It's Almost Easy

*A few days later*

“Alright, let’s take it from the top!” I shouted over Jimmy’s cymbals crashing.

“But I need a girl singer to back me up, for like, the whole song,” Matt said as Jimmy paused. “I don’t think it sounds quite right yet.”

“Me neither. But I doubt me singing is going to help much,” I said, catching his drift.

“Come on, try it!” Matt suggested positively.

“Yeah, just have some fun with us,” Johnny added.

“Fine...” I gave in to them and Zacky & Syn both got a broad smile.

“You’re gonna love rocking with us,” Zacky said, grinning at me.

“Hell yeah,” Syn said, strumming his guitar once.

“I’m sure I will,” I said, grabbing a microphone and setting it up properly. Matt handed me a copy of the lyrics and explained what he wanted done with it. “Alright, I’ll go press record, come back and well... Let’s see what happens...” Flashing one last smile at them, I headed out and hit the record button for all of the current working equipment. I re-entered the room and Jimmy hit a cymbal, counting everyone in. And away we went.

“Before the story begins, is it such a sin, for me to take what’s mine, until the end of time,” Matt sung almost perfectly. I admired his vocals. I also liked the way he was just practicing in the studio, but he was performing like he was in front of a live audience. “We were more than friends, before the story ends.” He looked at me while saying that line, then looked over to his band members. I thought about that... “And I will take what’s mine, create what God would never design.”

Then Syn came back in with his guitar. He focused as he played his instrument, shaking his head with the noise he was making. I kept on moving with the music, trying to be as enthusiastic as Matt was about rehearsing.

“Our love had been so strong for far too long,” I sang in tune with Matt and as soon as I did, I saw massive smiles on everyone’s faces. I relaxed and tried to have a bit more fun with it. “I was weak with fear that something would go wrong. Before the possibilities came true, I took all possibility from you.”

“Almost laughed myself to tears,” Matt continued and Syn started to laugh/yell evilly into his microphone. I laughed at his attempt of whatever he was trying to do.

“Conjuring her deepest fears,” I finished.

“Come here ya fuckin’ bitch!” Syn yelled while looking directly at me.

“Fuck you!” I said back as Jimmy started to sing. Luckily, he had had a few beers before we had begun this rehearsal, so he was fine with singing.

“Must have stabbed her fifty fucking times, I can’t believe it. Ripped her heart out right before her eyes, eyes over easy.” Jimmy was amazing. I have no idea how he managed to sound so good and drum so well at the same time...

“Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!” all five of them shouted, Johnny sharing Syn’s microphone.

“She was never this good in bed even when she was sleepin’, now she’s just so perfect I’ve never been quite so fucking deep in,” Zacky sung with Syn. The bizarre thing (but kind of good in a way, I guess) was that Syn was staring at me when he said that, his eyes transfixed on me. Zacky noticed and he had a small evil grin.

“You wish,” I muttered to myself, but loud enough so Syn could just hear it.

“It goes on and on and on,” I sung with Matt. “I can keep you lookin’ young and preserved forever, with a fountain to spray on your youth whenever.”

“’Cause I really always knew that my little crime would be cold that’s why I got a heater for your thighs,” Matt sung with Syn and Zacky. When they said the part about the heater, Syn, looking directly at me again, slapped the inside of his thigh a few times and winked at me. In shock, I turned to Zacky to see his reaction, but he ignored it.

“And I know, I know it’s not your time, but bye, bye,” I sang along with Matt again. “And a word to the wise, when the fire dies, you think it’s over but it’s just begun. But baby don’t cry. You had my heart, at least for the most part.” Matt took my hand and pretended to slow dance with me. It was bizarre because you usually don’t see people slow dancing to rock music. I couldn’t help but notice that Syn was still concentrating on me more than his guitar or the pieces of paper with his tabs on it. And was that a bit of jealousy in his eyes? Did he want to be Matt, even though Matt was just having fun?

“’Cause everybody’s gotta die sometime. We fell apart, let’s make a new start,” we continued to sing. “’Cause everybody’s gotta die sometime. But baby don’t cry.” He spun me away on the last note as the music paused for a second. Then we were right back into the verse.

“Now possibilities I’d never considered,” Matt sung alone. “Are occurring in the likes of which I’d never heard.”

“Now an angry soul comes back from beyond the grave,” I sung alone, even though Matt was meant to be singing too. “To repossess a body with which I’d misbehave.” I said that part evilly and looked over at Johnny who laughed. “Smiling right from ear to ear...”

“Almost laughed herself to tears,” Matt said as I did my best attempt at an evil laugh. Jimmy sang his part again, followed by another set of ‘eat it!’s. This was such a crazy song, but it was so fun!

“Now that it’s done I realize the error of my ways,” Zacky and Syn said in deep voices. “I must venture back to apologize from somewhere far beyond the grave.”

“I gotta make up for what I’ve done,” Matt sung perfectly as I danced a bit with Johnny. He was a cool guy.

“’Cause I was all up in a piece of heaven,” I joined him and gestured up to the heavens while moving my hips around. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Syn shared a smile with Zacky. “While you burned in hell, no peace forever.” I glared at Syn, daring for him to make a comeback. Of course I forgot what part of the song was up next.

“’Cause I really always knew that my little crime,” the boys sang. “Would be cold that’s why I got a heater for your thighs.” This time, Syn made no obvious actions, but the look in his eyes said it all.

“And I know, I know it’s not your time,” I sung with Matt, shaking my head at Syn. “But bye, bye. And a word to the wise, when the fire dies, you think it’s over but it’s just begun...” We continued to sing and enjoy ourselves.

“I will suffer,” Matt sung and I quickly snuck a look at my lyrics.

“What will you do?”

“For so long.”

“Not long enough,” I said with a smile.

“To make it up to you.”

“I pray to God that you do,” I sung, hitting the right notes.

“I’ll do whatever you want me to do....”

“Well then I’ll break you unchained.” This was becoming more and more fun, singing with Matt, and rocking out with the other guys.

“And if it’s not enough,” he sung, and we had a sort of argument consisting of lots of ‘it’s not enough’s.

“We’re coming back, coming back. We’ll live forever, live forever. Let’s have a wedding, have a wedding. Let’s start the killing, start the killing!” the boys said. I noticed Syn walking across the room, still playing his guitar. He stopped in front of me. Then his guitar piece had stopped. He let go of his guitar and took my hand and marched me back over to his mic stand. I shared a puzzled expression with Matt, who just shrugged. Zacky turned to us and I noticed Syn fixing up his shirt with his other hand and making sure his beanie was on properly. I got even more confused. What were they up to? I looked to my lyrics for clues. All it said was that I had to say “Yes, I do” next, before going back into the chorus.

“Do you take this man in death for the rest of your natural life?” Zacky asked me in a strange, deep and croaky voice.

“Yes, I do,” I said into my mic in a cheery sing-song voice. Syn’s hand was still clasped to mine tightly.

“Do you take this woman in death for the rest of your natural life?” Zacky said in the same creepy voice. Wait, who was I suddenly getting married to?

“I do...” Syn growled into his mic. I’ll have to admit, that was a sexy voice he had.

“I now pronounce you...” Zacky finished in half sentence. Probably because Syn did something no one saw coming, despite the fake wedding ceremony.

He kissed me.