Original Sinner's

Lesson Learned.

   The morning was very peaceful.  Jess joined her parents for coffee and helped her dad with the crossword puzzle in the morning paper as was their little thing. Mark popped in with a quick kiss for his mom and a back slap for his dad. He plopped down in the chair close to Jess and ruffled her hair.

   "You got plans for today?" He picked up the coffee cup and took a sip.

   "Hey! Get your own butthead!" She grabbed her cup and coddled it against her breast. Her mom set one down in front of Mark. "Ahh yeah, I'm going shopping with Sam and Harry. Then a movie. Vic is with her boyfriend and I don't know what Lee is doing, but I'll probably see them later. Why?"

   Mark shrugged. "You remember Jason? My old football buddy from high school?" At her nod he continued. "He's started a business here in town with his dad. Anyway he's throwing a party tonight. Why don't you and the girls come out? Maybe perform a couple songs."

   "You want us to entertain?" She laughed.

   "Hey, yeah I mean no, but ... come on sis, you know what I mean." He looked embarrassed. "I just think you guys are good. Good enough to go out there and actually make a living. I kinda like have bragging rites that you are my sister." He shrugged.

   "I'll ask the girls. Send me the address and time and we will see." She laughed. "They'll probably say yes." 

   "Okay cool." He saluted her with his coffee cup. "I see Gareth got you home safe. He didn't get fresh did he?"

   She busted out laughing. "No master protector of the universe he didn't. Did you get fresh with one of my friends?" She countered.

   His cheeks flushed, and he peeked up bashfully at her. "Maybe, but I'm not a man tool."

   "Who?" she squeeled.

   "Harry." He looked down into his lap. "Damn Jessie, she sure has grown up these last couple years."

   "We all have Romeo. Case you haven't noticed. All five of us are eighteen. I'll be nineteen by Christmas. We are old enough to decide our fates, and romance partners." She frowned at him.

   "I know, I may not like it, but I know. Just... choose wisely will you?" His blue eyes so like mine stared into mine.

   My dad looked between us.  "You seeing someone honey?"

   "No dad. Mark is just being protective. That's why I love him." She stood up from the table ruffed Mark's hair and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. "Don't forget the address and time on that party. Only problem might be Harry's drum kit, but I imagine you could help with that." She giggled.

                                                  ---------------------------------------------------

   The girls kicked around the mall for a couple hours and bought a few new t-shirts and bottoms to match. Jess bought a new pair of kicks, and heels. (You never know.) then the went to the food court for lunch.

   "So my brother stopped in this morning. Wants to know if we would go to a party tonight and maybe do a couple songs?" Jess said after shoving a fry into her mouth.

   Sam shrugged. "I don't care. I don't have any plans. You Harry?" Sam bit into her burger.

   "Well actually," She took a deep breath and looked at Jessie. "He already, kinda asked me to go with him last night." She said tentatively. "Are you okay with that Jess?"

   Jessie started laughing. "Are you asking me if it's alright for you to date my brother?" At Harry's shrug she smiled. "Girl, you're one of my best friends. I think it's great! I trust all my friends Unfortunately  my brother can't say the same obviously. He was livid when he thought Gareth was flirting with me." She shook her head.

   "Well," Sam broke in. "He was kinda, but I think the guy just can't help himself. I drove past the motel they are staying at this morning on my way to grab coffee for mom, and I saw Gareth in the parking lot with Bonnie Tucker. They were all wrapped around each other! Eeuuw!" She shuddered. "I think Bonnie spent the night with him."

   "Wonder where he met her?" Harry said.

   "She wasn't at the bon fire. Maybe they all went out after they dropped us all off."

   I looked over to Sam. "Maybe. There is a bar at the motel. Maybe they went in there and Bonnie was there. I think she likes to hang around in bars to get picked up, you know?" She shrugged. Secretly a little hurt that after that awesome kiss he went with Bonnie Tucker.

   "I just don't get what men find attractive about her! She is such a slut!" Harry said.

   "That's your answer!" Sam replied. "Sure she's attractive. Even kind of sexy in a slutty way, but she puts out. Guys are whores too Harry. Especially guys like Gareth Wainwright. He's hot and rich. His future is totally mapped out by his family. He's only in College to have fun. He doesn't have to take anything seriously. He has Wainwright money to lean on after graduation and a career. They are in publishing I think."

   "Wow! Where did you get all that information? I know not from him. I don't think I've even seen you speak to him." Harry commented.

   Sam's cheeks got red. "I googled him. I googled all Mark's friends." She giggled. "Come on! You saw how hot they all are."

   "Are they all from money?" Sam asked.

   "No, just Gareth and Peter. The other two are just like Mark. Regular guys with football scholarships."

   "Good to know!" Jess said. She grabbed up her trash and threw it all away. "So... Tonight right?"

   "Yes!" Both girls nodded. "I'll call Vic and Lee. Should we get together at Gram's first to run through a few songs?" Sam asked. The girls usually got together at her grandmother's farm to practice. They used her barn.

   "Naw, I think we should just do the songs we did for the senior picnic. We are all real comfortable with those and they showcase our style real well. After all we wrote them." Harry said.

   "I agree." Jess said. "It will give us a clue if we should even try taking them out farther than just home."

   "Awesome. I'll get Mark to help with my kit." Harry said.

   Jess picked up her packages. She giggled as they started walking towards the movie theater. "I told him that this morning!" She stopped and dug her phone out. "I need to text him to let him know we'll do it."

   Jess quickly dropped a text to her brother and received a smiley face in return with the address and time. She forwarded the text to her girls then they bought their tickets and went to enjoy a movie.

                                          _______________________________________________________

   The girls dressed in shredded t-shirts and torn tight jeans. They teased up their hair and put a smokey look to there eyes. Transforming themselves into rock and roll divas. Jess was wearing a red tank top under her shredded Kiss t-shirt with red high top converse kicks. Her blond hair teased and loose. The t falling off one shoulder. She grabbed her guitar and waited for Sam to come pick her up. Vic was riding with her boyfriend and Lee and Harry was going with Mark so that her drum kit could be brought in..

   Harry was their drummer, Leela, or Lee as they called her played keyboards, Vic was base guitar, Sam was lead guitar and Jess was lead singer and guitar. They formed the perfect girl band. Each one different but beautiful.

   Sam picked her up and they arrived right on time. They weren't being paid for the gig, but still took it seriously. After all, it was their music, their songs. Songs they had lived and bled for.

   Mark kissed the side of Jessie's neck when she came in. "Wow! You girls look hot! 

   "Oh! That's right! You haven't seen us in action have you?" Sam patted his shoulder. "Well prepared to be wowed big brother! Your sister has the most sultry sexy voice." Sam giggled. "You have no clue!" She grabbed Jessie's guitar with her own and went towards the makeshift stage.

   Music was already being pipped  out of speakers and there were a few people dancing. "You guys want to mingle a bit first?" Mark indicated the party goers. "I think you know almost everybody here from one time or other from school."

   "Yeah, I think we will. We'll grab a few drinks and mingle a bit before we capture the crowd." She joked.

   The girls grabbed drinks and then walked around the room hugging and greeting people they either went to school with them or used too. A good majority were from her brother's class. Mark's college buddies were holding court out by the pool, and Harry was tucked under Mark's arm. Vic was leaning into a conversation with her boyfriend Joe, and Lee and Sam were sitting at a patio table talking and laughing with some girls they knew. Jess made her way around the group, just people watching sipping on her drink. She slipped into the pool house to use the bathroom and check her make up when she heard voices just outside the open window. She recognized Gareth's laugh. The other guy must have been one of their other friends from college. She washed her hands and was drying them when she heard her name, so she eased dropped.

   "What do you think about Mark's little sister?" The other guy asked. "Hot right?"

   Gareth chuckled."She's cute sure. But way to innocent for my tastes. I like my women to be women, not little girls. You know, I gave her a good night kiss last night. Man it was so easy to tell she'd never been kissed before." Jess heard the insult in his voice.  "She's a girl trying to hard to act like a woman. Not my type at all. I love a woman who goes after what she wants." He growls. "Kinda like the one I hooked up with after I dumped the virgin off. Bonnie something or other. Talk about Hot! Woman had moves she taught me!" They both laughed as they moved away. Jess stared at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.

   "Just a girl pretending to be a woman." She whispered to her self. "Okay Jessie Rose James.. Time to hitch up you t**s and become a real woman! f**k the Gareth's of this world. Time to make men beg to be in your world." She fixed her makeup then fluffed her hair and stepped out. She knew her outfit was on point. No one could ever fault her for her woman's body. She had all the right curves and her jeans fit so snug they showed off her legs for miles and perfect ass. She knew her breasts were perky and sweet. 

   She spied her girl friends still seated at the patio table and made her way there. "Hey, should we get started?" She asked.

   "Hell yeah. Lets do this!" Lee stood up and motioned to Harry and Vic. All five girls moved towards the makeshift stage. Mark stepped up and leaned in. "Hey you guys got a name for your band?" They looked at each other then Jessie grinned.  "Yeah Original Sin." She said proudly. All the girls grinned.

   "Yeah" They all said. "That's our name."

   Mark scowled a little then shrugged. "It's actually kinda hot." He ginned back. "Okay, I'll introduce you guys."

   They girls took their places and Mark stepped up to the microphone as Jess and the girls took their guitar's in hand.

   "Okay everybody. Most of you know who they are, but for those of you who don't "Original Sin!" He stepped off the platform and Jess moved closer to the microphone as Harry started a beat with her drums and  Lee struck a cord on the keyboard. Then the other three strummed their guitars and Jess leaned in an gave a deep throaty hum into the microphone. Everyone stopped what they wee doing and stared up to the girls on stage, and the beat picked up and Jess started singing. Her voice throaty and sexy. A husky sound that reminded of dark nights and romance. The crowd was wowed. They listened to her belt her songs and swayed to the rythem. Then the next song picked up and they started rocking! Everyone went wild and started dancing. They preformed about seven songs in the set. The sweat was rolling off them. Then on the last song Jess grabbed a bottle of water and started to speak into the microphone. "Okay, I'm going to slow this down a bit. I have a ballad I'd like to try out with you guys. Please be honest and let us know how we're doing. We might be taking this on the road." She hit a cord and nodded at Lee. The music started soft and slow and the mood changed, and Jess started singing and there was complete quiet as everyone listened to her husky voice sing about love that went wrong. The feeling she poured into the song effecting everyone. When they hit the last note everyone was clapping and whistling. 

   Mark leapt onto the stage again and yelled into the microphone. "Original Sin everybody!" Then clutched Jess into a tight hug. "Awesome job sis"

   She set her guitar down into it's case and hugged the girls. They were surrounded as they came off the stage. Several hugs and congratulations later they were seated at the patio table with drinks and lots of giggling.

   Sam leaned into her. "Were you for real? We are taking this on the road?"

   Jess shrugged. "Why not? I think we need to give it a go. We'll always wonder if we don't."

   Harry squeeled . "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been thinking non-stop about it.  Mark has taken the summer off, why don't we hire him as our road manager and Sam's Gran as our booking manager. She has tons of connects up and down the seaboard here about's and Mark could help keep us protected on the road and settle sleeping arrangements for us." Vic nodded. "Makes sense, And Joe has a truck. He could help carry our equipment."

   "Sounds like we are hitting the road!" Lee called out excitedly. They all raised their cups and saluted. Giggling with joy. Mark plopped down in a chair he pulled up next to Harry. 

   "What are we celebrating? " He smiled.

   "We are taking Original Sin out this summer. Want a job?" Harry asked. 

   Mark looked around the table. "As what? The gofer?"

   Jess laughed. "No our road manager."

   "For real?" He sat forward. "Hey that sounds great. Sure, sure I'm in." Harry leaned in and kissed his cheek.

   "Oh Jessica!" An irritating voice cooed. "That was a wonderful performance darling."

   Jess looked up to see Bonnie all wrapped around Gareth. A huge smile on her fake face. Jess's eyes moved to Gareth and she raised her brows. He looked a little uncomfortable. "Yeah Jess good job up there." He added.

   "Thanks." She offered. Then turned her head to ignore them. "Hey guys, lets get out of here. Ice cream on me at Sam's granny's!" She swallowed down her drink and stood up. Bonnie was standing practically on top of her. "If you'll excuse me?" Jess asked. 

   Bonnie reached out and gave her a little shove. "I don't know why you always act like your better than me James but your not."

   Jess looked into her brown eyes. "Really Bonnie? You want to do this?" Jess stepped back a bit. "I'm leaving. Said not one word out of disrespect, and you want to get in my face?" She shook her head then leaned around and looked at Gareth. "Why don't you find your "Woman" another drink." She air quoted the woman part.. She turned on her heel and walked towards the stage to gather her guitar. Her friends and brother followed.

   "Harry and I will meet you at the farm. Have to get her kit loaded first." Mark offered. 

   Jess hugged him and then the rest of the girls started following her towards the front of the hose to their cars. One of Mark's college friends met them as they were leaving. 

   "Hey Jess." He said shyly. "Tony" he reintroduced.. 

   She smiled "I know. Your the quiet one." She teased. 

   "I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed that tonight. I think you girls are great." His cheeks were heated bright red. His brown eyes peering at her shyly,  He shoved his fists into his jean pockets.

   "Thank you Tony. We are heading out. You want to come with us? We hang out at Sam's granny's farm just outside of town. We need to return our instruments and we were going to pick up ice cream."

   "Yeah sure! Actually sounds like fun." 

   Jess linked her arm through his and started to pull him along. He reached around her and took her guitar. When she looked up, Gareth was staring at them. A scowl on his face.  She finger waved at him and Bonnie moved closer to him and wrapped herself around him like a blanket. Jess smirked and walked away..