Burn

I woke up, stretching and pulling the light grey comforter tighter around my body. I slowly recognized the soft, muted sounds of a TV and looked over to the other side of the room, where John was lounging in his bed. He noticed I was awake, and said very huskily in a 'just-woken-up' voice, "Good morning sunshine."

"'Morning." I replied, just as hoarse, feeling around for my phone on the air mattress. I clicked the unlock button on the top, revealing my phone background of Caleb and I and the current time: 8:27.

"Oh my god, you have got to be kidding me." I moaned, flopping backwards and pulling the blanket over my head. I heard John chuckle.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked, concern coloring his voice. I removed the blanket and shook my head furiously. "No, the fact that I go to work so early all the time makes me have this inner alarm clock that refuses to let me sleep in." I muttered.

"Ah, I see. Well you can watch nineties re-runs with me if you want to. Or you can go back to sleep." he smirked.

"I think I'll just go back to sleep." I mumbled. "I can't see the TV from over here anyways."

John stretched his arms out wide, raising an eyebrow. "Um, hello? Do you see all this room? I'm sleeping in a queen over here!"

"John I really don't think--"

"Viola, get over here!"

I sighed heavily, trudging over to his bed and flopping down on it. I leaned back against one of his many pillows, sneaking a glance at his smug expression.

"I'm excited to meet your friends tonight." he commented when the commercial came on, looking over at me. I quirked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Why?"

He smiled his John-smile, showing off his white teeth. "Because I'm interested in how you really act."

I laughed, shaking my head. "And what is that supposed to mean?

"You're all prim and proper around us." he said, mimicking me smoothing down my hair and fixing my shirt. I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm curious to see how you are around them. Everyone is their true self around their friends."

"Damn, so that means this is how you really act?" I teased, astounded. "I was hoping there was more to you."

"Oh there's a lot more to me, Viola Grey." he uttered quietly as a smirk formed on his face. "I'd be glad to show you."

My eyes widened and I blushed, quickly looking away from him and turning my attention to his white comforter beneath me. I could feel him watching me, which only made it harder for me to regain control of my heated face.

"I like that about you." he stated.

"Like what?" I asked, looking up to see him smiling brightly at me.

"The fact that I can always tell how something someone says affects you. Your expressions are so...readable."

I scowled. "That's not a good thing for me, you know."

"But it is a good thing for me." he said, smiling and patting my hand that was sitting in my lap. "I get to see that pretty little blush face of yours multiple times a day."

He got off the bed then and began rummaging in his dresser for something to wear today while I sat stunned, trying to calm my racing pulse.



The Maine spent basically all day in the basement, pumping out more jams that would go on the record. Instead of recording all the drums, then the guitars, then vocals, Brendan was letting the band choose which sections of which songs they would like to record first. Although it was a pretty laid-back recording process, the guys were taking it very seriously. They were currently critiquing Pat on his drumming.

"It just needs more power, you know?" Jared imitated coming down really hard on the cymbals. The other boys agreed and Pat nodded, playing the part over how Jared had suggested.

"Yes!" Kennedy said, clapping his hands. "That's perfect."

Brendan started the recording once more and Pat tore away at his drums for another forty-five seconds before he stopped again. "How was that?"

"Awesome." Brendan commented, playing it back so that the guys could hear it layered on top of the guitars.

"So the last chorus will go 'last night I did things, your mother tells you not to with the people I shouldn't see and the places that I should not go'." John softly crooned the last part along to the melody of the song.

"And you're gonna add in all those cool background harmonies you were talking about, right?" Kennedy asked and John nodded.

"Wow, you guys are absolutely amazing." I said, appalled. They all looked at me curiously, seemingly surprised at my sudden compliment.

"What makes you say that?" Jared asked, chuckling. I shrugged. ""I mean, it's just amazing watching all your ideas come together so seamlessly. I had no idea that this is what recording an album is like."

"Well we've had a couple tries to get it right." Pat commented, smiling and tucking his hair behind his ears. He came and plopped down on the couch beside me, making me bounce up and down on the cushion I was sitting on.

"It's my turn." John said, getting up and going into the booth to put his headphones on.

"We doing Love and Drugs?" Brendan asked, which John nodded to, so he clicked a few buttons to get the track playing in John's headphones. I watched his expression turn calm and he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and clearing his throat. His voice--raw and clear--came though the speakers in the outside room and gave me chills.

Sophisticated mood swings

Manipulated daydreams

We've got champagne taste

But not enough money for the real thing

"He's like in his own world." I said quietly.

"He takes this really seriously." Pat replied. "I know it seems like he's goody and incapable of being serious at times, but our music really means a lot to him.

"Yeah." Jared agreed. "You're getting to see a side of him very few people know about."

"Oh yeah. I definitely believe that."

And I did. I watched the way he was completely at home in the recording booth. It seemed like nothing else mattered to him at that moment but singing the words in a way so that when others listened, they understood how much effort he'd put into it. I noticed the way his jaw clinched when he sang, and how his hair glowed like a halo around his head in the booth's dim lighting. His slight stubble. His white chiclet teeth. The playful gleam in his eyes in contrast with the oh-so-sarcastic smirk that was permanent on his mouth.

I believed that there were so many sides to John O'Callaghan, and I wanted to learn about all of them.



When recording for the day was finally over we had about an hour and a half before our set time to meet the others at the restaurant that Pat had picked out. He'd gushed about the food forever while John finished recording, so I was looking forward to seeing everything that was on the menu.

I hopped out of the shower, quickly pulling tonight's outfit on and starting my hair. I was extremely nervous just thinking about all the ways that tonight could go even though I was trying really hard to stay positive. I'd texted Rose and Callie earlier to fill them in on the detail and they'd let me know that everyone was stoked about tonight--except for Caleb. He'd grudgingly agreed to come after a bit of persuasion from Alex and Joel and still wasn't talking to me. I hadn't heard from him since the night we argued at his apartment.

Of course, I could have tried to text him, but I wasn't really interesting in talking to him at the moment.

After getting dressed, I walked back into John's room to see him standing by my suitcase, wearing my burgundy beanie on top of his head. He turned around when he heard me enter, giving me a sheepish grin. "Um it was on top...so, I just kinda put it on."

"Be my guest." I offered, grinning at him. He kept it on as he rummaged through his dress, pulling out a pair of socks and sitting on the air mattress to put them on.

"Can you drive some of us tonight? We're kind of limited on vehicles around here." he said, and I nodded in response. He pulled on his shoes and we walked downstairs to join Garrett and Kennedy in the kitchen.

"So we're riding with Viola, guys." John said. "Pat's taking Tim's car, and we'll make Jared ride with him."

Garrett nodded eagerly and I raised an eyebrow. "What, you guys don't want to ride with Pat?"

"Nooooooo." Kennedy replied. "Pat's driving is scary. You'll see one day."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I'll just take your word for it."

"Here comes the dangerous driver himself!" John said as Pat came out of his room and joined us in the kitchen. "Where's Jared?"

"He's putting his shoes on. Is everyone ready?"

We all nodded, and Jared shortly joined us in the kitchen. After everyone made sure they had wallets and at least one set of house keys, we headed out to the restaurant.



I was nervous. I couldn't stop thinking which way tonight was going to go. I was so excited for my friends to meet The Maine--especially since they were already fans of their music--but I couldn't tell how they were going to act. I didn't even join in the conversation flowing in the car because my tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of my mouth.

"You look like you're about to throw up." John commented as we parked the car.

"Shut up." I muttered, which only made him laugh. I noticed Callie and Alex's cars parked near the front, which only made the muscles in my stomach tighten harder. They'd already grabbed a table for us inside, and I could see Joel's blonde head bobbing up and down as he told an animated story. John led the group though the doors, letting the hostess know what party we were in before she led us to the big table by the window.

I caught Caleb's gaze immediately, and his expression would have looked mildly calm if it weren't for the tight line that his lips were pressed in to. We took our seats at the table, and somehow I ended up across from Caleb, with John and Callie on either side of me. It was awkwardly quiet for a few moments before I realized I should do introductions since I knew both sides of the party.

"Oh! Um--these are my friends--Joel, Rose, Alex, his girlfriend Callie, and Caleb." They murmured hellos.

"And guys, this is The Maine." I smiled, and each guy nodded as I said his name. "That's Garrett, Kennedy, Jared, Pat and John." They also murmured hellos as the waitress came by to collect drink orders.

"How's work going, Viola?" Alex asked.

"It's great." I said, smiling. "I get up, drive to the studio and spend the day watching the guys make an album. It's unreal."

"Sounds like the life." Joel commented.

"How's the recording process going?" Callie asked as the waitress moved down to our side of the table to take drink orders.

"It's coming along pretty smoothly. Our producer, Brendan--oh, I'd like a sweet tea--" Garrett said to her with a smile before continuing his sentence. "He let's us basically take the reins and record which parts we want to first, and he just helps us on the technical stuff."

"So everything is already written down and finished--you guys just have to record it?" Rose asked.

"Not really." Pat looked up from his menu to smile at her. "Like the other day, John got an idea for a song that's been floating around in the books forever, so we started working on finishing that one and recording it for the album."

"Really?" I asked, turning to look at John. "Which song is that?"

"Uh--" he said nervously, looking up at Pat in an ashamed way. "I'll just have to show it to you one day, I can't really explain it."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

I turned back to the conversation, satisfied, only to see Caleb giving me a dirty look. I lowered my eyes shyly, picking up my menu and pretending to be interested in the pictures of food on it. I'd forgotten for just a few seconds to not show any particular attention to John--and now Caleb was irritated again. I sighed, wishing we could fast forward though this night somehow.

"Look, Viola Grey." John reached over and pointed at a section of the menu. "They have chicken alfredo here!"

"Oh yeah." Pat added, nodding. "It might give yours a run for its money, Viola!"

Rose raised her eyebrows. "You made them chicken alfredo?"

"Viola Grey?" Caleb murmured quietly and I looked at him over the top of my menu. His amber eyes flashed violently and it made my stomach squirm--but definitely not in the good way. I tried to focus on Rose. "Yeah, I made it last night. Everyone really liked it."

"I'm jealous!" Joel exclaimed. "You never cook us food!"

"That's because you'll eat all of it before anyone can get any." Callie said, causing everyone to chuckle.

Caleb wouldn't let it go though. He narrowed his eyes at John, then looked at me. "Why does he call you Viola Grey?"

"Uh-h," I stammered, and John said nothing, only continued to look at his menu. "It's just what John has called me since he found out I have a weird, two-colored name. It kinda stuck, I guess..." I tried to brush it off and pay attention to the conversation Rose was having with Pat and Jared but my efforts were futile.

"That's cute." Callie said, smiling and Caleb turned his deathly stare on her. "What?"

"Your name is kinda funny now that you mention it." Joel teased.

"Yeah." Caleb replied icily. "Hilarious."

I flinched at his tone and John stiffened in his chair beside me. I looked on the other side of the table at Rose with pleading eyes, begging her to save me from the situation I was suddenly thrown in. She nodded, calling the waitress over to her quickly and starting the ordering process. John bumped his knee with mine lightly under the table and then moved it away. I looked at him and he gave me an apologetic smile, as if he now understood what was going on.

Caleb seemed satisfied now that he had established some sort of dominance over John, and was politely telling the waitress his order in a calm tone. I, on the other hand, was absolutely and completely miserable.