Flight Risk

"Zacky, where are we going?" I questioned as we raced down the street in his car.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "How about the beach?"

I grinned and rested my head on the seat in amusement. "It's August!"

Zacky smiled at me, "So?"

"Okay then." I nodded and he turned onto Pacific Coast Highway. It was a short drive down to the dock and Zacky parked the car with a smirk. I hopped out of his car and walked into the warm sand, pulling my shoes of and leaving them deserted as I went. I heard Zacky do the same before his hand clasped with mine.

We walked along the beach for quite sometime, his fingers tangled with mine as we walked in a comfortable silence, the waves crashing around our ankles. That was until Zacky leaned down and splashed me with the cool, salty water.

I screeched and pulled away from him, running down the beach with him chasing after me. After a moment I turned around and Zacky had his hands on his knees, breathing deeply.

"What's wrong, Zacky?" I called, trying to hold in the laughter as he flipped me off.

I walked back over to him slowly and by the time I stood next to him he was standing there with a smile on his face. He wrapped his tattooed arms around my waist and I trailed my hands up his arms and rested them on his shoulders.

The next thing I knew I was over Zacky's shoulder and he was walking deeper and deeper into the water, not ever caring that he was soaking his jeans.

"Put me down," I demanded and he just chuckled and shook his head.

"Why would I do that?"

I groaned and held onto his shirt. "Because, I like being dry."

Like all cliche movies Zacky tossed me into the water and I screamed, gripping his shirt tighter as I fell into the water, pulling him down on top of me.

I resurfaced seconds later with Zacky coming up right after me, both of us gasping for air as the salty water burned our throats. "You jerk!" I shouted as he laughed, pushing his sopping wet hair out of his eyes.
"It's cold and I'm all wet!" I groaned, trudging my way out of the water, leaving him submerged behind me.

"Aww, come on Granger, you know that was going to happen!" he called after me, smirking even though he was attempting to apologize. "You should've plugged your nose or something!"

I ignored him as the sand caked itself to my jeans. I took a seat in the warm sand and Zacky waltzed up and threw himself at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and laying on top of me in the sand, about to force me to apologize.

He rested his head on my chest and wrapped his arms around my waist instead. "Don't be mad at me, beautiful. You know I was just playing around," he muttered, looking up at me with intense, mossy eyes.

I rolled my own eyes and chuckled at the 20 year old's theatrics. "Get off of me, you fool," I groaned, trying to shove him off.

He just held on tighter. "Not until you aren't mad at me anymore."

"I'm not mad! Now get off, you're all wet!"

He shrugged but didn't move. "So are you."

"Zacky, get off of me!" I demanded.

He looked up to me and rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. His eyes were a beautiful shade of green that almost looked crystal while shining in the sun. And I couldn't help but smile back at the cocky man while he rolled off of me and into the warm sand surrounding us.

"What did you do for fun before you met me?" he questioned with an air of true curiosity.

I shrugged and rolled over onto my stomach, resting my elbow on his stomach. "I had practice everyday like I do now and after that I would usually hang out at any venue that was playing someone good."

Zacky nodded and folded his arms behind his head.

"What about you? What did you do when you weren't kidnapping me and coming into girls' locker rooms?"

This time it was Zacky who shrugged. "We've been working on the band nonstop since I was 16 and our first album came out a year and a half ago. We've been working hard to get the band up and running, you know?"

I nodded and rested my head against Zacky's damp Metallica t'shirt, "You guys are good. I actually like you live."

"I'm glad to hear that," Zacky chuckled, "How come I've never seen you down at Johnny's before?"

"I don't know," I murmured, "I don't go to the bar very often. Usually it's just small town venues."

"Well, you should come see us play again on Friday. It'll be Johnny's second show with us."

I looked up to him as he sat up on his elbows, "What do you mean 'second show'? You said you guys have been a band since '99?" I questioned, intrigued.

Zacky nodded pensively, "We have been, but Johnny joined this year. Our old bassist Matt Wendt wasn't working out and we met Johnny through Matt, my brother. He's actually our fourth bassist," he explained with a shrug and I sat up cross legged as he made his way to his feet and pulled me up.

"Want to go back to my place?" he questioned as he pulled me up.

I grinned at him. "Do you live with your parents?"

He shook his head. "No."

I nodded. "Okay, lets go."