Broken Connection

Mike: Are you hungover? ;)
Maya: How the fuck do you know?

Maya’s POV

Someone was shining with a very bright flashlight into my eyes. The light creeped through my closed eyelids and it hurt my brain. I tried swatting it away with my hand, but I didn’t hit anything.
I tried to open my eyes, but the light hurt too much. “Go away.” I groaned, but the sound of my own voice was louder than I expected and it made my headache worse.
I put a hand before my eyes and slowly opened them. I peeked through my fingers, seeing that there was no one in my room, but that the light I was seeing was just the soft light of the upcoming sun, shining through the cracks of my curtain. But the sun seemed brighter to my eyes than it actually was.
Fuck, I was hungover. Ugh. I must’ve been really drunk last night. I’m not particularly a lightweight anymore, so it takes a lot to get me drunk. Let along hungover drunk.
I swung my legs over the bed and stood up with my eyes still closed. Completely on touch I got to the curtains and closed them a little bit more. When the last ray of sunshine, disappeared I dared to open my eyes. The dim light was still a little bit bright to my eyes and my head felt like someone was trying to bash it in with a stone.
I groaned and took my phone from the night stand. When I put it on, I saw that I had a message from Mike. I answered it and sat back down on my bed. How the fuck did he know that I was drunk last night? I searched my mind for what had happened. The last thing I remember was picking up Naira from the airport.
Oh wait...I went to a bar with Naira. And then everything came back. I remembered drinking my weight in cocktails with Naira and then driving home... I drove back home while I was drunk.
I slapped myself on the forehead. But let out a soft scream at the pain that followed. Seriously I was so stupid.
Then the rest came back. We came home and Vic, Jaime, Tony and Mike were there. Why were they there? I vaguely remembered Mike saying that they were worried because my texts were really vague. They were intentionally vague, though. I first wanted to spend time with Naira myself before I would introduce them to my crazy fucking friends. I guess that didn’t work out as planned.
And then Naira tripped over something....and Jaime caught her and helped her to stand up. And then he helped her to her room.
I felt a bit of jealousy. No I didn’t. I didn’t feel anything for Jaime. He was just my friend...a really hot friend...No stop it, Maya!
I stumbled over to the bathroom and took some aspirin from a shelve. I swallowed it and got downstairs. I needed coffee...and I needed it now.
I looked around, but didn’t see Naira. She was either still asleep or too hungover to come out of bed. Or dead. I guess that could be a possibility too. Nah, she was a big girl, she could handle a few drinks.
While the coffee machine was preparing my coffee, I took a packet of cigarettes from a cupboard and put them in the pocket of my pyjama pants. I took my cup of coffee and then walked in the direction of my garden.
I opened the glass doors that lead to the garden and stepped outside. It wasn’t very big, but it was perfect for me. It was mainly just grass and little daisies and other flowers rose up from it. I had a small wooden bench placed against the wall of my house. I sat down on it and put my coffee cup down on the low table that stood across from the bench. I could now stand the light of the sun, because the aspirin was starting to kick in.
I took out the box of cigarettes and a lighter out of my pocket and I lighted up a cigarette. I usually didn’t really smoke. Not regularly at least. I just smoked when I had a hangover, because it helped to ease the headache. Oh, and sometimes at parties. And I had found out that smoking reduces your appetite so sometimes I would smoke a cigarette when I was on my diet.
My point is, I’m not a chain smoker. I would do at least two weeks with a package while Mike, for an example, only lasted one day with a package.
I was broken out of my thoughts by someone clearing their throat behind me. I turned my head and saw Naira stand in the opening of the door. Her white hair was messy and she had bags under her eyes. She also looked a little pale. She just looked way worse than me. That wasn’t weird, she drunk way less often than I did.
I grinned. “Good morning, sunshine.” I said sarcastically and took a drag of my cigarette.
She groaned and made a disgusted face when I blowed out the smoke. “Normally I would put up with the smell of a cigarette, but I really can’t handle that right now.” She said and I chuckled. “So I’m going inside, okay? Shall I make breakfast?”
I looked away from her and tapped a bit off the ash from my cigarette. “I already had breakfast. Bread is in the cupboard above the sink.” I said and in the corner of my eyes I saw her nod before she went back inside. Actually I hadn’t eaten yet, but I didn’t have any appetite left anyway when I had finished this cigarette.
A few seconds after Naira went back inside, my phone vibrated inside my pocket. I groaned and took out my phone with my left hand. I looked at the screen and saw that it was James, my boss.
I answered it. “Hello?” I said, my voice cracking a little.
“You need to come in today. We have a few problems with the sound check of a band.” He said.
“Can’t you ask anyone else? It’s sunday. I don’t work on sunday’s, remember?” I said as I put out my cigarette in the ashtray.
“Well, you’re going to have to. I don’t think you can afford to lose this job, can you?” He said and his tone annoyed me. I wish I still had my cigarette so I could put it out on his face.
But he was right. I needed this job. This stupid fucking job. Besides, I had taken an evening off yesterday to pick up Naira, so I needed to make up for the money I didn’t make yesterday. “Alright, I’m on my way.” I said as I stood up from the bench and walked inside.
I saw Naira sitting on the couch with a slice of toast in her mouth. “I’m really sorry. But I need to go to work. My retarded boss wants me to help there.” I said rolling my eyes.
She swallowed a piece of breath. “It’s okay. I’ll find a way to entertain myself.” She said.
I smiled at her before I shambled up the stairs and to my room. I took the first thing I saw out of my closet and put it on. Which consisted of a white shirt, skinny jeans and a random necklace. Somehow it all fitted together. I wrapped my hair into a ponytail and didn’t even bothered to do my make-up or to take a shower. I wasn’t in the mood.
When I got back downstairs, I saw Naira clean her plate in the sink. “Maya, do you remember anything from last night from after the terrifying drive home?” She asked me without looking up from her plate.
I grinned. I knew my driving skills terrified her even when I was sober. “We got back home. My friends were here. One of them helped you to bed.” I said. And then something hit me. If Jaime brought her to bed, then he must’ve helped her change clothes too…
“Oh yeah, fuck. I remember that.” She said and she groaned a little. “Gosh, we were so drunk. Are you okay, Maya? You look a little pale.” She had put the plate back in the cupboard and looked at me with a worried face.
I quickly put up a convincing happy face. “Yeah, of course I am. Still a little hungover. That’s all.” I said.
She smiled back and I saw she believed me. “Okay. I’m also really hungover. But those guys, were they the guys from that band?”
I chuckled. “Pierce the Veil. Yes they are. I guess you met my friends in a very unusual way.” I said.
“Mmm...You might need to introduce me to them again. I don’t think I made a good impression on them the first time.” She said. “How did they even get in the house?”
“I always leave a spare key underneath my doormat. They have been here a lot so they know.” I said chuckling and glanced at the clock. “but I need to go now, Naira. Otherwise my boss will kill me.” I said.
“Yeah, good luck with that!” She said and she gave me a quick hug.
Half an hour later I arrived at the concert venue I worked at. It might seem fun, working at a concert venue, but it really wasn’t as nice as it seemed. At least not for me.
Yes, I got to meet musicians and that was pretty cool, but I was a personal assistant, so practically all I did was getting coffee for everyone and vacuuming places. It was a little bit below my level, considering I had a major in psychology, but I started working here as a part-time job in my college years and I just never left. Mainly because I didn’t really know what I actually wanted to do with my life.
The arrogant head of my boss came into view as I opened the door to his office. He looked up from his paperwork as he saw me coming in. “Hello Maya, are you hungover? Not that smart, huh?” He said and he looked back at his desk.
I rolled my eyes. Wow, good to know I look like shit. Although, I kind of always looked like shit. “Well, I wasn’t aware that I had to work today. If I did, I wouldn’t have drank anything.” I said through my teeth.
“Well, if I was aware you spend your evenings off drinking until you pass out, I wouldn’t have given you time off at all.” He said and he signed one of his papers. “One more step out of line and you’re out, Maya. Do you understand?” He asked and I nodded. “Good, now get me a cup of coffee. A little more sugar than yesterday, please.”
The rest of the day consisted of getting coffee for my boss and the band that would perform tonight. It was a small band from LA, I didn’t really know them. Sometimes we actually had big names performing here, of all genres. Pop, jazz, metal, punk, country, you name it and we got it.
It was actually how I met Pierce the Veil. I had been excited to meet them for a while, as I had heard their music before and actually liked it a lot. I let my memory go back to the day I had met them more than two years ago.

*

I was fast-walking through the corridors of the venue, with a box of amplifier parts. I had to bring it to the side stage as quick as I could, because the band I had wanting to see for weeks was now doing a soundcheck and there was something wrong with one of the amplifiers so of course everyone looked at me to run things around.
I hadn’t even seen them yet. They had been here for a few hours already, but James managed to keep me busy all those hours. It was like he knew that I wanted to see this band, so he kept throwing demands at me. Normally I was always able to catch up with the musicians here, or at least see a glimpse of them. But exactly when a band I liked performed here, I was busy as fuck.
Of course I didn’t believe they would want to hang out with me or something like I had said to Naira on Whatsapp, but I would at least want to see them play.
I got at the side stage and put down the box of parts in front of one of the technical workers here. “You’re a bit late, Maya. They’re almost done sound checking. We have to make a good impression on bands like this, so they’ll come back here in the future.” He said and shot me a pitiful smile. At least I had some decent co-workers. This one was called Nick
He was balding and somewhere in his forties. His buff arms were covered in colorful tattoos.
I dragged my hand through my hair and allowed myself to breath for the first time in a while. “I’m sorry, Nick. James has just been under my skin the entire day. I had a to-do list that reached until fucking Hawaii.” I said and he chuckled.
“I know he can be annoying sometimes. Look at the bright side, at least you can have a moment for yourself now.” He said as he plugged in some wires.
I sighed. “Ugh. I fucking wish. I still have so much to do. I just hope I’m able to see them perform tonight. I heard they are pretty good.” I said and I tried to take a glimpse between the curtains, but wasn’t able to see anything.
“From what I’ve heard in this soundcheck, they seem alright.” He said as he looked up from his work. “Well, get your pretty ass to work, Maya. Before James kills you.”
I nodded a little disappointed and made my way back to James’ office. On my way, I suddenly saw something lay on the floor. I walked back and squatted down to see it. It was an amplifier part. It must’ve fallen out of the box on the way to the stage.
I picked it up and started to make my way back to the stage. I knew from my own experience that it was actually a crucial part. They would need it.
As I reached the side stage again, someone came off stage at that exact moment. I wasn’t expecting it at all. “Hey Nick, I found a-” I said before I bumping up to someone.
I let out a short scream and the part fell out of my hand. The person I bumped up to squatted down to get it for me. When he got back up, our eyes met.
It was a guy, a little taller than me. He had spiky hair, beautiful brown eyes and a hot smirk on his face. He wore a black shirt that revealed his muscular arms, one of them covered in a sleeve of tattoos.
I recognized him immediately. He was the bassist of Pierce the Veil. I had forgotten his name, though. “I believe you dropped this.” He said, with a warm, low voice.
I had lost my ability to move, because I was bit starstruck, but also just by the overall hotness of this guy. Which was weird, because I’m quite a good flirter normally.
Eventually I managed to take the part from him and shakingly answer: “Thank you." I managed to get my eyes off him.
“Hey Jaime, I hope the amplifiers do it tonight, because this sounded like- oh, Jaime is talking to a pretty lady.” Someone said behind him. I looked over his shoulder to see a small guy with a snapback and a taller guy with a medusa piercing look over at me. The smaller guy had spoken and he had spoken the last words to the guy with the piercing.
I blushed as the guys were staring at me and a fourth guy with gauges and long hair joined to see what was happening. Of course I knew who they were too. “Oh, don’t mind me. I was just bringing the amplifier parts.” I said a bit more confident than first and I stepped back a bit, so the first guy wouldn’t stand so close to me anymore.
“Aren’t you a little late with that?” The gauge guy said grinning.
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over each other. “Believe me, I know. You aren’t the first one pointing that out.” I said and I glared over to Nick.
He raised his arms in defense and chuckled.
“But that means you are the reason why our soundcheck didn’t go well. You know what that means, right? You have to get us a beer to make it up.” The guy with the medusa piercing said and he winked at me. I saw now that his arms and neck were covered in tattoos.
“Are we getting cocky, Mr. drummer?” I said enjoying the teasingly conversation.
“How do you know I’m the drummer. You didn’t see us perform, right?” He said and he raised an eyebrow.
“She listens to our music.” The small guy said grinning.
“Yes, I do.” I said letting my arms down. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to get you beer. It’s not like I’m the one bringing things around here for people. Oh, wait…”
They all chuckled. “What if you got a drink for yourself too?” The spiky hair guy said. “Then you can drink it with us. We like meeting new people.”
I opened my mouth and closed it again. Was he flirting with me? No, he was just being friendly to me. To be honest, he was really difficult to read anyway. Normally I looked through people immediately. “My break is in half an hour.” I said and smile growing on my face as I looked at the guy. “I’ll bring five beers with me.”
“Wait, five? You drink beer too? Yeah, you were right inviting this girl, Jaime. She’s fun!” The drummer said and he slapped the bassist on his shoulder.
Half an hour later I had met up with them. I actually got along very well with every one of them and we had a great time. They really had my kind of humor.
We had exchanged phone numbers and a few weeks later, the lead singer, Vic, had messaged me if I wanted to hang out with them again. I didn’t really understand why they would want that, but agreed anyway and now, almost three years later, these guys were my best friends.
They regularly broke into my house and even came to me with girl problems and stuff. Not only did I have experience with girls, I was also quite good at giving advice because of my psychology background.
I shook out of my thoughts, back to the present and finished the cup of coffee I was making. That’s what happens when you have a boring job like mine, you drift off in thought.

*

A few hours later I opened the door of my house, only to see the same four guys sitting on my couch, with a rather uncomfortable looking Naira sitting in between Jaime and Vic.
I rolled my eyes as I put down my bag on the diner table. “Jesus guys, are you obsessed with me or something? You keep breaking in into my house..” I said teasingly as I walked towards the couches my five best friends were sitting.
“You don’t understand what it’s like to be without your sparkling personality when we are on tour.” Vic said sarcastic and he took a sip of the glass of coke he had. “And by the way, we didn’t break in this time. Naira let us in.” He pointed with his thumb to Naira.
I squeezed myself in between Mike and Tony. They made place for me so I was able to.
“Yeah, we were getting to know Naira a little better.” Jaime said and he placed his arm on the back of the couch, so it was like he had his arm around her shoulder. “Right Naira?” He said looking at her. Naira looked back a little uncomfortable with his action. She looked towards me when she answered. “Yeah…” she said a little confused.
I could see by her body language that she didn’t really feel at place in this situation. Which was kind of unlike Naira, as she wasn’t really a shy girl. I guess it was just the fact that she was meeting new people and I guess I would be kind of confused too if I had met the kind of outgoing guys of Pierce the Veil like this.
“Stop it, guys. You’re scaring her” I said smiling at her, to reassure her. “Don’t mind them, Naira. Their bark is way worse than their bite. They look and act all tough, but they’re actually big pussies.”
Naira chuckled and all four of the guys immediately started to defend themselves. “No, we aren’t!” I heard a few times as they were all talking through each other.
“Oh, please.” I said silencing them. “All of you guys are drunk of two beers.”
“I can’t help it that I’m getting a little older.” Vic mumbled softly, but I heard what he said and chuckled.
“And you can’t really speak, by the way!” Tony said. “We weren’t the one that came home almost passing out yesterday.”
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in the couch. “Well, I had drunk a lot more than two beers.” I said. “I don’t really understand why you guys were here anyway. I’m a big girl, you know. You don’t have to check up on me.”
Jaime shrugged. “We were also bored and kind of curious about that girl you have been talking about for ages.” He said. he looked towards Naira, his arm slowly sliding closer to her shoulder. “I must say you do the expectations justice.”
Fuck. He was flirting with her. I was already expecting it when he had put his arm behind her, but I just kind of hoped it wouldn’t be what I thought. But he was flirting with her. The comment might've seemed harmless, but the tone in his voice and the spark in his eyes made it clear. He was attracted to her. His body language was screaming it. I didn’t need to use my psychological knowledge to notice it.
Naira tried to change his words, though. Which showed she wasn’t interested. “Well, I guess Maya must’ve been telling you a lot of shit about me then if you’re expectations of me are that low. I haven’t even said a lot yet.” She said and she moved a little closer to the edge of the couch so Jaime’s hand wouldn’t rest on her shoulder.
The hurt expression on his face made me a little mad at Naira. I couldn’t help but think, that if he would’ve flirted with me, I wouldn't have declined. But he just didn’t like me that way. And he would never like me that way, simply because he saw me as one of the guys. I was completely friend zoned. And for some reason that hurt like shit.
I let out a small scoff, that luckily for me, no one heard except for me. At least I thought so. When I looked to my left I saw Mike shoot me a confused look. I smiled at him, acting like nothing happened. He didn’t need to think that I actually had feelings for Jaime. Because I didn’t. I was just a little bit confused. That’s all.