You Stole My Heart

The next thing Johnny knew he was being woken by a flash beyond his eyelids and whispering. He rubbed his eyes with his right hand, slowly peeling open his eyes. In the door way stood none other than Rain, Jimmy's girlfriend, and Jimmy himself. In Rain's hand was a small, digital camera.

"You two are just so fucking cute!" Rain squealed quietly.

"Us two...?" Johnny trailed off, looking to his left. Johnny was lying on his back with Marco curled into his left side. The tip of her right thumb was in her mouth as her head rested on Johnny's chest. Johnny had his arm wrapped around her waist with her left hand clenching his left index finger. "Oh."

"Think you can ninja your way out of that? Matt, Brian, and Zack are downstairs waiting for us. Rain here demanded to come with to see the little tyke," Jimmy mocked causing Rain to hit him in the ribs.

"Yeah. Give me a second." They both nodded, leaving the room and shutting the door. Johnny sighed as he looked down at the little girl. Now here’s the fun part, getting out without waking Marco, Johnny thought sarcastically. He removed his trapped arm, causing Marco to turn onto her other side and curl up around the blanket. Johnny let out a relieved sigh, standing from the door.

Johnny quickly left the room, heading downstairs where he could hear his friends chatting. He looked at a clock on the wall and was slightly shocked at the time, ten A.M.. Johnny didn’t know that Brian knew what the morning was. As he stepped into the living room Matt, Brian, and Zacky greeted him. Matt looked him over before saying, “What? Only have one set of clothes now?”

Johnny looked down to see the same clothes he had been wearing for the past two days. There was no doubt he probably didn’t smell the greatest after having to miss his shower yesterday. Johnny changed topics with the question of, “What the hell are you guys doing here?”

“In case someone forgot, we have to meet with that guy about our album,” Zacky said in a matter of fact tone. Johnny groaned, slapping a hand over his eyes. That was the biggest thing to slip his mind lately. “You forgot, huh?”

“No, of course not. I just find it fun to random hit my face,” Johnny mocked as he snatched one of his many pack of cigarettes lying around the house off a shelf near him. Jimmy began to open his mouth and Johnny quickly cut him off with, “Shut up Rev. We know you do.”

“What’s shoved up your ass?” Jimmy asked.

“What are we going to do with Marco?” Johnny sighed, brushing off Jimmy’s question.

“Well Rain can watch her…?” Matt trailed off, turning to the short woman sitting next to him.

Rain shook her head with a sympathetic smile. “No can do. I have to go to work in about an hour. If I remember correctly you’re suppose to be meeting the guy then.”

It was quite sad when the girls, not even part of the band, had to tell us the details about the band’s meetings and business affairs. Johnny was about to throw in the towel when Brian interrupted. “Well what about my dad? I’m sure him, Suzy, and McKenna wouldn’t mind watching her for an hour or so.”

“That would be awesome,” Johnny exclaimed, hope glittering in his eyes.

“What would be awesome?” Everyone whipped around at the sound of the soft voice. In the doorway stood Marco dressed in the clothes Johnny first found her in.

“Aren’t those the same clothes?” Johnny asked, scratching his head.

“I could ask you the same,” Marco remarked. “What’s going on?”

“We were arranging for you to go over to Brian’s parents’ house for a while,” Jimmy replied.

“Why?” She demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Because we have something with work we have to do,” Johnny stated calmly.

“And what would that work be?”

“We’re in a band and we have to go meet our soon-to-be boss to discuss the new album we need to record.” Everyone turned to Zacky with a death glare. He raised his hands in defense. “What? She was going to have to find out soon!”

“Wait, what’s your band’s name?”

“Avenged Sevenfold,” Rain piped in. Marco turned to her with a ‘who are you?’ face. “Oh, I’m Rain. Jimmy’s girlfriend.”

“Pleasure.” Marco’s lip pursed as she turned to Johnny. “I’ve heard of you guys. I like you guys.”

“Thanks. But now you see why you are going to Brian’s dad’s place.”

“No I’m not.” Johnny’s jaw fell open. “There is no way I’m missing this. I’m going with.”

“Do you not see why this is a problem?!”

“No, Johnny, I don’t. Why is this a problem?” Marco mocked, crossing his arms over her chest. The five other adults watched the two wearily. This couldn’t end pretty. One of the two, or both, was going to be mighty pissed in the end.

“Do you know how much talk is going to go on? They’re all going to think I had a secret fling and found my long lost daughter,” Johnny snapped.

“Why the fuck does it matter what people think?”

“It matters because it’s going to be my name slandered throughout town, across the nation. Not yours.”

“Well if there’s a chance of that happening it’s already happened. Remember walking around town yesterday? Yeah, many people saw us already.”

“And it’s because you just had to pick my life to ruin!”

“Oh yeah, ‘cause I planned it all. You know what, you’re an asshole! I’m just going to leave then.” Marco whirled on her heels and ran up the stairs. Zacky ran after her as Jimmy ganged up with Matt on the shorter man, both had their arms crossed over their chests menacingly.

“What the hell was that Johnny?” Matt growled. Johnny gulp down the lump in his throat as he struggled for words.

“I just- I don’t know.”

“I do. You have been promoted to biggest ass of the year. Congrats,” Jimmy snapped. Zacky came down moments later with Marco trialing behind, her backpack in Zacky’s hand.

“Marco’s going to crash at my place for now. I’ll text you guys when we head to the studio,” Zacky announced. Everyone but Johnny stood and left with him and Marco. Johnny sunk into his couch, resting his face in his hands.

“I am such a stupid ass.”