Welcome to the Family

“Can you knock it the fuck off?” Matt snapped, trying to hide his smile as he watched his sisters’ attempts to fill their mouths with jumbo marshmallows. “We’re trying to get some shit done.”

“You do work? Puh-lease,” Danii managed to get out through all of the marshmallows. “You don’t know what work is.”

“Yeah, really,” Emily added through her fair share of the fluffy snacks, “I’ve known you my whole life, and you’ve never ‘worked’ a day.”

Matt rolled his eyes, just happy to see that they were getting along again. “Can you two at least stop stuffing your faces? We don’t need any choking here.”

The girls just giggled, “Don’t mind us. You’re supposed to be working, no?”

The other boys snickered and then they started to play again, just kind of fucking around, trying to get a feel for each other and their new dynamic.

“We should draw something,” Danii said to her twin. She was getting to the point that she was so bored she was afraid she was going to start getting herself in trouble by touching stuff she wasn’t supposed to.

“Like what?” Emily asked, although she kind of liked the idea of drawing something. She liked to draw, and she wasn’t half bad at it.

“I dunno; something… Something for the band?”

“Like?”

“Uh…”

“Well, I can’t draw anything until one of us comes up with an idea, and right now, I’ve got nothin’.”

Danii sighed, thinking of all the things that they could do. She knew that they needed to take a darker route with this, since they weren’t exactly a namby pamby set of guys. “What about a bat?”

“A bat? Isn’t that a little… Vampire-ish?”

“Well, the way Brian leaves those ‘love bites’ all over your fucking--” Danii was cut off by a marshmallow hitting her between the eyes.

“Shut the fuck up about my boyfriend!” Emily scolded.

“I’m not talking about your boyfriend,” the evil twin responded, attempting to act innocent. “I’m simply saying how he clearly has a thing for his teeth in your neck.”

“Just… Nevermind. So a bat?”

“Yes, a bat.”

“Like a death bat?”

“Exactly!” Danii screeched in delight, causing the guys to look at her like she was insane. “What? I’m not insane.” But a slight smirk was forming on her lips.

“I’m not insane,” Matt responded, mocking his sister in a sing song voice. Too bad it was actually kind of catchy.

“Mattie,” she chided, knowing that her brother hated the nickname. “Emie and I are making you something.”

“It better be something damned special,” he laughed, before turning his attention away from the Devil’s spawns and back to the band.

The girls sat quietly for the rest of practice, adding details and making changes to this supposed ‘death bat’ that they had thought up. They couldn’t wait to show the others what they (which really means what mostly Emily) created.

“I have an idea,” Emie said, starting to creep around the room. Her and Danii did some weird twin communication thing; not really using words or coherent hand signals, just a couple of strange gestures and then they were giggling and pushing each other as if the meaning was clear as day. Once they had quietly made it to behind they drums they made eye contact with each other, mouthing one, two, three before jumping on their beloved Jimmy.

“Look what we made!” they yelled, stuffing the paper into his face.

“I’m looking, I’m looking; you two can calm down,” Jimmy smiled, taking the paper from them, careful he didn’t rip it. He was one of the few people in this world who knew how to deal with the Sanders twins when they were at their most… nightmare inducing.

“Do you like it, Uncle Jimmy?! I drew most of it,” Emily grinned, quite proud of herself.

On the other side of the room Zacky turned to Brian, a confused look on his face, ”Uncle Jimmy? I thought... And… Huh?”

Brian laughed, “They’re not actually related or anything. I don’t even know how the fuck that would be possible. It’s just that Jimmy’s Matt’s oldest friend, and so he’s like another brother to the girls. Only, he doesn’t yell like a psycho; he just spoils them rotten.”

“That makes so much more sense,” he said, sighing of relief. It made things make more sense. The guys continued to clean up, making sure everyone had their own belongings and equipment and what not. Zacky was about to walk in the direction of his girlfriend and her twin when he was stopped by their (somewhat scary) older brother.

“So,” Matt said, staring down at him with a quizzical look, a smirk playing in his eyes.

“So?”

“Next practice is Tuesday; same time, same place. Don’t be late.”

“Okay,” Zacky mumbled. He still found it kind of hard to make eye contact, given the… supremely awkward… circumstances they met under. He started to walk in the direction he was originally heading in when Matt stopped him again.

“The guys and I are also meeting down at Johnny’s Bar tomorrow night, around nine. You’re more than welcome to come.”

Zacky smiled slightly, and then actually made eye contact for what was probably the first time. “Alright, I get off work around then, so I’ll probably stop by.”

Matt just nodded and then patted his arm, before walking off and continuing on his way.