Mystery Boy

Ronnie went automatically to the kitchen, in search of something to drink. I went with him, nervous about this place and the people in it. Ronnie and Jacky were greeting people left and right. Doing that handshake thing and hugging different people. There were a few girls who ran up to Ronnie and wrapped their arms around him, smiles on their faces. One stood out a little more than the others, because Ronnie actually hugged this one back, grinning.

"Air, this is TJ Monroe," Ronnie introduced, his arm wrapped around the tall girl's waist.

I smiled at her and waved. She grinned, showing off her straight white teeth. She had lightly brown hair that fell to her shoulders and matched her welcoming eyes. She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around me. "Nice to meet you," she greeted as she pulled back. She looked away as someone called her name, then she looked back to us as a tall and slender brunette walked up.

"Ryan," Ronnie greeted, hugging the guy. Jacky did the same and then 'Ryan' turned to me and smiled.

"Good to see you again," he he smiled, holding arms out for a hug, "Airea, right?"

"You too and yup," I replied, hugging him back, "Ronnie's neighbor and dog's mother, too," I added, sticking my hands into the pocket of the hoodie, smiling.

"What?" Ryan murmured, confused and looking to Ronnie.

"Don't ask," Ronnie said while holding up a hand to Ryan.

"Ah," Ryan nodded, moving on to the next subject, "Are you going to our school?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yup," I said, popping the 'p'.

Ryan grinned and nodded before grabbed onto Tj's hand and pulling her into the living room where people were dancing. Ronnie waved to someone across the room and then turned to me. "I'll be right back, Air," he told me, "Just have something to do real quick."

"Okay," I grinned, waving my hand at him. "I have the car keys so go ahead and run off."

Ronnie laughed and turned to go over to the other side of the room, talking to a couple of tattooed boys who looked like they were into the same things as Ronnie. I turned to Jacky and grinned. "Want to dance with me?" I questioned, bouncing on the heels of my feet.

Jacky was quiet as he looked to the people that were dancing around the living room and then he looked back to me and shook his head. "Please?" I whined, tugging on his arm. He shook his hands uneasily and then nodded. I squeaked and grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the designated dancing area.

I moved to the music, grinning as Jacky became insanely shy. I knew Jacky wasn't the type of person who would usually dance but for some reason he decided to dance with me. Maybe to make me happy or to be a good friend, but either way I wanted to make sure that quiet and reserved Jacky would have a good time tonight.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he stood. Jacky didn't move as I held him close to me. I sighed and looked up to him. "Relax, Jacky," I murmured, offering him a smile.

He smiled back uneasily and nodded his head. My head shot over to the left as Ronnie called my name, screaming over the music. I pulled back from Jacky and grabbed his hand, yanking him over to Ronnie with me.

"What's up?" I asked as I walked over to Ronnie and stood next to him, looking into his brown eyes.

"You remember Mika and Derek?" Ronnie motioned towards the two boys he had ran over to earlier. "They're two of my friends that you met the first day."

I nodded, remembering.

"Well, they're also in my band," Ronnie said smugly.

"You have a band?" I asked quickly, looking up to Ronnie with shock on my face.

Ronnie and the rest of the guys chuckled. "Yeah," Derek said, "It's called Falling in Reverse."

"What do each of you do?" I asked, my hands tucked deep in my pockets, my fingers fiddling with my keys. I looked into the eyes of each of the three boys, not including Jacky.

"I sing," Ronnie told me with a grin, his cocky attitude coming out.

"I play rhythm guitar," Derek told me, offering a smile.

The other boy, Mika, spoke. "I play bass," he told me, holding up the Rock & Roll sign with his fingers. I grinned as Ronnie continued talking.

"Ryan," Ronnie said, "Who you met earlier, plays drums and Jacky is on lead guitar."

"Really?" I said, looking at Jacky as he shrugged modestly, running his fingers through his midnight colored hair and looking away from me. "That's so cool," I murmured looking away from his shy face and back to the group of guys standing in front of me, smiling at all of them.

"Do you play anything?" Mika asked me, leaning against the beige colored wall next to him, letting it hold him up as he sipped on a beer, a welcome smile on his lips.

I thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "I've been playing violin since I was five," I shrugged, thinking about all the private lessons that my mother had demanded I attend through out my childhood. I thought about the violin case and violin inside that now laid under my bed, packed and jammed with other things that had been forgotten since the move.

The guys all told me how cool they thought it was that I played violin and how talented they assumed I must be since I'd started playing at such a young age. I just nodded and smiled, although my thoughts were elsewhere, reminding me of the days that my mom would wake me up on Saturday mornings, bright and early, warning me that I better be dressed and downstairs, violin and hand, with a smile on my face and an eagerness to learn.

Jacky and I hovered around each other for mostly the rest of the night. Ronnie would disappeared sometimes and come back with yet another drink in his hand. We were there for a couple hours before I decided that it was time we head home, well, back to Ronnie's. When I noticed Ronnie coming down the stairs, beer in hand, I rushed over him and grabbed onto his arm.

"Hey," I said, "I want to leave now." I tugged on his arm, trying to drag him away from all the people who were calling his name.

"What?" he slurred, "No. I'm just going to go back upstairs." He tried to pull away from my grasp but I held on tighter, trying to drag him down the stairs and out to the car, although he wouldn't budge.

"Airea, no," he whined, drawing out the vowel in the word.

"Yes," I demanded, "I'm leaving."

Ronnie shook his head and smacked my arm, causing me to wince and withdraw my arm. I felt Jacky brush up behind me, his chest against my back as he grabbed onto the sleeve of Ronnie's shirt and dragged him down the stairs, he being a lot stronger than me. I moved out of the way as Jacky yanked Ronnie out of the house, dragging him to the car. I followed after them as Ronnie pushed back on Jacky, trying to free himself in a drunken stupor.

I sighed and unlocked the car doors as Jacky helped Ronnie into the backseat. I climbed into the driver's seat as Jacky slid into the other side, closing the door behind him as Ronnie ranted from the backseat.

I drove back to our neighborhood with Jacky pointing the way so that I wouldn't get lost in the dark. When I pulled onto my street I cut the lights so that my Dad and Ina wouldn't see me pulling into the driveway, in exactly the same spot I was in before. I turned the car off and slid out, helping Jacky pull Ronnie out and yank him across Ronnie's yard.

Jacky pushed their front door open, surprising me that it was unlocked. I shut it and locked it behind me as Jacky led Ronnie to his room, noticing that the house was quiet and even Charming was being silent. I opened Riley's bedroom door quietly and clapped lightly. Charming's head shot up from the floor and his tail began to wag.

"Come 'ere boy," I whispered, grinning as the tubby animal got up and ran over to me. I called him out into the hall and shut Riley's door before opening Ronnie's and going in. Ronnie was laying in bed, his eyes closed. I sighed and looked over to Jacky, offering a smile.

"Can you stay?" I asked, playing with my fingers, "At least for a little while?"

Jacky bit his lip and then nodded. I smiled and went to Ronnie's closet, pulling a large blanket down from the shelf on top. I tossed it to the floor and turned to Ronnie's bed, yanking two of the black pillows out from under his head.

I laid out the blanket and piled the pillows one over the other. I reached for my pajamas that were sitting on Ronnie's gaming chair. "I'll be right back," I murmured quietly to Jacky, and I held up my clothes so that he'd know I was going to get changed in the bathroom.

I walked down the hall and into the bathroom, closing the door as quietly as I could, not wanting to wake anyone up. I undressed so that I was just in a bra and panties and then pulled my blue tank top on and a pair of white 'short shorts'. I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed, seeing how tired I looked. I bundled up my clothes and carried them back to Ronnie's room.

I pushed the door open and smiled at Jacky who was sitting down on the blanket that I had laid out. He had gotten rid of his jacket and was now just in a t'shirt and pair of shorts that I assumed were Ronnie's since they seemed to be a little too big for him. He was petting Charming and looked up to me when I entered the room. I tossed my dirty clothes onto the chair, tossing Ronnie's jacket into his closet, and sat down on the blanket next to Jacky, noticeably shocking him.

"Is this okay?" I asked quietly, licking my lips as I laid my head back on the pillows.

Jacky nodded silently but didn't lay down either. I sighed and grabbed his arm, pulling him down. "Relax," I murmured as I rested my head on his broad shoulder, "I'm not that horrible."

I could hear him breathing and feel his chest rising next to me. I rested one hand on his stomach automatically, regulating my breathing as I became really tired. I wanted to talk to him, to ask him about himself and about the school, but it seemed that even though I could form the sentences in my mind, they just wouldn't form on my lips.

After a couple minutes I felt Jacky relax. His head was on the same pillow as mine and my lips were close to his cheek. I closed my eyes as I listened to the sounds of the city, something that I had fallen in love with back when my family was complete, before any of this happened or anything changed.

Charming was curled up next to me, having left Jacky to lay against my back. I liked the warmth that was surrounding me, especially since Ronnie's room was so cold and the air was blowing like it was the middle of July and not late August.

"You're a good friend to Ronnie," I whispered, my voice groggy with sleep.

I felt Jacky nod slightly. "Him too," he whispered, his voice sounding foreign and unknown since I wasn't used to ever hearing him speak.

"Why don't you talk much?" I murmured, nuzzling my head against his shoulder and reaching up tiredly to rest my fingers in his neck, blindly tracing the tattoo that was there.

Jacky shrugged in response to my question like I figured he would. I guess I understood the reasons that someone would have for not talking. Maybe they were shy or they had nothing to say. But for some reason, I didn't think that was it for Jacky. Thoughts were running through my head as this boy claimed my mind. And then, I said one last thing before I fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

"I'd listen to you if you talked. I promise."