Sixteen Candles
Chapter 28
Violet’s POV
The guys lived in a warehouse sort of building. About a half hour from my house (when you took the right road). The building wasn’t split into rooms or even floors.
When I was here earlier, I didn’t care what it looked like, now I got a good look. The living room was also a practice room and garage. The kitchen had walls, but it was also just to the side. Any of the warehouse’s rooms, had been converted into bedrooms and bathrooms had been added.
Pete and Patrick had the second story rooms and Joe and Andy had the bottom floor. There were three bathrooms, two upstairs and one on the ground floor.
The practice room area had a rack of guitars and a couple of basses. There was a drum set and a table over to the side with tuners and extra strings and picks.
Joe and Andy disappeared into their rooms.
“Come on.” Patrick called from the top of the stairs.
“What?”
“You know where we’re going. Someone has to tell me what’s appropriate.”
I ran up the stairs, stopping next to him. “Fine.”
He grinned and walked over to one of the doors, opening it to let me in first.
Patrick’s room was simple. Most of the furniture and the walls were grey. There were personal touches like an acoustic guitar, a few pictures of the guys and who I assumed were his family.
There was a bathroom attached and Patrick began rummaging through one of his dressers. “You can hang out here, I’ll be out in a second.”
“Take your time.” I answered and walked over to the guitar.
He disappeared into the bathroom and I heard the shuffle of clothing and the shower.
I walked over to the guitar and watched the strings. Trying to remember a song that had been played for me, once upon a time. As I tossed the melody around my head, I heard it clearly.
A few moments later, someone pulled my shoulder. Turning, I saw Patrick, looking confused and worried.
“What--- How did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“The guitar. It was playing without anyone touching it.”
I tried to think of what he was talking about. “That makes no sense.”
“Yeah, well, in the last two days, I’ve learned that nothing around you makes much sense.”
I smiled. “Alright. Fine. What did it sound like?”
He sighed. “Never mind. So can you give me a vague idea of where we’re going?”
“No.”
“Then how am I supposed to know what to wear?”
“Just wear what you would normally wear. This is Chicago, what passes for a night in Chicago?”
“Anything and Everything.”
“Then that’s what you wear.”
“What are you wearing?”
“The usual.”
“Then this can’t be too formal.”
“It isn’t at all formal.”
“Good, I’m not a fan of formal.” Joe agreed, coming in. Andy behind him.
“Would it kill you to knock?” I snapped.
“Not really.” Joe answered.
“We figured if you were doing anything that warranted knocking, you would have locked the door.” Andy agreed.
I rolled my eyes and went to sit on the bed.
“So where are we going?” Joe asked me.
“Is that the only thing you guys know how to ask?”
“For now.”
I groaned. “I refuse to tell any of you anything about my plans until we enact them. That way you guys can’t back out.”
“That sounds scary.” Pete said, coming in.
“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” Andy asked.
“Yeah. I can’t. I’ve been laying there half the day.”
“Insomnia isn’t that uncommon when it comes to young vampires.” I noted.
“Good to know.” Patrick snapped.
“Yeah, it takes time for the mind to get used to the change, even if the body tells it to sleep.”
“Wonderful.” Pete said, rubbing his eyes. “How long does it take to adjust?”
“You’re what, two, three years into vampirism. It doesn’t usually last that long.”
“Pete, had insomnia in humanity.”
“That is an incurable thing. Not even being dead can solve human insomnia.” I said.
“How do you know?”
“It isn’t unheard of. I know people who are stuck with it. They usually end up doing crazy things. I know of one guy that attempted to momentarily kill himself during the day.”
Patrick looked over at Pete, “You do that, and you have to clean up your own blood.”
Pete grimaced and I realized that Patrick probably did all of their housekeeping.
Pete looked back at me. “So normal dress?”
“Yep.”
He had a contemplating look for about a second. Glancing at Andy and then Joe, I couldn’t see their minds.
“Vi,” Pete began. “What do you say I introduce you to my straightened?”
“Are you suggesting that I don’t know how to use a straightener?”
“Do you?”
“You’re kidding right. I live with Jordan and date Ryan Ross. Two guys who know a lot about what a straightened does. They attack me from time to time.”
“Good, then this should be no surprise.”
Andy grabbed my shoulders and directed me out of Patrick’s room and into the hallway, Joe staying with Patrick.
The guys lived in a warehouse sort of building. About a half hour from my house (when you took the right road). The building wasn’t split into rooms or even floors.
When I was here earlier, I didn’t care what it looked like, now I got a good look. The living room was also a practice room and garage. The kitchen had walls, but it was also just to the side. Any of the warehouse’s rooms, had been converted into bedrooms and bathrooms had been added.
Pete and Patrick had the second story rooms and Joe and Andy had the bottom floor. There were three bathrooms, two upstairs and one on the ground floor.
The practice room area had a rack of guitars and a couple of basses. There was a drum set and a table over to the side with tuners and extra strings and picks.
Joe and Andy disappeared into their rooms.
“Come on.” Patrick called from the top of the stairs.
“What?”
“You know where we’re going. Someone has to tell me what’s appropriate.”
I ran up the stairs, stopping next to him. “Fine.”
He grinned and walked over to one of the doors, opening it to let me in first.
Patrick’s room was simple. Most of the furniture and the walls were grey. There were personal touches like an acoustic guitar, a few pictures of the guys and who I assumed were his family.
There was a bathroom attached and Patrick began rummaging through one of his dressers. “You can hang out here, I’ll be out in a second.”
“Take your time.” I answered and walked over to the guitar.
He disappeared into the bathroom and I heard the shuffle of clothing and the shower.
I walked over to the guitar and watched the strings. Trying to remember a song that had been played for me, once upon a time. As I tossed the melody around my head, I heard it clearly.
A few moments later, someone pulled my shoulder. Turning, I saw Patrick, looking confused and worried.
“What--- How did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“The guitar. It was playing without anyone touching it.”
I tried to think of what he was talking about. “That makes no sense.”
“Yeah, well, in the last two days, I’ve learned that nothing around you makes much sense.”
I smiled. “Alright. Fine. What did it sound like?”
He sighed. “Never mind. So can you give me a vague idea of where we’re going?”
“No.”
“Then how am I supposed to know what to wear?”
“Just wear what you would normally wear. This is Chicago, what passes for a night in Chicago?”
“Anything and Everything.”
“Then that’s what you wear.”
“What are you wearing?”
“The usual.”
“Then this can’t be too formal.”
“It isn’t at all formal.”
“Good, I’m not a fan of formal.” Joe agreed, coming in. Andy behind him.
“Would it kill you to knock?” I snapped.
“Not really.” Joe answered.
“We figured if you were doing anything that warranted knocking, you would have locked the door.” Andy agreed.
I rolled my eyes and went to sit on the bed.
“So where are we going?” Joe asked me.
“Is that the only thing you guys know how to ask?”
“For now.”
I groaned. “I refuse to tell any of you anything about my plans until we enact them. That way you guys can’t back out.”
“That sounds scary.” Pete said, coming in.
“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” Andy asked.
“Yeah. I can’t. I’ve been laying there half the day.”
“Insomnia isn’t that uncommon when it comes to young vampires.” I noted.
“Good to know.” Patrick snapped.
“Yeah, it takes time for the mind to get used to the change, even if the body tells it to sleep.”
“Wonderful.” Pete said, rubbing his eyes. “How long does it take to adjust?”
“You’re what, two, three years into vampirism. It doesn’t usually last that long.”
“Pete, had insomnia in humanity.”
“That is an incurable thing. Not even being dead can solve human insomnia.” I said.
“How do you know?”
“It isn’t unheard of. I know people who are stuck with it. They usually end up doing crazy things. I know of one guy that attempted to momentarily kill himself during the day.”
Patrick looked over at Pete, “You do that, and you have to clean up your own blood.”
Pete grimaced and I realized that Patrick probably did all of their housekeeping.
Pete looked back at me. “So normal dress?”
“Yep.”
He had a contemplating look for about a second. Glancing at Andy and then Joe, I couldn’t see their minds.
“Vi,” Pete began. “What do you say I introduce you to my straightened?”
“Are you suggesting that I don’t know how to use a straightener?”
“Do you?”
“You’re kidding right. I live with Jordan and date Ryan Ross. Two guys who know a lot about what a straightened does. They attack me from time to time.”
“Good, then this should be no surprise.”
Andy grabbed my shoulders and directed me out of Patrick’s room and into the hallway, Joe staying with Patrick.