There is Something...

“Oh, my God. The second day in England. And I saw Enter Shikari just with the distance of my hand. I would never sleep again so I could remember this day daisy-fresh…”

“MARY-ANN!!” Alice shouted in Mary’s ear wakening her from pleasurable thoughts,” We have to meet my brother right now!”

Mary blinked a few times, looked around and found her bearings. She was at the club called “Shrimp” with her new friend and house-mate Alice. They just saw Enter Shikari and some other local bands. The show ended with the balloons and confetti falling from the ceiling.

“At the show? Doesn’t he have bags or something and have to go straight home?” Mary was surprised.

“Nope…yes, I guess, but he has everything here. We’ll meet him outside.” Alice made her way through the crowd taking away Mary.

“I think the boys from Enter Shikari were looking at us all the time and occasionally smiling…Have you noticed it, Alice?” Mary elbowed her slightly.

She just smiled mysteriously, “Think so?”

They went outside and turned at the corner of the club. They passed the big parking lot. It was almost 1 am in the morning and a little bit cold outside. “But that’s England.” Mary concluded. The fact that there were no people on the streets chilled Mary through her tiny body.

“ALIIEEE!!” someone yelled.

They heard someone running towards them. It was a tall guy with a big bag. He was waving his spare hand and when he came closer he immediately squeezed Alice and started to go round. Alice’s brother – as Marry assumed, supported by the fact that normal people at least seat somewhere and don’t creep around looking for friends at empty parking lots...at cold summer night. When he finally got off Alice, Mary’s jaw fell-off to the ground. He had the same blue eyes and freckles, but his hair were naturally ginger. The guy from Enter Shikari!

“Mary-Ann let me introduce you to my big brother Liam,” Alice said proudly. She was so happy, that couldn’t help but smiling. Alice told Mary earlier that she didn’t see him for almost a year.

“Nice to meet you, Mary…Ann.” Liam held out his hand.

Almost a minute passed before:

“Hahh…” numb Mary managed to say.

“As I told you she wouldn’t say a word.. you owe me one!” sang Alice. “Let’s go home”.

Liam laughed, “Wait a bit. Don’t you want to meet other guys, Mary-Ann? And you can call me Rory, Liam sounds too ancient and official.”

Alice immediately cut in, “No, no. That’s enough for a one evening”, and called a cab.

In the cab Mary melted and thought about her manners. She was at the back seat with Rory. Alice seemed such a foxy lady. He was relaxed, but noticed slight nervousness of Mary.

“Hello, Rory. Nice to meet you.” Mary said in 5 minutes they drove off the club.

“It’s never too late.” Rory gave her a warm smile and a hand again.

At this time Mary shook it and smiled back. But then again she froze having no idea what to say. She just wanted to punch herself so ha-a-ard in the face but couldn’t even raise her hand.

Rory saw that clearly and took the lead, “So you will stay with us for the whole summer, eh? Where are you from?”

“Was born in Russia and raised in Germany.”

“Wow, that’s quite a background!” exclaimed Rory and lifted his hands.

The cab pulled over the big house Mary spent already a night in. Alice was quiet and smiling all the way to the door. The 3 of them entered a big cozy living room and headed to the blue-painted kitchen to have a hot tea. Mary finally got comfortable around celebrity brother and never fainted again when he spoke to her. In fact she got so brave that she even touched his hair.

“I’m the luckiest girl in the world..” Mary started a second page in the book called “Life”. “Who would have thought that Alice’s brother is a rock-star? I can’t wait to see the other guys. But I shouldn’t insist on it. I know they will show up someday.”

Mary was lying on the sofa wrapped in sheets and making some vicious plans. She enjoyed the morning and every thought about the coming meeting. Until she heard a soft knock at her door.

“Come in,” she called.

Alice entered the room in her green pajamas and with messed hair. “Hey, dreadsy! Just wanted to know that you haven’t choked to death of the excitement.” Alice crawled up on the sofa.

“Shut up.” Mary said in a friendly tone rubbing her eyes. They both felt already close to each other. They easily came to terms. Mary is known to be shy person and Alice (as Mary found out) had no friends. She had a lot of acquaintances but believed that there is no such thing as a friendship. So she was nice and easy-going with everyone.

Alice lay down beside Mary. “Rory is still asleep but he wouldn’t mind if we go for some coffee without him”.

“OK. Sooo…what’s up for today then? Will you show me something very interesting?”

“Not today, sorry. I have an idea, but the seeds of it need to grow a little more”, Alice replied with a wink and dashed to the bathroom.

In an hour Mary was waiting for Alice in the living room sitting on the couch in her black jeans and green t-shirt. She was reading through a newspaper when she heard footsteps on the stairs. “Finally, Alice!” she said without looking.

“Good morning!”

Mary raised her head and saw Rory shirtless beside the TV. She blushed and turned away.

“I found it.” Alice ran off the stairs and handed a white polo to Rory. “He is with us.” explained Alice to Mary. “The plan is almost in the action.”

In a coffee house it seemed that no-one cared who Rory was. Mary was afraid to be torn apart by fan-girls, but everything was quiet as if she was walking along with an ordinary guy.

“I think fans are crazy only in Japan then.” Mary concluded.

They ordered 3 cups of Americano and sat at a table. The 3 of them sank in their own thoughts and remained speechless until coffee arrived.

“So..” Rory began slowly with an adorable smile.

“Brother, huh?” noticed Mary to herself.

“What are your plans for today, gals?” he finally asked.

And Alice jumped right in, “No plans. At all. Get us to Chrisie’s!” She almost shouted and Mary was getting ready to catch her by the hand before she starts dancing on the table in excitement.

“You are reading my mind, sis!” Rory giggled. But no dancing followed, Alice just fixed her eyes on the window and a rosy blush crawled to her cheeks.

“She’s got a crush on Chris since, like, eternity. But they never got an inch closer. I think Chris is just blind.” whispered Rory to Mary while Alice swayed away with her thoughts looking nowhere.

“But why she wouldn’t say anything to him?” asked Mary.

“You are the only person she hangs out now with… I believe… Look at her.” He pointed at his sister. And no answer there was needed.

“Poor thing. Who’s Chris anyway?” Mary thought.

After a short breakfast at the coffee house Rory took girls to that mysterious Chris’.

Rory knocked at the big white door and soon enough it was opened by another guy from the band. He had black curly hair and a t-shirt which said “Give me a pony, please”. He smiled, glanced over Mary and welcomed them inside. They did it with an ice-silence and smirks on their faces. Alice broke the awkward moment by jumping right on and giving the guy a hug “Chrisie!!!” she shouted in his ear making him deaf.

“He considers her as a little sister..moron” Rory winked to Mary.

It was a small house with a big yard and a tall bushy fence around. Inside the house there were not many furniture items, just everything you would need without additional accessorizes. Boyish-like house, but without a mess all around it.

“Hey, Chris, this is our new friend and neighbor Mary-Ann. She is from Germany, so..” introduced Rory trying to take Alice off Chris. “Let go already, you, animal!”

Chris looked at Mary this time properly and waved her “’Ello!” by his free hand.

“I can see here a family re-unite” said someone else from the hall.

“Oi!” cried another voice whose possessor Mary couldn’t see either because of the giant 3-headed octopus in a doorway to the hall.

“Interesting… it’s as if everyone knows about Alice’s feelings besides Chris,” summed up Mary to herself.

When the figure broke down the room entered the drummer and the front man of Enter Shikari. Mary took all her confidence and tried to look normal. And when she stepped back to the wall she almost fell over a coffee table.

“Hey! Watch it! I can see one new pretty face here! I’m Rob!” the tallest one spread his hands to Mary welcoming to hug.

She just took one of his hands and shook it “I’m Mary-Ann, Rob” and smiled.

Rob sank, “You are shy, aren’t you?”

“Don’t be so pushy. Let the lady look around, mate. I’m Roughton, but everyone calls me Rou, and you have to deserve the pleasure to call me like that.” Said the singer making himself comfortable on a sofa.

“Oh, you’ve already met each other. Good! Chrisie, let’s go make some dinner!” commanded Alice and grabbed Chris by his hand.

Rory invited Mary to the sofa with flowers all over right just between him and Rou.

“Mary-Ann…Mary-Ann…” Rob repeated several times dreamily and closed his eyes. Then a small smile appeared on his lips and he faced Mary, “How should we call you, Mary or Ann? Mary-Ann is just too long, sorry. I can’t live with that.” Rory and Rou directed their attention to her too.

“Um…” Mary looked at each of them and shrugged her shoulders, “Whichever you like, I don’t mind.”

A sudden silence fell upon them. They could hear only muffled noise coming from the kitchen.

“That’s awkward. But they smell good…Stupid… What should I say?” wondered Mary and checked her manicure.

“Could I use your bathroom?” blurted out Mary and blushed.

Everyone turned their heads to her again. That made Mary grow very red all over her body.

“Why, yes, of course!” finally said Rou and everyone started breathing again. “I’ll show you.” He smiled and pierced her with his turquoise eyes.

Rou stood and offered Mary a hand. She took it and realized how soft it was though for a man. They passed the kitchen where they could hear Alice’s high pitched laugh. Mary wondered what Chris did tell her so amusing.

“This is it. I’ll turn the lights on” Rou was about to leave when Mary suddenly said.

“Actually, I didn’t’ want to go here… I just didn’t know what to say. And that was the first thing to come to my head. Sorry.” She looked at the floor and bit her lip.

“Oh, that’s ok. I can see you’re not so comfortable around us…yet,” he winked, “I understand. Would you like to stay here with me and chat?”

“I like your shorts.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’” Rou burst in to laugh just right when Chris and Alice went out of the kitchen with the plateful of sandwiches and a pack of beer. Alice saw them and made a look “way to go girl!” to Mary.

“Let’s go inside the bath room,” cheerfully proposed Rou and disappeared behind the door.

“That’s kind of creepy place to talk with a stranger. I mean I don’t know you, right? I don’t really know anyone here. But I sense I’m an adventurous one” whispered Mary closing the door and sat on the floor.

Rou settled himself comfortable in a bathtub “You’ll learn about us. We have no shows till August. And most of our time we spend, like this, together in 5. We do it since our childhood. The only difference now that we like to party a lot. I think I saw you last night. And I like your dreads.” He said looking in the mirror examining his look. Apparently he wasn’t satisfied with what he saw, because he started to rub his cheeks with his palms.

Mary kept being silent. She just realized how interesting her legs were.

“Sorry to interrupt you, but would you like to go to the club someday? I’m a dj also. And it’s free of charge for my friends. I think the show is tomorrow.” Rou faced Mary, who now was looking at him with curiosity.

“Everyone’s going?” she asked.

Rou exhaled and said “I don’t know. But if you are not going... That’s cool.”

Mary summed everything up and answered “Are you asking me out or something?”

Rou turned away “I just wondered if you’d like to party. It’ll be fun. You can stay beside me and I’ll drive you home. I promise,” he gazed again at her brown eyes. “And you can call me Rou.”