(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

Chapter Three

Arianna

We passed through a large, wrought-iron gate and pulled up in front of a very modern and nice-looking, newly-constructed two-story house. It was modestly painted a pale yellow with white shutters, and rather large, with a single row of small, bare-limbed bushes that ran along either side of the walkway that led to the front door.

Everyone stood and began exiting the tour bus single-file. I quickly put my jacket back on, grabbed my bag and followed in line behind Serj. The distance from their bus to the house wasn't very far. Daron unlocked the white front door with a set of keys pulled from his coat pocket and we all swiftly entered his home. Once inside, John flipped a light switch by the front door that seemed to instantly illuminate the entire first floor.

I was amazed at what lay before my eyes. Stepping into the entrance hall of Daron's home was like taking a step back into the European Middle Ages. There were many dark purple, velvet-lined glass cases mounted upon the stone-grey walls that displayed various, ancient-looking weapons. I saw daggers & shivs, swords, a mace, battle-axes & an ornately carved wooden bow that boasted a lovely swirling design. As we all neared the end of the considerably-large front hall, I also noticed an intimidating suit of armor that looked to be more aged than all of us combined resting by the large staircase.

"Ever since I was a kid I've always wanted to have my own armor, my own castle, the works," Daron announced to us. Rachel, who was predictably right on his heel, seemed to be feasting on his every word. "Who woulda ever guessed that all little teenage me had to do was pick up a guitar & grab a microphone to make that dream a reality?"

Rachel laughed at his statement, and I found the volume of it about as equally annoying as nails grinding down a chalkboard. Her voice held a nasally quality that was sure to grate on anybody's nerves; I couldn't resist a subtle eye-roll. They were none the wiser, as they were at the head of the group and already turning the corner to enter what I assumed was the living room. Shavo & Morgan followed them, while John veered to the left instead of the right, into what I could tell was the kitchen.

I halted beside Serj, who turned to look back at me. "I just wanted to take a closer look at that bow real quick, if I may?" I said, feeling my cheeks warm just a bit. It was suddenly just him and me left alone in the foyer, instantly making me feel a bit more self-conscious.

Serj gave me a half-sided smirk that I found completely irresistible. "Of course. I'm actually gonna go upstairs and take a quick shower. Daron's entertainment area is through there," he pointed behind himself, to the right. "Kitchen's there," he gestured towards the left. "And there's a bathroom if you walk further down the hall, to your immediate right. Help yourself to whatever you need. I'll be back soon."

I smiled and thanked him. He smiled in return before heading off up the stairs. I took the opportunity to ogle his backside before he disappeared from my line of sight. He was nicely broad-shouldered, & I unconsciously bit my lower lip as I dared to let my eyes drift even lower.

He was gone too soon & I sighed lightly before turning & striding the few paces back down the large corridor. I stopped in front of the deadly, silent weapon, let my bag slink to the floor & stepped up close, leaning in for a closer inspection. The bow was absolutely gorgeous! I could only take a guess as to what type of wood it was made from. It was a dark grain, with carved twists & curls rolled intricately around each other that were closer together towards the center of the bow & fanned out progressively towards each tip. The tips themselves were plated in a smooth, solid metal that was a shade of brown almost like dark bronze. They flared out slightly from the natural arch of the bow in a way that suggested maybe the bow could double as a deadly spade in a close situation. This weapon was both beautiful and devastating.

I straightened up from my position, using both hands to toss my hair behind my shoulders, & at the sound of footsteps I turned to see Daron walking toward me. Our gazes met immediately and I offered him a shy smile.

He was already sporting a cock-sure grin, & I noticed that he had an unopened beer in one hand.

I was surprised when Rachel didn't emerge from the 'entertainment area', as Serj had put it, right on Daron's heels, but thought better of voicing it. I wasn't exactly sure how it would come across, & the last thing I wanted to do was offend him, especially so early in the night. Instead, I said: "I love what you've done with your place." I nodded my head towards the bow. "This is especially intriguing."

Daron glanced at it & then back at me. "Oh, yeah. I can't remember exactly how old it is. But it's rare; I paid a pretty penny for it, that's for damn sure." He set his beer down on the table closest to us & removed his leather jacket.

I decided to shed mine as well, & as I pulled my arms from the sleeves I couldn't help but sense his stare become slightly harder on me. His gaze didn't stay fixed for long, but when they did flick back up to meet mine they had taken on a lustful, obvious glaze. I didn't know the exact reason why, but something about the look in his eyes...I wouldn't use the word scared, but I will admit it moved me towards a darker place than I had just been at before; shifted my mood into something else, something guarded.

I smiled at him through my eerie discomfort. "It's definitely a beautiful piece of weaponry."

"Not as beautiful as you are," he responded.

Shit. Guess I set myself up for that one.

His gaze was smoldering. His grin widened, his lips tucked up faintly at the corners. It was a wolfish grin that didn't quite reach his intense stare. He reminded me of his manager. I cringed inwardly but maintained my friendly smile, hoping that it looked more genuine than his.

"Thank you," I said, folding my jacket over an arm.

Daron reached out a hand towards me. "Let me get that for you."

"Oh, um, ok. Thanks," I replied, feeling a little more nervous as each minute passed by. I handed it to him.

"No problem," he said, & as he turned & walked across the hall towards what I assumed was a hallway closet, I took the opportunity to grab the strap of my bag & head off down the hall. The living room was a little closer to me than the kitchen, so I ducked in there. I knew it was impossible to avoid him all night, and as his guest it would be extremely rude to attempt to do so, but I just didn't want to be alone with him any longer.

I sighed lightly in relief as I entered the well-lit room & noticed that Shavo, Morgan & Rachel were gathered together in the far corner near a large pool table. They weren't involved in a game yet, just chatting.

After setting my bag down on the arm of a large couch, I turned around slowly in a circle, admiring the room's décor. It had a completely opposite feel from the room before. The sectional, plushy sofa & adjoining armchairs were black, along with all of the end tables & TV stand, which supported a huge, sleek flat screen. Resting on the two shelves beneath the television was an Xbox, PS3, Wii & what looked like a satellite receiver box. There was also an expensive-looking stereo system nestled along the opposite wall that seemed to complete his impressive ensemble of high-tech toys, at least in this room of his house. The blindingly white walls & carpet contrasted rather well with the black furniture & electronics.

I overheard Shavo, who had yet to notice my presence in the room because his back was towards me, explaining how to play a game he called Strip-Billiards to the two women before him. The name of the game sounded pretty self-explanatory to me. Morgan seemed to be completely engrossed in what he was saying, her light eyes shining brightly. My gaze met Rachel's & I smiled at her. She gave me an appraising once-over, but returned my smile all the same.

"Alright, gals. Sit tight & I'll be right back with those shots," Shavo said, turning around. Upon noticing me, his smile twisted into a grin. "Well there you are, Virginia. I was wondering where you'd wandered off to."

"Just checkin' out Daron's armory," I replied.

"Yeah, I wouldn't go that far," he stated matter-of-factly. His grin widened conspiratorially. "Most of the weapons out there are just professionally crafted replicas."

"Even the bow," I had to ask.

"No, the bow's legit," he said. "Anyway, would you care for a shot?"

"Yes, of course," I replied. "I can go get it ready. Everything's in the kitchen, right?"

If my sudden offer had taken Shavo aback, he did an excellent job of not showing it. "Ok, yeah."

"Alright." I turned on my heel, feeling unnecessarily anxious as I walked towards the kitchen. I was relieved to discover that Daron was neither to the right or the left of me in the main hall. I turned & headed towards the kitchen, but halted just before I reached the door at the sound of voices coming from within. They were two male voices, & one of them definitely belonged to Serj.

"...but she is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, & completely different from all the rest. I've never felt this way before, this strongly about anyone. I think I might be..."

I chanced a few more steps forward to try & see who he was talking to & wasn't surprised to see John sitting beside him at an island table. Serj suddenly glanced over, noticed me standing there & immediately fell silent. Damn it. I breezed into the kitchen as nonchalantly as possible & took a seat across from them. "Hey," I said, a bit uncertainly. "What you guys talkin' about?"

"Hi," Serj smiled, & if I wasn't mistaken I thought I detected a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Oh, nothing important."

"Just band stuff," John said, a little too quickly.

"Yeah, band stuff," Serj agreed, nodding his head & glancing quickly at John.

I leaned back in the tall seat & crossed my arms over my chest, squinting my eyes quizzically at them. "Uh-huh."

Serj slouched back & crossed his arms over his chest, giving me a playful smile.

I grinned. "Are you imitating me, ?"

He sat back up straight. "No, of course not."

I sat up straight, too." "Yes, you are."

Serj shook his head & laughed lightly. "No, I'm not."

"Yeah-huh!"

"Nuh-uh."

I sat back & rolled my eyes at him.

Serj sat back & rolled his eyes in return, then said something to John in Armenian.

John laughed, nodded, then looked back at me.

"Oh, so you're gonna switch up languages on me, now?" I looked from Serj to John & back to Serj again. "That's no fair! What did you just say?"

"Nothing." Serj's smile was contagious. "I can't say at this point & time."

"Hm, okay," I replied, finally conceding to drop it – for now, at least. I gave them a polite smile, but couldn't help glancing down at my hands self-consciously. I knew he had said something that referred to me, but whether it had been a positive or negative statement is what made me feel the most uncomfortable. On instinct I averted their gazes for several seconds & just stared at my hands that rested on the table, honed in on the cloth bracelet an old friend had made for me in high school, fixated on the class ring I had paid for with my own hard-earned money.

When I did look back up, I found Serj staring at me intently. His warm smile had faded & his eyes held a troubled look that I could tell he was trying to hide. My intuition told me he wanted to say something but couldn't find the courage. For some reason the peculiar, almost pained expression made me feel very sad, and I suddenly had the strangest yearning to reach out & lay a hand atop his. I resisted, though, because I wasn't positive how the gesture would be taken, and the very last thing I wanted was to stir up any further feelings of awkwardness. So instead, I brightened my smile & sat up straighter in my seat. "So, we gonna start drinkin' or what?"

"Uh, yes, absolutely," Serj replied, a small smile touching his lips once more. "What do you prefer?"

It made me happy to be able to make him smile again & I beamed with that joy. "Got any gin?"

"It's a strong possibility," he replied, jumping up & walking over to the set of cabinets over the sink. He retrieved three clear shot glasses & then stepped over to open the refrigerator freezer. He peered inside before saying: "Looks like we have a bottle of Absolut Mandarin Vodka & a smaller bottle of Tanqueray."

"Please don't tell me all that's in there is light liquors," John said to Serj.

He ignored John, keeping his attention trained on me.

"The Tanqueray will do me just fine," I told him.

"I concur," he replied, returning the vodka to the freezer & picking up the shot glasses with his free hand.

"Serj!" John whined dramatically as the singer walked back over to reclaim his seat. "You know I don't do well with light liquors in large volumes."

"Relax," Serj responded as he twisted the cap off of the bottle. "I saw some Evan Williams in the door." He carefully poured out three shots, handed me one & held the other towards John. "Have one shot of this with us, though. Its celebratory, & it won't kill you."

John mumbled a few words under his breath, a playful glint in his dark eyes, but took the offered glass just the same. "Fine."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. He looked at me & laughed, himself. "Well, bottoms up."

"To having limitless fun tonight," Serj said, raising his glass & glancing at me with a playful smirk. "And all getting to know each other better."

I returned his smirk & added: "Here, here!" My cheeks were growing warmer by the second & I was sure I was blushing again.

We all gently clinked our glasses together before tossing them back. The alcohol burned my throat a little but went down pretty smoothly.

John picked up the gin from where Serj had set it & was pouring himself another shot before I'd even set my glass down. He looked from me to Serj. "You guys want a second?"

I raised my eyebrows at him, smiling slyly.

"Yeah, why not," Serj nodded.

"Exactly," John grinned at him before looking at me. "And you? Unless you don't think you can handle it."

"Hmph," was all I responded with at first, leaning back & crossing my arms over my chest. This man had no idea who he was dealing with when it came to the game of drink. I gave him a challenging smile. "Hit me."

"It is a proven scientific fact that women naturally have a lower amount of the enzymes needed to process & break down alcohol than men," he continued on, acting as if he hadn't heard me. His eyes strayed down to the bottle of liquor in his hand, as if he were studying its contents. "So, if you wanna sit out round number two, its completely understandable."

John's attempt to feign seriousness wasn't very good. His tone was direct, but he couldn't stop his lips from upturning as I stared at him. I pushed my shot glass toward him. "Alright, you patronizing asshat, I said hit me." With a sweet smile, I took Serj's glass from him & set it beside mine. "And him too, pretty please."

Serj chuckled & John's face twisted into a wicked grin. "Ooh, touchy, touchy," John replied, mostly under his breath, & proceeded to refill all three of the glasses. We all drained them down again & I enjoyed the feeling of the liquor warming my stomach.

"So..," Serj laid his hands down on the table & gazed into my eyes. "Tell us more about your hometown, Arianna."

"Oh, yeah, cause we're just dying to know what it was like growing up in Big Lick."

"Ha, ha!" I scoffed. "You boys are so freakin' hilarious." I leaned back in my chair again. "No, really though, there ain't much to tell. It's a pretty small city surrounded by farmlands, & it seems like the only thing people ever do there is work. There ain't too big of a music scene so I guess it's pretty lame in that aspect. It ain't much, but its home for me."

Serj stared at me with a whimsical expression on his face but remained silent.

"Hmm, intriguing," John said as he stood, crossed the room to retrieve the bottle of Evan Williams from the freezer door & then returned to his seat.

His tone sounded genuine enough, but I still decided to change the subject. "Damn, do you always drink so much so fast?"

"Nah." He gave me a slight shrug of his shoulders. "But I'm trying to get a good buzz on ASAP." He held the bottle towards me. "Feel like stepping it up?"

I contemplated it for a second, but decided against it. I was already starting to slightly feel the effects & didn't want to get too drunk too fast; the night was still too young. "No, I think I'll hold off for the moment."

"Pusssy," John teased, downing his third shot of the evening.

I gave him a coy smile & flicked him off. "Whatever." The strong, wafting smell of marijuana suddenly greeted my nose & I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Shavo entering the kitchen.

"Here you go, Virginia." He held a blunt towards me.

"Oh shit, I completely forgot, Shavo. I'm sorry!" I blurted quickly, offering him a meek smile but accepting the weed nonetheless. I didn't bother giving him an excuse as to why I'd forgotten to bring him liquor; the entertainment value of his band mates should've been evident to him by now.

"It's ok," he replied as he gripped the bottle of gin sitting before us around its neck.

"Forgot what," John inquired, but Shavo had already turned & left the room again.

"Asshole," John called after him, then looked at me expectantly; whether in anticipation of the answer or me baby-sitting the blunt, I couldn't be sure so I quickly hit it, passed it on & said: "I had originally come in here to get drinks for Shavo & the other two girls but, what can I say? Talkin' to you guys is probably a helluva lot more fun than talkin' to them."

John pulled deeply from the blunt & handed it to Serj before replying: "You're definitely right about that."

Serj simply nodded his head in agreement with John before quickly hitting the blunt & passing it back to me.

I took a deeper drag the second time around, letting the smoke coil into the deepest part of my lungs & then exhaling it again. The urge to cough came on but I managed to suppress it. The combination of weed & alcohol already had me quite cloudy-headed; the grass was very good. I gave it to John & decided to hell with it, I'd have one more shot for the time being. I picked up the whiskey John had gotten & poured myself one, then held it out. "Want one more," I asked them.

"What the fuck," John asked, while Serj just nodded at me & smiled.

"What? I'm not allowed to change my mind," I replied, smirking at him. I poured Serj's shot & once again held the bottle towards John, looking at him expectantly.

"Umm." He hit the blunt again, lightly. "I think I'm alright for the moment, thanks."

"Pussy," I playfully mumbled under my breath, sitting the bottle back on the table.

"Psht, whatever." He flipped me the bird.

I pretended to catch it & shoved it in my pants pocket. "Why thank you," I told him enthusiastically. Laughing, I picked up my glass, & noticed that Serj had waited until I'd retrieved mine to pick up his. I grinned at him & we both clinked our drinks together once more before downing the fiery contents.

John stood up abruptly. "Damn, I've gotta piss."

"TMI, dude," I giggled.

"Shut up." He pushed against my head playfully as he passed by.

"Hey, watch the hair!" I said, running a hand through my curly locks.

Serj stood up, & for a fleeting second I thought he was going to leave the room, but instead he walked around the table to sit in the seat beside me.

I was slightly taken aback but tried not to let it show.

He pushed the liquor bottle back, rested his hands on the table & gazed at me. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Kinda buzzed," I admitted, looking into his eyes. They were a rich, dark chocolate color that I could get lost in indefinitely.

He smiled. "Me, too."

I moved my elbow on to the table again & rested my chin in my hand. "Do y'all do this of'en?"

"Do what?"

"This." I waved my free hand listlessly in the air. "Party."

Serj laughed lightly, glanced down at his hands briefly, then back at me. "No, not recently. We've been too busy working."

I nodded. "Right, that's right." I noticed a small, silver rose pendant attached to a thick, black corded string hanging around his neck & reached out to touch it, personal boundaries momentarily forgotten. "I like this. It's very pretty."

"It was my mother's," he said, his gaze not straying from mine. "She gave it to me when we first came to America, said it'd bring me luck. I think she was right." His tone harbored no cockiness, only a gentleness that felt genuine. Him & his mother must've had a close bond. I felt glad for him.

"I'd say so," I replied softly.

We sat there, side by side; so close I could feel the comforting heat emanating from his body, just looking into each other's eyes. From the look in his, I could swear he was about to kiss me. I felt myself slowly leaning towards him, mesmerized by that gaze, &...the sound of footsteps came from behind us.

We both turned our heads at the same time.

Daron sauntered into the kitchen, his jacket draped over his arm. He addressed Serj: "Hey, I've gotta make a quick run over to BJ's. You mind coming with me?"

Serj's facial expression was conflicted, & he glanced at me briefly before looking back at Daron. "Can't Shavo go with you?"

"He's too busy with those other two, & I can't find John." Daron put on his jacket & grabbed a set of keys from the hook near the door. "It'll only take a few minutes, then we'll be back & ready to really get this party started."

"Alright," Serj sighed, standing up. He looked at me & held out his hand. "Care to tag along?"

Smiling, I put my hand in his & allowed him to help steady me as I stood up. "Sure."

Daron turned & we followed him into the main corridor. As we all headed for the front door, Serj paused to open the hall closet. He retrieved two coats from inside & dropped one of them around my shoulders.

"Thanks," I said, slipping my arms through the sleeves.

He put on his own. "You're welcome."

To my surprise, he took hold of my hand again & led me to the front door. I absolutely savored the feel of it & couldn't for the life of me keep myself from smiling from ear to ear.