Now as they finished their last number, Adrian saw that his cousin was among the patrons in the club. Strange that Annette would stop by, he thought. She stood out like a sore thumb in the midst of The Haze’s punk crowd.

     After the band finished, they packed up. The drums and keyboards were left on stage unless Mike had a guest band coming in to play.

     “What are you doing here?” He asked Annette as she approached the van. He passed his guitar case through the side door to Dagger.

     “I need to talk to you.”

     Adrian saw that some of the regular girls were standing around waiting for him. A few had already claimed other band members. The normal routine was to go back to one of the girl’s places to have a little fun. He refused to let any of them come to his apartment. He didn’t want them knowing where any of the guys resided. Some of the girls could get clingy and the last thing any of them needed right now was a serious girlfriend or a serious pain in the ass.

     “I’m kind of busy right now, can it wait?” He smiled as a girl snuggled up next to him, putting an arm around his waist.

The girl shot Annette a threatening look as if to say, “Back off, he’s mine.”

     “Are you coming, Bolt?” Kat yelled to him from the driver’s seat of the van.

Adrian turned a questioning gaze back to Annette.

     “It can’t wait,” his cousin persisted. “It’s about Melody.”

     With that announcement, he pried himself free from the girl.

     “I’ll be there in a minute!” Adrian shouted to the guys. Then, he escorted Annette back to where her car was parked. “All right make it quick. What about Melody?”

     “Don’t stand there and act so nonchalant! You tell me you like her, then you write some stupid song about her and get her all upset! What is going on with you two?”

     “Calm down. Everything is fine. I talked with her after school and I promise you everything is great between us.”

     “I’m not stupid enough to fall for that. Why don’t you just leave her alone? Forget about the first day you saw her and let her live without your vengeance. She’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had. She’s a very sweet girl.”

     Annette tossed a glance to the girl waiting on her cousin. “She’s not like this trash you’re used to.”

     “You think I don’t know that?” Adrian leaned on Annette’s car. Hell, that’s what I like about her, he thought to himself, and hate about her.

     “Then leave her alone. She’s not your type.”

     He winced, hurt by his cousin’s words. Did Annette think he wasn’t good enough for Melody? That all he deserved were the chicks that hung out at the club? The ones who so easily spread their legs for him?

     “Will you please just leave Melody alone? For me? You’re my cousin and I care about you. I care about her too. I don’t want to see my own cousin hurt my best friend.”

      “I don’t want to hurt her,” he admitted, admiring his cousin’s loyalty to her new friend. “I do like her. A whole lot in fact. She just doesn’t exactly fit my image and I have a reputation to uphold, you know.”

     “Oh? And is the reputation you’re protecting more important than Melody’s feelings?”

     “I don’t know.” Adrian shifted his feet, uneasy about cousin’s questioning. There were too many unresolved issues with Melody. How could he even put into words the way Melody made him feel?

     “I like her at times, but sometimes I’d like to slit her throat.”

     “Adrian!” Annette gasped at his morbid suggestion.

     “Come on, you know I’d never do something like that!”

     Annette turned away, unable to look at him.

     He hugged his cousin tightly. “Sorry, I was joking.”

     “Look, I think you’re telling the truth about liking Melody.” Annette pulled from his embrace. “I think she likes you too.”

     Annette turned to the girl who was still waiting for Adrian’s return. She was staring at the cousins, arms crossed, rolling her eyes, tapping her foot.

     “Just be careful with Melody. I’m serious. She’s not like these girls. She went to an all-girls private school. She doesn’t know much about guys and dating.”

     “I’m not so sure about that,” Adrian scoffed. “She’s always talking like she’s been around. After the scene with her today I almost believe it.”

     “What do you mean?”

    He smiled wickedly. “In her car today. She may not know much about guys, but someone taught her a thing or two. She kisses like a pro.”

     Annette’s emerald eyes widened. “You kissed her?”

     Adrian’s mouth stretched further. “Yeah, and it was pretty fucking amazing.”

     “Well, don’t go teaching her anything else.” Annette poked her finger into Adrian’s chest. “I know you. You’ll have sex with her once, and be done with her.”

     “Maybe if I did, I’d get her out of my system.”

     “If that’s the case, let her stay in your system.”

     Adrian laughed, then playfully punched Annette in the arm.

     “Hey, if I’m not mistaken,” he said, ducking the punches she began returning in his direction, “you said something about Melody liking me.”

     Annette stopped the childish playing and opened her car door. “Yeah, she said she loved your blue eyes and that you were good looking in a perverted kind of way.”

     “She said that? Cool!” He grinned widely as he strutted around like a peacock.

     “I knew you’d be thrilled.” Annette rolled her eyes. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”

     “You’ll see me,” he told her. “But I’ll have my eye on Melody.”

     Annette shook her head as she got into her car. “You’re crazy, Adrian.”

     “It’s Bolt, remember?”

     “Bolt? Adrian? Doesn’t matter. You’re still crazy!”

     Adrian watched his cousin drive away. So Melody likes me? He pumped his fist in the air feeling victorious.

     As he headed back to the van, he saw that the girl was no longer waiting on him. For some reason, he didn’t care. He wasn’t in the mood for another girl tonight. It seemed wrong for him to be with someone else after the kisses him and Melody had shared.

     Shit! What am I thinking? When have I ever not wanted sex? Melody is making me lose my mind! But the kisses they had shared were hotter than anything he’d ever experienced before! He realized he needed to get his ass in gear and put the wheels in motion. No matter what Annette said, he just needed to fuck Melody and be done with her. Get her out of his head so he could go back to thinking straight, and being his normal self again.