𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 ✞𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑘𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑧✞

part four

After what seemed like hours of driving, the two twins had covered all of the main features of their new town: the school, the small grocery store, the pier and the gas station. Pleased with their excursion, Tom slammed the drivers seat door closed with a metallic slam and started the engine, hearing the engine roar as the rock music resumed playing through the speakers. As the base circulated in the small interior, the pair smiled and laughed, excited by their new beginning.

Due to the town's small size, it was a matter of moments before the pair were pulling back into the neighbourhood, intrigued as they heard two voices bickering and shouting over one another.

Across the driveway, they noticed how the girl with the thin braids remained beside the mailbox in the same position they had left her in. Only this time, she was not alone.

Towering over her, a built brunette guy was practically growling down at her, his words passionate and angry as she attempted to intervene between each sentence as he spoke frustratedly. Muffled by the engine switching off, the two boys glanced at each other in confusion, attempting to interpret the the conversation.

"You gave him the fucking pills Rob! God, you are so stupid!" he spat between gritted teeth, dramatically throwing his hands in the air before grazing his temple with a infuriated exhale.

"You expect me to know what was going on in his head?" she defended, her voice replying in a similar confrontation.

At the point, the pair were already clambering from the car, the noice of the doors shutting indicating that Robyn's conversation was no longer private. Rapidly darting her eyes over, she noticed the watching eyes flicking between her and the boy in front of her and how their bodies stood poised and alert.

"Are you fucking listening?" he leaned down into her, slapping his hands together with anger.

Moving only her eyes, she widened them in the direction of her neighbours, indicating to him that they were now listening. Understanding, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her around to the passengers seat opening it with a frustrated huff as she slid inside. Eyes lowered and arms folded, she remained silent until the car pulled away, the boy beside her breathing heavily as he watched the pair of neighbours stand confused and suspicious in the driveway. She dared to look up at them, fixating her eyes on the dashboard.

Jay had been her childhood best friend for as long as she could remember. He was protective and passionate and one of the only stable things she had in her life. He knew everything about her: all of her mistakes, regrets and especially her past, which she hasn't managed to tell anyone else. The trouble started when the two realised they could be more than friends, forming their relationship into an odd complication of sex and feelings that's transformed their dynamic into what it was today. Jay introduced her to his friends, drugs and a whole new world of partying which at first, was something she regularly used to feel something. Anything.

At times, he remained the same sweet boy she once grew up with but with his increasing dependency on the party lifestyle, he became cold and distant. The two remained friends with odd complications for the past couple of months but were slowly overthrown by substances and mistakes that meant they notoriously fought and blamed one another for their shitty actions.

Today was no different as the two sat side by side in Jay's car arguing back and forth about who was held responsible. If only that night had never happened.

~*~

Buzzing with frequency, the large black speakers hummed in the small band room as Tom alternated between plugging various patterns of the wires into the wall. Leaning above him, Bill watched his brother frustratedly instructing him in harsh german that he was wrong and pointing repeatedly to one wire and one hole in the back of the left speaker. Shoving him out of the way, Bill pushed past him and knelt on the floor inserting the wire into the speakers and rolling his eyes at him as the sound dispersed into their backing track.

"Told you" Bill exclaimed proudly, flashing his gleaming teeth at his sulking brother who now collapsed down into the beanbag, spreading his knees comfortably in a masculine position which Bill always hated.

Due to the band room being in the front of their house, Bill approached the window, placing his thin arms on either side of the frame and intriguingly peering out of it.

"What happened to that girl? I haven't seen her in a couple days" he questioned, still gazing over at the derelict house beside theirs.

"Who? Robyn?" Tom replied, not diverting his attention from the pile of CD's he was organising.

Confused, Bill whipped his head around to look down at his brother. "How do you know her name?" his mouth slightly open in offence at the fact that his brother forgot to mention this to him.

He chuckled. "Her window is right opposite mine. We were smoking on the roof" he casually explained.

"What did you learn about her?" he asked, excitedly joining his brother on the floor.

"Not much. Not a talker" he replied.

"Oh" his tone dulled "I want to do her hair, she's gorgeous" he complimented.

Tom paused, remembering her glossed eyes and slender legs in the darkness.

"Yeah, I wouldn't complain if I saw her naked in the window from time to time" he smirked, side eyeing his brother who pulled a disgusted face in return.

~*~

Jay drove her home in silence two days later. Now wearing one of his black t shirts and some track pants she had left there once before, she moved from the passengers seat and onto the driveway, feeling the warm air hot on her face. She walked around the front of the car and joined him outside the drivers door, his tall body pressed against the side of the black car.

"Thank you" she softly spoke, looking up at him with genuine gratitude. They were always like this: not needing to elaborate on their apologies or thank-you's because there was a mutual understanding that they meant it.

Attempting to return back to her house, she was stopped and pulled into a hug, Jays broad arms swallowing her into a long and deep embrace. They both needed this. They both hurt.

"We'll get through this" he spoke down the trail of her neck, his words comforting and washing over her in relief.

~*~

One silent shower later, Robyn floated out of her bathroom and into her bedroom, the light towel clutched around her bare body. By this time, it was almost dark and her room was filled with a light air that dried the moisture from her skin. Amongst the complications of the days spent at Jay's, she had almost entirely forgotten about her new neighbour, now noticing his presence as he softly played a melody on a beige guitar in the window opposite.

Hearing shuffling from his left, Tom looked over to see the familiar braids of the girl he had spoken to here a few days prior. Only now, her skin was silky and moist, half covered by a white towel. He was mainly joking when he discussed this interaction with Bill, but now he figured it was coming true. And he couldn't help but look.

Shuddering, the voice of the girl snapped from her room despite her facing in the complete opposite direction to the window. Some how, she could tell he was watching.

"Quit being a perv" she barked, slightly smiling to herself as she faced the wall.

No reply followed as Tom continued to peer over the roof, now placing the guitar pick between his teeth as he smirked.