I'm Crying Underwater So You Don't Hear The Sound
Under The Sunset We Started To Drink
I can’t help it, the beaches here in San Diego are just gorgeous— and in all honestly, I’m glad I came here. Nobody to bother me, nobody to make me feel like a pile of shit and nobody to bring me down. People were actually genuinely nice around here— well, the people I’ve encountered so far. So much better than London, so refreshing. As soon as my feet touched the San Diegan ground from that plane I literally felt a rush going through me; you know when you know something’s going to be good and you can literally feel it in your bones. That’s exactly how I felt at that moment in time. It’s been four years since the Incident. I’ve moved on with my life and truth be told I’m glad I didn’t commit. Though I get the usual uneasy feeling, wherever I go. I gave a small grumble and pushed my hair out of my face with both of my hands before placing them both beside me and lifting myself. I felt the muscles in my legs loosen up as I had been in the same position for quite a while and hadn’t moved since but it was my back that bothered me. I pushed out my chest and wiggled around a little before feeling a pop somewhere in my back bone. Ah, that felt really good after being hunched over. Maybe it’d be best if I went back to the house now. I grinned at the good feeling swarming inside my belly and glanced at my watch. Fuck ‘maybe’ I really do need to get back to the house.
It was a fair five minute walk from the beach to the house. Literally, there’s just a row of houses right behind the beach, and loads of palm trees in the open spaces between each house. Which was lovely, though not at night while I’m sleeping and it’s swaying like bat shit crazy. I kept looking back at the coast and how the lights of other houses shone through in the background before a heavy bass caught my attention and snapped my neck back to the direction of the houses. My brows furrowed as I picked up my walking pace and jogged down the road where the two parallel lines of houses started. My house was the second on the right, and there was another right next to it, so the third on the right, which was exactly where the bass was coming from. It was literally shaking the ground, I could feel it crawling through the cracks of the paving and pounding on the tarmac road, taking my body with it’s drops. There was obviously a party going on at the house, I could hear a bunch of voices coming from all around the estate and the music really explained it all.
There were a few guys huddled around each other outside the house, talking rather loudly to each other, I don’t blame them. Over all that noise it must be hard to communicate. I noticed one of them; I’d seen him a couple times but he had never noticed me— who would? He was quite tall, like his friends, they were all towering over each other and making large movements, probably cracking a few jokes. You could see his ear plugs, whole plugs this time, no gap. He had his hands shoved deep into his ripped jean pockets and stood smiling largely at the group with a grey hoodie and snapback. To be fairly honest, he was quite the looker.
I turned my attention back to walking home, I wanted to avoid trouble, not get myself tangled in it again. Not that I was one for not liking trouble, just.. I didn’t want these guys to bother me. If you catch what I’m trying to say? I heard some names being shouted out as I turned my back on the scene. I groaned as I heard they were trying to call for me, I tried to pretend I couldn’t hear them but I felt a heavy hand clasp around my arm and turn me gently.
“Hey.” It was that same big toothy smile that was put on show for the group ahead. What was I supposed to say? My expression immediately transmit from blank to full of light and all happy happy.
“Hi.” I chirped at him. If I didn’t know any better I’d say my voice made me sound a bit desperate, but he didn’t seem to pay attention to how my voice sounded, instead his smile grew and he let his hand slide down my arm and in front of my chest waiting for a handshake.
“Tony,” he gave one of those greetings guys usually do by nodding his chin up in the air and bringing it back down in one swift movement. One of those ‘sup’ nods. “I’ve never seen you around here.” his brows furrowed into confusion but his round eyes showed complete excitement. His voice was the kind that you could fall asleep to, not in a boring way but the way that it’s soft and gentle. It’s something that made you feel comfortable, and that’s exactly how I felt as he spoke to me. I glanced at his open hand and hesitantly took it, smiling back at him.
“Well I’ve seen you quite a bit.” I slid my hand out of his grip and looked around at the houses.
“You have? Hm, doesn’t make sense to why I haven't seen you. But you’re not from here are you?” He cocked an eyebrow and gave a small laugh. Bless, he was adorable! I couldn’t help but respond to his laugh by doing the same.
“No I’m not,” I picked up my posture and wiggled my brows in which he laughed again. “I just recently moved here actually.. I’d say a week ago.” He let his tongue glide over his plump bottom lip and bit it so softly, his eyes widening just at the slightest.
"A week ago? Oh good," he laid a hand on his chest and stumbled backwards a little before laughing again, "I thought you came here long before a week ago and I've just been ignoring you, but I wouldn't ignore a face like yours. Trust me." He stepped forward and slid his hood down before taking off his snapback and running his fingers through his hair, ruffling it into a certain style then placing his hat back on. His hands returned to his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels, "So what brings you to San Diego?"
"I just needed a fresh start." I clawed at my left wrist and quickly swung them behind me and look dead at the ground beneath my feet. This Tony had obviously noticed because from the corner of my eye I could see his dazzling smile almost instantly disappear and the positivity in his eyes flushed away by suspicion.
"So uh — Who're you here with?" I rolled my head back into the middle of my shoulders and gave a small smile,
"No one. I'm here by myself." I picked at my skin behind my back, raking my nails down my wrist. I could feel the anxiety sliding up my back and throwing it's arms around me.
"Yourself?" He snorted, "C'mon, you've got to have a boyfriend with you or something?" I couldn't help but burst into laughter, I shook my head roughly and took his hand to apologise for my sudden outburst.
"No, no no! No boyfriend! No girlfriend, no nothing! Just.. me." I relaxed my body and bought my hands back from him. He watched carefully as I took them back and softly smiled at the action.
"Why the sudden fit of laughter?" He tilted his head to the left and let it rest on his shoulder. Or almost rest any ways.
"Because for you to think I have a boyfriend— Wow." I gave a small laugh before biting my upper lip and looking down completely. Letting my black hair cascade over my face and hide my embarrassment.
"Well, I'm pretty shocked that you don't. I mean— Look at yourself." He motioned circles with his hands
"What about myself." I picked up my head in a fast motion with my eyes wide, what did he mean?
"You're kidding me!" He exclaimed in such a horrific way all his breath had been claimed by the wind as he exhaled. He took a deep breath in and laughed for a second and turned back to the group of boys who were watching us with smiles and toothy grins as if expecting something to happen. He turned back, his eyes wide and jaw hanging, "You're.." He made odd gestured again, "You're beautiful. You know..” He started to rub the back of his neck awkwardly.
I— I had no idea how to respond to this. I’ve never been complimented unless it was by family or a few girl friends at school. I have never had male attention this long either, in fact, never attention in general like this. I have to be honest though, I did like it. I mean this Tony guy wasn’t so bad after all. He was rather sweet and genuine unlike most guys I’ve came across. I liked it. I liked him. I was sure of it.
"Mm.. Thanks, I guess.. that was — sweet. Really." I felt an unfamilar pinkness crawling onto my cheeks, they settled there before I could turn away so Tony noticed it and gave a small laugh.
I felt his hand reach out to me and pull me just a little closer. "So — do I get a name?" He leaned into the left so he could catch a view of my face. I lifted my self and laughed, he simply watched and grinned like crazy at me. God I must be making a fool out of myself. I stop laughing and put my weight onto my left leg, one eyebrow propped on my forehead to question him, as if to say 'who do you think I am?' in a joking way, of course. He responded in the same way, except both his eyebrows were raised. "What?" He chuckled out. "Okay, uh — if it makes you feel any better, I'm twenty three aaand I'm single so now you know I'm a real genuine guy." I gave another laugh but when I stopped my eyes were continuing my smile for me,
"Okay okay. My name's Skylar, I'm twenty two." He leaned his shoulder in to me,
"Skylar what?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
“Tony what?” I mimicked his actions and laughed.
“Tony Perry.” He peered up at with me with his round eyes, I couldn’t help but bite my lip and give a little giggle.
“Skylar Grace.”
"That's a beautiful name for a beautiful lady."
"Mhm, is it now?"
"Of course!" He quickly raised his hands in the air as if to surrender, "Not that I'm hitting on your or anything I mean I'm not Mike—"
"—Mike?" Who was this Mike person all of a sudden? I furrowed my brow and took the smallest step back.
"Yesh, Mike, My band mate." Band mate. So he's in a band? And yet he decides to stand here and talk to me while he could snatch up any other girl who is, might I add, way better than me in every single way there is.
Or was this what he was doing? "Band mate, huh. You're in a band?" I came closer as cocked my head to the side as I honestly did want to know more. I could feel the breeze sneaking up my shirt and wanting pull me away, as if to say 'stay away, he's bad news!' but I didn't want to bail just like that. Maybe he is in a band. But he can't be that bad.
"Yep. I play guitar, Mike plays drums. His older bro Vic plays the guitar and sings, might I add he's got a beautiful voice that you will surely love, and then the youngest member plays bass and his name is Jaime." So four guys, two were brothers and the other two.. friends?
"So you're all a bunch of friends slash brothers in a band?" I nodded slowly, the corners of my lips curling into a smile. "That's great! So what type of band is it, do I get a listen?"
"You know like.. Punk rock, post hardcore.. We're pretty awesome actually." I laughed at how he self promoted his band, I'd honestly love to hear their music. He pointed at my shirt before I could respond with anything, "And I can give you a demo CD if you like seeing as you're into the rock genre of the music world, huh." I laughed again at how he noticed my Nirvana shirt. You cna't be a good rock band if you don't know who Nirvana are.
"Into the rock genre I am, Tony Perry!" I saluted him jokingly before following his lead as he reached his arm around me to walk me to the house.
"So is this your house, or..?" I was unsure of where to put my hand as he was a giant compared to me, and it would be strange if I just let my hand just rest on his butt so I kept a tight grip on his hoodie which he eventually tore off his body once we got closer to the house.
"Our house. We, the band, Pierce The Veil, live here— for the time being until we start touring." He pulled away from me and swung his hoodie around me, shook it a little for me to put my arms in. So I did, quite hesitantly.
"So you guys are like a legit band?" I replied as I pulled the front of the hoodie to let it sit on my back and shoulders properly.
He laughed, I liked the way he did that. It was cute, and the way his eyes squinted as he laughed, it was adorable. "Legit indeed miss lady."
The quite vibration in my throat soon turned into an audiable giggle in which I threw my hand over my
mouth to stop my self from producing anymore sound like that. The group of boys had retreated to go inside, except one of them stayed. He was tall, taller than Tony, and rather scrawny. But those lip piercings were something on him. The way this one kept sliding his tongue over his single snake bite. Was he one of the boys in the band?
"Mike—" Tony reached over to him and gave him one of those man hugs guys usually do. So this is Mike. He was rather attractive for a scrawny little thing. Well.. not little but— Tall but— Any way.
"Oh! The drummer of the legit band Pierce The Veil." My smile stretched further as the drummer boy bit his lip and stared me down. He came forward to greet me, the same way Tony did, with a handshake.
"Hello miss lady." He chimed, shaking his hips toward me.
"Her name's Skylar, Mike." Tony's tone just went from happy and cheerful to pissed off and brutal. My expression dropped the same time as Mike's. He turned sharply to face Tony again.
"Chill out for fucks sake Tone." Now Mike's tone had changed also, he quickly turned back to me and roled his eyes, at Tony clearly because I had done nothing wrong.
"I—Is everything okay?" I quesiton the both of them, my head turning to both sides.
"Hu—Yeah, everything's okay Skylar, why don't you hang around with Mike for a bit actually—"
"—Yeah, why don't you hang out with me."
Tony looked like he was about to say something else but he chose not to. He bit his lip harshly, groaned rather loudly and turned to enter the house without another word. Were these two not friends or something? Surely they were, I mean they play in a band together they had to get along with each other, right?
"Are you guys.. okay? Like.. You're both friends right?" I wanted to tap Mike on the shoulder to get his attention back but he seemed to have heard me and responded without having to ask me to repeat.
"Yeah, we're fine. He just over exagerates sometimes, the little turtle turd." I so desperately wanted to laught at the last words Mike had said, but I couldn't because I felt bad for Tony.
So Mike had led me through the house, grabbed two bottles of beer of which I had kindly rejected— my tastebuds seem to reject the flavour beer carried— and let me upstairs which was surprisingly empty. I thought it was a party with people getting drunk and everything. I thought there would be at least one couple trying to get it on or something, but nobody but now us were upstairs. Did he perhaps do this on purpose?
"If you don't drink beer, what do you drink?" Mike slid past me easily with his tiny self and into his room and his way to a chest of draws to pull something out.
"Um— I uh, I drink whiskey, I guess." I heard Mike make a satisfied sound from his room as got nearer and hesitantly entered it.
"My kind of girl aren't ya Sky, you don't mind if I call you that do you?" He dropped his hands to his side with an innocent expression his face as he asked me that.
"No, no of course not. I could get called that a bit by my old uh friends back at school in London."
"So you're British?" He piped up and he became the same person he was a few seconds ago.
"Yep," I gave a small laugh. "Original Brit right here."
"British, beautiful and you like whiskey. Damn." I couldn't help but laugh at his response.
"What?" I laughed as I came closer to him. He turned his head away from what he was doing and gave me the sweetest toothy smile I've ever seen, though Tony's was also quite adorable too.
"Nothing beautiful." He pulled away from the chest of drawers and handed me a glass of whiskey, "You said you liked whiskey right?" He shook it a little and grinned. I gently took it from him before he cheers'd me and we drank form our glass.
"I hope you didn't spike me." The aftertaste of the whiskey really went right through me. The way the bronze liquid slid down and burned my throat, it left a desire for more in the pit of my stomach where a fire blazed. I refrained myself for I didn't exactly want to get drunk over whiskey in font of some guy I just met.
"Fuck no! You crazy?" He juggled the glass in his hands gently as we stood silently for a few moments. I waited for him to start up a conversation but them I decided to go for it anyways. I think it was the whiskey!
"So you're a drummer I hear." I took a step toward him and circled the top of the glass with my index finger. He smiled down at me. My God was he taller than Tony Perry. Way taller.
"Abso-fucking-lutely princess." I grinned at him.
"How good are you?" I stuck my tongue out by the slightest to collect the stinging sensation the whiskey had left behind on my lips. I saw Mike's eyes watch my tongue gently, his mouth just slightly parted and pupils dialated to the point where his irises and the whites of his eyes were the only thing visible. He inched further toward me and craned his neck.
"Pretty fucking good. I can show you sometime maybe, if you're up for it."
Now I was never the flirt but this Mike was definitely one himself. And it wouldn't hurt to tag along would it? I mean I don't want to give him the wrong impression but I'm sure he's genuine enough like Tony to not take in that direction.
"You sure can. I also heard your brother sings, his name's V— Vic right? That's what Tony said." I squinted at my memory, the whiskey has definitely had an effect on me tonight.
"Indeed. So I'm guessing you know who Jaime is then right, and what he plays?" He straightened his posture before taking a few slow steps back to the door. I watched him carefully with cautious eyes, if he dare tried to lock that door— so help me.
"Yeah, he plays bass, right?" I kept my eyes on Mike but instead of closing the door like I thought he would he exited the room and motioned for me to follow him back down the stairs. I did so and in the proces of doing so I almost tripped down the stairs, luckily Mike had grabbed me by my waist from as I almost tripped over the same step he was on and pulled my back to him.
"You're alright, I got you." He whispered into my ear before giving me a small push and turning me around. He had this burning desire in his eyes, I didn't understand what for. We stood on the steps for a moment again before he called, "Yo, Jaime!" A fluffy haired youngster skid across the laminates of the house and stopped by hitting a wall, "Si senor?" He replied with a smooth Spanish accent. He jogged up the stairs.
"So he's—you're Jaime?" They both looked at me and nodded. I gave a small laugh and stared at Jaime for a while before coming to a conclusion, "Aren't you adorable."
"Aw shucks, thank you." He made a goofy face and leanded against the wall in fron of us. Mike had his arms folded and chuckled. There was sweat dripping down Jaime's temples that soaked his hairline.
"So uh—Mike." He spoke, making a weird face me and doing the same nod Tony did to me earlier on, "Is she uh— you know? Did you... uh." Mike made a sudden movement from beside me and yelled at Jaime.
"Dude! No! Fuck no! Tony met her! He found her outside! She's a new neighbour!"
"You say it like I'm some sort of lost dog." I mumbled. Mike heard and turned back to me, "Sorry?"
I allowed a smile and nodded, "It's fine."
Jaime was doubled over in fits of laughter, his whole face flushed red. He stumbled onto his kneesl cackling like a hyeana.
"Fucking—." Mike groaned and slid down the stairs past Jaime and into the lounge. "Get up you goofball." He growled at Jaime, who was still on the floor but pulled himself together as soon as Mike walked past him. Bless him, he looked just a little bit terrified of Mike. I walked over to Jaime and reched my hands out for him which politely took and heaved himself up.
"Thanks." He dusted himself down and I gave him a soft smile.
"It's okay."
Me and Jaime trailed into the lounge which was pretty fucking huge, I saw Tony and Mike hanging a guy who was way shorter than the gang. I felt a hand slide into mine and pull us through the crowd, I opened my eyes wider to see Jaime holding my hand and gesturing for me to go first but I shook my head and he returned his hand to side before guiding me over.
"Thanks for leaving me asshole." Jaime announced, to Mike clearly.
"I wasn't gonna wait around and wait for you to pick up your sorry ass." Mike voice was drowned in more whiskey, it had become more raspy and I could smell the liquour from his mouth as he spoke.
"Yeah well at least she's generous enough to. I don't know how you managed to keep her around you long enough Fuentes." Jaime lazily rested his arm around my shoulders.
"I see you've finally met Jaime, Skylar." Tony tipped a bottle back into his mouth and gulped down it's contents before licking his lips over and looking back at me.
"Yeah. I like him." I heard Mike grunt and give me a stern but playful look.
"So if you like Jaime, you must love me then right?" He teased, I laughed at this and gave him an innocent nod.
"Absolutely Mike, yes, yes I do."
"Hey! Are you forgetting me? Really guys, really?!" The shorter member spoke. His wavy, brown locks resting on his shoulders and bouncing at the slightest as he spoke. I tried to run through my memory quickly so I could reassure him he wasn't forgotten.
"Vic?" I asked with one eye closed.
"Oh so you did tell her 'bout me. Atta boys." He gave Tony a pat on the shoulder before sliding over to me and holding out a hand like the rest of the boys did. "Vic Fuentes at your service, senorita." I gently placed my hand in his with a laugh and allowed him to press his lips against the top of it.
"Fuentes?" I shot a glance to Mike and then his brother Vic. "So you're.." I furrowed my brow before finally clicking, "Spanish!"
Vic held up a finger to correct me, "Actually, we're Mexican." It was the same thing right?
"We all are, Skylar." Tony shot me the softest smile. I took a look at all of them carefully. They surely didn't look like they came from a Mexican culture. I mean, they all had— well, excluding Vic, or maybe he did— tattoos, literally loads of them too and Tony's plugs were huge, and he had spider bites so that didn't make sense to me. Mike drank whiskey and had tattoos running up his hands and plastered on his chest and both sides of his neck.
"You don't look like you come from a Mexican culture. I'm pretty sure Mexican parents are strict on body mods." I heard Tony give a small laugh, then Jaime.
"Yeah, my mom was pretty strict on the whole tattoo thing, I have to hide these babies from her." Jaime shrugged.
"Mm, my mom didn't really mind, it was the plugs that bothered her." Tony spoke out after.
I looked at Mike who I happened to catch staring at me like a hawk, but not in the way that he wanted to kill me— in a way that he was trying to.. seduce me. Strangely. "I gotta agree with Jaime, I mean our mom," he made a gesture between him and Vic, "has like five tattoos so—"
"—Yeah but they're more in hidden places, whereas you hermano have like a hundred, and you can see them all the time." Mike waved away his brothers words.
"So, she still has tattoos!" Vic hushed him and shook his head. I turned my attention to him,
"Do you have tat's Vic?" I asked poltiely.
"Nope. Not one, darling." He drawled out the world 'darling' and it made me melt. "Do you?" The boys turned to look at me with interested eyes. I would usually say that a bunch of brown eyes were boring, but damn, these four pairs of brown marbles were most certainly not boring in the slightest bit. I gave a small smile and leaned my right shoulder into the group.
"I have this. This is the latest tattoo I've had done. I got it a week ago, before I left to come here to San Diego. I've got another one on my thigh, the only colourful tattoo I have, it's of a dream catcher and it's got two roses around it. I have a paw print with a star in the middle of it on my shoulder blade, underneath it writes my dogs name; Orion. I've got an arrow here," I pushed out my arm and pressed a finger on the upper and inner part of my arm, "I've got the ying and yang on my neck, a small bird cage on my middle finger," I raised my right first and showed them the cage tattoo, "I also have moons going down my spine." Mike raised his eyebrows in fasination.
"Maybe one day I'll get to see that thigh pierce up close, hm?" I gave a pretend shocked look at Mike, Jaime laughed at Mike's response and Vic went 'oooh' Tony still looked pretty pissed with Mike, even more now that he had said that.
"That's enough Mike." Tony said in a rather bored tone.
"It's okay, Mike was only kidding.. right?" Mike gave Tony a confused look and shook his head before turning back to me.
"Only if you want me to be Sky."
"Sky? That's a nice nickname, you don't mind if we all call you that do we? Unless if it's Mike's personal pet name for you then.. You should be calling him WhiskeyHands." Vic chucked and fist bumped Tony who seemed to have lightened up at Vic's comment.
"Yeah, I'm fine with that. Unless it is really my pet name, WhiskeyHands." I noticed Mike almost fell backwards at what I called him, the boys roared with lauhgter, Tony and Vic were going isane over this and Jaime was just biting his fist. I didn't understand why.
I thought back to what Tony said earlier and remembered that he told me Vic was Mike's older brother. How old does that make both of them? I looked at Tony in search of an answer but he couldn't read my mind obviously so I turned to Mike again.
"Erm.. How old are you Mike?" I asked with a tone of seriousness but quickly added, "I remember Tony mentioned Vic was older than you, so.." I decided to let them figure out what the end of my sentence was going to be and Mike answered within a second.
"I'm twenty three, Vic is three years older so that makes him twenty six." I gulped at the answer and tapped the table. Well, fuck. Shit. I take back the way I felt about Vic's voice, that's a bit too creepy for me and I'm sure if Vic could hear my thoughts he'd happily agree with me.
So these four boys, are friends, and brothers, in a post hardcore punk rock band and now I know them. What could go so wrong? They seemed genuine and kind and nice. I didn't think anything could go wrong.
Notes
Okay when the boys are speaking and saying things like 'mum' I write them the American way, so like if they're talking about chips they'll say 'fries' obviously. Just wanted to get that clear because I am British myself :)Skylar's outfit = http://www.polyvore.com/can_we_create_something_beautiful/set?id=86105988
I'm sorry this is really long!
6/20/13