A Barrel of Ones

Rachael Haner liked a lot of things. She liked cookies and the word giggle. She liked her best friend and the crazy conversations they had at ridiculous times. She liked the beach and she liked to party. But one thing Rachael did not like was Matthew Sanders.

He was obnoxious, arrogant and he had the kind of brain stimulant that was found in rats; powered solely by his penis. She didn't like the way he flirted with her constantly. She didn't like the way he acted so tough when he was anything but really. She didn't like the way he acted as if he owned the room. And the only thing that could make the whole situation worse was the fact that he was her brother's friend and spent many nights crashed in the room next to hers. She hardly slept those nights; worried.

"Kim," Ray sighed as she collapsed into the chair in her basement. Her best friend lay sprawled across the carpet, her hand digging in and out of a bowl of popcorn, "Why does he have to be here?"

Kim cracked open an eye, "Dunno. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that he's your brother's mate? I don't think Brian likes me very much but I'm never the fuck away from this place."

Rachael laughed. She didn't think her friend could be any more off on the situation with her brother, but now wasn't the time to tease her friend. "Can't we just push him out of Bri's window or something?"

Kim yawned, "That requires climbing two flights of stairs. Do we have to?"

"You can perve on my brother in his boxers," she offered temptingly, though slightly disgusted. She couldn't see what attraction her friend had to her brother. Kim waved her hand dismissively.

"It's okay. I have a mental bank from the last time I stayed over and I accidentally walked into the bathroom whilst he was in the shower."

Rachael winced, "You're sick."

"Yeah," Kim laughed, stuffing her face with popcorn. "Says the girl premeditating murder."

"Let's just grab our stuff and go upstairs. The boys are using this room for band shit tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Kim dragged herself up the stairs after her friend, separating at the bathroom when Kim crudely muttered something about taking a piss. Rachael fell into her bedroom shaking her head in distaste--and a little humour--before letting out a squeal. "What the fuck-"

"Boo," Matthew laughed, spinning around on her computer chair. He pulled it to a stop so that he was facing her directly. His muscular arms filled up the arm rests and his head lolled to the side to watch her with quirked eyebrows.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" Rachael hissed, planting her hands firmly on her hips. Matthew could only smile a little wider.

"Letting your brother move in and make the moves on your friend. What did you think I was doing?"

"Oh, I don't know," Rachael snarled, "Maybe over stepping some boundaries."

Kim stumbled into the bedroom, breaking the tension and rubbing at her eyes tiredly, "I think your brother just tried to accost me." She glanced at Matthew. "Your mate is weird."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Matthew brushed past Rachael as he left the room. "See you later, babe," he whispered suggestively before he was gone through the door. Rachael liked a lot of things, but she did not like the shivers Matthew's voice sent down her spine.

***

Rachael was surprised to hear a knock on the door late the next Friday evening. Her brother was out; her parents were at some party something-or-other and Kim was God knows where with her parents on something they called 'family time'. She was even more surprised, however, when she pulled open the door and found Matthew Sanders standing in the door way soaked to the skin in one of the only heavy rain spells California got.

"Brian's not here," she mumbled, making to shut the door. Matthew's hand was cast out, stopping the door before it was shut in his face.

"I know, but.. Look, why I'm here isn't important but I have nowhere else to go. Please, don't leave me outside in the rain."

Rachael was sourly tempted to shut the door in his face regardless, but his eyes were boring into her--begging--and she still had compassion. "There are some dry clothes in Brian's room. Just grab some stuff and I'll throw your things in the drier," she muttered as she swung the door open wide enough for him to enter the house freely.

"Thanks," he croaked, before trudging up the stairs. Rachael almost wished that she wasn't quite so considerate; she was going to regret letting him into the house.

He reappeared around ten minutes later after tossing the wet clothes down the stairs at her--his shirt smacked her in the face, but she wasn't going to bring it up--dressed in a pair of her brother's sweats and a t-shirt that was slightly tighter on him than it was her brother. She admitted he had a nice body, but took in nothing else as she forced herself back into the film she'd been watching before his interruption.

"How come a pretty lady like you isn't out on a hot date on a Friday night?" Matthew asked as he flattened himself into the seat beside her. One of his hands brushed past her hair as he tossed it over the back of the sofa. Ray shrugged.

"Oh, you know, I had this super hot date planned but I couldn't let myself go out in this weather! My hair would be ruined," she mocked, turning her eyes to him for the briefest of seconds before throwing them back onto the now blurry television screen. Her attention for the flick was now lost.

Matthew let out a low chuckle that rumbled deep in his chest, but as soon as it had burst from his chest it died on his lips.

"Why are you here, Matthew?"

Ignoring her question, he touched her hair. "Do you know how much it turns me on when you call me Matthew?"

"God! You know I didn't have to let you in here," she swiped at his hand, before shuffling away from him on the couch, securing herself in the corner.

"I know," he shook his head, water droplets landing on the borrowed t-shirt. "I know. It's just I'd rather not talk about it, you know?"

"Is it your parents? I've heard Brian mention.."

Matthew shook his head again, a little more violently. "It's nothing, okay!"

"Fine," Ray huffed, "But if it was 'nothing' you wouldn't fucking be here, would you?"

"You don't know shit about me!"

"No, I don't," she agreed angrily. "But I was willing to offer you a fucking ear to listen to your problems despite the fact that I don't even bloody like you, but whatever!"

"You-you don't like me?" he asked, a little shell shocked.

"No, I don't! How could you possibly think that I do!"

"I-I guess I never really thought about it," he fell back into the sofa, drawing back his arm. "I went on the chemistry we had. Or, I thought we had."

"We have the kind of chemistry that resulted in the A-Bomb." Rachael fiddled with the cushion in her hands, pulling at a loose thread. She almost felt bad, now. He'd obviously been having a bad night and she wasn't really helping. She was surprised when she heard Matthew laughed.

"Yeah. But, isn't that the most exciting kind?" His eyes were sparkling and his dimples showing. Had she really never noticed how good looking he was..?

"Matthew, we'd destroy countries."

"Yeah," he laughed. "It'd be fucking brilliant. Or, it would have been?"

She wasn't sure when he'd drawn closer to her. She wasn't sure why she wasn't getting out of the firing line. She wasn't sure on the situation in itself, other than the fact that she couldn't stop herself from liking it.

"I really do like the way you say my name, you know," he murmured, toying with her hair again. "Not in that perverted way; well, maybe a little." There was a flash of dimples. "Mostly I like the way it rolls off your tongue."

She blushed and tried to use the pillow as a defence between her and Matthew, but it didn't seem to be working. It felt like lead in her hands and she had to drop it when he cupped her cheek with calloused fingers. She licked her lips, drawing his dancing eyes down to them before they crawled strenuously back up her cheeks to her eyes.

"What are-are you doing?" she whispered as the tiny droplets of rain water trickled onto her face from his. He shrugged his shoulders, before pressing a soft kiss against her lips.

"That."

"Okay," she mumbled, eyes hooded. He smirked a little.

"I'm going to do it again."

"Okay."

Rachael Haner liked a lot of things and suddenly Matthew Sanders was becoming one of them.