The girl next door, - ᴛ.ᴋᴀᴜʟɪᴛᴢ

Chapter thirty-four.

• YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME - BON JOVI

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☠︎︎ 𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚈'𝚂 𝙿𝙾𝚅

I was in bed, unpacking the box I found behind my door that I never finished when we first moved in. There were photos of Seb and I, low quality with our eyes red from the crappy flash. Then, a picture of my mother and father.

My mum and I looked incredibly similar. In fact, I barely carried any of my dad's traits. I look like Mum's teenage self, and she was in the same situation. Still is.

I never thought I would be like her.

She was such a nice girl, coming from my uncle, when she was a teenager. Before she went to dad's home country with him after she ran away from home, pregnant with Seb. Once they decided to abuse the shit out of him as a baby and let him fend for himself, they had me.

I wasn't a miracle either. My mum put me in a pillowcase when I was an infant, apparently almost suffocated me since I couldn't stop crying. She pushed the tip of dirty needles or cigarettes into my skin, even if I was just asking her a question.

I'm not sure if I ever liked her. But that's okay, because she doesn't like me either. That's why I have Seb.

For dad? No, he couldn't go three days without touching a teenage girl's ass. Fuck him. Fucking pedophile can put a gun down his throat, I won't stop his fat ass from blowing his brains out.

"Hey," I heard Seb say quietly, knocking against the doorframe. I glanced over to him, watching his eyes soften ever so slightly at the pictures.

"Hi," I muttered, shifting awkwardly and setting the pictures aside. "Sorry for snapping at you. It's just not a good time for me, like, ever." Seb breathed out, approaching and sitting down beside me to look at the box.

"I've figured." I murmured under my breath, resting my head against the wall. "So," Seb sighed. "You want to come to a party with me tonight or what?" He questioned.

I was surprised, but just slowly nodded. "Yeah," I grinned, looking back at him as he stood. "Be ready soon. It's almost ten." He said, walking out but stopping at my doorframe. "No drugs, Mandy."

"Maybe." I smirked, my eyes following as he left. I stood up, approaching my closet and searching through it.

☠︎︎ 𝚃𝙾𝙼'𝚂 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"As if we have the time to make new songs." I sighed, sitting down with cords splayed in my lap. "We've already made three albums this year, one live and the rest in the same span. What's a little patience?"

"Yeah, well, we still need to pre-record and rehearse Wir steben niemals aus, Tom." Bill sighed, walking around the room doing his vocals. "Uhn, get off my ass." I muttered, looking at the camera. "Bill always gets so bossy about this. Don't you, Bill?" I called out to him, putting my arms behind my head and leaning back.

"Tom gets paranoid and whines." Bill crossed his arms and sat on my lap. "Get off," I groaned, looking towards the camera as Bill just smiled kindly and glanced at me. "No."

I rolled my eyes, pushing him as he giggled and stood, walking off. I looked down at my lap, shifting as I grabbed out my buzzing phone and answered to the call. "Who's this?"

"Mandy," she said quietly before slightly speaking up. "Are you free?"

"Err," sighed, standing up and heading outside of the studio. "We just finished up rehearsal. Something wrong?" I said, the door thudding silently behind me.

"Mm-mm." She hummed in disapproval. "Just wondering if you wanted to come to a party with Seb and I?" She asked.

I smirked slightly, adjusting my jeans with a small waddle. "Yeah? You got an address?" I said, pulling out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from my pocket with my free hand, nodding slowly as she told me.

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☠︎︎ 𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚈'𝚂 𝙿𝙾𝚅

After I called Tom, it felt like there was a weight lifted off my shoulders. He wasn't mad at me anymore, and it was a great feeling. It was as if everything was going back into place. I was getting my shit together, and I hadn't been craving for a little while now.

"You ready to go?" Seb walked in, looking down at his cigarette before taking a quick drag before looking at me. "Mm," I nodded, tucking my phone into my back pocket. "Tom's coming. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Seb sighed, smiling. My head tilted slightly in surprise, and I nodded slowly. "Yeah?" I chuckled, pulling my belt around my waist. "Come on." I grinned, taking his cigarette and heading out of my room, then downstairs.

I watched as Mario glanced at me but quickly looked down as Seb approached, grabbing the alcohol he was bringing. I held my breath before turning away and heading outside to the curb to wait.

The bruises were gone. Not completely, there's still that ache in my ribs that made me scared for my life because I didn't get medical attention when I first got stomped, but by now, I was fine.

"Hey,"

I looked to the side at Tom, who was sitting on his porch by now.

☠︎︎ 𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚈'𝚂 𝙿𝙾𝚅

I hadn't seen her in those clothes, the ones that completed her curves, in a long time. She looked great. Just like when we had first met. But she always looked her best.

"Hi," she smiled, glancing at my cigarette before sauntering forward and taking it, her stilettos clicking against the cement. I smirked slightly as she brought it to her lips, taking a drag. "So you're coming?"

"Yeah, just waiting on Bill." I breathed out, fixing my gaze away from her ass and down at my lap before glancing at her arm.

She hasn't been using. It felt like such a relief, and it's not even my problem.

Once Bill had come out, Seb and Mario approached, and we all started walking to the address.