Unholy Confessions

“Who’s the guy playing bass?” Neche leaned over me to ask Val.

“You mean the tool who thinks he’s good, but really blows?” Johnny asked loudly. The bassist scowled at Johnny and flipped him the bird. Val stifled a giggle before leaning over me.

“His name is Matt Wendt.”

Neche groaned dramatically, “Because we need to know another Matt!”

We all laughed and Matt Wendt gave us a glowering look. Johnny flipped him off and we all laughed again. Then, Jimmy clicked his drum sticks together and everyone got quiet. Four clicks later, and they started playing. I was blown away by how good they were, and by the look on my sisters face I knew she felt the same way. They played three songs for us; one beginning with an incredible guitar solo. On the next song, Neche just about flipped out when Val jumped off the couch and started screaming with Matt. She looked way too sweet to have a demonic screaming voice. When she sat back down, she gave us a shy smiled.

“Jesus Christ bananas! That was incredible!”

My sister nodded in agreement and Val’s shy smile widened into a full blown grin. After the song was over, the guys decided to take a break. Since it was so hot, we retreated to Matt’s cool basement. There were assorted couches and chairs along with a TV and a few gaming consoles. Johnny and Jimmy instantly reached for the N64 and began to play Duke Nukem. Matt mumbled something into Val’s ear and she blushed when he told us they’d be right back. They left to cat calls as the rest of us took our seats.

“I have to get going,” Matt Wendt said. When nobody answered, he shrugged and left. I felt almost sorry for him. He was playing in a band with these guys, but they didn’t really talk to him or acknowledge the fact that he was there.

Brian sat down on a love seat and after making eye contact with me, patted the seat next to him. After a moments hesitation, I sat down, and a huge grin spread over his features. Neche sat down in an over sized chair with Zacky, flirting and playing with his hair. Had Johnny not been totally engrossed with his video game, he’d be shitting a brick. I turned my attention back to Brian, who was looking me over.

“You guys rocked it,” I offered my compliments. I didn’t think it was possible, but his grin widened.

“Thank you, I think we’re pretty kick ass.”
I laughed and nodded.

“Holy shit piss… you stupid cunt whore of a mother!” Jimmy swore as Johnny’s character killed him. All the conversation in the room had stopped with these words, and we were all staring at him. He must have noticed because he looked around uneasily.

“Fuck?”

We all burst out laughing. It felt so good to laugh. These people had accepted my sister and I so far, and I had a feeling that they would accept us still when Neche found the right time to tell her story. It made me so happy to see her laughing and flirting. After the incident, she couldn’t even make eye contact with any boy. She had come a long way, and I was proud of her; I admired her strength.

“So what are you doing after this?” Brian asked, breaking my train of thought.

“Um. I have no idea,” I laughed, “Whatever Johnny and Neche wanna do I suppose.”

“Wanna hang out?”

“Just the two of us?”

He laughed, “Yeah. Maybe I could take you out to dinner.”

“I don’t know Bri…”

“Aww c’mon. You can’t choose Jason until you see what I’m all about,” he said cockily.

“I told you he wasn’t used to hearing no,” Jimmy told Neche. Both Brian and I looked at the two in confusion.

“Maybe another night,” I turned back to Brian, “I’m really tired. Barely slept last night.”

His lips pulled into a slight frown as he pouted and thought this over, “Okay. But if I find out that you’re hanging out with Jason, you owe me two dates.”

I laughed and agreed. Looking over, I saw Zacky push some of Neche’s dark brown hair out of her pretty face, and a slight blush rise on her cheek. This time, Johnny did see. He handed the controller to Matt, who had just come back down with Val, and stood.

“Alright cousins, time to go.”

“What, why?!” Val and Neche cried out simultaneously. Johnny rolled his eyes and gave me an exasperated look that said, please don’t argue. I stood up, feeling slightly uncomfortable with all the attention Brian was showing me; I already started to feel a certain loyalty to Jason.

“C’mon sissy, let’s go eat those cookies,” I walked over to where she was sitting and pulled her from Zacky’s embrace.

“You made cookies without me?!” Val asked, “How are we going to be best friends if you keep ditching me!” She laughed to show she wasn’t serious.

“We can have a sleep over soon,” Neche told her.

“Can I come too?” Jimmy jumped up.

“No!” Johnny and Val said together. Neche and I laughed and followed our cousin up the stairs after hugging Val and Jimmy and saying goodbye to everyone else.

“Are we walking home?” I asked.

“Yes-“ Johnny began.

“No. I called in a favor,” Neche said.

We left the house to see Jason’s van sitting in the driveway. He was alone, and he was shirtless and sweaty. He must have just gotten off of work. My mouth fell open and I’m sure I ogled more than I should have, because Neche elbowed me and Jason laughed.

“What are you doing here?” Johnny asked, though not in a mean tone.

“I thought you had to work,” I added.

“I finished up early. Have enough time to take you lovely people home, then pick my lame ass brother up. He’s slow,” he joked.

“And I told him that we needed to talk,” Neche said. I smiled at her, reassuringly and she returned the favor. Jason looked at me expectantly, and I pretty much ran to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“Hi,” I smiled up at him.

“Hi there,” he laughed.

He hugged me back, before motioning for us all to get into the car. Once we were all settled, we drove in silence. In the rear view mirror, I saw Neche chewing on her bottom lip; a sign that she was nervous.

“You don’t have to do this,” I whispered to her. She shook her head and smiled at me before pointing to her heart, and back to me. I smiled back and blew her a kiss.

Five minutes later, we arrived at the house. Jason cut the engine, for a moment, all you could hear was the ticking sound as the engine cooled off. Both he and I turned to face Johnny and Neche in the back. I watched as my sister took our cousins hand in both of hers and he squeezed it reassuringly.

“Jason,” she started, “I just want to explain to you why my sister and Johnny are so protective of me.”

He nodded and she stared at him for a moment.

“Can you promise me, that what I say stays between the four of us? I am not ready for the others to know. Really, I’m not ready for you to know, but I’m doing so because Mina likes you a lot.”

I hung my head in shame.

“No, Mina,” she said, “Don’t be upset. You deserve a fresh start too.”

I slipped my hand into Jason’s as my sister sighed.

“Can you promise me that, Jason?”

“I like your sister a lot too Neche. And I like you too. I promise.”

She nodded, satisfied, and closed her eyes for a moment. When she reopened them, they were filled with tears.

“It all started a year and a half ago…”