Hand of Blood

"Hurry up!" Whined Moose as he stood in the doorway of my house. Fittingly, he was slouched against the wooden frame and allowing his head to droop down, causing his hair to fall over his face and making him appear even more like an impatient child. I rolled my eyes as I strolled past him and into the living room, picking up my house keys from the coffee table.

"You didn't have to come with me, you know," I sighed as I picked up my messenger bag, hanging it over my shoulder and walking over to him. Moose instantly raised his head, his mood dramatically improved by the fact I was finished rampaging through my house.

"But Matt probably would have killed one of us," he stated as he turned away from me, stepping out into the warm afternoon air with his hands in his jean pockets. "You know how protective he gets," he added in a mumble, once again facing the ground. I shook my head as I also stepped out, my eyes squinting in the bright light as they rested on Padge standing by the stone wall at the end of my front garden.

"But why did both of you come?" I asked in a puzzled tone, resting a hand on my hip as Moose wandered down the front path back to his friend. They both shared a blank look before their empty gazes rested on me. I sighed inwardly as I closed the front door and locked it, before walking down to them.

"Kay and her bright ideas," Padge mumbled, causing me to chuckle as we started walking down the street, Moose and Padge on either side of me.

"Who told her Bri was home alone again?" Moose complained, throwing a glance over at Padge.

Padge instantly scowled back at Moose. "Don't go thinking it was me!" He shot back defensively, folding his arms across his chest. I rolled my eyes as the grown men either side of me continued to bicker back and forth.

All of this was born from the result of Kayla discovering I was staying on my own for the next three weeks. It had turned into her firmly deciding that I couldn't stay on my own for that long, and that a 'sleepover' was necessary for at least a few nights. In all honesty, I think she may have just missed female company, as it seemed like she pretty much lived with the guys 24/7. Not that I was complaining; I hadn't had a sleepover since I was in high school, although maybe I was making it out to be more childish than it was. It was probably nothing more than me stealing the sofa in Jays house.

"Well why would Matt or Jay mention it? And I'm sure Bri-" Moose continued, pausing as I finally had enough and stopped walking down the street altogether. Both guys instantly stopped and turned back to look at me about 5 feet behind them. I folded my arms across my chest and pursed my lips, scowling at them.

"What?" Moose asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.

I sighed and turned away from them. "If the two of you don't stop arguing, I refuse to go anywhere," I stated in a stubborn tone. They both shared a glance before Moose huffed.

"Do whatever you want then," he stated, turning and walking off. I gasped at his sudden change in tune, though I shouldn't have expected anything less from Moose. He wasn't one to conform.

Padge stood glancing between the two of us as I stayed in my place and Moose gradually got further away. "But, we can't just leave her standing here!" He called after Moose, apparently confused. "That defeats the point of coming here in the first place," he added, still looking between the two of us, completely lost.

Moose simply shrugged as he continued to get further away from the two of us. Padge glanced back at me, questioning with his eyes whether I was serious. However, I had decided that I would be just as stubborn as Moose and stand my ground, which would work against the softy, and often push over, that was Micheal Padget.

"Moose!" Padge shouted after his friend as frustration crept into his tone. The man in question paused and turned, looking back at us dully from half way down the street.

"What the hell, man," Moose complained, scowling back at us with his hands still firmly fixed in his pockets. "I don't have time for this," he whined.

"Moose, I refuse to move until you come back!" I shouted after him, deciding I was the one to take action now. I suddenly received two pairs of wide eyes in my direction, at my sudden claim. "I mean it!" I added, moving my hands onto my hips.

"Fuck off, do you," Moose called back, a grin now claiming his face as he enjoyed the challenge I was presenting him with. My eyes fell on Padge who was still standing between us, now burying his head in his hands as he was faced with a battle of wills between me and Moose. I smiled to myself before directing my attention back onto Moose.

"You said it yourself, Matt wont be happy if you just leave me here!"

Moose scoffed and turned his gaze to the clear blue sky, that smirk never fading. "Yeah, cause he scares me," he stated, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, I bet he could beat your ass," I shouted back, laughing lightly as Moose's expression dropped instantly.

"You wish!" He almost screamed back at me, his eyes flaring a little irritation.

"Then prove it, macho man!" I replied, my grin growing at the fact he seemed to be giving in. There was nothing better than beating a man at his own game. Moose's appeared to be stand-offs.

"Oh yeah?!" He shouted, taking his hands out of his pockets as he took a single step in my direction. "Why don't you come over here and say that!" He challenged, using one of the oldest lines in the book. I allowed myself a laugh before shaking my head at him.

"Hell no. You get over here and-" I started, only to have my words falter as I suddenly became aware of a body hurtling towards me, causing my eyes to widen. I screeched as a second later I felt my feet leave the ground and my stomach connect hard with a shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around me to save me from hitting the ground again.

"Enough already!" Padge cried in despair as he turned and started marching over to Moose. I couldn't help but laugh as he carried me, my whole body bouncing with his heavy steps, back to where his accomplice was standing. However, instead of stopping beside his friend, or even considering putting me down, Padge kept walking, leaving Moose to watch after us with amusement. After a moment, Moose soon started walking after us, grinning at me as I found myself eye level with him. I managed to ease my laugh into a light chuckle, as I found myself with little hope of being brought back down to earth anytime soon.

"Then prove it. Macho man," I repeated with a knowing grin, as Moose's expression blanked before he scowled at me playfully. He then used the fact that I wouldn't be able to fight back to his advantage, as he reached forward and messed up my hair, in the most childish way possible, instead of facing me with a verbal reply. I whined in response and shook my head as Moose laughed at me, Padge also joining in on the joke. I stuck my tongue out at Moose in protest, a habit I had quickly picked up from Kayla, and folded my arms as they rested on Padge's back, as he continued walking with me firmly fixed to his shoulder.

Honestly? I was really starting to like these guys.

+

"Okay, seriously, put me down now!" I shouted as we approached Jays house. A twenty minute walk attached to Padge's shoulder was definitely not going on my list of favourite things to do, considering I was almost certain my stomach was now bruised in some shape or form. That, and the fact Moose had found great joy in flicking my forehead every couple of minutes, which was really starting to hurt.

"What do you think, Moose?" Padge said with a sigh, now walking up to Jays door. "Should we let her go?"

My eyes raised to Moose still walking behind us, to find him simply shrug lightly in response. I growled and started pounding Padge's back.

"Just put me the hell down!" I screeched, starting to thrash around as both men came to a stop. I heard Padge chuckle lightly before his grip gradually loosened on me, and I felt myself moving backwards. I let out a content sigh a moment later as my feet hit the ground again, before folding my arms across my chest and scowling up at Padge.

"Never do that again," I threatened in a hiss, causing him to grin in response. I allowed myself to give him a small smile in return, before turning around and letting myself into Jays house, wandering straight through the small hall and into the music room.

I was met by the sight of Jay sitting in the middle of the room with his back to me, glaring at his bass guitar. I chuckled to myself as I moved across to 'my' sofa closest to the door, and sat down on it heavily. I was soon followed by Padge and Moose, who both wandered into the room. Moose, not surprisingly, headed straight over to his drum kit, while Padge stood behind Jay, and began watching him with curiosity. I think the white earphones securely locked in Jays ears were the reason he was yet to realise anyone was in the room with him.

After a moment, Padge tapped Jay on the shoulder. I couldn't help but laugh as he jumped suddenly forward, almost landing on his bass as he spun round and looked up at his disturber with shock in his expression. Padge started laughing at his friend, as Jay scowled harshly and took his earphones out.

"Jesus," he breathed. "Don't do that!" He shouted up at Padge, who simply continued to laugh him off and walked over to the sofa at the far end of the room. Jay shook his head before standing up, dragging his bass, that obviously wasnt in his good books, lazily behind him and over to the seat that I was on.

"Matt, they're back," Jay called out loudly, his attention no where in particular other than on the instrument he was now resting beside me. I heard a loud crash from the kitchen, causing me to grin a moment before Matt's head appeared through the doorway at the other end of the room. He smiled over at me with an air of innocence about him, leading me to believe he had probably made a mess of the kitchen, before walking in wandering over as Jay walked away.

"You guys disappeared!" He exclaimed with a grin, causing me to laugh lightly. He gently pushed Jays carefully placed bass away from the sofa, causing it hit the floor with a loud thud, before he sat down in its place. Jay, who was now standing over by Padge, turned around with wide eyes, glaring at his band mate. Matt however had completely ignored his action, turning to face me as Jay growled loudly and stormed out of the room. He also made a point of banging Moose's cymbal as he passed the drum kit, which snapped the drummer from his trance and interrupted regular beat he had been playing since he sat down.

"I thought Kay had scared you off," Matt added, as though nothing had just happened. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw Moose and Padge exchange confused glances, before returning to their previous actions, Moose starting up a beat while Padge flicked through a guitar magazine.

I turned my attention fully to Matt. "No, not quite," I said with a chuckle. "Her 'sleepover' sounds like fun, anyway," I explained with a grin, just as a loud crash went through the room from behind me. I turned to see the door had been flung open, Kayla running into the room and looking around manically. As her gaze met with Padge's, she squealed and propelled herself at her other half.

"Padgey! I missed you, baby!" She cooed, looking down on the man she had just attacked, and attracting everyones attention in her action. Even Jay had reappeared in the room, poking his head around the kitchen door and watching with confusion as Padge was smothered by his girlfriend. I laughed softly at the scene that was playing out before me, as Matt turned back to me with a knowing grin.

Yeah, I was really starting to like these guys.