~Interview six~

"So, Izzy, what exactly do you look for in a girl?" The interviewer leaned forward almost eagerly, while Izzy visibly shied away from the question. He studied his hands silently with a bashful smile, while his leggy blonde companion grinned idiotically.

"Come on, Izzy, tell the world about your conquest," Duff nudged Izzy's shoulder, while Izzy shrugged. "Well, okay. Let's just say I'm looking for a certain type of chick at the moment. That's all I'm willing to say." "Oh come on man," Duff complained, and rolled his eyes.

"Is there anything more to this, Duff?" The interviewer pried, while Duff nodded his fluffy head. "Yeah, see, Izzy has this mission to sleep with a black chick before he turns twenty-six. I think it's stupid, but hey, whatever." The interviewer laughed at the absurd comment, "To sleep with a black female. Not... date one, not marry one..."

Izzy shrugged. "Maybe. But I've got my eye on one right now." He bit his lip.

In the back of the room, Slash and Axl exchanged a glance. It seemed that everyone was after the brainy girl with way too much hair.

****

Skipper's POV

Whore. You've let him use your body for his own person enjoyment; he will leave you in the dust for his fiance. Floating like a bag in the wind.

My conscience is a cruel thing. It constantly reminds me of my most recent mistake: spontaneous sex with a married man. Well... he isn't married yet legally, but I consider Rosie to be taken, whether the knot has been tied or not.

We finished... rather quickly. I've readjusted my clothing, and currently stand with my back to Rosie. He is a few feet off, noisily refastening his belt. My breathing is erratic as is my heartbeat, my stomach lurches and jumps as it threatens to spill my breakfast all over. I feel like crying and screaming at once. I somehow gave into him... again.

Rosie's arms hook around my waist from behind, and suddenly his chest is pressed against me. "I want you to come hang with me and the guys tonight," He murmurs in my ear, stroking my bare forearms with his fingers. Every aspect of him intoxicates me; he's a bitter drug, demanding my addiction.

As his thumb traces my skin gently, and he whispers to me softly, I wrack my mind for any excuse to decline his invitation. I've... got a surgery? A seminar downtown to give? "I..."

"Everyone's gonna be there, the whole band. I want them to get to know you, it's important to me." I feel like I already know Slash, and the rest of them, well... I don't know if I care to associate with such people. "Where?"

I feel his smile, his lips pressed against the feverish skin beneath my earlobe. "Mm, that's the spirit. I'll pick you up, don't worry about it." He rocks back and forth slightly, while his long eyelashes brush against me.

He stands there for a really awkwardly long time, holding me, enough for time passes for me to feel inclined to elbow him away. I don't feel the need to 'cuddle,' I already feel bad enough for the crime we've just hastily committed.

"I've got a surgery," I eventually interrupt his moment, and he groans. "Alright, sweetheart. I'll be back around nine or ten." I bite my lip while trying to mentally force myself to deny his advances, but nothing happens. "Okay?"

"Look hot." He gives my waist a reassuring squeeze, and finally leaves me in solitude.

Once his presence has vanished, I collapse completely against the desk. Tears threaten to spill due in part to my own weakness and stupidity, but I don't allow them to.

****

The aroma of a bar: Cigarette smoke, alcohol fumes strong enough to to draw tears, and the essence of unreleased sexual tension. The scent is conditioned and worked into every nook and cranny of the dark and deep, shadowy place, oiled into every leather stool at the counter.

Usually the smell comforts me for some odd reason, but as I walk across the dingy bar on Rosie's arm, an uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. He's pulled me close to his body, gazing at me dreamily from beneath the bill of his SnapBack.

I manage to pull my arm away as we approach the two pushed-together wooden tables the band is seated at. The raucous conversation ceases, everyone taking huge gulps from their frothy mugs of beer.

"Woah, Skipper! I didn't think I'd be in the presence of royalty, or I would've teased my hair for an extra five minutes," Duff winks at me, while simultaneously having his arm hooked around the shoulders of some blonde beauty. She gives me a dirty look, while I return a smile.

Izzy's eyes become as luminous as stars, and he playfully pushes Steven's shoulder to draw his attention. Steven gives a wry smile, while Izzy gives a lustful one. "Sup, girl?" Rosie places a hand on my waist for a moment, before greeting everyone with some sort of hand gesture. Slash looks up at me with a mysterious amusement, sipping from a tall glass of clear liquid.

"You came out to play?" Slash teases as I take the empty chair beside him, and I shrug nonchalantly. I steal his glass, fully expecting some form of hard liquor. "Yeah, I sure did." I take a sip, surprised by the taste of pure water. I give him a puzzled look. "I like to get drunk alone." He offers a simple explanation.

Rosie soon takes his seat beside me, and places his hand over mine. It annoys me, as if he's trying to let everyone know who I came here with. I ignore the urge to pull my hand away.

Rosie begins chattering away to Duff about chord progressions, so I look over at Slash. He quietly sips his glass of water, seeming to keep to himself, other than a few occasional words to Steven. I push his shoulder playfully to achieve his attention, after I do so he blinks at me through the thick hair that conceals most of his face.

"Hmm?" "Cat got your tongue?" I bat my eyelashes, and lean forward against the table. He places a fresh cigarette between his lips. "Nah." This is all he says, after lighting the cigarette and expelling the smoke.

Frowning slightly, I contemplate what my response to his apparent indifference should be. I don't want to seem annoying or desperate for attention, but I was under the impression that Slash liked me, just a little. He's been playful with me in past encounters, so of course this leaves me wondering.

"Who are you, and what've you done with the Slash I met three years ago?" I raise both eyebrows. Before Slash can conjure up a response, a voice from across the table answers for him. "He's usually drunk, but when he's not he's totally mellow, you know?"

I recollect the shiny sapphire of Izzy's eyes as I gaze at him, realizing he was probably staring at me from the minute I sat down. "Really?" I snicker, while Izzy nods knowledgeably. "Yeah, I guess." Slash grunts in agreement.

Undaunted, I blow a loose strand of hair out of my face, and prepare to try again. "Where's your girlfriend, Slash? Duff brought one, so why are you all alone?" Slash examines the cigarette between his two fingers carefully, as if there is some detail buried deep within the paper wrapping that's much more interesting than our dialogue.

"Women come and go." His eyes divert to mine, as if he is expecting some sort of reaction. The first sign of his actual participation in this conversation.

Instead of getting angry like he wants me to, I grin, and nod my head understandingly. "Yeah, the same with men, you know? Just the other night I was flirting with some kid named Cobain, and look where I am now."

A weird expression crosses his features, and he turns away from me. It's not enough to conceal his tight-lipped smile, though.

"Don't pay him any mind," Izzy consoles me, "He doesn't like anyone but Axl."

For some reason, I want to change that. I understand that they grew up together and everything, but my bounty of friends isn't exactly plentiful as of right now. He seems different than the rest of the guys, like a person I could eventually come to like. I need someone to talk to who doesn't want to have sex with me- Slash obviously fits that bill. He doesn't seem to consort with anyone here- besides Rosie- beyond the fact that they're band mates, which is the perfect qualification.

"I like your hair," I smile, reaching out to touch his fluffed-out curls. Slash flinches just as Izzy yells, "No, don't!"

I don't stop myself, and Slash jumps when my hand lands in his curly mane. He looks over at me slowly, and Steven wears a horrified expression. "Okay, if I were you, I would remove your hand... extremely slowly." He speaks to me as if I'm doing something serious, like defusing a bomb.

I ignore them completely, and gently wrap one of his curls around my finger. "Wow, guys don't usually have such soft hair," I grin rebelliously, and refrain from winking at Slash. I notice that he seems to be attempting to conceal an emotion- whether or not it's anger I don't know. "Yeah, whatever."

Izzy and Steven exchange a look as he allows me to finish petting him, before I pull my hand away.A strange prickling sensation lets me know that yet another person is staring at me.

Rosie has finally finished chattering away with Duff, and now studies me, probably having witnessed that entire scene. "What?" I turn, twirling my own hair innocently.

He doesn't respond, so I just study him as he does me. I find myself examining the auburn colored stubble which now calls his jaw a home, and before I know it I'm silently reaching out to touch it. He seems to lean into my hand now, as my fingers brush against the rough hair on his face.

Then, I realize the magnitude of what I've done, and quickly withdraw my hand, placing it on my lap. As the conversation around us continues, Rosie narrows his eyes at me with a look of disappointment. He grips the leg of my chair, and slides it across the scratched floor to him. "What's wrong?" I look away, wishing I had a drink to distract my attention.

"Nothing, I just..."

His fingers brush my face now, as his hand pulls back a lock of my hair, his face nearing mine. I almost shrink away from him, but it's much too late; seconds later his lips gently press themselves to my cheekbone. It's a sickeningly sweet, warm gesture, giving me the urge to push him away. I don't act on it, I just don't look at him when he finishes. I am glad when nobody seems to notice.

"We can go someplace by ourselves now," He leans forward and whispers to me. "Back to your place, my place. I don't wanna do anything, I just... wanna sleep. I want to wake up next to you tomorrow morning, I want you to be the first person I see. Forever." I bite back my own bitter emotions, and take a quivering breath.

"That's not what one-night stands say," I know it sounds bad, but that's the only neutral response I could think of. His eyebrows knit together for a minute, but he doesn't snap at me. "Well, good thing I'm not a one night stand." I'm not so sure, I refrain from adding.

He cocks his head, leaning forward to kiss me. Caught like a deer in the headlights, I'm forced to accept the gesture, until Duff's surprised guffaw saves me. "Dude! What? Erin?" He almost whines, while everyone stares with us with eyes like golf balls. Everyone but Slash, that is, who still puffs his cigarette without a care in the world.

"But-"

"Speak of the devil," Slash mutters giving us a meager warning before the dark-haired Erin girl surfaces beside the table. I nearly fall out of my chair, but stand quickly to conceal my stumbling. Her bright eyes and face sicken me, but I force a pleasant expression. "Hey..." Steven rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably, while Duff runs a hand through his blonde crest of hair.

I realize now that I look like an idiot, seeing as there's no more chairs to be seated in. Erin takes no notice of the awkward air that has now settled over us, and walks around the table to Rosie. Fighting the jealousy growing inside of me, I step aside, assuming that she'll take my seat next to him. Instead, she folds her tall frame to fit right on his lap.

Slash chuckles, while Duff draws in a breath through his teeth. "I missed you today," Erin proclaims, wrapping her thin arms around Rosie's neck, and nuzzling into his neck. I can nearly feel the steam pouring out of me ears. I shouldn't be jealous, given the fact that I plan on 'breaking up' whatever fling we have going now, I just can't stand this stupid girl.

"Guys! Why don't we play spin the bottle!" She pipes up again, after realizing that nobody has resumed their conversations yet. I contemplate just leaving on the spot. How could Rosie lie to me? I knew he was lying when he said there was nothing between them, and now he won't even look me in the eye. It insults me personally to see them cuddled up together- which gives me an even better plan of action.

"Well, that's a great idea," I smirk, strutting around the table and taking a comfortable seat on Izzy's lap. He gasps in surprise, before grinning and wrapping his arms around my waist. I lean back against his chest, casually meeting Rosie's burning glare as he realizes what I've done.

"You don't mind, do you Izzy?" I smile up into his shining blue eyes, which give me permission before he eagerly nods.

Erin seems contented. A weird look passes over Slash's features yet again, but he remains silent. To my amusement, Rosie's mouth is set and his eyes are an inferno.

Two can definitely play this game.

Ugh. Always starting shit, are we? I'm so sorry for waiting like a week to update....you hate me...

I mean, there was even a group of people planning to beat me with a paddle last chapter!

Vote and comment :)