This Is a Reason for Broken Wings

I have always been the type of person who can never sleep easily, especially in a place that wasn't my own house. As I lay here in this unfamiliar bed in a strange room, my mind focused on every little sound that came to my ears, causing my 'senses' if you will to become more alert than ever. I never knew that the tick of a clock could be sod deafening, and when combined with the steady hum of the heater that had decided to kick in for the night, it felt as if my mind was being pushed to the brink of insanity.

After what felt like hours of this punishment, I kicked my blankets off the top of me, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and sat up. The cold, hardwood floor seemed to snap at my feet as the two met, and I sighed loudly, cursing in my head at my insomnia.

I got up and walked quietly across the room, lowly opening the door. I stepped out into the hallway, which was partially lit by the full moon shining in from a window at the end of the hall.

"Where are you going?" A voice shot out at me as I took a step forward, scaring the fucking shit out of me.

"Fuck, don't do that." I said angrily, my hand clutching at my chest.

"What the hell are you still doing up?" My brother questioned.

"What the hell are you still doing up?" I shot back.

"You first." I recognized a smirk in his voice...don't ask me how, I just did, aight?

"I can't sleep, obviously."

"Why not?"

"I don't fucking know...I've never been able to sleep well, remember?"

"Oh yeah...So where are you going?"

"To watch a movie."

"In the living room?"

"No, the broom closet." I said sarcastically. "What the hell do you think Zacky? And you never told me what the hell you're still doing up either."

"I can't sleep, obviously." He said, mocking my earlier statement.

"Fuck you."

I continued my journey down the hallway and to the steps, descending them slowly in the darkness. I fumbled around in the hallway, running my hands along the wall hoping to find the light switch that I had spotted earlier. I finally found it and flicked it on, making my way across the living room to where Zacky kept his DVD's. I skimmed through them, finally pulling out The Princess Bride. I laughed a little to myself as I put the disc into the DVD player...I can't believe my brother has this movie. Don't get me wrong, I love this movie but I just never thought that my brother, Mr. Zacky Vengeance, would own this...since he's this big hot shot guitarist in a band and all, you know. I got myself settled on the couch as the movie started, feeling wide awake as ever.

"One more step Johnny and you're dead." I heard my brother say upstairs.

"Fuck." I heard Johnny mumble.

I rolled my eyes and focused back on the screen. Soon there were footsteps on the steps and I turned to see my brother coming to join me.

"What was that all about?" I asked, turning back to the screen.

"Johnny was trying to sneak down here." He said, taking a seat on his gigantic bean bag. "He has it worked into his mind that you'll do him."

"Geesh, what exactly did you tell your home boys about me?" I mumbled.

"The truth."

"Hmpf."

Great, his friends probably all think I'm some little slut now, I thought to myself. Well, it's true though, another voice answered. I sighed loudly and stretched out on the couch, cradling my head in my hand. About fifteen minutes later I heard another pair of footsteps coming down the steps.

"Fuck, doesn't anyone sleep around here?" Syn asked, coming to a stop beside the couch.

I looked up at him, finally noticing that he had wavy hair. I laughed some inside my head; I've never met a guy who straightens his hair before.

"Apparently not." Zacky said.

"Err...Do you mind if I sit next to you?" He asked hesitantly, looking down at me.

My defensive instincts instantly rose to the surface as I prepared to spit some vicious statement back at him but I held my tongue as my brother caught my eyes.

"Sure." I mumbled, sitting up to make room for him.

"T-thanks." He stuttered, taking a seat.

I nodded my head, yawning slightly.

"You should go to bed if you're tired." Zacky stated.

"I'm not tired." I said defensively.

"You just like to yawn for the hell of it then?"

"Yes."

"Right..."

As the time continued to pass by I felt my eye lids becoming more and more heavy. Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a couple minutes, I told myself. Yeah, we all know how that goes.

- || Zacky's POV || -

'U-um..." Syn said nervously.

I looked over and saw that Lauren had fallen asleep, her head resting on Syn's shoulder. I laughed slightly to myself as his eyes were about ready to pop out of his head but stopped suddenly when he started to try and wake her up.

"Wait, no!" I said, jumping up from my bean bag. "You do not want to do that man." I stated, walking over to them.

"Dude, you act like she's a bomb about ready to explode or something."

"Ha, you don't know the half of it." I said, gently picking her up so that I didn't wake her.

I carefully packed her back up to her room and pulled her covers back, lying her down.

"Zacky?" She whispered as I made my way to the door in the darkness.

"Huh?"

"Goodnight."

"Night Lauren." I said quietly as I walked out the door and shut it softly behind me.

Before Lauren had finally confessed to me the reasoning behind her, er, 'strange' behavior, I had thought it was gonna be some pretty tough shit. But with the tale she had told me I realized that 'tough shit' was an understatement by far. It was going to be hard getting her to slow down with the drugs and the drinking seeing as how me and the guys weren't too strict about it ourselves.

It was definitely gonna be hard keeping her away from guys what with the fact that there were always a various assortment of dudes hanging out at the house all the time. It was it especially gonna be hard to break that case surrounding her heart that seemed to be made of hardened tar or something, and teach her how to love.

Love isn't something that one would naturally teach to another...It's something that you have to feel, and experience/, and discover on your own. I knew that she had love for me and my mother still but that was different; the love I'm talking about is when you actually give your heart to someone in hope that they'd give you theirs in return.

How the fuck was I gonna be able to get my sister, Lauren Baker, the chick infamous for being a cold, heartless bitch, to see what this love business was all about? She was so complicated and unpredictable that I didn't know where to start.

I walked back downstairs and into the living room to find Syn passed out on the couch. I let out a yawn myself and went to shut the TV and DVD player off. I turned the lights off and left Syn lying on the couch; no way was I gonna pack him to him room as well, that'd just be weird...

The next morning I woke up to the sound of my cell phone going off beside my bed. I fumbled around for it, finally grasping it with my fingers and flipped it open, putting it up to my ear.

"What?" I mumbled as my voice was muffled by my pillow.

"Hey, where the hell are you?" Amber, my girlfriends, voice asked as it flew out of the receiver.

"I'm in bed." I said, rolling onto my back.

"You're supposed to be down here by now." She said.

"I am?" I asked thinking to myself... "Oh yeah." I said slowly, finally remembering I had at hair appointment today.

"Alright...Well Lissa already has a walk in so be here in an hour, capeesh?"

An hour later Syn and I was sitting in the back room at Melissa's, or Lissa as we called her, shop watching TV while she finished up with her customer.

"Okay Zacky, get your ass in here." She called from the front.

Syn and I both walked out, me walking over to take a seat in Lissa's chair while Syn sat down in the chair next to mine, watching her. Yeah, you guessed it, he has it bad for her but doesn't have the balls to ask her out...It's only a matter of time though.

"So, tell me Mr. Baker, what hair color do you want this week?" Lissa joked as she started getting me ready.

"I don't know...Whatever you decide."

Halfway through the 'process' I got an idea.

"Lissa, can I ask a big favor?" I asked as I shot her a puppy dog look.

"What's up?"

"Well...Since my sister is staying with me now and she needs a job..."

Lissa sighed...She's heard all about Lauren. See, we basically grew up with Lissa and her and Lauren used to be real good friends until...yeah.

"The first time she causes trouble around here, Zacky, she's out." She said sternly.

"Alright, I'll have a talk with her." I said as she got back to work with my hair.

About an hour later she was drying up my hair as I checked it out in the mirror.

"You like?" She asked as I got up.

"Hell yes, right on homie." I smirked as I went over to give Amber some lovin' before we left.

"Hey, hey, not in my shop." Lissa said, breaking us up.

"Party pooper." Amber laughed as I pulled away from her.

"Well, whatever. Tell Lauren to be here at 9:30 because I have to show her around and all that junk." Lissa said as I headed towards the door but Syn held back for a while.

"I'll be right out." He said, signally for me to go ahead.

I shrugged my shoulders and headed out to my car and Syn joined me about one minute later, grinning like a motherfucker.

"Let me guess...You finally grew some balls to ask Melissa out, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah." He smiled, looking dreaming out the window.

It's about time he finally started dating again, I thought to myself as I drove back to my place. I sighed to myself we approached my house but stopped suddenly when I saw Matt's car in the driveway. I parked my car and ran into the house, praying that he and Lauren hadn't already started fighting. Suddenly I heard the sounds of a fight coming from the kitchen as I ran through the front door and Johnny came running into sight looking very scared indeed.