Suck It And See | A. Turner

[Chapter 6]

It hadn't felt like it, but hours had gone by as Jade hung out with the boys in the garage; playing various songs from their childhoods and recent chart-topping singles. It sounded like shit, but regardless they had fun as they learned about each other; likes, dislikes, from foods to music to video games. 

Andy was all but floored when Jade showed him glitchy photos of some of her artwork, stuff she claimed wasn't really all that great. He and the boys had to disagree, with Andy claiming anything he'd tried to paint in the past looked like a child's finger painting. Jade turned out to be cooler than any of the boys could have predicted, and once she relaxed, she became a real live wire. 

Jade was surprised at how talented and coordinated these boys were. Matt was an excellent drummer -- if not a loud one -- and Alex and Jamie were fantastic on their guitars, and Andy bounced along as he played his unplugged bass. Glyn was a great singer, but his attitude threw Jade off. He seemed so disinterested, so unenthused by this hobby. She could tell in the way he carried himself, how his shoulders seemed to slouch and he lazily nodded his head in time to the beat. 

It had bee a couple hours, and the kids kept playing their instruments and bullshitting away. They only stopped when the door that connected the garage to the house open, and an older lady stepped in a pitcher of lemonade in one hand and stacked plastic cups in the other.

"Alex?" she called as she came in, "I thought I'd bring yeh boys summat to drink in exchange that yeh keep the noise -- oh," she stopped short when she sat Jade sitting on the floor with an acoustic guitar, "'Ello there," she seemed astonished to see a pretty young girl sitting in her garage. 

"Hi," Jade smiled shyly.

Alex untangled himself from his own guitar and went to fetch the drink tray from his mum, "Mum, this is Jade. She's new in town," he said. 

"I see," the shorter, but seemingly joyful woman looked Jade up and down with a pleasant smile on her lips, "Yeh're absolutely lovely, dear. I 'ope the boys are being kind to yeh," she said. 

"Very much, Miss," Jade replied.

Jamie then decided to chime in, "Yeah, she plays the guitar too, Mrs. Turner," he said. 

"It's more of a pastime, really," Jade shrugged shyly.

"Well," Alex's mum chuckled, "If yeh can get the boys to keep it down, yeh're always welcome in my house," she said. 

Jade's smile grew wider, "I appreciate that, Miss," she said. 

The older scoffed back, "Oh, please. Yeh can call me Penny," she then turned to her son, "Are yeh kids 'ungry? I prepped some sandwiches for yeh before I pop off to the store,"

Andy was the first to hop to his feet and take her offer, "Thank you, ma'am," he replied. The other boys followed his lead and followed Penny into the house. Jade stood up and set the guitar down gently against the wall before she followed Alex into the kitchen. 

On the kitchen island was a plate full of sandwiches; ham and cheese, roast beef, egg salad. They all thanked Penny and took a share before Alex led them into his backyard. Andy and Glyn took a seat at the picnic bench while Matt and Jamie sought shelter under a tree. 

Alex and Jade sat side-by-side on the porch, sipping gingerly at the lemonade his mum had made for them. Jade had taken the egg salad sandwich, and it was easily one of the best things she had eaten all week. The egg was soft and the celery crunchy, and the mayo was tangy enough to make her taste buds dance with delight. It was simple but delicious, and reminded her so much of her own mum's cooking. 

She ate it quickly and happily, to which Alex took note of with amusement, "Yeh 'ungry?" he asked with a chuckle.

"It's so good!" Jade exclaimed with a mouthful of food, "Me aunt don't cook like this. She does the fucking overdone roasts and mushy vegetables all the time,"