Broken Arrow

Sleep didn't come for me that night. I was still awake when dawn came, its rays of golden sunlight peeping through the narrow gap between my blockout curtains. The bottle of Jack Daniels was empty on my bedside table, the Coke had run out long beforehand. I had been too intoxicated to care about the amber liquid burning down my throat in its purest form as I finished the bottle.

I slowly lifted myself from the bed and made my way over to my bedroom door. My stomach was already beginning to twist with the oncoming hangover, which I had hoped I could avoid by being awake when I sobered up. Apparently not. I quietly crept my way downstairs, thankful that Brian and "Ginger Spice" appeared to have vacated the couch while I was shut away in my bedroom. If they'd fucked next door to me, I was none the wiser; my music would have done its job and drowned them out.

I filled up the kettle and leaned on the kitchen counter as I waited for it to boil. A familiar scuffling about my feet directed my attention to the ground, to a sweet, scruffy white Maltease. A little red bow was tied into her fur atop her head - Probably McKenna's doing. I lifted her up into my arms and cradled her.

"Good Morning, Pinkly." I cooed, scratching her behind her ears. "I missed you."

The kettle finished boiling and I set the tiny dog back down on the ground, where she immediately ran over to her food bowl and began stuffing her face. I retrieved a mug from the cupboard and made a coffee before returning to my spot at the kitchen counter. The sunrise was starting to become more visible over the fence of Brian's backyard as I gazed out of the sliding glass door. That, coupled with the delicious taste of that first coffee of the day, put me in a state of Zen.

That state was short-lived when I saw a familiar head of ginger hair come bounding down the staircase, swinging herself around the post on the second landing. She skipped over to the kitchen counter and sat in one of the bar stools, right in front of me. One of Brian's hoodies hugged her petite frame, sliding off one of her boney shoulders.

"Got enough for me?" she grinned, gesturing at the coffee in my hands.
"This isn't a Hotel." I scowled, taking a sip from my mug.
"Aww c'mon, where's your sense of hospitality?" she giggled. "I'm your guest."
"You're Brian's guest." I stated. "I don't owe you shit."
"You could be a little nicer to me." she pouted.
"I don't even know your name-"
"It's Apr-"
"And I don't really want to." I cut her off.
"Jeez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." she grumbled.
"Someone woke up in the wrong fucking bed this morning." the words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Don't you have a home to get back to?"
"I do..." she mused, trailing a finger across the countertop. "But I had fun last night, and I'm not quite ready to leave just yet." she smirked.
"I think I just threw up in my mouth a little." I cringed. "You know you're just his little fucktoy of the week, right?"
"Excuse me?"
"Brian will get tired of you." I knew I was acting like a bitch, but I couldn't stop myself. "He doesn't keep his girls around for more than a few days, if you're lucky."
"Well." she replied, the smirk returning to her face. "I don't plan on going anywhere, so you'd better get used to me."

"April!" Brian's familar voice called, and I looked up to see him descending the staircase. "I'm gonna need you to clear out."
I pierced April's eyes with my own, my own smirk forming as if to say "I told you so"
"So soon?" she pouted, batting her eyelids and wrapping her arms around his neck as he approached us.
"McKenna's on her way home." he said, his arms snaking around her waist. "I try not to have strange girls hanging around when my Sister's here."
I snorted and took another sip of my Coffee. That was a blatant lie; Allison, Jessica. - Ringing any bells?
"Of course." April smiled, standing on her tippy-toes. "I completely understand, you're such an amazing Big Brother, she's lucky to have you."
Jeez, she's really laying it on thick...
"I try." he smiled, pecking her lips gently. "I'll call you."
"Not if I call you first." she grinned, unraveling herself from his embrace and making her way toward the front door. "Oh..." she stopped, grasping the door handle. "Did you want this back?" she smiled, biting her lip as she played with the cords of Brian's hoodie.
"Keep it." he said. "It's chilly out there this morning."
"Such a gentlemen." she smirked, one last time, before leaving the house.

I made a whistling sound, and then an exploding sound.
"What?!" Brian snapped.
"She's trouble." I laughed. "I don't think she's gonna take well to your fuck 'em and leave 'em routine."
"Who said I was leaving her?" Brian defended.
"Please." I snorted. "She'll be gone in a week."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because you always get bored." I shrugged.
"Maybe this time's different." he stated. "You don't know anything about our relationship."
"Oh, it's a relationship now, is it?" I kept my expression cool, but my stomach was twisting.
"Not yet."
My stomach relaxed.
"But it could be, eventually."
I rolled my eyes. "You've known her like, a day."
"I've known her for quite awhile, actually." he confirmed. "I did have friends while you were gone, you know."
"Friends." I mocked him. "Whores, you mean."
"You don't have to get so defensive." he laughed.
"Excuse me?"
"You're jealous." he smirked. "You're jealous because it's not you."
"I never said I wanted it to be me."
"Then stop getting so fucking triggered every time I bring a girl home." his tone had changed; there was venom in his words now. "You and I fucking agreed that what happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas." he pushed himself away from the counter and made his way back upstairs.
I flinched as I heard his bedroom door slam...

***

Brian's POV

"Jealousy's an ugly word, but you don't seem to care, converse behind my back, but now I'm here, need no one to comply with me though everyone that I defeat, don't need you, fuck camaraderie, this rage will never go away..."

"Brian." Larry called, shutting off the music in the middle of me tracking my guitar parts.



"Yeah?"
"Band meeting, right now." he gestured toward the break room. "Come."
"Everything okay?" I asked, my face contorting in concern as I put my guitar down.
"Yeah." he grinned. "Fantastic actually."

I followed him into the break room and took a seat beside Jimmy. The other members of the band were seated around the large table.



Larry cleared his throat. "I've called this meeting to let you guys know that you've been invited to New York to do a special appearance on TRL."
Jimmy's face lit up. "FRIKKEN MTV WANTS US TO PLAY A SHOW?" he screeched.
"I know you guys pride yourselves on being super underground, but it's time to emerge into the real world." Larry smiled.
"Are you kidding me?" Matt chuckled. "It's great exposure."
"Indeed it is." Larry confirmed. "They heard Bat Country and loved it, and insisted you come play it live on the show."
"When do we leave?" Zacky asked.
Larry took a deep breath. "Tomorrow."
"Whoa, so soon?" Matt asked.
"Unfortunately." Larry frowned. "It just kinda came up last minute, but it's absolutely crucial you guys make the trip and play the show."
"Just means I gotta cancel some plans this weekend." Matt grumbled. "But it's no big deal, this is work."
"Precisely." Larry nodded. "That okay with the rest of you?"
There was a murmur of agreement around the table.
"Excellent, get a good sleep tonight, Boys." he grinned. "Tomorrow, you're off to the Big Apple."

***

Ruby's POV

Julia was a wreck. The usually bouncy, sassy black and blue-haired beauty's face was streaked with tears as McKenna's arm rested across her shoulders, trying to comfort her. I hadn't seen Julia much since the guys and I had returned from Vegas, but she had seemed so lively the other day.

"I can't believe this has happened." she croaked. "After fucking everything..."
McKenna stroked her arm in comfort. "You'll get through this."
"I fucking brought us all together." Julia sniffled. "I begged my parents to move to LA, I put up flyers, I put up ads on Craigslist..." she grabbed a tissue from the box on the coffee table and blew her nose. "Cherri Bomb was my baby, that band was my world."
"You'll get back on your feet." I encouraged. "You're so fucking talented for your age."
"Right now, I just kind of wanna curl up in a ball and die..." Julia frowned.

I glanced over at one of Brian's many signature schecters by the wall next to the couch. Getting up from my seat, I retrieved it from its stand and brought it over to Julia, placing it in her hands.

"You know the best thing you can do right now? Write." I smiled. "Turn your Pain into Art."
"I can't use Brian's guitar." she protested.
"He's your teacher, I'm sure he won't mind." I reassured her.
"I used Brian's all the time before he made my custom schecter." McKenna added. "Play."

Julia adjusted the tuning a little, and strummed out a few chords. She played them through a few times, switching chord progressions and humming a soft tune as she played.

"Mini Gates."
McKenna looked up at me.
"Go get your guitar."

McKenna disappeared upstairs for a few moments, and came back with her purple and green striped schecter with MAC laid into the fretboard and a skull design with her likeness on the body. She sat back down beside Julia and began to play a variation of what Julia was playing.

Julia began to sing; "You think you've got it all figured out. You think you can go on without me, without me. You think you won this fight. You don't realize; This is war."
I smiled, nodding along as she continued.
"I will not lose this fight. Not tonight, no not tonight."
"Tonight." McKenna backed her up.
"I will not lose my light. No, not tonight, not tonight."

They stopped playing and Julia looked up at me.

"Feel better?" I smiled.
"Much." she said, a small smile stretching across her lips.
"Form a new band, make them regret letting you go." I encouraged. "You're the best female guitarist I know."
"Hey!" McKenna protested.
"Aside from Mini Gates." I giggled.
"Thank you." Julia's smile grew into one more genuine. "That means a lot."

The doorbell rang as Julia and McKenna started to play once more, and I got up from my seat to answer it.

"Hey." Jason spoke shyly, running a hand through his hair.
"Hi." I replied, honestly surprised to see him after last night's events.
"I know..." he sighed. "I was kind of an ass last night."
"A little." I admitted.
"Let me make it up to you?" he asked, holding up the keys to his car. "Come to Venice with me."
"Right now?" I chuckled.
"Right now." he smiled.
I poked my head around the door to address the girls. "I'm gonna take off for a bit, you two gonna be okay without me?"
"Dude, I'm Sixteen." McKenna snorted. "I can take care of myself for a few hours."
"Okay." I giggled, turning back to Jason. "I'll be right out."

***



The sand squished between my toes and stuck to my feet as Jason and I strolled along the shallow water on the beach. It was Sunset, once again, and my ideal time of day. The world just seemed more peaceful bathed in an orange glow.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am for how I acted last night." Jason spoke. "I was an ass."
"I can't blame you." I admitted. "If I were the one in your shoes, I probably would have been the same."
"Truth is, I've liked you for a long, long fuckin' time." he laughed. "But you were with Jack, and then you came back, and I thought I'd have a shot."
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be." said Jason. "It's Brian, isn't it?"
I didn't respond.
"Anybody could see there was something blossoming between you guys." he stated. "Even before we went to Vegas."
"If there was, it's definitely wilted now..." I sighed, looking down as the water washed over my bare feet. "He's found himself a new toy to play with."
"She'll be gone before you know it." Jason laughed, nudging me. "You know what he's like."
"He seems really into her." I shrugged. "Maybe this time its different."
"April?" Jason inquired.
"Yeah."
He snorted. "April hasn't got a fuckin' chance in hell."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because I dated her for a time." he confessed. "She's trouble, she's all sweet one moment and the next..." he made a whistling sound, and then a crash.
"I made that same comment earlier." I laughed. "Brian got really defensive."
"Because he saw how she was with me." Jason replied. "She's extremely possessive, Brian won't like her keeping tabs on everything he does, and who he does it with, at all times."
"Yeah, I can't see Brian reacting well to not being able to fuck whoever he wants, whenever he wants." I giggled.
"The only thing she ever had going for her, was that she looked like you." Jason admitted. "I mean that in a good way, you're beautiful, but I couldn't have you, so..."
"I get it." I smiled. "Really."
Jason groaned, and wrapped me up in a hug. "Can I ask you one thing, though?" he murmured into my hair.
"What?"
"If it doesn't eventually work out with Brian..." he sighed. "Would you consider giving me a chance to make you happy?"
I sighed. "Maybe."
"I'll take Maybe." he chuckled, kissing my hair...

Notes

Okay no but, seriously. I used to absolutely ADORE Cherri Bomb, they were my favourite band alongside Avenged, it was a strong tie. I started this story back in mid 2012, when Cherri Bomb were still together and going strong. So naturally, the girls all earned themselves a role in this tale. When early 2013 rolled around and Julia Pierce was kicked out of the band, I was totally fucking shattered, she was my favourite member, it was like looking upon my younger self whenever I watched her in interviews and Vlogs. When Cherri Bomb started to look for a new guitarist to replace her, I had hoped so hard that they'd somehow get in contact with McKenna as they're all from California and Huntington is only about an hour away from LA (traffic permitting). That didn't happen, and then when I came back to this story after my three year Hiatus, my brain had the brilliant idea of incorporating Julia's departure into the story, and having her team up with McKenna to form a totally kickass new band. In the real world, Hey Violet had risen from the ashes of Cherri Bomb, and are doing pretty fucking well for themselves - I trust you've all heard Guys My Age by now. But all I had really been hanging for these past five years, was for Julia to finally come out of the woodwork again.

Literally the morning after I wrote that part of this chapter, I logged onto Facebook, to this status from Julia:

Hello friends…
After a long period of silence, my next musical chapter has finally come to fruition. I am thrilled to reveal the launch of my solo endeavor under my new moniker PYRCE. Very excited to begin this brand new era, and to announce what’s next soon…
Thank you for your patience and endless support. Love you guys.
xo

It completely tripped me out, I was like "DID I JUST FUCKIN SUMMON HER, OR SOMETHING?"
I dunno man, it was just a freaky fuckin coincidence but I AM SO FUCKING STOKED!



MA GURL IS BACK!
BRING ON THE SINGLE RELEASE ON MAY 17TH!!

Right, I'm done rambling, just... MY FUCKING FEELS OKAY?? THEY GOIN' BATSHIT RIGHT NOW!

Until next time xx