Cold Mattresses

It had been like this for as long as I could remember. Since high school really. Well, that’s where I truly remember it beginning. I’d moved from Melbourne, one of the most freezing parts of Australia for this gorgeous country. That’s how I met the boys, I was in all of Tony’s classes and we became great friends after getting over the awkward shyness that came from both sides.

But after that stage, it was smooth sailing. We were always together, living at each other’s house the same as we did in our own. Then Tony came home with the brothers, Mike and Vic Fuentes and our twosome became a foursome and it went from there with Jaime Preciado coming in not long after.

But what I’m trying to say is that me and Tone, we’ve always had that super close friend where everything is so easy and nothing gets lost in translation, the type where we can tell what the other is thinking just by the expression on their face. The other guys and I are just as close but there’s just a click that I have with Tony and Tony alone.

And it was as I think this that Tony pulled a girl taller than me, about 5’4 with green tipped dark hair and a confused smile. Kate I could only presume.

Smiling happily, Tony nodded down at her. “Kate, I’d like you to meet my best friend Alice.” I watched as the confused look in Kate’s eyes clouded into one of surprise. Mentally rolling my eyes I pulled out the best smile I had in my arsenal.

“Nice to meet you, love. Glad my Turtle has a sheila to look after him.”

Her expression when I said that was priceless. God I loved Australian slang. The fact that I hardly use it makes it all the better for when I do.

“Oh,” Kate blinked, “I hadn’t realised you weren’t from around here.”

I raised my eyebrow at her as I saw over her shoulder Vic walking over towards us with a huge grin spreading across his face. Turning my attention back at her I shrugged. “You had no reason to suspect I was. That my dear is making assumptions and it’s really not a healthy thing to do. Now if you excuse me, an adorable little monkey is coming over and I must hug him.”

Getting away from the girl’s dark gaze as quickly as possible, I all but leapt into the hug that Vic pulled me in as he reached us. I laughed as he picked me up and spun me around.

I’d missed this.

“Look at my little girl!” Vic crooned as he sat me down, hands resting on my shoulders as he stepped back to take everything in. “Oh you’re so beautiful. I love your hair, blue suits you so nice! It’s been so long. Three months, argh, too long.”

This is why I loved Vic. He and Mike were the brothers I’d always wanted, always dreamed of and they filled the roll perfectly. I smiled up at the Mexican and couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of home as I stood in this living room, a couple of our close friends milling around while music pulsed gently throughout the house.

“What are you talkin’ about? I was only gone for a month.”

Vic wrapped his arm around me and led me outside to sit at the little table they had set up. “You my, little darling may have only been gone for a month but before that you were gone for two and only had a week’s holiday before leaving again. That is a hectic tour schedule and not once did we get to see you. So for all intents and purposes, you’ve been gone three months.”

Smiling across at Vic’s earnest face, I spoke up. “I face timed you three times a day, bitch. That’s more than most people get out of me in a month. But for what it’s worth, I love you and I’m glad to be home. Nothing like the good vibes of being around you boys.”

Vic laughed as he leaned forward against the table, arms stretching out lazily across the top before he linked his fingers loosely. “I love you too, Alice. You’re my baby sister, how could I not?”

I gasped as dramatically as possible. “You mean this whole time we’ve known each other you’ve only seen me as a sister? Did you not see the moves I put on you? All those late nights and pick up lines?”

Vic rolled his eyes with a grin. “Oh I did, but the truth is, I’m in love with another.”

I leaned in and slapped my hands on the table. “It’s Hime isn’t it? Oh I knew this would happen! I saw the signs; it was there the whole time. I should’ve listened when Tumblr said fuenciado was a thing.” I hastily rubbed the heels of my hands against my eyes as if brushing away tears. “My mother was right about you, Victor Fuentes, you broke my heart.” As I said that, I moved my hands to my chest as if holding my heart.

“Your mother loves me,” he said and I watched as Vic starred at me in silence for a minute while I kept up the façade before I felt my mask slip and we both burst out laughing. This was one of our regular jokes, not always about the fuenciado, sometimes we made up outrageous romances and just went with it the weirdest being when Vic had pulled the joke a couple of months ago and accused me of running of with Pablo, his “second personality”.

That was by far the best one he’d come up with for a while.

Wiping the tears of laughter from my cheeks I stood, still giggling mind you, and stretched before looking down at Vic who was trying to compose himself. “I’m gonna go get something to drink, you want anything?”

Vic shook his head as he stood. “Nah, I’m fine. I might give Leia a call, see if she can bring us McDonalds.”

I laughed at him as I nodded. “Good luck with that, buddy. Home girl may be your GF but I know what she’s like, she more than likely won’t do it.”

Vic smirked at me. “That’s because you can’t use the power of sex against her. She’ll do it if it meant no sex.”

I winced slightly at him before shaking my head. “That’s cruel, man.”

“I know.”

“Whatever, I’m gonna go find Mike and make him make me a drink.”

“Okay, Alice, okay.”

Notes

So I was going to make it longer but I felt that it would drag on and I didn't want that to happen so here's a little interaction between Alice and Vic. Hope you liked it.

Oh and I change the summary to Lorde because I felt that Tennis Court fit the story nicely.