Let Me Be the One to Call You Baby

° FF 1 Day ° Sunday °

It was late at night for both Zacky and Alice. The A7x guys—all but Zack—were out again at a bar. Zacky was laid back on sofa with his phone to his ear. They had been talking for 2 hours so far.

The conversation grew silent for a moment when Alice suddenly asked, “Tamu?”

“Yeah baby?” he asked back softly.

“Will… will you sing to me?” When a few moments passed and he said nothing, Alice rushed into talking, “Never mind. It was stupid. I’m sorry. Forget it. It-”

“Alice.” She grew silent. “Um… one of my friends here has been teaching me a song on the guitar… so I can play it for you.”

“Really?” she whispered with a blush.

“Yes. Now stop blushing, I know you are,” he chuckled. “Hold on one sec baby and I’ll go get his guitar from his room.”

So he told another little lie. His song will make up for it.

Putting on Jimmy’s head set to his phone, Zacky asks, “Are you ready?”

She nodded but then realizing he couldn’t see her, said, “Yeah.”

Strumming his guitar, Zacky began the song.

“Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time
Surely you can take some comfort knowing that you’re mine
Just hold me tight, lay by my side
and let me be the one who calls you baby all the time…”

When Zacky finished and didn’t hear her, he got worried, “I know my voice isn’t that good but I—”

“It was beautiful Tamu,” Alice said gently trying not to cry.

He could hear it in her voice, “Please don’t cry baby. Please don’t.”

Wiping another tear away, she swallowed and repeated, “That was beautiful. Thank you Tamu.”

Smiling, Zacky placed his guitar down and said softly, “Anything for you Alice.”

° FF 1 Day ° Monday °

“Wait, wait, wait!” Johnny said grinning and waving his hands around. “You what?”

Rolling his eyes he avoided the question, “How the hell do you fuckers already know? Do you have cameras on this bus that I don’t know about?”

“Nope,” Jimmy answered. “A merch guy for Bullet had walked by the bus last night and heard you.”

“Another one of your forbidden things,” Matt clicked his tongue on the back of his teeth with a shake of his head.

“What happened to the Zacky Vengeance we all learned to love and slightly hate?” Syn joked.

Smirking Zacky shrugged and simply said, “He fell. Hard.”

“You mean…?” Matt trailed off with raised eyebrows.

Leaning back in the chair, Zacky rested his hands behind his head, “Yep. Guys… I’m in love.”

Could it really happen that fast? How could he have let himself fall in love with a little sprite of a woman? Zack didn’t know how it happened but he wasn’t going to fight something that felt so right and good.

° FF 1 Day ° Tuesday °

“How’s things with Zacky?” Heather asked with a grin, nudging Alice in her side.

Blushing, she finally confesses, “He sang me a song.”

“What?!” Heather, Cecil, and Zander with widen eyes and raised voices.

Alice hides her face in her hands and mumbles into them.

Pulling her friends hands away, Cecil asks, “What?”

Avoiding their eyes and with her blushing face, she tells them, “Last Sunday. He told me one of his friends has been teaching him a song for me on the guitar and well… he played it and sang. He played it very well too.”

“What’d he sing?” Cecil asked grinning.

“Smother me by The Used.”

“Awww…” the girls gush

“He remembered your favorite band,” Zander smiled. “And picked a great song. Is it your song now?”

Shrugging her shoulder lightly, Alice answered, “I dunno. But I can’t wait for him to get back. Since Johnny and Zacky get home on the same day maybe I can tell Johnny a few days later and they can meet.” She doesn’t notice the looks her friends give each other and continues. “Zack is the sweetest guy ever and… and…”

“And what Ally?” Zander asks softly.

Finally looking at them, she smiles largely, “I think I’m in love.”

° FF 1 Day ° Friday °

“I miss you so much Johnny,” Alice told her brother close to tears.

“Shhh…” he tires to sooth, “I’ll be back in 8 days!”

With a small sniffle, “I still miss you.”

“I know, I know,” he agrees softly. “But when I get home we’ll watch all those girly movies you like, jam out, go to Vines, and all that good stuff!”

Now laughing, Alice smiles and says, “That sounds great Johnny. When do you have to go play?”

“In about 1 hour. No worries. I’m at the park away from the band.” Deciding to change the subject he asks, “How are you doing sis? The girls are all watching out for you, right? How’s work? Make any new friends?”

“I’m fine,” she murmurs, “The girls are great. Heather quit her job, Cecil’s met this new guy, and Zander and Dave—the guy he was seeing—are now official boyfriend boyfriend. Work’s good, I have two new students. And…” she trails off slightly, “I did make a new friend.”

Though it was hard to keep the surprise from his voice, Johnny does. “Really? What’s her name? Tell me about her.”

“Oh… um well Johnny. His names… Ry.”

What Alice meant was the Ry at the end of Zacky’s full name, Zackary. But when Johnny doesn’t say anything she holds her breath, wishing she never said anything.

“Oh,” Johnny says in a tight voice. “Tell me about him.”

“Well… he’s one of my students. Real sweetheart, nice smile, very kind to me, and very respectful to me and my space. I swear you’ll love him Johnny. I haven’t made a new friend in awhile.”

That stabbed at Johnny’s heart. He knew it was hard for his delicate little sister to make friends with her condition. However, he couldn’t help but hate the idea of her being friends with a straight guy. How could he trust him? Johnny wanted to get home now more than ever. Check this guy out and see if he should have the honor to be Alice’s friend. What if he took advantage of Alice’s shyness and kindness? Johnny would go to jail for murder if this new friend hurt his sister.

“Johnny?” Alice’s voice breaks his thoughts.

He opens his mouth to say something but a voice across the park cuts in, “Johnny!” looking over he sees, Gab, his bass tech, “Johnny! Come on man! Gotta get ready!”

Johnny waves him off and goes back to talking to Alice, “I’m sorry sis but I have to go get ready for the show. I love you very much and we’ll talk more about this later.”

° FF 2 Days ° Sunday °

After Zack finished singing: “Thanks Zacky,” he hears his girl whisper already half asleep.

Smiling he responded back, “Anytime baby. You’ve had a long day. Get some sleep.”

“You sure?” she asks in her tired voice, “I can stay up if you like.”

“No no,” he insisted. “What kinda boyfriend would I be if I made you stay up when you’re clearly tired? I won’t take no for an answer, go to sleep.”

She laughs very lightly, “Ok Tamu. I miss you, goodnight.”

“I miss you too baby. Sleep tight.”

Zack waits to hang up his phone till she does. After putting his guitar back in its case, he takes the ear piece off and stands. He nearly has a heart attack at what he sees: all his band mates grinning at him. With a dramatic groan Zacky flops back down in his seat knowing what’s coming. The guys enter the back room with the grins still on.

“What a sweet boyfriend!” Brian exclaims in a fake girly voice.

“Ain’t he the cutest,” Jimmy teases pinching Zacks cheek.

Zack glared and slapped the hand away. “Funk off guys. She likes when I sing to her.”

“Do I hear wedding bells?” Matt teases and then guys laugh at that.

Zacky shrugs and says, “Maybe.” That ends the laughing.

“What?” Jimmy finally asks with widen eyes, breaking the silence.

Zack shrugs again, “It depends on her loving me back, her brother not killing me, and plus we’ve only been goin out for a little bit.”

The guys stayed silent again till Jimmy asked once again, “What?”

Waving his hand at them in annoyance, “I know, I know. I said I’d never marry. It’s on the forbidden list. I know…but guys Alice is… different.She’s special… I just… I’ve never felt this way before. It’s not puppy love. I can see growing old with her.”

The guys are shocked but then they suddenly grin and Johnny slaps Zacky on the back, “I’m happy for you bro. I wish you two all the luck in the world and can’t wait to meet her.”

° FF 2 Days ° Tuesday °

“I’m- I’m not sure about this Heather,” Alice stuttered softly sitting in the passengers seat.

Smiling to ease her friends fear, “Relax Ally. I know you don’t like people and crowds but I think you’ll really love this local band. It’s just a small club and plus it’s a Tuesday night so there shouldn’t be that many people.” Patting Alice’s knee for a quick second, “Relax. Zander says he’ll be at the club in an hour. You know people don’t mess if he’s there. Tall and lots of muscle means no no.”

Alice smiles weakly, “I just think… I should have called Johnny and Zacky to tell them. And plus it seems they always call around the same time. What if they both call when we’re at the club?”

‘Cause they’re in the same band and have the same schedule,’ Heather thought in amusement. But she shrugs and says out loud, “Don’t worry Ally, if they call when were there we can step outside real quick, you tell them where you’re at, and then we go back and listen to the band.

“I guess,” Alice whispered looking back out the car window.

° * FAST FORWARD * °

The local band they came to see was great but another had taken the stage after them and as they played on the stage Alice wasn’t paying attention. Her focus was on the two men in front of her. She cast her eyes around the bar, hoping to see Zander coming back from the bathroom or Heather coming back from her quickly with the drummer of the local band she came to see.

“Hey!” one of the guys said grabbing Alice’s chin, making her look at him.

Tense and afraid she whispered, “W-w-what?”

“W-what?” the other guy teased with a loud laugh.

She cast my eyes down not looking at them, shaking in fear. The hand on her chin moved to her right arm, grasping it firmly.

The man leaned down with a smirk and said lowly in Alice’s ear, “Now… we’re going to go outside and talk. You make a scene and my friend will take care of your friend when she gets back. And it won’t be pretty.”

Alice nodded numbly. Her love for Heather and her safety out weighing her own.

“Good,” the man smirked pulling away.

With her arm still in his tight and painful grip, he pulled Alice up from her seat and made her walk out the door with them. They made it out the door with Alice almost in tears. The man had just made her cross the street when the three heard a voice.

“Alice?”

The two men and Alice turn. They saw three guys, one looking familiar but unable to find the name in her panicking head. The familiar guy looked from Alice’s tear filled eyes, then to the grip one of the guys had on her arm, then back to her eyes. Alice not knowing two of them but the other looking to know her took a chance.

“Help,” she quietly let out.

Only her ‘kidnappers’ heard her but the three new guys saw it in her eyes and read her lips. They were all tense now.

The familiar looking one took a step forward with a hard glare, “Let her go. Now.”

His two friends also took menacing steps forward, not knowing the girl, but knowing what was going on and that their friend seemed to know her. The kidnappers sneered but the one with his grip on Alice, let it go and stepped back. The other lightly pushed Alice forward. She then collapsed into tears into the familiar mans arms. One arm wrapped around her waist supporting her weight as his other arm rested its hand on the back of her head.

“Shhh…” he cooed in her ear as she sobbed, “Shhh it’s ok. You’re fine, it’s ok now. Shhh…”

“Alice!” the four heard two voices scream.

“What happened?! Who are you?!”

Alice heard Heather frantically question but just continued sobbing into the man’s shoulder.

“What happened?” Zander repeated firmly placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Alice feeling the familiar aura of her best friend unlatched herself from her rescuer and onto Zander.

“Th-they…. An-and I-I-I ….” Alice tried to explain through her sobbing.

“Shhh…” Zander cooed like the familiar stranger did moments ago.

“Who are you? What happened?” Heather questions the guys again impatient.

“I’m Zacky’s brother.” The familiar stranger explained. “I’m Matt.”

“Oh no Zacky!” Alice suddenly cried looking up and at them all. “He’ll be so mad at! I-I-I should h-have fought back or-or something.”

“Shhhh…” Zander cooed again. “He won’t be mad at you.”

“Why would Zacky be mad?” one of the two other guys whispered to Matt.

“This is Alice. His girlfriend,” he whispered back to them and then cleared his throat looking at Alice and her friends, “Why don’t we all go to the diner over there, calm down, and talk?”

Heather and Zander look to their now sniffling friend who just nodded twice in agreement to Matt.

° * FAST FORWARD * °

“And that’s when you two showed up,” Matt finished the story, taking a sip of his sprite.

They were at the diner, in a large booth with various drinks. Alice was lost interest almost right after Matt started, she knew the story… why listen? Snuggling closer to Zander and sighing a little brought the attention back to her.

“How are you doing Alice?” Craig, Matt’s friend asks.

“Ok,” she whispered trying to hide into Zander’s larger body.

“That’s good,” Matt smiled. “Cause Zacky might freak when we tell him.”

Alice completely froze with wide eyes, “What? Oh no! We can’t tell him.”

Matt and his friends, Craig and Brent, looked confused. “Why?” Craig asked.

Calming down slightly, Alice told them her reasoning in her soft voice, “He’ll get mad at me and yell. I don’t like when people yell Matt.”

“Oh Ally,” Heather frowned, taking her friends hand tightly in hers. “He won’t be mad at you but he will be mad if you don’t tell him.” Heather said this to kinda trick Alice into telling.

“Really?” Alice asked unsure looking around the booth, they all nod in agreement to Heather. “I guess,” she sighed, sinking into Zander. “But I can’t tell John.”

“John?” Brent asks.

“Her older brother,” Zander fills in. “He’s away on business.”

Alice nods, “He’ll come home if he found out. I can’t take him away from work.” She looked at Zander and Heather, “I’ll tell him when he’s home.”

They nod in agreement, knowing that it’s best to wait… as long as he finds out in the end.

“When are you gonna tell Zack?” Matt asked.

Alice shook her head side to side with a small smile, “I’m not going to.”

“But you just sa—”

“—You are.”

Eyes widening, Matt asks, “What?” The shy, frail, and pitiful look Alice gives breaks Matt. With an over dramatic sigh he gives in, “Fine, I guess.”