Sequel: Unison ›
Status: Finished
Nobody, Not Even the Rain Has Such Small Hands
Don't Be Crazy, Yes Now, Of Course You Can Stay Here
“This is the San Diego airport, folks” a voice cracks over the intercom system.
Everyone around me unbuckles themselves and begins gathering whatever small bags they've taken with them. I rub my eyes with my fists and bring them away covered in dry mascara and whatever bit of eyeliner I had half-heartedly applied this morning before heading out. I place the blue strap of my purse over my shoulder and follow the slow moving line of people to the exit where a stewardess is standing telling us good-bye with an extremely fake smile plastered on her red lip-stick mouth. Our line tangles up as we make our way through the tunnel-like section leading to the air port. As we get closer, I can hear the sound of suitcases, greetings and good-bye’s louder and louder the closer we get. The room opens up and any claustrophobic feelings roll off of my shoulders. I take a deep breathe of the San Diego air and begin to look around.
There’s people walking in every direction with suitcases dragging behind them and people being greeted by their friends or family all over. There’s a loud buzz in the room from the noise of everyone combined that rings in my ears uncomfortably. A voice in my head tells me they’re going to be difficult to find in this crowd. I turn my phone on and wait for it to come to life. I already have three new voice-mails from my mom, causing me to stop dead in my tracks and think back to that letter I left her on the counter this morning. I ignore it and continue to scan the room for Vic and Mike, heading further into the busy airport.
“Happy Birthday, Madsters!” I hear Mike yell.
I turn and see them a few feet away to my left, Vic significantly shorter than his younger brother. Mike wastes no time and runs towards me, taking me up into his long arms.
They look the same as last time I saw them when they were on tour in Boston last fall. The only difference is that their hair is longer and I think Mike might have gotten a few more tattoos. We shuffle from one foot back to the next as he squeezes my body to his for a long time. Even though it’s only been a few months, much less time than there usually is in between our visits, a certain type of feeling of security fills me as Vic wraps his arms around us and we form a group hug. I smell the same cologne they've worn for as long as I can remember. This definitely isn't as intimidating as I thought it would be this morning.
“Happy Birthday, Maddy. We’ve missed you,” Vic tells me once they pull away. He uses four fingers to push his brown side-swept hair out of his eyes and gives me a smile that reaches his eyes.
Jaime’s next, walking over and eagerly thrusting a bouquet of balloons towards me. “Happy Birthday, Maddy, it’s good to see you again.” I take the balloons from him and thank all of them before Jaime continues. “Vic hasn’t shut up about you since you called about coming over,” he laughs, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to him.
Tony then gives me the same huge smile I always remembered him having. “Happy birthday,” he says. “We’re all glad you’re here.”
After spending a few minutes talking about the plane ride and whether or not I’m hungry, the boys lead me to the baggage claim and before long we’re heading back into the parking lot with my things spread out among the five of us. The chilly morning on the east coast made for beautiful weather in San Diego where it was three in the afternoon instead of six in the evening. Vic takes a set of keys out of the pocket of his dark skinny jeans and hits the small rubber unlock button.
“I’m driving!” Mike announces before taking the keys out of his brother’s hand and running off towards the direction of what I assume is Vic’s car, my bags swaying back and forth with his long strides.
Jaime runs after Mike, calling over his shoulder that he’s not sitting in the middle seat this time with a joking menacing laugh. They place the bags they’re carrying into the truck, leaving it open for Vic, Tony and I who’re left walking with the rest of my things in our hands. Tony’s got my guitar, and he’s been asking quite a few questions about it for someone who I’ve always remembered as being shy. The car is a shiny black color with tinted windows, appearing to be well taken care of and fairly new. As the three of us approach it, I can hear one of my favorite Sleeping With Sirens tracks being played on a clear stereo system.
“They’re like children,” Vic comments, shaking his head and laughing quietly to himself. “Don’t worry, they’ll be gone by tomorrow morning.”
We load the rest of my things into the trunk, space not being a problem because there’s enough space for four people’s luggage. Even though Vic has made it a priority to keep in touch with me, and Mike’s done a decent job as well, part of me is happy that I’m not going to have to spend my first night here alone with them. We haven’t spent an entire night together since we were kids.
“Come on, Madster! You’re sitting up here with me!” Mike calls out his window over the stereo system, picking up Kellin’s voice and everyone’s instruments with beautiful quality.
I walk around to the passenger’s side and climb in onto the black nylon seat as Tony and Vic climb in the back with Jaime. While Mike starts the engine and makes his way out of the air port parking lot and onto the highway, Vic’s singing along with the track and Mike’s playing drums on the steering wheel to accompany Jaime’s pretend bass playing. Tony laughs in the backseat and joins in on guitar here and there. The faster Mike drives down the highway, the louder the volume goes. We all roll our windows down and let in the fresh spring air. When the song ends, Jaime shouts Mike to turn the volume down before leaning towards me and speaking.
“You better be ready to party tonight, girl!” He nudges me with his fist playfully, causing me to smile and slightly dread whatever party he’s talking about. Parties have never been one of my favorite things.
“You’re going to get to meet Hannah,” Mike tells me, looking from the road, to me and back again. I could see by the look in his eyes that he was genuinely excited about this.
“Is she your girlfriend?” I ask. He responds with an eager nod. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend, but it helped to settle my nerves now that I knew another female would be around. I want to ask him what she’s like, but he turns the volume back up and Vic launches back into harmonizing with another song.
Two hours later, Hannah’s already stuck me in a navy blue dress with short, loose black lace sleeves and matching heels. She’s enhanced my natural waves and pinned parts of it up so they fall down my back in layers. I can practically see my own mascara every time I blink, but I more than appreciate the time she put into dolling me up for this. I couldn’t kill her enthusiasm when I stepped out of the shower. She's exactly the kind of girl I always pictured Mike dating. Long, blonde hair, blue eyes and a gorgeous body. It was nice to have another girl to do my hair, makeup and have an outfit picked out for me - especially since this was my first night in the house and I didn't really have anything to wear.
Although, I’m not really putting all of her effort to use. I’m sitting on the couch, the beat of some old rock song playing through the expensive looking stereo pulsing through my body and an almost finished beer in my hand. I watch as people move things in the living room around to make room for dancing. The coffee table is left in front of me at a weird angle, so I finish the remnants of my bottle and add it among the clutter already on the wooden surface. I force on finding the keg instead of the guy’s gripping girl’s hips as they sway back and forth to the heavy guitar. Within the first hour, I realized most of the party-goers had come in couples, and I still hadn’t found which friend of Mike’s the house belonged to. I’m about to make my way through the crowd for another drink when Jaime sits down beside me.
“Why’s the birthday girl sitting all alone?” he asks, leaning towards me in order to be heard over the music. There’s only a moment of silence in between tracks were everything seems to dim down before another track starts up again.
“Vic and Mike both have dates so I don’t want to bother them,” I shrug. “I haven’t seen Tony since we got here.”
Jaime makes a face that resembles something like surprise and puts an arm up on the couch behind my head. “Hey, that’s not your empty beer bottle, is it?” He turns to me with an alcohol-induced smile and eyes.
I think of what I’m going to say before I speak, mulling over whether or not Jaime would give me a ‘no drinking under twenty-one’ speech or not. I decide to go with the truth. “Yeah, why?”
“I like your edge,” he says with a small laugh and shake of his head.
Just then the music is cut off by a stranger in a white and blue plaid shirt, ducking away before I can see his face. Mike and Vic come through carrying a large sheet of cake coating in white frosting between the two of them. Mike looks upward and yells, “cake time!”
Everyone who was previously dancing begins to shuffle towards the kitchen, which is connected to the living room. A small stampede can be heard as people who were upstairs make their way down and into the kitchen. Ladies heels clack as the carpet turns to hard wood and Mike and Vic make their way to the island overlooking the living room. Jaime takes my arm and helps me maneuver my way through the crowds of people, who look over their shoulders to see who it is that’s pushing through. I doubt they all even know it’s me who’s having the birthday, but they move aside politely anyway. Someone’s handing out glasses and there’s a corked bottle of champagne on the green marbled counter top beside where Mike’s set the cake down.
“Hey! One for the birthday girl!” Jaime says, hand still on my arm as he lifts the other in the air and points to me.
The guy, probably in his twenties, quickly comes back to hand me an extra glass. “I was saving this one for you,” he tells me with a playful wink.
I thank him and Jaime pushes me towards the island. The green marble shines and reflects the light overhead as Vic comes into view across from me to give me a smile illuminated by the flickering flames of the eighteen candles Mike is lighting with a Bic lighter.
“Hey, guys!” he yells to get everyone’s attention. The noise level quiets down almost immediately, and everyone turns towards him.
“Okay, so before we start I just want to thank you all for coming here tonight. I know you all like to party-” he’s cut off by a male behind me cheering loudly. Mike response with his own cheer, cupping his mouth with one of his hands before Vic goes on with a small laugh accompanied by a smirk. “My cousin Maddy is eighteen today,” he gestures a hand my way and I feel myself blushing. “The guys and I have spent a lot of time putting this together for her birthday and because it’s her first night in San Diego. Thank you guys for being a part of making her feel welcomed.” He gives me a small smile and hands me the bottle of champagne.
“To Maddy!” Mike yells, and I can’t help but laugh as I pop the cork on the bottle of champagne and it bubbles over into my thin rimed glass.
I fill Jaime’s glass next. He takes the bottle from me and begins to hand it around the table to those who are eagerly waiting, but have clearly had plenty to drink already. He leans in close to my ear and says, “don’t worry, if you get tipsy I’ll cover for you.”
I laugh, wonder how he’d manage to do that and take a sip of my champagne. It’s pleasant and I take another sip, adding to the buzz I’m already beginning to feel. Any left over anxiety lifts off of my shoulders.
Mike begins to cut the cake and plops generous pieces on small, red paper plates as people stick them out towards him. He licks frosting off of his fingers in between servings. When he sees me without a plate, finds one for me and cuts out the ‘H’ of my name in icing. I thank him and make my way back to the couch. Tony’s sitting on the couch where Jaime previously was, hat on the coffee table in front of him with his long, dark hair shading his face. I make my way around the cluttered coffee table, careful not to spill the contents of my glass.
“You don’t want cake?” I ask after taking a small bite off of my own. It’s good and I realize how big of a thanks I owe them all.
He shrugs in response and takes another sip off of his beer.
“Thank you guys so much for doing this for me.”
He looks over at me, a small smile playing on his lips. “It was all Vic and Mike. Jaime and I just helped.”
I continue eating my cake, unsure of how to respond. Moments later, he takes a deep breath and speaks again.
“So what made you want to come out to San Diego, of all places?”
I put my fork down on my plate and rest it on my lap as I turn to him to answer his unexpected question. I think for a moment, mentally editing myself to avoid a conversation I don’t want to have. As it is, my phone has been off all night to avoid my mom’s constant phone calls about the letter I left for her containing all the details of exactly why I wanted to leave so bad.
“I guess I just wanted a new start,” I answer with a small shrug as if it’s not that big of a deal at all. “Besides, Vic and Mike are the closest family I have. Especially Vic. I’ve always wanted to spend more time with them and I’ve never seen the west coast.”
“It’s nothing too special,” he says just before finishing off his beer and placing it beside my own empty bottle. “Does he know you’re drinking champagne?” he asks, eyeing my glass.
I laugh. “Yeah, they know. Jaime said he’d cover for me if I got tipsy.”
Tony erupts in laughter, causing me to laugh as well. “Jaime’s funny. I’m the designated driver. This is the only beer I’m having all night.”
I look towards the clock in the kitchen and see that it’s already close to eleven, probably still early for everyone here. I’m tired from spending over five hours on a plane and getting up early this morning. I want to ask Tony if he’d give me a ride back, but I don’t want to be disrespectful to Mike and Vic who’ve spent so much time putting this together.
“You okay?” he asks, leaning closer towards me.
I look up and our eyes meet for a split second before I look down towards my cake again. I take another bite before find a spot for it on the coffee table and taking another small sip off of my champagne, hoping it’ll calm my nerves.
“Just tired.”
“Well, do you want a ride home?”
I lick the frosting off of my index finger and turn back to him. He’s looking at me with those big, dark brown eyes, and I’m speechless for what seems like a long time.
“Uh- Yeah, that’d be great… What about Vic and Mike? I don’t want to leave too soon, I know they put a lot of effort into this party.”
Tony stands up off the couch and looks down at me. “They’ll be fine. I’m sure they know you’ve had a long day.”
Convinced, I grab my plate off of the coffee table and dump the half that’s left into a trash bag tied to a nearby door handle. Tony leads me out a set of French doors, across a patio where someone is grilling something surrounded by a few other dark figures, and onto the lawn.
“Hey, where you guys goin’?”
Tony turns back to the figure making their way down the steps after us. It’s too dark for me to see him, so I busy myself by pulling down the hem of the dress Hannah let me borrow.
“I’m bringing Maddy home,” Tony answers easily, doing some sort of handshake with the guy as he reaches us.
“Okay, you kids don’t have too much fun.” He gives Tony a look we wouldn’t have caught if he wasn’t so close before turning and walking back up the porch steps.
Tony and I walk in silence around the house and across the front lawn to where Vic parked the car on the sidewalk in order to prevent being blocked into the drive in until the early morning hours. We both get in, Tony pulling the keys out of his pocket and sticking them in the ignition after we both shut our doors, creating a loud slamming noise.
The radio comes on playing another CD from Vic’s collection and Tony turns down the volume. We drive in silence for a little while and it's kind of nice to be away from consuming noise for the first time all day. However, it gives my mind room to wonder back to my cellphone weighing heavily in the pocket of my dress.
“Parties aren’t really my thing either,” he comments suddenly, drawing my attention back to him. He's got big, dark rimmed glasses on and switches the headlights onto high after passing another car.
“I’ve never liked them.”
“Why not?” he asks.
I shrug in response, knowing now isn't the right time to give him the truth. “Giving me a place to live was the best gift Vic and Mike could give me,” I tell him honestly. “They didn’t have to throw me a party, too.”
“They were really looking forward to having you. Wait-” he says suddenly, taking his eyes off the road to look at me. “Did you open your presents?”
I shake my head, not knowing that there were any to open. I tell him this and he laughs a little to himself.
“Well, good thing, because I forgot mine back at my apartment. I guess I’m going to have to give it to you tomorrow to open with all the other ones."
I’m all too aware of how his arm rests on the console between us and how he drives holding the bottom corner of the wheel with his left hand. I focus my eyes out the windshield and on the strip of road Vic's headlights bring into view so he won't catch me staring. The house still looks foreign to me when we pull up slowly and come to a stop.
He collects his phone from the cup holder where it rests and steps out of the car. I follow and he lets me ascend the stairs first. I get to the top and wait for him to unlock the door. He stands just centimeters away as he finds the right key on the chain. He smells kind of like smoke and a lot like liquor. I remember the grill that was outside on the patio and wonder if maybe that’s where Tony spent the majority of the party.
When he finally turns the key and opens the door, he lets me in first and the smell that washes over me reminds me of Vic and Mike back at the party. I hope they won’t be looking for me or be upset that I left early. I place my phone down on the small table near the sliding door leading to the back porch and turn to Tony, who’s left standing by the door with his glasses still on.
“Are you going back to the party?” I ask in a small voice. My mind immediately jumps to whether or not it’d be uncomfortable spending time with Tony alone. I’ve never done it before besides a few minutes while visiting the guys on tour.
He shrugs and gives me a smile. “Not if you’re going to be scared here by yourself.”
I laugh shortly and roll my eyes, silently thinking how dumb it was for me to even consider he'd stay here with me. “Oh, please. I’m eighteen now, I’m over the whole keep-your-feet-beneath-the-covers-because-that’s-how-they-grab-you thing.” I make air quotes with my fingers and he laughs.
“I’m kidding. Are you sure you’ll be okay here by yourself? I mean, it’s your first night and I’m not sure when Vic and Mike will be back.”
I'm touched that he offers to stay and it sparks a hope in me that Tony and I will become friends. “It doesn’t matter to me," I tell him. "I’m just going to go to sleep.” I slip my heels off and go to the cupboard Mike told me contained the glasses. The spout on the refrigerator drops a few ice cubes into the bottom of my glass and then slowly fills it with water. I can almost feel Tony’s eyes on me from behind.
“I guess I’ll just see you tomorrow then,” he tells me when I turn back towards him, taking a sip off my water. He gives a small wave before going back out the way he came.
The house seems much quieter after the headlights are no longer visible from the view of the front windows. I head down the hall and into the room where Hannah did my hair earlier, my new bedroom. There’s a queen sized bed near some low windows I can look out as I lay down. I strip my dress off immediately and dig through my things until I find a big t-shirt to put on. It takes a few minutes to take my make-up off in the bathroom down the hall and work my hair into a high bun due to the amount of hairspray that was used. When I’m finally done, the bed feel so welcoming and I’m drifting off to sleep within minutes.
Everyone around me unbuckles themselves and begins gathering whatever small bags they've taken with them. I rub my eyes with my fists and bring them away covered in dry mascara and whatever bit of eyeliner I had half-heartedly applied this morning before heading out. I place the blue strap of my purse over my shoulder and follow the slow moving line of people to the exit where a stewardess is standing telling us good-bye with an extremely fake smile plastered on her red lip-stick mouth. Our line tangles up as we make our way through the tunnel-like section leading to the air port. As we get closer, I can hear the sound of suitcases, greetings and good-bye’s louder and louder the closer we get. The room opens up and any claustrophobic feelings roll off of my shoulders. I take a deep breathe of the San Diego air and begin to look around.
There’s people walking in every direction with suitcases dragging behind them and people being greeted by their friends or family all over. There’s a loud buzz in the room from the noise of everyone combined that rings in my ears uncomfortably. A voice in my head tells me they’re going to be difficult to find in this crowd. I turn my phone on and wait for it to come to life. I already have three new voice-mails from my mom, causing me to stop dead in my tracks and think back to that letter I left her on the counter this morning. I ignore it and continue to scan the room for Vic and Mike, heading further into the busy airport.
“Happy Birthday, Madsters!” I hear Mike yell.
I turn and see them a few feet away to my left, Vic significantly shorter than his younger brother. Mike wastes no time and runs towards me, taking me up into his long arms.
They look the same as last time I saw them when they were on tour in Boston last fall. The only difference is that their hair is longer and I think Mike might have gotten a few more tattoos. We shuffle from one foot back to the next as he squeezes my body to his for a long time. Even though it’s only been a few months, much less time than there usually is in between our visits, a certain type of feeling of security fills me as Vic wraps his arms around us and we form a group hug. I smell the same cologne they've worn for as long as I can remember. This definitely isn't as intimidating as I thought it would be this morning.
“Happy Birthday, Maddy. We’ve missed you,” Vic tells me once they pull away. He uses four fingers to push his brown side-swept hair out of his eyes and gives me a smile that reaches his eyes.
Jaime’s next, walking over and eagerly thrusting a bouquet of balloons towards me. “Happy Birthday, Maddy, it’s good to see you again.” I take the balloons from him and thank all of them before Jaime continues. “Vic hasn’t shut up about you since you called about coming over,” he laughs, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to him.
Tony then gives me the same huge smile I always remembered him having. “Happy birthday,” he says. “We’re all glad you’re here.”
After spending a few minutes talking about the plane ride and whether or not I’m hungry, the boys lead me to the baggage claim and before long we’re heading back into the parking lot with my things spread out among the five of us. The chilly morning on the east coast made for beautiful weather in San Diego where it was three in the afternoon instead of six in the evening. Vic takes a set of keys out of the pocket of his dark skinny jeans and hits the small rubber unlock button.
“I’m driving!” Mike announces before taking the keys out of his brother’s hand and running off towards the direction of what I assume is Vic’s car, my bags swaying back and forth with his long strides.
Jaime runs after Mike, calling over his shoulder that he’s not sitting in the middle seat this time with a joking menacing laugh. They place the bags they’re carrying into the truck, leaving it open for Vic, Tony and I who’re left walking with the rest of my things in our hands. Tony’s got my guitar, and he’s been asking quite a few questions about it for someone who I’ve always remembered as being shy. The car is a shiny black color with tinted windows, appearing to be well taken care of and fairly new. As the three of us approach it, I can hear one of my favorite Sleeping With Sirens tracks being played on a clear stereo system.
“They’re like children,” Vic comments, shaking his head and laughing quietly to himself. “Don’t worry, they’ll be gone by tomorrow morning.”
We load the rest of my things into the trunk, space not being a problem because there’s enough space for four people’s luggage. Even though Vic has made it a priority to keep in touch with me, and Mike’s done a decent job as well, part of me is happy that I’m not going to have to spend my first night here alone with them. We haven’t spent an entire night together since we were kids.
“Come on, Madster! You’re sitting up here with me!” Mike calls out his window over the stereo system, picking up Kellin’s voice and everyone’s instruments with beautiful quality.
I walk around to the passenger’s side and climb in onto the black nylon seat as Tony and Vic climb in the back with Jaime. While Mike starts the engine and makes his way out of the air port parking lot and onto the highway, Vic’s singing along with the track and Mike’s playing drums on the steering wheel to accompany Jaime’s pretend bass playing. Tony laughs in the backseat and joins in on guitar here and there. The faster Mike drives down the highway, the louder the volume goes. We all roll our windows down and let in the fresh spring air. When the song ends, Jaime shouts Mike to turn the volume down before leaning towards me and speaking.
“You better be ready to party tonight, girl!” He nudges me with his fist playfully, causing me to smile and slightly dread whatever party he’s talking about. Parties have never been one of my favorite things.
“You’re going to get to meet Hannah,” Mike tells me, looking from the road, to me and back again. I could see by the look in his eyes that he was genuinely excited about this.
“Is she your girlfriend?” I ask. He responds with an eager nod. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend, but it helped to settle my nerves now that I knew another female would be around. I want to ask him what she’s like, but he turns the volume back up and Vic launches back into harmonizing with another song.
Two hours later, Hannah’s already stuck me in a navy blue dress with short, loose black lace sleeves and matching heels. She’s enhanced my natural waves and pinned parts of it up so they fall down my back in layers. I can practically see my own mascara every time I blink, but I more than appreciate the time she put into dolling me up for this. I couldn’t kill her enthusiasm when I stepped out of the shower. She's exactly the kind of girl I always pictured Mike dating. Long, blonde hair, blue eyes and a gorgeous body. It was nice to have another girl to do my hair, makeup and have an outfit picked out for me - especially since this was my first night in the house and I didn't really have anything to wear.
Although, I’m not really putting all of her effort to use. I’m sitting on the couch, the beat of some old rock song playing through the expensive looking stereo pulsing through my body and an almost finished beer in my hand. I watch as people move things in the living room around to make room for dancing. The coffee table is left in front of me at a weird angle, so I finish the remnants of my bottle and add it among the clutter already on the wooden surface. I force on finding the keg instead of the guy’s gripping girl’s hips as they sway back and forth to the heavy guitar. Within the first hour, I realized most of the party-goers had come in couples, and I still hadn’t found which friend of Mike’s the house belonged to. I’m about to make my way through the crowd for another drink when Jaime sits down beside me.
“Why’s the birthday girl sitting all alone?” he asks, leaning towards me in order to be heard over the music. There’s only a moment of silence in between tracks were everything seems to dim down before another track starts up again.
“Vic and Mike both have dates so I don’t want to bother them,” I shrug. “I haven’t seen Tony since we got here.”
Jaime makes a face that resembles something like surprise and puts an arm up on the couch behind my head. “Hey, that’s not your empty beer bottle, is it?” He turns to me with an alcohol-induced smile and eyes.
I think of what I’m going to say before I speak, mulling over whether or not Jaime would give me a ‘no drinking under twenty-one’ speech or not. I decide to go with the truth. “Yeah, why?”
“I like your edge,” he says with a small laugh and shake of his head.
Just then the music is cut off by a stranger in a white and blue plaid shirt, ducking away before I can see his face. Mike and Vic come through carrying a large sheet of cake coating in white frosting between the two of them. Mike looks upward and yells, “cake time!”
Everyone who was previously dancing begins to shuffle towards the kitchen, which is connected to the living room. A small stampede can be heard as people who were upstairs make their way down and into the kitchen. Ladies heels clack as the carpet turns to hard wood and Mike and Vic make their way to the island overlooking the living room. Jaime takes my arm and helps me maneuver my way through the crowds of people, who look over their shoulders to see who it is that’s pushing through. I doubt they all even know it’s me who’s having the birthday, but they move aside politely anyway. Someone’s handing out glasses and there’s a corked bottle of champagne on the green marbled counter top beside where Mike’s set the cake down.
“Hey! One for the birthday girl!” Jaime says, hand still on my arm as he lifts the other in the air and points to me.
The guy, probably in his twenties, quickly comes back to hand me an extra glass. “I was saving this one for you,” he tells me with a playful wink.
I thank him and Jaime pushes me towards the island. The green marble shines and reflects the light overhead as Vic comes into view across from me to give me a smile illuminated by the flickering flames of the eighteen candles Mike is lighting with a Bic lighter.
“Hey, guys!” he yells to get everyone’s attention. The noise level quiets down almost immediately, and everyone turns towards him.
“Okay, so before we start I just want to thank you all for coming here tonight. I know you all like to party-” he’s cut off by a male behind me cheering loudly. Mike response with his own cheer, cupping his mouth with one of his hands before Vic goes on with a small laugh accompanied by a smirk. “My cousin Maddy is eighteen today,” he gestures a hand my way and I feel myself blushing. “The guys and I have spent a lot of time putting this together for her birthday and because it’s her first night in San Diego. Thank you guys for being a part of making her feel welcomed.” He gives me a small smile and hands me the bottle of champagne.
“To Maddy!” Mike yells, and I can’t help but laugh as I pop the cork on the bottle of champagne and it bubbles over into my thin rimed glass.
I fill Jaime’s glass next. He takes the bottle from me and begins to hand it around the table to those who are eagerly waiting, but have clearly had plenty to drink already. He leans in close to my ear and says, “don’t worry, if you get tipsy I’ll cover for you.”
I laugh, wonder how he’d manage to do that and take a sip of my champagne. It’s pleasant and I take another sip, adding to the buzz I’m already beginning to feel. Any left over anxiety lifts off of my shoulders.
Mike begins to cut the cake and plops generous pieces on small, red paper plates as people stick them out towards him. He licks frosting off of his fingers in between servings. When he sees me without a plate, finds one for me and cuts out the ‘H’ of my name in icing. I thank him and make my way back to the couch. Tony’s sitting on the couch where Jaime previously was, hat on the coffee table in front of him with his long, dark hair shading his face. I make my way around the cluttered coffee table, careful not to spill the contents of my glass.
“You don’t want cake?” I ask after taking a small bite off of my own. It’s good and I realize how big of a thanks I owe them all.
He shrugs in response and takes another sip off of his beer.
“Thank you guys so much for doing this for me.”
He looks over at me, a small smile playing on his lips. “It was all Vic and Mike. Jaime and I just helped.”
I continue eating my cake, unsure of how to respond. Moments later, he takes a deep breath and speaks again.
“So what made you want to come out to San Diego, of all places?”
I put my fork down on my plate and rest it on my lap as I turn to him to answer his unexpected question. I think for a moment, mentally editing myself to avoid a conversation I don’t want to have. As it is, my phone has been off all night to avoid my mom’s constant phone calls about the letter I left for her containing all the details of exactly why I wanted to leave so bad.
“I guess I just wanted a new start,” I answer with a small shrug as if it’s not that big of a deal at all. “Besides, Vic and Mike are the closest family I have. Especially Vic. I’ve always wanted to spend more time with them and I’ve never seen the west coast.”
“It’s nothing too special,” he says just before finishing off his beer and placing it beside my own empty bottle. “Does he know you’re drinking champagne?” he asks, eyeing my glass.
I laugh. “Yeah, they know. Jaime said he’d cover for me if I got tipsy.”
Tony erupts in laughter, causing me to laugh as well. “Jaime’s funny. I’m the designated driver. This is the only beer I’m having all night.”
I look towards the clock in the kitchen and see that it’s already close to eleven, probably still early for everyone here. I’m tired from spending over five hours on a plane and getting up early this morning. I want to ask Tony if he’d give me a ride back, but I don’t want to be disrespectful to Mike and Vic who’ve spent so much time putting this together.
“You okay?” he asks, leaning closer towards me.
I look up and our eyes meet for a split second before I look down towards my cake again. I take another bite before find a spot for it on the coffee table and taking another small sip off of my champagne, hoping it’ll calm my nerves.
“Just tired.”
“Well, do you want a ride home?”
I lick the frosting off of my index finger and turn back to him. He’s looking at me with those big, dark brown eyes, and I’m speechless for what seems like a long time.
“Uh- Yeah, that’d be great… What about Vic and Mike? I don’t want to leave too soon, I know they put a lot of effort into this party.”
Tony stands up off the couch and looks down at me. “They’ll be fine. I’m sure they know you’ve had a long day.”
Convinced, I grab my plate off of the coffee table and dump the half that’s left into a trash bag tied to a nearby door handle. Tony leads me out a set of French doors, across a patio where someone is grilling something surrounded by a few other dark figures, and onto the lawn.
“Hey, where you guys goin’?”
Tony turns back to the figure making their way down the steps after us. It’s too dark for me to see him, so I busy myself by pulling down the hem of the dress Hannah let me borrow.
“I’m bringing Maddy home,” Tony answers easily, doing some sort of handshake with the guy as he reaches us.
“Okay, you kids don’t have too much fun.” He gives Tony a look we wouldn’t have caught if he wasn’t so close before turning and walking back up the porch steps.
Tony and I walk in silence around the house and across the front lawn to where Vic parked the car on the sidewalk in order to prevent being blocked into the drive in until the early morning hours. We both get in, Tony pulling the keys out of his pocket and sticking them in the ignition after we both shut our doors, creating a loud slamming noise.
The radio comes on playing another CD from Vic’s collection and Tony turns down the volume. We drive in silence for a little while and it's kind of nice to be away from consuming noise for the first time all day. However, it gives my mind room to wonder back to my cellphone weighing heavily in the pocket of my dress.
“Parties aren’t really my thing either,” he comments suddenly, drawing my attention back to him. He's got big, dark rimmed glasses on and switches the headlights onto high after passing another car.
“I’ve never liked them.”
“Why not?” he asks.
I shrug in response, knowing now isn't the right time to give him the truth. “Giving me a place to live was the best gift Vic and Mike could give me,” I tell him honestly. “They didn’t have to throw me a party, too.”
“They were really looking forward to having you. Wait-” he says suddenly, taking his eyes off the road to look at me. “Did you open your presents?”
I shake my head, not knowing that there were any to open. I tell him this and he laughs a little to himself.
“Well, good thing, because I forgot mine back at my apartment. I guess I’m going to have to give it to you tomorrow to open with all the other ones."
I’m all too aware of how his arm rests on the console between us and how he drives holding the bottom corner of the wheel with his left hand. I focus my eyes out the windshield and on the strip of road Vic's headlights bring into view so he won't catch me staring. The house still looks foreign to me when we pull up slowly and come to a stop.
He collects his phone from the cup holder where it rests and steps out of the car. I follow and he lets me ascend the stairs first. I get to the top and wait for him to unlock the door. He stands just centimeters away as he finds the right key on the chain. He smells kind of like smoke and a lot like liquor. I remember the grill that was outside on the patio and wonder if maybe that’s where Tony spent the majority of the party.
When he finally turns the key and opens the door, he lets me in first and the smell that washes over me reminds me of Vic and Mike back at the party. I hope they won’t be looking for me or be upset that I left early. I place my phone down on the small table near the sliding door leading to the back porch and turn to Tony, who’s left standing by the door with his glasses still on.
“Are you going back to the party?” I ask in a small voice. My mind immediately jumps to whether or not it’d be uncomfortable spending time with Tony alone. I’ve never done it before besides a few minutes while visiting the guys on tour.
He shrugs and gives me a smile. “Not if you’re going to be scared here by yourself.”
I laugh shortly and roll my eyes, silently thinking how dumb it was for me to even consider he'd stay here with me. “Oh, please. I’m eighteen now, I’m over the whole keep-your-feet-beneath-the-covers-because-that’s-how-they-grab-you thing.” I make air quotes with my fingers and he laughs.
“I’m kidding. Are you sure you’ll be okay here by yourself? I mean, it’s your first night and I’m not sure when Vic and Mike will be back.”
I'm touched that he offers to stay and it sparks a hope in me that Tony and I will become friends. “It doesn’t matter to me," I tell him. "I’m just going to go to sleep.” I slip my heels off and go to the cupboard Mike told me contained the glasses. The spout on the refrigerator drops a few ice cubes into the bottom of my glass and then slowly fills it with water. I can almost feel Tony’s eyes on me from behind.
“I guess I’ll just see you tomorrow then,” he tells me when I turn back towards him, taking a sip off my water. He gives a small wave before going back out the way he came.
The house seems much quieter after the headlights are no longer visible from the view of the front windows. I head down the hall and into the room where Hannah did my hair earlier, my new bedroom. There’s a queen sized bed near some low windows I can look out as I lay down. I strip my dress off immediately and dig through my things until I find a big t-shirt to put on. It takes a few minutes to take my make-up off in the bathroom down the hall and work my hair into a high bun due to the amount of hairspray that was used. When I’m finally done, the bed feel so welcoming and I’m drifting off to sleep within minutes.
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Thanks to Hayley for commenting and to all of you who subscribed and recommended this :)The title is Hold On Till May by Pierce the Veil - one of my favorite songs off Collide With The Sky.
Continuing commenting because I'd love to hear all of your opinions!