Brutal Love

Chapter 21

*Winnie's POV*

"Winnie are you ok? You were in there for a long time." Jakob asked me when I came back into Estelle's room.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I answered.

"I get it." Estelle said, winking. I started to get worried but then remembered there was no way she could know the real reason, so I calmed down. "Did you have a chat with Aunt Flow?"

I sighed, she thought it was my period. "Yeah. She was a little angry but I fixed it." I winked back.

"Is this the same aunt who you used to live with?" Jakob asked, obviously confused. Estelle and I burst out laughing.

"No, no. Don't worry about it." I said, through my laughing. When we calmed down a bit, Tre came into the room.

"Winnie, wanna come jam with us? I told Mike about you're drumming and he wants to hear. I said I'd ask, so here I am asking." He said. "Oh, by the way, have you seen Billie?"

"I'm right here." Said Billie stepping in next to Tre, fixing his belt. "I went to the bathroom." He made I contact with me and smiled. "Did I hear that Winnie could play drums?"

"Yeah, she's really good. So, will you jam with us?"

"Of course." I said. Then I turned around and looked at the other two. "Are you guys ok if I go?"

"Yeah, whatever." They said in unison before going on their phones. I rolled my eyes and left the room with Billie and Tre.

"All that bathroom talk, now I have to go." Tre said. Billie and I snickered.

"He mentioned it once." I said, shaking my head. "Billie can take me to the music room and we'll wait for you there."

"Ok, be there in like 5 minutes." And he ran off to the bathroom.

When I heard the door close, I slapped Billie's butt.

"Hey, I'm supposed to do that to you." He joked.

"Nope. It's safer if I do it to you." I grinned. "Plus, it's more fun."

"Why you..." He put me in a headlock and started giving me a noogie.

"Hey!" I laughed. "Stop that! You'll mess up my hair!" He stopped the noogie.

"Oh, wouldn't that be a shame. It'd be even more shameful if someone were to say...do this." And with a quick movement, he released my hair from the pony tail, making it fall on my shoulders. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked in the mirror that was there. He appeared right behind me."You look good with your hair down. I'm going to have to ask you not to wear it like that often."

"Why not? Aren't you usually supposed to say 'you SHOULD wear it like that more often'?" I made eye contact with him in the mirror. He just smiled.

"Yes, normally. But in this case, you're too beautiful like this. Someone might take you away from me and I don't want that." He leaned down so he was right next to my ear. "And I want you all to myself." He whispered seductively. I blushed and smiled shyly. He straightened out and kissed the top of my head. "Come on, there's instruments waiting to be played."

He walked away and I quickly fixed my hair a little bit before following him. I caught up and we walked side by side through the kitchen, saying quick hellos to Adrienne and Brittney, and down a couple of stairs and into a room full of instruments. Mike was sitting on the couch in the corner with his bass on his lap, playing a random tune.

"Hey Winnie, glad you could join us." He said, sitting up. "Tre?"

"In the bathroom." Billie and I said in unison. We looked at each other and laughed.

"Alright, well, while we wait why don't you take the drums?" Mike said, chuckling a bit. I shrugged and went over to the drum kit.

"What songs do you know?" Billie asked, picking up a guitar. "Or what song do you want to play?" I beckoned him towards me. I whispered the song I wanted and he smiled then went back to the microphone.

"Mike, come in when you know." Mike nodded and he started the guitar.

Wake up the house is on fire

And the cat's caught in the dryer

Philosophy's a liar

When your home is your headstone

I came in with the drums and Mike with the bass. I didn't miss a beat. I was on top of things. It sounded like Tre was playing, not me. We got through the song and we heard multiple hands clapping. I looked up and saw everyone standing in the doorway.

"That's my girl." Tre said, clapping the loudest. Mike and Billie looked back at me.

"Wow, that was great. You didn't miss a beat. It was like Tre himself was behind the kit." Mike said.

"Yeah, you did great." Billie said, beaming. "Do you think you could come in on a song you don't know is being played? We do it to Tre all the time and he never falters."

"Sure. Bring it on." I said, putting on my game face.

We played more songs and I got everyone right. The crowd eventually dispersed and went to go do their own thing. Tre plopped himself down on the couch and was drumming on his lap to the songs. It was going good until Mike and Billie looked at each other with a devilish grin and nodded, like some sort of signal.

Hey, little kid

Did you wake up late one day?

You're not so young but you're still dumb

I've never heard of this song before. Was it theirs? Was it new? Did they expect me to come in on my own and put my own drum beat to it? I caught Tre's eye and he was looking at me expectantly. So yes, drum on my own. I waited for him to sing a little bit more before I came in with the drums, playing a simple beat. I saw Tre's face light up but I didn't have time to think if I did it right or not. I played what my instincts told me to play. What came naturally. It was a really good song, and I bet with the actual drum beat it would be better. The song ended and I was panting and sweating. Tre was clapping wildly from his seat and Billie and Mike turned around and were staring at me with their jaws on the floor.

"What?" I asked. "Was I good?"

"Good? Are you kidding me? You were amazing!" Tre cheered.

"That song was a new song, how did you know the beat?" Mike asked.

"That was the beat? I just played what my instincts told me sounded right." I explained. "It was a really good song, by the way."

"That's incredible. That's exactly the beat I put to it and told Tre to play." Billie said. "You really have a gift, Win."

"Boys! Winnie! Dinner!" Called Brittney.

Tre was out the door in a matter of seconds and Mike carefully put away his bass before leaving the room too. Billie put away his guitar and I stepped away from the kit and headed to the door. Billie pulled me away from the door and kissed me on the cheek.

"You never cease to amaze me." He whispered.

"Neither do you, that song will definitely go on my phone." I said pulling out of his grasp and going back towards the door. "Come on, you can sit next to me." I smiled and left, with him right behind me.