Chapter 6

 

In the days that followed, life around the House of Goths became pleasantly comfortable for Becky. While for the most part, the guys came and went without bothering to say hello or goodbye, at least, at breakfast, and dinner time, they would gather around long enough to touch base.

Certain rules were established too. For example, strict bathroom etiquette was put into place first. Simple really, when the door was open, it was available. When it was shut, one would have to knock first before entering. Becky was ever grateful for that rule in particular.

Secondly, no below the waist nudity was allowed for all parties involved. Boxers were permitted but briefs were not. Crispin had suggested that to be fair, Hello Kitty pyjamas, should be included in the what not to wear list.

His ridiculous request was quickly stricken down by Becky’s protests. Confused at the silly suggestion, and further perplexed by the fits of laughter from all three guys, Becky could only frown. She would never understand their adverse repulsion at such a benign creature.

Thirdly, everyone was responsible for looking after their own messes such as dishes, laundry, and general all around cleanliness.

Fourthly, groceries and household supplies were to be put on a list located on the refrigerator door for Kell to purchase with the money collected from rent. Everything else of a more personal nature was to be purchased by the individual.

Lastly, a special rule was put in place, specifically for Becky which both shocked and angered her. After much protest on her part it was unanimously agreed upon by all three male members of the jury, including a very reluctant Crispin, that she was not permitted outside after dark without the accompaniment of, at least, one of her housemates!

Given that is was October and already dark by 5 PM, Becky didn’t know how that could possibly work. Be that as it may, she was vehemently informed by a very serious Kelley that it was the one rule that would make or break her deal to reside at the House of Goths!

That was all, really, as far as rules went. Becky was once again grateful for that. She didn’t want to be looked upon as a party pooper. After all, this was the House of Goths, first and foremost. She was just happy to be allowed to stay.

 

Thankfully, Becky was allocated a small corner of the turreted art studio for her to use. Kelley was good enough to bring up a spare easel from the basement for her.

“Thank you, that’ll be just perfect,” she said, excitedly hovering around him as he set it up next to his easel by the window.

“You sure?” he asked sarcastically.

“Yes, just perfect!” She enthusiastically patted him on the shoulder. “Thank you, Kelley.”

He stiffened slightly at the sound of his name on her voice. He really wished she would stop calling him that. It never ceased to cause him to die a little inside. At the same time, he reluctantly realized that he would miss it if she did. “Right, you’re welcome then.” He smirked, playfully chucking her under the chin with his finger.

She found herself spending most of her free time in that room, painting and drawing away. Sometimes, Kell and the others would join her, doing their thing. Mostly they worked quietly. Other times, music blared loudly, usually when Crispin decided to join them.

She learned quickly not to react to Crispin’s outbursts of frustration at himself, which happened quite often. He would be working away on some painting and all of a sudden, lose it, throwing his brush at his canvas in a huff, and stalking away.

“Such a drama queen,” Dorian would say, while working diligently on his graphic comic book illustrations.

Becky was impressed with all of their individual skills, if not a tad confused by some of the subject matter.

While her subjects consisted mostly of imaginary fantasy landscapes, Kelley’s veered towards the dark side, mostly macabre scenes like those of Edward Munch. Crispin’s paintings ranged from expressionistic to the abstract.

“We should have an open house! A gallery showing, right here of all of work,” Becky declared, after completing a particularly successful work of art. A painting, depicting a fairy surrounded by three very handsome woodland elves.

“What the fuck is that?” Crispin scoffed, coming around her easel, pointing at the painting.

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

All three Goths gathered around, staring at her latest creation.

“Is that supposed to be… us?” Crispin asked incredulously, gesturing towards the elves.

“No…” Becky said, turning a bright shade of red. Okay, maybe she had captured their likenesses, but that didn’t mean anything. Not really.

“Leave her be,” Kell said, hiding his smile. Could this girl be any sillier? She’d obviously painted herself into the image as the fairy princess, and surrounded herself with her adoring subjects, each of them offering her a particular gift.

“Is that you?” Crispin asked, studying the fairy closely. “You forgot the whiskers and the little round ears,” he teased her mercilessly.

She frowned, fuming with indignation. “Perhaps, I forgot your horns, too!” she shouted, scrambling from the room.

“Ouch…” Crispin gasped, mockingly clutching his chest. “Now that was hurtful.”

“You can be such an ass.” Dorian chuckled, returning to his drawing.

Steeling herself against any further teasing, Becky returned to the room a little while later, resolved to not let them get to her. Let them make fun. She was there to paint, and she was not going to let Crispin intimidate her.

She should have guessed by the strained silence in the room, that something was up. They were being awfully quiet and none would make direct eye contact with her. Only when she turned towards her painting did she discover that some scoundrel, Crispin, no doubt, by the way he was snickering, had painted cartoonish whiskers and little round ears on the fairy in her painting.

“Oh, you!” she huffed, glaring at him in particular. “You think this is funny?” All three of them gave into fits of laughter. At first, she could only frown and shake her head at them. But even she had to admit that it was a funny harmless prank. “Silly boys,” she said with a reluctant smile.

 

***

 

One evening after a distressing call from her grandmother’s retirement home, Becky paced nervously in her room. Granny had fallen ill with a similar case of the flu that Becky just had. Apparently many of the home’s elderly residents had come down with the same affliction. That meant the home was in quarantine.

This was very distressing for Becky. She wanted nothing more than to rush to her granny’s side but even that wasn’t possible, given the circumstances.

Also, Thanksgiving was this coming weekend. She had been so looking forward to visiting her granny and spending some time with her. She’d been feeling so homesick as of late. Life at the House of Goths wasn’t exactly unbearable but sometimes she still couldn’t help but feel a bit lonesome.

The boys came and went as they pleased, did their own thing, alone or with each other, but they rarely went out of their way to include her.

Sure, she could understand Crispin’s obvious disinterest in her. Dorian seemed nice enough in the beginning, but lately he rarely made the effort to seek her out. Most of all it hurt that even Kelley avoided her.

 

“She sure spends a lot of time up in her room,” Dorian said as the three Goths lounged in front of the television.

“Good,” Crispin said, reclining into his corner of the couch. “Better there than here.”

“Come on, man,” Kell said, leaning on his elbow, watching the latest horror flick with little interest. “Quit the act.”

“What act?” Crispin balked.

“You know what I mean.” Kell rolled his eyes. “Everyone knows you like her. Let it go.”

“Like her?” Crispin repeated indignantly. “I barely tolerate the twit. It’s you who likes her.”

“Well, I like her,” Dorian declared. “What’s not to like? She’s quiet, she’s cute and she keeps to herself.”

The three of them sat in silence for the remainder of the movie. None actually paying much attention to the plot.

“Should we watch another?” Crispin asked when the credits rolled, digging through a pile of random DVDs.

“Sure, why not?” Kell said with lacklustre enthusiasm.

“I don’t know. I’m beat. I think I’ll call it a night,” Dorian said, standing up and stretching. He made his way into the hall and nearly ran over Becky.

“Hey, what are you doing out here all alone?” he asked, bending down to her level.

“Nothing…” She wasn’t about to tell him that she’d been lurking in the hall for quite some time, wanting to watch television with them, but too timid to enter the room.

“Go on then, Crispin’s just started another movie,” he said, reading her mind.

“You sure?” she asked self-consciously.

“Of course, why not?” Laughingly, he took her by the shoulders and guided her into the living room. “Gentlemen, turns out Miss Becky would like to join you for the next movie. Is that all right?” he asked as he plunked her down on the couch beside a glowering Crispin.

“Hey, there you are. Of course, it’s all right,” Kelley said, sitting up in his chair, suddenly very much alert. Was she a sight for sore eyes or what? From the elevated beating of his heart at the mere sight of her, he realized then just how well a job he’d been doing at purposely avoiding her. It only served to cause him to miss her. Sweet little thing.

“Right then, enjoy,” Dorian said, winking mischievously at Crispin’s scowl.

Suddenly there she was, sitting in the dimly lit room, very much aware of the heavy tension in the air. They either really didn’t want her there or she was just imagining things.

“You like horror movies, love?” Kell asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Now and then,” she said with a self-conscious shrug. She didn’t really, but she wasn’t about to admit it. Besides, she was just tired of being alone upstairs in her room.

“You’d better,” Crispin challenged, reclining into his corner. Just to prove a point, he stretched his long leather-clad legs out on the couch, claiming most of the space for himself, forcing Becky to sit farther into her corner, away from his big feet.

Halfway through the movie, most of which, she’d watched through closed eyes, Becky felt herself start to doze off, despite the disturbing scenes. Having sat in the same uncomfortable position for a while, she shifted slightly, unaware of the fact that in doing so, she unintentionally started to lean towards Crispin’s side of the couch. Eventually she dozed off and found herself resting completely against his bent knees.

“Wonderful,” Crispin grumbled, with a roll of his eyes. “Look at us, we’re cuddling.”

His voice woke her and she sat up abruptly. “Sorry,” she said, looking bashfully from Crispin to a very much aware, Kell.

Returning their attentions back to the seemingly never ending movie, eventually, Becky started to doze off once again. This time she slid and fell entirely into the crevice between Crispin and the couch, resting her face on his hip.

“Well, don’t look at me like that,” Crispin whispered, catching Kell’s glare.

“Fuck you,” Kell grumbled, not at all liking, actually hating, the sight of Becky so intimately reclined against Crispin.

By the time the credits rolled, none of them could tell you what the movie was about, since Becky was now completely out cold and flopped over Crispin’s chest, her hand tucked cosily under his chin. Crispin too, had apparently dozed off, his hands resting casually on her back while Kell was left seething with inexplicable anger at the disgustingly touching scene.

“Thank goodness,” Crispin mumbled, rousing awake when Kell plucked Becky from his clutches. “Get this clingy thing off me.”

“Right,” Kell muttered sarcastically, carefully balancing Becky in his arms. “Come on, love. Time for bed.”

“Bed… Kelley,” she murmured happily, snuggling into him and clutching his long hair in her fist.

“That’s right, Kelley,” he whispered, touched by the fact that even in her state of semi-consciousness, she had recognized him. Tucking her into his chest, he carried her effortlessly up the stairs. “Sweet little thing,” he murmured. Before he could stop himself, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead.