I Can Taste the Failure on Your Lips

"Holy hell its cold." Matt exclaimed.

"Language!" Mrs. Sykes said as she walked by.

"Sorry." he mumbled and sat down next to me. "Alex! Keep me warm!" he hollered wrapping his cold arms around me. I could feel him shake a little as he held me close.

"Jeez Matt, your freezing." I said laughing.

"Tell me about it. But your so warm and cozy, I could fall asleep here." he said pulling me closer, cause me to get chills. Oliver and Tom came into the living room and stopped starring at us.

"What are you doing?" Oliver asked watching us.

"Oli! She is warm! I swear, like a heater." He said and layed his head on my shoulder. "Hold me close." He asked at me batting his eyes.

"You’re a weird kid." I said and sighed.

Tom walked over and sat down next to me and touched my arm "Whoa! She is warm." he said and pressed his cold fingers to my arm. I shook my head and sighed.

"Are you going to lay on me too?" I asked Oliver. I peeked over at Matt and saw him smile.

"Uhmm, no." Oliver stated and turned and went down the stairs to his room. I watched as the door closed and not re-open. I heard a soft snore and looked to see Matt asleep on me. Great.

Tom stood and grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders and layed on the couch, and shutting his eye's. I sighed and tried to move but was trapped beside Matt. I looked around and looked at the pictures hanging on the wall. Many of two boys running and playing, smiling and laughing. I smiled to myself, wondering what Oliver and tom were like as kids.

There were school pictures of them as they grew up, each changing with it’s own features. A picture stood out of Oliver. He body looked tattoo free. No rose tattoo covering his neck, and his hair all spiked up. A single piercing going through his lip as he smiled though. Boys and tattoos. Tom had some kind of design to the left of his collar bone, but I could quite make out what it is.

It felt like hours, I sat, staring at the photos, taking in every detail. I heard a door close and my head snapped over to see Oliver come out and step into the living room. "Comfortable?" he asked, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Uhmm no, not really." I said and tried moving, still stuck. "Can you help me? I am trapped." I stated.

"Yeah, we need to go anyway." He said and pulled Matt up. "MATT!" He yelled and ruffled his hair.

"WHAT!?" He asked jumping up and pushing Oliver back, knocking him down, which caused Tom to jerk up. I covered my mouth with my hand trying not to laugh. "What the hell Oliver!" Matt said and straightened his clothes.

"Well you were sleeping on Alex and she wanted up, plus its almost 1." he said standing, trying to move his legs in his super-tight jeans.

I kept my mouth shut, trying not to laugh at them still. "What are you laughing at?" Matt asked seeing me shake a little.

"Nothing." I said and stood, stretching my legs and arms.

"Well hello tattoo." I heard Matt say as he looked at me. I jerked my shirt down, guessing it came up as I stretched.

"You have a tattoo?" Oliver asked raising his eyebrows above his hair line.

"Hell yeah she does, it’s like a flower." Matt answered standing beside me. "Can I see?" he questioned. Could it hurt? I questioned and turned raising my shirt a bit and letting them see the sunflowers that went across my back.

“Why sunflowers?” Oliver asked as I lowered my shirt and turned around.

“My favorite flower.” I stated. They nodded and Matt slapped Oliver’s arm.

“Ready?” He asked and Oliver nodded. They turned to go and Tom jumped up.

“You need me to go?” He asked scrubbing the sleep out of his eye’s.

“Sure, let’s go Tommy!” Matt yelled and went to the door.

I watched as Tom, Oliver and Matt left, leaving me standing in the living room. I sat back down and thought about what I would do why they went off on their little adventure to who knows where. I felt a little lonely now, out of place being here. This was not my home and I had nothing to do here, but play with my new phone Oliver bought me.

“Alex?” I heard my name and I glanced up and saw Oliver standing in the door way.

“Yeah?” I questioned looking up at him from my spot on the couch.

“Are you coming?” He asked

“I didn’t know I was invited.” I said standing and walking over to him.

“You’re invited anywhere we go.” He said smiling and handing me my jacket. I nodded and slipped the jacket around my shoulders and followed him out the door.

“Come along beside me Alex, I’m cold.” Matt said and dropped his arm on my shoulders. I shook my head and kept in pace with them. “You like music?” Matt asked looking down at me and I nodded. Matt nodded and smiled was we walked to a house with big steps leading to a big wooden front door. Oliver opened the door and strolled in, with Tom behind him.

I followed them with Matt’s arm draped on my shoulders, pushing me down slightly. “What about the best drum playing you will ever hear?” Matt asked and winked as we stepped into a room full of boys who had instruments around them.

“You know Matt, one day you’re going to say that and someone will say no.” Another boy stated and sat down on the couch.

“Don’t listen to him; he is just jealous of my rad skills.” Matt stated and took his arm off my shoulders and walked across the room to a drum set.

The boy snorted from the couch and eyed me from where he was. “Who are you?” he asked. It felt awkward under his eyes, him watching me. My voice was caught in my throat, and I glanced around and Saw Oliver staring at me.

“Guys this is Alex.” He stated and walked over next to me. “You okay?” he whispered and I nodded. “Okay, you can sit over there.” He said pointing at the couch. He stepped away to a microphone and pulled a cord that connected to it out of the way.

Matt pounded on his drums quickly and started off with a beat, screaming guitars joined and Olive made a face before screaming into the microphone. I jumped slightly and my eyes were wide as they continued with there random music. After a few minutes it stopped and Oliver was breathing heavy.

“What do you think Alex!?” mat asked from behind the drums.

“Its was good.” I stated and smiled at Matt.

“I was great, wasn’t I?” He asked standing.

“Everyone was.” I stated. “You know Matt; the drummer doesn’t make the band. The fans do.” I stated and smiled at him. His smile disappeared and he shook his head.

“WHOA! She is my new best friend.” One of the boys stated and walked over to me, a guitar hanging from his frame. “Lee.” He stated sticking out his hand. My hand met his and I could feel the cold wet sweat the gathered on his hand. His finger tips had rough marks on them from the strings of his guitar and his shaggy hair sticking to his forehead.

“Alex.” I said and released his hand. I was sitting down next to Lee when another boy came over.

“Jona.” He said smiling an waved as he sat net to me. I mumbled a quiet “hello” in response and couldn’t help but feel the certain coldness coming from the boy talking with Matt.

“What’s his name?” I asked nodding towards him.

“Matt.” Lee and Jona said together.

“No, the other boy.” I said looking at him.

“Matt.” They said again smiling.

“Matt K. to be exact.” Lee said adjusting a string on his guitar. I nodded and sighed as I looked away when he glanced up at us and glared. The boys played more songs, each equally loud and with more screaming than a horror movie. I could hear my ears ringing as they finished, and sat down. Matt on my right and Lee on my left. Oliver sat on the floor next to the couch with his back resting against it. He tried crossing his legs but his tight pants constricted them, keeping them from folding.

My body shook slightly as I laughed at him. “It’s not funny.” Oliver mumbled and let his legs lay out in front of him.

“Yeah it is.” I laughed and looked around. “Where did Tom go?” I asked not seeing him around the room.

“Probably upstairs talking with my mom about pictures.” Lee said and opened a bottle of water.

“Photography is the proper name.” Tom stated coming inside the room. “I see everyone looks cozy with Alex.” He said and sat in a chair next to the couch.

“Oh yeah. She let Matt know how it was.” Lee stated and took another drink of water.

“I’m sure she did.” Tom said smiling at me. I blushed slightly and ducked my head to keep it from being seen.

“Look! She blushes!” Jona said from beside me and poked my cheek. All the boys turned and smiled at me. Tom smirked and snapped a picture of me, surrounded by boys. Oh this shall be fun.