I'm a Walking Travesty

“We’re here,” Peter said parking his car on the curb in front of a really big house. It wasn’t like it was mansion big but it was bigger than the norm – that’s for sure.

I got out of the car after Peter and walked around the car and up the front porch beside him. He knocked on the door five times before someone opened it. I was looking around and not paying attention to what they were talking about at all. I was sorta preoccupied. My mind was bouncing back to Ella and Zack and there was this voice in me that wouldn’t just shut up about what they might do or what they might be doing. I know that I should really just mind my own business and shit like that but I just can’t help myself.

“Mia?” Peter said shaking me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at him then to the guy in front of him. He was sorta cute. I mean that smile of his was definitely a charming one.

“Uh, yea?” I said sorta embarrassed because now they were laughing at me for being so clueless.

“This is Ryan Ogren,” Peter introduced. I smiled slightly at him and he held out his hand for me to shake. I gladly took it and was taken aback by how soft his hands were. “Ryan, this is Mia.”

He smiled before bringing my hand to his lips and made me jump a little. They both laughed as we all piled inside the house. Ryan sat me down on the couch. Apparently he was watching Top Chef before we came over. Peter and Ryan went to the kitchen probably to get something to eat or whatever but I started to get suspicious as soon as a few more minutes passed and they didn’t come into the living room. I got up and walked to the kitchen where they were both whispering to each other. I thought only girls did that.

“What are you guys doing?” I asked catching them off guard. Both of them shot up somehow frightened and faced me with those nervous smiles.

“Nothing,” Peter said walking to the fridge to keep himself busy.

I was about to say something else when all of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Peter sprinted for it and left both me and Ryan alone in the kitchen.

“So how’s your stay here going?” he asked. For some reason, he made me nervous and I really didn’t want to have to feel that way but I don’t know. I mean its like part of me wants to feel like maybe I have some kind of chance with this guy while the other half of me is telling me that I’m doing something totally wrong.

“Um, it’s going alright, I guess.” I said sitting on the stool by the island counter. He was sitting on top of the counter but turned his body so that he could look at me while we conversed.

“Are you gonna be here forever?” he asked and I looked at him with a questioning eyebrow. “It’s not like I don’t want you here. I’m just asking ‘coz you know you might be headed home at some time or whatever…” he rambled nervously.

I laughed at him and he blushed slightly as he scratched the back of his head. “I think I’m gonna stay for a long time. I mean I have no plans about going back or whatever.” I told him and he nodded.

“Well that’s good,” he mentioned and I tilted my head to the side to tell him that I didn’t really get what he meant. “It means that we’ll have time to get to know each other better,” he winked and got off the counter. “Come on, the guys are waiting for us.” He grabbed my hand and led me back to the living room where three other guys were laughing about something.

Ryan let go of my hand as soon as the guys turned their attention to us. I didn’t really like the feeling of Ryan’s hand letting go of mine but I knew how guys were and I’m sure that if they saw our hands clasped like that, they’d start teasing us or something and that would only make things awkward for both of us.

“So Mia, this is Jon, Nick and James and they make up the rest of Runner Runner.” Peter introduced. I smiled at all of them and shook everyone’s hand. No one repeated Ryan’s gesture which was good because I didn’t want to have to think that that was something they did to people they met.

“It’s nice to meet all of you,” I said being polite. They returned the politeness and then we all spent time in the living room just fooling around and stuff.

Nick and James were playing NBA on the PS3 while Jon was talking to someone on the phone. Peter and Ryan asked me head to the back porch with them and I was sorta surprised that they weren’t really watching the other guys play or something.

Ryan and I headed to the back porch and sat on the porch swing with just enough space to keep us both comfortable. Peter came out seconds after with a guitar in his hands. I looked over at Ryan who grabbed a chair from the side for Peter to sit in.

“So since we have nothing else to do, we thought jamming out here would be a good idea.” Ryan said and I nodded.

“This is a thing we do when we try to stir up inspiration and I know someone’s pretty inspired right now,” Peter said looking right at Ryan and then back at the strings. He tuned them while Ryan stayed quiet.

As you can see, it was pretty awkward after that but as soon as the strings started to make music; it was all pretty cool from there. Ryan started harmonizing and I was sorta astounded because I’ve never really heard a voice really good up close. I mean I’ve been to concerts and crap like that but having the person sing right in front of you with no microphone and stuff was just amazing.

Peter started strumming the chords to Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard just to warm up Ryan’s voice and I think that even without the warm up, he’d sound as good as he did now but he does have to maintain his voice too so whatever.

To tell you the truth, I did want to sing as well but I was sorta scared that I might go out of tune or something and wreck the whole point of this jam session. I mean Ryan has too much talent and I thought that maybe if I opened my mouth, I’d totally bring him down with me.

After the first song, Ryan looked at me and I smiled at him. “You guys are really good, you know.” I told them both.

“Thanks,” they said in chorus as I brought my legs up on the porch so I could hug my knees.

“Don’t you sing too, Mia?” Peter asked and I held my breath there. I was being placed under the limelight and I seriously didn’t need that.

“Oh, uh, yeah, I used to but I don’t anymore.” I told them and Ryan looked at me with a perplexed look on his face.

“Why not?” Ryan asked. I looked at Peter but he was busy tuning his guitar.

“Well, it’s a long story,” I said trying to avoid the question. He looked sorta hurt that I didn’t want to tell him but maybe in time I could fill him in about the whole I-stopped-singing-because-something-bad-happened fiasco.

Peter started another song but stopped as soon as there was a knock on the door that was semi-audible from the back porch. “Are you expecting someone else?” Peter asked Ryan.

“Not that I know of,” he said getting up and looking through the screen door that divided the back porch from the kitchen.

We all went inside to see who it was that knocked on the door. Turns out that Zack was the one who knocked on the door and he was alone. That was weird. I sorta expected him to be with Ella since she was his girlfriend-to-be.

“What’s up, bro?” Peter greeted Zack giving him one of those man hugs but Zack didn’t seem to be really into it. It was like each action he made was done half-heartedly.

I looked at him with concern. He was in a silent mood and that wasn’t good. Every time he puts himself in a bubble like that, something was completely bothering him. And then it came to me – Ella.

I walked up to him as soon as Peter and Ryan went back to the back porch. He didn’t move from his spot on the kitchen so I sat beside him on the table and tried to comfort him by placing a hand on his arm. He placed his free hand over mine and kept it there.

“Wanna tell me what’s wrong?” I asked him and he looked at me as he breathed in harshly.

“I was about to make her mine and she freaked.” He told me sullenly. “I just don’t get it,”

“Maybe she was just shocked, you know. Give her some time and she’ll lighten up,” I tried to encourage him even if I knew that that was against my good will.

“I’m tired of waiting for her. Besides, she told me that she was only hanging out with me because she wanted to get closer to Peter.” That statement right there totally broke my heart.

I hated that I didn’t know what to do in a situation like this. All that I did though was pull him into a hug and keep him comforted because that was what I was for – comfort.