Just Another Man

Rhian and Jimmy were the first to arrive at the restaurant, it was a very casual place one could go as far as too say it was simply a diner food in a posh building. They’d chosen a large table that was on the balcony looking out on the Pacific Ocean.

This restaurant had a lot of significance for the couple; they had had one of their first dates here, Jimmy took her here for her 17th birthday, Jimmy’s 18th, and their one year anniversary date here. All those reasons kind of mixed together to help the restaurant be a firm favourite in Rhian’s eyes in particular.

So it was the perfect place for the group to have a good get together, since Rhian felt she hadn’t seen anyone in weeks. Her college work, and job, were becoming more demanding so her social life took a beating. Their was of course only one thing that stayed constant in her life, Jimmy, so she was thankful to be able to see him and come here to a restaurant that was such an iconic feature of their relationship.
Of course nothing else about this meal would be normal, Niki and Brian couldn’t be here, and Matt would be sucking face with Brian’s little sister; it almost felt as if everything was changing. Rhian really believed things were becoming different, from the new relationships, the fact she never saw people as much, it was of course just the fact everyone was growing up and leading slightly separate lives.

“You alright?” Jimmy questioned, noticing Rhian’s had been focused on her glass of coke for the past few minutes without even blinking. “Babe?”

“Hmm?” She turned feeling his warm hand press against her arm. “Sorry what?” She questioned noticing his concerned face.

“You alright?”

“Yeah just thinking,” She brought a bright smile to her face to stop him worrying about her. The mirror in front of her caught her attention, and her eyes flickered up to check her appearance.

“Babe you look fine,” Jimmy muttered noticing Rhian’s eyes flicker across to the mirror on the wall.

“I know, I just, ya know,” She mumbled diverting her gaze from him. He chuckled and moved his hand to rest on top of hers on the table.

“You look beautiful,”

“Thank you,” Rhian whispered and leant over to kiss his lips softly. “Not too bad yourself,” She added with a smirk, feeling him squeeze her hand a little.

“You’re such a flirt sometimes,” He muttered making her gasp. “Don’t act all innocent and nieve, you know what you’re doing,” His eyes looked down suggestively for a second, Rhian understood what he was referring too and moved her foot away from his leg. “That didn’t mean you had to stop!”

“Too late,” She winked gazing up as people walked through the French doors to the balcony. “Sarah!”

“Rhian!” Sarah squealed running open armed to her, Rhian laughed and stood up slowly to greet her. “Ah I’ve missed you so much ducky!”

“Missed you too,” Rhian smiled hugging her tightly back. “Hey Zacky,” She added as Sarah let her go to greet Jimmy.

“Hey girl looking good, you alright?” Zack smiled kissing her cheek and then accepting a hug from Jimmy.

“What’s with the bags?” She added pointing to the bags Zack dropped down by his seat, he shock his head and pointed towards Sarah. “Ah shopping trip?”

“We went to the mall,” She explained with a shrug. “It was pay day, so we spent our money well,” Rhian just laughed at shock her head. “Ooo you have to see this top!” She added digging into a bag, as Zack shock his head and ignored his rather excited girlfriend.

“So where’s everyone else?” Zack asked.

“Late of course!” Rhian replied. “Scarlet did say she had a lesson at the end of the day so she’d be late anyway,”
“Matt not bringing her?” Zack asked with a smirk, as Jimmy chuckled.

“I can’t wait to see them together!” Sarah clapped excitedly. “They are gonna make such a cute couple!”

“I mean they are rather perfect together,”

“Who is?” Taylor’s voice broke up the conversation as she walked through the doors into the bright Californian sun, her boyfriend following her.

“Hey Taylor, George!” Rhian smiled brightly standing up to hug them both. George just looked at her suspiciously before just shaking her hand.

“Don’t worry, she’s always this peppy,” Taylor muttered her eyes flickering over Rhian with a smirk. “Guys this is George,” She added to Zack and Jimmy, she’d not really brought George to any group outings but Rhian had insisted he’d love it. Now he was here, he just looked slightly uncomfortable.

“Yeah ignore Rhian,” Jimmy spoke up taking his girlfriends hand so she sat down. “She’s taken something, the sedative wears in soon,”

“Funny,” Rhian hissed rolling her eyes.

“So who is perfect together?” Taylor asked, sitting down with George.

“Scarlet and Matt,” Sarah clapped excitedly.

“They’re gonna be a hot couple,” Taylor added getting a questionable look from George. “What? They will!” She laughed patting George’s hand. Rhian smiled watching the young couple, just another change in the group. Taylor finally bringing George out in public with her, a sign she thought maybe the group would expect the newcomer instead of just ignoring him. Taylor was right as well; Jimmy and Zacky had already started talking to George about his music. While Taylor sat next to him with a smug smile.

It only took a few minutes before JB and Matty arrived with Lynnz and Johnny, and the conversation went from George and Taylor, to Lynnz and Johnny’s budding relationship to finally back round to what everyone thought of Matt and Scarlet.

“I reckon Brian doesn’t mind,” Johnny spoke out. “I mean Matt’s not a bad guy,”

“He doesn’t know,” Zacky laughed. “Brian won’t take it well when he finds out, you heard him warn me about going near her and I have a fucking girlfriend!”

“Brian doesn’t know?” Johnny questioned looking round to see everyone nodding at him. “Fuck good luck to Matt,”

“Why do I need luck?”

“Matt!” Sarah nearly shouted seeing him appear through the doors.

“Hey too you too!” He laughed thinking she was going to come up and hug him, instead she pushed him up against the wall. “Umm Sarah?”

“You better treat her nicely or I will slice and dice, ducky, slice and dice!” She waggled her finger at him. Matt just looked down at the enraged red head and nodded. “Good, I’m glad we understand,” She said simply, turning round and trotting back round to sit with Zacky, the rest of the table in fits of laughter.

Matt shock his head, he would never quite get use to the eccentricity of Sarah. He walked round the table and sat down in one of the two spare seats next to Rhian.

“Slice and dice?” He questioned Rhian as she greeted him.

“God knows love, god knows,” She muttered smiling sweetly. “You alright?”

“Mmm, yeah, how you and your better half?“ Matt smirked looking towards Jimmy. “Who seems to be busy drinking your drink!” ”

“Oh please I’m the better half,” She chuckled, poking Jimmy’s side and making him yelp.

“What women?” He shrieked.

“My drink,” Rhian muttered moving it away from him.

“Hey Matt,” Jimmy added ignoring Rhian. “We got a spooning date yet?” He asked in all seriousness getting the rest of the tables attention.

“Excuse me?” Rhian looked between the pair.

“I interrupted his spooning plans with Scarlet,”

“You and Scarlet?” Rhian gasped. “Already?”

“I warned you!” Sarah added threateningly.

“High five man! That was-”

“They weren’t spooning plans, can we stop using the word spooning!” Matt interjected, running his hand through his hair. “No one is spooning anyone,”

“Spooning leads to forking, that’s all I’m saying,” Taylor added with a smirk.

“I said can we drop it!” Matt groaned. “Seriously what Scarlet and I do is no one else’s business,” Everyone nodded and just looked around awkwardly.

“So Taylor how did that audition go?” Rhian suddenly asked taking the attention away from Matt. Taylor quickly replied, starting up a conversation about the play she’d manage to get a main part in; all the girls quickly took interest in Taylor’s life leaving Matt to chill.

Or so he had though.

“So how far have you gone with Gate’s little sister then?” Zack asked.

“I’m not discussing this,” Matt said simply. He wasn’t annoyed because he knew all to well if he was Zack, or any of the guys for that matter, he’d be asking same questions. Usually he’d give a little away to his boys, a little slip of how good the girl was or bad depending on what he wanted them to hear; not this time though. Matt knew that telling them anything about Scarlet was a bad idea, it would get back to Brian or even worse Scarlet, and they’d kill him.

Scarlet wouldn’t even sleep with him, so hearing him brag about what they had got up too probably wasn’t high on her list of wants either.

“Oh come on dude, he’s not here,”

“So?”

“So we all wanna know,” Jimmy chuckled. “What’s she like?”

“Good,” Matt answered bluntly not letting anything else sleep.

“Good?” JB questioned, screwing his face up.

“At?” Zack had questioned with that dirty smirk.

“That’s it,” Matt snapped. Though the next comment from Jimmy threw him completely, he hadn’t quite expected anyone to suggest it…

“You two haven’t slept together have you?” As soon as Jimmy uttered those words it was as if everyone who knew Matt, or was in that room at the time turned on him. The whole table went silent and he could feel their eyes all on him and Jimmy.

“Jimmy!” Rhian muttered slapping his arm. “Don’t be nosey!”

“Oh shh! It’s only Scar!” Johnny chuckled.

“It’s just well-” Matt had no idea why he was telling them this, he felt as if they all knew the truth anyway and now he was just defending himself. He was trying to make sure he didn’t look like the sappy, pathetic one here; or was he?

Matt suddenly released that talking to his friends, and her friends may just solve all his problems. The girls knew Scar better than anyone, and the boys knew girls better than anyone; maybe one of these sex crazed maniacs around the table had experiences a similar problem. Matt had a chance to get an answer, would he take it?

Hell fucking yes he would.

He could finally get laid.

He might just get to understand Scarlet’s point of view in this whole thing.

“It’s just well,” He paused trying to think of the best way to put it. “Scarlet’s a bit of a prude” He winced as soon as he used the word; that was obviously the worst way he could have put it, and Matt knew it.

If she heard him talk about her like this now, he’d be 6 feet under.

“No way!” Zacky blurted out, spraying his drink everywhere. “Is she still a virgin?” Matt didn’t say anything, he did however nod and roll his eyes.

“Dude she won’t let me go near her, she just makes up an excuse about being caught, or early night or anything to stop me doing a fucking thing!” He almost sounded as if he was whining, which was never how he wanted to come across.

“Leave her be Matt, she’s only young,” Rhian spoke up; for some reason he’d expected Rhian to be vocal on this. She looked out for everyone, very much like a mother, and you would never expect a mother to encourage this talk.

“Nah, she’s 18, fuck Brian had at least 10 girls by then!” Zack chuckled, the other guys laughing and nodding in agreement. That was a fair point but he doubted sleeping with as many people as possible was something that exactly ran in families.

“Leave her alone,” Rhian warned again. “If you are the first guy she’s been with she’s gonna be scared,”

“Yeah but it’s been months, and-” Matt paused. “You know what forget it,” He sighed shaking his head. “It’s between Scarlet and I,” He could see the look on Taylor and Sarah’s faces; they were out for blood.

“It was,” Taylor snapped.

“What?”

“You won’t just have Brian to worry about when he hears you’re talking about his sister like that,”

“You’re gonna tell him?” Matt laughed. “Taylor don’t threaten me,” Everyone’s eyes shifted between Taylor and Matt. “I will be the first to tell Brian and it will be on my terms not yours!”

“Oh I think I will threaten you Matt, that’s my best friend you’re talking about like a piece of meat! And if I can‘t cause you enough damage, I sure know Brian will!”

“I’m not fucking talking about her like a piece of meat, god Taylor I fucking love her! I’m fucking looking for some advice on the subject!” He snapped, everyone noticed Matt’s hand crash down on the table the same time George’s did. “And as for Brian, well he’s my fucking best mate! You think I enjoy going behind his back!”

“You love her?”

“Hey guys are you ready to order?” The peppy waitress stopped Matt answering Taylor’s question.

“Yes we are!” Rhian smiled brightly, she was like the mother who tried to act as if all her children were little darlings, while behind her they were climbing up the walls and destroying everything in their path.

Everyone suddenly grabbed their menu’s and started reeling off to the waitress what exactly they wanted, she scribbled furiously just to get it all down. Rhian kept her smile up, but looking around the table she noticed she was about the only one. Matt’s face had completely dropped, Taylor and Sarah were both glaring daggers at him, and the boys all looked less laid back than usual. She almost wondered if the boys were starting to feel a little bad for Matt, for the fact he wasn’t getting any and maybe that he was lying to his best mate about it all.

“You okay chicken?” Rhian turned hearing Jimmy’s voice, her eyes scanning over him in confusion. “Thought I’d try a new nickname out, I mean Sarah says ducky all the time,” Rhian couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“Aww Jim,” She giggled putting an arm round his neck and pulling him closer. “I’m rather glad I’ve got you, you know that,”

“I know,” He smirked kissing her lips lightly.

“Don’t ever change,”

“I’ll try not too,” He smiled. “So chicken, do we like that name?”

“Can’t say I have that much affection for it,”

“Fine,” Jimmy huffed. “So chicken where’s Scarlet?” He looked at Matt with all seriousness, the look on Matt’s face sending Rhian into fits of laughter.
“I have no idea rooster?” Matt looked at Jimmy in utter confusion.

“What is with the bird names?”

“Please don’t encourage him!” Rhian chuckled squeezing Jimmy’s hand tightly. “Love you,”

“Wuve you toooo, but I do also quite like Scarlet and she’s not here,”

“He’s right where is she?” Taylor questioned gazing at Matt.

“I said I have no idea!” He huffed glaring at Taylor. “I’ll phone her,” Matt dug into his pockets, pulling his phone and out and dialling Scarlet’s number.

“Her lessons probably just over-run,” Sarah suggested. “I think she had physics, that usually involves experiments and therefore packing away,” Everyone else nodded in agreement.

“Whose she got? If it’s Mr Johnson, she’ll never get out a live!” JB laughed. “He use to keep me behind for hours!”

“That was in detention!” Matty told his brother with a smirk. “Remember when we took us for chemistry and we put all those fucking chemicals in the bowl!”

“Oh god that was classic!” JB started laughing.

“What happened?” Sarah asked.

“The whole thing exploded, set the fire alarms off and the school got evacuated!” Matty explained, high fiving his twin brother.

“I remember that,” Rhian muttered shaking her head.

“Yeah me too, we were all left on the field then sent home two hours early!” Taylor added smiling, then gazing over to Matt who had put his phone down. “Not answering?”

“Left a message but I guess she’s running late,”

“Do we order for her or not?” Everyone shrugged, and looked to Matt for an answer.

“I’ll text her, see if she replies,” He suggested, picking his phone back up.

Little did Matthew Sanders know, he’d just broken Scarlet Haners heart.