Walk With Me

Matthew was pacing back and forth in the dressing room with Brian calmly sipping his beer on the couch. The concert had ended hours ago. Zacky, Johnny, Arin and Erika had gone back to their tour bus, leaving him with Brian here.

“Care to explain yourself, Gates?”

Brian simply drank his beer. He’d never thought that he would go this far.

“What’s there to explain? As if you don’t know who I am.” He brushed Matthew off arrogantly, referring to the days he was being the band slut and slept around with groupies even when he was dating Michelle.

“Jesus, you’re engaged for fuck’s sake!” Matthew snapped at him. He used to just let it be when Brian slept with so many women back in the days but that was ages ago. They were young and reckless, and they were basically lived off booze and strippers. Their tours wouldn’t be complete without alcohol, party and sex. But now that he was married and expecting a child, he felt like they needed to grow up.

“I knew something like this would happen.” Matthew sighed, crashing himself on the couch next to Brian.

“It was just one kiss. Not like I took her virginity or something.” Brian was still being arrogant when in fact he tried to hide the real confused feelings he had for Erika.

“Really, Brian? Really? She might become our drummer. And not to mention she’s close with Val and Michelle.”

Brian chuckled bitterly, as he finally downed the last drop of his beer. “She’ll get over it. You should too.” He simply got up, threw his bottle into the dustbin like playing a basketball and moved forward to the door.

“What really happened, Brian? Fucking spill now.”

Brian stopped in his steps.

“I’ve known you since we were kids. I know you love Michelle. What really happened between you and Erika?”

Matthew got up too, waiting for his reply in patience. Brian turned slowly to him, hesitating whether he should share this confused thought with him or not. He’d only share something like this with Jimmy, not Matthew, not Zacky and not Johnny.

“Spill.” Matthew urged again. His voice was intimidating that even Brian felt a bit scared.

Brian took a deep breath before he started.

“She can understand me. She lost her best friend too, because of overdose. She’s having nightmare about it. So do I. I’ve been having these nightmares of Jimmy falling into a hole and I can’t catch him.” He was staring at the floor while he spilled everything to Matthew. They paused for a while.

“And you think I don’t understand your feeling? That I wasn’t affected by Jim’s death?” Matthew’s voice sounded hoarse as he was trying to hold back his tears. Brian looked up and saw Matthew’s eyes were red and there were tears flooding in them.

“You think we all didn’t have nightmares about Jimmy? Do you really think that we’ve forgotten about him?” he started to sob, his chest rose up and down as he drew his short breaths.

Brian was taken aback. He’d never seen Matthew cried this hard before. Once, at Jimmy’s funeral and then that was it. He’d never thought that any of them was actually as devastated as him about the loss of their best friend.

“We all love Jimmy. He was our brother. Fuck, he still is. Sometimes I refused to think that he was -” he paused, sobbing. “ – gone. Just like that. Slipped away from our grip.”

“Matt, I -”

“Don’t ever think that you’re alone in this, Brian. We might have moved on but Jimmy is still -”

Brian went over to him and they hugged tightly.

“Fuck, I’m sorry Matt. I didn’t know.” He paused listening to Matt’s unmanly sobs on his shoulder.

“I was getting confused about this girl. I thought she really gets me because we both lost our loved ones. Then she started to get involved with Arin and I got agitated. That’s why you saw what you saw.”

Matthew pulled back from the hug and sniffed. “What do you mean she got involved with Arin?”

Brian smiled and can’t believe that he finally cleared his head now. His love for Michelle grew even stronger.

“I think she likes him.”

******************************************************************************************

Erika rolled her eyes at Johnny.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Seward. I don’t drink.”

Johnny mimicked her expression.

“I hate when you call my last name like that. It’s just beer. I didn’t ask you to take a shot.”

“No.”

“Come on. I know you need this. Brian can be a womanizer but believe me, we won’t let it happen to you.”

Erika smiled at him. “Aw, that is so sweet Johnny! But nevermind. I’ll pass.”

Johnny groaned and continued to order some drinks from the bartender. He and Zacky decided to hit the nearest bar and they were practically dragging her and Arin along. She noticed that Arin was avoiding her all night and everytime she tried to speak and explain about what happen, he just got up and left.

Now he was sitting in a booth with Zacky while Erika accompanied Johnny to the bar. She swore that she felt a pair of eyes stared sharply into her but when she turned to look, Arin was talking to Zacky. He didn’t even pay attention to her.

“Vodka for me, whisky on the rock for Zacky and a pint for Arin. Oh and, tap water for you.” Johnny winked at her and she rolled her eyes again. She laughed watching Johnny struggled with the three glasses to bring to the table.

“Instead of laughing your fucking ass off, it’d be super awesome if you help me out here.”

Still laughing she reached for Arin’s drink, hoping that she could somehow start a conversation with him.


“Dude, you’re single right?”

Arin raised his eyebrows at Zacky. Hesitantly he nodded.

“Good. Now, tonight I’ll be your wingman.”

“My – wingman?”

“Yeah. Choose any girl in this bar and I will hook you up with her. 100% guaranteed success.”

Arin laughed, but his eyes darted to Erika who was now at the bar, arguing with Johnny.

“No thanks, Zacky. I’m beat. Can’t handle anyone tonight.”

“Aw come on! Before we head back to LB for the last show, I want you to taste the women of Santa Barbara. Look at them. So hot that smoke comin’ out of their asses.” Zacky pointed to a group of gorgeous girls dancing on the dancefloor wearing skimpy clothes and revealed their assets to public display.

“I really shouldn’t Zacky.” Arin chuckled but at the same time shaking his head.

“Fuck you’re an old dude. I’m going over to them.” Zacky pressed his cigarette into the ashtray and got up. Arin saw Erika and Johnny made their way towards him and Erika’s eyes arched straight into his. She was smiling sweetly that his knees started to tremble. He quickly stood up and followed Zacky from behind.

“I thought you’re not interested?”

“I changed my mind.” Arin replied as he swung his arm over Zacky’s shoulder and already set his prey on those gorgeous girls on the dancefloor.

“Fuck yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!”

They approached a group of three girls who were so immersed in dancing and didn’t realize until Zacky greeted them.

“Hi!”
A red headed girl turned to look at him and smiled.
“Hi! I know you!”
“Shit, really?”
“Vengeance, right? I was at your concert tonight, came with my friends here. They’re big fans of your band.”

Zacky and Arin glanced at the other two who were now staring at them with their jaws dropped.

“Hello there.” Zacky offered a hug and both of them jumped into it, gladly accepting.
“This is one of our drummers, Arin.”

Arin smiled and offered his hand to them. They took it but then they paid attention more to Zacky.

“Oh my God, Zacky Vengeance is here, with us!” one of them screamed.

“Hey, no big deal. You guys are all beautiful ladies. I’m here at your service.” Zacky bowed playfully and they giggled.

“Arin here, is single.” He added. “He’s amazing in bed too.”

Arin raised his eyebrows at him, mouth dropped upon his statement. Those girls laughed and checked him out from his head to his toe.

“How do you know that for sure, Vengeance?” The red headed girl asked while twirling with her own hair seductively.

“A lot of testimonies on those testicles.” Zacky casually commented while slapping on Arin’s crotch briefly.

Arin crouched a bit, a short amount of sharp pain landed on his groin and he already swore to murder Zacky in his sleep tonight.

“Really?” the redhead stepped up closer to him. He grinned nervously at her.

“So, ladies. Let me buy you guys a drink.”

The two fans screamed and giggled as Zacky took both of them by their waists and brought them to the bar. They left Arin with the redhead alone. Arin glanced at her shyly, but he wasn’t as attracted to her as he was to Erika. But this girl was no doubt a drop-dead gorgeous.

“So, Arin. What’s with the get up?” she asked, pointing to his bandaged hand. Arin glanced at it and his thoughts flew to Erika for a second.

“Nothing. Just been in a fight.”

She blinked at him. “That’s fucking hot.” She bit her lip and reached for his arms. “Wanna dance with me?”

Arin snapped out of his brief wandering thoughts about Erika and stared at her.

“Sure.”

Notes

A/N: hahaha LOL i wanted to update this so much!