Quiet vs. Loud

Combined Music

Riker's POV

The day after Jackson's party, everyone in my house slept late but me.  I couldn't stop thinking about the gift that I had hidden for Rayne in Jackson's closet.  When I saw how much Rayne had loved the puzzle I had made for her, I came up with an idea of how she could use it as a decoration in her room.  After she had fallen asleep the night before the room painting, Jackson and I had gotten up and glued all the pieces together so they would not come apart.  Then, we attached a wire on the back so she could hang it up.  Then Jackson and I had snuck out and taken the puzzle over to his house and given it to Evan, who had hidden it in Jackson's room for us.  I hoped that when she saw what I had done, she would like it.  

After I got up and got dressed, I went downstairs to grab some juice and a cereal bar.  When I had finished, threw away my trash and then went out to clean out my car and wash it.  I had been too busy to wash it lately, and I wanted it clean the next time I took Rayne out.  I had just leaned in the back seat to grab some trash, when I heard people yelling and dogs barking.  I looked up and saw Whit and Jayce in their front yard playing with their dogs.  "Hey guys!" I yelled and they both looked up and waved.  I walked over to their yard, and immediately I was jumped on by the dogs.  I petted all the dogs, then looked up and asked Whit "Where is everyone?  Did they sleep in like everyone at my house?"  Whit just laughed.  "No, my family doesn't know the meaning of sleeping in.  Rayne, Mom, and Evan got up around 6 and started on cleaning the house.  Me, Jayce and Jackson got up around 6:30, and after we ate, Jackson headed to the basement to clean it and then work on the art for his room.  Jayce and I straightened up the beds and put their blankets in the washer.  Then we cleaned up the back yard before we brought the dogs out for some play time."  

"Wow" I said and shook my head.  "You guys have been busy."  "Yeah," Whit said.  "We've always gotten up early, ever since we were little.  That way, we have more time during the day to do the things we want or need to do, and we hardly ever have to rush.  But occasionally, we will all plan a day where we all just either sleep in or just lay around and take a lazy day."

I looked at Jayce and saw him signing to Whit.  I looked at Whit, clearly confused, but Whit just laughed.  "Jayce said that the only person that never takes a lazy day is Rayne.  She is always on go, like the Energizer bunny."

I laughed and told Whit, "Yeah, I have noticed that she almost always had to be doing something.  For instance, if she was sitting down to watch a movie, she keeps her hands moving."  Whit smiled.  "Yeah, she does that for Jackson.  Ever since he was little, she would translate movies and TV shows for him.  She has done it so much, I think she does it without even noticing."

We stayed in the yard and played with the dogs for a little while, then Whit and Jayce headed inside and I headed back to work on my car.  I cleaned out what little bit of trash was in it, then I vaccuumed it out and cleaned the windows.  When I was done, I put all the cleaning supplies away and headed inside.  I considered washing the car, but I didn't feel like messing with that, so I figured I would just trick one of my brothers into doing it for me.  Rocky probably would if I let him borrow the car or his next date with Alexa.

When I got in the house, I heard everyone in the living room, so I went to join them.  Rocky and Ryland were playing COD on the XBox with Ross and Ratliff watching, and Mom, Dad and Rydel were on the couch going through some photos on the laptop.  I went in and sat down beside Rydel.  When I looked at the computer, I saw pictures from the first cookout we had with Rayne's family at our house. "Hey" I said to Rydel, "I didn't know we had pictures of that night.  Who was taking pictures?"  "Ryland set up the camera to take pictures every few seconds." Rydel told me as she and I looked at more pictures.  "We have videos from that night too.  Evidently, Ryland also set up a camera to do videos the entire time and feed them directly to the computer.  I'm gonna look at those another day."  Rydel and I sat there and looked at more pictures, when I suddenly saw some pictures that I wanted copies of.  "Hey, go back a few pictures'' I told Rydel.  She stopped on the first picture I wanted.  It was a picture someone had taken of me and Rayne.  I was sitting in a lounge chair by the pool and Rayne was leaning with her back against my chest.  I had my arms wrapped around her.  "I want a copy of this pic please.  Please email it to me so I can have it on my phone, and also print it out so I can frame it for my room.  Also, I want the one of Rayne sitting with her brothers.  I want to frame that for her parents."  Rydel sent both pictures to the printer and she also emailed me the one for my phone.  After we looked at more pictures, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket.  I pulled it out and saw that I had a text from Rayne.  "Just finished cleaning the house with Mom.  You guys wanna come over with your instruments?"  I asked everyone what they thought, and everyone agreed that it sounded like fun.  I texted Rayne back with "Sounds fun.  We'll be there in a few minutes."  We all went to the basement and grabbed our stuff.  On the way out, we stopped by the office and told Mom and Dad where we were going.  Mom said that was fine.  So we headed over to Rayne's house.

Evan opened the door for us when we got over to their house.  "Everyone's already down in the basement.  We moved some of the furniture so your equipment would fit.  Have fun, and have Rayne let us know if you guys need anything."  We all thanked him and then we headed down to the basement.  Rayne walked over to me as soon as I entered the basement.  "Hi handsome" she said as she wrapped her arms around me.  "I've missed you since last night."  I hugged her back and said "I missed you too.  But I think we both got some stuff done today that we needed to do.  And we are together now, so that makes everything better."  I gave her another hug and kiss, then we turned to everyone else.  "OK" Rayne said "Who's ready for some music.  Ratliff, Jayce said you could take the drum set.  He's gonna use the extra stuff.  Rocky, Whit's gonna play guitar with you, but if you guys play a song we don't know, we're gonna sit out.  I'll play bass with Riker when I know the songs, and Jackson's just gonna work with Ryland on light effects."

We spent the next few hours playing music and having a great time.  Rayne and her brothers knew every song we knew except for our songs.  So we taught them "Loud" and "Ain't No Way We're Goin' Home".  Rydel also taught Rayne the words to "Love Me Like That".  Rayne had an amazing voice, and her and Rydel sounded great together.

After we had played for about three hours, we all decided we needed a break, so we went upstairs.  we met Ashlee and Evan in the living room.  "Where are you guys going?" Rayne asked her Mom while everyone else went to the kitchen to grab drinks.  "Stormie and Mark called and invited us to go to dinner with them and Ratliff's parents.  After dinner, we are going to catch a movie, so we will be back kinda late.  But we already ordered dinner for you guys.  It should be here soon.  We couldn't decide what to get, so we ordered Chinese, pizza and burgers.  Whatever you don't eat, you can put in the fridge.  I'm sure your brothers won't let the leftovers sit there for too long."  Rayne hugged her mom and Evan, and I shook their hands and thanked them for ordering dinner.  Then they left and Rayne and I went to the kitchen with everyone else.  The food arrived about 15 minutes later, and we took everything to the living room so we could eat while we watched movies.  After everyone had eaten their fill, we put what little bit of food was left over away.  I guess Ashlee and Evan didn't think about my brothers and how much food they could eat. After we had cleaned up, Rayne asked us if we wanted to spend the night.  We all agreed, since we didn't have anything to do the next day.  So we made sure everything was locked up downstairs, then we all went up to the gameroom.  Rayne let Rydel borrow some pajamas, and Rayne's brothers all had something for me and my brothers to borrow.  We played video games and  watched movies upstairs until we heard Ashlee and Evan come home.  They stopped by the game room to tell us all good night, then they went to bed.  Ross, Rocky, Ryland and Ratliff were gonna stay in the game room with Whit and Jayce, while I was gonna room with Jackson and Rydel was gonna room with Rayne.  I kissed Rayne goodnight and she went to her room while I headed to Jackson's room.  I really wanted to sleep with Rayne in my arms again, but knowing she was just across the hall made it a little better.  I fell asleep with a smile on my face thinking about Rayne. 

*****Author's Note*****

Sorry this chapter is kinda crappy, but I was having a little bit of writer's block.  But I didn't want to go too long without updating.  Hopefully, the next chapter will be better.  If any of my readers have any ideas of what should happen in my story, please send them to me.  I will give you credit if I use them.