Victims of a Crime

Zacky, Johnny, and Jimmy wandered out from behind Syn and Matt.
Oh. My. God.
All five of them were here.
I pinched myself multiple times, but I didn't wake up. This was real.
"You, um, okay?" Matt asked, obviously amused with my waking up attempts.
I shook my head. "Nope. Never have been, never will be."
Zacky smiled at me. "Why do you say that?"
I returned his gorgeous smile. "I used to be a druggie, an alcoholic, a smoker, and I've been arrested a few times," I said, as if I were telling him I was on honor roll or something.
All of their jaws dropped. I could only laugh. "I wish I could say I was lying, but I'm not."
Syn felt the need to hug me. "Wow."
"Brian, awkward situation here," I mumbled against his chest. He just laughed and hugged me harder.
"Syn, let her go. I'm sure she's freaked out enough since she's living with you. Her inner fan girl must be screaming right now," Johnny said, slapping him on the arm.
I was released. "So, you're Daphne's daughter, eh? I remember Christmases with her. Total hell. One year, she started a mashed potato fight. I won, of course, but got all my presents taken away. I think I was eight, she was fourteen. I don't know how she ever grew up, let alone had a kid."
I chuckled. "Yeah, Mom's pretty bitchy."
Jimmy suddenly hugged me. "Hi! I'm Jimmy! You'll love me forever and ever and we'll be best buddies!"
"I didn't know Avenged Sevenfold was a hugging band."
They all thought this was funny. "No, just Jimmy. I did it because I felt inclined to," Syn explained.
I squirmed out of Jimmy's grip and grabbed my A7X bag. "Are we going?"
They nodded. "Party tonight, your house?" Zacky asked Syn.
"Uh, yeah. Why not. Let Kadie here see us drunk off our asses," Syn said with a smile.
I playfully hit his arm. "Oh, of course. I'm talking to my favorite band and they wanna get drunk tonight with a fifteen year old girl in the house. Nothing wrong with that."
"Ow! What is it with you people and hitting my arm today?!"
Johnny and I high-fived. "Booyah!" we both shouted in unison.
"Kadie, we won't do anything bad to you, I swear," Matt said. I was melted away by his dimples. "We're happy drunks."
We were at their car now, a large black Suburban.
"Jeez, try to be incognito much?" I asked them.
Jimmy gave me a serious look. "No."
"Okay then."
Matt and Brian fought over driving, but eventually settled that Matt would drive and Brian would ride shotgun. Jimmy and Johnny sat in the middle row, which left Zacky and I in the very back.
"So, you're a fan?" he asked, gesturing to my bag.
I bit my lip. I had a crush on this man since I was twelve. "Uh, yeah. Huge fan."
He nodded and turned his attention to the window.
Damn. Really? Had I just done that? I wanted to hold a decent conversation with him.
"Do snakebites hurt?" I asked him. He seemed startled by my question.
"It depends. After tattoos, no. I've heard it hurts pretty bad for some people. Not for me, though." I couldn't help but watch the way his snakebites shone from the sunlight.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help it. "You know, you're immensely hot."
He laughed. I was glad the others were too involved in their own business. If one of them would have heard me, I would be so screwed right now.
"I've heard. But I'm kind of taken, and fifteen year olds aren't really my type." He didn't stop smiling the whole time, which only made my stomach flutter.
"I know. Just thought I'd let you know before I exploded."
He hugged me. "I'd rather have more of an uncle/niece relationship than a fan girl/guitarist one. So here's your hug, from a guitarist to a fan girl, and let me know when it's an uncle/niece hug. Because I'd like that," he whispered in my ear.
"Damn," I whispered back.
"Hey now! Hand check!" Brian shouted from the passenger seat.
Zacky and I both held our hands up as the others' glares shot back at us. "Just explaining to her that I'd rather be her uncle than a crush," Zacky yelled back.
"Good. Because Gena would go kung fu on your ass if she found out you dumped her for Brian's fifteen year old cousin," Jimmy replied for Brian.
I loved how quickly they warmed up to me.
I loved how nice they all were.
I loved how they welcomed me.
I loved how they were Avenged Sevenfold, and I was going to live with them.