Animosity In The Ranks
Chapter 95
“Will that be all?” the tired looking college student behind the counter asked you after she finished ringing up your current order.
Scanning the pile of merchandise in front of you on the counter you looked over the purchase you had just made on your impromptu outing to the local shops for new clothes. New clothes to replace the ones that were sitting in a trash can back at the venue waiting to be burned when you got back later on. New peasant top was hard to find but you had found a cream colored one to replace the moss green one about to be nothing but ash. You found a pair of tight black jeans that looked like they would turn into a good pair of short shorts once you got to them with a pair of scissors. You even managed to find a pair of nude panty hose with the black seam up the back. Your hat you didn’t plan on burning since it had come off long before your foray into hell, Just thinking about last night made you want to be violently ill, and then destroy something. Preferably cute and fuzzy.
On top of replacement clothes and undergarments you had randomly chosen things to add to your purchase, hoping buyers remorse would work this time around. You had found new just about everything, even a ridiculously bright aqua hoodie for Katie. It was so cute that it even came with little aqua cat ears on the top of the hood. Not entirely her style but you were working on that and you didn’t think she’d mind entirely anyways.
“No I think that will be all,” you replied after you mental run down of everything you had bought,
“That will be 136.43,” the cashier sighed as she held out her hand for your form of payment. Not even blinking at the total you handed over your credit card to the care of the girl with the chipped sad nail polish.
“Can I see your ID?” the cashier asked, having flipped over your credit card and seen it didn’t have a signature. You smiled a little. No one these days ever bothered anymore with actually doing that, let alone bored tired looking college students working in retail to pay for books.
“Sure, no problem,” you said with a smile as you dug for said ID somewhere in the back pocket of your overly tight black jeans.
“Oh my god you’re Kales Mae!” an excited voice nearly squealed from behind you. Smiling you turned around to greet the overly happy person behind you.
“Hi. How did you know it was me?” you asked as you absentmindedly started to hand over your ID to the now confused looking cashier.
“Oh I’d know you anywhere! I’m one of your biggest fans!” the girl gushed as she held the white with black graphic tee she was buying to her chest in excitement.
You nodded at her with a smile, she really was cute for a little kid. Or at least little kid by your comparison, since she had to be like sixteen or so.
“Plus, your sleeves are so recognizable in the music and tattoo world. I would know you simply by those alone, let alone your signature hair color,” the girl gushed, blushing a little.
You couldn’t help it, you laughed a little at her response. Not cruelly or anything, it just tickled you a little sometimes when you ran across your fans out in random places. It was a little weird since you were nowhere near Huntington let alone California or the west coast. It was one thing to be recognized by fans of yours back in your city and state but this had to be the closest to middle of nowhere you had ever been in your life. You kind of hadn’t realized just how popular you were across the US, especially since you didn’t have a television show or anything like Kat.
“Well I am most flattered, uh?” you paused, looking for the girl to supply her name since it hadn’t come up yet in your short conversation.
“Stacy! My name’s Stacy,” the girl rushed out quickly, deepening her blush a little.
“Could I see your shirt for a second Stacy?” you asked sweetly, holding out your hand for the pretty graphic tee. With a dumbfounded nod Stacy handed the shirt over to you. With a smile you ripped off the tag and through it on the pile of merchandise you had just bought but had not finished paying for.
“Add that to my order. And do you have a thick black sharpie back there?” you asked the poor cashier who looked even more stunned and confused then before, possibly even a little star struck. She simply nodded and got you a sharpie before redoing your purchase order.
“Thanks,” you said in reply as you uncapped the marker with your teeth.
Laying the tee on the counter you laid it out flat and smooth, making sure the front was directly in front of you. Taking the sharpie you did a quick design, one of the many tattoos that you had in a book waiting to be put on a body. Once you had the design finished and shaded how you wanted you wrote “To Stacy, Love Kales Mae” next to it, signing your name next to the printed version of it. Sticking the sharpie back into its cap that was still stuck between your teeth you picked up the shirt to admire your work before turning back around to Stacy who was still standing behind you. You smiled a little as you watched her jaw drop as you handed it back to her, her eyes getting the size of saucers as she took it from you like it was a holy relic.
“You know my brother is in town tonight right?” you asked as you wiped off the sharpie cap on your Subhumans t-shirt before placing it on the counter behind you.
“Uh huh,” Stacy replied with wide eyes.
“Do you have a ticket?” you prompted the young girl.
“Uh uh,” she replied with a jerking head movement.
“Well if you show up to the front gates at the ticket window and ask for the security guard Steve and wear this shirt you’ll get in. Sound like a plan?” you asked with a grin.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Are you serious?” the girl squealed, though she kept the volume to a minimum.
“As a heart attack my dear,” you laughed, your mood for the day lifting immensely.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh you have no idea how much this means to me!” the girl Stacy squeed. You couldn’t help but grin even more, maybe she was contagious. You didn’t even think she remembered that you had paid for her shirt as well, which was fine by you.
“I think I have an inkling, I didn’t always use to who I am now,” you replied with a soft smile, remembering the old days when you had been exactly like Stacy. So eager, so full of life and joy, idolizing people you thought would never know you.
“The show starts at 7 o’clock and if you can show up a little early that shirt should be able to get you in with the VIP kids okay?" you added quickly, remembering all the card carrying VIP kids that followed your brother and the band like they were the second coming.
“Okay, okay. Thank you so much Kales Mae! You’re the best ever! So much prettier than Kat Von D!" the girl gushed as she clutched the shirt to her chest like it might blow away in the next strong breeze.
“I think I’ll settle for being half as talented,” you grinned, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair like a little kid.
“Thank you!” the girl gushed one more time before turning her head as you heard her name being called from back in the store.
“Oh that’s my friend who’s my ride. I gotta go. Thank you again so much!” Stacy gushed before walking off to meet her cranky looking and sounding friend slash ride.
“Don’t forget, get there early! Before 7 tonight!” you shouted at her, waving goodbye as she gave you a thumbs up. Chuckling to yourself to turned back to the cashier, hoping your purchase was finally made so you could get back to where you belonged. You signed the credit card slip on the counter and pushed it back towards her.
“You’re dating Jeph Howard from The Used,” the girl blurted out as she handed you your credit card, ID and plastic bag containing your items.
Your face dropped at the mention of his name and your past connection with him. There went your uplifted mood for the day.
“Don’t believe everything you hear on television kid,” you sighed as you grabbed your things from her, turning to leave her and the store behind you. There was a trash can fire waiting for you to start back at the venue.
“You’re too good for him!” was shouted at your retreating form, your hand paused on the push bar of the door to exit the store. Sighing you stopped and looked down at where you were standing, pushing a piece of rock with the toe of your white Creepers.
“I’m not too good for anyone hun,” you replied to your feet before giving the cashier girl a soft sad smile over your shoulder.
“I don’t think so. No one who buys a fan a shirt and then draws a tattoo design on it all before getting them into a concert they didn’t have a ticket for could not be,” the girl replied with conviction. You smiled a little at that.
“I’d like to think that,” you answered, your smile still sad but a little better then before. The cashier smiled back at you, mirroring your very own smile.
“You got a ticket for tonight?” you asked, taking a step and assuming by her look that she could possibly be into your brother’s music. You never knew, looks could be deceiving but you were pretty sure your hunch was correct. And your hunch was verified when she grinned at you and pulled apart the button up work shirt she was wearing just enough to show you the top of a Death Bat tattoo.
“I do indeed,” the girl grinned before putting her shirt back into place so the tattoo wouldn’t show while she was still on the clock.
“VIP passes?” you questioned as you let go of the door bar and took a step back into the store.
“Nah, don’t have the money and I’m not a member,” the girl said with a shrug.
Smiling you walked quickly back up to the check out counter, glad that the store was empty up front for the moment. You couldn’t be doing this for everyone in this town. You grabbed the sharpie you had used before since it was still on the counter before pulling out a sheet of receipt paper. Tearing it off you scribbled on the back before handing it and the marker over to the girl with the hidden Death Bat tattoo.
“Steve, let her the fuck in early. Hugs and kisses Kales Mae?” the girl read with an amused smile and lifted questioning eyebrow.
“A little less eloquent but it will get the job done,” you replied with a smile and shoulder shrug.
“Thank you,” she replied and she folded the piece of paper and stuck it into her pants pocket. You nodded with a smile before turning to leave.
“Don’t forget, before 7 pm!” you shouted over your shoulder, a few feet from the door.
“I mean what I said Kales Mae,” the girl shouted at you, your hand once again pausing on the door ‘s push bar.
“Thank you,” was all you replied, without turning to look back. Pushing the door open you stepped outside and put your sunglasses down to protect your eyes. Letting the door whoosh closed behind you, you let out a long sigh.
“I only wish it were true,” you whispered as you made your way to find a cab back to the venue.
Scanning the pile of merchandise in front of you on the counter you looked over the purchase you had just made on your impromptu outing to the local shops for new clothes. New clothes to replace the ones that were sitting in a trash can back at the venue waiting to be burned when you got back later on. New peasant top was hard to find but you had found a cream colored one to replace the moss green one about to be nothing but ash. You found a pair of tight black jeans that looked like they would turn into a good pair of short shorts once you got to them with a pair of scissors. You even managed to find a pair of nude panty hose with the black seam up the back. Your hat you didn’t plan on burning since it had come off long before your foray into hell, Just thinking about last night made you want to be violently ill, and then destroy something. Preferably cute and fuzzy.
On top of replacement clothes and undergarments you had randomly chosen things to add to your purchase, hoping buyers remorse would work this time around. You had found new just about everything, even a ridiculously bright aqua hoodie for Katie. It was so cute that it even came with little aqua cat ears on the top of the hood. Not entirely her style but you were working on that and you didn’t think she’d mind entirely anyways.
“No I think that will be all,” you replied after you mental run down of everything you had bought,
“That will be 136.43,” the cashier sighed as she held out her hand for your form of payment. Not even blinking at the total you handed over your credit card to the care of the girl with the chipped sad nail polish.
“Can I see your ID?” the cashier asked, having flipped over your credit card and seen it didn’t have a signature. You smiled a little. No one these days ever bothered anymore with actually doing that, let alone bored tired looking college students working in retail to pay for books.
“Sure, no problem,” you said with a smile as you dug for said ID somewhere in the back pocket of your overly tight black jeans.
“Oh my god you’re Kales Mae!” an excited voice nearly squealed from behind you. Smiling you turned around to greet the overly happy person behind you.
“Hi. How did you know it was me?” you asked as you absentmindedly started to hand over your ID to the now confused looking cashier.
“Oh I’d know you anywhere! I’m one of your biggest fans!” the girl gushed as she held the white with black graphic tee she was buying to her chest in excitement.
You nodded at her with a smile, she really was cute for a little kid. Or at least little kid by your comparison, since she had to be like sixteen or so.
“Plus, your sleeves are so recognizable in the music and tattoo world. I would know you simply by those alone, let alone your signature hair color,” the girl gushed, blushing a little.
You couldn’t help it, you laughed a little at her response. Not cruelly or anything, it just tickled you a little sometimes when you ran across your fans out in random places. It was a little weird since you were nowhere near Huntington let alone California or the west coast. It was one thing to be recognized by fans of yours back in your city and state but this had to be the closest to middle of nowhere you had ever been in your life. You kind of hadn’t realized just how popular you were across the US, especially since you didn’t have a television show or anything like Kat.
“Well I am most flattered, uh?” you paused, looking for the girl to supply her name since it hadn’t come up yet in your short conversation.
“Stacy! My name’s Stacy,” the girl rushed out quickly, deepening her blush a little.
“Could I see your shirt for a second Stacy?” you asked sweetly, holding out your hand for the pretty graphic tee. With a dumbfounded nod Stacy handed the shirt over to you. With a smile you ripped off the tag and through it on the pile of merchandise you had just bought but had not finished paying for.
“Add that to my order. And do you have a thick black sharpie back there?” you asked the poor cashier who looked even more stunned and confused then before, possibly even a little star struck. She simply nodded and got you a sharpie before redoing your purchase order.
“Thanks,” you said in reply as you uncapped the marker with your teeth.
Laying the tee on the counter you laid it out flat and smooth, making sure the front was directly in front of you. Taking the sharpie you did a quick design, one of the many tattoos that you had in a book waiting to be put on a body. Once you had the design finished and shaded how you wanted you wrote “To Stacy, Love Kales Mae” next to it, signing your name next to the printed version of it. Sticking the sharpie back into its cap that was still stuck between your teeth you picked up the shirt to admire your work before turning back around to Stacy who was still standing behind you. You smiled a little as you watched her jaw drop as you handed it back to her, her eyes getting the size of saucers as she took it from you like it was a holy relic.
“You know my brother is in town tonight right?” you asked as you wiped off the sharpie cap on your Subhumans t-shirt before placing it on the counter behind you.
“Uh huh,” Stacy replied with wide eyes.
“Do you have a ticket?” you prompted the young girl.
“Uh uh,” she replied with a jerking head movement.
“Well if you show up to the front gates at the ticket window and ask for the security guard Steve and wear this shirt you’ll get in. Sound like a plan?” you asked with a grin.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Are you serious?” the girl squealed, though she kept the volume to a minimum.
“As a heart attack my dear,” you laughed, your mood for the day lifting immensely.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh you have no idea how much this means to me!” the girl Stacy squeed. You couldn’t help but grin even more, maybe she was contagious. You didn’t even think she remembered that you had paid for her shirt as well, which was fine by you.
“I think I have an inkling, I didn’t always use to who I am now,” you replied with a soft smile, remembering the old days when you had been exactly like Stacy. So eager, so full of life and joy, idolizing people you thought would never know you.
“The show starts at 7 o’clock and if you can show up a little early that shirt should be able to get you in with the VIP kids okay?" you added quickly, remembering all the card carrying VIP kids that followed your brother and the band like they were the second coming.
“Okay, okay. Thank you so much Kales Mae! You’re the best ever! So much prettier than Kat Von D!" the girl gushed as she clutched the shirt to her chest like it might blow away in the next strong breeze.
“I think I’ll settle for being half as talented,” you grinned, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair like a little kid.
“Thank you!” the girl gushed one more time before turning her head as you heard her name being called from back in the store.
“Oh that’s my friend who’s my ride. I gotta go. Thank you again so much!” Stacy gushed before walking off to meet her cranky looking and sounding friend slash ride.
“Don’t forget, get there early! Before 7 tonight!” you shouted at her, waving goodbye as she gave you a thumbs up. Chuckling to yourself to turned back to the cashier, hoping your purchase was finally made so you could get back to where you belonged. You signed the credit card slip on the counter and pushed it back towards her.
“You’re dating Jeph Howard from The Used,” the girl blurted out as she handed you your credit card, ID and plastic bag containing your items.
Your face dropped at the mention of his name and your past connection with him. There went your uplifted mood for the day.
“Don’t believe everything you hear on television kid,” you sighed as you grabbed your things from her, turning to leave her and the store behind you. There was a trash can fire waiting for you to start back at the venue.
“You’re too good for him!” was shouted at your retreating form, your hand paused on the push bar of the door to exit the store. Sighing you stopped and looked down at where you were standing, pushing a piece of rock with the toe of your white Creepers.
“I’m not too good for anyone hun,” you replied to your feet before giving the cashier girl a soft sad smile over your shoulder.
“I don’t think so. No one who buys a fan a shirt and then draws a tattoo design on it all before getting them into a concert they didn’t have a ticket for could not be,” the girl replied with conviction. You smiled a little at that.
“I’d like to think that,” you answered, your smile still sad but a little better then before. The cashier smiled back at you, mirroring your very own smile.
“You got a ticket for tonight?” you asked, taking a step and assuming by her look that she could possibly be into your brother’s music. You never knew, looks could be deceiving but you were pretty sure your hunch was correct. And your hunch was verified when she grinned at you and pulled apart the button up work shirt she was wearing just enough to show you the top of a Death Bat tattoo.
“I do indeed,” the girl grinned before putting her shirt back into place so the tattoo wouldn’t show while she was still on the clock.
“VIP passes?” you questioned as you let go of the door bar and took a step back into the store.
“Nah, don’t have the money and I’m not a member,” the girl said with a shrug.
Smiling you walked quickly back up to the check out counter, glad that the store was empty up front for the moment. You couldn’t be doing this for everyone in this town. You grabbed the sharpie you had used before since it was still on the counter before pulling out a sheet of receipt paper. Tearing it off you scribbled on the back before handing it and the marker over to the girl with the hidden Death Bat tattoo.
“Steve, let her the fuck in early. Hugs and kisses Kales Mae?” the girl read with an amused smile and lifted questioning eyebrow.
“A little less eloquent but it will get the job done,” you replied with a smile and shoulder shrug.
“Thank you,” she replied and she folded the piece of paper and stuck it into her pants pocket. You nodded with a smile before turning to leave.
“Don’t forget, before 7 pm!” you shouted over your shoulder, a few feet from the door.
“I mean what I said Kales Mae,” the girl shouted at you, your hand once again pausing on the door ‘s push bar.
“Thank you,” was all you replied, without turning to look back. Pushing the door open you stepped outside and put your sunglasses down to protect your eyes. Letting the door whoosh closed behind you, you let out a long sigh.
“I only wish it were true,” you whispered as you made your way to find a cab back to the venue.
Out of all the fanfics this is the one I've read through 3 times through all 108 chapters. This is one of the best Zacky fics I've read and I still hope it'll be continued one day ; v; a very good read for any Zacky fan.
5/3/18