Razor Blade Symphony: Ch. 2

The music was louder inside. Jake led us into the kitchen, holding tight to Clary's hand. The kitchen was painted a light shade of pink with a washer and dryer behind the door. The white table in the middle of the room was full of liquor bottles, plastic red cups, and boxes of beer were in the fridge.

"Is this your woman?" A guy said as he pulled a can of beer out of the fridge. It was covered with magnets with funny sayings on them.

"Yup," Jake wrapped his arm around Clary's waist.

The guy pointed to me as he opened his beer and took a drink. "Who's she?" The guy had long, black hair that was straightened and spiky at the top. Black makeup was around his eyes and he was dressed in tight black jeans, cowboy boots, and a white leopard print scarf.

"This is her best friend Sierra," he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Sierra, Clary, this is our bass player Ashley Purdy."

Ashley looked me up and down before flashing me a smile. "It's nice to meet you. There is food in the dining room and the music is in the living room." He took another drink of his beer before walking out of the room.

"Don't mind him," Jake whispered to us.

The dining room was painted a cream color. A wooden table was in the middle of the room covered with bowls full of chips and dip, a plate of finger sandwiches, and a large veggie tray. There was a glass cabinet against the wall behind the table with pictures of magazine covers, trophies, and stacks of magazines. The rest of the furniture was wooden.

We walked into the living room. The music came from a large black stereo that sat on the shelf above fireplace with stacks of CDs on either side. The walls were the same color as the dining room and the couches were a dark green color. People crowded on the couches and standing against the wall, there was a thick fog in the air from the cigarettes. It left a heavy smell in the room.

"Hey Jake, is that your pretty little lady?" A guy said. He sat on the couch with his arm around a girl with bright red and black hair. His hair was black, spiky, and his clothing was dark and ripped.

Jake chuckled. "Jinxx, this is Clary and her best friend Sierra," He turned to us. "He is our rhythm guitarists. And this is Jinxx's girlfriend Sammi." He pointed to the red and black hair girl.

Everyone looked at us and I felt like I shrunk down to the size of an ant. I felt my cheeks turn read and I hung my head slightly, giving everyone a slight smile. Clary wasn't phased by the attention. Her smile stretched from ear to ear and her voice was loud and enthusiastic. "It's a pleasure to meet everyone!" She cried.

"This is C.C. our drummer," Jake pointed to a guy holding a red cup, leaning against the fireplace. He was dressed in tight black jeans and a t-shirt. His hair was long and spiked. Everyone Jake introduced us to had spiked hair. Why? I didn't understand the reasoning behind their hair. "And this is Andy, our singer," Jake pointed to a guy sitting on the opposite couch from Jinxx with long black hair that was teased. A black beanie was on top of his head and he wore tight black jeans, tight, v-neck black shirt with a black scarf, a rosary, and black makeup around his eyes. His blue eyes stared at me. "And his girlfriend Scout." She sat very close to him; hold onto one of his arms. She was dressed in a tube top and jean skirt with knee high boots.

I felt out of place as I backed out of the room. Clary and Jake were talking to his friends. I had nothing to say to neither them nor anyone else. I walked back into the kitchen, grabbed a rub cup, and made myself a screwdriver. I walked over to the curved stairs in the dining room and sat down, taking a book out of my bag. Parties weren't really my thing. There were fun and all, but only when I knew the people that were there. Everyone here was a stranger to me and I was completely uncomfortable.

I was lost in my five hundred page book, about half way through it and getting to the good part when Clary sat down next to me. She was holding a red, plastic cup tight in her hand. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You haven't been very social."

I sighed and looked up from my book. "I am not a very social person."

"Funny," she said sarcastically. "Come on. Come sit by me. Everyone in there is really nice."

I was quiet for a moment, picturing what would happen if I did follow Clary into the living room. She would sit between me and Jake as everyone talked, made jokes, and brought up funny memories that I wasn't a part of. I could see myself sitting uncomfortably and I could see everyone noticing, laughing at me and making comments about it. I shook my head. "No, I will stay here."

"Please?" She flashed me her "puppy dog" face.

"Go have fun," I said. "I'll be right here if you need me."

She sighed. "Okay. I will be in the living room if you need me." She was disappointed but left without saying another word.

I went back to my book. People walked in and out of the room, getting drinks from the kitchen and food from the dining room. But, no one paid any attention to me. I looked up for a brief moment to see what they were doing before returning to my book. It was a thing that definitely set people off. I was bullied a lot in school because I would rather read a book than going to recess or go to the mall or movies. Clary was the only one who understood the addiction books can have. We have been known to sleep over each other's houses and stayed up all night lost in our books.

"I really wish I didn't have to go," I looked up to see Scout fixing her long, dusty blond, curly hair in the mirror in the bathroom while Andy leaned against door way. He had a cigarette between his fingers.

She walked out of the bathroom between the dining room and the living room. She walked out, putting her make up back in her large, black purse. She grabbed a black sweater off one of the dining room chairs and slipped her arms through it. I held my head to my book that rested on my knees, watching them through my hair that hung over my eyes. I didn't want them to know I was watching them.

"Call me when you get there so I know you got there in one piece." Andy said. His voice was really deep. It was shocking considering how skinny he was. It was like he had no meat on his bones at all.

He walked her to the kitchen door. Scout wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. They embraced each other but they seemed distant about it, as if the love was fading between them. After she left, Andy walked back into the dining room with a beer in his hand. He stopped when he saw me. I quickly returned my eyes to my book and pretended I wasn't aware of anything around me.

"Hey,"

I looked up and he was standing in from of me. I gave him a quick, half grin. "Hi," I looked down at my book.

He took a seat next me on the stairs. "Not into parties?"

"Not really," I took a sip of my screwdriver, keeping my eyes on the book.

He nodded, taking a sip of his beer. "You want to go outside?" he said. "It's a lot quieter out there."

I looked up from my book and looked at him. His blue eyes sparkled in the dim light. I shrugged and closed my book. "Sure."