The Past Lives.

Million Dollar Houses (Pierce The Veil)

{Taylor POV}

"So what if I was just a painter..

Painting houses on the rich blue coast.."

Vic Fuentes' voice broke through my head phones and blasted into my ear. I was lying on my bed with my laptop on my lap, going through my emails.

"Would you ever try to leave me.. For somebody who deserves you most..?" I sang along softly. I was home alone in mine and my father's apartment. He was off doing God knows what. I don't mind it though. I like having the apartment to myself most times. If I'm in a good mood, I plug my iPod into our surround sound and blast it all the way up while I sit on the floor, drawing. Occasionally I will hear stomping from upstairs, telling me to turn it off or they'll do it themselves.

"Cause I've broken bones for you and for you only.."

I love it when I listen to Pierce The Veil. They're my favorite band hands down. They've helped me through so much and were always there when no one else was, which is usually the case. I always get chills running down my spine as Vic sings to me. Call me crazy but if it wasn't for Vic, Mike, Tony, and Jaime, I might not have been on this earth for so long.

After deleting all my useless emails from Hot Topic and Spencer's which were, by the way, weeks old, I set my laptop on the floor and picked up my notebook that was filled with drawings and occasionally song lyrics that I've been working on. I started on a fresh page and closed my eyes. I could see a beautiful scenery. A pink, orange sunset just falling below an ocean with sail boats sailing towards the horizon.  I opened my eyes and began drawing what I pictured. I suppose I have a "gift", as people say.

I just finished the outlined sketch when I felt a thud through the wall I was leaning on. I took off my head phones and listened. The snapping sound of beer opening rang in my ears. I knew it wasn't my dad. He opens the door to my room when he's home and says, "Hey babe, I'm home."

I looked around in my room until I found my staff hidden under my clothes scattered around the floor. I grabbed it and darted across my room. Slowly opening my door, I swiftly made my way through the hallway on my toes and stopped at the end. Around the corner, I heard someone take a swig of my father's beer. I calmed my breathing and swiftly jumped from the corner with my staff pointed at the intruder.

"SHIT!" He dropped the beer and spilled it all across the kitchen floor. I didn't pay much to that. What I did pay attention to was the stranger, taking mental notes for the police for when I would call. He was tall, a head taller than me and had black, short hair that he spiked up in the front. He was wearing a Misfits tank top, showing off his sleeve and many other tattoos, and black jeans with yellow converse. What caught me off guard was that he looked close to my age. And that he was hot.

"Who the hell are you??" I asked him with my staff still pointed at him in case he had any ideas.

"Uhh.. Lyle.." he said, staring at me and my staff.

"Can I help you??"

He was still staring at me, as if he couldn't look away.

"Umm.. Joey said I could come in." Lyle reached into one of his pockets. I watched him, alerted. He must have noticed because he watched me and moved slowly to his pocket. He took out a set of keys. "He's outside having a smoke." He held out the keys.

I reached out with my free hand and grabbed the set of keys. "How do you know Joey?"

Just then, the apartment door opened, exposing my father and Kevin, his best friend and my second dad.

"Hey babe, I'm home," said my father, looking up to see me holding my staff to Lyle and beer all over the floor. He begins to burst out laughing, and  alongside him, Kevin. I drop my staff and put my hand at the top of it.

"Care to explain?" my father says through his fits of laughter.

"Why don't you go first, my dear," I said in a sarcastic tone, leaning against my stick.

"What do I have to explain?"

"Hmm.. Let's start off with why there's a guy in my kitchen drinking our beer." I looked over at Lyle, who gave me a sexy half smile. I couldn't help but smile and look at my feet.

"Well.. He's Lyle, my nephew," says Kevin, walking over to me and resting his arm around my shoulders. "He's living with me now."

I looked up at Kevin, then my dad, and lastly Lyle, who still had that stupid smile plastered on his face like he knows it affects me. I turned my attention back to Kevin. "For how long?"

"Till he moves out."

Shit.