If I Was Perfect Than This Would Be Easy

I opened my eyes to the bright sun that promptly began to accost my eyeballs. I hated the sunlight. Maybe it was because I’d read too many vampire books as a kid but either way it was the one thing that made me want to punch children. And I loved kids!

It took me a moment to realize just what had woken me up. Turns out it was the sound of someone downstairs banging on the door and ringing the doorbell simultaneously. Glancing at the clock I saw it was 8 in the morning. There were only two people that would dare wake me up this early and both of them were about to die a painful death.

“I’m coming! Don’t have a baby!” I yelled as I padded my way down the hall to the front door.

“Finally! We’ve been knocking for the past fifteen minutes!” Koadii said throwing her hands up and walking in, our friend Jimmy close at her heels.

I’d known Koadii since I was 7 and she'd moved to Cali from Australia. The teacher had sat us next to one another and we’d had to share the same paste in art. We’d become fast friends and had become pretty much inseparable since. As for Jimmy I’d known him all my life since we’d grown up right next door to one another. He was a few months older than me but it hadn’t really mattered. He was like the big brother that I’d wanted instead of the three olderwhores sisters that I’d beencursed blessed with.

“Why didn’t you just let yourselves in?” I asked knowing damn well that they both had keys.

“Because Koadii left hers at home and I sorta lost mine…again.” he said rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes locked on the linoleum of my kitchen floor.

“Again?!? James Owen that is the third key that I gave you!”

“I know but please don’t be mad at me Lilly…I didn’t mean to.” he said and looked up at me with a puppy dog put, his blue eyes sad.

I shook my head I was such a sucker for him. It was ridiculous. With a sigh I walked over to the drawer where I had one last spare key. I dug it out along with a long chain. I put the key on the chain and walked over to Jimmy, standing on tip toe and put it over his head.

“You lose this one you’re going to have to use the doggy door. Got it?” I asked.

He nodded and picked me up swinging me around the kitchen, “I love you Lilly!” he laughed.

“Love you too. Now if you’ll be so kind as to put me down?” I asked.

“Will you make waffles?” he asked with a smile.

I sighed, “Fine…I’ll make you waffles.”

“Yay! Koadii! Lilly’s gonna make waffles!” Jimmy screamed setting me back down.

“Yay!” Koadii smiled.

Shaking my head at my two friends I walked over and started getting everything out I’d need. Soon there was a pile of waffles sitting on a plate in the middle of my kitchen table. I was just setting out syrup and glasses when I heard the front door open.

“I smell breakfast!” Johnny‘s voice called from the hallway and a moment later him and Brian came walking in the room.

I immediately felt butterflies began to flutter somewhere around my mid section as soon as my eyes landed on the one the voice had belonged to. However I shook them off. I wasn’t going to get wrapped up in that this early in the morning.

“C’mon in guys, help yourselves.” I said tearing my eyes away from Johnny to get extra plates.

“Dude Lilly…ever consider wearing clothes?” Brian laughed as I sat the plates down.

“What? I am wearing clothes.” I replied looking down at the purple boy shorts and black cami I’d worn to bed last night.

“I hardly think those count as clothes Lils.” Johnny replied.

“It’s not like you mind Christ. I saw you checking out Lilly’s ass when you walked in.” Jimmy laughed.

“Shut up Jimmy! I was NOT checking out Lilly’s ass! She’s like…my best friend! That’s just gross!” Johnny replied and chucked the little cardboard thing of salt I kept on the table at Jimmy’s head.

I felt my heart drop at the mention of ‘best friend’. Koadii caught my eye and gave me a sympathetic look. Other than the girls she was the only one that knew about my crush on Johnny and had been trying to get me to tell him for years that I liked him. I just couldn’t. He didn’t like me like that and never would.

“I-I’m going to go get dressed.” I said and without another word walked to my bedroom.

I shed the cami replacing it with a bra and my favorite Blood On The Dance Floor t-shirt before adding a pair of ripped skinnies and my bright pink Converse. Once dressed I walked over to my dresser and started to do my make up. I started to pull out what I’d need to do my makeup when one of the various pictures that littered the top of my dresser caught my eye.

It was one of Johnny and I on the first day we’d met. Both of us were soaking wet, covered in grass and laughing our butts off. I smiled at the thought of that day.

*Flashback*

Koadii and I lay stretched out on the warm grass of my back yard, both of us bored as hell. We’d exhausted all options of staving off our boredom and had finally succumb to it.

“This is bogus.” I sighed.

“I know. Where’s Jimmy when you need him?” Koadii replied.

“Someone mention The Reverend Tholomew Plague?” and Jimmy’s head popped up over the fence that separated our yards.

“Dude where the hell have you been?” I asked looking up at him as his long limbs climbed over the fence.

“Band practice.” He replied.

“Band practice? Since when are you in a band?” I asked.

“Since last Tuesday. Remember my friend Matt?” he asked.

“Tall, dimples, completely ripped?” Koadii asked.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t remember him.” we replied in unison before bursting out into laughter.

“You’re both weird. Anyhow we started a band called Avenged Sevenfold, I play drums.” he replied.

“Nice.” I replied.

“Yeah. Hey! You wanna come along and meet the other guys? I know they’d love you!” he said jumping up and down.

“I don’t know Jim…I mean I don’t think my mom would let me go somewhere with a bunch of guys. It’s already like 5.” I replied.

“You won’t be the only girls there though! Val and Michelle will be there! And c’mon Lilly…your mother loves me. If I told her I was going to sell you as a slave to a horde of aliens from the planet mars she’d be fine.” he laughed.

“What do you think Koadii?” I asked

She shrugged, “I’m in.” she replied.

“Go ask my mother and if she says yes then we’ll go.” I replied.

“Think she’ll say yes?” Koadii asked as Jimmy ran inside.

“Of course. She trusts Jimmy with my life. C‘mon lets go get changed.” I replied jumping up and brushing the grass off of my jeans.

We walked into the house and up to my room. I changed out of the shorts and tank top I’d worn earlier into a pair of black jeans, a pink t-shirt, my dilapidated checkered Vans that I absolutely loved. After redoing my eyeliner Koadii and I headed downstairs where Jimmy was waiting.

“Did Mom say it was cool?” I asked.

“Of course.” he smirked and the three of us head out and next door to Jimmy’s awaiting car.

We climbed in and immediately Dream Theater’s Forsaken began to play. We spent the fifteen minute ride singing along to whatever popped up on the radio before pulling up to the park.

“C’mon the others should already be here.” Jimmy said and led us into the park.

After walking a ways Jimmy pushed his way through a thicket of bushes. I looked at Koadii and she looked at me before we pushed our way through, following Jimmy’s lead. Once on the other side we found Jimmy along with his group of friends.

I recognized Matt and Brian because they were always over at Jimmy’s. Then there were two girls I guessed to be Val and Michelle because Jimmy had mentioned something about them being twins. Then there were two guys I recognized from around school. The one closest to me had dark hair and big bright green eyes and a his bottom lip pierced with snakebites.

However it was the guy that Matt was talking to that caught my eye. He was about my height with a dark Mohawk and tattoos. He smiled and I felt something stir inside my gut. I couldn’t explain it but I figured it was just nerves from meeting new people.

“Okay everyone listen up! This is my little next door neighbor Lilly and her bestie Koadii.” Jimmy said pointing to me and then Koadii.

“Little? I’m three months younger than you.” I replied.

“Hush child! Younger is younger! Now…Lils, Koads, you’ve met Matt AKA M. Shadows and his girlfriend Val, that’s Brian AKA Synyster Gates and his girl Michelle, Zacky AKA Zacky Vengenace, then the super short one is Johnny AKA Johnny Christ AKA Short Shit.” Jimmy said.

“Fuck you Plague.” Johnny replied flipping Jimmy off.

“Plague?” Koadii asked.

“Yep. I’m the Reverend Tholomew Plague. It’s my stage name.” he smiled.

“You’re a head case.” I said with a shake of my head.

“Whatever you love me.” he said and hugged me tight and kissed my cheek.

“So you want something to drink?” Val asked breaking away from Matt and handing pulling beers out of a cooler and handing them to us.

“Thanks.” I said and took it, popping the top off and taking a long drink.

Koadii and I sat down and she started talking to Zacky, Brian and Michelle while I sat back a ways. I wasn’t the most social of people. I had a tendency to be shy and reserved in new situations.

I was watching the sky slowly turn darker and darker, the clouds disappearing when someone sat down beside me. I turned my head and saw Johnny sitting beside me.

“I’m Johnny.” he smiled sticking out his hand.

“Lilly.” I replied shaking his hand.

“So how long have you and Jimmy been going out?” he asked.

I choked on the sip of beer I’d just taken, “W-What?” I asked once I was ble to speak again.

“How long have you and Jimmy been going together?” he asked.

“We’re not going out. Jimmy’s like my big brother.” I replied.

“Uh-huh…right.” Johnny smirked.

“Seriously! I’m not doing anything with Jimmy. Swear.” I replied.

“Hey this midget bothering you Lil?” Jimmy asked walking up.

“No but will you please tell him that we’re not going out?” I asked.

“Ew! That’s just sick. She’s like my little sister!” Jimmy replied.

“See I told you.” I replied sticking my tongue out.

“Fine…fair enough.” Johnny smirked.

“I’m bored.” Zacky yelled suddenly.

I didn’t know it then but simple sentence would create a long line of moments in which all of us would resort to childhood games to entertain us.

“Let’s play tag!” Val said jumping up.

“Tag? What are we three?” Matt asked.

“Please Mattie?” she pouted.

“Fine…what about you guys?” Matt asked.

“Nothing else to do.” Brian agreed.

“Not it!” I screamed and put my finger on my nose.

Everyone caught on quick except for Jimmy who’d drank five times more than the rest of us.

“Fuck!” he cursed.

“Haha! Everyone stay away from Jimmy!” Johnny laughed and before I knew what was going on Johnny had my hand in his pulling me up from the ground and the two of us were running.

We heard the laugher of the others behind us resonating through the darkness of the park. The entire time we ran Johnny’s hand never left mine, his fingers laced in mine.

“Shh…c’mere we’ll hide here. Jimmy’ll never find us.” he laughed as we crouched behind a large tree and bush next to the lake.

We crouched there for I don’t know how long when Brian and Jimmy’s voices trailed over to us.

“Where’s short shit and Lilly?” Brian asked.

“I don’t know I can’t find them anywhere.” Jimmy replied.

A small snicker escaped my lips and Johnny instantly clamped a hand over my mouth. There was few moments of silence and Johnny let out a breath.

“I don’t think they heard us.” he smiled.

“That’s what you think!” Jimmy yelled jumping up out of nowhere.

Both Johnny and I screamed, the two of us jumping back. Johnny’s foot slipped on a patch of mud. He still held onto my hand and grabbed for me to steady himself. However instead of steadying himself I ended up losing my balance and both of us fell back into the murky lake.

A moment later I surfaced, Johnny right beside me. I took one look at him and burst out laughing at the same time he did. Both of us were covered in mud and lake gunk. Together we climbed out onto the bank before collapsing in the grass laughing our asses off.

There was a flash and I saw Val standing over us with a camera, the others around her.

“That’s a keeper.” Val smiled and handed me the Polaroid.

I looked at it and smiled before getting off the ground, the lot of us heading back to the spot. The night was cool and there was a breeze so in no time I was shivering. I wrapped my arms around myself cursing myself for not bringing a jacket.

“Cold?” Johnny asked.

“Y-Yeah a l-little.” I said my chattering teeth making it hard to talk.

“Here.” Johnny said and reached down picking up the hoodie he’d shed earlier.

“N-No you’re p-probably cold. I’m the one that was stupid enough to forget my jacket.” I replied.

“Nonsense. Now take the damn jacket.” he said and before I could protest again he draped it over my shoulders. It smelled like AXE and cigarettes which was somehow perfect.

“T-Thanks.” I said with a smile.

*End Flashback*

From that night one Johnny and I had become close friends. It was about a month later that I realized that I like him as more than a friend. However I’d kept my trap shut. He’d had a girlfriend named Lacey at the time and even after they broke up right before graduation three years later I hadn’t had the guts to say anything.

Sighing I finished my makeup and put my things away just as Koadii came bounding into the room.

“Hey wanna go swimming at mine?” she asked.

I pushed my feelings for Johnny to the back of my mind and managed a smile, “Hell yeah.” I replied and with that we headed out