He blinked, forcing all feeling out of his body. It hit him hard what happened the last time he had had any sort of these feelings, and he wouldn't let it happen again. No one could get close to him.
It hurt too much.
"Hey, Trent." Aiden called. Trent's attitude was solemn and his demeanor cool, but he couldn't help but keep his eyes off of Lauren.
"Hey, you guys. What's up?"
"Hey, Trent. Guys. You were amazing!" Felice said, walking over to hug Zeek and Shane.
Trent was shaking hands with Aiden, who then turned and pulled Lauren up to his side. "Trent, this is Lauren Thompson. Lauren, this is Trent Grey."
Trent shook Lauren's hand. "We've met."
Lauren was taken aback slightly. He looked the same, but he sounded.... Different. His eyes were gaurded, and he seemed rather unapproachable. But that didn't stop her. She gave a wide grin that highlighted her face, "He came into the bookstore to buy some presents for his friend's girlfriend the other day."
Zeek heard her and walked over from where he was talking with Felice. "You actually bought Mandy something, Trent? Wow, man."
He clapped Trent on the back, causing Trent to let out a whoosh of air and give Zeek a dirty glare. "Yes, actually."
"Cool. Where is it?"
"It's back at my place."
"Oh. Alright, cool." Zeek smiled and then shook Lauren's hand. "And you are?"
Lauren had an instant liking for this new comer with green and black hair. "I'm Lauren Thompson. Nice to meet you."
Zeek gave her a wide, goofy grin he was famous for. "I'm Zeek Moore. Ezekial for real, but I hate that name. I'm the 'friend Trent bought a present for his girlfriend' for." He looked suddenly confused. "If that made sense. You know what I mean." He smiled at her again, and then caught the look Trent was giving him and let go of her hand.
"Anyway, you like the show?"
"Yeah, you guys are really something. I loved it." She looked at Trent as she said that then looked away.
Oh, God, how she wanted to smack herself. Don't eye flirt have eye sex or whatever the hell Felice calls it. Damnit.
"Well, you all should come to our show next Wednesday. It's downtown at the Fox." Shane said as he and Jon and Felice walked up to join them. "It's at eight." He grinned.
Lauren smiled back and nodded. Shane had a shaved head and was rail thin with green eyes. "Sure, that'd be great."
Jon, who had spiky dark brown hair and matching eyes, smiled at Lauren then at Felice. "I'm Jon." Was all he said.
"Nice to meet you." Lauren shook their hands. She wasn't sure how to act around these guys, but she felt comfortable... except every time she made eye contact with Trent goosebumps rolled up and down her flesh.
Trent had no idea what to say. So, he stood and listened.
Felice turned to them. "Hey, it's barely after nine fourty. Why don't we all head to Starbucks and get some coffee?"
They all agreed, except Trent, who stayed quiet.
"My car isn't working." He said when they all looked at him. "I have a long walk home."
"I can give you a ride, if you want to go." Lauren piped up.
Trent eyed her warily. He hated the way his body was reacting to her. She looked gorgeous in that white shirt. "Eh..."
"Dude, Trent. Come on. Coffee. Let's go." Zeek said, and knudged him. Then gave him 'the eye' to show he thought Lauren was hot.
"All right. Whatever." What a shitty lie that had turned out to be. His car would now have to sit in the back of the restaurant until tomorrow morning.
Zeek grinned and waved with his arm. "Well, I wanna go NOW, then. I'ma go get Mandy." He rushed out of the room with everyone filing out behind him except Trent and Lauren.
"My car is around back."
"Okay." He picked up his guitar case. "Would you happen to have any room for this?"
"I'm sure we can fit it in the trunk."
Raising an eyebrow, he walked with her silently out into the restaurant, which was still packed and the air was tense with excitement. "Hold on, I need to get my coat." She walked over to the table they had been sitting at, and was surprised when Trent showed up behind her and helped her get her coat on. Smiling at him, she opened her purse and took out a few more bills to add to the tip.
Still silent, they walked outside. Their breath came out in smoky little puffs in the January air. "It's cold."
"Yeah, I bet. Especially with that skirt on." Trent said.
Lauren chuckled. "It's my favorite."
Trent gave his own chuckle, which turned into a cough. "And looking at you..." he stopped in back of her when she stopped and took in her car. "And looking at this car. What is it? Armani?"
"The skirt?"
"Yeah." He walked around, knowing he was being rude by asking,
"Well, yes. How'd you know?" Lauren didn't smile at him this time, but opened her door and flicked the switch that opened the trunk.
"Lucky guess." Trent placed his guitar in the back, then slammed it shut and walked around and got in the BMW.
Getting in and starting the car, Lauren glanced over at him. The Blank Theory flooded the car, and Trent looked over at her, surprise and wariness written on his face.
"You like this kind of music?"
"Yes, is it THAT surprising?"
"No. I guess not." He looked straight forward as they pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the street. He cleared his throat, and took a cuff off and placed it on the dashboard. "That's some accent you have."
Since he didn't sound like he was insulting her, she said, "Yeah, I've had it all my life."
Trent laughed. "Are you from Alabama or something like that?"
"Louisiana, actually." She scoffed, and pulled into the Starbuck's parking lot. "Alabama, my ass."
Trent smiled at that. Shit, he was warming up to her, he realized. He hid his smile, opened the door for her and then tucked his hands in his pockets.
It was packed, like it usually was on Friday nights, and the hectic employees were taking down orders as fast as they could.
Felice and Aiden waited in line, holding hands and talking, while the rest of the crew gathered up chairs and snagged a table on the far side of the café under a huge window. They all sat down, and got up one by one to get their orders taken when Felice and Aiden were finally at the counter.
Trent got up the same time as Lauren, and they both reached the counter and blurted out. "Venti white chocolate mocha, extra cream please." They turned and look at each other.
Trent gave her a stern look. "You just have good taste, is all."
Lauren laughed. "Oh, is that it?"
"Yeah. Duh."
Lauren laughed again and rolled her eyes and knudged at his shoulder. "I would say it was the other way around." She mummbled.
Trent gasped.
**
"What's with those two?" Shane asked as he settled back in his chair.
"What?" Jon asked.
"I know, dude." Zeek said.
"Um..." Mandy said, with Zeek nuzzling her neck.
"Hmmm..." Aiden scratched at his chin.
"It's called attraction." Felice said dubiously. "Duh."
"Oh." "Oh." "Oh, yeah!" An instantaneous reaction of answers and questions followed. Jon sat and looked confused.
**
"So, then, her kid sister accidently flicks her fork and sends the peas all over her date. It was great." Zeek was saying enthusiastically.
Everyone was laughing and having a great time, sipping their coffee and telling stories, except Trent, who was relatively quiet and gave a few laughs here and there.
"So how's college going, Lauren?" Felice asked.
"It's great. The math class is killing me, but my design teacher says I have talent." She gave an embarrassed smile. "It's exciting, bit of a rush."
"Yeah, I know what you mean!" Mandy said. "I'm taking a design class, too. I'm just a freshman, but it's a lot of fun."
"Really? Do you go to Sacramento State?"
"Mhmm. You're a sophomore, right?"
"Yes. I haven't seen you there, maybe I will now." Lauren said.
Mandy smiled and reached over and touched Lauren's hand before returning it to Zeek's. "That'd be great."
Trent stared and sipped his coffee.
"Our show should be even better next week." Shane piped up.
"Yeah, this one has a great stage and everything." Jon said, finally getting on topic. He had been talking about his guitar strings all night.
"Really?" Aiden asked.
"Yeah, it's basically a bar with a freakin' stage for kareoke I bet. But we aren't kareoke." Zeek said.
Lauren laughed. She really liked this Zeek.
"Will you be coming, Lauren?" Jon asked.
"Um, yes, I'm pretty sure. I don't think I'm doing anything."
Trent turned and stared at her for a moment, before looking back down at it and stirring it with his straw.
"Cool." Jon said.
"So, Trent." Aiden said.
Trent looked up at him. "What?"
"How's life?"
Trent's eyebrows narrowed and he looked down at the table for a moment before looking back at Aiden with a closed off look on his face. "Great."
"What have you been doing?"
Trent stared at Aiden, and he turned a slight red. He looked angry. "Practicing with the band, mainly."
Zeek could feel the tension, and though he had no idea where it came from, he changed the subject. "Mandy's moving in!"
Trent kept staring at Aiden, and then he looked at Felice and finally at Lauren, then back down at his coffee.
"Really?" Shane asked. "When?"
"Yeah, like, in two months or something."
"My parents are finally letting me move out! They don't know that I'm moving in with Zeek or anything yet but well... You know, things happen. I finally just burst out and told them 'I'm twenty-one, I want my own life!'" She gave a secretive smile that Felice and Lauren understood quickly.
She was pregnant.
"That's really great." Felice smiled.
Trent suddenly stood up and started walking away. "I have to go."
They all stared at him, before giving each other questioning looks.
Zeek started laughing. "Bye, Trent!"
************************************************************************
It hurt too much.
"Hey, Trent." Aiden called. Trent's attitude was solemn and his demeanor cool, but he couldn't help but keep his eyes off of Lauren.
"Hey, you guys. What's up?"
"Hey, Trent. Guys. You were amazing!" Felice said, walking over to hug Zeek and Shane.
Trent was shaking hands with Aiden, who then turned and pulled Lauren up to his side. "Trent, this is Lauren Thompson. Lauren, this is Trent Grey."
Trent shook Lauren's hand. "We've met."
Lauren was taken aback slightly. He looked the same, but he sounded.... Different. His eyes were gaurded, and he seemed rather unapproachable. But that didn't stop her. She gave a wide grin that highlighted her face, "He came into the bookstore to buy some presents for his friend's girlfriend the other day."
Zeek heard her and walked over from where he was talking with Felice. "You actually bought Mandy something, Trent? Wow, man."
He clapped Trent on the back, causing Trent to let out a whoosh of air and give Zeek a dirty glare. "Yes, actually."
"Cool. Where is it?"
"It's back at my place."
"Oh. Alright, cool." Zeek smiled and then shook Lauren's hand. "And you are?"
Lauren had an instant liking for this new comer with green and black hair. "I'm Lauren Thompson. Nice to meet you."
Zeek gave her a wide, goofy grin he was famous for. "I'm Zeek Moore. Ezekial for real, but I hate that name. I'm the 'friend Trent bought a present for his girlfriend' for." He looked suddenly confused. "If that made sense. You know what I mean." He smiled at her again, and then caught the look Trent was giving him and let go of her hand.
"Anyway, you like the show?"
"Yeah, you guys are really something. I loved it." She looked at Trent as she said that then looked away.
Oh, God, how she wanted to smack herself. Don't eye flirt have eye sex or whatever the hell Felice calls it. Damnit.
"Well, you all should come to our show next Wednesday. It's downtown at the Fox." Shane said as he and Jon and Felice walked up to join them. "It's at eight." He grinned.
Lauren smiled back and nodded. Shane had a shaved head and was rail thin with green eyes. "Sure, that'd be great."
Jon, who had spiky dark brown hair and matching eyes, smiled at Lauren then at Felice. "I'm Jon." Was all he said.
"Nice to meet you." Lauren shook their hands. She wasn't sure how to act around these guys, but she felt comfortable... except every time she made eye contact with Trent goosebumps rolled up and down her flesh.
Trent had no idea what to say. So, he stood and listened.
Felice turned to them. "Hey, it's barely after nine fourty. Why don't we all head to Starbucks and get some coffee?"
They all agreed, except Trent, who stayed quiet.
"My car isn't working." He said when they all looked at him. "I have a long walk home."
"I can give you a ride, if you want to go." Lauren piped up.
Trent eyed her warily. He hated the way his body was reacting to her. She looked gorgeous in that white shirt. "Eh..."
"Dude, Trent. Come on. Coffee. Let's go." Zeek said, and knudged him. Then gave him 'the eye' to show he thought Lauren was hot.
"All right. Whatever." What a shitty lie that had turned out to be. His car would now have to sit in the back of the restaurant until tomorrow morning.
Zeek grinned and waved with his arm. "Well, I wanna go NOW, then. I'ma go get Mandy." He rushed out of the room with everyone filing out behind him except Trent and Lauren.
"My car is around back."
"Okay." He picked up his guitar case. "Would you happen to have any room for this?"
"I'm sure we can fit it in the trunk."
Raising an eyebrow, he walked with her silently out into the restaurant, which was still packed and the air was tense with excitement. "Hold on, I need to get my coat." She walked over to the table they had been sitting at, and was surprised when Trent showed up behind her and helped her get her coat on. Smiling at him, she opened her purse and took out a few more bills to add to the tip.
Still silent, they walked outside. Their breath came out in smoky little puffs in the January air. "It's cold."
"Yeah, I bet. Especially with that skirt on." Trent said.
Lauren chuckled. "It's my favorite."
Trent gave his own chuckle, which turned into a cough. "And looking at you..." he stopped in back of her when she stopped and took in her car. "And looking at this car. What is it? Armani?"
"The skirt?"
"Yeah." He walked around, knowing he was being rude by asking,
"Well, yes. How'd you know?" Lauren didn't smile at him this time, but opened her door and flicked the switch that opened the trunk.
"Lucky guess." Trent placed his guitar in the back, then slammed it shut and walked around and got in the BMW.
Getting in and starting the car, Lauren glanced over at him. The Blank Theory flooded the car, and Trent looked over at her, surprise and wariness written on his face.
"You like this kind of music?"
"Yes, is it THAT surprising?"
"No. I guess not." He looked straight forward as they pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the street. He cleared his throat, and took a cuff off and placed it on the dashboard. "That's some accent you have."
Since he didn't sound like he was insulting her, she said, "Yeah, I've had it all my life."
Trent laughed. "Are you from Alabama or something like that?"
"Louisiana, actually." She scoffed, and pulled into the Starbuck's parking lot. "Alabama, my ass."
Trent smiled at that. Shit, he was warming up to her, he realized. He hid his smile, opened the door for her and then tucked his hands in his pockets.
It was packed, like it usually was on Friday nights, and the hectic employees were taking down orders as fast as they could.
Felice and Aiden waited in line, holding hands and talking, while the rest of the crew gathered up chairs and snagged a table on the far side of the café under a huge window. They all sat down, and got up one by one to get their orders taken when Felice and Aiden were finally at the counter.
Trent got up the same time as Lauren, and they both reached the counter and blurted out. "Venti white chocolate mocha, extra cream please." They turned and look at each other.
Trent gave her a stern look. "You just have good taste, is all."
Lauren laughed. "Oh, is that it?"
"Yeah. Duh."
Lauren laughed again and rolled her eyes and knudged at his shoulder. "I would say it was the other way around." She mummbled.
Trent gasped.
**
"What's with those two?" Shane asked as he settled back in his chair.
"What?" Jon asked.
"I know, dude." Zeek said.
"Um..." Mandy said, with Zeek nuzzling her neck.
"Hmmm..." Aiden scratched at his chin.
"It's called attraction." Felice said dubiously. "Duh."
"Oh." "Oh." "Oh, yeah!" An instantaneous reaction of answers and questions followed. Jon sat and looked confused.
**
"So, then, her kid sister accidently flicks her fork and sends the peas all over her date. It was great." Zeek was saying enthusiastically.
Everyone was laughing and having a great time, sipping their coffee and telling stories, except Trent, who was relatively quiet and gave a few laughs here and there.
"So how's college going, Lauren?" Felice asked.
"It's great. The math class is killing me, but my design teacher says I have talent." She gave an embarrassed smile. "It's exciting, bit of a rush."
"Yeah, I know what you mean!" Mandy said. "I'm taking a design class, too. I'm just a freshman, but it's a lot of fun."
"Really? Do you go to Sacramento State?"
"Mhmm. You're a sophomore, right?"
"Yes. I haven't seen you there, maybe I will now." Lauren said.
Mandy smiled and reached over and touched Lauren's hand before returning it to Zeek's. "That'd be great."
Trent stared and sipped his coffee.
"Our show should be even better next week." Shane piped up.
"Yeah, this one has a great stage and everything." Jon said, finally getting on topic. He had been talking about his guitar strings all night.
"Really?" Aiden asked.
"Yeah, it's basically a bar with a freakin' stage for kareoke I bet. But we aren't kareoke." Zeek said.
Lauren laughed. She really liked this Zeek.
"Will you be coming, Lauren?" Jon asked.
"Um, yes, I'm pretty sure. I don't think I'm doing anything."
Trent turned and stared at her for a moment, before looking back down at it and stirring it with his straw.
"Cool." Jon said.
"So, Trent." Aiden said.
Trent looked up at him. "What?"
"How's life?"
Trent's eyebrows narrowed and he looked down at the table for a moment before looking back at Aiden with a closed off look on his face. "Great."
"What have you been doing?"
Trent stared at Aiden, and he turned a slight red. He looked angry. "Practicing with the band, mainly."
Zeek could feel the tension, and though he had no idea where it came from, he changed the subject. "Mandy's moving in!"
Trent kept staring at Aiden, and then he looked at Felice and finally at Lauren, then back down at his coffee.
"Really?" Shane asked. "When?"
"Yeah, like, in two months or something."
"My parents are finally letting me move out! They don't know that I'm moving in with Zeek or anything yet but well... You know, things happen. I finally just burst out and told them 'I'm twenty-one, I want my own life!'" She gave a secretive smile that Felice and Lauren understood quickly.
She was pregnant.
"That's really great." Felice smiled.
Trent suddenly stood up and started walking away. "I have to go."
They all stared at him, before giving each other questioning looks.
Zeek started laughing. "Bye, Trent!"
************************************************************************
