High Voltage

„Once this girl told me ‘you ain’t pretty ‘cause you don’t have a thigh gap’, I thought for a moment before replying ‘when your man’s between my legs – there’s a pretty big thigh gap’.” I turned with raised brows to see my gran dead serious about the story. Well, I knew she was kinda loose in her days, but, man, now I really get why people called her dirty Maria. It made sense now.

„Yeah... that’s fascinating, gran,” I frowned, before returning to my macbook and mixing a few tracks Zacky had sent me on Syn’s behalf. Why didn’t that ass have a computer? It’s not clear to me. Can’t you fucking afford it? It doesn’t cost millions you know, and judging by what mother google told me, his net was worth 16 million dollars, so... Why doesn’t he have a computer? And why am I mixing songs for his little sister who fucking hates me? Oh right, because my fiance is a lazy piece of shit, who agrees to do shit without really thinking about it. He should really stop thinking with his dick, then I wouldn’t have to mix shitty music. And to think I was doing this for free... God my life sucked.

„Whatcha doing there?” Suddenly my grandma was breathing over my shoulder and was that a glass of gin and tonic in her hand?

„Mixing some songs...” I replied sternly, trying to figure who even recorded this hell. If you’d know when to cut a track, leaving out all the silent gaps from the record, I’d be so fucking happy. I can’t work with this, it’s like trying to read a book with empty pages and plain gibberish in it.

„So how’s your band doing?” Okay, I was surprised, she really remembered I was in a band? I hadn’t had the grace to tell her myself that, so probably dad told her, to be completely honest, I haven’t seen her for years, so being here was kinda awkward and nostalgic at the same time.

„We’re doing well, tho we’re having a break now, but we’re doing good.”

„You’re lying, Megan,” She shot me a dirty smirk and I decided to drop with the mixing and finally have a decent talk with this old lady. „I know you, darlin’, you’ve been lying since you learned to talk.”

„Am not.”

„I saw your latest concert,” She said thoughtfully. Okay, there’s a few things you need to know about my grandmother, first of all, she’s been one of the influences for my dad to pick up his first guitar, I’m not saying my gran can play, no, she can’t play for shit – but she’s got some sick taste in music. Maybe she’s old and she doesn’t care for her surroundings, but have you seen her? I’d say she’s not a day over sixty if I didn’t know her. She’s not the typical granny, she smokes, she drinks, and her hair’s breaking gravity since 1971’. She’s like Ozzy Osborne – people still question how’s she alive and kicking. Maybe she gets a bit delusional from time to time, but hey, I’d want to see you in your eighties. It has to be illegal looking this good in her years. Sure she has a hump, but she other than that she’s perfect. My absolute idol. Rockin’ that paper white hairdo and eyeliner drawn eyes like no other in her age. She may act like she’s raised in a barn along with some cows and pigs, but she’s the most beautiful person I know, both inside and out. And the fact that she was a groupie for Led Zeppelin is irrelevant.

„Where?” I questioned, looking over her red lipstick covered mouth. She was playing with her pearl necklace, the one she’s wearing ever since I could remember her.

„On that youtube thing... Alexandra showed me, you know Alexandra right? We used to drink together, anyway, what I wanted to say you didn’t look very well.”

„Me or—„

„The band. You were amazing. If I would’ve been there a good belt to one’s hiney would be awaiting. And who were those lovely boys? You were very flirty with the guitarist,” She nudged my cheek, eyeing me with a wide smirk. „Are you going in gran’s footsteps?”

„He’s my fiance, gran.” I replied a bit shy. Since when was I ever shy? This woman, she had some really powerful voodoo up her sleeve, that’s for sure.

„Megan Milana Hills!” Her spitting in my face really startled me.

„What?”

„You are getting married and I’m the last to find out about it? Oh your behind is gonna be so blue, you won’t be able to sit for a week straight!”

„Relax, I would’ve told you—„

„When?” Her glass was empty by now and sat on the kitchen island beside my macbook, while her eyes narrowed on me and her arms crossed over her chest.

„Now?” I swear right then and there she was about to slap me. „Look, you too haven’t been too talkative lately, have you? Look at this piece of shit you’re living in! Why didn’t you tell no one that things are going downhill this fast?”

„I’m managing.” She pursed her thin lips.

„You don’t need to manage, you need to live! Gran, I’m pregnant,” Yup, she’s definitely gonna slap me. Her eyes grew wide and her lips parted as she looked over my stomach, „And I swear if you stay here you’re not gonna live up to see your grand-grand child.”

She took a seat on the high bar stool, gaping.

„Please, just come to California with me. We can buy you a house not far from ours if you don’t want to move in with dad. I have money... We can get you the house you’ve always dreamed of.”

„With a white fence and a flowerbed of lilies?” Well, I wasn’t that sure lilies could survive in the heat of Huntington Beach, but why not. We could try to look for a breed that outgrew every weather.

„Sure,” I smiled warmly. „I want you to be around my child, besides you need to meet my future husband.”

„He seemed a bit... cocky,”

„Nah, that’s just his stage persona, actually he’s the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet.”

Alexis’ POV

„Alex, don’t you fucking puke in my goddamn car!” Well, excuse me, if you wouldn’t be such a dick and slowed down a bit, maybe, just maybe, I could hold my midnight snacks inside my stomach. „I swear I’m gonna drop you right here and you’re gonna take the fucking bus!”

Where even was right here? The only thing I remember was both Matt and Gates had dragged me to some black vehicle, nearly shoved me in the backseats like two fucking kidnappers and since then I’m just kinda enjoying the merry-go-round of a ride. I was really feeling like shit and I don’t know what magic did Syn use, was he a mind reader or something, but I was really gonna throw up, but that’s mostly because a very fierce smell of a goddamn burrito hit my nose after Gates had stopped for a refill. Slowly, very, very fucking slowly, I sat up to look out of the window. We weren’t really anywhere. This was the middle of nowhere, what bus was he talking about?

I rolled down the window to let some fresh air in, ‘cause I swear they both were trying to cause the puke marathon by eating some disturbingly disgusting food and smoking cheep cigarettes throughout the whole ride. „Well maybe if you stopped poisoning all of us for a single minute, I wouldn’t feel the need to throw up.”

He gave me a glare in the rear-view mirror. He had been the most sweetest dude... in the first two minutes I met them at LAX, then I kinda puked all over his pants, which I didn’t realize at first. I thought I had ruined only the floor of airport, but then the yelling started and I realized Synyster Gates hadn’t gone very far. He was right here, back and ready to kick my ass. A question arose, was he like this to Meg too? Nah, she’d kick his ass. Happened once already.

„When I thought you said we’re in for a blast and good music, I kinda didn’t think you meant being the fucking roadies,” I hissed, fixing the backstage trailer of Avenged Sevenfold with all the necessities and right now I was about to pour some laxative in what was labeled as Johnny Christ’s wine. This was supposed to be my vocation, goddammit!

„Stop whining, you’re doing the easy shit, I’m here restringing a fucking floyd rose, so shut it, Alex!” She hissed from the couch where she’d been sitting for good twenty minutes, armed with a screwdriver, three sets of strings, ‘cause we all know that little spitfire on two o’clock? She’s not the most patient person of them all.

„It’s just, I ain’t no fucking maid for some rockstars, why the hell do they even need all this shit?” I pointed to the big table filled with whatever junk it seemed they could come up with. „And arranged in a certain fucking order?”

Her eyes raised to look over me, while she was screwing the lid on the back, blowing a bubble of her chewing gum. This chick, if you don’t see her with a cigarette in her hand, she’s most definitely working her mouth in different ways, either – talking some crap, ‘cause she’s way too drunk to operate or eating whatever gets across. Right now she was sober. Partly. „Don’t make me deal with your bullshit too, Taylor. I’ve received a handful of Syn’s already.”

„The guy who doesn’t even bother himself by remembering your name?” I peeked from around the corner, while stocking up the cooler with all sorts of most sapless beers you’d ever find. She stood up from the couch ignoring me fully. Was she really done with the guitar? So quickly? ”Okay, I’m done here, what more we need to do?”

„We need to have a fucking good time, that’s what we need to do,” She sighed, her hands resting on top of her head as she scanned her surroundings. We could hear a beat of Linkin Park’s Numb blasting somewhere outside and Meg closed her eyes, lightly banging her head along the rhythm. „We should be there...” She whispered, in between chewing her gum. „I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there, become so numb...”She sang under her breath, before taking a deep inhale.

„Then just... let’s ditch this and just... go.” I walked up to her just to be paralyzed by those cold silvery irises of hers. Yeah, I know I was pushing this and we both were here to really help out Meg’s dad, who was an awesome guy, but had his hands full a bit with chasing after Syn’s groupies and doing other shit that a guitar tech didn’t have to do. „Meg!” I suddenly regained, hearing my favorite song playing in the far, „Breaking the habit! We need to go, please, please, please!”

„Okay, fine,” She sighed, before finally letting her lips curl into a smile. „Let’s go.”

But before we could even move from our places, a lots and when I say lots, I really mean lots of voices entered the room where I had just been working on the junkfood and liquor. I looked over my shoulder and saw a bit too many people and that Dragonball Z character also known as Synyster Gates. Seemed like he was doing a bit of a tour around the trailer, not noticing us. Like at all.

„So will you play something?” I heard a girl say after he had patted his stomach. Ughh...

„Uhmm, I don’t play the guitar actually. It’s just a facade, but next time? Sure.” He laughed. „I’ll learn a lick or two.”

Meg’s eyes were almost glued to the guy so it was my duty as her friend and partner in the future homicide to give her a slight push when the crowd moved their way to this room.

„May I?” A chick of sort asked Syn while picking up the guitar Meg had just restringed.

„Yeah, sure,” He shrugged, returning to the rest of the guys to answer some irrelevant questions. I noticed Meg’s glare and slight cringe when even I couldn’t mistaken the sound for nothing else, but a string breaking. Syn turned to look over the brunette.

„Sorry,” She gave him a silly smile.

„Oh, don’t worry about it.” He waved her off, guiding all of the people to the exit, telling something I wasn’t really that interested to listen to. See, I had to hold Meg back, ‘cause even if she said nothing, her body was starting to fight back and kinda was pushing me towards the girl who just broke that string.

„Meg, relax,” I whispered, but her eyes were still glued to the chick until the very last second when Syn closed the door and returned in the room.

„Hey,” he started, looking over us, „Mel?”

„Meg,” She hissed through bitten teeth,

„Whatever, look, I’ll give you ten minutes – restring the gun.” And with that his eyes lowered to the phone he was holding and he sat down on the couch, doing absolutely nothing, but grinning at his screen. After a moment somebody called him and he picked up, „Oh hey, babe, what’s up? Nah, I’m not doing anything... Sure...”

I didn’t know what Meg’s face told at that moment, ‘cause I was a bit too busy and mindblown watching the dick and blinking on how ignorant he could be. I was too mindblown to even realize that I’m not holding Meg anymore and she was next to Synyster fucking Gates, and since I saw only the back of her Pantera t-shirt, I didn’t know what was gonna happen in the next five seconds. I thought she was simply gonna pick up the striped Schecter and restring it yet again, but, man, my boat sailed in very wrong waters right then. I could snap my fingers and I wouldn’t be lying to say it happened that fast – before I knew it, Meg was throwing the same phone Gates was just then holding to his ear, all over the room.

„What the fuck are you doing?!” He yelled, clear confusion written all over his face. „It’s worth a lot more than you can—„ Her fist cut him off, jerking his head to the side with a force I didn’t know a 5’3 chick could ever posses.

It was a shame we didn’t see Linking Park then. Or Slayer. Or Deftones. Or anyone that attended that festival since we were thrown out. Fine, not thrown out, but escorted by the security as Meg loved to say. I heard she had punched him good, the guy didn’t take his shades off for days. Zee, of course, was almost too mad think straight and I think that was the main reason Meg wasn’t asked to help around the tours ever again. I don’t think Syn here remembers it tho, he wasn’t in his most sober mind back in the day, but I can assure, if the situation asked for a good punch in the throat, Megan Hills wouldn’t hesitate to do it.

Hollywood Undead was the one to bring me back to present where my head was spinning and Matt Shadows was stuffing his cheeks with that disgusting-ness. Although he looked like a hamster and maybe the booze was talking now, but he looked like he longed for his head to be between my legs. At least I did.

„So where exactly is Meg?” Matt asked, not even minding horny lil’ old me in the back of the car.

„Boston,” Syn replied, checking each side of his, before pulling in a relatively smaller street.

„What she’s doing there?” Were we already in Huntington Beach? Seemed a bit crowded out of a sudden. And a bit overfilled with expensive looking houses. Ones I could never allow even if I sold my liver and kidney’s on the black market.

„I don’t know, her grandmother lives there. Said something about trying to get her to come here.”

„Good luck,” I snickered, remembering her gran. Had met her only twice, but, man, that was one stubborn woman. Syn’s browns connected with me again through the rear-view mirror.

„Meaning?” Had we stopped? In front of that big ass mansion? Don’t tell me this was where the high-school dropouts lived. ‘Cause we all knew Megan Hills had never finished high-school. Why did she get this lucky in life? Oh but wait, this dick knocked her up with a kid... nop, she’s not lucky. I kinda even feel sorry for her.

„Have you met her gran?” I asked my eyes still connected with the light facade of the house. „She’s like Meg and we all know if she doesn’t want to do something, she won’t do it.” Pointing out to the festival in Carolina and Syn’s black eye. „Only times five. She’s old and she’s grumpy, but with an awesome taste in music.”

„You’re saying she won’t return so soon?”

„Well, I don’t know, but last time Meg tried to reason with her, she aimed a gun at her.” I shrugged, getting back to inspecting the surroundings. „She’s a pretty impressive gun collection, I can tell ya’ that.”

„Okay, Alex, you’re freaking him out,” Finally, that low voice of Shads appears. I was starting to miss it. I looked at Syn who seemed the palest he’d ever been as he looked at me with a pleading look.

„...but then again, maybe she’s sold her guns, I don’t know...” Oh come on, have some faith in your girl, she’s from Boston for crying out loud, and not from the good parts of Boston. I saw Syn swallow thickly. Now this was worth something, the cocky bastard pale and afraid for something and no one’s even threatening him with cutting off his man parts. „You clearly don’t know your girl if you think her gran is a real danger to her.”

„I do, it’s just...” He exhaled heavily.

„No, you don’t,” I snickered, crossing my legs. Feeling very preppy out of a sudden.

„Yea, I do,” He argued back. Well, two can play this game.

„No, you don’t, Gates.”

„Oh yea, and what don’t I know?” I think by now he had long forgotten why did he even started arguing and over what in the first place. Right now he was being a mere dick.

„You knew she gets really excited about planning a break-up? Did you know that?” Not necessarily her own, but...

„What?” he looked back at me with a frown. Okay, I’ll entertain him a bit and take off the thoughts of Meg with a bullet between her eyes, because... I’m simply a nice person.

„Yeah, you’re sure you want to live with a person who’s that sick in the head? It’s funny really, not you, since you know everything, but one time she had this boyfriend. A complete moron, like really dumb as a boot, but she said the sex was great so she kinda kept him around. So... one time he pissed her off, she knew there was no other way out of it, but a break up and you know she’s the kind of person who doesn’t forget shit, she has everything on tab... So one day they’re having a fight, the stupid ass doesn’t back out of it, doesn’t admit he fucked up, , doesn’t want to let her go so what did she do? She yelled ‘what’s my middle name?!’” What? No reply? Then I got it why was he looking at me so sternly. „Don’t tell me you... Dude, check her bio on wikipedia, ‘cause I have the feeling you really don’t know your fiance.”

Notes

So I forget to mention that the previous chapter was written basically just looking over my own fingertips. Yeah, the strangest things inspire me. Like this chapter. I was restringing my gun and I swear I was so close to killing someone, so i figured I needed to write it down.

Thank you darlings for all the love!