Playing With Lightning

June 2009

“Hey Mum,” I flopped onto my stomach on my bed, my feet up in the air and the phone pressed to my ear as I answered my mother’s . “Yeah, I’m alright. Yeah, school’s good. I got an A+ on my English exam. Yeah, I did. He’s good too. Yeah, he’s got that band thing going on. Yeah he’s at rehearsal right now. I’ll tell him. I don’t know, Pizza I think. Stop worrying woman! Alright, I love you too, tell dad the same. Okay, bye.” Thanks God. That woman could really talk.

“Maeve, you home?” a voice called from downstairs.

“Where else would I be Dipshit?” I called back, hearing more than one laugh in response. Wait what? Those were definitely male voices. Max hadn’t said he was bringing anyone home.

I jumped off my bed, taking the stairs two at a time and sliding to a stop in the doorway to the kitchen. No sign of anybody. I went through to the lounge and stopped at the sight of five boys lounging across the couches and bean bags. Four of them looked up as I approached.

“Hey,” Max greeted me without looking away from the TV. “Guys, this is my sister Maeve, these are the boys from the band.”

“Um, hi, “ I said awkwardly. I looked down at my feet, the first time I noticed what I was actually wearing. A baggy striped t-shirt with red flannelette pyjama pants and fluffy pink bed socks. And my hair would still be in a messy ponytail on my head from having slept in it.

“Since grumpy guts over there won’t introduce us, I guess I’ll do the honours,” one of them spoke up, running a hand through his curly hair. “I’m Jay, this is Nathan, Siva and Tom.”

“Hands and eyes off boys,” Max warned, finally looking up to look over them seriously. They all held their hands up in a gesture of surrender.

“Scout’s honour mate,” one of them, Tom I think, spoke for them all. “Bit young anyway, isn’t she.” Excuse me?

“Maybe for you,” Max looked pointedly at the one who looked the youngest, Nathan. “She’s sixteen, and off limits to everybody.” Oh god, he’s so embarrassing.

“Chill out Max,” I rolled my eyes. “By the way, Mum called.  She said to tell you she found those old dolls you used to play with all the time. Apparently they’re in pretty bad shape, after all you haven’t touched them in what… three years or so?”

With that I walked out, hearing my brother’s new friends taking the mickey out of him and feeling satisfied. That’d show him to go all weird big brother on me in front of his admittedly attractive band mates.

I went to the fridge and pulled out the bottle of apple juice, the perfect drink at any time of day. I poured myself a glass and sat on the bench with my back against the cupboard to drink it. I jumped as a cupboard slammed, revealing an apologetic teenage boy.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s all good,” I shrugged. “Jay right?”

“The one and only,” he grinned. “Max said to tell you to order pizzas for dinner.”

“And Princess Maximillion can’t do it himself because…?” I prompted and Jay shrugged. I jumped down off the bench, grabbing the cordless phone and the Pizza take out menu. “What am I getting.”

“Hang on, I’ll check,” he ran out, coming straight back in with an order from all the boys. I repeated it to the Italian guy on the other end of the line, adding on a chicken pizza for myself.

The doorbell rang half an hour later and I slid down the banister to be the first one to answer it. The pizza guy was a cute teenager, who handed me the pizzas with a bored expression. Any other girl and he’d be smiling flirtatiously. Damn you awkward teenager stage.

See, I was still growing into my body. My limbs were long and gangly and I was completely flat-chested, much to my dismay.  I also had the displeasure of regular acne attacks and teeth that were too big for my mouth. So no, attracting the opposite sex wasn’t a talent of mine.

“Feeding time,” I called out into the house, hearing feet pounding on the floorboards to fall into the dining room chairs. I dumped the boxes on the table, filling a plate and taking it back up to my room. I chewed on a piece as I started up my computer, opening a chat with my best friend.

MaevyG: heeeey :)

LuLuLi: hey babe!

MaevyG: what’s happening?

LuLuLi: maths assignment, literally kill me. You?

MaevyG: hiding

LuLuLi: ????

MaevyG: my house has been overrun by… boys!

LuLuLi: Jesus M, what are you hiding from me?????

MaevyG: just Max’s bandmates. 4 of them and they’re cute too :O

LuLuLi: and you’re in your room talking to me, why?

MaevyG: sorry, didn’t I mention they were boys? CUTE BOYS?

LuLuLi: You’re so awkward I swear. Go let them ogle your goodies ;)

MaevyG: you’re gross, and delusional

LuLuLi: Shush it babe, you’re hot and we both know it.

MaevyG: Oh look, a subject change!

LuluLi: Loser

MaevyG: You love me

LuLuLi: Apparently not enough, I’m out. See you tomorrow love xx

MaevyG: Maybe ;)

MaevyG: Bye LuLu xx <3

“Maaaaaeve!” Max yelled. “Wanna come watch a movie?”

I made my way downstairs yet again to find the boys putting in 2012. I positioned myself in my favourite arm chair, curling my feet up under me. I’d already seen the movie like three times with Max, but it was good so I didn’t mind.

Once it ended, the other boys were getting their stuff together to go home. They all gave me friendly hugs before they left. Max showed them to the door and returned to the lounge room, leaning against the doorframe.

“Thanks,” he said out of the blue.

“For?” I prompted.

“For not being weird and embarrassing, for once,” he finished with a grin, turning around and going upstairs. I rolled my eyes and shut off the TV, following him up and going back up to my room.