Innocence Meets Jealousy, Isn't She Stunning?

Oh shit.

Didn't mean to say that.

Shit, shit, shit, shit!

I feel the blood rush to my cheeks and I look down, biting my tongue. The twitch in my eye surfaces and I wince, shit.

"I... uh- Oh, look, there's... uh, there's Rory," I murmur, raising my voice and my free hand, waving it at Rory, "Rory!"

I glance at Steve, who is watching us all curiously, then Synyster, who looks as if he's going to gut me then and there, then I look at Autumn, who just giggles.

I take a stumbling step back and smile nervously, before practically running off to the bar, grabbing Rory's arm on the way and pulling him into the seat next to me.

"Dammit Ror..." I murmur, more to the pint that's just been set in front of me.

"Dude... Free booze, free party, get out there, get a girl!"

I groan and lift my pint to my lips, "I don’t want any girl..."

Rory shifts a little, uneasy, "You aren't gay are you?"

I snort into my beer, "No. I just want one girl."

"Who?" Ror asks, leaning a little closer, and I jerk my head unnoticeably towards Autumn, and no doubt Synyster.

"Synyster Gate's girl?" Rory hisses.

"Shut up Ror! Someone might hear!"

"Hear what?" Chris says, as he sticks his head between us, mouth attached to straw in a brightly coloured cocktail.

"Ugh." I say, falling forward so my forehead rests on the cool metal of the bar top.

"Rou fancies that Synyster Gate's girl..." I barely hear Rory whisper, hopefully into Chris' ear, and I feel his hand fall on to my shoulder.

"Tough break man."

Chris didn't know how right he was.

-x-

I suppose my spirits were lifted a little two or three hours later, thanks to my band mates and, of course, the free bar.

It's later now, a lot later, maybe early hours of the morning now as I down another shot and stare at the bright colours behind the bar, ignore the people flirting and chatting and probably making out around me.

"Rou... mate." Someone slaps my shoulder, and I realise it's Rory, sounded slightly dejected and more sober than the rest of us, "I think we should go..."

"Why Ror?" I joke, more than slightly drunk, "Fail to pick up another girl again?"

I giggle at my own joke but Rory doesn't smile, tightening his grip on my shoulder, "No, you're pissed, Chris has already fucked off with a girl, and Rob is bored."

"Oh..." I mumble, slamming my empty glass on the table and turning round on my barstool, "Fine then."

My legs find floor and lush carpet, and my head swims.

I see Rory's features morph into different ones, like I'm on a trip, like we used to back in the parks of St Albans. His eyes take on a more almond shape and are smudged in black, hair sprouts from his head and falls past his shoulders, the single blonde stripe suddenly elongated into streaks and racoon tails. His lips suddenly flush ruby red and they smile.
I know this face far too well.

"Rou?" Its still Rory's voice, and that’s what throws me.

He's not Autumn.

I shake my head and scrunch my eyes and Rory's himself again, my head pounding so loud I can barely hear him.

I giggle, unperturbed by my hallucination and my hand falls onto Rory's shoulder to keep myself from falling over.

"C'mon then, let's go."

"You're out of it..." I hear Rory mumble as he walks and I trip, or dance, whatever you like, over to Rob, whose trying in vain to keep up conversation with a way past it music producer with too much fake tan.

Rob regards me for a second then laughs, before standing and excusing himself from the dying conversation.

"You know what your name is, dontcha Rob?" I say, leaning forward and pointing a finger at Rob, who just raises his eyebrows, "Rob Roffle." I burst into hysterics, changing Robs surname from 'Rolfe' to 'Roffle' or 'Rofl' an abbreviation all the scene kids use on MSN or whatever.

It made me laugh.

"You're mental Rou." Rob says in his strong accent, making mental sound more like 'mentawwl', and I just giggle.

Rob takes my other shoulder so him and Rory can literally drag me out of the party, since I've drowned my lust and sorrows in far too much alcohol, and I'm now in self-induced hysterics thanks to 'Rob Roffle'.

Rory and Rob say something to the bouncer, and I lift my gaze from the floor. I open my mouth to say something stupid, but Rory knows better and clamps a hand over my mouth and him and Rob carry on dragging me.

When we're outside the club I lick Rory's hand to make him move it, and he lets me go with a little shove, so I fall over and land on my ass, still laughing.

"Ew, Rou you sick fuck."

I laugh and cough a little, sticking my tongue out and making a disgusted face, "Your hand tastes sick." I giggle, and wipe my tongue on my hand.

Rory wipes his hand on Rob's sleeve, to the drummers protest and they both bend down to help me off the floor. We turn to the large, dimly lit alley to the right of the venue, where I can still hear music and voices.

"Shortcut." Rob mutters, dragging my left half down into the alley.

I follow obligingly, still giggling, but as we reach the orange pool of light cast by the streetlamp, I realise we aren't the only occupants of this alley.

I stop as I see brown and blonde hair, racoon tails, a short black dress and ruby red lips. I watch as a gasp slips from those lips, half her face illuminated in a cheap orange glow only she could look beautiful under.

"What the fuck?" I hear a deep voice, an American accent, and a shape moves in the shadows, tall, thin, threatening.

It's Synyster, and by the way he tries to discreetly pull up his jeans, and Autumn smoothes her dress in the shadows, I know all too well what they were doing.

"Oh shit..." Rory says, stumbling a few steps back and holding up his hands as if he's the one being caught.

"What're you doing?" Synyster Gates asks, moving a little so Autumn's well out of view, scowling at me.

"Sorry mate..." Rory says, "Didn't mean to..." Synyster's eyes never leave my face and I feel the cold seep from his gaze.

I feel all the alcohol just drop out of me, leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth, a banging head, and an even worse sight in front of my eyes.

"Dude, what're you staring at?"

"I..." I just stare, right past him, right where Autumn is staring curiously at me, her face flushed, her makeup slightly wrong, chest heaving.

I can't look away.

"Oi, answer me yeah?" Synyster says, his arms protectively pulling Autumn against him, still staring at me, threatening, malicious, intimidating.

"Rou, come on." Rob says, grabbing my upper arm and pulling me away, still not breaking my gaze.

I hear Rory still stuttering, "Nothing, mate, no harm done, we'll go a different way..."

"Come on Rou," Rory says, turning away from a glaring Synyster and flushed Autumn, "We'll take the long way home."

Did I even want to go home at all?