Girl I Know

Chapter 8

My eyes were closed but I could sense people in front of my face. I opened my eyes to see Zacky, Jimmy, and Johnny hovering over me.

“AHHH!” I yelled jolting y body to the right. I bumped into Matt’s chest.

“FUCK!!!” I jolted my body to the left and I came face first with a smirking Brian.

“AHH!” I screamed again and I sat up gripping the mattress and seething. Looking around at all of the guys looking at me with smiles.

“You…suck.” I said and they all started to laugh.

“No really you do! And I hate you all!

“Yeah yeah yeah. I hope you realize that it’s Monday afternoon and school would be over in about 1 hour if you went.” Zacky said checking his watch.

My eyes widened. I had totally forgot, Damn I let Brian and Michelle really get to me if I forgot about school. Funny thing is I went to grab a coffee the time I should have left.

“Oh well, Im going tomorrow anyway. Zacky write me a note will you.” I replied getting out of the couch bed and Zacky had an ‘excuse me?’ expression written all over his face.

“Got it.” He said and I looked at the time. It was 1:30; school would end at 2:30. I ran upstairs to finally shower and change my clothes. I knew the guys were supposed to go somewhere but they better take me! After I finished my routine, I went back downstairs and the guys had gotten ready as well.

I saw Brian look at me before the guys followed his eyes.

“Mercury where are you going?” Matt asked raising his eyebrows.

“Well im going wherever you guys are going.” I replied in a ‘duh’ tone.

“Well we are going to the studio to record dude.” Jimmy replied looking up from his phone and putting it in his pocket.

“Well then let’s go.” I said grabbing Zacky’s keys right out of his pockets and walking out the door. I ran to Zacky’s prized car and I hopped into the driver’s seat. I started the ignition and waited for the guys to come out. Zacky appeared at the driver’s door expecting me to get out
but I stared at him locking my door.

“Get in the back and put on your seatbelt Zachary James Baker.” I said like mom. He rolled his eyes and got in the back. Brian, the cocky shit thought he could sit up front with me.

“Brian do you think you are G enough to sit next to me?” I asked putting the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. I switched gears and pressed the gas…pretty hard.

The car flew forward and I snickered. The needle on the speedometer continued to go up and I started to laugh.

“M slow down.”

“Shut up.” I replied to whoever told me to slow down.

I saw the studio building where Avenged decided to record their newest record they wanted to call City of Evil. I sped up and I turned into the parking lot. I let the car skid into the parking space and I put it in park and turned off the car.

I turned around to see Matt, Jimmy, Johnny, and Zacky looking at me like I was death itself. Zacky especially looked like he wanted to strangle me.

“You could have gotten us all killed Mercury-“Matt started to rant but I cut him off.

“But I didn’t so it’s all good!” I complained.

“MERCURY SYLVER FUCKING BAKER YOU COULD HAVE CRASHED MY FUCKING CAR.”
He yelled and I just growled and got out of the car, shutting the door.

“Jesus Zacky just get in there.” I said opening the door and pointing inside. They all filed in and I came in last. Their manager Larry greeted them and gave me a hug and ruffled my hair.

“I know your happy to see me Larry but don’t get a heart attack!” Brian said pointing to himself exaggeratedly.

“Cocky shit.” I mumbled so he could hear me. He just gave me a fake glare and I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Don’t stick it out unless you plan on using that Mercury.” He said snickering. I took this opportunity.

“ZACKY!!!” I whined. HE turned around.

“Brian made a sexual pass at me.” I stated pointing at Brian who had a shocked look on his face.

“She LIES!” He yelled.

“No! I stuck my tongue out like -nah- and then he said not to stick it out if I don’t plan on using it.” I said sticking my tongue out in the middle of the sentence. Zacky glared at Brian who was giving me a sour look.

“Gates, you’re going to be dead if I hear you say that again.” HE threatened darkly and Brian nodded. I was visibly straining not to burst into laughter. I couldn’t contain it; Brian’s mock angry face was too funny.

I burst into loud obnoxious laughter and Brian glared some more. I saw his guitar on the stand and I went to grab it with a smile still on my face. I put the strap over my head and I
began strumming a few chords.

“Mercury cant you use yours! I need mine!” Brian said in an annoyed voice.

“Fine but you have to get it.” I said.

He sighed and went into the back room and got the guitar he and Zacky customized for me.

It was a deep purple with black pinstripes like Brian’s guitar and it had the death bat on the frets and a scriptive “MV” on the 8th and 7th frets. The tuners were silver and my full name was scrawled in the same script in between the tuners. It was a beautiful guitar and it played just like Brian’s.

He placed my prized guitar in my hands and pressed the wireless so it could be amplified.

I began playing the solo from Eternal Rest from Waking the Fallen. I had my ‘face of supreme concentration’ as I called it and they all looked at me.

“Almost there. You need to position your hand so the notes come out more clearly, and fix the position of your strumming hand.” Zacky and Brian instructed me, showing me how to position my hands. I huffed and they both put their hands on their hips and Brian said.

“You just be lucky you are getting tips from Synyster Gates and Zacky V.”

“No im getting tips from my brother and his idiot friend.” I smiled and I played the damn
thing over again doing what they told me.

“Are you happy now?” I asked in a fake sweet voice. The just breathed out and walked away. It was creepy how much they are alike. They read lyrics from the computer and Matt began singing verses to the song they titled ‘Burn it Down’.

I sat on the couch with Brian and Johnny and held the button as Matt sang the song.

When he finished he waited for our critique.

“That was it right there.” Brian said

“Should I do it again?”

“Yeah do again, just for shits and giggles.” Brian called back.

“After this all of you have to go record the echoing parts and backup you know?”

“Whoa, does everyone mean me too?” I inquired.

“Why not mercury you can sing.” Johnny nudged me.

“Ugh fine.” I rolled my eyes and watched Matt record once more. After he finished the
track ‘Burn It Down we all went into a room and with one microphone. We were given headsets and we all sang along to the track, backing up Matt’s powerful vocals.

“That was great guys. Like always.” Larry told the guys and they all high fived as we exited
the little room. They played it back and Brian was head banging and sticking out his tongue wearing his skull hat.

“Brian you’re so fucking retarded.” I said laughing at his face. He turned towards me and made a bite motion at me.

“Alright Gates, get your pretty little guitar, time to record man.” Shads said tapping his back and he left the room mumbling something like.

“Its not pretty, it’s fucking gorgeous.”

I saw the little snack table and I went over to get some food before my brother inhaled it all. I
grabbed a mini sandwich and walked into a room where Brian and Zacky were throwing shit, trying to knock down a candle.

“You retards.” I walked in, still munching.

“Oh! Suck it Gates!” Zacky said grabbing a baseball bat and knocking all of them down at once.

“Vengeance you dick.” Brian said laughing and throwing some random object at Zacky.

“Brian and Zachary stop fucking around and get your gay guitars before Mattie flips a switch.”

“He challenged me. Im sorry M but I had to show him the Bakers are the boss.” He said smirking at Brian and we knuckle touched.

“That’s pretty legit.” I said then pointed to the guitar room. I went back and one of the
technicians came up with the idea to video tape montages of Brian recording. They were hilarious, he can’t focus for too long and when he fucks up he makes the biggest scene.

He sat down fixing his skull hat and he set up his recording shit. He began playing a song they titled ‘Bat Country.

“FUCK!” He yelled making weird facial contortions. I stifled laughter as we recorded it all.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck FUCK.” He said growling after. “I can’t fucking’ stay in my own head for that
long!”

“Gates, that was perfect.” The technician said. Brian adjusted his hat and replied.

“No it wasn’t cause im pretty sure I heard god crying.” We were all laughing and Brian looked over at us and saw the camera.

“Oh FUCK you guys!” He yelled laughing and flipping us off.

---

We were there since the fucking mid morning/afternoon. It was now 12 am the next day and
im tired as fucking hell. We were still in the studio; we had to wrap things up now. The guys
finished I think 1 or 2 songs. Burn it Down was finished, and Bat country is partly complete,
it’s still in the making.

“I have to give you guys some credit, that is a lot of fucking work.”

“So, who did the best today M?” Jimmy asked like the ass kisser he was.

“Jimmy you do the best all the time.” I smiled and I fist bumped his.

“DUDE im your brother!” Zacky yelled.

“Jimmy is my lover.” I said and we wrapped each other’s arms around our hips.

“Damn Jimmy you have skinny hips.” I commented squeezing his side.

“Ow! M! That tickled.” He said having to adjust his glasses off of his nose. Brian walked over and took a look at me and jimmy.

“Pssh Hoes.” And he put his blazer and his cap on over the skull beanie. I raised my eyebrow at him and he fake scoffed.

“Mhm! Don’t you forget it honey.” I said and Zacky, Matt, and Johnny turned around and looked at me with a ‘what the fuck’ expression before they burst out laughing.

“Oh wait guys; I want to get my guitar from the back!” I said quickly before I spun around and headed for the back room where Zacky and Brian kept their over abundance of guitars. I saw my ‘Mercury Custom’ as I called it, and I grabbed it off of the stand. I reached for the case with a death bat on it and I placed my guitar in carefully.

“Mercury, Zack is gonna start bitching if you don’t hurry.” Brian said walking in. Just then the
zipper on the case got stuck.

“Fuck.” I tugged on it and pulled but it wouldn’t go.

“Ugh Brian, close my case please?” I asked giving up. He came over and pulled on the zipper forcefully, and it got unstuck and he closed my case. I reached for the strap at the same time he did, and my hand brushed his. I tried to ignore the sparks that shot through my veins at his touch.

“Thanks dude…” I said picking it up and going to walk out, but he blocked my exit.

“You still never told me why you were upset.” He said looking down at me with his intense russet eyes. I felt the impulse to cry, but I held it back. I just stared at him, looking for an emotion on his features, scanning him over with my green eyes. He just held curiosity.

“Brian please, could you move. I don’t want to walk about it, it’s late.” I pleaded.

“Bullshit Mercury, it’s barely 12:30.” He said prying deeper.

I felt so close to exploding. My feelings for him were just about overflowing and I wanted to tell him so badly, but he loved Michelle. My feelings bubbled into an insatiable hatred, her name brought a darkening to my features, and he noticed.

“Okay M, let’s just go. You can tell me later.” He said leading me out.

“Finally you guys! What took you?” Zacky asked.

“The zipper on my case got stuck.” I said pointing to the guitar slung over my shoulder. He nodded and we exited the building and piled into Zacky’s car.

“Hell no, you’re not driving my car again. Gimme those bitch.” He said snatching the keys from me and getting in the driver’s seat. I reluctantly scrambled in the back seat next to Brian.

“You know guys; I could really go for a beer right now…” Zacky said suggestively, waiting for an answer from the guys. The car let out a chorus of ‘Yeah’s and we stopped to get some on our way home.

“You damn alcoholics.” I muttered, and Zacky and Johnny high fived.