His Number One Fan (2 page)

“Well I'm glad you enjoyed it.”

I squeeze her neck and we continue to baggage claim.

After collecting all of her bags, we load them into my Camaro and we head back to my place.

“The band is stopping by to go over some music and lyrics. If you're not up for it, let me know and we'll go somewhere else. I'm sure you're tired.” I glance in her direction.

“No I'm fine, but thanks for considering my feelings.”

“Of course.”

“I do have a question though, and I can't believe I never asked you this until now.”

“What's that?”

“How did Wildfire come about? How did you guys meet?”

“Well I met Jax my first year of college. At the time he and I were taking a math class together, and I remember sitting in that lecture listening to the professor, trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about, when I kept hearing this light tapping noise. I was already frustrated because I couldn't understand a damn thing the professor was teaching. I turned my attention to Jax getting ready to go slap the fuck off, when I noticed him scribbling down music notes. He would tap. Scribble. Tap. Scribble. After class I stopped him in the hall and introduced myself. You know how I've always wanted to be in a band, so I asked him if he ever thought about it, and that's when he told me that he was already a part of one, but some shit went down with their lead singer that put him in jail for ten years. He introduced me to brothers, Evan and Jeremy. I sang some music I was working on, and they liked me and asked me to join them. We changed the name of the band to Wildfire, and was lucky enough to pick up a few gigs at The Grind, until Sierra, the owner, wanted us to play full time. Six months into being a new band, Mason stopped by and paid us a visit out of the blue during one of our practices at the club. That fucker came in there cocky as hell. I don't know how he found out that we were practicing that night, but I'm glad he did. What blew my mind that night was that Sierra was there working on some things for the club when she heard Mason sing. She said his voice had her creaming in her panties, and she's into women. But yeah. That's how we met.

“Now you guys are about to go on tour. Amazing.”

She responds.

“I know right.” I say not believing how far we've come as a band.              

We continue the ride to my place catching up and reminiscing about old times. I pull up into my driveway and see several cars parked on my lawn. 

“I guess everyone got here early.” Nyla says getting out the car.

“I guess so.” I respond getting out and closing the door behind me. “I'll walk you in and I'll come back and get your bags in a minute.”

“Okay.”

I grab her hand and we walk up the sidewalk to my childhood home. Knowing the door would be unlocked, I turn the knob and we walk in. I release her hand and she walks into the living room.

As soon as I step inside, I immediately feel at home.

“I'm going to grab your bags real quick.” Caleb says from behind me.

I nod my head yes as confirmation, and I look around the open space that I considered my second home for so many years, and I'm amazed to see the place looked the same, but had a bachelor feel to it. I walk around the room, reacquainting myself with the space, stopping in front of the built in bookshelf that stored all the family pictures that were taken throughout the years. I was surprised to see that there were several pictures of me and Caleb still displayed on the shelf. My favorite one being of us at the state fair. I think we were nine at the time. We stood there with our faces decorated with face paint, giving Caleb's mom our biggest smile, while embracing each other in a hug. It's funny how at that time, kids our age thought boys or girls had cooties, but Caleb and I didn't care. We were inseparable.

Unable to stop smiling from all the memories, I glance at the next picture of a young Caleb holding a guitar bigger than him. Man did he love music. He was never the type to be interested in video games or playing sports. After school when I would go home with him, we finished our homework, had a snack, then we would find ourselves in the basement where Caleb's dad kept his music studio, making what we called music. Caleb would be messing around on his dad's bass guitar, and I would stand on a chair until I was eye level with the microphone, singing my heart out.

The sound of the door closing behind me, quickly jars me out my thoughts.

I turn my head to find Caleb standing there with his hands full with my bags. He places them on the floor and walks over to where I'm standing.

“Please tell me that you're not looking at my naked baby pictures.” He says, coming up behind me.

“Actually no.” I laugh. “Oh I almost forgot about this picture!” I say while pointing to a picture of Caleb grinning ear to ear, when he received his first guitar on his thirteenth birthday. “I remember you got so mad at me, because I smeared cake all over you face.”

“I didn't care about the cake being on my face, I was more concerned about you getting it on my guitar.”

“You and your instruments. Do you still have that guitar?” I ask turning around to face him, not realizing how close he was standing next to me.

He tears his gaze away from the picture and looks down at me. My heart begins to pound that familiar beat caused by the way Caleb looks at me with those green eyes. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that after all this time a part, I still had a little crush on my best friend.

My gaze travels down to his perfect straight nose, all the way down to a set of perfect lips. On the corner of his bottom lip, was a lip ring that complimented his new rock look. The last time I saw Caleb, he didn't have any piercings or tattoos. Now his body was decorated in them. Over the years he would text me pictures of his newest ink or piercing. When he and some of the other band members decided to get nipple rings, he actually sent video footage of it.

“Nyla.”

“Huh? I'm sorry, what did you say?”

“Are you ready to head down to the basement and meet the rest of the band?” He asks staring at me with a smirk on his face.

“Um sure. If you want, go ahead. I'm going to head to my room and shower real quick.”

“Okay, well let me help you get your bags to your room.”

“Well aren't you the bestest friend ever!” I tease.

He rolls his eyes and turns around and walks over to my bags, with me right behind him. 

We gather all my bags, then I follow Caleb down the hall that housed three other bedrooms. His house had a total of five bedrooms in total, that he shared with two other band members. We continue down the long hallway with Caleb several feet ahead of me when I hear someone moaning out in pleasure.  I continue walking then stop when I hear it coming from the bedroom on my left. I turn my attention to the door and see it’s halfway open, but open enough where I could look inside without pushing it open further to get a better view. Inside I find a guy with a red mohawk resting back on his elbows on his bed, while receiving a blow job from some girl with brunette hair.

“Watch the teeth Jess.” He moans out in pleasure. “Yeah just like that baby. Fuck!” He shouts.

I stand there glued to my spot watching.
Did Caleb not hear them?
Before I could think more about what was unfolding in front of me. The guy looks up and his eyes lock with mine.  He smirks at me and winks in my direction. Quickly tearing my gaze away from his I turn my attention away from the bedroom and make my way to mine, that was located right across from Caleb's.

I walk through the door and see Caleb placing my bags on the floor, and I do the same, trying to pretend that I didn't just catch one of his roommates getting head, down the hall.

“As you can see mom has redecorated since the last time you were here. There’s fresh towels in your bathroom, so make yourself at home. Do you need anything before I go?”

No I'm okay. I think I can manage. I did spend most of my time here growing up, but if I need you I know where to find you.”

“Okay I'll be in the basement. See you downstairs in a few.”

“Ok.”

He turns around and walks out the room closing the door behind him.

I look around the room that use to be Caleb's parent's before they decided to move and leave the house to him. The room had been removed of its white furniture and was replaced with dark cherry wood furnishings decorated with hints of violet accents that matched the violet comforter set.

Picking up my small luggage, I place it on the bed. I unzip it and pull out a pair of black yoga pants and my East NYU shirt, that I had cut off around the neck that exposed my shoulders every time I wore it. I grab my makeup bag, body wash, and body cream and I walk into the bathroom and I remove all my make up before hopping into the shower to wash both my hair and body.

I cut the shower off and wrap my body with a towel before heading back into my room to grab an old shirt that I use to dry my now curly hair, to prevent it from frizzing up. When I’m finished I wrap the shirt around my head and I walk back into the bathroom to dry off and lotion my body.

Once I’m done I apply a little face moisturizer, lip balm, and a dab of olive oil to my hair, then I throw on my clothes and I make my way out my room and towards the basement.

I hear the sound of laughter and voices mingling together when I finally reach the open door of the basement. Taking one step at a time, I make my way down the stairs to the basement.

As soon as my feet touch the basement floor, all conversation and laughter stops, and all attention is on me.

“Damn Caleb, is this your best friend you were tellin' us about?” The guy with long dreads and skin the color mocha asks out loud. The girl that was currently taking up time in his lap, smacked him in the back of his head, before getting off his lap, and walks over and sits down on the only vacant seat left.

I look around the room at every face staring back at me until my gaze lands on Caleb. Smiling at me, he motions me over.

“You guys this is Nyla.” He says when I approach, before he pulls me onto his lap.

I look around at the shocked faces looking at me.

“Hey.” I respond.

No response.

“I'm sorry, but am I missing something?” I turn around to ask Caleb.

Pulling me closer, he leans in and whispers in my ear.

“No I think it’s been awhile since they've seen anyone as beautiful as you around.” He says, sending chills throughout my body.

“Um excuse me, but Caleb are you going to introduce us?” The one with the dreads speaks up again.

Caleb clears his throat. “Yeah. Nyla the one who's been running his mouth since you came down here is Jax, the lead drummer of our band.”

“Sup girl.” Jax responds.

“The one with the fire red mohawk is Evan. He's the roommate I've been telling you about, and he's our rhythmic guitarist.”

We've sort of already met.
I think to myself. But I sit there and pretend I never witnessed what I saw earlier.

“Nice to meet you Nyla.” He smiles and laughs as if he were reading my mind.

“You have Jeremy here. Supposedly he's the musical genius of our group that can play any instrument he can get his hands on.”

I look at Jeremy and notice his gorgeous blue eyes, killer dimples, and long straight black hair. He winks, then waves at me.

“And I would introduce you to Mason but he had to rush and pick his sister Brooke up who had car trouble, so he should be here in a few.”

“Okay. Well it's nice to finally meet all of you.” I respond with a smile.

“Ha. So what makes her so fuckin' special Caleb that you can't introduce us?” The girl I saw earlier with Evan asks from her position on his lap.

I look at her and catch her sizing me up with a look of disgust on her too much, make up covered face. Her brunette hair was pulled up into a high pony tail, and she was lounging around in a large t shirt and I wasn't sure if she was wearing anything underneath it.

I change my position on Caleb's lap and I face her, getting ready to give her a piece of my mind, when I hear someone coming down the stairs. I look towards the stairs and see a guy descending them. When he makes it to the bottom he's greeted by everyone around him, except me.

“About fuckin' time man!” Evan speaks out. He stands and playfully ruffles the guy's already ruffled dark hair, then pulls him into a brief head lock.

“That's Mason.” Caleb says behind me.

After Evan releases Mason from the headlock. Mason comes to a full standing position and runs his hands through his hair and turns his attention to Jeremy and Jax. Giving them both a special hand shake they only knew.

“Nyla.” I hear Caleb again.

“Huh?” I respond without turning around, because my eyes were still glued on Mason. As if he could feel my eyes on him, he turns his head while still listening to whatever Jeremy was saying to him and his eyes lock with mine.

“I need you to get up for a sec.” Caleb continues.

Tearing my eyes away from a pair of gray ones. I stand and remove myself off Caleb's lap. Caleb walks over to Mason and shares the same handshake. I sit down on the couch looking at them. They exchange several words with each other, before turning their attention to me.

“Nyla this is Mason our lead vocalist, and Mason this is my best friend I've been telling you about.

He doesn't say anything but stares, and gives me a half smile, showing off his dimples.

“Hey.” I respond.

“Well I'm still waiting on my introduction!” Jess yells.             

“I got this Nyla.” Jax speaks up. “Why are you here Jess?” Jax continues.

“You know why I'm here.” She responds licking her lips while looking in Mason's direction.

“How many times has Mason turned your ass down? Fuck I wouldn't want you after all the dicks you've had in yo mouth.”

“Don't knock it until you try me.” She responds.

“No thank you.” Jax responds laughing.

“I still want you babe.” Evan responds pulling her close to him, just to be pushed away by her. She stands abruptly and the girl that took the last seat in the room stands with her. “I'm out. Sasha are you ready?” She asks the girl.

“Yeah.” Sasha responds with her arms folded across her chest.