All was dark in their temporary quarters. This time, the sunlight had been carefully blotted aside by pushing the curtains onto the lip of the windowsill. This time, they wouldn't be woken up so early again. A do not disturb sign hung on the door, thankfully put there by Rob before they hit the sack.
It couldn't be ten yet, but he was awake. Considering the time they arrived and checked in, that was rather ironic. There was a part that was still tired and he COULD fall back asleep from that...but his mind was running over things.
'I hope whatever problem she had last time is resolved. Even though I have no clue what I did wrong... Must've been her time of the month. But then, does a woman REALLY need PMS as an excuse to throw a fit?'
Cameron Blitz was a prime example to watch what you said or did around a woman. She didn't like constructive criticism or being told what to do. She also had specific tastes when it came to things in life and didn't deviate from that.
Like pop music.
He fought the urge to gag and sighed at the ceiling. 'How she likes those stupid boy-bands and those fruity chick singers is beyond me.' But he learned long ago when Cam played that kind of music, to not wrinkle his nose in disgust or comment. It only started in 'why he didn't like her taste in music when she tolerated his' argument.
What was there to EXPLAIN? It was POP music!
Kelar shifted in his sleep and brown drifted to his sleeping buddy. After that last bit with Chass, he refused to share the mattress. He smiled.
"Is that everything?"
The four took a quick look at the trunk and inside the car, then their backpacks.
"Yup."
"Alright! Time to check back into this place. Déjà vu here we come!"
He grinned and shook his head as they headed for the doors and held it open for his friends. "You are such a dork Kelar." He muttered when Kelar passed.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones...but whips and chains excite me." Kelar jovially announced, not making an effort to keep quiet.
Robert nearly tripped over the carpet in front of the inside door.
He sighed and slapped his forehead in embarrassment, getting a small bit of pain from the back of his ever-present baseball cap. "I take that back...you're more than just a dork, you are a total and complete moron."
"Not to mention kinky."
"And tactless. We're inside the LOBBY!"
"Perhaps, perhaps. But at least I'm the best-looking one out of the lot of you." Kelar cheekily answered, evilly grinning.
"Can we kick his ass now or later?" Chass piped up, walking backwards as they headed to the front desk.
"Let's wait until we're back. That way we don't have to worry about paying for anything."
"Or getting kicked out." He supplied, stopping in front.
"Hello...what can I do for you?"
"We have reservations tonight. Last name Yamoi." He announced, sending a friendly grin. He was given a genuine smile in return before the girl turned to sift through papers and he was reminded of something.
Or SOMEONE.
Dark brown dropped to the marble top. He had forgotten all about that. He wracked his brain, remembering she worked the weekend mornings. 'That means I getta deal with that. Great.'
As they headed for the elevator, Robert smiled. "I wonder what that chick was thinking with all four of us rooming together."
His eyes briefly flittered to his friend, before the elevator opened and they gravitated in. "If by that you're talking homosexuality...you just got on my shit list."
"Aw man! Like we need THAT assumption. Do any of us LOOK gay?"
"I don't, but you do Kelar." He shot out, giving an evil grin.
A hand snaked out and slugged his shoulder.
"That reminds me. No way am I going to share a bed with Chass again. Go snuggle with one of the other musketeers." He announced, crossing his arms. The grin slowly dropped. They would think he was just playing otherwise. He was quite serious!
Chass's face turned positively disgusted and offended. "As if! I AM straight, thank you. It's not like I did it on PURPOSE."
"Yea, if you did, Inaki'd probably Kempo your ass."
"Whatever...I'LL share the bed with you. Just don't hug ME in your sleep."
His fist returned Kelar's gesture to his shoulder.
A stirring across the way gained his attention and his eyes left the ceiling. With a blink, he sat up upon realizing he was now awake. Even if it was completely dark in the room.
Both Chass and Robert were slowly waking and he lazily watched, content to sit in the silence. Rarely was there something like this around the four, and it was nice once in a while. No wise cracks, no playful scuffles, no friendly name-calling...
"I thought you hated mornings."
He mildly jumped and looked to his companion, giving a tiny shrug. "Couldn't sleep. Don't know when I woke up..." He muttered, a hand going to his hair. Fingers idly combed through it and he yawned. In the month from staying here, it grew out another inch and a half and he was able to get the white trimmed off.
Finally leaving him with his real black color.
He couldn't wait till it grew out like he had it before he cut and dyed it. The bangs went just above his eyebrows now, the back a little shorter than when he last had it. It felt stranger with even shorter hair, but he resolved to overcome his uncomfortableness with such a cropped head.
It wasn't that he DIDN'T like the white forced upon losing that dare. The color was certainly different, but it didn't fit his eyes. A few times when he looked in the mirror...he thought his eyes should be lighter in color to match.
"So what're we doing to kill time till tonight?"
He looked across the way again and pondered that sleepy, groaned question. Robert finished stretching and propped himself on the headboard and looked around.
"First off, we eat." Chass mumbled. "It never takes long for my stomach to growl."
He looked to the alarm in between the beds. It was almost ten thirty. "It's that way with ALL of us." He muttered, finally standing. "If no one is getting a shower, I suggest we get dressed and head for some coffee at least. Then we can head out and find something to do till the concert."
A mere twenty minutes later, a backpack packed for the day with a plan in mind, the four followed their noses to the breakfast area and did exactly what he suggested.
He was having the worse sense of déjà vu, but that was a given considering he stayed here not that long ago. But it was probably worse due to the girl he spent that brief amount of time WITH.
Brown eyed the carpet as he leaned against the counter. He spied her working in the front - like normal - as they passed, but neither said a word. Sure she saw him, as he saw her, but she gave no smile or wave in acknowledgement.
She almost looked unhappy he was here...but with his change in appearance, it was unsure whether or not she remembered him.
His brow furrowed. Why her personal problem should bother him was a mystery, but it wasn't like he was FOND of knowing people despised him...
Or the fact that he couldn't stand snobby people...people who thought they were better than anyone else. He tended to have a low opinion on those that looked down on him. "If that's even it..." He muttered into the Styrofoam glass.
"You say something dude?"
He looked to Kelar and gave a small smile. "No. Just thinking."
"Get ready for the grasshoppers and bleeding rivers!"
"That's frogs you moron." A hand rose and idly slapped Robert on the shoulder. "If you're going to quote the bible, at least get it RIGHT."
He stared at the three before looking to the wall clock. "Shall we then?" He muttered, going to throw his cup away. He waited for the others in the hallway. He watched them until something caught his eye and he swung in the area of the front desk.
The girl K was holding a few bedspreads. Her steps paused and he met her eyes across the short distance. She was looking at him with an even expression on her face. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, but he could feel a smile slowly tip his lips until it was one of his normal, friendly grins.
To his wonder and confusion, the even expression slowly tinged with narrowed eyes and a slight tightening of her mouth. Then she walked away and as if it was all a dream, he looked back to his friends to find them walking to the doorway.
He blinked. Had time stopped? That seemed to take minutes and not seconds. Was it just his imagination that made time warp?
"Kay...we're ready dude."
His head shook and he resolved not to think about it. Why should one girl get to him? He never let girls take up his mind unless he let it. Putting on his normal, wry grin, he headed for the doors. "Took you guys long enough. But that's slobs for ya."
"Say WHAT?"
"Get back here you -"
With a laugh, he burst through for the car.
~*~*~
What type of person visited Miami Florida and DIDN'T stop to surf the beaches?
No one sane that HE knew of...
Taking a break from watching the less experienced of the group fall into the ocean, he leaned back on his elbows and stared at the sky. The deep blue was beautiful and although there were clouds, they were low-hanging, pillow-looking clouds.
It looked like someone painted the sky...even if those clouds signaled rain might come before the night was out. He smiled and looked around. Let it rain - he liked rainstorms. The feel of when drops hit his skin or his hair felt soothing. Even the harsher storms were something he liked.
Chass stopped next to him, dripping wet, and plopped down on his back. "You're missing all the fun man. The water is great."
He gave a small smile and looked to the waves as they crashed amongst the sand a small distance in front of him. "I'll bet. I'll go in...I just don't feel like it right now."
"You going to surf too? Perhaps show Rob how it's done?"
He snorted. "Rob couldn't figure out how to surf if he slept with that board."
Chass laughed and sat up, mimicking his position.
He felt eyes, but kept his studiously trained on the foam. Rarely was there silence from the nineteen year old, and that normally meant Chass was trying to figure something out. "What?" He finally queried, plopping back to the sand.
Chass's eyes followed him. "You seem a little out of it. Still thinking about something?"
A hand shaded his eyes from the sun to let him meet hazel. Chass was known as the most astute, able to read them a little better than the others. "Why would I be thinking about something?"
Chass ignored the bait to make a sarcastic comment. "Because you had the same look on your face at the hotel. Care to share?"
Brown closed again as his hand dropped to a toned chest. Chass was the youngest, but he was rather smart in his own way. "Not really."
A hand nudged his arm. "Come on...secrets don't make friends."
His lips twitched. "And some things are better left unsaid. It's not that big a deal."
"Is it that bad?"
His jaw clenched. He wasn't going to get out of this. Chass was rather pushy as well. Although he was as loudmouthed as they all were, the kid could keep a secret if asked. Which was nice to know.
"You remember that chick I was talking to last month that works the hotel desk?" His eyes squinted open enough to gain a nod. "Well she's got some problem with me and I've been trying to backtrack and figure out what I did wrong. It's bugging me and I can't fully put it out of my mind for some reason."
There was a small bout of silence before Chass lay back down and pillowed his head with his hands. The noises of people and the ocean covered their ears as time warped again and minutes stretched out. Finally, Chass's eyes slowly squinted to look at the same billowy clouds. "Maybe you like her?"
"I'm going out with Cameron."
Chass's lips pursed at that firm, pointed answer and ran down the options. "You were just being friendly right? Well perhaps it gets under your skin that she's not."
He nodded in agreement, but still felt a little frustrated. That couldn't be the only reason... "But these are probably the only times I'll see her. So it doesn't make sense that I get so worked up over her having an attitude."
Chass gave a brief smile. "You know not EVERYONE is going to like you. Maybe something you did or said that she caught is the cause. It could just be you... But you won't know unless you ask her."
"Still, what's the point? We'll be gone Sunday afternoon. Why make nice if she's got some problem with me and I'll never see her till the gods know when?"
Heaving a sigh and sitting up, Chass went to brush the sand off his back. "Then I couldn't tell you. But if it gets you this riled up, perhaps you should talk to her. Who knows...maybe there's something inside that says you SHOULD. Maybe that's why your mind can't let this alone."
He copied his friend and went for the spots Chass couldn't reach. After he finished, he turned and let his friend dust him off. "Who knows... All I know is, if this interferes with the concert tonight - what I've been waiting for since I got wind of it months ago - I am going to be VERY unhappy."
"Then practice putting it out of your mind and head into the water with me. You can look at all the bikinis and use that to take your mind off it."
He couldn't help but grin. "For a kid, you certainly come up with some BRILLIANT ideas."
Chass laughed and after a quick scout, found the other two playing around with a small group of girls. A hand pointed as Kelar picked up one shapely-looking girl and hoisted her on his shoulders. "Now THAT - Inaki my friend - has GOT to be the life."
An evil grin appeared as he snatched Chass's outstretched hand and started to jog over. "Then let's not let him hog ALL the fun."