Kimberly walked out of the concert arena with tears pouring down her face like rain. She had never imagined that Arin could change that much in just mere two years. Girls flocked around him like he was the only one with a dick, and he loved the attention. She wiped her tears and walked back to her car.

“Kim! God, what happened? Are you crying?”

Evan quickly put his cigarette out and blew the remaining of his smoke away.

“Are you – smoking? Since when?”

He rolled his eyes and grabbed her shoulder. “I’m fucking seventeen, sis. Now tell me why are you crying?”

She took her time to answer him. “Those rumors about him, they were right.”

“What? About him being the band’s slut now? No way. Synyster Gates is still the band’s – oh yeah. He’s married.”

“I saw him.”

Evan raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“I saw him there, standing in front of me. Then out of nowhere, some girls came and threw themselves at him. He did nothing to resist. Nothing, Ev.”

Evan let her shoulders go and his hand instantly curled up to a fist. “Don’t worry, sis. I’m gonna talk the shit out of him.” Evan started to walk towards to concert ground again but Kimberly stopped him.

“Don’t! Don’t.”

Evan turned back.

“We broke up. He has the right to do anything he wants. I’m no longer a part of his life.”

“Bullshit, sis. I know you still love him! Let me just-”

“Evan, let’s – let’s just go home. Okay?”

Evan had no choice but to get into the car when Kimberly had started the engine.

---

“Hey kidday, who’s that girl earlier?”

Arin was about to reach for a bottle of beer but he stiffened when he heard that question from Matthew. He turned around slowly and saw all the other guys were busy talking and drinking with one another in this concert after party, only Matthew had his eyes set on him.

“You saw her too?”

Matthew blinked hard at him. “What do you mean I saw her too? Of course I saw her.”

Arin proceeded to reach for his beer and twisted the bottle cap easily.

“I thought I was imagining things.”

“What are you talking about, kid? She had a backstage pass. We didn’t give out any for this venue. How the hell did she get it?”

Arin scratched his head and sipped from his beer. “I gave my pass to her brother. He must have brought her there at the show tonight.”

Matthew swung his arm on Arin’s shoulder. Because Arin is skinny, he almost lost his balance from supporting Matthew’s weight.

“Is she…one of your..fling?”

“What?”

“You’re quite busy lately, kidday. Girls coming out of your house like it’s fucking nothing, what have you become? Who infused your mind with something like this? This – not feeling content with one person kind of thing? Is it Brian?”

Arin rolled his eyes and pushed Matthew’s arm away. “And you’re trying to turn me around?”

Matthew let out his usual demonic laugh that made everybody in the room glanced at their way.

“Not working, I guess? You’re still young, kidday. Enjoy while it lasts. I’m happy that I found Val when I was younger or God knows I’ll be doing what you’re fucking doing right now.”

Arin smirked and plopped himself on the couch next to Brian. Of course their wives were all there, making sure their husbands behaved though this afterparty only consists of the band, roadies and their significant others only. Arin rubbed his face repeatedly.

“What’s wrong dude? You look tensed.”

Arin let out a deep sigh before turning to Brian. “Nothin’, man. Where’s Zacky?”

Brian pointed to the corner of the room using his mouth and Arin followed his gaze towards it. Zacky was sitting on the couch at the other side of the room, alone. A beer placed neatly in his hand but he made no move to drink it. Arin chuckled to himself and rose from his seat to approach him.

“Zack, cheer up. The world doesn't end with Linda breaking up with you."

Zacky sneered at him. "Easy for you to say. You don't even have a girl. Groupies surround you like moths to a flame."

Arin couldn't help but let out a hurtful laugh.

“How about I introduced you to one?”

Zacky blinked at him. Years before, when Arin was just the new kid, they were the ones who introduced him to their lifestyle. Getting drunk, hanging out with friends, partying the night away. And now, it felt kind of funny when all of it seemed to be enjoyed by that kid alone.

“Come on. She’s not the only girl in the world you know.”

“Yeah you would know that, wouldn’t you?”

Arin chuckled to himself. In fact he had promised a fan earlier that he would go for a drink with her.

“Tell you what. We’re gonna skip this boring after party full of happy couples and just drink the night away. Just the two of us. What do you say?”

Zacky narrowed his eyes, considering hard whether he should ditch the traditional after party which gets really boring or he should just stay and watch his band mates being happily married in front of his eyes.

“Let’s go.”

He made a decision and off they went out of the venue.

---

“Here you go. It’s on me.”

Arin placed the huge glass of pint in front of Zacky and he murmured a thank you. His eyes nervously scanning around since this bar is full of people he didn’t recognize. He wasn’t used to bars like this – a little posh and overdressed with people not from his range of friends.

“Why did you pick this place?” Zacky asked and Arin shrugged.

“Meeting someone here. Oh hey, there she is!”

Zacky almost spilled his drink when he saw two women heading their way, both dressed in a tight skirt and leather boots to match their ‘LA look’.

“You said there’s only gonna be the two of us!”

Arin smiled crookedly and patted his back. “And what, you want people to think that we’re on a date?”

Zacky rolled his eyes as Arin continued to wave at the girls until they arrived directly in front of them. Zacky took one look at those beauties and immediately recognized one of them. He stared at the blonde one, thinking hard of where he had met her before. At some bar? Weddings? Where?

“Hey Arin, Zacky.”

The other girl, raven haired with plump lips and heavy eyeliner on her eyes greeted first. The blonde and Zacky locked eyes, like an old friend trying to recall their old memories. Either that, or a one night stand they both trying to forget.

“Hey, have a seat.” It was when Arin kissed the raven haired girl’s cheek that Zacky snapped out of his staring game with blondie. Arin noticed the change in Zacky’s face as the blonde took a seat right in front of him.

“You were amazing tonight. You both were.” Raven complimented.

“Thank you. Did you enjoy the show?”

“I did. It was really incredible. Who knew Matt could dance like that huh?”

Arin laughed, remembering how Matt spun around in the middle of the stage with his mic stand hovering over everybody.

“Yeah, well. That’s Matt. Nice bar you’ve picked here.”

“It’s my favorite bar. The one and only in LA that doesn’t need to get pass security.”

“Really? No wonder there are so many folks round here tonight. What are you guys drinking? I’m buying.”

Arin got up from his seat, ready to make way towards the bar counter but Raven instantly insisted on joining him thus leaving Zacky and Blondie alone.

They were still staring into each other’s eyes but both now remembered where exactly they met before.

“Small world isn’t it?” she started.

“Not that small if you already know who I am.”

“Hey look, I followed Tina here tonight because I didn’t know you’re gonna be here. If I know I wouldn’t have come.”

“Yeah right. That friend of yours, she was at our show tonight. And I bet Arin invited her out, you’d be lying if you don’t know already who Arin usually hangs with.”

She snorted. “Who? The likes of you?”

Zacky clenched his jaw in distress. “It’s the likes of me that you claimed to love so much.”

She widened her eyes, as wide as her mouth. “It was before I know you have a girlfriend and you cheated on her with me! What kind of bastard are you?”

Zacky pulled out his cigarette and lit one up casually. “The kind that got dumped because she doesn’t trust me anymore.”

She was stunned, speechless and shocked.

“Besides, you loved it. You didn’t care whether I have a fucking girlfriend or not.”

She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. God knows how many times she’d been broken hearted just by hearing news about Zacky and Linda. Zacky – a man that she used to love, and at every concert, she attended to his needs. His sexual needs. She thought that Zacky had already seen her as more than a biggest fan. She thought that he wanted a relationship out of all that heat until he told her one day, that he can’t continue this. That he has a girlfriend by his side.

This happened a few years back, even before Arin joining the band.

“Where are my manners. Hi Zacky, I’m Tina and this is my friend, Meaghan.”

That raven-haired girl came back with two glasses of beer in her hand and she was talking to Zacky. He smiled bitterly and drank his beer all at once.

He couldn’t resist remembering how hot his forbidden relationship with Meaghan was and deep down he was tempted to try that again. Only this time, Meaghan has built a thick brick walls in front of her.

The night went on normally for Arin and Tina, as they continued to talk about everything, flirted with each other until they both called it a night and Arin brought her home. Again, leaving Zacky and Meaghan alone.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye. Goodbye, Meaghan.”

Zacky dug out his car keys from his pocket, ready to unlock his car. Tonight he wasn’t his usual talkative Zacky. He was the shy one. Or more like he kept quiet all the time and only let Arin do the talking.

“Wait, Zack.”

Zacky stopped in his tracks. He refused to turn around and faced her because he might let his heart melt for her again and that could lead to the big old ‘you’re a bastard’ argument thing.

“Are you really…single right now?”

He frowned to himself. What was her motive this time?

“Yes.” He answered shortly. Careful not to let his feelings show.

“I see.” She muttered, and followed by an awkward murdering silence after that.

“Do you…have time for coffee?”

Zacky couldn’t believe his ears. A few years back, when she called him everything but decent words, he decided to just let the hatred ran within her. He deserved it. He only treated her like another groupie. Came to their concert and gave him a special treat afterwards. Magically without Linda knowing.

Once Zacky felt something for her, something different than just sex, he quickly broke it off. He didn’t want to raise a suspicion for Linda. But too late. Linda already knew he had a secret fling with this particular groupie and they had a huge fight that day.

But tonight, he was single. But not quite sure if he’s emotionally available.

“As a friend? You can talk to me all about her. You don’t have to like me. I know you need a friend to talk to.”

Slowly he turned around. Her platinum blonde hair shone bright in the moonlight, complimented by how red her lipstick was and how her brown eyes glinted softly at him. It’s true, he needed someone to talk to. He can’t talk to the guys because Linda is friends with them too. To be exact she’s friends with their wives. One thing could lead to another if he starts talking shit about her.

“Come on.” he implied and she smiled taking his invitation. Zacky wasn’t sure if this is going to be one of the things that he would regret in his life but he went on and drove to the farthest coffee shop he could ever find.

Notes

A/N: wow...it's been...4 months since i update this..right now i'm trying to work on this story although i'm having a big pile of writer's block for it but anything for my readers!! love you guys <3

not gonna be updating daily though..hehe XD