I Can Taste the Failure on Your Lips

Being surrounded by guys alone in a room would be some girls fantasy, but for others it could be weird.

To me its uncomfortable at first, and then it gets better. Especially with Matt N. I had tears in my eyes from the stories they were telling me. Matt had so many stories on Oliver that I never would have assumed.

"Yeah, we were outside and it was raining and Oli came inside drenched and he kept falling down while he tried to take his pants off." He smiled and Oliver glared up at Matt.

"its not my fault pants are so tight." He mumbled, pulling at his pants.

"Yeah, but you were fuckin yelling 'I can't get these damn pants off!" Matt mocked Oliver and was pulling at his pants. I shook with laughter at the thought of Oliver.

"What about you ripping your pants Matt?" Lee asked turning the tables.

"I have no idea what your talking about." Matt stated, not laughing anymore.

"Really? Because I remember when you bought pants like Oli's and when you put them and bent to put your shoes on they ripped." Lee stated smirking at him. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried not to laugh. Matt stood and pointed at Lee.

"That doesn't count!" he almost yelled. I shook my head and looked at Matt.

"Calm down, everyone has trouble with skinny jeans. Its one of the perks with buying them." I laughed and watched as Matt sighed and walked across the room to get another water bottle.

Boys.
***
After "Band Practice" Oliver, Tom and I were walking back to The Sykes house. The cold wind whipped around my cheeks, biting at them, turning them pink. I pulled my hood around my head and stuffed my hands in my jacket, trying to stay warm. Winter was a bitch.

After we got to the house, I rubbed my hands together and tried to get friction to keep my hands warm. "Alex?" I heard my name called. I stepped into the kitchen where Mrs. Sykes was chopping at a celery stalk.

"Yes?" I asked coming in to the warm room.

"I need to talk to you." She stated and wiper her hand on the towel beside her. I was scared. I was afraid, knowing what words were about to come out of her mouth. I could feel tears well up slightly and my mouth go dry. "Tomorrow, are you planning on going to school?" She asked and I nodded slightly. "Well tomorrow, your parents might have school officials waiting to see you to let them know your at school." She stated. "And if they are let known, they may try and come and get you." she stated.

"Ohh." I sighed. I was thankful that she wasn't telling me I had to leave, but my mind raced on the idea that my parents coming and taking me from school. "Uhmm well I turn 18 next week." I stated, trying to get my voice to come back.

"Okay, but if they do, you realize you have to go with them." She said.

"Yeah..." I trailed off. If I had too I would keep running away, going farther each time, just to get away.

"Well either way, your always welcome here." She smiled at me and pushed hair back that was falling in my face.

"Thank you, so much." I smiled and stood, wrapping my arms around her.

"Your welcome." She laughed slightly and held me tightly before letting go.

"Isn't that a sight." I turned and saw Oliver and Tom's father standing in the door, smiling. "is everything alright?" He asked coming over and kissing Mrs. Sykes cheek.

"Yes, I was just talking with Alex." She said and went back to cooking. I turned around, leaving them to talk to themselves. I peeked inside the living room, looking for Oliver and Tom, but didn't see them.

I wondered down the hall, walking towards the door to Oliver's room. I could hear the faint sound of screaming and the thumping of drums and a bass guitar. I turned the handle and pulled the door, hearing the muffled sound get louder in my ears. I took each step with a slow foot, hearing the sounds get closer, louder.

As I came to the bottom I saw Oliver laying on his bed, eye's to the ceiling, mouth moving slightly with the words to the song. I walked over to wear he was standing and sat down beside him, causing his to jump slightly.

"What's wrong?" He asked sitting up.

"Uhmm, if I don't come back here tomorrow, It's because I will be at my house." I said slowly.

"You're going home?" He asked confused

"No...not willingly." I said quietly.

"What?" I could tell by his tone he was confused.

"My parents might get me at school if they know i'm there." I stated.

"Then don't go." Oliver reasoned.

"I can't stay here forever. Besides in about a week, I'll be 18, so until then I can't do anything." I told him, keeping my eye's to the floor.

"Well that's stupid. You can always come here if you need a place to go. " He told me, watching my face.

"Yeah, that's what your mom said." I told him. "Why are you all so nice?" I asked, not fully understanding what would cause people to act in this way.

"Why shouldn't we be?" He asked smiling. I turned towards him and smiled a little.

"I don't know, I haven't known anyone to be nice like this outside of my family." I told him.

"Well that's all about to change." He said smiling.

After a while Mrs. Sykes called us up for dinner. I followed behind Oliver to their dining room and sat down at the table. Mrs. Sykes put a plate of rolls down on the table followed by a bowl of salad and a bowl of soup. and separate bowls beside it.

Oliver piled a mountain of lettuce on his plate, picking up a piece and shoving it in his mouth. I tired not to laugh a little as he looked satisfied at the "crunch" of the lettuce as he chewed. He looked over at me smiling at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, you just looked excited to eat that piece of lettuce." I said smiling.

"Of course I am." He said stabbing more onto his fork and shoving it inside his mouth. I rolled my eyes and put dome soup in a bowl and lettuce on my plate as well. Dinner with the Sykes is filled with conversation and laughter. Never a dull moment.

This is like the family I dream about. The one I wished I actually had, and grew up with. My own family dinner's consisted of me being told what I needed to do, or Silence.

Pure Silence.

But that silence rang through my ears, causing so much sound.

"Alex?" I heard my name called, snapping my focus back into reality. I looked up and saw everyone looking at me.

"Yes?" I asked

"I asked how you like the soup?" Mrs. Sykes asked looking concerned.

"Oh, sorry. Its very good." I smiled and finished eating. After eating I walked back down stairs to Oliver's room and grabbed my bag. "Can I take a shower?" I asked him turning as he came down stairs.

"Sure." he said pointing towards the bathroom door. I shut the door, turning on the light. I stripped my clothes and turned on the water of the shower. I pulled the curtain too and let the hot water tap against my skin. I always sat at the bottom of a shower, thinking.

Red marks were appearing on my arm from the hot water hitting skin, making me feel the heat spread up my arm. I grabbed the shampoo bottle resting against the wall and rubbed into my scalp, massaging it as the water fell against my back.

After a good 20 minutes of showering I got out, wrapping a soft towel around my body, trying to conceal the warmth of the shower. I pulled on new clothes and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to untangle the knots. When I stepped back inside the room, Oliver was laying across the couch pullout, already changed with his eye's closed.

I turned out the lights, and sat down on his bed, pulling the bed cover up to my chin and turning on my side, letting my eyes shut.