For Someone Like You

I woke up to an empty apartment somehow. Usually I’m such a light sleeper that even the sound of my own sleep talking would wake me up unless I had been sleepwalking. I searched the room for a moment, then under my pillow. No random objects. It was curious, but I shrugged the confusion off to stretch.

I found my phone maybe three feet away from the mattress, blinking. It must’ve been the reason I’d woken up – but D usually was obnoxious and would wake me up herself. I opened my phone with a yawn to see what I had missed.

D: I woke up late and skipped cleaning. Could you do it?

There was my explanation. Great. Chores.

John Gomez: Could I have your address please?

Dammit, I thought. He can’t see where I live.

John Gomez: Nevermind! Devin told me where to find you.

“Thanks, bro,” I sighed aloud.

After dishes, sweeping, scrubbing stains, cleaning the repulsive bathroom, and washed every surface I could find including my skin, I finally texted John back. He replied instantly and was on his way.

Crap.

I tossed the towel around my newly scrubbed skin and tossed on my first figure-hugging outfit I’d worn since D and I moved. I brushed my eyes with cheap liquid eyeliner, then smiled at the mirror. I was picking at my front teeth when a sad excuse for a buzzer told me that John was waiting outside. With a deep breath, I let him enter, and soon he was knocking at my door. I opened it slowly, trying to block view of the broken window with my body.

“Hey, Ale-“ John gulped, and I saw his eyes fall to my chest. He scrunched his eyes up, confused as many did, then looked back into my eyes. “So I’m thinking we just go for a walk starting from here. Unless you had other plans…?”

“Perfect!” I shouted excitedly, stuffing my wallet and phone into my pocket hurriedly.

“You’re not going to let me in?”

“This place is terrible. It’s nothing against you, I promise.”

He raised an eyebrow, but then nodded toward the stairs that led outside. I smiled at him, closed my door, then playfully shoved him out of my way so that I could race down them before John could.

I got tired halfway down and he quickly passed me, laughing. “Don’t throw the race, it’s not fun that way!”

“I didn’t…” I scratched my neck nervously. “It doesn’t matter. Which way are we going?”

“Uhm…” John strained his eyes in both directions. “How about this way?”

“The only interesting place in that direction is a Wallgreens.”

“Then I guess we’ll have to bond over over-the-counter medicine.”

I shrugged and agreed with him. He wanted to race me, but my heart didn’t want me to. I laughed, pretending I’d rather walk.

I learned one thing for sure within the first half an hour walking with Mr. Gomez – he really loved his buddy Josh. I heard about his dogs, his recent hair dye/bleach fiasco, the possibility of a new girl, and then something about Stephen. He said something about me being quiet when I was alone, but I laughed.

During a few strides of silence, I caught him glancing at my chest. Normally, a girl would be offended, but I didn’t mind.

“It’s from heart surgery.”

“I was afraid to ask,” John half-smiled at me.

“I only remember the last two, and those were almost two years ago. It’s not fun, but I’m alive.”

“The scar looks pretty badass, but it’s awkwardly placed.” He looked down at me innocently. “I’m sorry. I was just wondering.”

“It’s no problem, really. I used to get it all the time.” Silence took over us again until he pulled on my wrist and forced me to run into someone’s yard and toward a secluded beach area he caught me staring at. I asked him if we were breaking the law, but he just grinned and tossed his sandals off to sink his bare toes into the sand, then plopped himself close enough to the water that the tide licked his feet.

I gladly discarded my shoes as well and took a spot next to him, studying the tattoos on his feet.

“Why would you move across the country?” His soft, dark eyes met mine, not letting me look away. “There has to be a bigger reason” I wasn’t sure of the answer. Instead of telling him, I watched the breeze tussle his messy hair. He nudged me, snapping me back into the moment.

“I just had to run away.”

“Was it that bad?”

I paused a moment, all of my life’s story pressed against my lips. All I let out was a “It wasn’t bad, but I get tired of routine.” He watched me knowingly but said nothing. “Life is about experience. In order to do so, you need to take risks.”

John nodded. “And living this lifestyle is quite the risk. Especially in the part of town you’re in.”

“It was all we could afford,” I admitted, bowing my head low enough to rest it on my leg.

“You should’ve waited until you could save up more.”

“D had to be here now for school.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What was his name?”

I tried to look like I had no idea what he was saying, but he caught me. I stared down at the sand in front of me, blocking all memories of my time near Detroit.

He sensed my discomfort, sighed, and searched the area to say something that would break the silence. “I didn’t know you had a tattoo on your foot too. Big fan of Zelda?”

I blushed and sat on my foot. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The sound of a car door shattered the tranquility of John’s and my little adventure, and we locked gazes with equal panic. We sat a moment as we heard voices talking about footprints in their flowerbed, then ran as fast as my heart could let me to any other passageway to the street.

We decided to walk back to my apartment so that he could pick up his car, and I obeyed. It took us a while, but eventually we found our way back. Devin still wasn’t home, and I made a mental note that we had about three hours before she’d be home.

John talked me into joining him in his car – it wasn’t spectacular, but it was comfortable. As I got myself situated to sit on my legs as I always did, he chuckled to himself and asked if it was necessary.

“I’ve found that it’s much more comfortable,” I told him with a grunt, then watched out the window as he drove.

“It’s a rental,” He stated randomly. “I’ve been driving this one while the others take the van. We all drove over here in it.”

“Kind of a far drive for a van. You’d think you guys would have a bus by now.”

“You’d think so, but it’s already paid for. No sense in getting rid of it now,” John explained, and then turned into a driveway. “It’s temporary, but it’s nice. The label owns this house and lets bands come here when they’re putting albums together.”

“Sounds like you got signed to the right label,” I laughed, looking up to the house in awe. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is pretty. Now, how about I show you the inside?”

I grinned, leapt out of the car, and stared up at his “home.”

The place was huge. It was two stories and twice the length and depth of the home I’d left for my apartment. Of course the neighbors’ houses were tightly shoved next door, but both of them were at least the same size. I was almost overwhelmed with the difference.

“Come on,” John laughed, tugging at my arm, then opening the house’s regal stained glass front door.

I stepped in slowly, silently cursing at myself for choosing experience over finding a ridiculously rich old man to marry – I would do anything for a house like that.

“The van’s gone. I remember Jess saying she wanted to do something, and Brian keeps going with whoever’s out. He even tried to come with me today. But I figured you’d want to meet my brother and Josh,” John explained, kicking off his sandals and adjusting his glasses. I mocked him, doing the same, then gestured that he should be the first to venture deeper into the house. He grinned silently, then bounced down the hall to the living room as I raced to follow. “Guys! I want you to meet Alex.”

“That chick Brian told us about?” I heard Stephen’s voice call. I hurried after the sound but accidently rammed into none other than Josh Montgomery.

“She’s short,” He stated, looking me up and down.

I stared up at him, jaw dropped.

“I’m just trying to get a drink. Move, would you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I blushed, then took a large step backward to let him through. Once he was in the kitchen, I perched myself onto a big couch next to John and hugged my legs in tight.

“Hi, how’s it going?” Stephen shot me a sideways smile – wait, was it always like that? – and turned the TV’s volume down. “Don’t mind Josh, he’s a jerk.”

I shrugged at him, then scooted closer to John.

“So… where are you from?”

“A tiny hick-town in Michigan,” I explained. “In the middle of cornfields and horse ranches.”

“Sounds like the place to live.”

“Except all of the music played within a fifty mile radius was country, and the people couldn’t –”

“You’re putting down country music?” John asked innocently.

“Oh, I mean, It’s not –”

“Drinking early again, Josh?” Stephen asked, no longer paying attention to me. Josh plopped next to him, gulping down a bottle of ginger liquid. He shrugged as he swallowed. “So, Brian says you can play the ukulele?”

“Yeah,” My smile returned. “Uke, guitar, keys, mandolin, banjo, the –”

“You can play the banjo but you just put down country music.” John laughed. “You’re a hypocrite.”

“I was in a folk band with my friend Jonah for a long time. I learned that and mandolin along the way. Also, the harmonica and a dulcimer; though, I’m not sure when I’ll need how to play those.”

“Anytime. Did you hear our last record? I didn’t even know what half of the crap we played was.” Josh sat up with the bottle propped on his knee, half-straining to hear whatever noise was playing from the TV, half-attempting to listen to the conversation.

“It definitely gave you guys a unique sound. You really grew in the right way as a band. I’m excited to hear what you have so far to record,” I played with my hair after a small silence, then smiled as something fell into place in John’s mind.

“I’ll go grab a guitar. There’s one song Brian wants you in that’s a ballad. Stephen, do you want to sing it?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Stephen scooted over closer to me, forcing Josh to sit alone as John approached us with a beautiful acoustic guitar and sat happily on the floor, stuck a capo on a fret, then asked if his brother was ready.

Stephen cleared his throat, fluffed his hair, and shook himself a bit. “Yeah, go ahead and start.”

Though John was interesting to watch play and some of Stephen’s facial expressions were priceless, it was much more fun watching Josh’s eyebrows furrow as he read the nutrition information on the back of his bottle as he paid no attention to the other boys at all.

The song would definitely be easy to create harmonies to, even for me. I was even half-tempted to sing with Stephen, though I knew Brian’s tendency of changing the lyrics in choruses near the ends of his songs.

When the two were finished, they both looked at me questioningly. I gave them a quiet applause.

“I liked it! It’s got good lyrics, and I can already hear the harmonies in my head.”

“Want to hear another?” Josh asked, finally joining us. “I can grab a guitar and we can play the other one he wants you in.”

“Oh, the one that goes like this?” John played a complex riff – how the hell did he do that? – and looked up at his friend.

“Yeah, that’s the one. Stephen, you should get your bass. We have to practice anyway.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Stephen slapped his knees, stood up, and they disappeared down the hallway as I willed myself not to stare. They both appeared with their instruments and took place on the couch I wasn’t sitting on, leaving John on the floor.

John counted off for the other two, then the trio began. I sat back, enjoying the fact that I was both the first person to hear the song outside of the band as far as I knew, and the only one that would be hearing just the three of them play – that may never happen again.

Right as Stephen repeated the chorus the last time, the front door opened and Brian and Jess emerged. Brain crossed his arms and waited for the song to finish.

“What are you guys doing?”

“Band practice,” John announced.

“They sound fine without you,” I grinned jokingly.

“Better, even,” Josh agreed sarcastically.

Brian raised an eyebrow at me.

“Hey, they need to practice as much as you do, and anyone can sing.”

“Well if you’re practicing…” He sighed. “Can I join in?”

John beamed at the frontman happily. Josh shrugged, and Stephen said he should anyway. I patted the seat next to me.

“I’m going to find a box or something,” Jess proclaimed, then soon was back with whatever it was that drummers sat on and slapped.

Again, I got to sit back and watch the show, but John frequently messed up and it was obvious he did. Brian’s voice was a bit hoarse and it was easy to tell that it was brand new.

Brian asked if it was okay with me if they were to go over a few other songs, and I shrugged and told him to have at it.

Halfway through the third song, my phone’s vibrate went crazy, so I gave up and checked it – four missed texts from D.

One saying she was on her way home, one asking where I was, and one freaking out about my absence. The last was a random quote from a song, so I texted one back.

“That couldn’t wait until we were done?” Brian asked.

“It was important,” I explained. “My roommate thinks I’ve been shanked.”

“She does live in a pretty scary area,” John pointed. “Wouldn’t want her to be alone…”

“Well tell her to come here then,” Brian chirped.

I shrugged, and then Brain leapt over to the couch to help me type in the address. D said she’d look it up, saying she’d been on her way.

Hurry up, Stephen’s here, I sent her at the end.

Because I was a special guest, the band decided to play Young for me, so I demonstrated that I could sing harmonics with Brian. I sounded a little more manly than he did in a few parts, and I’m against changing lyrics, so John and Josh giggled like schoolgirls when Brian let me sing the bridge so that I called myself “Romeo.”

Right as the six of us begain to engage in a conversation about the new producer they – we – would be working with, Devin knocked on the door. Brian raced to answe it, and I shot an “oh god…” glance at John. He laughed, then put his guitar down to sit by me. Dev entered the room with Brian – who was yapping away about something irrelevant that Devin obviously didn’t care about – and stood awkwardly in the way, where I ran into Josh.

“Come sit down!” John grinned, pointing at a tiny space between him and the couch’s armrest.

“There’s not enough room,” She complained.

John ran over and sat where he had been not too long ago, opening the spot by me. Devin stepped over Josh, waved at Jess, then sat next to me. “Hi, by the way, John.”

“Oh! Everyone, this is Devin,” Brian grinned.

“We know,” Josh grunted, somehow with another bottle in his hand. “You’ve told us a million times.”

“You what?” D asked, obviously distraught. Brian’s face flushed red.

“Way to welcome people,” Stephen snorted. “Control yourself.”

“Hey, Devin,” Jess smiled at her, still perched on her box.

Dev waved quickly, then turned her attention to the room itself. “This place is amazing!”

“You should see the bedrooms,” Brian grinned.

“I’d be glad to give you a tour of mine,” Josh winked at her.

“It’s a lot different than we’re used to,” I piped in, changing the subject before D realized what they were saying.

“We’ve actually got an extra room,” John blurted. “Can we see if they can stay in the room down Brian and Stephen’s hall? She is technically a temporary member, after all.”

Brian jumped at the offer. “He’s right! I’m sure no one would mind. You could probably even fit two beds in there.”

D and I glanced at each other, sending this-is-a-once-in-a-lifetime-chance and dude-it’s-a-little-early-to-move-into-someone’s-house looks.

“We have to think about it,” I decided after a few moments.

Stephen stood and disappeared into the kitchen, Devin’s eyes trailing him. “We’ve thought about it. We’ll start packing tonight.”

“Good!” Brian clapped happily. “Need our van for your stuff?”

“Sure, we have a mattress that wouldn’t fit in my car,” I told him.

“Josh and I will go help him them,” John volunteered.

“We will?” He whined.

“You owe them for being rude.”

Josh downed the last gulp of his drink and got up. “Then why wait?”