Shattered By Broken Dreams

Melody wasn’t the only one who went to the bar. Jonnie sat alone at a table with her drink in a dark corner, watching Lyric up on the stage. He may have been a jerk, but she couldn’t deny he had talent. The one other thing she couldn’t deny was the feeling in the pit of her stomach while she watched him. When he took his shirt off she licked her bottom lip without even realizing that she was lusting after him.

Just as the band started their last song, she decided it would be a good time to get up and leave. She didn’t want to give Lyric the satisfaction of knowing that she actually showed up. Unfortunately for her, he spotted her.

“Don’t leave on my account,” he said from the stage causing everyone in the bar to turn in her direction.

She put her hands on her hips and gave him an annoyed smirk.

“Come on, with a body like that, you should be right here up at the front of the stage. What do you think boys?” his question was directed at all the men in the bar and their reaction was shouts and whistles.

Now, it was he who smirked. “Come on little one, we’re waiting for you, we have a song to finish and I aint gonna start until you bring your ass right up here.” I pointed to the spot in front of him at the stage.

She looked at him like she was going to strangle him and made her way to the front of the stage.

“Now, you all know who my daddy is, and you all know who Blade’s daddy is. Little girl, who’s your daddy?” he asked raising his eyebrow.

“I’m going to kick your fucking ass” was her response.

“You? Kick my ass? I’ll meet you out back after the show and we’ll see about that sweetheart.”

Blade started laughing and then noticed the hot brunette at the bar he saw earlier was whispering something in the bar tender’s ear. Jealousy was an understatement.

“Blade? Do you know who this little girl’s daddy is?” Lyric asked.

“Yup, I do.”

“And who might he be?”

“He might be Johnny Fucking Christ” Blade said and shrugged playfully.

The crowd cheered and Lyric smirked at her showing his satisfaction. He knew he was humiliating her and he didn’t car.

“Well, I think the occasion calls for a special song, don’t you blade?”

Jonnie knew the two of them were up to something and all she wanted to do was run away before it was to late, but he wasn’t going to let that happen.

“I think that’s a great idea” Blade agreed and stood side by side with Lyric looking down at Jonnie.

“Now, since we have children from 3 of 5 Avenged members, maybe we should pay homage to our fathers and make our last song an Avenged Sevenfold cover.”

Again the crowd cheered at his suggestion and Jonnie was going to make good on her threat to kick his ass after the show.

“Lyric, I think Jonnie needs to come up here and help us out” Blade said.

Lyric looked Jonnie right in the eye. “I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had! What do you say Jonnie?” he put her on the spot and if looks could kill he would be dead on sight.

Blade reached out his hand for her and pulled her up on the stage. Their song of choice was “Shattered By Broken Dreams”

Lyric started it off and then handed Jonnie the mic and walked away. She continued where he left off and when he heard her voice; he stopped dead in his tracks. She could sing….scream even. He’d completely expected to embarrass her, but it was she who showed him up.

He and Blade exchanged glances and he mouthed the words “Did you know she could do that?” and Blade shook his head no in response.

Up on the stage Jonnie was able to release all her frustration and anger and she hadn’t expected to get so into the song, but she took it and made it her own. There wasn’t a single person in the place who wasn’t screaming for more. When the song was done, she slammed the mic back in Lyric’s hand and walked off the stage.

10 minutes later he was running through the parking lot looking for her. He found her trying to get into her car, but in her rush, she broke the key in the lock.

“Hey!” he yelled and grabbed her arm turning her to face him. “Where do you think you are going?”

She was crying and he wasn’t expecting that. She pulled out of his grip and punched him square in the jaw.

He brought his hand to his face and rubbed the sore spot. “What the fuck was that for?” he asked.

“That was for the little stunt you pulled inside! Now, leave me alone, I want to go home!” she screamed. She kicked the car door and made a slight dent after remembering that the key was broken in the lock.

“Come on, I’ll take you home.” He said

“I’m not going anywhere with you” she yelled.

“Oh, I don’t see any other choice and if you think I’m going to let you walk home, you’re sadly mistaken. Now come on, I don’t have all night.” He grabbed her arm and led her over to the car he borrowed from his father earlier.

She didn’t say a word to him the whole way and never even realized that he was taking her to “his” home not hers. When they pulled up in front of his house she was even more pissed off then she was when she got in the car.

“I don’t live here” she said through gritted teeth.

“No, but I do.” He said and got out of the car. He opened the door for her and waited for her to get out, but she just sat there.

“Enough with the little girl games, get out of the car” he said.

“I want to go home.” She shouted.

“Fine, come inside and have one drink with me. If you still want to go home, I’ll pay for your taxi”

She rolled her eyes and got out of the car. “Fine, one drink and then I’m out of here.”

He smirked again as he led her inside. After turning on all the lights he brought her over to the bar area of the living room. She knew that her father owned this house, but hadn’t been here since she was a baby. Nothing seemed familiar.

She sat on a stool at the bar as he walked around behind it. “What’s your poison?” he asked.

“Whiskey sour”

He nodded and fixed her drink and one for himself. After placing her drink in front of her he asked the question that was burning in the back of his mind since the end of the show.

“So, where the hell did you learn to sing like that?”

“What difference does it make?”

“It makes no difference to me, I’m just making conversation” he said and took a sip of his drink.

“I dropped out of medical school in New York and started singing in clubs. No one knew me there so it came easy for me to be whomever I wanted in front of a crowd.”

“No one knew who you were? Your name is Jonnie Seward. It may be spelled differently, but it’s still the same name as your father.” He said confused.

“I never used the name Seward when I performed.” She said matter of factly.

“Really, what name did you use?” he made her another drink and walked around to her side of the bar and sat down.

“You said one drink” she glared at him.

“I lied, now answer my question”

“Jonnie Reckless”

He spit the liquor out of his mouth as soon as she said it. “YOU are Jonnie Reckless?”

“Oh, you’ve heard of me?” she raised her eyebrow.

“Hell yeah, it was hard not too. People were talking about you left and right. Our manager even tried contacting you to get you to come out and open for us”

She finished her drink and reached for the bottle of jack. She took it straight out of the bottle. “I got that phone call and respectfully declined.”

“and why is that?”

She swigged from the bottle and turned her face to meet his. “Number 1. Jonnie Reckless is not an opening act and Number 2. My dad would have found out and killed me. I was safe in New York, but not here. And when he found out I dropped out of med school, he made me come home, so I had to say goodbye to Jonnie Reckless.”

He shook his head. “Why don’t you just tell him you want to sing?”

“What part of he will kill me do you not understand?” she said.

“It’s a shame to throw talent like that away”

“Yeah, well this has been fun, but I have to go” she said and got up from the stool.

“You cant leave now!” he stood in front of her and they both turned as Blade walked in the door.

“You are never going to believe who was at the bar tonight!” Blade said to both of them.

“Neither are you dude!” Lyric said with a grin from ear to ear.

“Mel was drunk off her ass. I just took her home”

“WHAT?” they both said

“Yeah, her dad is pissed. She snuck out her bedroom window.”

“Wow, that girl is trouble walking” Lyric said and walked over to where Blade said.

“Someone else was at the bar tonight and I bet you wont be able to guess who!” He said folding his arms across his chest. Jonnie rolled her eyes and sighed.

“No idea, just tell me”

“Jonnie Reckless” he said proudly.

“Damn it!! I’m going to kill Melody for making me miss her!” he was pissed.

“Oh you didn’t miss her, she’s right over there” he said pointing to Jonnie.

“What?” Blade said and started laughing. “Oh this is too good!”

“I know right!” Lyric said.

“If either of you blow my cover, I swear I will make sure you both die a slow painful death.” She warned.

“I’m going to bed” Blade said and he could be heard walking down the hall saying “Jonnie Fucking Reckless, I cant believe it”

“Told ya we knew who you were,” he said smugly.

“I get it, ok. I made a name for myself. Now about that Taxi, I would really like to go home.”

“Yeah sure, like I’m going to get you a taxi at this hour of the night” he said.

“Well then you’ll have to drive me home!” she said with her hands on her hips.

“Uh no, you heard my father, I’ve had way more than two drinks.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do?”

He shrugged. “You could stay here” he suggested.

“Oh no, you cant be serious.”

“What other choices do you have?”

“I’ll walk home” she started for the door and he blocked her way. “Over my dead body”
He grabbed her arm and dragged her down the hall. “Come on, you’re staying here”
She grunted and pulled her arm out of his grip and followed him down the hall.

He opened the door to his room and when she walked in it surprised her how immaculate the place was. “This is your room?” she asked in shock.

“Yeah, what were you expecting?” he said as he took his shirt off.

“A pig sty to be quite honest.”

“Are you saying, I’m a pig?” he asked.

“Yeah, well you are a man it does come with the territory”

He didn’t respond and took off his jeans leaving him only in his boxers. “What are you doing?” She asked.

“Getting ready for bed?” he walked over to his closet and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of sweat shorts for her to wear. “Bathroom is over there” he pointed to the door.

She took the clothes and walked into the bathroom. When she came out he was looking for something in his closet. She sat on the bed and watching him rummaging around for what ever it was he was looking for. After a few more minutes, he pulled out a sleeping bag. He laid it out on the floor and grabbed a pillow from the bed.

He got into the sleeping bag and sat up. “Can you get the light?” he asked.

She nodded and reached for the lamp. “Good night Reckless” he laughed.

“Fuck you” she whispered getting another laugh out of him before she turned over and went to sleep.

When she woke the next morning, she wasn’t alone in his bed. He was there with her and his arm was across her stomach. She turned her face so that she was looking at him.

“What the fuck are you doing in the bed?” she asked and he opened his eyes.

“You mean what the fuck am I doing in MY bed?” He yawned. “The floor was cold, now be quiet, it’s still early. Go back to sleep” he moved closer to her and pulled the covers over himself.

“I have to go home.” She protested.

“Jonnie, please. Just give me one more hour” he whined.

“Fine” she huffed. “But get your damn arm off me.” She said.

“Ok” he whispered and pulled her closer to spoon her. “It’s either this or my arm, now go to sleep”

She relaxed against him and closed her eyes again. When she opened her eyes again, it was three hours later and she was nuzzled against Lyric’s chest. After realizing the position she was in, she looked up only to find him looking back down at her.

His face was serious and hers was questioning. When she tried to move away he stopped her with his mouth. He kissed her and at first she resisted, but eventually she gave in. She broke the kiss when she heard the sound of her cell phone ringing. She knew by the ring tone who it was before she even answered it. “It’s my dad,” she said and he got up and handed her phone.

She could barely get out the word hello before he started yelling.

“Where the hell are you?” he asked so loud that Lyric could hear him on the other end of the phone.

“I’m fine daddy, I’m at the house with Lyric and Blade.”

“What are you doing there?”

“Nothing! We hung out last night and it was too late to go home so I slept here on the couch” she lied. “Lyric is taking me home in a few minutes”

“Fine!” he said and hung up the phone.

“Now do you see?” she said to Lyric. “He treats me like im Mel’s age”

Lyric nodded and pulled his jeans on. “You really should stand up for yourself”

“Yeah, well easier said than done.”

“Come on, or I’ll be the one he kills, not you.”

She got up and didn’t bother to change; she just put her shoes on and followed him out the door. They didn’t say a word to each other on the drive back to the mansion. He went inside with her so he could give his father back his keys and ask him for a ride back home and she went straight up to her room without so much as a goodbye to Lyric.