House of Jealous Lovers

"Do you think you'll be gracing us with a table dance any time soon?" Brian asked, slightly slurring his words together as he spoke to me.

We were at Johnny's Bar, our usual hangout whenever the boys were back in town. I loved this place since it was one of the only places we could get into in high school that would serve us beer. There was so much history rooted into this place that it was impossible to avoid it. We always came here to drink and reminisce about the good ol' high school days.

Currently, I was standing with Brian, talking with him about something unimportant when he decided to ask for table dances. He tended to get this way whenever he was drunk and at this point in the evening, his intoxication was definitely apparent though I was no better. I wasn't as drunk as he was but I was still pretty buzzed.

"Definitely not," I laughed.

"Aww, that's not fucking fair! I wanna see you shake that ass up on a bar," he pouted.

"Maybe another night when I've had about the same amount of liquor you've had tonight," I laughed.

"You're no fun!" he whined. "I wish Jimmy was here. He would fucking dance on the bar for me."

"I bet he would. I know how the two of you get when you've been drinking," I giggled.

Brian and Jimmy were notorious for their drunken antics. They would always drink themselves into a stupor and wind up destroying someone else's property. I recalled many memories of Jimmy setting fire to the mailboxes around the neighborhood during these drunken hazes. Brian always drove the get-away car that swerved down the street. I was amazed they hadn't killed anyone with their reckless driving.

"Well if you won't do it then I will!" he said, climbing on top of the bar.

"Oh shit! What's Syn doing?" Val asked.

"He's dancing up on the bar since I wouldn't," I laughed as he started moving his hips to the music off-beat.

"That's dancing?" Danni asked, laughing. "He's just such an embarrassment to drunken dancing."

"Then get on up there and show him how it's done," Matt laughed.

"Nah, I'm straight," she laughed.

"So you keep telling me. I'm really starting to think you're denying the fact that you've got some lesbian tendencies underneath that hot exterior of yours," I laughed with a wink, gesturing to her body.

"Whatever London. Help your drunken friend off the bar before he causes permanent blindness," she laughed.

"Yo Gates! Come on down from there and dance with me," I said to him.

"You come up here and dance with me!" he argued.

"Then will you come down?"

"Maybe."

"Alright, good enough for me," I shrugged, hopping up on the bar with Syn.

We both started dancing off-beat as our group of friends cheered us on. I could tell that the bartender was getting angry with us but there was nothing to be done about it. He was dealing with a couple of drunks just trying to have a good time so there wasn't much he could do to defuse the situation.

Our bodies swayed together to the loud rock music until he had stopped moving. I was really into the music, grooving along to the beat as I heard a bevy of drunken men in the bar cheering me on. I glanced around and found Zacky's green eyes watching me with that sexy smirk present. I couldn't help but watch him as I continued to dance against Brian, who was drunkenly swaying as he struggled to keep his balance on the bar.

Brian jumped off the bar and landed on his knees, groaning in pain as I hopped off the bar with ease, grabbing my beer and taking a swig.

"Damn London, you sure do know how to dance," Matt laughed.

"Years of practice at work," I smiled.

"I've never seen these years of practice before tonight," Zacky said, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"That's because you never go out dancing with me," I quipped.

"For the simple fact that I don't dance. You know that hun," he smirked.

"You should, you know. I'm sure that the ladies would love it," I laughed.

"I have no problems with ladies fawning over me despite my lack of dancing," he argued back.

"This is true I guess," I shrugged in defeat.

"No 'I guess'. It's a bona fide fact sweetheart," he whispered, sending chills down my spine.

This was a game that Zacky and I always played. He was infamous for playing games because he was a cocky bastard who knew that girls wanted him. I wanted him for all the right reasons while girls around him wanted him for the wrong reasons. It didn't matter to him though. To him, they were like a sport. Getting girls was his favorite thing to do because he treated it exactly like a game. He was their hunter and they were his weak and easy prey.

Since I can remember, Zacky had been a huge flirt, always trying to get in the pants of the first available hot girl in his vicinity. I knew this better than anyone because he did the same thing to me when we met. We flirted constantly and when he realized that I wasn't going to give him what he wanted so easily, he became intrigued and our friendship grew. He backed down and actually allowed a girl to be more to him than just another random fuck. I was the one that opened him up to reveal the real Zachary James Baker that no one but his band mates knew.

That alone was an accomplishment in itself.

He eventually moved on to get what he wanted from other girls but always came back to me. It was a toxic relationship to me. He would constantly flirt with me and hold me like we were a couple yet when he wanted sex, he just ran off to the next available girl who was more than willing to spend the night with Zacky Vengeance. I was the illusion of a girlfriend with no commitments attached. He would spend time with me, treating me as he would any girlfriend but it was strictly friends. It was infuriating beyond belief yet I allowed it to continue.

Rationally, I would rather have this 'cat and mouse' game we continually played than nothing else.

"You're such a cocky little shit," I giggled.

"You love it," he smiled.

I blushed a little, trying to hide my face from him. He knew that I was completely susceptible to his charm and always used that to his advantage.

"So, who wants another round?" Matt asked.

"I'm definitely not turning you down," I winked.

"Oh God, London. Are you trying to get fucked up?" Danni asked.

"Maybe I am. What's the problem with that?" I shrugged.

"Nothing at all," Zacky murmured against my neck. "I'll get your drink," he told me.

"You already know what I want," I winked.

He nodded and slinked off to the bar to grab more drinks for the both of us.
I waited near Danni and Val, talking to them about nothing when I noticed a blonde approach Zacky at the bar. She was gorgeous with her long, curly bleach blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was scantily clothed, showing off her generous curves and a fair amount of her honey colored skin. She was leaned over the top of the bar, sticking out her ass as she caught Zacky's wild eyes.

The famous smirk was plastered across his face and the glint in his eye had returned. I knew that this was his new sport for the night by the way they were communicating through their eyes. I could tell that she was the one that would wind up going home with him tonight.

I wandered to the bar and grabbed my drink from Zacky, who seemed unfazed by this action as he stared at the blonde beauty before him. I just sighed and downed my liquor, heading back to the group of friends we had arrived with, feeling completely dejected and heartbroken, though it was nothing new.

Danni and Val seemed to catch onto my mood but said nothing, knowing that I would just deny anything they said. I just sucked it all up and put on a fake smile for everyone else.

"So, where the hell are the Berrys?" I asked, waiting for Jason and Matt to appear out of thin air.

"They're on their way. Should be here any minute," Johnny shrugged.

"Alright good," I smiled.

If there was one person that could make me feel a little better it was Jason Berry. He was completely insane like Jimmy was which was great for my sullen mood. Jason was always like an older brother to me, making sure that I was taken care of. Jason knew about as much as Jimmy did about me, which was a lot considering how close we were. He would pick up my heartbroken mood and turn it into drunken bliss.

As if on cue, the Berrys walked into the bar, heading straight for our group.

"Matt! Jason!" I smiled, running up to them and wrapping my arms around the both of them.

"London! I've missed you so much girl! It's been forever since I've seen you!" Matt laughed.

"Well duh! You've been on tour forever so you haven't been able to hang out with me," I laughed.

"Well I'm glad that we're back to keep you company now!" Jason smiled.

"Where's Rev?" Matt asked the other guys, noticing his absence.

"With the girlfriend," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Ah, that bitch," Jason laughed.

"Yep," I nodded.

"And Zack? Where's he at?" Matt laughed, grabbing a beer.

"At the bar," Johnny said, nodding in the direction of Zacky.

I looked to find Zacky leaning in closely with the blonde, whispering in her ear as she giggled uncontrollably. He had his hands placed on her waist, holding her close to him as they had a whispered conversation, causing me to grab another beer and down it almost immediately.

"Oh I see," Matt chuckled. "He's looking to get laid tonight," he added, doing some pelvic thrusts for effect.

"Thanks for the visual Matt," Danni said, rolling her eyes.

Jason looked at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. I looked up and saw his smiling face but knew that the emotion behind the smile was complete sympathy.

"Let's get fucked up," I said to him.

"I hear that bitches!" Brian cheered, lazily holding up his mug of beer.

"Cheers!" I said clinking my beer glass with Brian's before drinking most of it down in one gulp.

Everyone followed suit before Johnny retreated to the bar for more beer. Jason and I started randomly dancing around the table, trying to distract me from looking to Zacky or even thinking about him.

"So how was touring?" I asked.

"Hard work! I never even got a chance to play Guitar Hero cuz I was either setting up shit for the stage or sleeping from exhaustion," Jason whined.

"Aww, my poor baby," I said sarcastically.

"Whatever. You just don't know the hardships of touring," he glared.

"Of course I don't know! I was supposed to go to Japan with you bastards but no one told me that's where you were going so I was stuck here with my lonesome," I frowned.

"Hey! We've already been over this! We tried to get you to go with us!" Val laughed.

"You didn't try hard enough," I mumbled.

"Well, I'll make sure I pack you away for the next Japan trip. I promise," Jason smiled.

"Thanks Jas," I smiled.

"I'm back bearing alcohol!" Johnny said in a sing-song voice as he put the beer mugs back on the table.

"My favorite!" Danni grinned, grabbing one of the glasses and inhaling the alcohol.

"Damn girl! Slow down!" Matt Berry laughed. "I swear you and Johnny are like a match made in heaven with the amount of alcohol you two consume."

"You just wish you had someone besides your brother," Danni laughed.

"Yeah. I really need to snag a broad. Maybe I'll pick up some tips from Vengeance. He seems to know his way around getting some hot ladies," he chuckled.

I let my gaze shift towards the bar against my better judgment. I watched Zacky continually flirt with the blonde girl who caught his eye earlier. I felt my hatred boiling inside me but realized that I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't have any claim on him because I was too chicken shit to admit my feelings for him. I didn't want to admit my feelings for my best friend to him.

"You alright London?" Jason asked in concern.

"I'll be fine," I shrugged, taking a shot of Jack from the table.

Jason looked at me skeptically, obviously not believing me but not saying anything. I knew that he wanted me to talk to him about it but I couldn't bring myself to even try and mention it now. I just wanted to try and shrug it off to have a good time tonight.

"So, who's up for pool?" Shadows asked.

Shadows, Johnny and Matt wandered over to the pool table for a game while I sat with Jason, Johnny, Val, and Danni, to drink my feelings away.

I looked back to Zacky at the bar with the blonde. They were kissing, practically hanging all over each other as I felt sick to my stomach. I watched them as they continued their make out session, secretly wishing that I could be her for the moment. She was getting everything I had wanted since high school and it didn't seem fair. She grabbed his hand, leading him away from the bar and to the exit where he met my eyes. He winked at me before disappearing for the evening, leaving me with our group of friends.

I slammed back another shot of the hard liquor, feeling it burn my throat as it went down. I couldn't mask the torment that Zacky Baker caused me too often. I needed something to take the edge away. I just wanted to forget.

I was determined to lose all my memory of his painful games by the end of the night.