That night, I sat on the couch of our bus while my band was out partying. Luke emerged from the bunks, wearing some of Brandon's clothes. He sat on the bean bag across from me and stared into my eyes.
"What happened?" He asked. For the first time, his voice shows sincerity.
"What do you mean?" I threw my hair into a messy bun.
"What made you leave college, the love of your life, your family," I snorted. "You left me. What was so bad at college that you left?"
I took a deep breath. I knew I would have to tell him sooner or later, I just wasn't expecting sooner.
"About six years ago, I entered my third year at college in Phoenix, I just turned 21......"
"Bye asswipe." I ruffed the hair of my little brother Luke.
"Lydia. Watch your mouth." My mother snapped. I rolled my eyes and hugged my brother.
"See ya in a few months. Tell dad I'll call." Luke stuck his tongue at me and I stuck my middle finger up. He laughed. I grabbed my bags out the backseat of the car along with my acoustic guitar.
"Bye Lights!" he called I waved bye to him and the car drove off.
"I remember that. I was 13 and mom hated that you didn't want to go to UCLA anymore." Luke chuckled.
I looked around the campus and it was huge. Clics were together laughing and having a good time. The stairs that led down to the head office looked more and more scary by the minute. I took a deep breath and began walking to the stairs, feeling everyone's eyes on me as the 'new girl' walked. Some whistled a my appearance, some glared, and some gawked. I just don't see what's so beautiful about me.
A guy waved at me. He wasn't gawking, glaring, or whistling at me. Grey eyes, somewhat floppy brown hair. I waved back and saw a girl throwing daggers at me. I shied away from her glare and ran smack into someone. I clutch onto my guitar case, letting my suitcase and bag fall to the ground, including the person I bumped into.
I didn't even do the whole yelling thing and apologize, I just stood up and grabbed my stuff.
"Hey wait!" I turned around and my breath hitched in my throat. A guy was brushing dirt off his pants, his long hair swaying side to side. When he looked up my heart died.
He had a nose ring, spectrum piercing, and a lip ring with gauges and the most prettiest eyes you'll ever see. I swear.
"You're new?" I nodded "What hall?" he asked.
"Uh, Manchester wing, for girls." I added, which would already should be obvious it's for girls.
"Cool, Manchester wing myself for boys." He added, wiggling his eyebrows. I giggled a bit. "You play guitar?" he asked, motioning to my guitar case. I smiled.
"Yeah," I rocked on the heels of my feet."Do you sing?"
"A little. I sing, scream, break dance." He chuckled. "What about you?"
"No screaming or break dancing, but I play guitar and sing. I can tickle a gnarly synth.
"I would love to hear you sometime." He smiled again.
"Ditto." I tried to smile, but failed when my cheeks began blazing and ended up muttering it. "I should get going, to get my schedule." I began walking down the stairs.
Smooth Lydia.
"Hey wait!" He called as he trailed down the stairs after me. "What's your name?" He asked.
"Lydia." I say with a smile. He returned it.
"Tyler. Hey, maybe we should get lunch and I can show you a tour?"
"Sure." I quickly agreed, seeing the girl that glared at me earlier doing this that. Glaring.
"Cool, meet me at the Common Areas at two? And we can go then."
"Thanks. See you later, Tyler."
"Later Lyd." My heart skipped a beat.
"Ugh," Luke groaned. "I should've known the mushy gushy crap would come along with it." I snickered.
I was an idiot. I don't even know where the fucking Common Areas is. After I got my schedule, it took me a while to find the main campus area.
I groan internally and look at the map again to find my room number. 413 Manchester A Hall. I turned around to head the opposite way when I bumped into someone else. My hands were out to catch myself and my guitar flew somewhere.
"Whoa there." I look up to see the guy I bumped into holding my guitar. I relax. The guy next to him waves at me.
It was the floppy hair guy. I stared at the two of them.
"Hey." Floppy boy speaks. "I'm Brandon McMaster." He grins at me and I just stare.
"I'm Tyler Carter." The boy with my guitar speaks. He hands me my guitar and Brandon picks up my bag off the floor. When I finally find my senses I look around.
"Where the hell am I exactly?"
"Whoa, whoa, wait. You met the Tyler Carter and Brandon McMaster of Sleeping with Sirens?! Dude! College life!" I leaned over and smacked my brother upside the head.
"Shhh." I face palmed him.
"Uh, you're in wing B." Tyler spoke. Now it made sense as to why all I see is guys, half of which is shirtless.
"Hey Tyler-whoa, still bumping into people aye?" I looked behind Tyler and saw the other Tyler walking this way. This is too much.
"So, wait. You're Tyler." I say pointing to the guy who handed me my guitar. "And you're Tyler." I say pointing to the guy I first bumped into.
"Yup." Both of them spoke.
"Uh," both of them laughed.
"My real name is Derek." Guitar Tyler speaks. "But everyone calls me by my middle name, Tyler." Right.
"Tyler Smith. And most people call me Telle." The other Tyler spoke.
Right.
I took a really good look at them. Tyler, uh, Derek was fairly attractive. But if I'm going to separate the two, I need something more. So I looked at their tattoos.
Tyler Carter has grey eyes, blonde hair, which I suspect is dyed, and has a face tattoo on his arm and hearts going up to his thumb.
Tyler Smith has brown eyes with green specks in them and long brown hair. The piercings are what's helping me tell them apart. He also has a couple tattoos on his arms.
Brandon, well, no tattoos, no piercings, just grey eyes and somewhat floppy hair.
"Hey, you play! Are you in music?" Tyler. C asks. I nod.
"I have it er," I hold up my schedule, "After lunch?"
"Hey, that's our class. Vocals and guitar. So, you play and sing? I like you already." Tyler (Carter) said, throwing an arm around me.
"Yay?" the guys helped me make it to A wing, with the glares of course. Something about Brandon drives these girls crazy. While Tyler and Brandon engaged in conversation while helping me unpack, I tried to muster up convo with Telle.
"So, what made you come to Phoenix?" he asked as he helped me put the bed sheet on my bed. I got the single bed while the other two bunk beds were taken. My roommates? I don't know. The bed sheet is purple and I still have posters to put up.
"I don't know. I was tired of UCLA. Too many rich, snooty, people. Plus, I'm closer to my family. And when I mean family I mean my brother and father." We spread out the creases when our hands touched. I could feel the intensity of his touch, but I decided to ignore it.
"Beach life bitches." He said. I giggled a bit until the door barged opened and showed two girls standing there.
"HI!" Tyler yelled. Telle just stared and Brandon was poking his nipples.
One girl had brown hair, grey eyes, and gauges. She looked like she was high, she could be, and she had tattoos too. Thank god I got some, otherwise, I would start to feel left out.
The other girl looked nicer, no tattoos, and had long brown hair. She also had grey eyes. I wonder if they're related. I was about to introduce myself when the gauge girl asked;
"Who the hell are you?"