Legends

They went to living room, to match some TV, waiting for Samantha to come home to cook something. Romane had asked if they wanted her to do something, since she know how to cook. They had declined saying she should just stay with them.

"So, Romane" Kaleb started. "How do you learned guitar?"

She rose her head. Looking at the ceiling. Her eyes in her memories. She seemed so sad.

"I started as a kid. I was... 6. Two years with a teacher. Then I stopped and started playing and learning alone. With internet and stuff. Then, I moved to my dad, and he taught me, with his friends. And there I am."

"He should be great." Kaleb commented.

"He is."

Brian's phone went off. "Shit" he muttered. "Yeah?" He said into the phone. "Yeah I know." Silence. "No sorry." Silence. "Oh shut the fuck up! I'm not in the mood!" Silence. "Well, then bye." Silence. "Oh come on!" Silence. "Have a good life. Tell Lisa she still have my number."

He took the phone away from his ear, as everyone clearly heard a girl screaming "YOU FUCKING BASTARD". Brian hung up, pulling his phone back into his pocket, and looking back at the TV like nothing had happened. After some minutes of silence and everyone staring at him, Brian turned to them.

"What?"

"I think we deserve an explain." Ted said, rising an eyebrow.

"I'm no longer with my girlfriend." He simply said.

"You had a girlfriend?" Ted asked, surprised.

"Yep."

"Wait, did you said to your just ex-girlfriend to tell another girl to call you?" Kaleb realized. Ronie tilted her head, not understanding.

Brian smiled devilishly." Lisa's hot." Ronie's went wide as she understood what he was meaning.
"You're an asshole." Ted commented.

Brian rolled his eyes. "Come on, in two days she would be with someone else."

It reminded Ronie something. "Talking about girlfriend, Ted you're with Rachel?" She asked.

He nodded. "Congratulations" she whispered.

"You don't like her?"

Romane blushed and looked away. "Come on you can say it."

"I don't like saying mean things about people."

"I know but say what you think."

She closed her eyes. And took a deep breath. "She's a bitch." She said. There was a silence. I shouldn't have said that! You're a mean person!

Then the three boys busted out of laugh. She looked at them, lost. It just made them laugh even more.

"Stop laughing t me!" She blushed.

"Come on! It's the first time I hear you saying a bad word!"

She blushed. "Sorry but you're too cute!" She blushed even more making Ted laugh. He was playing to make her blush. "You're mean" she pouted like a kid. They laughed even more.

She was smiling. She was glad to be able to relax with them, even if he barely knew them.

"Since we're talking about relationship, Romane, you have a boyfriend?" Kaleb asked. She looked at her hands. Then nodded no.

Why are you fucking glad to hear that, Brian?

"You weren't with that guy... I don't remember his name" Ted asked.

"Tomas?" She asked. He nodded. "We were."

"Shit, sorry, Ronie." Ted said pulling his arm around her shoulder. "Was it serious?" She shrugged. It was for me. And she remembered they break up. Closing her eyes, she fought back the tears.
Ted kissed her temple. Her eyes shot open, and she became instantly bright red. He laughed, taking her close. Brian looked away. what the fuck is happening to me ?

"And you Kaleb?" She asked politely.

"Our Kaleb right here is already engaged!" Ted said. Ronnie's and Brian's eyes went wide.

"I'm not" he put his hands in defense. "I'm with my girlfriend since already two years."

"Congratulations" Ronie smiled. "That's great."

He nodded, smiling.

"How old are you?" Brian asked.

"I would be 20 next march. And she's 19."

"We have the same age" Ronie calculated. Everyone looked at her, confused.

"You're in high school." Ted stated.

"When I came to America, my dad put me two grades before so it would be simpler for me, since I didn't completely spoke English."

"Then why the fuck did you came here? If you didn't even spoke the language?"

She stayed silent, looking in front of her. There was something on her face that none of them recognized. She rubbed her left arms. "It's complicated."

They stayed silent. What had happened? I want to know! But Brian wasn't stupid, he knew they should not talk more about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Romane's phone went off. She blushed and took it quickly. Brian couldn't help but recognize the start of Almost Easy as her ringtone. She stood up, to not bother them.

"Allo?" She said.

"Hey baby! Where are you?"

"Sorry Dad! I completely forget to tell you I wasn't coming home. I'm at Ted's."

"Oh okay. No problem. When and how are you coming home?"

"Hmmm... Ted, my dad want to know when and how I'm coming home?" She asked turning to Ted, and seeing that they were listening to her discussion.

"After dinner and..."

"And I'll drive you home." Finished Brian.

She smiled.

"I come home after dinner, and they'll drive me home."

"After dinner? Nd your homework?"

She rolled her eyes. "Dad, I don't have anything to do for tomorrow. Just some french stuff."

"I'm not talking about school! I know you're a good student. I'm talking about guitar."

"Oh. Well then, I'll do it another day."

"But I want you to know it!"

"I know, Dad. You want me to play it at his birthday. But I can almost play it completely! "

"Well, it's okay, then. Oh and I will not see you tonight."

"You're going out?"

"Yeah!"

"Don't drink too much."

"Come on, I'm with the guys it's gonna be okay."

"Especially if you're with the guys."

"Yes mom!"

She laughed.

"Stupid Dad! Your wife is gonna kick the shit out of you if she found you drunk, you know it. Remember, uncle Kirk is in one week, and it will be the party of the year. And everyone will get hammerhead. Just wait a week."

"I know baby."

I smiled. "See you dad."

"See you, and remember"

Then they said together" Party Hard!" Then laughed.

She pulled her phone back in her bag. And sat on the couch.

"Your dad seems to be really strange" Kaleb commented.

"He isn't. He's amazing, he just like to party." She answered, looking one more time at her hands.
"But he's old." Ted argued.

"He loves to party since... well since high school. He just have never grow old." She played with her hands, stressed.

They were about to ask more questions, but Samantha opened the door, saving Romane. She smiled as she found them on the couches.

"Mom!" Ted shouted. "Can Ronie and Kal stay here for dinner?"

"Sure!"

"Yeah!" They all smiled.

"Brian, you hadn't something to ask to your mom?" Asked politely but shyly Ronie. She just didn't wanted him to forget something.

"No more." He answered.

Samantha rose an eyebrow. "Can I know what it was?" She was suspecting something.

"Oh, just that my girlfriend wanted me to come see her."

"And? She don't want to see you anymore?"

"He's not with her anymore."

Her eyes went wide. "What happened?" She seemed sad.

Brian shrugged, taking a beer. "She was in a bad mood since almost a week, she wanted to see me today to 'put everything together'" he said making the quote with his hands. "But I'm not in the mood. So it's over" he took a gulp of his beer. Ronie was staring at him.

"You're mean, Bri! You should be gentle with girls!" His mom exclaimed. He shrugged. Romane was sad. She wanted her idol to be perfect. She didn't wanted to believe he was an asshole.

"And why she in a bad mood?" Ted asked suspiciously.

Brian stayed silent.

"Bri, why?" Ted asked again.

"I slept with her sister."

Romane felt betrayed. He was an asshole. No. No. No. But he was. And it hurt her to admit it.

"Brian! That's awful! You should think about being really with a girl! Like Matt! He's with Val since high school!"

Brian rolled his eyes. He didn't wanted that. Night stands were something he loved. How can you hate girls throwing themselves at you? I see how Matt is pissed of by all those girls. I mean, he's all the time saying "I don't want to fuck you, go away". Fuck, I rather fuck every girls I want than being with one. I don't see what's the interest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They sat down around the table, as Samantha started to cook. Romane came to her. "Can I help?" She asked quietly.

Samantha smiled. "You can cook?" Romane nodded.

"Then can you start to cook the pasta, in the fridge?"
Romane nodded, and did what she was told.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were just sat at the table when Brian opened the door, and came in.

"Hey Dad!"

"Wow, there's so much people in the kitchen. Is there a reason?"

"Absolutely not, Dad. Kal and Ronie went here to play, and then stayed."

He nodded and sat down in front of his older son.

"Brian, you're here for how many time?" He asked. Brian took a second to think about it.

"Two or three weeks, I'm not sure."

The father nodded. "And you'll be back for Christmas?" It was mid-November.

"I guess, I don't think the guys would pass Christmas away from home."

"But for you it's okay"

Brian shrugged. His father rolled his eyes.

"And you, Ted and Romane, how was your day?"

"Great!" Ted answered.

"And that french stuff?"

His eyes went wide. "Shit!" He said. "I've completely forget." He turned to Romane.

"Don't worry I can do it tonight." She whispered with a smile.

"No! You should do your part, Ted!" Samantha interrupted.

He rolled his eyes. "Why not after dinner?" She nodded.

"Maybe I can help, I know some french" Kaleb proposed. "I know you're better than me but still."

She smiled and nodded in agreement.

"And Dad, did you know that Ronie is a hardcore guitar player?" Ted said, like it was nothing. Her jaw dropped. Then she blushed deeply.

"Really? I didn't know!"

"Yeah! I feel like she's almost at Bri's level."

She blushed even more. "I'm not" she whispered, looking at her feet.

"Really? I wanna hear you!" The father answered.

After they finished dinner, Brian senior took her to the instrument's room, the rest of the family following them.

He put one of his own guitar into his hand, and she was too embarrassed to ask to play on Brian's guitar.

"Now, play something!"

She was staring at her guitar. What she could play?

"White Line Fever by Asking Alexandria?" She asked.

" you're playing, you're choosing!" Brian senior laughed.

She took the guitar and the pick he handled to her.

She took a deep breath and started. She loved that song. She was beating in rhythm with her foot. She knew the song perfectly so it was almost easy. She never look up to them. She knew she wouldn't be able to play if she did so.

Brian once more couldn't look away from her. He was mesmerized. She was amazing. His heart was racing. He never really loved that song, even if he never hated it. But right now it started to be one of his favorite. She loved playing, it was obvious. And he surprised himself thinking about never letting that smile fall off her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The more time passed by, the more friend Romane became with them. She loved them.

She started to go to every rehearsal. And it started to pissed Lukas off. He had never heard her play. But it was like he had decided her hated her, so he would be upset all the time. She had tried to convince Ted and Kal she didn't wanted to go, to not bother Lukas, but they never listened. They knew how much she liked it.

One day, Lukas opened the door of Kaleb's house, to find Romane sitting down next to Kaleb talking about the bass riff.

"Oh fuck, the stupid chick is still there."

Kaleb rolled his eyes. She looked away.

"Honestly, why she's always here? She's boring as hell. She never speak, just stay looking at us. She's useless. So please, make her go."

Romane stayed silent. She never answered to people insulting her. She knew it would get worse if she did so. But being called 'useless' and 'boring' just because she was shy... it hurt. She hated that part of her that was so shy. But it wasn't something she could control. She was all the time telling herself to not be shy, but at the second something happened, she always seemed to forget it. It was just pushed out of her mind by the stress of saying something wrong, of upsetting people. She couldn't do anything about it.

"Lukas, shut up!" Kaleb angrily responded.

"Oh come on!" He rolled his eyes. "Don't say she isn't! We both know she is!"

She wanted to cry. She thought she was making friends... but no. They were founding her boring and annoying as hell.

"She isn't, Lukas. You just don't know her. She's smart and kind. Two things you will never be."

Her eyes went wide and she stared at Kaleb.

"Then, Kal, find yourself another guitarist."

With that he turned around, and went away from the house.

"Did... did you think what you said? ... I mean, is it true?" Romane asked in a whisper. "The part about you being smart and kind?" She nodded. "Sure it's true" he said, rising an eyebrow.

She smiled widely and jumped into his arms to hug him close.

His eyes went wide, but then he smiled and hugged her back.

After some second, she pulled away awkwardly. Blushing, she sat down where she was at first.

"You're hugging me like that then you go back to blushing? I don't agree with that!" He smiled to her.

"We're friends?" She asked looking at him hopefully. She hadn't even heard what he said.

He smiled. "Sure we are!" She was smiling like crazy when something hit her mind. "How you're gonna do, without a guitarist?"

It was her fault if he had gone. She had upset him. Her fault.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be! We're not missing him!" He smiled.

"But you don't have a guitarist.... Ted said he was still in the band because you knew nobody to take his place."

"We didn't knew anyone. No we knew someone."

Her eyes went wide as she understood.

"How about being our guitarist?"