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There were probably closer to 75 flyers scattered across the living room floor by the time we were finished. I laid on the floor across several of them, hearing a few of them crinkle under my back. My friends were scattered across the floor, some on the furniture. Cyra was half on the chair, half on the floor, her legs dangling in the air like fishing lines. RayJay was laying next to me, his fingers an inch or less from mine.

“Fucking finally,” I huffed, shooing away a few pieces of paper by my foot, “I never want to make another poster again in my life.”

“Part of me regrets agreeing to help you,” Cyra confessed, “why didn’t you just make simple ones that you could have copied on the copy machine on your printer?” I glared over at her over the brim of my glasses. All I could see from my angle were her legs.

“Simple posters don’t get anyone’s attention,” I elaborated. I heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and this time, I was much more relaxed. I saw a set of black boots make their way into the room and stand over me. My friends all greeted my brother before I had the chance to, and I’m sure RayJay was just laying there in absolute awe.

“The hell are you doing?” Andy questioned. He kicked up a paper under his foot and reached down for it, scanning it over with curiosity, “is this some kind of anti-bullying thing you’re putting together?” I shrugged my shoulders and rolled over onto my stomach.

“I guess you could call it that. Have I ever told you how much I hate my school’s student body?” He shook his head, and I rolled over once again to stand up. The others started to get up as well and grab the flyers in their reach. RayJay was still lying there, his mouth agape and his eyes as wide as they could be, so far that I thought that they may roll back into his head.

“They’re a treacherous group of people,” Malachi commented, “if you don’t fit into a clique, you’re basically a lone wolf. But everyone usually finds somebody they fit in with. Usually, those people find you,” he handed me a stack of flyers, “everyone knows when a new face shows up.” November and Cyra handed me their stacks, November handing me Malachi’s as well.

“That sounds like every high school in existence,” Andy argued. We scanned our over each other before we simultaneously burst out in laughter. I felt a tug on my pant leg and looked down to find RayJay staring up at me. I giggled and tossed the flyers on the coffee table, a few of the top ones rebelling and floating back onto the floor, and offered him a hand up.

“You’re so far from right, you’re left,” Calloway elaborated, being a gentleman and picking up the remaining flyers from the floor. By the time I had RayJay to his feet, his mouth had closed, but his eyes still looked as if they were about to bulge out of his face.

“Is he ok?” Andy questioned. I gave RayJay a smack on the cheek, hoping to snap him out of it. His eyes closed a bit, enough that I didn’t think they would fall out.

“Maybe I should introduce you two,” I suggested. I put an arm around RayJay, the other around Andy, “Brother Andy, this is my best friend RayJay. RayJay, this is Andrew Biersack…my brother.”

For a minute, they both just stared at each other. The silence in the room was so thick and dense that I could have choked on it. My friends had taken seats around the room once again. I slipped my arms out and strode off to my room to grab my guitar. I nearly slipped in my socks when I rounded the corner to go in.

“I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about you,” I heard Andy bellow, the first one to break the thick awkwardness lingering throughout the whole house. I zipped my guitar case up and whispered “shit” before speed walking back out to join them.

“What is there to question?” RayJay replied, attempting to stay as calm and collected as possible. Andy crossed his arms over his chest, and RayJay placed his on his hips. I sat the guitar on the couch next to November, who took it and rested it on her lap. We just watched them intently, waiting for someone to make the next move.

“My first impression of you wasn’t that great,” Andy spoke, a cold tone resonating over his voice. My friends glanced between me and them, waiting for me to cough up what they were talking about.

“I wasn’t kissing her without her permission. What kind of person do you think I am?” he lashed back. Calloway, Malachi, November, and Cyra snapped their necks in my direction, their faces lit up with pure joy. Before I could open my mouth to say “I’ll give you details later,” the girls had grabbed me and dragged me off to my room. Calloway and Malachi stayed out with the boys to make sure no blood would be shed.

Cyra threw me onto my bed while November slammed the door, causing a few things on my dresser top to shake. They were squealing like fan girls.

“When the hell did this happen!? Is that why you guys got into a huge fight!?” Cyra threw herself next to me and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, shaking me “Why didn’t you tell us this before!?” November threw herself onto the bed as well. My face turned as red as my lipstick.

“I didn’t know how to,” I explained, “and we weren’t speaking to each other. I didn’t want to talk about it yet, let alone him,” I blew hair out of my face, “I went two years without having anyone to tell anything to. I’m still getting used to that.” They grabbed me and pinned me to the bed, squeezing the life out of me and giggling.

“That’s awesome!” November squealed, “How did it happen?” They rolled over off of me to allow me to sit up and breathe. I flattened down my hair and fixed my part.

“We were just talking…then dancing…then it happened…then it was ruined…and that’s why we didn’t speak for…I don’t even know how long,” I informed, “I didn’t know Andy was home, and he kind of came out and found us. I’m really hoping that they’re not killing each other out there.” Cyra leaned up against the door, listening for anything.

“I hear nothing but normal tone voices,” she reported, “I think we’re clear.” She swung the door open and sped out into the living room, sliding by the boys in her socks. November and I followed, not quite as quickly or joyfully.

“For the last time, she’s my best friend, I would never-”

“And she’s my little sister, so I have to-”

“Would y’all just shut the fuck up and make the fuck up and get the fuck along?” I interrupted, slipping my way between them and pushing them apart. They both had their arms crossed over their chests.

“She’s my sister, I love her, and-”

“So do I.”

The air in the room grew thicker and denser than it had been when their argument first started. I wanted to run down the street to the park and throw myself into the river. November and Cyra were back on the couch, and Calloway and Malachi looked as if they were ready to pounce on RayJay and Andy at any second. The tension was growing denser with every passing second.

“So Toril,” November commented, breaking the awkward in the air and playing a few strings on my guitar, “Wanna practice for the talent show? We don’t have many more days left?” I quickly slid away and joined her. My brother and best friend turned and headed out the back door.

“…Sure thing…” I agreed, “we should practice the other song too.” I looked over at Calloway and Malachi. They both nodded and headed for the back door, not going out, but standing by it in case they needed to break up a fight. This is not how I planned their formal meeting to go.