On Sleepless Roads
Chapter Three
Brendon’s POV
I was a little surprised to see Ryan with a girl that looked only thirteen.
He doesn’t usually hang out with kids,
Maybe it was his cousin or something.
That would make sense, I think.
“Hey Ryan, uh, who’s your friend?” I asked as they walked towards me.
“Hey, this is Marti, Marti this is Brendon, Spencer and Jon.” Ryan said awkwardly.
Okay maybe the kid wasn’t his cousin,
I doubt that Ryan would be this awkward if she was.
And Marti looked very uncomfortable.
“Hey, nice to meet you.” I said, sticking my hand out.
Marti stared at it for several long seconds before finally shaking it.
“Same here.” She said softly.
She looked a lot like Ryan, and I mean a lot.
She had the exact same hair colour as him,
And really pretty green eyes.
I hung back as Spencer and Jon introduced themselves to Marti.
She looked like she was about to start crying at any second.
Why, were we seriously that scary looking?
I felt a little bit insulted but I ignored it.
There was a really long awkward silence so I turned to Ryan.
“Come help me get food!” I said, turning and walking into the kitchen before he could say anything.
“What do you want?” Ryan asked once we were in the kitchen.
“Who’s the kid?” I asked, looking around for food.
Now that I’d said I was getting food I actually had to find some food.
That could be a little bit difficult,
I’m not the best at keeping food in my house.
“I have no idea.” Ryan said.
I turned to stare at him, positive that he was joking.
The look on his face said that he was serious.
“Then why is she with you?” I asked.
Ryan sighed loudly.
“I was at my parent’s house and then the doorbell rang so I answered it. It was this lady with Marti in tow. She pushed the kid into me and started to leave. Then my dad came out and told me to take Marti inside so I did. Then he came back in and my mom made me bring Marti with me.” He said, sounding really confused.
“Wow.” Was all I could say.
“Was the woman Marti’s mother?” I asked after a few seconds.
Ryan shrugged.
“I have no idea, I think so, but I’m not sure.” He said.
“Well she looks like you.” I said.
Ryan looked horrified.
“Don’t, don’t you say that!” He said, looking angrier than I’d seen him in a long time.
“And why not?” I asked, finding a bag of chips in the cupboard.
“Because I don’t want to think about what that could mean!” He said.
It took me a second to figure out what he meant.
But when I did my eyes widened.
“Oh.” Was all I said.
“Exactly!” Ryan said, nodding.
Then there was an awkward silence,
What if Marti really was his sister?
I couldn’t decide if that would suck or be awesome.
Siblings could be awesome,
But a lot of times they really just sucked.
Marti’s POV
I don’t know how this day could get any worse.
My “father” hadn’t actually really spoken to me yet.
He had a new wife that I was positive was going to hate me.
After all, I’m his daughter with a different woman.
Not exactly the kind of kid she was going to love.
And an older brother,
Who just so happened to be the guitarist for my favorite band.
And hadn’t figured out yet that I was his sister,
Or if he had he just wasn’t saying anything about it.
And now I was standing in the garage with two of his three band mates,
And none of us were talking.
It was pretty awkward.
And believe me,
I never thought that I’d be meeting these guys under these circumstances.
I’ve always wanted to meet them.
Was this just some sick, twisted joke God was playing?
Be careful what you wish for,
Maybe I should have paid attention to that phrase a little bit better.
“So, how old are you?” Jon asked, glancing at Spencer.
I wanted to die.
“Thirteen.” I said.
“And your name is Marti?” Spencer asked.
I grimaced,
People make fun of my name.
It’s not my fault my mother is a freak.
“Yes, short for Martini.” I said.
I always feel like I need to say that.
“Martini?” Jon and Spencer asked in unison.
I nodded.
“My mom likes to drink.” I said.
“Oh.” They said at the same time.
Nice, that’s what Ryan had said too.
That answer always makes people all awkward.
It’s kind of funny, that’s why I say it.
“So are you Ryan’s cousin?” Spencer asked after a long silence.
I shook my head.
“Nope.” I said.
I don’t like saying more than one word to strangers.
“A daughter of a friend?” Jon asked.
I shook my head again.
“Nope.” I said again.
“Neighbor?” Spencer asked.
Again, I shook my head.
“Nope.”
“A random stranger he picked up off the street?” Jon asked.
Wow they were getting desperate now.
“Nope.”
“I give up, who are you?” Spencer said.
No way, they were going to have to figure it out on their own.
“Guess.” I said.
Wow, I was feeling a little bit bold.
“What’s your name?” Jon asked.
“Marti.” I replied.
Haven’t we already gotten it across that my name is Marti?
Apparently not.
“No, your full name.” He said, shaking his head.
“Martini Lila.” I said, being difficult.
“Last name?” He asked.
I hesitated.
Should I tell them?
I might as well, they’d figure it out eventually.
“Martini Lila Ross.”
I was a little surprised to see Ryan with a girl that looked only thirteen.
He doesn’t usually hang out with kids,
Maybe it was his cousin or something.
That would make sense, I think.
“Hey Ryan, uh, who’s your friend?” I asked as they walked towards me.
“Hey, this is Marti, Marti this is Brendon, Spencer and Jon.” Ryan said awkwardly.
Okay maybe the kid wasn’t his cousin,
I doubt that Ryan would be this awkward if she was.
And Marti looked very uncomfortable.
“Hey, nice to meet you.” I said, sticking my hand out.
Marti stared at it for several long seconds before finally shaking it.
“Same here.” She said softly.
She looked a lot like Ryan, and I mean a lot.
She had the exact same hair colour as him,
And really pretty green eyes.
I hung back as Spencer and Jon introduced themselves to Marti.
She looked like she was about to start crying at any second.
Why, were we seriously that scary looking?
I felt a little bit insulted but I ignored it.
There was a really long awkward silence so I turned to Ryan.
“Come help me get food!” I said, turning and walking into the kitchen before he could say anything.
“What do you want?” Ryan asked once we were in the kitchen.
“Who’s the kid?” I asked, looking around for food.
Now that I’d said I was getting food I actually had to find some food.
That could be a little bit difficult,
I’m not the best at keeping food in my house.
“I have no idea.” Ryan said.
I turned to stare at him, positive that he was joking.
The look on his face said that he was serious.
“Then why is she with you?” I asked.
Ryan sighed loudly.
“I was at my parent’s house and then the doorbell rang so I answered it. It was this lady with Marti in tow. She pushed the kid into me and started to leave. Then my dad came out and told me to take Marti inside so I did. Then he came back in and my mom made me bring Marti with me.” He said, sounding really confused.
“Wow.” Was all I could say.
“Was the woman Marti’s mother?” I asked after a few seconds.
Ryan shrugged.
“I have no idea, I think so, but I’m not sure.” He said.
“Well she looks like you.” I said.
Ryan looked horrified.
“Don’t, don’t you say that!” He said, looking angrier than I’d seen him in a long time.
“And why not?” I asked, finding a bag of chips in the cupboard.
“Because I don’t want to think about what that could mean!” He said.
It took me a second to figure out what he meant.
But when I did my eyes widened.
“Oh.” Was all I said.
“Exactly!” Ryan said, nodding.
Then there was an awkward silence,
What if Marti really was his sister?
I couldn’t decide if that would suck or be awesome.
Siblings could be awesome,
But a lot of times they really just sucked.
Marti’s POV
I don’t know how this day could get any worse.
My “father” hadn’t actually really spoken to me yet.
He had a new wife that I was positive was going to hate me.
After all, I’m his daughter with a different woman.
Not exactly the kind of kid she was going to love.
And an older brother,
Who just so happened to be the guitarist for my favorite band.
And hadn’t figured out yet that I was his sister,
Or if he had he just wasn’t saying anything about it.
And now I was standing in the garage with two of his three band mates,
And none of us were talking.
It was pretty awkward.
And believe me,
I never thought that I’d be meeting these guys under these circumstances.
I’ve always wanted to meet them.
Was this just some sick, twisted joke God was playing?
Be careful what you wish for,
Maybe I should have paid attention to that phrase a little bit better.
“So, how old are you?” Jon asked, glancing at Spencer.
I wanted to die.
“Thirteen.” I said.
“And your name is Marti?” Spencer asked.
I grimaced,
People make fun of my name.
It’s not my fault my mother is a freak.
“Yes, short for Martini.” I said.
I always feel like I need to say that.
“Martini?” Jon and Spencer asked in unison.
I nodded.
“My mom likes to drink.” I said.
“Oh.” They said at the same time.
Nice, that’s what Ryan had said too.
That answer always makes people all awkward.
It’s kind of funny, that’s why I say it.
“So are you Ryan’s cousin?” Spencer asked after a long silence.
I shook my head.
“Nope.” I said.
I don’t like saying more than one word to strangers.
“A daughter of a friend?” Jon asked.
I shook my head again.
“Nope.” I said again.
“Neighbor?” Spencer asked.
Again, I shook my head.
“Nope.”
“A random stranger he picked up off the street?” Jon asked.
Wow they were getting desperate now.
“Nope.”
“I give up, who are you?” Spencer said.
No way, they were going to have to figure it out on their own.
“Guess.” I said.
Wow, I was feeling a little bit bold.
“What’s your name?” Jon asked.
“Marti.” I replied.
Haven’t we already gotten it across that my name is Marti?
Apparently not.
“No, your full name.” He said, shaking his head.
“Martini Lila.” I said, being difficult.
“Last name?” He asked.
I hesitated.
Should I tell them?
I might as well, they’d figure it out eventually.
“Martini Lila Ross.”