(2999 words)
"Take my hand and come with me.
Because you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine."
Chris Sturniolo
"What should I do?" I panic into the air, my eyes frantically examining the clothes that keep getting pushed side to side from my hand. I yank out one of my tee shirts, it was a bright orange and black lettering on the back.
Fuck. It's too 'in your face'.
"For starts, calm down." Matt mumbles from my bed, scrolling through his phone like he was the calmest person in the entire world. "And wear that with those baggy pants you have, boom- you have an outfit."
"It's too bright! It'll attract too much attention!" I shake my head, stuffing it back into my closet and turning my head to Nick who's also going through his phone with his back pressed against my bed's headboard.
"Didn't you meet these people at that sketchy bar we went to?" Nick mumbles, not even bothering to look me in the eyes to have a proper conversation.
"Yeah, that bartender that offered to give me free drinks when she spilled her own." I explain again, running my fingers through my hair and sitting down next to the two.
"Okay, and where are you going?" Nick asks another question, finally disconnecting from his phone and looking at me.
"Santa Monica Pier," I inhale deeply, counting my breathes like Matt had taught me. "One, two.."
"Hopefully you don't get your wallet stolen again, that sucked." Matt pitches in, leaning himself back until he was laying down on my bed.
He looks at me for a response as I keep my eyes on my lap, feeling my body begin to relax with my calm breathing. "You okay?" Matt furrow his brows.
I nod, shutting my eyes and lifting my head up, "I've just never hung out with new people without you guys there,"
"Do you want us to come?" Nick scoots himself closer to Matt and I, putting his arm over my shoulder gently.
I nod rapidly, thinking that the night would go much better with my two brothers there with me. If something weird or awkward happened, they'd be there for me- same with if something bad came up or these people tried to pull a fast one on me, I'd be protected with my brothers.
"Okay, why don't you call and ask if we can come? If you don't want to go alone then just say that you promised us, before you went to work, that you'd stay for movie night." Matt comes up with an entire plan, keeping his voice at that gentle and comforting tone he's always used to make me relax and not panic.
Matt knows firsthand how bad panic attacks can get and how they can come out of nowhere when you least expect it. That's another reason why I don't want to be without my brothers, we all know how to deal with each other's problems.
Nick and I know not to bicker when Matt is struggle to keep himself together.
Matt and Nick know how to calm me down when I'm stressing out.
Finally, Matt and I know to stay out of Nick's way when he's angry.
"Okay, slight problem there." I breathe out one last heavy sigh, peeling my eyes open and turning towards the two. "I don't have their number,"
"Fuck- Chris!"
Ivy Brooks
"Maybe he's tricking us," Sophie jokes, staring at the seemingly never ending dark street that Chris lives on, the only thing keeping everything barely lit up was the dim streetlights that came up every few blocks or so.
