Brian’s POV.

„Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I shouted, messing up yet another of the tracks. I can’t believe this was the fifth time I was redoing the fucking chorus, not even speaking about my solo’s. Those were a completely different level of fuckery and miserable finger twisters.

„Gates, we’re running out of time, man...” Matt sighed, tapping an empty cd case against his knuckles. He was annoyed? Great! I was fucking pissed, top that! He thought I didn’t know we were running out of time? I’ve been sitting here for what... Two, three hours now? It seemed like I just couldn’t get my head out of my ass. Not with all the shit going on at the recording room across the hall.

„I have to do this,” I hissed, starting the chorus again, but fucking it up only two seconds in the process, „Fuck!” I yelled, jumping up to my feet, a moment away from throwing my gun against the glass of the recording booth. I regained only in the last second, sitting back down and tilting my head back, „fuuuck...”

„If she’s getting on your nerves this badly, you could close the fucking door, you know...” He exhaled heavily, before throwing the cd case somewhere over the mixing board.

Who was he talking about? Meg of course! Fucking Megan Hills, who was recording some of the Wasteland shit at the other room and I could hear those heavy riffs perfectly. She hadn’t messed up not even once since she rolled in, sunglasses low on her nose and a Monster in her hand. That was some heavy shit they were creating there. Some raw rock. As far as I could tell they were getting back to the basics. The tracking stopped and the door opened.

„These new tracks are sounding great!” I heard Ian’s voice somewhere behind me. „Rough, raw and gonna blow everyone away.”

„Yeah, that’s what they’re going for,” She said casually and this was the first I had heard her voice in a month since she threatened to get a restraining order. And judging by the way she was acting, I’d be needing it, ‘cause she was killing me slowly and painfully, ignoring me to the fullest. „Okay, thanks for the time, Ian, I’ll be back tomorrow with something different in mind.”

„What are you planning?”

„Just... something different. Not so heavy. I want to mess with a bit of blues. It’s Travis’ birthday up in a few days and he’s into that stuff.” Travis? The dude she ditched me for? Hell, if I’d meet him up close, i’d give him a face job for free.

„As a present?”

„Yeah... Okay, I gotta run, Chris will be here in fifteen, so get ready for a couple of hours of not doing shit.” I heard her laugh and I couldn’t shake off the growing urge of needing to talk to her. About what? Fucking everything!

Meg’s POV

The recording was as numbing as it could get. Not the standart sentence you’d hear about recording, right? But that was the truth. I wasn’t very thrilled about the whole idea of making it as raw as it gets, to be completely frank, in the past couple of weeks I wasn’t even too thrilled about the recording itself. It was just something I needed to do and I wasn’t afraid to say I had lost all my joy of holding the instrument. I couldn’t find my joy in it anymore, not with Brian being around every time I pulled up to the studio.

I regretted what I said to him back at Duke’s, I really did, but what’s said couldn’t be unsaid anymore. As much as I wanted – I couldn’t take back my words. But I could try to live and forget I had spat out something like that in the heat of the moment.

Once I left the studio, I went straight for Johnny’s, turned out Travis was one of their regulars, so how the fuck hadn’t I seen him there before was beyond me.

Now when I was sober, I had mixed feeling for that place. I mean, I still loved it, but you have to understand when I say it wasn’t the same anymore. Not without the Avenged assholes anymore. Since I fucked up everything with Brian, it seemed like everyone of them were keeping their distance around me, speaking only when necessary and hardly spending any time in a room I was in. I understand them, I couldn’t even spend my time in a room with myself. I was so full of regret and guilt that it slowly ate me up from inside, but you could shoot me twice, before I’d crawl on my knees and apologize to the guy. Not gonna happen, na-ah.

When I got to the bar, Travis was standing outside, encircled by a group of men. Even from where I was standing, I could tell they had had twenty too many drinks and I kinda just wanted to go home and slide under my bedsheets, not willing to put up with any of his shit. Travis wasn’t quite the go lucky fellow when he was drunk. I don’t know what happened, but once he started drinking, the shit triggered something in him and he jumped out of his head. And not in the good sense.

They were pushing each other around, laughing when one of them stumbled over something. I took a deep breath as I went up to them, my hands deep in my pockets.

„Meg, babe!” Travis slurred, noticing me. I mean, yeah, he had the looks of the devil and he was extremely charming when he was sober, but in the last time, he was hardly ever sober.

„Hi,” I smiled weakly, willing to be anywhere, but around a bunch of drunk dudes. He pulled me in a one armed hug. Oh god, had he washed himself in booze? What the hell?

„Guys, this is my wonderful girlfriend,” He could hardly even pronounce the word ‘girlfriend’ and I could see the guys eating me up. Not the day to wear deep cut shirts, Meg, not the day... He pressed a sloppy kiss to my temple and it took all that was in me not to wince in disgust.

„Isn’t this the little Raven McQueen?” One of them questioned and I’ll be damned if he wasn’t raping me with his eyes.

„The same magnificent little whore,” Travis smiled down on me. Excuse me? Whore? Was that my new nick-name out of a sudden? What the hell, man? Before I could even say something, he crashed his lips against mine in a very wet kiss. I nearly threw up in my mouth, tasting all the possible liquor in his breath. I tried pushing him away, but to no avail.

„Travis...” I breathed, trying to get away from him, „Travis, stop!” Finally I, somehow, out of pure luck, pushed him off.

„What’s wrong baby? You’re not living up to your name...” he laughed, the other guys joining in.

„Fuck you, Trav,” I flipped him off, „Call me when you’re sober.”

„Where the fuck are you going, Meg?” He shouted, „Running back to your ex?”

„Fucking asshole,” I whispered, walking away. How can a person turn from something so fucking nice to a total fucking dick when drunk? I tried wiping the taste of the booze away my lips.

„Hey, I’m talking to you!” He shouted after me.

„Leave me alone!” I screamed, not even glancing back at him. I turned around the corner and I figured he’d just drop it. I can’t believe my luck with men. This was something unbelievable... I needed to talk to him about this, he needed to choose – either booze or me. There’s no fucking way he’s getting both.

I took my phone and scrolled through my contacts, searching for Chris’s number so he’d come and pick me up, but instead I ran into what felt like a fucking wall. Once I raised my head, I cussed quietly under my breath. From bad, my day just got to fucking tremendously worse.

„Hey, I really need to talk to you,” Brian said an uneasy look on his face. As I was about to speak, he cut me off, „Before you threaten me with another restrain order, hear me out, okay?”

„Haner, this is a really fucking bad time, dude...” I sighed as he placed his hands on my shoulders, piercing in what it felt like my soul. Did I have one anymore?

„Just let me tell—„

„I knew you were fucking him behind my back, you dirty whore!” A roar echoed throughout the street. Brian looked past me a mix of shock, confusion and disbelief mirroring in his face.

„Fuck...” I breathed, starting to rub my temple. This is really not fucking happening... No, this is happening, but it shouldn’t be happening...

„Excuse me?” Brian’s eyebrows shot up, him visibly getting angry.

„Out of every fucking one, you decide to run back to... this?”

„You really should turn around and just walk away, man...” I saw the struggle in Brian’s face. He was really trying to remain calm, but I could feel his nails digging in my leather jacket and I could tell he was just a second away from near homicide.

„You won’t tell me what to do!” He slurred out and I thanked god Brian was holding me, or holding on to me, whatever, either way if his hands wouldn’t be on me, I’d be the one to throw a punch at Travis. „But you know what, you can have her, if I’d want someone as loose as her, I’d call up a fucking brothel!”

For a moment Brian just looked at him, before something snapped and the only thing I know he’s rushing past me and all I can see is blood, and not on the dancefloor, but on the pavement.

„Brian, just let it go!” I hear myself scream, but I’m not even sure it was me who made the sound. „Brian, get off him!” I tried pulling him back, but it seemed like he was in a whole different world, a place where rage and anger were his best buddies. Fuck I really didn’t know what to do. He just kept hitting and hitting and I feared Travis was really dead by now. If at first he was fighting back, at least attempted to do so, then now he was just lifelessly laying on the cool ground with Brian on top of him and smashing the absolute living crap out of him. „Bri!” I screamed, but it came out barely as a squeal.

I noticed Travis’ friends coming around the corner and out of pure insanity I figured I’m strong enough to throw myself in front of the fight. Wrong fucking move. I was shoved in the nearest wall face first as they went to revenge their friend. I knew I crashed down on the ground, shooting my hand up to my nose.

„You’re so dead, man!” I heard one of them yell. Fuck... I blinked a couple of times, seeing only black in front of me, very much dazed from the impact. I felt something warm flow down my mouth, realizing I was bleeding and probably with a broken nose.

As I sat there, someone stumbled over me, forcing me to hit my nose against my knee once again, as a scream for mercy came out of my mouth.

I didn’t even want to look behind me, knowing very well we’ll be needing two body bags by now. It was pure chaos and anarchy, before the cops decided to rap this shit up.

_______

How I wound up behind bars was beyond me... but I thanked god both Travis and Brian were alive. Well... As alive as they could be. Travis was still passed out in his cell to my right, while Brian was holding an ice pack to his eye in the cell to my left. The rest of morons were stocked in a different room. I fixed the ice bag on my nose, hoping someone would get here ASAP, ‘cause even tho the cops were feeling generous tonight and even gave us these ancient ice bags to numb the pain, they couldn’t stop cracking jokes about rockstars and prison cells.

This was just... perfect...

I sighed, looking over to Brian, who’s knuckles were so bloody I couldn’t even make out the cigarette brand on them. He looked simply dashing with that swollen eye, cut lip, fairly broken nose and crusted blood covered knuckles.

„Stop worrying about your face, it’s already ruined,” I said, seeing him stretch his fingers. I bet his hand hurt like a motherfucker, „It’s your hands that make you millions...”

A small smile ghosted on his lips, „Zacky once played a tour with a broken hand, so...” He shrugged.

„Would it be inapropriate to crack a ‘restraining order’ joke right now?” I smirked, but winced instantly, feeling my head throb from the pain.

„Beats me,” He smiled. No pun intended, right? I swear if he flashed me his pearls, they wouldn’t be so pearly anymore. He probably was missing a tooth or two.

„Well this is a first...” I said, relaxing my forearm on my knee.

„Being in a pokey?”

„You think too highly of me, Haner,” I held in a laugh, knowing if it escaped me, I’d be dying of the pain. „I meant you fighting for me...”

„Well...” He twitched his shoulder, „The guy pissed me off. What are you even doing with him... You’re so much better,”

„He actually is super nice when he’s sober,” Why the fuck was I even defending him? Maybe ‘cause that was the truth? At the first week of me being together with him, Travis burried me in roses, he was the sweetest guy I know and I knew when he’ll come around he’ll regret it deeply.

„Well you know what they say...” He started.

„No. What do they say?” I smiled, turning my head to look at him between the bars. He was laying on the bunk, his head facing my direction.

„Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. It’s all about Friday night.”

„That’s good. I should write that down. Mind passing me a drop of your blood?”

„Sure.”

„Megan Hills?” I heard the cop shout my name, before my dad ran up to the bars. Was he even allowed in here? That – I didn’t know.

„Meg, baby, what the hell happened?” I stood up, walking up to the bars.

„Got in a fight.” I answered, a small smile on my face. Dad turned his head to look at Brian, who was looking very silly if I might add.

„Hey, Zee,” He smiled.

„You got in a fight with him?” yeah, dad, I did all that damage to him. I’m a fucking hulk if you hadn’t noticed.

„No, I got in a fight with a wall... and my knee.” He frowned, raising his eyebrow.

„Okay, officer, what is the bail?” he turned to look back at the chubby dude with a rapist mustache.

„Two grand for her,” he bit down on his doughnut, before continuing, „and four for the guys.”

„Guys?” As in plural? Yeah. Dad looked over the passed out Travis.

„Shit, Meg, I have only six grand on me,” He said apologetically.

„That’s okay Zee, get that train wreck out of here, I think he needs a hospital,” Brian said and I couldn’t miss the satisfaction to his words.

„Are you sure?” I turned to look at him.

„Yeah, I’ll be okay, Matt probably will show soon enough.”

As dad went to pay for me, the officer unlocked the steal cage and let me out. „Wait, what did you want to tell me?”

„Let’s leave it to another time.”

Notes

So in advance for the shortness of the previous chapter, I present to you the next update! Maybe some of you can tie this story to another one who was earlier on mibba (earlier? that was years ago!), so I have to say, Danger Line was originally intended as a rewrite of my very first story I wrote about Syn Gates. That's why maybe, some of the ideas are seen somewhere, but I can assure you, these are only small glimpses and everything is completely different.