I Remember The Day She Told Me It's Over

"Are you going to swim?" Morgan spun her volleyball on the tip of her finger as she locked eyes with me before setting it down in the sand.

I glanced up at her. It was the first time any one of the girls had really talked to me since I arrived. "Yeah," I got up from the sand and brushed it off the backs of my thighs.

"Then come on." She picked up the beach ball Shadows had just blown up and followed her boyfriend, Jason Berry down to the water.

I watched as the other girls stripped down to their bikini's and the guys removed their T-shirts. I unzipped my jean skirt and set it down on my towel, then unbuttoned my shirt before joining everyone at the waters edge.

"Fuck it," Shadows laughed. Instead of opting to test the water first, he charged in and dove under. Everyone soon followed.

"Come on," Zacky grabbed my by the hand and tugged me further into the water before we too were out to our waist.

"Volleyball with the beach ball?" Morgan asked as she tossed it to Cristina who hit it to Matt Berry's girlfriend Mara.

"Yep," Meg tapped Rev on the shoulder, "I want up though babe."

Rev knelt down slightly and allowed Meg to crawl onto his shoulders before he stood up again, and soon I was the only girl still in the water.

Zacky turned to me. "Want up?"

I tucked a lock of blond hair behind my ear. "Zack I don't - "

"You don't have to play if you don't want to." Meg informed me.

"I won't drop you," Zacky promised me.

"I know you won't - "

"So come on," he cut me off again and grabbed me by the hips, pulling me towards him. There wasn't much point in debating any longer, and soon I was up on his shoulders.

I was amazed, but the time passed by so quickly in the water. What'd started out as a simple game of volleyball, turned into dunking contests and splash fights and soon we were heading out of the water with wrinkled fingertips.

"Here," Ashleigh approached me from behind and tugged on the string of my bikini top. "They were coming loose." She offered me a weak smile before hurrying past me to catch up to Syn.

"Someone's phone it ringing!" Matt Berry called out since he was the first back to our spot. "I think it's yours," Matt B. hovered around my purse. "It was coming from over here."

I nodded and when I reached my bag I grabbed for my phone. It was mine. But it was only Terra. Most likely wanting to check up on me.

"Someone is over there snapping pictures." Meg gestured over her shoulder to a guy with a camera about twenty feet away.

"Looks like you brought fans," Emily wrapped her towel around her body. I couldn't tell if she was glaring at me, or simply stating a fact.

"I highly doubt he's here for me," I muttered. "He's probably a fan of Avenged."

"Nah, people are pretty good around here about us." Johnny shook out his hair.

So if he was my fan, was it my job to get rid of him? Nah, I wasn't even going to bother. I didn't need to deal with a confrontation.

"I'll go talk to him," Zacky ran his hand back through his jet black hair.

I shook my head. "Just leave him Zack. He's not bothering us."

"That doesn't bother you?" Mara frowned. "Those pictures will probably end up on the net."

"It's part of the job." I reached down and picked up my towel to wrap it around my body. "He'll go away as soon as he has enough of what he wants."

Zack glanced at the guy again, and I could tell it wasn't a happy stare.

"So you don't care where all thos pictures end up?" Ashleigh asked quietly.

I shook my head no, even though it did to some degree. I'd rather not have personal pictures all over the fucking place. But the truth was, you have to work with the public. You can't be somewhat of a celebrity, and have the fans and paparazzi leave you alone as well. It doesn't work that way.

"Honestly, I wished the fans and paparazzi would stick to taking photos when I'm out and about promoting things, or going to clubs, or awards shows or stuff like that. But you can't keep them away completely. You guys of all people should know what that's all about."

The mood within our group had shifted somewhat and I was no longer enjoying it.

"Let's eat, I'm starving," Jason broke the awkwardness the conversation was taking on.

"It's all still in the SUV," Meg smiled at him. "Come on, lets go get it."

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We ate, and talked. Touching lightly on subjects so as to not get too caught up in a conversation that would lead to more weirdness. Before we all knew it, the sun was creeping away behind the ocean and leaving a darkening sky in it's path.

"Well we should get stuff out here before it gets too dark," Rev stood up and pulled his tshirt back on over his head. The rest of the guys nodded in agreement and did the same.

"We'll steal those logs again?" Shadows asked the group.

The guys nodded. And soon the girls were standing up.

"And we'll go get changed," Emily gestured back to the parking lot.

It didn't take long to get dark. The other girls had returned to their respective vehicles to change. I was standing beside my car with the door open in my white bikini and a towel when the gentle breeze began to caress my damp skin, causing my entire body to errupt in goosebumps. Moving my towel down to my hips, I slipped my shirt on and buttoned it up, then removed my wet bikini top from underneath . I then carefully removed my bikini bottoms, making sure the towel stayed tight, as I pulled on a pair of panties and a jean mini skirt. I then tossed my bikini, wrapped up into the towel to the passenger seat of my car and grabbed my Ed Hardy zip up hoodie off the driver's seat before closing the door and heading back down to the beach where the guys were now sitting on logs around a steadily growing fire.

"Cold?" Zacky asked as I approached them.

"A little," I nodded slightly, straightening my sweater and zipping it up till just underneath my breasts.

"Hey baby?" Ashleigh approached the group, redressed from her own bikini in a pair of board shorts and a tank top. She was holding an acoustic guitar. "I think you should play for us."

Syn took the guitar from her and she sat beside him on one of the logs.

"And I think, because it's only appropriate, that you should sing for us Matt." Emily approached and stood behind Matt, running her fingers through Matt's hair.

Syn placed the guitar on his lap appropriately and strummed a few notes. "We'll take turns?" he asked Zacky.

Zacky shook his head, "naw, go for it man."

I looked down at Zacky and smiled softly, I wanted to hear him play. But hopefully there would be many more opportunities for that.

"Come here," he reached up for my hand.

I sat down slowly in the cooling sand. My legs stretched out before me, crossed at my ankles as I sat beside Zacky who was sitting on the log. Syn began playing a song that I didn't recognize, but it was soothing.

The rest of the girls returned. And I couldn't even explain the feeling that washed over me. Night. A group of very close friends on the beach around a warm fire. The sound of the waves crashing and rolling up the beach in the background behind the music Syn was making. I was sure it was the most romantic thing that people could experience as a group.

Syn quit playing and glanced at Shadows before beginning again. I recognized this song. Gunslinger. I was always in awe of Matt's ability with words to send chills down your spine. Everyone listened quitely as Shads sang softly, a beer bottle in one hand, and his other hand on the inside of Emily's knee as she snuggled close.

"You still cold?" A male hand brushed against my arm. I turned and looked up at Zacky.

"Kind of," I replied in honesty. The fire was warm, but I wasn't quite close enough to it to be enveloped by it's heat.

"Here," Zacky stood up. I watched him but he was soon distracted.

"Wanna grab me another?" Johnny stretched his arm out in front of him, inquiring if Zacky would grab him another beer since he was up.

"Me too?" Cristina smiled from her perch on his lap. "If you don't mind."

Zacky glanced down at me appologetically before grabbing everyone another drink so they wouldn't be asking later since we were the closest to the cooler.

"Sorry, here," he gestured for me to move forward before he sat down in the sand behind me, his legs on either side of my body as I leaned against his chest. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer against him. We garnoured a few looks from the others but it didn't last long because soon Syn was strumming the ever familiar tune of Seize The Day.

"Baker you wanna take the reins on this one?" Shadows asked Zacky as he twisted his unopened bottle of beer deep into the sand so it would stay cold.

"Ughhh, I'm not - "

I turned my head and looked at Zacky over my shoulder. "Please?" I asked him. I had wanted to hear him play the guitar. But it'd be even more rare to hear him sing, especially a whole song. Not to mention one of my favorites.

"I'm not very good at singing," Zacky spoke to me more than the group.

"Please?" I asked again.

He sighed but eventually gave in. He began softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Before I knew it, other people who'd been on the beach, or about to leave, were now slowly crowding around our little group. It looked like everyone was use to this type of thing, and I realized that since I'd moved away, I really missed out on growing up with this tight nit family.

Shivers rippled down my spine as Zacky's words floated by my ear. His chest rose and fell against my back with each breath that he took and I took to breathing with him. Before I wanted it to, the song ended and Zacky kissed my shoulder softly through the fabric of my sweater. Everyone that had recently joined the group to listen began clapping. Zacky smiled and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"I liked that," I whispered to him as I rested my head against his.

"Thanks," he replied softly and soon Syn was strumming away, letting Shadows know he was about to sing Dear God for everyone.

Zacky's hands slipped hesitantly just underneath my tank top, stroking the skin of my stomach softly with the pads of his thumbs. He was so soft and discrete about it I was sure he thought I was going to stop him. Although, if I'd have been thinking properly, I would have stopped him. We weren't dating. I didn't know what we were. Or if there even was a we.

I turned my head slightly to look at him. I wanted to talk to him, but when my eyes locked on his, every thought in my head escaped to the back recess of my mind, and I couldn't stop myself. My lips brushed ever so lightly over his pierced ones. And once I did that, I was fucked. I couldn't pull away. I kissed him again. Eager to feel his lips fully pressed against mine. And he didn't pull away. Instead, his lips were as eager as my own, our mouths parting and our tongues hesitantly finding each others.

And it was at that moment, that I knew I needed to make Zacky a permanent fixture in my life.