Where I Belong

‘Honey, do you need help getting ready?’ Val asked poking her head into my room.
‘No thanks Val’
‘Okay, I’ll help anyway!’ She said letting herself into my room. I chuckled at her stubbornness while popping my plugs out of my ears and replacing them with different jewelry.
Val set up my flat iron and turned it on before brushing through my hair, getting it ready to straighten.
‘So... how’s Matt holding up?’ I asked nervously, looking at Val through the mirror in front of me.
She sighed before slowly shaking her head. ‘He just needs some time, Lexi. He’s still really angry that your mom would do what she did. He just needs to get recording then he’ll be back to normal.’ Val explained while straightening my hair.
I had only been here a day but was already warmed up to Val, she was like the big sister I’ve always wanted.
I was meeting the rest of the Matt’s friends and band members and to say I was nervous would be an understatement. This is a huge deal! They’ve all been friends forever, so I need to make a good impression. I don’t want my brother’s friends to hate me...
‘Honey, you need to relax. The guys will all love you!’
‘I just really can’t screw this up. I have no where else to go... and I don’t think I’d survive in an orphanage again. That place was hell.’ I said applying mascara to my hazel eyes.
Val sent me an apologetic smile and finished straightening my hair. She then went into my duffle bag, which I have yet to unpack, and picked out an outfit.
‘Once you’re done your makeup, put those clothes on and come downstair, okay Alex?’
‘Sure thing, Val.’ She smiled before turning around and exiting the room.
‘Hey Val?’ I yelled out quickly after.
‘Yeah, hun?’ She replied, sticking her head back into my room.
‘Thank you’
I turned around to face her and smiled at her before returning to finishing up my makeup.

It took 20 minutes to finish getting ready and my palms were starting to sweat. What if they didn’t like me? Where would I go then? I have absolutely no where else to go. My real parents didn’t want me, my old parents are dead, and any grandparents I would’ve had have passed away.
I took a deep breath before walking down the stairs. I sat on the bottom step and put my converse on before standing up and adjusting my outfit.
Val came walking out of the living room and linked arms with me while opening the front door to exit the house. We walked towards the black SUV parked in the drive way and got in, putting on our seat belts before pulling out of the drive way and down the street, with Metallica blasting through the speakers.
Palm trees were to my left and the ocean was to my right. I gazed out into the vast waters and saw many people surfing, something I hadn’t done in weeks. My heart ached to be back out on the water, or even on a skateboard. Ever since my parents died, I was too down to do anything, but I felt the need to get back to my normal self, and enjoy the new company I had.
‘You a surfer?’ Val asked while turning onto a road and away from the ocean. I frowned as it disappeared from my view and turned to Val, nodding my head.
‘Yeah, how’d you know?’ I questioned.
‘You have the surfer vibe, my dear. I suppose you also skateboard, am I right?’ She asked, glancing at me sideways.
‘Yeah... can you read minds or something?’ She laughed while shaking her head.
‘No, unfortunately not. I can just tell a lot about a person by the way they look at something they love, and surfers are usually also skateboarders. Lex, I want you to be able to tell everything to me, okay? I’m not THAT much older then you. I get what your going through and I won’t rat you out if you do something bad.’ She nudged me with her elbow and I just laughed, while shaking my head.
‘I’ll keep that in mind, thanks Val.’

We pulled up to a large building with multiple cars in the parking lot and found a spot of our own. I started shaking and my palms started to sweat again. Why the fuck was I so nervous? They are just normal people! I tried to remind myself that but nothing worked.
I walked towards the building and Val grabbed my hand and squeezed it for support. I smiled up at her, took a deep breath and followed behind her into the building.
I followed Val throughout the building, never letting go of her hand. We suddenly came to a large black door and she stopped in front of it.
‘Okay, Lexi. They are just normal people and I guarantee they will love you!’ I nodded my head and Val opened the large, intimidating door that opened to a room filled with even more intimidating men. All of them were covered with tattoos and were very tall... well except for one.
‘Lexa! I missed you!’ Matt exclaimed. He walk/ran over and picked me up in a big hug, spinning me around before placing me back on my feet and wrapping his arm around my dainty shoulders.
‘Hey guys! This is Lexi, my sister’ Matt said flashing a dimpled smile down at me, since I was nearly a foot shorter then him. I sent the same dimply smile back before looking ahead as 4 heavily tattooed guys approached me.
‘You guys look so alike! Hi, I’m Zacky’ He pulled me in for an unexpected hug, which I gladly returned before he let go and looked down at me.
‘Why are you so short, but Matt’s so tall?’ He questioned.
‘I was dropped on my head as a baby, causing difficulties in my growth hormones.’ I said completely seriously. His face dropped and his eyes widened, as did everyone else but Matt and Val’s. They all looked completely horrified. I tried to keep a straight face but soon enough I burst out laughing, as did Matt and Val. I ended up leaning on Matt for support, while clutching my stomach from laughing so hard.
‘That was NOT funny! I almost started crying!’ The tallest of the group exclaimed.
‘By the way, I’m Jimmy and you, my dear, are going to be my best friend!’ I smiled up at him, and he smiled back, while poking the dimple on my left cheek causing me to scrunch my nose up.
‘Aw! She looks like a kitty when she does that!’ The guy that was not much taller then me, exclaimed. I laughed before being pulled into another hug and had the life squeezed out of me.
‘I’m Johnny and I like you because your short like me.’
‘Okay! Can’t. Breathe!’
‘Short Shit, let go of the poor girl before she passes out.’ The last of the group said. I was released from the death grip I was being held in and, again, looked up at the man in front of me. I smiled wide at him and he just chuckled before scooping down and picking me up in a hug while spinning me around, much like Matt did.
He soon put me down ruffled my hair. I swatted his hand away and blew my bangs out of my face before glaring jokingly at him.
‘Everybody picks on the small one’ I mumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear.
‘I know right!? It’s not fucking fair!’ Johnny exclaimed from across the room.
‘I’m Brian, and your Alexandria but I will call you Andie’ He stated while nodding his head once in approval.
‘Sounds good to me!’
‘Well, now that everyone is introduced, lets get some work done, boys.’ Matt said, before hugging me quickly and entering the sound proof room. Everyone else went and sat down while the sound tech instructed Mattie on what to do.
‘Lex, come sit with me!’ Zacky shouted. The sound guy shushed him before directing his attention back on Matt.
There wasn’t much room left on the couch so I just plopped myself down on Zacky’s lap, already feeling comfortable with the group of crazy men I had just met.
From across the room, Val smiled at me and nodded her head before turning her attention back to Johnny, whom she was conversing with.
I already felt like I belonged, and I couldn’t be happier.