RockStar

School Encounters

Eijinn's ears are still ringing from Aaron's angry drum session. No one's asleep because of it. It's been a long time since he's had an angry drum session like the one he's had this evening. So like everyone else the red head is sat in the living room. That is everyone but Marie whom he's sure he heard whimpering a while ago.
"Why is this dumb ass sprawled all over the floor again? I thought we spoke to him about this."
"News flash Alex none of you are my mother and I don't listen to her anyway. Besides Marie's in the room away from me. Now go fuck yourself."
"It seems the great Alexander Peter Grace has officially pissed off our favorite red head."
Eijinn turns his attention to Bryant, eyes slit in agitation. There's nothing he hates more than being the center of someone's bad joke. Especially when it involves Alex.
"Bryant, if you don't shut your dick sucking mouth I will personally do it for you."
"Who pissed in your alcohol? Lighten the fuck up will you. No one has time for your bitchiness this morning "
"Fuck all of you okay. All of you can suck my..."
He stops short, eyes catching on Marie in the hallway. She's in baggy sweats and an oversized T-shirt again. It's all she ever wears, even when one of them drops her off for school. He's not once seen her in anything else. Almost as if she has something to hide from the world. So he watches her as if she's some new species of female he's trying to learn about. Although it's no surprise that when it comes to her she just may be a new species to him. The real problem is that he's always too drunk to ever actually take full notice of her and since at the moment he's far to sober to not actually pay attention he may as well take the opportunity.
"Staring is rude."
"So is you screaming at damn near four in the morning. And I'm not staring, I'm observing intently."
A smug grin takes shape on his lips. Instead of a response she just sits on the floor close by to Bryant's feet but also for whatever odd reason close enough to Eijinn to run her fingers through hired hair.
"Anya, he probably has lice, don't play with that. We don't need you catching any."
Everyone laughs at Aaron's snide remark, including Marie. Eijinn remains quiet, rather enjoying the feel of someone's fingers in his hair. He's already forgotten about the fact that she woke him up at four in the morning. That his mother has tried again to get him to take over his father's law firm. Forgotten that he's a high school dropout who will probably amount to nothing if he doesn't take this band dream seriously like the others do. He frowns when her hands stop their ministrations. The whispers of Marie and Mitchell are all he can hear.
"Really guys, whispering? Mitchie shut up, you're distracting her."
"Mitchie is saving her from your lice infected hair."
"I'm sorry Aaron I didn't realize you and I showered together last night. Anyway, why the hell were you drumming like your life depended on it."
"Not my life that depended on it. Shouldn't you be in bed? It's your turn to drop Marie off at school."
"Son of a bitch. Man, do I really have to take her?"
"You're the only one who's never taken her. Besides, think of the bonding you two could do. And you guys really need to start getting along especially if she's going to be here awhile."
"Then can we at least get her some decent clothes? I mean she dresses like sure homeless, which she's not despite the fact she's a runaway."
"When she gets home, certainly. Until then Marie you may as well go shower and get dressed. Eijinn same for you. And actually wear clothes you cunt, not just a pair of jeans and that sweater shit made of faux fur."
"Well fuck you too."
Eijinn, however, lowers his head back onto the floor allowing Marie to continue playing with it. Until she gets up to go shower as Mitchell has suggested for her to do. It takes him a few minutes, but he too soon trudges upstairs to his bedroom to shower. His room isn't fancy despite the massive size. It's probably more simplistic than the one Marie's using at the moment. The dresser is pushed up against the wall, next to the walk in closet, in the far corner. Both of which are conveniently located near the bathroom. His bed is pressed against the opposite wall, unmade. With an agitated sigh he goes to the dresser grabs a pair of faded jeans and a tank top along with clean underwear before heading off to shower. Once the water is on and steaming, he strips down and climbs in. This is the only place where he feels safe from the world's problems. Not that he didn't like the others, he just preferred not dealing with his demons around them. Unless of course it involved drinking. They all drank for various reasons, Mitchell being the only exception. He knew for a fact Mitchie only drank when they were home, which is rarely ever.
He sighs, shuts the water off, and gets out. It's now that it occurs to him that he didn't grab a towel. Just as he decides he want to go get one from his room the door bursts open. Standing there with a really large grin on her face is Marie.
"You guys have a show later!!! You're welcome!!!"
She sprints out just as fast as she came in, leaving Eijinn bewildered and flustered. Not a second later Aaron and Mitchell are standing in her place.
"We tried to warn her! But she is so happy that she's gotten us this gig that even Aaron couldn't grab her! I'm so sorry!"
"I don't know if she realized I was naked or not. She announced her news and took off. Who told her where my room was by the way?"
"No one, she heard the shower and came running. She'll realize it later. Don't say anything to her about it. Let her be happy and if you try anything with her I will personally emasculate you with a pair of scissors. Fuck with me today, I dare you."
Both Mitchell and Eijinn flinch as their green eyed drummer storms out the room. They know him to be violent, but not descriptively violent. This is something new to all of them. Finally, Mitchell shakes his head and leaves a small smirk playing on his lips. Eijinn stands there wide eyed for a moment trying to process everything that just happened. When his mind finally wraps around the idea that the band he’s the vocalist for has an actual performance, he rushes to get dressed, stumbles out his bedroom, and down the steps to the living room.
“You’re Serious? We have a show?”
“What, you have water in your ears? Did you not hear her when she burst in on you? Yes, we have a show. Don’t fuck it up for the rest of us you piece of shit.”
A smile brightens the red heads features, making him less intimidating than he normally appears. In but a few short strides he’s over by Marie and hugging her tight to him. She stiffens in his arms and everyone seems to take notice, including Jason who has spent as much time as possible ignoring them all since she got here.
“Thank you, so fucking much.”
She’s quiet as she nods, heart pounding in her chest, and terror coursing through her veins. Every part of her is aflame, wanting nothing more than to scream and hide. Still he holds her, the only person he’s ever known besides the guys who’s done something not for herself, but for them. That and this may be the only chance he gets to be this close to her before she shuts him out again like she has the past several weeks. Slowly he lets go of her, putting her at arm’s length before running back up to his room to find his shoes. No one says anything, scared of how Marie might respond. Except Jason, he quietly pats the spot beside him on the couch. She’s hesitant, but with shaky legs she moves towards the spot, practically falling into it and lying on her side. Her breathing catches in her throat briefly and then she’s screaming, her mind lost in the dark chaos that is her thoughts. Aaron is the first to move towards her in an attempt to calm her down. Only to end up pinned neatly beneath Jason. It’s not the best idea on Jason’s part considering the drummers temper has become worse, but it’s for the best. Until he sees a flash of movement beside him and a second glance reveals Mitchell and Alex swiftly moving Marie from the couch and onto the floor. He’s not certain of what’s going on anymore and seeing Eijinn come down the steps doesn’t help figure out what’s wrong.
“Get the hell off of me!”
“Not really an option, Aaron. I mean really.”
“Jason, when I get from under you I’m going to murder you and hide the body. No joke.”
Jason shrugs, but otherwise remains where he is. Eijinn moves forward his eyes glued to Marie’s petite form. He’s cautious and the others watch him warily as he crouches near her head one hand supporting him and the other hesitantly being placed on her head. She stiffens entirely, struggling to breathe. The vocalist is pretty sure he has no idea of what he’s doing, but right now he needs her to calm down before neighbors report them of murder. Her pupils are dilated from what he can tell. The hospital’s not an option if she has a more freaked out reaction than what’s already happening.
A black canvas dipped in red ink. Darkness in darkness. Nothing to ease the burn that remains on tainted skin. A fire incomparable to the blazes that take up California’s forests. Heavy hammering that doesn’t cease echoes in the shadows. Again it’s the same thing a new scar or bruise to ruin what can no longer be ruined. Whatever soul she once had is long gone. No longer a person but more a hollow shell of what used to be. Spiteful words bounce off of the empty walls and the inky recesses of her mind. She’s nothing without the ones who took care of her before. Sleep will never come to this frail body of hers. Hiding only makes things worse and far more terrifying. The shower is her only comfort, the hot water turning pale skin violent red, blending with the new tally marks carved into soft flesh. A silent scream for all the world to hear. Eyes puffier than the clouds in the sky. There are no words for the way she feels right now, not even to properly explain what she never imagined possible. So instead she makes friends with the devils in her head. The voices that would see her fall are her only comfort.
Someone’s trying to resuscitate her when she comes back to her reality. Someone is swearing at the top of their lungs and two others are yelling at that person to calm down. Somewhere else she hears feet scurrying around as if they’re frantically looking for something. There’s a weight on each of her legs and arms as if to say she needed to be held down.
“Welcome back.”
There’s a smile on the person’s face and soon she comes to realize that it’s none other than Eijinn leaning awfully close to her. Yet before she can freak out he moves back, just enough so that she can sit up on her own, without the excess weight of another person. She takes in her surroundings eyes still adjusting to the light. Sitting off to the side of her is Alex, those blue hues of his wide and bright with fear. This is a new sight for her, after all he’s done nothing but make sure her life with them is as miserable as he can make it. For what reason she’s not sure. The only thing she ever really did wrong was run into the middle of the street in the middle of oncoming traffic. He’d already been harsh enough about that. She is certain that she hasn’t said anything to offset the blonde haired boy in anyway. In fact, she makes sure not to set anyone into a bad mood. Not Aaron, who has a violent temper. Nor Jason, whom she is sure is near impossible to piss off as he speaks to literally no one unless needed. Neither Mitchell or Bryant, both of which show her nothing but utter kindness and do everything in their power to make sure she’s okay. Especially not Eijinn, although not talking to him may upset him. Alex on the other hand is just cruel to her. She avoids him as best she can only for that to turn into a problem. There’s no winning when it comes to the slender male. And just like that it’s gone.
“Go kill yourself somewhere else you stupid bitch!”
The words have hardly finished leaving his lips when there’s a loud cracking sound just after the sound of flesh hitting flesh. A thump of someone’s head hitting the floor and a scream filling the air. She barely registers Eijinn pulling her back, away from what’s happening. Somehow, her brown orbs recognize Bryant’s arms securely around Aaron’s neck, and Alex holding his face. Tiny arms reach out and a single menacing glance draws them back. There’s nothing she can do at the moment, besides wait. Her fragile heart hammers in her chest pressing against such frail ribs. Two pairs of very blue eyes with two different looks upon them. One pair holds hurt and shock, while the other pair burns with an ocean of rage. One set remaining brighter than the other. It’s not so much the looks in their eyes that force everyone to keep their distance, but more of the raging energy that they’re carrying now.
“I’m taking Marie. She doesn’t need to be around all of you, violent people. Especially Aaron. I’ll pick her up later from school. Other than that no one goes near her.”
“Fuck off. Bryant, let me go so I can beat Alex’s ass. Fucking stuck up piece of shit not worth the goddamn air he’s breathing.”
Eijinn tugs Marie out of the house before Bryant can respond to Aaron. The second the door closes behind them he releases her. She’s silent as she storms over to the van, where she’s stashed the school supplies they’ve given her since she moved in. She slams the passenger door shut, brown orbs adorned with some emotion he cannot read. He hums to himself, runs a hand through his still damp hair, and lowers his eyes briefly to the ground before getting in the driver seat of the van. His door closes with less force than hers did. Setting the key in the ignition he steals a glance her way. Quietly he starts up the van. It’s been a long time since they let him drive it. That being he was always drunk beyond comprehension. None of the others want to have to bail him out of prison for reckless driving and driving while intoxicated. Once he’s out on the road he tunes out everything including the crappy radio signal. This she enjoys, the quiet that’s left between them. And it has more to do with the fact that she has yet to feel properly comfortable around him. Though on his part if he didn’t lie on the floor sprawled the way he does she probably would be less wary of him. Before either knows it they’re at the high school.
“Stay out of trouble, they’re not going to call us if you don’t.”
She nods and climbs out heading straight for the double doors. Her eyes barely spot the figure approaching her until they’re in front of her. Both her feet stick in place, legs numb, and fear carving itself onto her face. It’s taken him awhile to find her, that much she knows. How he found her now, she’s unsure. Honestly, she wishes he hadn’t. In fact, she wishes she hadn’t have left the house. Wishes that at least Aaron were here to keep her safe. He’s not unfortunately and the one person she doesn’t want to be near is here. Honey brown eyes stare up at inky black ones.
“Just where the hell have you been?”