Good Times Are Now

10 - Drying Off

Chapter 10
Drying Off

As the light turned green, Roger steered the van towards Maya, slowing down by the pathway and driving alongside her. The loud humming of the engine, however, managed to escape her notice. John moved closer towards Maya protectively, eyeing the van suspiciously.

Brian rolled down the window, as Roger steadied the speed of his van to their walking pace. "Maya."

The sound of her name didn't interrupt her from her dance in the rain.

"Maya, do you know these guys?" John tapped Maya's shoulder.

Maya turned to John. "Hm?"

"Oi!" Roger abruptly tapped the horn, causing Maya to jump and finally look their way.

"Oh!" Maya nudged John and gestured towards Brian and Roger. "Hey, it's okay, I know these guys."

John and Brian sighed in unison.

"Where are you two off to?" Maya stopped and leaned down to Brian's window to speak to them. Roger slowly brought the car to a halt.

"We were just on our way to campus to set up for tonight's gig." Brian smiled warmly. "You're coming, aren't you?"

Maya inhaled through her teeth. "Uh, I don't know, Brian... I kind of had some plans with Deaky, we were going to celebra- Oh! By the way, this is John." Maya hooked an arm around her soaked friend and beamed. "John, this is Brian and Roger."

"O...kay." John muttered, wincing at every drop of rain that continued to splatter on him. "It's nice to finally meet you." He mustered a polite smile.

"Do you... want a lift?" Roger smirked, amused by the drenched pair. 

"Oh, it's oka-"

"Yes." John muttered through the rain.

"Hop in." Brian got out of the car, bowing his head down from the rain and running to the side to open the door for them.

Maya pouted. "Oh, but-"

"No buts." John grabbed Maya's hand, dragging her behind him as he hastily climbed in. 

As Brian closed the door and scurried back to the front seat, John and Maya shivered, rubbing their arms up and down for warmth. Maya shrugged off John's blazer from her shoulders, its weight had heaved on top of her with how drenched it was.

Roger grimaced, looking over to see Maya and John creating a wet patch in the carpet of the van, with their shoes staining mud everywhere. 

"Where's Freddie and Tim?" Maya asked.

"Freddie's coming with Rosemary from her place, as for Tim - well, I'm hoping he's already there." Brian clenched his jaw. Tim had been flaky lately, always going out and returning late in the early hours in the morning. Maya found it slightly disdainful. Although this type of behaviour from Tim became a habit before she had moved in, she feared her sleeping in his room with him had encouraged prolonged absences from him. It had been at Brian and Roger's expense the most. They counted on Tim to be around for rehearsals and gigs, and he had missed out on a few of them, even cancelling gigs without consulting the rest of the band.

Maya and John huddled up to the corner, away from where all their equipment was stored away. As Maya adjusted her position sitting down, she came across a halter top bunched up near the side of the van.

Reaching for it, she spread it out, holding it against her to see if it would fit. "Can I wear this?"

Roger glanced over briefly as he was driving to see what she was holding up. "Uh... that's not mine."

"I figured." Maya chuckled. "But will the girl who once wore it, miss it?"

"I doubt it. Go on, then." Roger laughed.

Brian shook his head, eyeing Roger. "How does a girl just... forget her top?"

"Mate, after a night in my van, girls forget to wal-" 

Roger stopped as he caught a glimpse of the rear view mirror, seeing a nonchalant Maya stripping off her drenched top and adjusting the halter top, with John pulling over his fringe to cover his eyes. She dabbed lightly at her bare chest and shoulders with an end of the halter top and adjusted her bra, before putting the top on. It was slightly tight on her, hugging her curves closely and clinging onto her skin, still damp from the rain. Roger cleared his throat as he ripped his eyes away, fixating on the road.

"Roger, has a girl you shagged here happened to have left behind a skirt or shorts or..." Maya crawled around the back of the van, carefully moving around equipment to look for hidden clothes.

"It's likely." Roger shrugged. "Keep looking."

"How..." Brian winced.

"I think there may be some of my clothes back there, if you'd like to change as well, John."

 Pulling out a pair of jeans from underneath a guitar case, Maya tossed it at John.

"Wait, why am I getting changed now?" John frowned at the jeans that were mildly stained.

"Because, we're going to Smile's gig." Maya smiled, still crawling around the back of the van in a search. "We wanted to celebrate, right?-"

"Yes, but I thought we were going to my place to play scrab-"

"-and it's about time that you went out."

John sighed as a few seconds lingered with Maya staring at John with begging eyes and a pout. He lifted his hands up in defeat. "Find me a top, then."

Maya squealed in delight, before returning to her hunt for clothes. 

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Didn't realise until editing this that the last chapter is called 'Going out with a Bang' and this one is called 'Drying Off'. hehe. I'm sorry, my mind is absolute filth. I'll leave now. Thanks for reading, lovelies x