In Drummer Heaven

Family Matters

We finally finished up the song and we headed to the bar. We do work tonight but we're opening so we're not going to be here all night. The bar is open but dead, Rose and Jade are sitting at the bar spinning on the stools while Jewl and I lean against the bar wall.

"Whatcha thinking about, Jewl?" Jade wonders and her twin jumps a bit.

"Well you know how in Darcy's song it was talking about how long it's been since we've all been home?" She says and we nod. "It's been seven fucking years! Like that's a second grader!"

"Okay, where are you going with this train of thought?" Jade wonders. "You're not going home, are you?"

"No just...I don't know Jadie." Jewl says and bites her lip. "Remember when we were six and dad had to go to Georgia for a work thing?"

"Yeah." Jade smiles. "We wanted to go so bad because we thought he was going to grandma's. We refused to go to the airport to say goodbye."

"Then big brother Jake said that the plane might crash and kill dad like what happened with Ronnie Van Zant." Her twin continues. "We bawled for hours on end."

"Until dad called us from the hotel and promised us that everything was okay." Jade smiles.

"What did your parents think of the move to Los Angeles?" Rose wonders.

"Didn't understand it." Jade says quietly and looks down.

"It turned into this big fight. Jake said we were making the biggest mistake of our lives." Jewl says and narrows her eyes.

"Mom begged us not to go." Her twin mumbles.

"Dad didn't even say goodbye." The twins say in unison.

We all go quiet and I find interest in my Chuck Taylor's. When I look up again Rose is smiling.

"This one time my family went to the zoo, okay?" She says with a laugh. "My baby sister Margie loves giraffes and she was so excited to see giraffes. Mom and dad started fighting and Margie hates it more than any of us when they fight. Margie ran off and we spent the whole day looking for her. I tell you we should've known where she was. Margie spent the whole day watches those giraffes." I smile.

"How old are you're siblings now?" Jewl wonders.

Rose thinks for a minute than laughs a bit.

"Adam is thirteen, Lisa is twelve, Margie is, oh Christ, she's ten." She says. "It's been so long."

I'd never say it out loud but I'm jealous of the girls' home life. They had a real family, even if Jewl and Jade's dad traveled for work a lot and Rose's parents fought like they hated each other but it's still a family. Maybe if my parents didn't....

No stop thinking about that, Darcy!

"Darcy?" Rose asks and I jerk my head up.

"Yeah?" I ask and she smiles.

"Where's your head at?" She asks and the twins smirk.

"Tommy-land." They say in unison and I make a face.

"I was thinking about my family." I say and their eyes grow.

Shit.

"Tell us about them!" All three of them say.

"I don't even think I know where you're from." Jade admits.

"Uh, well." I mumble and take a deep breath. It's now or never. "I'm from North Carolina, this small bullshit town. We owned a dude ranch, until my folks died in a wreck when I was small. I went to my uncle's in New York for a while but that was shit. I moved in with my cousin in Chicago before coming here."

I look up from my hands to see my friends looking me. They are completely awe struck and I scowl. Maybe I shouldn't have told them this. They're going to fucking hug me,I can tell by the way they're looking at me. In the next second all three of them are hugging me and I'm now uncomfortable.

"Okay. Get off me." I mumble and they laugh.

Tommy

We all walk into the bar that Darcy and he friends work at.

"Yankees are playing the Dodgers on Friday." I hear Darcy say and I smile.

"That's basketball?" Rose asks and Darcy makes a face.

"Not that's football!" The twins say and Darcy covers her face.

"Why am I friends with you three?" She mutters.

I don't know what Darcy and I are, I mean I really like her. She's gorgeous and funny, and hot, and she's the best person to have conversations with. I really like her. I've gotta see where she thinks we stand.

I walk over to the bar and Darcy lights up, I smile when she looks at me.

"Hey Tommy." She says sweetly.

"Hey Darc, can we talk for a minute?" I wonder and she looks around the empty bar.

"Hate to leave a busy bar." Darcy smirks and I smile. "Yeah, come on."

We walk over to the pool table that sits in the corner. She leans against the side and I stand in front of her. Darcy smiles at me and I have to smile. Maybe if I open my mouth and the proper words will fall out.

"What are we?" She asks. "Are we together? Are we not?"

This is going to be a lot easier for me now.

"I really want to be together, Darc." I say and she lights up.

"I knew there was something I liked about you." Darcy jokes and I smile.

I lift her face up to mine and our mouths connect. I feel my friend and her friends looking at us but Darcy kisses me back. When she pulls back I smile and move her blood red hair away from her face.

"We're together now, right?" I ask and she laughs.

"Yeah, we are." Darcy tells me and I grin.

"Good." I say. "I guess we need to go out on a date now." I drop my hands to her hips.

"Yeah? What were you thinking?" She wonders and I smile.

"I heard a pretty little bird say that the Yankees are playing the Dodgers on Friday." I say and she lights up. "Would you go to the baseball game with me?"

"I'd love too." She says and I smile.

"I've never been so excited for a baseball game." I admit.