It was pretty amazing to see how many people came up to talk to him just because he was sitting beside Brian right now. They were hanging out in the school yard, discussing new rhythm over their acoustic guitars. Some of the kids knew Zacky was already in a band so they weren’t as ecstatic as most of them when they watched how Brian finger-licked the fretboard of his Gibson acoustic and strummed loudly as if they were on electric.

“Wow, Hollywood Boy! You’re in a band?”

Brian stopped strumming when one of the kids asked that question for the hundredth time today.

“Yeah.” He simply answered and with a few short replies after that, eventually made them gone.

“Maybe we should jam at your place after school. Here is not really a strategic place to play.”

“Hm. But my stepmom usually has her friends over and I’m not technically happy to see them.”

Zacky chuckled but his fingers didn’t stop strumming. “Why?”

“They always look at me with this, this – devil knows what it is. Like they wanna rape me or something.”

“Can’t blame them though, you’re a stud.”

After Zacky had said that, he immediately stopped all of his movement and bit his tongue quietly. His face flushed in crimson shade when he saw Brian stared at him quizzically.

“Zacky…are you…?” Brian wanted to say ‘gay’ but Zacky quickly cut him off.

“I..I didn’t mean it that way, Brian. I’m just…you know..just sayin’..”

After a few staggering moment, Brian let out a loud laugh, rolling himself on the ground and pressed his stomach with his guitar. Zacky couldn’t help but laugh too but nervously with his cheeks stayed being red.

“I know, Zack. I know. I’m just playin’ with you…you should have seen your face, man!”

“Fuck, Brian! Do you have to do that?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But hey, thanks for the compliment. Couldn’t be more flattered when it came from you! Hahahaha!”

Zacky rolled his eyes but his smile immediately faded when he saw Valary was walking towards them with both of her arms crossed on her chest.

“Hey, Hollywood Boy!”

Brian settled in his laughter and looked up, running his fingers through his short hair along the way.

“Ugh. It’s you.” he said. Zacky narrowed his eyes at him. Just a several days ago he saw Brian was flirting with this girl, but today he felt repulsive?

“Where’s your friend, Matt?” Valary huffed, pressing on Matt’s name as she bent her body down to approach Brian closer.

“Why do you wanna know?”

“I have a bone to pick with him.”

Brian snorted and plucked his guitar to a Spanish song just to annoy her. “Well, Valary.” He pressed. “If you want him that badly, you’ll find out for yourself.” He spat a several days old payback, making her gasped and mouth dropped in an O shape. She groaned and stomped away from there when Brian chose to ignore her.

“Dude. I thought..you like her?”

Brian smirked cockily. “Turns out I’ve always looked at the wrong girl all this while.”

Zacky didn’t actually understand what that meant but nevertheless he didn’t say anything.

“Hey, Zack. There’s this place called Johnny’s that Jimmy and I regular at. They’re good friends of ours. We can meet there and jam, what do you say?”

Zacky shrugged. “Jimmy and Matt?”

“Yeah, sure. We’ll pick them up after school.”

---

Matt paced around Jimmy’s garage, biting his nail but then quickly retreated after realizing that they were polished in black. Jimmy was watching him from the start, ever since he arrived, he’d been eyeing over Ryder’s house restlessly. But that’s the thing, he didn’t make any move to go over her house eventhough Jimmy can feel that he wanted to.

“Matt, you’re making me dizzy. Stop walking around like that in front of me!”

Matt snapped from his train of thoughts and turned to look at Jimmy, clueless of what he was talking about.

“If you wanna see her, just go and see her! What’s so complicated about that?”

“What are you talking about? See who?”

Jimmy rolled his eyes. “I’m talking about Ryder, you twat.”

“Huh? Ryder? What about her?”

“Oh don’t play dumb Matt! You’ve been looking at her house ever since you arrived. I know you wanna see her. Don’t fucking deny it!”

Matt let out a nervous laugh. “No I don’t! Besides, we agreed that it’s just a one time thing, thanks to you.”

Jimmy narrowed his eyes at him but then shrugged in complete indifference. He just casually spun his drumsticks between his fingers while they were both waiting for Brian and Zacky to arrive.

“Jimmy, I kissed her yesterday.”

“Who?”

“Valary.”

Jimmy stopped spinning his drumsticks and dropped open his mouth. “Wha-? Seriously?”
Matt nodded, smirking in victory while Jimmy gaped at him, speechless.

Soon, Brian’s now familiar Ford Mustang growled in front of Jimmy’s porch and Brian honked a little bit. Jimmy was snapped from gaping at Matt and then quickly closed the garage door after saying goodbye to his parents. He hopped on the car with Matt eventhough that guy was still grumpy towards Brian.

“Dude, chill out. Why are you staring at him that way? You already kissed her right?” Jimmy whispered while Brian was turning the wheel and putting the music on simultaneously. Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song appeared from the car’s speaker. Matt ignored Jimmy’s question and threw his glance out the window.

“My dad’s cassette. He’s a huge Zeppelin’s fan.” Brian muttered suddenly while eyeing the road from each side mirror.

“Nice. I’m a Zeppelin’s fan too.” Zacky remarked as he drummed his fingers on his thigh, his head nodded, enjoying the sound.

“I kinda like the vibe, you know. Maybe we should write stuff like this.”

“Yeah with your skill Brian, shouldn’t be a problem.” Zacky said again, earning a wide smile from the man he was talking about.

They arrived at Johnny’s Saloon after a few minutes’ drive and the folks who hung around the bar immediately recognized Jimmy and Brian by the way they waved at them. It was Matt and Zacky’s first time here. Both eyes widened at the sight of a lively bar full of Harleys at the front parking space and the heavily tattooed men greeted Brian and Jimmy like it was nothing.

Jimmy raised his hand at the bartender who welcomed them happily.

“Rev! I haven’t seen you in a long time! How are you doing?”

“Good, good. Hey, can we borrow the back room for a while?”

The bartender glanced at Zacky who hoisted up his guitar bag and ran his eyes away nervously.

“Pinkly Smooth got new members?”

Jimmy chuckled. “Nah, man. This is Zacky, and Matt. We’re…I don’t know what we are. Let’s call us Project X.”

The bartender laughed and patted on Jimmy’s shoulder. “By all means then, Project X! Go ahead. Use the room as long as you’d like.”

“Thanks, man. You’re the best.” Brian hugged him tightly and straightened his guitar bag.

“You know I’m your biggest fan, dude.”

They moved on to the back room which located quite far from the bar scene and when Jimmy opened the door, a view of a modified studio appeared before their eyes. There was a drum set identical to Jimmy’s in the middle of the room, complete with mic, keyboards and amplifiers. It mimicked a recording studio only it was inside a freaking bar.

“Dude! You never told me about this place!” Matt mused, going over the keyboard and touching the keys lightly with his tainted fingers.

“I only come here when Brian is around though. I guess since we didn’t come anymore, Justin rented these room to someone else..” Jimmy sat on the stool behind the drums and tried on the pedal kick, quickly felt disappointed with the hollow sound.

“Well, better than nothing.” Brian shrugged and followed Zacky as he set up his instrument by the nearest amp.

“Dude I just realized something.” Matt stood up straight while all eyes turned to him. “We don’t have a bassist.”

Jimmy got up from his crawling pose because he’d been tightening the screws on the floor toms and cymbals. “Oh, Justin’s a bass player. We can ask him to join.”

“Good idea.” Brian pulled away his guitar and ran to the door, vanishing himself to the bar counter to meet Justin, the bartender who also happened to be their ex-bassist. A few moments later he came back with a sour face.

“He got some work to do. Said it’s happy hour now.”

As soon as he finished that sentence, a small guy barged into the room, his eyes wandering over at them in curiosity. Matt and Zacky blinked at him because they didn’t know who he was. But Jimmy and Brian remained calm and groaned at the sight of him.



“Hey, Leprechaun! Long time no see!”

The guy rolled his eyes at Jimmy who shouted behind his drums. “You guys are jamming?”

“What does it look like?”

“I heard you asked Justin if he could play. He couldn’t. I could.”

“Oh piss off Johnny. Go home to your milk bottle and plushie. Leave the adults working.”

The guy named Johnny glared at Brian but refused to leave. Matt and Zacky looked at each other quizzically. After seeing both of them wondered curiously about who he is, Johnny casually introduced himself.

“I’m Johnny. I play bass.”

Matt frowned at him but took his hand nonetheless. “Really? Wanna show off some of your skill?”

“Hell yeah. Let me grab my stuff.”

Johnny then ran off from the room, leaving Matt and Zacky quickly questioned Brian and Jimmy about him.

“His name is Johnny? So he owns this place?”

Both Jimmy and Brian laughed at Zacky’s question.

“Of course not. Look at the size of that guy! He’s smaller than my sister.” Jimmy snorted.

“Yeah, Zack. He’s just a kid. I’m friends with his brother and he always came to see us jamming. He’s been trying to join us for a while, but we already have Justin at the time.” Brian vouched.

“But we’re short of a bassist now, aren’t we? Can’t we use him?”

Brian and Jimmy exchanged glances before they roared with laughter.

“Yeah Matt. Totally. We’re short of a bassist and all we got is a short bassist.”

Matt can’t help but laughed too but in his heart he knew that he was just like Johnny. A man for size who’s trying to fit in.

~*.*~

“I told you I can fucking play!”

Jimmy swung his arm over Johnny’s shoulder and ruffled the guy’s hair into a mess. “I know, dude. But you’re so tiny I was afraid that you couldn’t reach the lowest part of your four strings.”

“Damn you Jimmy. Get off me!”

Jimmy hugged him even tighter and soon joined by Brian who was done packing his instrument away.

“Nice session, Leppy. We could use someone in the future. You wanna join us?”

“Ahh….you must be so desperate to come for my help.”

Brian immediately let go of his shoulders. “What the fuck? I just offered you a chance in your lifetime and all I get in return is your fucking attitude, man?”

“Well, don’t call me Leppy!”

“What should I call you then?”

“How about my own name for a start? Matt can call me Johnny. Zacky…well, technically he hasn’t yet but soon he will. You’ve known me for years Brian!”

“Aww…wittle Jawny wants to crwy wight noww…”

Brian mocked him again and Jimmy, being the sidekick, only laugh hysterically at the back.

“Fuck you. Fuck you all! I’m off. Bye.”

“Bye Jawny! Say hi to the other Seward for us!”

Johnny disappeared behind the door with his bass guitar and the guys still laughing at his behavior. To them he’s just so adorable that they can’t stop fooling around with him, especially Jimmy and Brian.

“So I guess we wrote two songs today. Good job guys. Maybe we can work on the lyrics later? My place?” Matt gestured before they headed out of the room and into the bar.

“I can’t, Matt. I have a...thing..um..I need to go now actually. Jimmy, take my car.” Brian tossed his car keys over to Jimmy and quickly paced out of the bar. The remaining three of them rushed to the window and peeked between the blinds to see where he’d gone to.

In the parking lot, they saw Brian greeted a car and the driver smiled so sweetly at him.

“He got himself a date!” Jimmy mumbled under his breath but didn’t realize that Matt’s face had turned sour. He saw the driver and it was none other than the blonde girl he just kissed yesterday.

He thought his action of kissing her out of the blue can somehow made her think about him at least, but apparently not.

“Uh, Matt…don’t feel bad, man. Maybe they have a study group discussion or something.”

“Study my ass. Where’s your fake ID Jim? Go buy ourselves some beers.”

Jimmy let out a hefty sigh. “We don’t need fake IDs when Justin’s on the clock.”

Notes

A/N: fever's gone..but the flu is still there..*ahchoo* heh XD

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