Brian’s POV.

My eyes scanned my bloody knuckles as a smirk pulled on my lips.

Well, this was different... But so fucking worth it. I’m not saying I’ve never got in a fight that led to this steel cage, what I’m saying – I’ve never been this satisfied sitting behind bars with what felt like a broken nose, swollen eye and many other irrelevant injuries.

I couldn’t stop smiling like a fucking idiot. I really was the happiest son of a bitch on the fucking world, because – a) I got to hit the shit out of that dick, b) Meg is talking to me. How very little did it take to make Synyster Gates happy, right?

„Haner, you’re free to go,” The cop mumbled, unlocking my cell. Was about fucking time, don’t you think?

I got up from the bunk, a slight wince on my face as I felt a very possible broken rib somewhere in my side. But fuck, it was so worth it. I regretted nothing, the only thing I was thinking about – what would’ve happened to Meg if I hadn’t showed up? I really doubted that asshole would’ve left her alone even tho they were just a couple hundred feet away from Johnny’s and everyone knew and loved Meg there. I doubted that none of the bartenders would ditch what they were doing and run to kill the dude if they knew he’s being a dick to their favorite customer.

I pushed past the cop without a word and walked in what it seemed like a waiting room. Matt was sitting there, cracking his knuckles and nervously shaking his leg. He looked like he had just crawled out of his grave. The guy really needed to go to a hairdresser, like ASAP. The whole band was freaking out, but look at that guy, not giving a single flying fuck about the length of his hair.

„Oh relax, dude... Not the first time,” I said, taking my things from the woman behind the counter. Matt’s head shot up and he raised his eyebrows on me.

„You had a date with the Hulk?” I smirked lightly, thanking the woman with a slight nod of my head. „What the hell happened to you? Alice is flipping out, blowing up my fucking phone with her texts!”

To be completely honest? I hadn’t even thought about Alice not once since I was in the cell. I couldn’t keep my thoughts away from what would I’ve done to the guy if no one stopped me. Then they really would have a reason for putting me here. I sighed and walked out of the building, Matt following me. „Well? What the hell did you do?” Oh, so you’re playing the nosy motherfucker, aren’t you?

„I got in a fight,” I replied casually, walking to Matt’s escalade.

„Yeah, that much I understand,” He walked around the car, unlocking it. „With whom?”

I got in and Matt started the engine, before pulling out of the parking lot. „Meg’s boyfriend.” I shrugged.

„Don’t tell me you’re butting in her life again,” he shot me a glare. Butting in her life? Excuse me? I was saving her fucking life, thanks for asking.

„Aren’t you a little quick to judge?” I snorted, „I went to talk to her—„

„How the fuck did you know where she was? Were you... stalking her?” he shot me a raised eyebrow. Wow, chillax dude...

Anyhow, Matt may or may not be right, but hell, like I’m giving him the satisfaction of pleasing his know-it-all nature. „Look, can you just hear me the fuck out?”

„Okay, speak.” He snapped, his eyes fixed on the nightly road.

„So, I went to talk to her, well... actually, she ran into me and guess who she was running from?” Matt looked at me with a confused frown.

„You don’t mean—„

„Yea, Travis.” A smirk grew on my lips.

„Why?”

„Well, knowing you’re all about women rights, you’re gonna love this part,” Yes, secretly Matt Sanders was a fucking feminazzi, „the dude was really talking her down... Like not ‘you’re a stupid bitch’ kinda shit, but like real ‘you’re a slutty whore’ kinda thing.” Matt nearly hit a pedestrian while gaping back at me.

„What? That’s the fucking worst thing you can say to Meg! Is he mental?”

„Beats me, but I still don’t get why she didn’t kick his ass herself...”

„Yeah, you couldn’t quite call her cuddly and nice...” he replied thoughtfully. Well, I could object to that, she could be very nice when she wanted, it specially when pleading for my fingers to go dee-- „So you stepped in for her?”

„What else could I do? I lost my shit and from then all I saw was red. I nearly fucking killed the dude and I’m sure I would’ve if only his friends wouldn’t have ran in for a fucking rescue.”

„Fuck, why wasn’t I there?!” He hit his hand against the steering wheel, „Why do you always get to have all the fun?”

„Fun?” I laughed sarcastically, „Have you seen my fucking face?”

„That’ll heel,” He waved me off, as if it was nothing. Yeah, well, it didn’t feel like fucking nothing!

„And what if not? I’ll be the fucking Kwazimodo of Avenged Sevenfold!”

„Karma’s a bitch, aye?”

Meg’s POV.

„I’m the girl you’re thinking about, the one thing you can’t live without,” I sang in to the microphone, feeling no blues shit is gonna go down today. I didn’t want to think about Travis, I didn’t want to think of the stupid shit he had said yesterday, so no luck pal, but you’re not gonna get a one time exclusive Raven McQueen blues track for your birthday, not that you’re getting anything after that fucking stunt.

„Rougher, Meg!” Ian’s voice rang through the whole recording booth. Rougher? Seriously? My throat was already aching!

Chris took the mic away from Ian, before yelling, „Sing it like you fucking mean it, Carmen!” Why was he so thrilled every time when it came to me yelling my lounges out at the fucking recording booth? And why the fuck every time I recorded vocals, he called me a goddamn Carmen?

„Should I do it from the top?” I fixed the Baseball cap. My hands rested on the top of my head as I saw Chris and Ian completely lost in whatever the fuck Chris’s and Ian’s talked about. „Hey, dickwads! I’m fucking talking to you!”

„No, carry on,” Ian quickly said, before returning to their conversation. Probably talking about some ninja cats. I sighed.

„Then you mind unpausing the fucking track?” I hissed. They didn’t even look back at me, before the heavy riffs returned to blasting through my headphones.

I looked at the lyrics I had scribbled up yesterday and realized even if I’m not making a song for Travis, I’m making it about him. Good. This song isn’t the kind of piece people would wish that it was dedicated to them.

„I’m the girl you’ve been waiting for,
I’ll have you down on your knees,
I’ll have you begging for more,
You probably thought I wouldn't get this far...
You thought I'd end up in the back of a car...
You probably thought that I'd never escape
I'd be a rat in a cage, I'd be a slave to this place
You don't know how hard I fought to survive,
Waking up alone when I was left to die
You don't know about this life I've lived,
Or these roads I walked, or these tears I’ve bled...”

I yelled most of the lyrics, letting out the suppressed hate for Travis... for Brian and even for myself. My finger pointed to the mic like I was screaming at each and one of these persons. It was most surreal when I figured I was screaming at myself. That I was imagining the pop-filter to be my wonderful bruised face and I was just a step away from making it even more wonderful and beautiful. I was angry with myself for making all the wrong fucking decisions, for not going for what I really wanted if this ‘something’ wasn’t already placed in front of me and in arms reach.

Somewhere in the middle of the song, my eyes opened to slide over the recording room only to see Chris, Ian and now Brian, Matt and Zacky gaping at me.

„You love me for everything you hate me for...” I sang out the final line, my voice cracking in the end, a bit confused with all the attention I was receiving. Fucking hell, did they leave the door to the recording room open again? I absolutely hated when Ian did that! And it was total bullshit when he claimed the muses can’t get to the artists when the doors are shut. „Uhmm, I’m done for today Ian...”

He eyed me for a second, before he regained from his shock, „ye-yeah, you’re free to go...”

As I took the headphones off my head, my eyes subconsciously traveled to look over the dashing Brian Haner. Involuntarily I smirked, not being able to hide the amusement of him reminding me a bit of a Kwazimodo. Now I could marry him, ‘cause I knew for sure none of the chicks would jump him without a paper bag over his head.

I exited the recording booth and Chris was instantly by my side and picking me up, starting to twirl around, making me very much fucking dizzy, „That was so fucking amazing!”

„I really didn’t know you had it in you, Twinks...” Matt said, a mischievous smirk on his face. Was he thinking something naughty again? I swear, since he got together with Bailey, he turned from a cuddly Matty-bear to a sex crazed maniac. I could only chuckle, shaking my head.

„Okay, Chris, you’re up,” Ian notified, and yes we were doing the thing where every of our band mates were singing their little songs. Yes, again. It’s just... the fans were completely blown away by it when we put the songs up for the Deluxe edition albums and our webpage nearly exploded from all the requests so we would do the same shit for each upcoming record.

„Looking good, Gates,” I complimented, leaning around him to take my phone from the coffee table.

„Right back at ya’,” He smirked. Okay, fine, he still was hot even with all that shit that was going on with his face and to be completely honest, it kinda even made him sexier. Like he wasn’t mouthwatering already! „How’s Travis doing? I think I should send him a get-well card,”

„Oh I wouldn’t know,” I said looking down on my phone, to see I had an appointment for a consultation up in Beverly hills. Shit, that was today?

„How come?”

„What?” I looked up, a little side-tracked and not following the whole conversation, „Oh, right, Travis! Well, I don’t know ‘cause I hadn’t been to the hospital.” Mostly because if I’d see him and there would be no jail bars separating us, I’d most probably kill him. I need to cool off for a couple of days, you know, lay low. Shake those adventures off, before meeting him up close.

Brian nodded in understanding.

„Hey, do you think you can give me a ride to Beverly Hills?”

„Yeah, sure. When?”

„Now.”

„Now?” He raised his eyebrows.

„Uh-ha,” I mumbled, scrolling through my virtual planner.

„Hey, Shads, I’m leaving early, that’s okay with you guys?”

„Fine by me, just don’t get beat up again,” I raised my eyes from the phone to see Matt shrug a light chuckle following soon after.

„Okay, here, take the keys and go start up the car, while I grab my stuff,” He handed me the key to his BMW.

„Oh so you want me to die in that steam coffin so you’ll have a perfectly air-conditioned vehicle to hop in later?” Real smart, Haner, real fucking smart.

„There’s no gain without a bit of pain, Hills,” He winked.

As we were about to go out of the room, Zacky seemed like he had just woken up from his decade long beauty sleep, „Yo, Gates, where are you going?”

I swear I would’ve face-palmed myself if only my nose wasn’t being such a bitch with all the pain and shit. „Good morning to you too, V,” Brian laughed, pushing past me and exiting the room.

„Where are you going, guys?” He frowned.

„I’m taking Haner to get a face job, ‘cause have you seen his fucking face?” I whispered the last part a bit too theatrically, making Matt snicker behind Zacky, „I mean, man, that’s disgusting.”

„He’s having a face job?” His confusion only grew bigger as for Matt’s laughter – louder.

„Uh-ha, and we’re gonna ride flying unicorns afterwards and swim in a fountain filled with the blood of virgins to cleanse ourselves,” I bit my lip, trying my best not to explode in laughter. I mean, really, Zack, really?

„Yo, virgin unicorn!” Matt shouted.

„Yes, Matty-bear?”

„When are you coming back?”

„Dunno,” I shrugged, „Probably when we’ll run out of virgins.” And to think about it, those would be the very first minutes when we'd pull up to Beverly Hills.

Notes

Here you go, lovelies, the latest update.
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