Sequel: The Gates of Hell ›
Vengeance Banks In
Mad Season
“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Briony, Happy Birthday to you!” my family and friends sung around my slightly hiding figure, cowering against the dining room chair I sat in. I hate attention, birthday parties are the worst for attention to and I was the main attraction this time.
“Okay, baby blow your candles out and make a wish!” my mother shouted excitedly as I stared at the glowing orbs atop of my spice cake—Jimmy made it, I was a little worried but I remembered Leana helped and she wouldn’t have let him lace it with something. But that wasn’t why I was—zoned out, gazing at my cake like I was high, I was worried. Extremely worried, I had thirty minutes and counting down to tell my whole family I was dating Zacky…
Oh hells bells.
I closed my eyes and wished deep down that everything would work out for the best, and then I opened my eyes and blew out the eighteen candles nearly burning the cake. I forced a smile as mom dished out pieces; of course I got the first one. “Thanks mom,” I murmured taking a bite, Jimmy didn’t do to bad. “Damn Jimmy, it’s good.”
“You sound surprised,” he said sadly, I had hurt his feelings.
“I’m sorry, it’s just—you scare me sometimes,” I made sure to say it softly and reach over to pat his arm. “It’s good though, I love it.”
“Thanks,” he beamed looking around to see if everyone had seen him get congratulated. “You see that? She loves my cake.”
“Goofy ass,” I murmured spooning even more cake into my mouth, so I wouldn’t choke on the words that dared to come flying out. I guess you could say I had a nervous tendency to speak my secrets when nervous.
“Bri?” I looked up innocently to meet Zacky’s anxious gaze, I looked from him to Matt with my mouth half open. Matt nodded towards my mom and Johnny, gesturing for me to tell them.
“Can I finish?” I gestured my fork towards my plate that had icing surrounding everything and anything, my favorite—butter crème.
“Briony,” Zacky whispered softly, almost pleading as he sat down his plate, uneaten and walked around the table to my side.
“What’s going on?” Johnny caught sight of my expression I guess. I didn’t want to say anything, Jesus Christ the room was full of family members and people they have or were working with them on tours and in the studio. Now was not the opportune moment, Zacky was ruining it!
“Asshole,” I shoved my plate into Zacky’s hands and then stood myself up, lining up with the French doors so if need be, I had an escape route that was flawless—halfway. “Okay, I have something to tell everyone.”
“Go on,” Johnny nodded and gestured me on.
“As you all know, I’ve become rather close to my new family, Johnny’s best friends—I love them all very much, they are my best friends too—but I have become closer with one of them. I fell in love with one of these beautiful boys, and we’ve been dating secretly over two months—“ I was about to say who when Michelle gasped and punched Brian in the jaw.
“You mother fucker!”
“Michelle! No! No! It wasn’t Synyster, that’s fucking disgusting!” I shouted waving my hands; everyone remained in shock, all but Michelle. “It’s Zacky! Zacky Vengeance, Zachary Baker is my boyfriend!”
“You son of a bitch!” that time it wasn’t Michelle, she actually hugged Brian and apologized for giving him a black eye, this time it was Johnny. “What the fuck? She’s—she’s a baby.”
“Am not,” I snapped shaking my head. “I love him, Johnny.”
“You love me?” Zacky turned to me with the biggest smile on his face, it actually made me forget about everyone and smile back at him. “I love you to Briony.”
“Holy fucking shit! Your ten years older than Briony and your dating her?” I was shocked to see my cousin, who had moved away to Florida two years ago standing in front of the front door, bags at her feet and a smile on her face that matched the size of her eyes. “Fuck yes, I have a chance.”
“Caty?” I was in shock, I actually left Zacky’s warm and protecting embrace to absently walk towards my beautiful but very insane cousin. Her black hair wasn’t raven colored like it used to be, it was under toned with blondish brown color and her eyes really popped from the color. However I was happy to see she wasn’t any taller than she was last time, she was still two inches shorter than me at five three. “Oh my God, what are you doing here?”
“Your mom,” she weakly pointed off to my mother, who was gripping the wall with one hand and Johnny’s shoulder with the other, trying to stay upright. “Eh, she okay?”
“She’ll be fine,” I waved it off and bum rushed her into a tight hug, it actually had her gasping for air.
“Bri! Bri! Your killing me!” Caty clawed at my shoulder, trying to push me away—when I let go I laughed as she hugged me properly. “Missed you, asswipe.”
“Missed you to, dickface,” I laughed at our old nicknames, our laughter faded out as we awkwardly glanced around us at the silent on goers of the party. “Ah fuck.”
“Well this has been one hell of a birthday/welcoming party, I’ll just take a seat over here and—“ Caty didn’t get far on account that I gripped her arm and whipped her back to my side, slinging her arm sideways. “Okay maybe not.”
“You and me,” my mom suddenly came to and pointed to me and then herself with a sneer planted firmly on her pretty face. “In the bedroom, now. We have some talking to do.”
“Fun,” I sang weakly under my breath as I let go of the death grip I had on Caty’s arm, she breathed out in relief but gave me a look of pity before I was gone into hell. Being dragged in by my own mother and being followed by my own boyfriend.
“I didn’t say you!” my mother shouted shoving Zacky out, he nearly flipped on his back as he hit the couch’s arm, his eyes were as wide as saucers, much like mine as my mother slammed the door. I was so much worse than plain old toast, I was burnt to a crisp—little bitty crumbs were my aftertaste.
“Okay, baby blow your candles out and make a wish!” my mother shouted excitedly as I stared at the glowing orbs atop of my spice cake—Jimmy made it, I was a little worried but I remembered Leana helped and she wouldn’t have let him lace it with something. But that wasn’t why I was—zoned out, gazing at my cake like I was high, I was worried. Extremely worried, I had thirty minutes and counting down to tell my whole family I was dating Zacky…
Oh hells bells.
I closed my eyes and wished deep down that everything would work out for the best, and then I opened my eyes and blew out the eighteen candles nearly burning the cake. I forced a smile as mom dished out pieces; of course I got the first one. “Thanks mom,” I murmured taking a bite, Jimmy didn’t do to bad. “Damn Jimmy, it’s good.”
“You sound surprised,” he said sadly, I had hurt his feelings.
“I’m sorry, it’s just—you scare me sometimes,” I made sure to say it softly and reach over to pat his arm. “It’s good though, I love it.”
“Thanks,” he beamed looking around to see if everyone had seen him get congratulated. “You see that? She loves my cake.”
“Goofy ass,” I murmured spooning even more cake into my mouth, so I wouldn’t choke on the words that dared to come flying out. I guess you could say I had a nervous tendency to speak my secrets when nervous.
“Bri?” I looked up innocently to meet Zacky’s anxious gaze, I looked from him to Matt with my mouth half open. Matt nodded towards my mom and Johnny, gesturing for me to tell them.
“Can I finish?” I gestured my fork towards my plate that had icing surrounding everything and anything, my favorite—butter crème.
“Briony,” Zacky whispered softly, almost pleading as he sat down his plate, uneaten and walked around the table to my side.
“What’s going on?” Johnny caught sight of my expression I guess. I didn’t want to say anything, Jesus Christ the room was full of family members and people they have or were working with them on tours and in the studio. Now was not the opportune moment, Zacky was ruining it!
“Asshole,” I shoved my plate into Zacky’s hands and then stood myself up, lining up with the French doors so if need be, I had an escape route that was flawless—halfway. “Okay, I have something to tell everyone.”
“Go on,” Johnny nodded and gestured me on.
“As you all know, I’ve become rather close to my new family, Johnny’s best friends—I love them all very much, they are my best friends too—but I have become closer with one of them. I fell in love with one of these beautiful boys, and we’ve been dating secretly over two months—“ I was about to say who when Michelle gasped and punched Brian in the jaw.
“You mother fucker!”
“Michelle! No! No! It wasn’t Synyster, that’s fucking disgusting!” I shouted waving my hands; everyone remained in shock, all but Michelle. “It’s Zacky! Zacky Vengeance, Zachary Baker is my boyfriend!”
“You son of a bitch!” that time it wasn’t Michelle, she actually hugged Brian and apologized for giving him a black eye, this time it was Johnny. “What the fuck? She’s—she’s a baby.”
“Am not,” I snapped shaking my head. “I love him, Johnny.”
“You love me?” Zacky turned to me with the biggest smile on his face, it actually made me forget about everyone and smile back at him. “I love you to Briony.”
“Holy fucking shit! Your ten years older than Briony and your dating her?” I was shocked to see my cousin, who had moved away to Florida two years ago standing in front of the front door, bags at her feet and a smile on her face that matched the size of her eyes. “Fuck yes, I have a chance.”
“Caty?” I was in shock, I actually left Zacky’s warm and protecting embrace to absently walk towards my beautiful but very insane cousin. Her black hair wasn’t raven colored like it used to be, it was under toned with blondish brown color and her eyes really popped from the color. However I was happy to see she wasn’t any taller than she was last time, she was still two inches shorter than me at five three. “Oh my God, what are you doing here?”
“Your mom,” she weakly pointed off to my mother, who was gripping the wall with one hand and Johnny’s shoulder with the other, trying to stay upright. “Eh, she okay?”
“She’ll be fine,” I waved it off and bum rushed her into a tight hug, it actually had her gasping for air.
“Bri! Bri! Your killing me!” Caty clawed at my shoulder, trying to push me away—when I let go I laughed as she hugged me properly. “Missed you, asswipe.”
“Missed you to, dickface,” I laughed at our old nicknames, our laughter faded out as we awkwardly glanced around us at the silent on goers of the party. “Ah fuck.”
“Well this has been one hell of a birthday/welcoming party, I’ll just take a seat over here and—“ Caty didn’t get far on account that I gripped her arm and whipped her back to my side, slinging her arm sideways. “Okay maybe not.”
“You and me,” my mom suddenly came to and pointed to me and then herself with a sneer planted firmly on her pretty face. “In the bedroom, now. We have some talking to do.”
“Fun,” I sang weakly under my breath as I let go of the death grip I had on Caty’s arm, she breathed out in relief but gave me a look of pity before I was gone into hell. Being dragged in by my own mother and being followed by my own boyfriend.
“I didn’t say you!” my mother shouted shoving Zacky out, he nearly flipped on his back as he hit the couch’s arm, his eyes were as wide as saucers, much like mine as my mother slammed the door. I was so much worse than plain old toast, I was burnt to a crisp—little bitty crumbs were my aftertaste.
