Adopted By The Biersack's Part Twelve

We had a lot of fun for the remaining time that they were there. We played music, got “wasted” on soda, had a water gun fight in my backyard, and managed to scare the shit out my neighbors when the guys had a screaming contest outside.

It was eight at night, and my friends were scattered about the living room. Cyra was lying down on the couch, taking up the entire thing and on the verge of falling asleep. November went over to her and kneeled beside the couch. November reached up and touched Cyra’s arm gently. I caught a faint devious smirk out of the corner of my eye before she started talking.

“Oh God,” she whispered, flinging herself across Cyra, “why did she have to go!? Why did this bitch have to go and leave me!?” The guys and I looked at her before bursting out in laughter.

“November, she’s just sleeping,” I told her.

“It was too soon, too soon I tell you! Oh God! She left me here with you idiots!” November cried out. I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket, so I went off down the hallway to answer it. I looked at it and saw that Amy was calling me. I gave my heart a few seconds to stop racing before I picked up.

“Well, fuck you too,” I heard Malachi snap. I went into my room and shut the door to block out any background noises.

“Hey Amy, what’s up?” I asked her. I could still faintly hear my friends, so I covered my other ear. I hoped and prayed that she couldn’t hear them over the phone.

“I’m just calling to let you know that I’m going to be home early sweetie. I didn’t want to scare you when I came in,” she replied. I felt a lump form in my throat. I looked over at the door. I hoped she was far enough away that my friends could leave and be down the street before she saw them.

“How close are you?” I wondered.

“I’ll be home in about 10 minutes. Have you had dinner yet? My girlfriend gave me this great chicken recipe, and if you haven’t eaten yet, I was hoping we could try it tonight,” Amy informed me. I nodded my head nervously, even though I knew she couldn’t see me at all.

“Umm, I hate a little bit earlier, but if you want, we could make it. I’m always up for experimenting. Brock can always have the leftovers if he wants them,” I answered. I bit my lip and hoped that this conversation would be cut short very soon. I had to clean up the backyard and the kitchen and send my friends off before she got home.

“Also, we were at this restaurant, and I saw this teenage boy that reminded me of you,” she added on. I felt like she was trying to be more of a friend to me than a parental figure.

“You can tell me about him when you get home. I just got a really good idea for a song, and I have to write it down before I forget it,” I interrupted spitting out the first words that popped into my head, “I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Sure thing sweetie. Love you,” she said. I hung up the phone before she expected a response from me. I hurried back into the living room and found the guys rolling around on the floor and the girls sitting on the couch cheering them on. I slid across the wooden floor in my socks and came to a stop next to Calloway and Malachi.

“I hate to cut this wrestling match short, but my mom is going to be home soon, and she doesn’t know I brought you guys over. I don’t want to get into any trouble,” I told them. The guys groaned and got up, dusting themselves off. They went over to the door and put on their shoes, followed shortly by Cyra and November.

“We don’t want you getting in any trouble either,” Calloway assured, “Malachi will just take the rest of us back home.” I smiled and nodded.

“We get to meet your family eventually, right?” November checked, snapping her fingers at me. I went over to her and gave her a hug.

“Yes, I promise. My brother included,” I promised. I gave hugs to the rest of them before they went out the door and out to Malachi’s truck.

I shut the door and ran as fast as I could into the kitchen to clean up the tray that we had used to make pizza rolls. I quickly stuck it under some water and squirted a bunch of dish soap all over it before running out to the backyard to grab the water guns. I nearly tripped over the back porch step as I ran and grabbed the five small water guns scattered across the yard and into the garage. I threw them in the box where they came from and back inside to wash off the pan. I dried it off when I was done and put it back in the oven drawer where it belonged. I wiped my arm across my forehead as if I had just broken a sweat and went back outside. The sun had set, and the few stars that stood out despite the street lights twinkled brightly. I went back in and grabbed my guitar, heading back out and taking a seat in the middle of the yard on the grass, lying back on nature’s soft green carpet.

I played Skin and looked back up at the sky, thinking about everything from what my parents were doing right now to what tomorrow was going to be like. I had to wonder if Andy was just as nervous about meeting me as I was about meeting him. I doubted it with all of my being, but the thought still crossed my mind more than once. I took in a breath of fresh air as I saw what appeared to be headlights cross my vision. I looked up and heard a car door slam shut, followed by the locking of doors with an automatic key. A minute later, she called out to me.

“Toril, you out here?” Amy yelled. I smiled and rolled my eyes before yelling back “Yes, out here!”

By the time she got out there, I was still playing my guitar and laying back in the grass. I sat up, rising to my feet and letting my guitar hang from the strap across my body. I walked back to the back door and returned the hug that Amy gave me.

“So how was your day darling?” she asked me as we headed back inside. I shrugged my shoulders and went with her into the kitchen as she began to grab various items from the refrigerator and cupboards-chicken, various spices, and a few other things.

“It was pretty average. I just hung out here,” I explained, leaning up against the island in the middle of the kitchen. She grabbed a jar of salsa out of the fridge, and I kicked it shut with my foot when she was done. She also turned on the oven and put it on the correct settings for whatever chicken recipe we were making.

“Why does it smell like pizza rolls?” Amy asked me. I pretended to not look as guilty as I felt and shrugged my shoulders.

“I told you I ate a little bit earlier,” I remarked. She went back to the fridge one more time to grab herself something to drink, and she brought out a two liter of grape soda that was originally completely full, but now was almost empty. I wish I’d thought of that when my friends were here. We could’ve went out and bought another one.

“Toril, what happened?” she questioned, setting the bottle down in front of me. I shrugged again and tried my best to avoid eye contact.

“I was really thirsty,” I spat out. It seemed legit in my head, but I guess it didn’t add up in hers.

“ But you’re little miss health conscious. The most you would’ve had was one cup. Did you have your friends over that you’ve been telling me about?” she confronted me. I knew there was no use in arguing at this point. I just hoped that I wouldn’t get in any kind of trouble for it.

“…yeah,” I confessed. She put the last of the soda back in the fridge and opened the jar of salsa that she had set on the counter. She didn’t look angry, so I figured that I was safe.

“I just wish you would’ve let me know, that’s all,” Amy explained, “I’ve been dying to meet them.” I huffed and rolled my eyes. Those were exactly the words that I was afraid to hear. I went over to the sink and washed my hands, well aware of the fact that I would be dealing with raw chicken, before returning to my spot at the island.

“That’s what I was afraid of hearing,” I mumbled, not thinking she would hear me. She turned around and wrapped her arm around me in a caring a motherly way that sort of made me sick.

“Toril, is that what this is about? Are you afraid of your friends meeting us?” she wondered. I nodded, not lifting my gaze from the marble island top or saying a word, “I’m sure they’ll love you just the same when they know who your family is.”

“They’re huge fans of Black Veil Brides. I don’t want them to just be my friends because of who adopted me. I’m more than just the adopted sister of the vocalist of one of the biggest bands in rock music,” I elaborated, turning away and going over to unwrap the raw chicken sitting out, “I’m giving our friendship a few more weeks before they find out the truth.” She went over to her purse and pulled out a folded up piece of paper, which I guessed was the chicken recipe from her friend. She also washed her hands off and joined me in unwrapping our little raw piece of poultry.

“If they’re true friends, they’ll treat you exactly the same,” she informed. Even though her words didn’t help much, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.

“Thanks Amy,” I beamed. She opened a drawer and pulled out two sharp kitchen knifes, handing me one. I cringed just a bit as my fingers wrapped around the plastic handle. The last time I  had my hands on a kitchen knife was the last time I cut myself.

“That’s what I’m here for dear. Now, about that dashing young man I saw at the restaurant,” she began. My laughter cut her off mid sentence.

“Oh God, I thought you were kidding,” I smiled. I took a chunk of chicken and cut it into decently sized, thick strips. I enjoyed chicken. However, raw chicken was not pleasant.

“I would never joke about something like this,” she spoke. That sounded like the teenage girl who wanted to be my friend coming out, “he dressed like you, and he was wearing an Avenged Sevenfold shirt, the same one that you have. He also had shaggy black hair and blue bangs that he would flip every few seconds.” I pictured him in my head and nodded in approval.

“Well, he sounds like my kind of man,” I responded, “We’ll have to pick a wedding date soon.”