You Think It's More Than Just Bad Luck

Arielle met Jack when she was fifteen, when her twin brothers Austin and Steven packed her up and moved her to Baltimore where they bought an ice cream shop. And with the bell that normally announced a customer, the tsunami that was Jack Barakat stormed in and claimed his rightful spot as Arielle's best friend. May tagged along, having had a crush on Steven-Lewis. May wasn't as self-deteriorating as Arielle but she couldn't go a day without pot and she definitely had the same intolerance for boredom as her brother and Arielle and May matched her cigarette for cigarette.

It had been six years since Arielle moved to Maryland and as much as she liked change, Jack and May had been her only constants. May had chocolate brown hair and ocean blue eyes, she had a full ride to Maryland University and worked part time at a mexican restaurant down the street from apartment. Jack was the lead guitarist of an upcoming local band and liked andy kind of booze and stood a magnificent six foot two, with dark brown hair and light brown eyes. And Arielle was a nurses assistant at the Baltimore hospital and snatched every hour she could at the ice cream parlor. She was a chain smoker who often refused to eat. Arielle looked like spring, with large, round green eyes the color of well manicured grass.

The Marquesas, Arielle, Steven, and Austin, lived in a small white house with yellow shutters in the cul-de-sac of a gated neighborhood. And though none of the Marquesas could recall giving Jack the pin number to enter the snotty suburb, he arrived on a Tuesday as always to be Arielle's afternoon wake up call.

Arielle was curled in a ball under a bunch of quilts in the parlor, the only room of the house she was allowed to smoke in. Voldemort was curled into her side and snores emitted from the both of them. Jack opened the curtains to the biggest window and Arielle let out a light moan, ducking her head under the quilts.

"Wake up, Ari, we got stuff to do!!!" Jack hollered.

Arielle poked her head out from the covers and eyed him menacingly. "Oh, what a perfect day to go the fuck back to sleep!" She growled, opting to roll over to better avoid the sunlight that now lit the room.

"Technically, it's afternoon," Jack said, proceeding to open up the other windows.

"I don't care what time of day it is, I wanna know how the fuck you keep getting in here you annoying prick," Arielle grumbled, rising up and accidentally knocking Voldemort off the love seat.

Voldemort was a kitten the color of coal, with grey blue eyes and pink paws that Arielle found at 10 weeks old, wondering about the premises of the ice cream shop, limping and almost starving to death. Voldemort was about as grouchy as a mean old man, opting to only cuddle and show affection for Arielle, and barely tolerating anyone else.

Voldemort let out a small meow and clawed up Arielle's legs to settle against her thigh. Arielle ignored the fact that he had drawn blood and pet him sweetly on the head.

"So, since you're up, bright eyed and bushy tailed and all, I have a proposition for you," Jack sang, settling into the couch across from Arielle.

Arielle resisted the urge to groan, and instead said, "What would that be exactly?"

"I need you to come to band practice with me today," he said.

"I can't," Arielle replied flatly.

"You're off today, you don't have any classes until tonight and I need you to help with sound check. Plus I really think it's time you met the guys."

"I've already met the guys," Arielle raised an eyebrow.

"You've seen the guys, you haven't been properly introduced, and-" Jack cut himself off.

"And what?" Arielle prompted.

"And I just think you need to meet them. Officially," Jack covered.

"I call bullshit."

"Well you're coming with me," Jack said finally. "If I have to drag you kicking and screaming."

Arielle grabbed her pack of Marlboro reds off the coffee table, pulling one out and lighting it. Inhaling deeply before replying, "Or you can buy me another pack of cowboy killers and a Mountain Dew and I'll go willingly."

Jack knitted his eyebrows, considering this. It was a well known fact that Arielle was unpredictable, but having been six years of refusing to meet his band, he was prepared for her to put up more of a fight and even a no. Instead, all he said was, "Okay."

Arielle threw the quilts over the back of the love seat, revealing her batman thong and pink tank top. If it had been six years ago, maybe even five, this would have surprised Jack. But Arielle was one of those few girls who was comfortable with her body. Or rather just rarely wore pants.

She drawled on her cigarette some more, while Jack checked his phone for the time. "We have about an hour to get to Zack's loft."

Arielle stubbed out her cigarette and stretched, and said, "Ugh, go get me a dress out of the dryer."

So Jack stood up and walked briskly to the laundry room, with a small smirk on his face. Maybe getting her to go on tour with them wouldn't be quite so challenging.