There is Something...

“Hey! Are you taking a bath or raising a ghost?” Rob shoved his head through the door which made Mary and Rou jump off their already warm places. “It’s been 20 minutes since you two left; I was worried that you, Rou, are making little Ann to wash your dirty clothes!” He gave Rou a concerned look.

“Shut your face, we were just chatting…” Rou paused, looked around and realized that it was not really a palace for talking. “Man, you have to learn knocking before you come in. We could just die of surprise here. Come on!” Rou started to laugh hysterically.

“When the party starts?” Mary turned her face towards now burning-red Rou.

“What party?” Rob immediately asked.

“I have a set…tomorrow at “Shrimp”…let’s see…at about 8 pm.” Rou did his best not to laugh again. “Comin’?”

Rob didn’t have time to answer, because at that second Alice, Chris and Rory came in. Every sound went dead. Everyone just stared at each other. And even the lights flickered a few times.

“Mate, I tell you, they have a meticulous plan. I can smell it,” Rory summed up narrowing his eyes and glanced over Mary who was standing between Rob and Rou. “Are they holding you hostage?” He asked with a serious tone and folded his arms.

“Um…I’m not sure,” Mary looked from Rob to Rou giggling. “I think we’are gonna to party tomorrow.” She added innocently.

“So…are you and Rou going on a date?” Asked Alice checking herself in the mirror. She and Mary were getting ready in the bathroom to go to the club. “He is such a lady’s man.”

“Why?”

“Well, I’ve seen him flirting a lot…like, with lots of different girls at the same time. And I’ve never seen him in a relationship. But he is nice; I don’t think he would turn out to be a complete bastard.” Alice replied applying her red mascara.

Mary sat on the stool, “Well. Ok. He just invited me to a party, that’s all. I don’t see here a hidden message. And tell me, what’s up with you and Chris?” she pierced Alice with her big brown eyes.

“I…” Alice started, when they heard a knock and Rory invited himself to come in.

“So, we are leaving in a minute. You’d better hurry up” he looked at his sister. “And you,” now Rory glanced at Mary who was wearing the same jeans as in the morning, “you…are you ready?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Nothing. Just surprised that you haven’t changed your…your bottoms. Alice wears something different, like, every 5 minutes. I mean… you look nice, anyway.” He tried to save himself and blushed a little realizing what he just had said.

“What’s wrong with people today?” Mary just passed Rory without a word.

“Shit. Was it so bad?” Rory asked his sister, who now, apparently, decided to change the dress, because she looked at herself with a frown. “Please, don’t. You look beautiful as always.” He smiled at her.

“I’ll just ask you. Do you like her?” She looked him straight in the eyes. This question took Rory by surprise and he just stumbled over before speaking. “And, yes, it wasn’t very much smart of you.” Alice shook her head slowly. She smiled at him and left without waiting for him to answer.

**
As the 3 of them got to the “Shrimp” they saw Chris and Rob already hosting plenty of beer bottles at the bar and Rou, who seemed to be at sea, searching for something at the small stage. They quickly soaked into the atmosphere. The lights were dim and some distant tune was coming out of the speakers everywhere making all-already-there people fall asleep.

“Beautiful Ann…by the way can I call you Ann?” Rob scratched his elbow and invited Mary to sit at the bar.

“Whichever you like. You asked me that already,” she just winked at him and nodded to Chris.

“So, Ann, what can I get you?” Rob jumped over the counter and took a shiny glass.

“Um… I don’t really drink…much. Choose something sweet for me.” As if Rob was waiting exactly for this answer, he just filled shaker with colorful drinks and worked some magic with it. Then he poured the drink into the glass, added a little pink umbrella and handed it to Mary. She tried it and her cheeks turned rosy.

“Sweeeet, thanks!” she clapped her hands.

“Rou is about to start in a few minutes” Chris checked his watch totally ignoring Alice who leaned against his back.

Mary watched Rou getting ready. He waved her, pressed some buttons and started the music. The crowd began growing around Rou which made hard for Mary to watch him on the stage. She looked around for support and saw the following: Alice almost climbed on the top of Chris’ head and wrapped her hands around his eyes happy as could be, he wasn’t able to see anything and was constantly yelling; Rob was preoccupied by some girls who came to get drinks and one of them was chirping nonsense into his ear; Rory just vanished somewhere. Mary sighed and moved to the crowd. As if she was a living magnet, instead of breaking up, people were gathering before her. She had to pass 3 more rows of people when all the sounds and lights went dead. The room completely drowned into darkness. In a moment people started to scream.

“Great…That’s just great.” Mary thought and tried to continue her previous trip. The club turned into a complete mess: people shouting and screaming and running and hitting each other. She reached the stage. She realized that by stumbling over the table where Rou’s keyboards were.

“Please, don’t turn over it. I need them.”

“Rou? Is that you? It’s Mary-Ann. Where are you standing?”

“Hey! You finally made it!” he stretched out his hand and touched the air in search of Mary. He felt her arm and pulled closer to him. Maybe, a little too closer.

“Ouch!” she exclaimed.

“Sorry. I hope everything will be fixed soon” he was still holding her soft hand. Mary felt his palm getting sweaty and tried to let it go. Though, they couldn’t see each other it was obvious that they blushed and the air between them electrified. “And don’t go anywhere.” Rou added.

“Let’s get under the table!” Mary suggested and grabbed his wet palm.

“Ouch! My head!”

“Sorry. You have to be more careful.”

“Genius…” Rou frowned and tried to find a comfortable spot. “I guess people are leaving now…” his phone started to vibrate, he quickly grabbed it and answered: “Hey, Rob!...Yeah, she is with me….um, on the stage…um, under the table…no, mate…we are fine…ok!” Rou paused for a second and said to Mary “We have to go, they are closing this place. Something is wrong with electricity.”

Without a word she grabbed his hand and they came out of the table. Remembering the surroundings Rou led Mary through to the exit door by touch.

“Oh, you are safe, little Ann!” Rob caught her in a hug.

In a second Mary tried to escape the hug, “That was really awkward, but fun. Home, then?”

“I’d like to continue to party” Chris whined.

“Me too!” Alice cut in and they high-fived.

“Can I go home?” Mary asked.

“Sure, so you come with me. And they can do whatever they want.” Rory became quiet considering something. All of a sudden somebody started to sing. “Chris is already tipsy…and Rob sings…so, Rou, watch Alice, please. And don’t let her sleep in the kitchen this time.”

“Yes, sir.” Rou answered, saluted and went to his car.

“So, you and me…” Rory looked at Mary. “X-box?”

She just smiled.