Just Another Man

“You know what I’ve decided I want,” Niki said simply clutching Brian’s hand as he swung his arm back and forwards.

“Sex,” Jimmy answered with a smile.

“Yes, but-” Niki paused noticing Brian had the same smile as Jimmy. “I want, no need a break,” She ignored the smile.

“God yes,” Rhian replied with a nod. “College is doing my head in already,”

“Why?” Brian looked at the pair of them in utter amazement. “We live in California, home of the relaxed life style, why do you need a break, why go away?”

“From the madness that is Huntington, just like a tiny road trip,” Niki explained with a thoughtful gaze.

“Someone were we can escape from everyone, and get-”

“Really wasted,” Brian finished Rhian’s sentence with a hopeful look.

“Something like that!” She laughed.

“JIMMY!” The shout made him look around, though everyone recognised Matt’s voice bellow over the crowded beach, it was just no one could quite see him. Jimmy being a lot taller spotted him first.

“Oh they’re over there!” Jimmy chuckled pointing towards the small wall that lead onto the promenade of Huntington Beach; their group of friends sat there. Matt, Zack, Johnny, Lynnz, JB and Matty, were perched on the wall, obviously waiting for the other four to turn up.

“Took your time,” JB told them as the four reached them.

“Sorry, my fault,” Niki huffed. “Boss decided I should be working instead of having my afternoon off,”

“Dick,” Matty commented. “Doesn’t he always do this?”

“Sure does,” Brian growled making Niki chuckle, there was the protective side, and maybe a little jealous that she spent more time at work that with him.

“What can I say? I’m that good at my job,” She replied dryly. “I’m sure he doesn’t want me to have a life outside of work,”

“Well I bet he doesn’t,” Lynnz added. “He’s always in there, and I mean his wife works with him, that place must be their life,”

“I never wanna end up like that,” Niki sighed tugging on Brian’s arm. “Don’t let me end up like that,”

“I’ll do my best,” He chuckled, putting an arm round her waist and pulling her closer to him. “Can’t promise anything though!”

“So what’s the plan for this afternoon?” Jimmy asked plopping himself down next to Lynnz and smiling at her. “Any one?”

“We were thinking grab some drinks and go down central park?” Zack suggested to the other four. “We’re always at the beach, the park will be a little less crowded,”

“Yeah I’m up for a bit of park time,” Rhian agreed.

“Sarah is gonna come down, she said she’d try get Scarlet down,” Zack added, pushing himself off the wall.

“Yeah she might get lucky, the funky mood is slowly lifting, I think she’s feeling a bit better,” He muttered. “If that bastard would stop spreading rumours she’d be even better,”

“Cool it you,” Niki muttered squeezing his arm. “However much home boy needs it, I will not have you spending another night in jail,”

“Eh, be worth it,”

“No,” Matt snapped at him. “Not now, we have gigs lined up,” He explained.

“It’s a defiant no!” Rhian added. “I got you these gigs on the terms that you lot turn up sober and ready to play, no fucking off the management!”

“We’ll behave,”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” She muttered rolling her eyes. “So Scarlet’s coming down?”

“Maybe,” Zack answered. “Sarah defiantly is, I don’t know who with though,”

“She mentioned Scarlet,” Lynnz added. “I text her last night, but got no reply,” She directed her comment at Brian, hoping for an explanation. However Brian just shrugged.

“No idea, she spent most of the night in her room, not the most social being at the moment, it’s pissing dad and Suzy off,” Brian sighed, flicking his floppy hair off his face. “She’ll be alright soon,” He added confidently. “She’s a Haner,” Niki smiled knowing what Brian was thinking, he was worried about his baby sister; he thought Scarlet was hiding something from him.

“Right shall we go?” Lynnz asked, standing up the same time as Johnny; they were kind of together but kind of not, it was in the awkward cute stage that everyone loved. Everyone murmured in agreement, and turned to walk away from the beach.

“That boy really must have got to her,” Niki muttered to Brian as he took her hand. He just shrugged in response, which Niki took as a sign he didn’t want to talk about it. “Well-”

“Gates, you going to Emma’s birthday party on Friday?” Zack questioned walking up along side Brian.

“Umm yeah maybe,” Zacky and Brian started talking party arrangements, giving Niki a chance to slip off and chat to someone else.

“Rhian?”

“Yeah hun?” The red head turned to Niki. She was walking with Matt and Jimmy, who moved over to let Niki slide up along side her.

“You think Scarlet’s alright?”

“Alright as in is she going to get over this Ross thing anytime soon?” Niki shrugged and then nodded.

“Kind of,”

“Yeah, I think she’ll be alright!” Matt scoffed at Rhian’s words, a fatal error. “Did you have something to say Matthew?” Rhian’s sarcastic tone, automatically annoying him.

“You and your shouting probably didn’t do her the world of good,”

“Shouting?” Niki looked at Rhian in interest. “You shouted at Scarlet?”

“It was annoying me, she won’t talk to anyone, and it’s not as if we haven’t all been there!” Rhian huffed, making Jimmy chuckle.

“You’ve not been there!” Matt suddenly snapped. “She’s not you, Rhian, just cause you hate men and when they cheat on you, you tell them to fuck off. That’s not Scarlet, she might have really-”

“Hold it!” It was Rhian’s turn to snap. “She spent 3months with him, it wasn’t exactly the most serious relationship ever,” Matt just rolled his eyes. “And don’t you dare start on me about getting over people, or I shall-”

“Quiet time baby,” Jimmy chuckled wrapping his arms round her and putting one hand over her mouth. “However much I want to see you beating up Matt, I just can not permit such events to happen here,” Rhian mumbled something into his hand but didn’t protest to much.

“She’ll be okay, Matt,” Rhian sighed looking at him. “He was just another man to her, I can tell,”

“I agree,” Jimmy spoke up. “I don’t think it was ever that serious,” Niki looked at him with a small smile, she loved that Jimmy acted the clown but in reality saw so much more than people thought. “She has better taste,”

“Didn’t she have a crush on you at one time?” Niki asked bumping her hip against his.

“That she did! See what I mean!” Jimmy laughed. “Better taste!” As Jimmy carried on talking to the other three, the whole group turned the road towards the park. Zack was on the phone, obviously to Sarah, telling her they were almost there. While Brian, JB and Matty had taken to chasing Johnny up the road and trying to pick him up.

Lynnz sighed, her gaze fixed on Johnny., not realising Niki was watching her.

“Why aren’t you two bumpy uglies yet?”

“Oh how elegantly she puts it,” Rhian chuckled, the three girls walking together.

“I’m serious!” Niki laughed. “You’re both mad for each other,”

“He just I guess, I don’t know, I don’t know how to take it that step further,” Lynnz sighed. Matt was listening in on the girls conversation, instead of Jimmy’s and the next few words made him think twice. “I’ve known him forever, but now I see him in a totally different way, I know us being together would be right, but I’m just so scared it would go wrong,”

“I think maybe you’ve just got to give it ago?” Rhian suggested, looking to Niki for advice.

“Yeah, britch has got it right,”

Matt sighed hearing just what he needed to. All day he’d been thinking about Scarlet, about kissing her, just hanging out with her. Maybe that’s what they needed to do, just hang out, he could sort his feelings out now.