EVERYWHERE || REGGIE PETERS [JATP]

SIX

While there were few ways that Lessa actually enjoyed being woken up, the blasting sound of rock music startling her off her bed was most definitely not one.

Guitar riffs seemed to almost vibrate through her as she tumbled over the edge of her mattress and landed on Tony's makeshift bed beneath her. The crashing of drums echoed through her eardrums as she scrambled to her feet and the nearly unintelligible vocals beat in and out of range as her eyes finally landed on her computer screen, Tony crouched before it and clicking furiously.

"Dude!" she yelled by way of complaint and he waved a hand at her dismissively as he finally got the volume under control. "Seriously?"

"I could say the same to you!" he returned slightly louder than necessary. He lowered his voice again, turning to her with a half groggy look in his eyes. "How are you not deaf? Honestly, if it was that loud without headphones, I don't even want to imagine what it sounded like with them."

"What are you talking about? You're the one that started playing it. I don't even know who that was."

"Less, it was playing on your computer, not mine," Tony said as if it should've been clear. "You must've forgot to turn it off last night because it was already playing when I tripped over your bed and accidentally pulled the headset out." He held up the wire as if to justify his point, but it still made no sense to Lessa. The wire was from her gaming headset which she hadn't used for a couple of weeks, let alone to listen to music on her computer. Truthfully, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen it.

"I...guess..." she said uncertainly just as her room door opened.

Her mother stepped inside, a look of annoyance on her face as she looked between the two. Unlike the pair, she had clearly been awake for a while, dressed in workout clothes with her golden hair pulled into a high braid. It was her typical Saturday morning look; slightly flushed skin showing she'd just returned from her run. "Need I remind you two that we have neighbors? It's too early for loud music, least of all that music."

That music; meaning Rock music. Lessa never understood her mother's hatred for it before but after her recent discovery, it made sense now. Partly, anyway. "Sorry mom, apparently Tony forgot how to walk this morning."

"And Lessa apparently forgot how to turn off her computer at night," Tony added with a mocking smile. Lessa reached out to smack his arm, but he dodged out of the way effortlessly. She, on the other hand, fell forward, using her knuckles to right herself on the bed again.

Johanna Mercer looked between the two with amusement, shaking her head. "You two," was all she said with a laugh before turning to exit. "Henry says breakfast is almost ready, so if either of you plan on getting anything before Katie gets through it all, I advise you start making your way downstairs."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Tony declared, running into Lessa's bathroom and closing the door before she could even consider it. She watched her mother walk away down the hall, leaving her door open as Lessa began to fix her bed and kick Tony's pillows to the side pettily. She loved Tony like family, but much like family, his mess was a little annoying.

Making her way to her dresser, Lessa grabbed her brush and started raking it through the tangles in her hair and wincing on the particularly tough ones. She was smoothing out one in particular when something suddenly caught her eye in the mirror behind her and someone said, "Ouch, that one looked like it hurt."

"Reggie?" she blurted out loudly, staring in confusion at the dark haired boy splayed out across the middle of her bed and staring at her with a bright smile.

"So you do remember me," he said happily. Lessa only stared back at him, somewhere between confused and concerned for her own sanity. It'd been a couple of days since she'd seen the guys last, but she'd talked herself into believing it was a dream. There was no way that she had actually seen her ghost uncle and his two very hot ghost friends.