Hand of Blood

I sighed lightly as I stretched out on the sofa, throwing my arms back behind my head with my eyes fluttered closed. I had watched the guys play for a few hours, and they had stopped about twenty minutes ago. I could faintly hear their voices around the room as they went back to whatever it was musicians talk about, before a loud grumble from my stomach caused my eyes to widen. While staring at the plain white ceiling, my mind suddenly chose to remember the fact I hadn't eaten since breakfast.

My attention fell downwards as I felt my legs moved up gently, before dropping back down onto a figure. I smiled lightly down at Matt who was watching me with a raised eyebrow, his hands lightly resting on my calves across his lap.

"You seem so interested right now," he said with a knowing grin.

I chuckled and smiled back. "This is all great, and you guys are awesome, and the band is amazing..." I reeled off slowly, tilting my head as I spoke and moving my hands to rest on my stomach.

"But?" Matt asked with his smile never fading.

"But... I'm hungry," I said, pursing my lips as I said so. Matt laughed softly in response, his gaze wandering the room for a moment and settling on each of his band members in turn, before getting back to me.

"Me too, and they're always hungry," he said with a grin, nodding his head back to the rest of the guys in the room. "I'm guessing the cupboards will be empty, so... Do you want some take out?" He asked brightly, causing me to smile instantly.

"Yes!" I said confidently, nodding as Matt chuckled softly. I pulled my legs off of his lap as I sat up on the sofa, and Matt went to stand up. He sent me a backwards glance and a half smile, before he wandered across to his band mates. A moment later, they all started walking further away from me, and went through a door at the back, right side of the room. After a split second of finding myself alone in the room, I quickly tumbled off of the sofa and decided to follow them.

I found myself in what appeared to be a kitchen. I doubted that I was wrong, considering that it was equipped with a cooker, fridge and sink, along with numerous cupboards and work tops. How everything had managed to fit into such a tiny room I had no idea. It wasn't even half the size of the practice room, and could barely accommodate all four of the guys as I picked them out around the space.

Moose was somewhat awkwardly sitting on a lone chair in the furthest corner from me, Padge and Jay were both standing up, Jay located in the middle of the room and Padge leaning against the fridge, and Matt was sitting on one of the worktops, his gaze intently fixed on the sheet of paper in his hands. I wandered over to him and pulled myself up onto the small surface beside him, leaning my head on his shoulder as I watched his search for a meal. At my presence, he glanced down at me and smiled faintly, before handing the Chinese menu he had been looking over in my direction. I took it from his grasp and started staring down at it, as Matt picked up the phone on the other side of him.

"So what's everyone wanting, then?" He asked to the group, holding the phone in his lap as he glanced around at everyone expectantly.

"Anything with chicken," said Jay dully, shifting on his feet slightly.

"I'll have some beef," Moose called from his corner of the room, holding his hand up as he did so to get some attention.

Padge looked thoughtful for a moment. "Duck," he said simply, with a small smile. Matt nodded in response before his attention fell onto me, waiting for my own response. I bit my lip as I took one last look down at the menu and caught on to how things were ordered around here. My response would be just as simple, then.

"Vegetable," I said lightly, folding the menu closed and handing it back to Matt. I wasn't sure what reaction I was expecting to my answer, but somehow I thought there would be no reaction, compared to the strange silence that I was greeted with now. I glanced around timidly to see all the guys looking at me as if I was slightly crazy. I frowned slightly. "What now?" I asked simply.

"You're not one of those stick thin chicks who constantly diet are you?" Jay asked me bluntly. I sent a scowl in his direction, as my picture of him I had slowly grew. This was the jokey, argumentative, competitive, blunt, unthoughtful one. He wasn't doing too well, really. However, I wasn't about to let that stop me as I had already made the conscious decision that I wouldn't let anything get in my way. I never gave people who I worked out to be terrible on first impressions enough of a chance. I guess Jay would be my test of that.

"Why, do you think I'm a stick?" I asked in a harsh tone, while trying to lighten my scowl slightly and hide my real irritation. Jay glanced around at the other guys who remained silent. Apparently, he was on his own with this one.

"N... No?" He said carefully, his eyes darting around the room urgently, searching for some help, or perhaps the quickest escape route.

I gasped and put my hands on my hips. "Are you saying I'm fat?!" I exclaimed in a raised tone. Jays eyes grew wider as he watched me, his mind ticking over frantically as he thought of what to say. It was safe to say we now had the full attention of everyone in the small room.

"Well?!" I pushed, glaring over at Jay.

"Of... Of course not!" He stuttered back, his expression nothing short of petrified. I had made him scared of me, huh? That was a good thing. Id have to remember that one, for future reference. Jokey, argumentative, competitive, blunt, unthoughtful, gullible and scared of enraged women.

After an almost painful silence, I broke it with light laughter. It took a brief moment of confusion and lost glances exchanged between the band, before Matt, Moose and Padge all started laughing too, catching on with my thought track. Jay didn't join in with the group, though I think he was just relieved I didn't really have him on my death list. I couldn't really blame him.

"I'm vegetarian," I said finally, sending a smile in Jays direction to tell him I wasn't really mad with him. He seemed to accept it gratefully, and nodded back at me.

"Oh right, of course," he said with a grin. "Well that's hot then," he said as he tried to write himself back in my good books, but simply causing me to raise an eyebrow in response. Maybe I should add 'flirt' to Jay's list. He certainly seemed the easiest to work out compared to the other guys. It seemed he was more outgoing than the rest, which made it that much easier.

Matt sighed and shook his head, catching my attention and gaze. "If you two are quite finished, can I order?" He asked, his gaze moving from Jay and back to meet with my own eyes. "I'm starving," he added, smiling at me, and waiting for me to return it before turning back to the group. Strangely, most of his qualities where opposite to that of Jays. I wasn't complaining in the slightest. I also turned to the group as there were various mumbles of agreement amongst the guys, and Matt finally dialed the number, causing a silence to fall in the small room.

+

An hour and a half later, we were all stationed back in the practice room, sitting on the sofas lining the walls between the amps. After a long, agonising wait, in which Jay pretended to die of starvation, adding 'drama queen/attention seeker' to his list, the food had finally arrived. We were now all sitting quite comfortably with a plate of Chinese food in hand, while the odd mutters of small talk moved around the room, between the sound of eating. Everyone was sitting on their own individual sofa, except me and Matt who were sharing the same sofa I had sat on when I first walked in. It had become my new 'spot', apparently.

I noticed Matt clear his throat slightly, pulling my attention away from the plate balanced in my lap over my crossed legs, and across to him. "So," he started with a smile, while twirling noodles onto his fork. " Vegetarian, hey?" He asked simply, making and excuse to create conversation.

I smiled lightly and nodded. "Uh huh," I mumbled, my mouth still a little full of rice.

Matt chuckled at me for a moment. "So how long have you been doing that for?" He asked, tilting his head as he bought his fork to his mouth, before instantly returning it to his plate and twirling it in the noodles again.

I watched him for a moment, before swallowing my mouthful and replying. "Since I was 15," I started, thinking back. "Something just kind of clicked in my head, you know? I just couldn't eat animals anymore," I said easily, with a light shrug.

He nodded in what appeared to be understanding, that light smile directed my way again. "That's cool," he commented. "So was it ever hard for you?"

I paused and tilted my head, chasing a pea around my plate with my fork which held my attention. "Uhm, yes and no. I knew I couldn't keep eating meat, but my parents didn't exactly make it easy for me to make the transition."

"What did they do?" Matt asked curiously, his gaze on me as his cutlery rested on his plate, interest lost on it and fixed on our conversation. I smiled lightly as I ate the single pea I managed to pin down a moment before.

"They haven't made me a single meal in three years," I sighed softly, with only a hint of bitterness in my tone. Matt paused for a moment as my gaze rose to meet with his. He looked a little shocked, before a sympathetic look filled his eyes. I smiled lightly as we both turned back to our food.

Within a few seconds the sound of laughter met my ears, causing my head to raise again to see Padge with rice flecks in his hair, and Jay with a triumphant look on his face. Moose had been the culprit of the outburst of laughter, as he watched on from the opposite side of the room. I chuckled softly as Matt's attention turned away from the scene and he rolled his eyes. I bit my lip to suppress my smile, before Matt looked back at me, now looking a little puzzled.

"So you live with your parents, then?" He asked, the confusion seeping into his tone.

I nodded. "Yeah," I said simply, eating another forkful of rice, my eyes wandering over Matt's shoulder and across to Padge and Jays small food fight. Moose was now joining in, and I grinned lightly as I saw a stray noodle fly from the right side of the room to the left, as he tried to reach his band mates.

"I haven't seen them," Matt said, moving my concentration back onto our conversation. I smiled faintly at his comment and nodded. Of course, he had been to my house twice now, once at gone midnight and the other early afternoon. Each time the house was empty, which was quite strange considering the times he had been over.

I sighed inwardly. "They've... Uhm..." I paused for a moment as I tried not to think about it too much, to save my anger swelling up again. "Well, they're on holiday for a month," I eventually mumbled quietly, my attention on my plate.

"They just left you?" Matt asked with concern. I nodded simply and began stabbing a carrot on my plate. I frowned as I hit it a little hard, causing rice to spill off the plate and onto the floor. I decided against clearing it up instantly, as the guys couldn't care that much. There was, after all, a full blown war going on a little less than 10 feet from our location.

"That must suck," I heard Matt say softly, his voice distant.

I glanced back up at him. "Its not that bad," I lied easily, a smile instantly forming on my lips as I looked into Matt's face. I couldn't help but laugh as he gave me an oblivious look. Somehow, his lost expression caused me to laugh a little harder, which made Matt smile at me, bemused.

"What?" He asked bluntly, still smiling faintly.

I grinned back at him. "You have food right here," I said, pointing to the side of my mouth and tapping it. Matt tilted his head as a light blush formed on his cheeks, and he wiped his mouth across the back of his arm. I chuckled lightly as he looked at me with a hopeful expression, that was lost.

"No," I whined softly. "Here!" I said, licking my thumb and leaning down the sofa towards Matt. I pursed my lips in concentration as I ran my thumb over the corner of his mouth. I suddenly froze the moment I realised what I was doing. I was doing that embarrassing act reserved for parents that are out with their young children, upon finding that their face wasn't clean. I quickly dropped my hand and withdrew my arm, my cheeks catching fire.

"I... Uhm," I mumbled, senselessly, my wide eyes focused on my plate as I felt the nerves spring through me, causing even my ears to warm up as blood flowed to the surface of my skin. I chewed my lip as I concentrated on trying to stop my heart ricocheting against my rib cage. "I mean. Uhm, sorry," I mumbled quietly.

A light chuckle met my ears, but not an uncomfortable one. "Thanks, little sis," Matt said in a soft, earnest tone, causing my blush to deepen further. I glanced up at Matt and smiled weakly at him, it being returned with a small grin. We instantaneously turned back to our plates, but not before I noticed Matt bite his bottom lip. I hadn't seem him do that before, which suddenly intrigued me. Was that his own indication of embarrassment, or did it mean something else? I stole a glance up at him to then see a faint, distant, profound smile tugging at Matt's lips. Still attempting to work out the remaining secrets of my acquaintance, I simply smiled faintly to myself before I continued eating.

+

Spending time with the guys seemed to make the day disappear in to thin air. I only realised how late it was getting, when I turned my attention to one of the windows to find it was dark outside, which instantly disappointed me. The conversation and laughing in the practice room seemed endless, and I was having so much fun.

I sighed softly and stood up from the sofa, causing all eyes to fall onto me. "I better get home," I said, a little regretfully. "Its getting late," I added. There was a unanimous groan throughout the group, instantly making me smile. They wanted me to stay, so they actually liked my company? I couldn't begin to describe how happy that simple act had made me. This morning I would have put money on them getting bored of me.

"Sorry guys," I said with a light chuckle. I received a few nods and light smiles in return, before Matt stood up from his location on the floor.

"I'll walk you home," he said with a smile. "Its pretty dark," he added. I smiled gratefully and nodded, knowing better than to refuse the offer. Matt was pushy, but in the most wonderful way. I suppose it was in that protective 'older brother' way.

"Okay," I said, before turning to the rest of the guys. "I... Had a lot of fun," I said to them, gaining a few grins. "Thanks," I said as I felt myself blush lightly.

"Anytime, Bri," Padge said softly, using the shortened version of my name that I had requested that the guys use. It felt weird people calling me Brianne all the time, it sounded so formal. I gave one last smile of thanks around the room before I waved and started towards the doorway, where Matt was already waiting. I smiled up at him as I walked past and into the small hall. He opened the front door and lead me out into the cool evening.

"So, have a nice time?" Matt asked absently, starting the usual small talk between us.

I nodded and grinned at him. "Yeah, I really did," I confirmed, causing him to smile contently. "Your band are amazing, too. I'm really surprised I haven't seen you play before," I added thoughtfully.

Matt chuckled softly, a little nervously, as that same shyness took over him when the band was ever mentioned. "You probably have, you just weren't paying enough attention to the name," he said with a light shrug.

I smiled at his relentless modesty, and nodded back. "And speaking of names. Whats with Moose and Padge?" I asked with a grin, as Matt chuckled lightly.

"They're both Micheal," he explained, causing me to nod in understanding. Having two Micheal's in one band must get confusing. "Moose got his nickname from his dad," Matt continued, "and Padge got his from his surname," he added, saving me from asking the reasons why.

My eyebrows furrowed as I though about it. "Micheal... Padge?" I asked.

Matt laughed softly. "Padget," he corrected, causing me to blush lightly.

"Oh, right," I mumbled a little stupidly. "I see," I said turning to share a smile with Matt. He always seemed amused by me, though I cant say I didn't bring it upon myself. It was a nice thing, though, I couldn't remember the last time someone just liked my personality, or thought I was amusing in the slightest. All the guys seemed to think I fit in quite well, especially with their humour. They all seemed like pretty stand up guys, I think I really could make some new friends out of them. Decent friends, for once.

After the long, small talk and smile filled walk, we eventually turned into my street and wandered up to my house. Matt walked with me through the gate but stopped halfway down the front garden path. I stopped next to him and smiled up at his shadowed face.

"I take it you wont let me pay for my meal?" I asked softly, with a knowing grin.

Matt laughed softly. "What do you think, little sis?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I chuckled lightly and nodded, dropping my gaze for a moment. A silent moment passed between us, before I looked back up and we shared a smile. Another hesitation hung in the air before we simultaneous held out our arms to the other. I chuckled lightly as we shared a short hug, before I wandered sheepishly up to my door.

I turned back to see Matt watching me with interest in his eyes, his hands tucked into his jeans pockets as he casually stood in my front garden. I smiled faintly before I took my key from my pocket and slid it into the lock, glancing back to Matt once more.

"Well... I'll see you soon then," I said with a smile.

Matt nodded and started taking gradual steps backwards towards my gate, his attention still intently on me. "You will," he confirmed with a grin, causing me to chuckle softly. After one last, long look, he finally tore his gaze from me and stepped back out onto the street.

I bit my lip as he took a few steps further away. "Uhm," I called out, causing him to pause and look at me. I smiled lightly, a blush creeping back onto my cheeks. "Thanks a lot. For everything," I said, feeling like my note of appreciation was needed. The last thing I wanted was for him to decide I wasn't worth any effort, and that I was ungrateful. Truth be told, I had never felt so much in someones debt.

Matt watched me for a moment, his ocean eyes caught in the low light as they met with mine, before he nodded. "Anytime," he said softly, sending me a smile. Without much other delay, he bowed his head slightly and continued his steady walk away. I watched him for a moment as he disappeared into the shadows of the street lamps, before turning back to my house and stepping into the dark, empty hall. I instantly missed the life of Jays house. I was instantly jealous that Matt was going back there now; to the warmth of friends and a nice homely home. Why didn't I have such luck?