I stared out the window at the passing fields and woods as the car drove. The clouds were dark and ominous and I knew they couldn't do us much good.
"It's going to rain," I said to myself loudly.
"Think the roof leaks?" My best friend Hanna said teasingly from the driver's seat.
"I am actually going to kill you."
She laughed.
The car was warm though it looked cold outside. The old leather seats were cracked and warn down, but it just made it even more comfortable. The ceiling was covered in patches of duck tape from many different Loki helmets, accidental fires, and just old age. The radio didn't work but PJ found a way to hook up my iPod, which was the source of most of the music in the car. There were old copies of books in the car for just in case purposes and twinkling fairy lights stuck around the ceiling's edge. We called the old light blue Volvo Draco because 1- she reminded me of a dragon when she would break down and breath out smoke (which used to happen a lot), and 2- because it was funny to say "Lets ride Draco". I'd had it for three years now- ever since I came to Europe. I hardly used it in France unless I didn't feel like taking the train to London. I got to gigs with her. I loved her. Boxes and bags were stacked up and crammed in the back. My whole life as an independent "adult" and even some from before was jammed into those damn boxes. It made me sick.
My over sized red sweater I sorta kinda stole from Chris normally kept me comfy, but today I just felt nervous.
"Dude, it's going to be awesome out there. I wish I could move with you!" Hanna whined for the hundredth time.
"You just want to accidentally walk in on one of the boys changing," I grinned. "And leaving you out there is the scariest part of all of this. You are going to get yourself killed. Thank god Megan's somewhat restricting. You'll calm down on the parties, right?"
"Oh my god Devin, yes. You may be a strong female figure in my life, but you aren't my mother you know," she joked. "Plus, Megan's always out with her stupid boyfriend and she's the one with the car, so I can't do much without one."
"Oh your life is so hard in the heart of London after living a whole year in Paris. I'm so sorry." My voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh boohoo, whore," she playfully threw a thin book at me, keeping her eyes on the road. "Why don't you film or something. It'll cheer you up."
I sighed and took her advice. I reached down and pulled out my video camera, setting it up and turning it on. I turned it towards me.
"Hello, people. We are currently driving to the house and- oh god I look awful," I laughed as I looked at myself in the camera view. My long curly brown hair was frizzy with loose ends flying all over the place. The baggy sweater plus the position I was crumpled in made me look 300 pounds bigger. The lighting made me look like a ghost- I was already pale enough. "I apologize if I break the camera with my looks today, guys. Anyway, we're just driving. And we're… how close are we Hanna?"
I flipped the camera over to her. "We're about 15 minuets away," She smiled to the camera. I brought it back to me.
"Yeah, about 15 minuets and so far I'm loving the neighborhood," I turned the camera to the window and showed it the gloomy nothingness that was the "neighborhood". "I think I'll really love the neighbors."
"So are you excited?" Hanna asked.
"Well, I mean I'm not not excited, cause I am pretty excited to finally be moving into a place not only with my very own room-"
"You suggested we share rooms to save money, remember?" Hanna interrupted.
"-but I finally get to move in with some of my best friends in the whole wide world."
"Hey!" She swatted me.
"I said some! There's still Charlie and Alex and Megan and you-"
"I SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST!"
"And one of the reason's I'm a bit nervous is that I'm leaving those other friends and the house is so damn far away from the city and all of them."
"Devin it's like a hour and a half drive. Maybe two." Hanna added, "That isn't impossible- and look we just passed another house!"
"Oh great," I said with fake joy. "So when we get murdered out here they'll maybe be able to hear us scream!"
"Oh my god Devin."
"And another reason is that I haven't exactly seen the house? I saw some pictures from when Dan and Phil saw it- Dan picked it cause he's the cult leader- and they were kinda blurry and stuff but you guys asked for something like it! So I'm not entirely sure what to expect…"
Ten minuets later, we turned a corner.
Hanna looked at the map. "And it says it should be like right here ish annnnnnnd THERE IT IS!"
I craned my neck to see the house. It was too far for my eyes. We pulled up in the big gravel driveway where no other cars were parked. Hanna jumped out of Draco and I slowly crawled out her door.
The house was simply put big old and kinda creepy. It was a tall house with minnie towers and black-shackled roofs. It was like an old Victorian home but bigger than most. The house was painted a faded dark yellow. I showed the camera.
"I am going to die out here."
"No you're not," Hanna said, "Not with the boys to protect you," she teased.
"Oh please- you have no idea. So, " I said to the camera, "Hanna's first thoughts?"
"Well… it could be worse." The wind blew her wavy blonde hair out of her face and surprised her.
I laughed. "My first thoughts… I'm going to murder Dan. But it'll defiantly be good for our videos. Well… maybe not Chris's, but the rest of us… god I hope there's good wifi."
Another car- a red truck- pulled in across the driveway from us. A tall skinny man with bright green eyes and curly dark hair jumped out. He wore teal skinny jeans, converse sneakers, and a gray wooly Sherlock-esc coat. I immediately lit up when I saw him.
"PJ!" I yelled.
"Devin!" He called back.
We ran across the long yard/driveway thing to each other. I threw myself into his arms and he lifted me off the ground and spun me around. I hadn't seen him in three weeks, which was big for us as best friends. He was finishing up collage just as we decided to move here and he had been testing, so I couldn't see him. None of us could, he wouldn't allow it. Not even Chris, who he had known for ages. He put me down and I smiled.
"How did your tests go?" I asked.
"Passed every last one of them!" He yelled with his adorable accent.
I cheered. "Yay for studying! And now you have NO MORE COLLEDGE EVER!"
He cheered. "Now I can live my life here with you guys in our castle!" He turned and looked at it for the first time. "Oh god never mind this isn't a castle…"
"It could be," his friend Jason who drove him there walked up to us. "It's a real fixer upper, but you guys can do it."
"God I hope so." My American accent sounded weird and ugly mixed with their British ones.
Hanna ran up to us. "Guys I feel left out."
I laughed and put my arm around her. "You're never left out Hanna." I turned the camera back on and looked to PJ. "PJ IS HERE! Say hi Peej!"
He waved and smiled. "Hello internauts! I'm actually alive despite the lack of filming and tumbling and watching I've been doing. And my first thoughts on the house because I know you're going to ask me is that she's defiantly a fixer upper, but we can do it."
"Nothing's impossible. I mean if a giant monkey can climb the empire state building and have a woman fall in love with him than you guys can do this," Jason said deadpan.
"I hate to break it to you Jason, but King Kong is fake," I said.
"WHAT!? No!"
"Yes!" I said apologetically.
He scoffed. "Well then good luck with this crummy house. "
PJ snapped his fingers. "I should be filming too. Okay I'm going to get my camera from your truck, give me the keys." Just as he came back with it and began to film, it started to rain.
"Shoot! Not the bloody rain!" I cursed. "Hanna grab a box or two and run inside, I'll follow you."
We pulled boxes out of the car and ran to the house, pulling a key out of PJ's back pocket and rushing inside.
Inside was dark and dusty. Hanna hit the lights and they all shot on at once revealing a big flight of stairs right in front of us. To our left was an arch leading to one room and to the right was a huge spacious empty room that led off into other rooms. PJ said that Phil said the bedrooms were right upstairs, so that's where we went.
The stairs ended right in the middle of the second floor. On the left of the stairs there were two doors leading to two bedrooms and on the right were three doors doing the same. After the rooms on each side there were openings leading to nice big offices- on having a thin flight of stairs leading up. Windows and bathrooms were randomly placed all over the walls showing us the rain falling down from the dark sky. We decided we'd pull all our stuff up here first and then run around to pick our rooms before Chris, Phil, and Dan arrived. We rushed up and down the stairs to pull up all our things from the rain (PJ's was in the back of an open truck and my roof leaked). We made surprisingly good time and did it all before Chris and Phan arrived. All the boxes and bags were strewn across the floor.
"Okay, I'll start with theses two and you start with those three and we'll pick our rooms," PJ decided.
"What if you pick the same room?" Jason asked.
"Rock Paper Scissors," Peej and I replied simultaneously.
So I went into each of the right rooms while PJ went into the left and Jason and Hanna talked on the floor outside. I filmed as I looked. The first I went into was a huge empty room with three huge windows revealing the forests around us. There was a door leading to what I thought would be a closet or bathroom, but it just lead straight into the next room. The next room was completely identical to the other one. I'm sure Phan will want these, I thought. The next room was much smaller. It had two thin but long windows showing the woods.
From the third small room I heard a loud "FIVE STARS!" coming from across the hall. I smiled and shook my head, knowing PJ was rating a bathroom. I walked out.
"Alright, ready to switch?"
He ran past me like a little kid into the other rooms and I laughed and skipped into the left ones.
The first room I saw- across from the big rooms- was a small but big enough room. It had one big window with a balcony overlooking the side yard below. The last one I went into was perfect. It was small and cozy but big enough for all my things. There was big long-ish window a bit higher up and a door on the wall next to the one with the window. I opened it and saw what PJ was rating. It was a nice bathroom with a huge shower that included a small window and a seat. I had found my room.
"FOUND IT PEEJ!" I called as I walked out of my new room.
"I FOUND MINE TOO!" He walked out of the small room right across from mine.
Hanna got up and helped me put the boxes inside the room. However, we would have to wait for furniture.
"PJ, where's the moving truck?" I asked.
"Dan and Phil said they'd bring it," He sighed.
"And Chris?" I asked. PJ's phone rang.
"That would be him- Hello?" he said into the phone. "Yeah we've been here for like an hour. We got our rooms and everything- no not offices yet… Devin and I of course… yes she always is. What? Oh shut it-" He slowly blushed and glanced up at me, shaking his head. "No… well hurry up!" And he hung up the phone. "He's almost here, he decided to get pizza for us to eat tonight before leaving the city. He'll be here soon though."
A car horn honked outside. "AYE, LADIES I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY, WHERE ARE YOU?" He yelled in his hilarious Enrique voice. I grinned and raced PJ down the stairs. I made it down first but he pulled me back and threw me over. I leaped forward and pulled his leg, causing him to fall. He slowly crawled up and I leaped on his back as we ran out together to see Chris.
He was leaning on the hood of his old shitty car, hood over his head and wind blowing threw his hair. His glasses sat atop his nose and he had a heavy coat on over a sweat. His hands were in the coat pocket.
"There you saps are, I haven't got all day! I need help with these things! Of course it's raining," He mumbled and turned away.
I ran forward and kicked his foot away from him, causing him to lose his balance and almost fall. He looked back at me like I was crazy as I shoved my camera in his face.
"Tryin' to kill me?" He asked. "No paparazzi, please, no, I'm not sleeping with PJ for the last time, we do more than that-" he pushed my camera away from his face.
I just hugged him and he hugged me back. He was the first of the Fantastic Foursome I had ever watched back before I moved to Europe and I was just a fan. They all inspired me to make videos, but he made me laugh so hard I peed.
PJ jumped forward. "Haven't seen you in ages, mate."
"And how did our test go?" Chris asked.
PJ was silent and looked at the floor. "Well… I mean… I really thought I'd pass them if I studied, but-"
"You past the stupid tests right?" He smiled.
PJ couldn't help it and nodded his head happily.
Chris practically leaped up. "HE'S FREE FROM PRISON, LADIES AND GENTELMEN! NEVER AGAIN WILL HE BE FORCED TO GO TO SCHOOL! NOW WE CAN MESS ABOUT ALL WE WANT! Now help me with my things."
So we walked to the back of his shit car, grabbed some boxes, and lugged them upstairs.
He chose to room next to mine because he thought the balcony would be perfect for a gag he was thinking of doing in a skit for a video. A few trips in the trucks with all our furniture arrived.
Hanna shied away from Phil and Dan (she was a huge fan), but she did politely say hello. She never left my side. I hugged the both of them happily and went to meet the movers. There were two giant trucks- I had no idea we had so much shit. One of them was filled with mostly all our bedroom furniture, so we told them to bring that one up first. They slowly lugged all the furniture up the stairs and threw it into the room randomly. Hanna and I tried to help with what I could but most of the stuff was way too much for me. It took forever to get the second floor filled up, let alone the whole house in general. Dan told us that tomorrow we would decide on offices and which rooms were which and all of that. We thanked the tired and somewhat annoyed movers and they left with a nice tip. That was when Hanna decided she had to go. She wished me luck and hugged me and I begged her to be good and she promised that she would be and she finally pulled away in Jason's pick up truck. She was my best friend. I had never lived without her after high school. It was a sad goodbye, but I had the guys to make it better.
I spent the rest of the day organizing.
I set up my camera in a spot that would catch the whole thing and recorded the full million hours it took to make my room. I pushed my bed up against the wall with the windows and hung up small orange curtains to that I could easily shut or open them if I wanted to. Then I pushed my two big tall book shelves up against the wall cutting off Chris' room from mine leaving space in between where I put a bean bag chair and a big comfy lounge seat with a lamp in the middle. I threw a nice plush round carpet down in the middle of the floor. On the opposite wall from the bookshelves next to the bathroom door I put my smaller desk and spinney chair. There was a small thin shelf above my bed's head where I put my favorite books. I put my drawers and closet next to the walk in door. I quickly filled my bookshelves up to the brim and was forced to make three tall stacks of books in different parts of the room. I put my clothes away, made my bed, and added the small details to the room (charger place, pencil holders, pictures, guitar, stuffed animals, welcome sign, coat hook, etc.). There was one thing I still needed to add. My Wall of Stuff.
I took out all of my many pictures from a box and nicely taped them up in between the bookshelves above the reading chairs. It took the majority of the time I spent making up my room, but it eventually got done. I stacked up the rest of my full boxes right outside my door along with the stray furniture. I then decided to go check on the boys.
My first stop was Phil, who I hadn't really talked to very much since he arrived at the house.
"Knock knock?" I said holding my filming camera.
"Coming! Hang- ow!" There was a crash. "Oh god, um, ahh… just come in!" he called threw the door
I peeked inside. "Can I film?"
"Be my guest!"
So I walked inside with my camera recording. He had tripped over what seemed to once be a huge mountain of empty boxes piled up in the middle of the room. I laughed.
"Why were those even there?" I helped him up.
"Well, at first I didn't mean to put them there but it just kinda happened and I didn't stop it."
I looked around his room. He had a simple black bookshelf next to the open door where I came from. He hung a bulletin board covered in pictures on the wall leading into Dan's room with a small desk underneath. A big calendar with a cat hung up there too. On the wall across from it was his giant king-sized bed and a post next to it. The walk in closet was full and open. Everything was mostly still in boxes.
"You need help with anything?" I asked.
"Um, actually would you mind making my bed with the mattress and sheets and all? It's in that box over there."
"Of course," I put the camera down and started making the bed.
It was a quick job and that was all he really needed. However I helped organized his CD collection and hang a few pictures he wanted on the wall while he did other stuff. When I had nothing else to do I sat on the bed and watched him work.
"So, what do you think of our little, er, predicament?" I asked.
"Predicament?" He asked smiling. "Well I'm rather happy. I mean, sure the house isn't fabulous, but you guys are my best friends in the whole wide world. It was great with just Dan, but now we're all here, ya know? Lots of all nighters with video games and films I suspect."
I laughed. "Oh god I can't wait!"
"Cuddle puddles as well! Well, actually those are things used in sex rehab but, um… well we'll cuddle."
I laughed at him. "Oh god you are so absolutely adorable, Phil."
"I'm not the only one in this house that you think is adorable…" he mumbled to himself.'
I cocked my head and looked at him. "What?" I asked. "What the hell does that mean?"
"Oh, um, er, nothing! I mean, well we think- well I mean, I think t-that you, um, well don't you think Pj…" He saw the look I was giving him, "h-h-has a cute little adorable, um, stuffed… Pokémon? Yeah? I think Dan needs help in his room maybe you should help him."
Slowly, I stood up and grabbed my camera, hardly taking an eye off of him. "I've got my eye on you, Lester."
I walked through the side door leading to Dan's room. He hadn't gotten much done. Full boxes were stacked high and furniture was left right where the movers had placed it. His bed was mostly pushed to the side of the wall- still unmade. He had began to unpack and organize his clothes but I guess he gave up on that one, for he was sitting in the center with wooden pieces to a bookshelf thrown about and tools lying on the floor. He angrily threw two pieces of wood was screwing together on the floor in frustration.
"God fucking dammit! Shit balls, stupid cunts, I hate everything…" he mumbled swears to himself.
"You alright?" I asked in the way Chris would.
Dan looked up and smiled. "Hey! Sorry this piece of shit is driving me insane. Wanna help?"
I sat down cross-legged and tried to help him screw pieces together. The process required lots of hard work, focus, pain, and apparently swearing. We hadn't even gotten halfway through when Dan just stood up and pushed it to the corner of a room.
"That's it! I'm done, no more. No more of this cock-sucking bitch, I'm done. Ill get pj to do it or something."
"Yeah, speaking of PJ," I looked up at him. "Is Phil convinced that I like him or something?"
"Oh, well yeah we pretty much all are. We know you two are fucking, it isn't hard to tell. I mean I know when people are fucking, all right; I'm an expert on that shit. I knew when Alex and Carrie were fucking, when Charlie and Bryarly were fucking, when you and Charlie were fucking, when random people at parties were fucking- I should make a video on this-" he rambled on, "but anyway, you can just tell that you two are mad for each other. And the fact that you try to keep it secret drives people nuts- the fans, us, your family-"
"Waitwaitwait," I stopped him. "We aren't fucking. We never have. Like ever. I think I touched his butt once when we had all had a bit too much to drink but that's as far as it's ever gotten. He does have a fantastic butt, by the way."
"Wait- you two aren't fucking?" he asked. I shook my head. "Well shit. Why aren't you then? For Christ's sake get on with it. I even think Chris would be fine with it and he's Peej's best friend. I mean have you read the fan fiction? Have you seen the fan art? That shit's more intense than Johnlock!"
I rolled my eyes and stood. "I have no intention of looking that shit up. Or fucking anyone. Well, besides like Tom Hiddleston and Robert Downey Jr or anyone like that."
He gave me a look. "Sure," he said sarcastically, "okay."
I stood up and walked out. I knew Chris wouldn't say anything, so I decided to go there. Sure, he makes crude jokes about that stuff and he isn't afraid to talk about it, but he didn't really like to talk about it. He didn't want to be so in depth with that stuff for whatever reason. Like I remembered back when Charlie and I were fucking- er, dating, he would make the occasional joke, but he wouldn't ask us about it or anything. He treated us just as he had before and acted like we weren't even dating. When we broke up, he was the person I'd go to when I wanted to pretend nothing had happened, like I hadn't fallen in love with the Charlie I did way back in the first place. So I crossed the hall to see his progress.
He hadn't done any work. At all. Literally. All of his boxes were in the big pile we had put them in when PJ and I helped him with tem. His furniture was just sitting there, left exactly as before. He hadn't touched anything. He was sitting on some of the boxes in the center playing on his DS.
"You all right?" he asked without looking up.
"Fine, thanks."
"Well come on in then, don't just stand there," he said as he leaned his whole body far to the right with his game.
I walked over and sat on some boxes next to him. He was playing as Toad in Mario Kart. He fell off the rainbow bridge, putting him back in 6th place.
"Should have gone with Yoshi, he's got better carts. Less drift," I said watching him play.
"I don't need no special cart to kick ass, I already have swag!" He joked exaggeratedly as he leaned left to get a box.
I laughed. "Okay. Sure. Baby Peach isn't to bad either, but her speed can be off."
After a few more minuets, the game was over and Chris came in last.
"Damn game," he said as he started over.
"Maybe if you chose Yoshi-"
"Maybe if you'd shut the fuck up…" but he chose Yoshi anyway.
We took turns playing the game. I normally came in the top three. He normally came in the bottom.
"Maybe this time you should try Warrio, Peej likes Warrio."
"Oh I net you know what Peej likes," Chris joked to himself.
I gave him a look that he could sense and he stopped grinning.
"Just saying." He added, eyes glued to the game.
"Who says I even like PJ like that anyway?"
He scoffed. Chris noticed things about people. Of course he noticed my feelings I tried to fight.
"Oh fair enough, but who ever said he liked me?"
He paused the game and actually looked at me for the first time. "You're joking."
"No, I'm Devin, nice to meet you!"
He ignored the corny joke and continued on. "He's like head over heels for you. He has been since we met you at that concert when you first moved here. You can't tell? I mean the boy makes you cards every valentines day for god's sake."
"Well why hasn't he ever said anything then?"
"Normally he would. But see when we first met you he didn't know you that well, and when he did there was Charlie, and now were all just too good friends. He's afraid of ruining the friendship, especially now that we're all living in this haunted mansion together. But he would die for you. He would live for you even! He thinks you are one dynamite gal."
It sounded crazy, but I knew exactly what Chris meant. I had shared the same feelings for PJ for most of our friendship. I was loyal to Charlie, but towards the end of that whole thing the same feeling for him seemed to fade and the feeling for Peej snuck out and was even stronger. I had tried to fight those feelings off, thinking he didn't feel the same or that the fivesome was too important over something like that. And even though I wanted to love PJ, I couldn't accept those feelings yet. Not even when Chris was telling me this behind his very best friends back.
"Well he never told you any of this, did he?"
"Devin, I am his best friend in the whole wide world. What do you think?"
Dan burst through the door. "Pizza's here! It looks like shit and it's huge. You'll love it."
So we ran down stairs to devour our pizza. Our plan had been that the first meal we would all have together in that house would take place on the roof watching the sun set over clinking glasses of champagne. But the sun was covered my clouds. And it was raining. And the roof wasn't good for sitting on. And fancy booze is expensive. So we ended up eating the pizza on paper plates in a small dark room that we decide would be the den while passing around two big bottles of soda. Yep, that's the life I chose.
We set up the biggest laptop (Phil's) and had Chris pick out a movie (Hanna, which we all loved), and we snuggled up on an extra mattress we found. Pillows and blankets devoured us as we sat and watched the amazing film. I ended up squished next to PJ and Dan, leaving Phil and Chris on the outside of the cuddle puddle. We finished the pizza before the movie was halfway done. PJ put his arm around me to get more comfortable and I snuggled in. My head rested on his shoulder slightly and he rubbed circles on my arm. It was nice being like that. It wasn't awkward or anything; we were some of the best friends in the entire world. But this time was different because I knew they were watching.
When it was over, everyone was silent. PJ sighed.
"I must have seen that movie over 100 times and it still never ceases to amaze me," he said smiling.
I looked up at him and grinned. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
He looked back down at me with a goofy grin on his face, his expression full of excitement and wonder. The film really amazed him. His expression softened and melted into something else sweeter as he gazed down at me. Our faces were centimeters apart, our noses practically touching; I could feel his body heat mixing with mine. My eyes darted back up and down from his brilliant green eyes to his perfect soft looking lips. We just stayed like that, slightly awkwardly. Lightning cracked and thunder boomed. I jumped back and stood up quickly.
"Wow, gosh what a lovely evening," I said too quickly, "Gotta love greasy pizza, am I right? And wow, Seroisa Ronan. Good actress. Well I'm tired, time to turn in, see you guys tomorrow!" And with that I ran up stairs to my room.
I slammed the door behind me when I got up there. I didn't know why I was so skittish. But it didn't matter, for I was safe in my room. Well, I didn't feel safe. It didn't feel like it was my room. It looked like a room I would have dreamt of. It was the room PJ helped me design. A room I had wanted for forever. But it still didn't feel like my room. I thought I would be more comfortable in my PJs, so I jumped into those but it didn't do much. I turned on the few lights that actually worked and sat on my bed, took out a book, and began to try to read. It was hard to focus on the book. Not that it wasn't interesting to me- it was a fantastic read. I just had other things on my mind.
The fact that the walls were strangely so thick that no sound could escape them and no one would hear me scream when a monster climbed out of the toilet. Or that my past experience in staying over with the boys is that when they sleep, they like to sleep and keep to themselves where as before Hanna Megan and I would stay up till 3 in the morning talking about fingers or something. I was thinking why I ran away from being so close to PJ. I had to be honest with myself: I liked him. I knew I liked him. Maybe even more than that. So why did I run from that?
The rain pounded against the walls, roof, and windows or the house loudly as if little creatures were trying to smash their way inside. The lightning flashed, lighting up the darkness outside surely setting something ablaze and the thunder followed quickly, scaring the shit out of me. I tried to focus on the words that I kept reading over and over without really reading. Eventually I just stared at the pages and listened to the pattern of the rain, letting it fade into white noise.
There was a starling knock on the door. Without thinking I said come in. PJ popped his head in and smiled ever so softly.
"Hey," He said.
"Hey," I responded, letting my breath go and smiling.
We just kinda stood there for a while.
"So," I ended the silence, "You need something, or…?"
"Oh right! Sorry, I was just saying goodnight."
"Really?" I was somewhat shocked.
"Uh, yeah really!" he chuckled. "You need anything?"
"No I think I'll survive the night. You can go, thanks though." Then a huge random burst of thunder boomed out of nowhere, scaring the hell out of me and causing me to fall of my bed. He ran forward and checked the elbow that I fell on.
"You sure about that?" He asked smiling.
I wanted to nod and tell him I would be all right, but then I saw he was really looking me in the eyes and I realized he knew I'd be lying.
"Maybe not," I laughed nervously.
He smiled and helped me up onto the bed. He sat on it across from me and smiled.
"Alright," he said, "I'll just stay here. And we can talk. Or listen. Or read or watch or write or something."
"Yeah, or something…" I thought.
"Wanna just watch bad movies on Netflix?" He asked.
I nodded quickly and pulled my computer open, scooting next to him. That was easily my favorite thing to do. Watching bad movies, I mean. Though opening my laptop isn't too bad either. Neither is scooting next to big tall huggable PJ. I had barley opened up Google chrome when lightning cracked through the sky even closer than before. I jumped and subconsciously grabbed PJ. He pulled me into a close hug, though I wasn't sure if he was just being protective or if he was scared as well. The lights flickered out and the Internet went dead.
"Well shit." Peej mumbled. I couldn't help but laugh a little.
"Isn't this just our luck? A new bloody house in the middle of no where that already looks pretty freaking haunted and scary and now the power wont even work." I turned and looked up at PJ. "This is like the beginning of a horror story or something."
"What ever you do, don't become a black guy. And do not shower." He said oh so seriously.
I smiled. "I'll try not to. At least not with you close by to protect me."
He cocked his head and gave me a look. "Um… near by you… while you're in the shower?"
I jumped back "Oh god no no no that's not what I meant! No I wasn't thinking I just meant like you know, you know right? Oh god that's weird and awful im so sorry shit Jesus wow I wasn't thinking-"
Peej was dying of laughter. "Its alright! Don't worry about it I totally get it. Do you have some candles or something?"
I took a breath and thought. "Yeah, there should be some in that box across the room. I'll get them-"
"No no no," he pushed me back down, "I insist." He got up and walked over to the box, kneeling down to rummage through it. I couldn't help but notice his perfect butt hiding in those jeans. I didn't want to notice it, but I did. I mean what can I say? I love a good butt.
"You're totally staring at my butt," he said.
I tried to think of a response. "I-I, uh… well, no I mean- just… shut up."
He grinned. "It's not like I haven't done the same or anything."
"Oh yeah. You've totally checked out my ass before. Because I'm not some skinny white girl as flat as a bored on both sides. I'm like Beyonce- curvy, black, and fabulous."
He laughed and held up two big candles. I pulled the matches swiftly from his back pocket when he wasn't looking- I loved lighting matches, but no one would ever trust me because of a small accident that happened like two years ago on Alex's birthday. That kitchen was begging to be burnt. I lit the candles before he could snatch them away from me and I laughed in his face.
"How you like them apples?"
We just started talking about god knows what after that. We talked about video games and Pokémon and the new Star Trek trailer and good butts ad yadah yadah yadah. Some how the conversation got to music.
"We should start a band," PJ said. "We could be like, The Mystical Wombats or something."
"5 bucks says that's already been done."
"Ten bucks says your wrong."
"What are you, Nick Furry?" I kicked his leg playfully which was pulled up close to his chest, knees bent in order to save room. "Hand me the Uke, I wanna play something."
"Why do I have to get it?" He whined.
"Because it's right next to you."
"It's like 3 million miles away."
"I'll make things super uncomfortable if you don't!" I teased.
He didn't budge and tried to contain his smile.
I had done this before and I would do it again. If you don't mind my saying so, I'm a very committed and talented actress.
I rolled my eyes and gave him the most seductive look I could muster. I then stretched my leg out and pushed up his pajama pant let with my two and began running my bare foot up and down his leg. He still didn't move. Staying in character I crawled forward over to him and pushed his legs down and together. I then straddled him and gave him a look. He was hardly holding in a laugh. I rubbed my hand around his covered chest gently and leaned in so our noses were touching. His brilliant green eyes were right in front of my. His pink smooth lips were sucked in trying to contain a smile. I bit my lip before I spoke.
"Will you get my Uke now?" I asked.
"Who says this is uncomfortable?" He said through quite laughter.
My face dropped and I pushed off of him falling onto my back. I groaned. "Peeeej! I hate you forever! I'll let you pick the first song! You can use my sketch book!"
He sighed. "I am totally your bitch forever." He then jumped up off the bed and grabbed the Ukulele off the floor, picking my sketchbook off of my desk. I smiled widely as I took it from him.
"Thank you PJ! Now what song?"
"I don't know, um… why not Chemical Love? Charlie's song?"
"Oh all right, She seems to be in tune…" and so I began. I played right through that song and into another and another into another until it was just subconscious and I didn't even know what I was playing. I was so enchanted with the sounds coming from the Uke and PJ was infatuated by what ever he was drawing in my book. We were hardly paying attention to anything in the world but our art. The only other thing we were doing was playing a small game of footsie. I was leaning with my head over the bed still playing some song when the lightning struck loudly once more. I jumped but didn't really fall. Either way Peej grabbed my foot and pulled me onto the bed next to him yelling "No the floor is lava!"
"So what are you drawing anyway?" I finally asked peering over the notebook.
He scratched something out quickly and held it to his chest. "Nothing. Porn. Nothing."
I snatched the book from him and looked inside. He had been drawing what appeared to be me, playing the Ukulele. And it wasn't just a normal old doodle either, it was like a really piece of art.
"Wow… PJ, this is actually like really good. You made me so… pretty I guess is a word for it."
"I didn't make you that way, I just drew what I saw," I could tell he was blushing even in the dark.
"What the hell did you see, some kind of godly angle?" I jokingly asked.
"Yes," he answered quietly.
I looked up at him. And I mean I really looked at him the best I could in the dark. He had that innocent look on his face that a little kid gets when they feel guilty for something stupid. I shook my head and inspected the drawing some more.
"The lighting must play tricks on your eyes-"
"No, I always see that when I look at you. "
I looked up at him again and the expression on his face changed. He looked at the floor.
"Sorry," he scribbled out the words he had written some more. "Sorry, that was stupid. Sorry."
I shook my head. "Don't apologize, really it's fine. Just… it's fine. Moving on- "
"Why do you hate it here so much?" He asked quickly.
"What?" I asked. "What do you mean?"
"This house. You agreed to do it and yet you've been dreading it since you said okay."
"The viewers, you know. They wanted me to move in with you guys and I did think it would work for the videos and you guys all wanted me to so I said yes! But… it's so far. It's so far from the towns and shops and people and even though you guys are here with me I feel so alone. Moving from the states was pretty big, but I had people moving with me that I had known since 9th grade! I was excited, that was my dream. I had a plan. And then it didn't work out but then we met Charlie and Alex and moved to London with more information giving us a stronger plan. With this move I had no idea what I was doing- none of us did or do. It's all too fast and I'm leaving even more people behind! My best friends from when I was a real kid, my band, my first love of all time. It's just a huge move and it scares me and I just feel weird being here busting into the Fantastic Foursome's HQ."
He cocked his head. "You really feel that way?"
I nodded.
He shook his head. "Devin, doesn't that excite you? How spontaneous this was? The adventure we're having? You're going to look back on this when you're older and think 'wow, I was such a fun crazy kid with a desire for adventure'. Isn't that what you want? The memories! And sure you're leaving back the people from before but now you have us! This is the biggest and brightest moment of my life. Moving into a house that I wanted with a job that I want being free from the awful horrors that bloody school held! I get to move into this amazing house with my best friends in the whole wide world and even the love of my life!"
"Wait," I stopped him. "Love of your life? You aren't talking about Chris are you cause-"
"Devin, I have been crazy about you since I saw your concert way back when you first moved here. You sang Lonely Boy and got right in my face and I thought 'This girl is amazing and talented and just wants to have fun with her life.' I just wanted to kiss you right there and then. I was the one who made us go up and meet you after- I had to meet you! Do you know how amazed I was when you asked if I wanted to make a collab video with you? I have always thought you were the most perfect girl in the entire world. How you get so wrapped up in the books you read and in the things you watch and how you can just see the wonder and excitement in your eyes when you talk about them? There are few other girls who are as ecstatic about things like that like you are. I am madly in love with you. I know it's wrong and I know it's a little weird with me being me and you being you, but I am all I have to give to you and I wish I was more but I'm not. I'm no Tom Hiddleston or Robert Downey Jr or Benedict Cumberbatch- I'm not even Charlie. But I will give you every ounce of what is me." He got up and walked to the door. "I'm sorry. Just- just know that, okay?"
I was stunned into silence. Completely shocked. I felt a feeling bubble up in my chest. It was the feeling you get when you go down that first huge drop on a roller coaster. The feeling that you get when you're sleeping on the plane and all of a sudden there's massive turbulence and you freak out and then laugh about it five seconds later. The feeling you get when a massive plot twist breaks it way into a book or TV show and changes everything. The feeling you get when some one says something really amazingly cheesy on Doctor Who and it just makes you grin. The golden sand butterflies that fly throughout the insides of your body at massive speed, and that's the only way I know how to explain it. What I did next was what I had wanted to do for some while now.
"PJ wait!" I jumped off the bed and ran forward. He turned just in time and I leaped into his arms and placed his lips on mine only to experience the most spectacular amazing thing I have ever felt in my whole life. I finally felt his soft soft lips that I had only speculated about before. My fingers ran through his dark curly hair in more than just a friendly way. With more strength than I thought Peej had, he lifted me up and carried me over to the bed, throwing himself down with me on top. Our lips finally parted and I saw the amazed shocked excitement on his bewildered grinning face. I laughed. "I love you two times more than all that junk you just said."
And that night made the worst decision of my life the very best one.