Ghost Bird Fanfiction: Sang's Lyric, The Story of Sang Sorenson's Mother

Surprise Sleepover

lachina99- This chapter is dedicated to you. Thank you for your help and encouragement. 

I am pretty nervous about how this chapter will be received. It's definitely R-rated... so I hope I don't lose anyone. Please please please comment!

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I held on tight to James, clutching his hand to my chest as he drove me through the quiet streets. Kell and Taylor were silent. We had left the beach wrapped around each other: arms wrapped around arms wrapped around waists. They passed me from one boy to another. Each person laying claim to me in a soft caress or a gentle squeeze before settling me into the front seat next to James. Every so often I would feel my hair stroked or my shoulder squeezed. It was clear to me when it was Kell or Taylor. I didn't even have to look back, but I did. I wanted to see their eyes or catch a glimpse of their face in the lights from an oncoming car to a streetlight.

James had driven slowly, for which I was grateful. I didn't want to go to Garret and Kate's. It wasn't my house and it wasn't my family, even if there was a blood connection between Garret and I.

One month, I told myself. I can do this for one more month.

James pulled off onto the side of the road when we got into town. I looked around, confused.

"I forgot something, Lyric," James said, looking into the rearview mirror.

I turned around to look at the boys in the back.

"Will you lock your door to your bedroom?" he asked me. "Just to be safe?"

"And put something on the door knob that will wake you up if it opens," Kell added.

"Or throw a chair in front of it. Something someone would trip over," Taylor finished.

I nodded, feeling even more worried than I had before. They thought that Garret's behavior was suggestive of something inappropriate. I hadn't wanted to name the thing I was feeling, but that was it. I felt like he was flirting with me. I didn't feel like he was a worried cousin or a concerned family member. I felt like he was one of my mom's old boyfriends. The ones who put their fists through walls and yelled at her about flirting with the bartender or accused her of wanting to sleep with their friends.

"I'll lock the door," I told James, "and balance something on the door knob or throw a chair down or something he would trip over."

James leaned forward, taking my head in his hands. "Did he say something else to you? Do something else?"

"No," I answered.

"I fucking hate this James," Taylor said from the backseat.

James let go of my head and turned to look at Taylor. "Soon," he said. "We can do this."

He turned around and put the car back into drive, and before long we were pulling into the driveway at Garret's with minutes to spare.

The lights were on above the door and shone into the driveway. I noticed that James parked near the end of the driveway, far enough away that the car remained shrouded in darkness. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around.

"Be safe, Priya," Kell whispered, kissing me gently on the cheek.

He pulled away and Taylor took his place, kissing the corner of my mouth, his lips firm and cool. "See you Crash."

I turned to face James. He looked like he wore the weight of the world on his shoulders. "James?" I asked, putting my hand over his where he held the steering wheel. "Jamie?"