave, dipping her head in an attempt to conceal her bruises with her drying hair from the guy she had heard and the dark haired girl stood with Gena.
"How're you today?" Zach asked as she perched herself on top of one of the kitchen's tall stools.
A plate of pancakes landed in front of her and she was soon joined by the four others; all eating the same breakfast.
"Oh Emz, you remember Johnny the band's bassist and this is his girlfriend, Lacey," Zach introduced them between mouthfuls.
"Hi," She greeted them quietly. The couple grinned a greeting in reply - their eyes doing the usual glance over her bruises.
"Dude," Johnny began almost in shock "You have to be the bravest chick I know..." His sentence trailed off as his bandmate and the two girls looked up to glare at him "What?"
Emily chuckled, swallowing a mouthful of pancakes. "It's fine guys!" She laughed as Johnny looked triumphant "I've never been called a 'dude' and a 'chick' in the same sentence before."
The short bassist stood up and bowed "There's a first time for everything honey!"
*
It was like being in a dream.
The heating was on, she could eat whenever she liked, could watch whatever she wanted on television at any time...Zach and Gena even had a cleaner come in for 2 hours a day.
It was like she had been sucked into an alternate reality.
Zach's music blared from upstairs as he took a shower and Emily lay across one of the sofas while Gena fixed them up a snack.
Her eyes just started dozing as a loud knocking echoed through the house.
Panic tightened her chest once more and she sat up, as the loud knocking repeated her heart pounded.
She scrabbled off the sofa and skidded in to the kitchen "There's someone here!" She wheezed as Gena wrapped protective arms around her cousin's fragile body.
"It's fine," She shushed, gently rubbing Emily's back "It's probably just one of the guys - you grab yourself a glass of water and I'll answer the door okay?" She disappeared through the living room and to the front door. As Emily sipped on her water she heard Gena's angry exclaim "Matt you dick!"
"What?" A smooth male voice defended himself "I just thought I'd come to welcome the new addition to the A7x family!"
"She's not a dog you shit-head!" Emily heard her cousin sighing in disbelief.
"What is it, fucking 'Lets Call Matt Hurtful Names Day' or something?" He replied, almost in shock "Cause I sure as hell missed that memo!"
Despite how scared and nervous she had been only a couple of moments before Emily couldn't help but snort with laughter.
"Emz? You can come through!" Gena called "It was just Zach's stupid lead singer and his lovely wife!"
"Oh yeah! Be nice to Val why don't ya!" Matt grumbled as Emily entered the room.
She was unable to contain her laughter once more. Matt - more commonly known as M Shadows - was exactly how she remembered him; huge. Huge in height, in muscles, in voice...and there was just something funny about a man as huge as Matt sat sulking like a 4 year old.
A smile lit up his face when he saw her and he quickly jumped to his feet, towering over Emily's 5'6'' frame.
Nothing about Matt scared her. although he looked pretty scary - with the muscles and the height to prove it - everything about Matt was sweet. His dimples, the way his eyes twinkled when he smiled...
..Plus, the inside information she had off Zach and Gena proved Matt was a real softie deep down.
"Hi, I'm Matt," He said softly as he gently took her tiny hand in his big one for a friendly handshake.
"And I'm Val," A beautiful blonde haired woman appeared from behind him. She also shook Emily by the hand "It's nice to finally see you again!"
"You too," Emily smiled, slightly overwhelmed. In the past few years no-one but Hannah had paid so much attention and interest to her.
"So, how you settling in?" Val asked as they all sat down.
Matt groaned "If this is gunna spiral into some shitty girly conversation I'm going to find Zach."
Gena shrugged "You're very welcome to...but he's in the shower."
Matt paused standing up half way through and flopped right back down. "Fucking great."