Only Christ Can Save Me

"No, Sabella, really you can't break it" He was being very persistent.

"Your sure?" I asked, I really wanted to but....

"Yes!" He said putting the strap over my head. It fell on me exactly were it did on him. As it should we were the same height.

"You've really been playing six years?" He asked, interrupting my inspection of his bass.

"Yea," I said coming back. "My dad bought me a Schecter Stargazer in 2004 just after my mother left us."

"I'm sorry." He said hanging his head.

"Don't be, It's totally okay, swear."

"I'm still sorry though, sometimes I don't know what I'd do with out my mom."

"Johnny" I giggled "It's fine. By the time I was 13 she had taught me a lot and then Jenna came along and took her place." I reminisced on the past, but I could feel him staring at me. "What?" I asked with a smile staring back at him.

"Oh, ugh...nothing" He blushed "So... A Schecter Stargazer, really?"

"Yes, I was my dream and my mother would never let me have one, but Jenna thought it would good for me. So my dad went a bought it and lessons."

"Nice" He smiled "Play me something!"

"Ugh, okay" It took me a second to process his request, but then it clicked.

I thought for a moment then played a heavy bass the opens the songs Save Me. I only played a few seconds because it was all I could remember off the top of my head. I looked up at Johnny only to chuckle, he looked...confused.

"What was that? It sounds really familiar."

I couldn't help but laugh, "I hope it would sound familiar, it's Save Me"

"Oh!" He yelled "Oh, oh, oh, oh, duh. Sorry, had a moment there."

"I noticed, Johnny did you meet with Mary Jane today?" I joked, with sarcasm. I could tell he didn't get it, by the look on his face. Zacky and Meanna were close enough to hear and burst out laughing.

"I don't get it." Johnny said, looking around at everyone laughing.

"Mary Jane." I said, he still just stared.

"It's another name for pot!" Then he got it and started laughing. "Johnny, honey, I think the hair dye is getting' to you." I gave his bass back and leaned against the wall while he put it in it case for the roadies to take it on stage. I bent over to tie my shoe and heard a sharp inhalation of air.

"What?" I said glancing up to see a bugged eyed Johnny. He didn't say anything he only reached for the back of me. Before he made it, I snapped up instinctively.

"Can I see it?" He asked like a little kid. I then knew what he was talking about. I pulled my hair into a bundle on my head to show off my 6661 tattoo on my neck.

"Meanna has one too." I looked at her a she lifted her hair to show the tat off to Zacky.

"Legit" Zacky ginned, going over it with his finger."

"Hey Sabella" I turned back around to see Johnny. He got right in my face before continuing "Do you wanna take a walk?"

"Yes." As soon as I got the word out he had grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the dressing rooms. After getting past the short hall way he let go. We walked a ways in silence before I broke it. "Sooo...."

"Sooo... Where are you from?" He asked slowly

"Huntington Beach, California"

"Nu Uh" He sounded surprised

"Yeah, born and raised."

"Do you still live there?"

"Sadly no" He face sunk a little bit "I live about thirty minutes form here near the UCLA campus. I go to school there."

"That make since. What's your major?"

"Pre-Med."

"Wow..." He trailed off. We walked for a while more before a really sweet smell hit me in the face.

"What is that?" I sniffed the air, was it chocolate?

"I'm not sure" He smelled "but lets find out." Johnny pushed through a big door in too a very industrial looking kitchen. "Pedro!" He high fived a chef. "What's up man?"

"Nothing much, man. What do you have trailing behind you?" Pedro asked looking around Johnny at myself.

"This is Sabella." He beamed, yanking me forward to meet Pedro.

"Hi" I smiled "What is that amazing smell?" It had gotten stronger upon enter the room.

"Brownies, want one?" He picked up a huge brownie, breaking it in half, giving Johnny and I each a piece.

"Thanks, man." Johnny turned and exited the kitchen and I followed suit.

"Damn!" He stopped "That a good brownie."

I laughed and took my first bite. He was right. "Good, but I've had better."

"Really now?" He looked at me.

"Yea, I make some with four kinds of chocolate."

"You joking!" I smiled letting him know that I wasn't. "I want some! Make me some, please?" He gave me the puppy dog face and it was quite hard to resist.

"Johnny I'd love to, but how would I get them to you?"

He thought for a moment before saying, "We don't head home till Thursday. Gimme your number and we can hang out tomorrow!" He handed me his phone and I put my information in. Then my phone buzzed with a text reading 'Hey Sabella!" I giggled as he said "Now you have my number."

I saved it with a smile. "You really want me to make you brownies?"

"I love chocolate, but I also really wanted your number." My heart jumped when he said that.

"Really?" I asked stepping forward towards his sexy self. "Well what if I told you I want you to come and help me make your brownies tomorrow?"

"Hum" he thought taking a step closer, so close I could feel his warm breaths on my face. "I think...I'd have to say the guys wont be happy but I would love to see you again!" I couldn't help but let a freakin' huge smile spread on face, only to watch one grow on his face. I brought my attention to the fact that his face was slowly closing the minimal gap . Closer and closer till our lips were almost touching.

"Johnny!" Syn's voice rang out form behind him, he pulled back and snapped his head around.

"What?!" He yelled back with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Dude we gotta go where on stage in ten!" He grumbled then turned back to me with a smile.

"Come on, lets go." We walked side by side to the group of people. Meanna seemed to be in conversation with Zacky.

Larry came walking up about the same time the pair of us did. "Okay, boys show time." He yelled over everyone talking. "Girls, go!" He mentioned to Meanna and I. I saw Johnny whisper to Zacky.

"Ricky!" Zacky yelled to a very large man in a black in a Security t-shirt. Zacky and Johnny had a short conversation before Ricky walked over to them. They whispered to him before walking are direction.

"Mr. Vengeance and Mr. Christ have requested that I take care of you girls this evening and place you right in the front."

"Sure! I exclaimed

"Yeah!" Meanna agreed

He mentioned to two other standing near by. They seemed to know exactly what to do. One a tall buff young guy with deep brown hair, named Ashton fell in place on my left. The second, even more buff guy with sandy blond hair about the same age named Mitchell fell on Meanna's right. He looked like he could pick someone and rip them in half, if he was green he would be the hulk. Then Ricky taller than both of them, probably 6'6 or 6'7 fell behind us. I felt more important than I really was. Making our way to the stage we found the first band KoRn starting there last song, Freak on Leash.

We walked across the lower platform were photographers were taking press photos. There were barriers just in front of the immense crowd of 10,000+ people were waiting for Avenged to take the stage. Ricky jummper the barrier and the coward quickly scattered to not get stepped on. There was a slight hole left when Ashton jumped in. I hadn't expected there next move. Mitchell picked me up by the waist and lifted me over in to the arms of Ashton on the other side. Meanna came next and Ricky instantly put her down, Ashton on the other hand didn't put me down. The song came to an end and the band said "Thank You' before exiting the stage and Ashton was still cradling me.

"Put me down, please." I said asked politely while trying to hold back the annoyance in my voice.

"Why? I don't want to ever let you go baby." Really? I thought, that was so cheesy. Then to top it off he winked at me.

"First, I am not you baby and second Put. Me, Down." I said with an edge. "Now." I threw in a glare for added detail. He placed me gentle on my feet before fading into the background.

I didn't tell Meanna about my plans for tomorrow because I knew I had promised earlier to go shopping with her. So silence was golden at this point to avoid confrontation with her in the middle of this crowd. They had pulled black curtains around the stage so we couldn't see them change sets and set up for Avenged. It seemed to take foREVer to set everything up, but just behind us in the pit two guys decided to get in to a fight over something quite pointless. After they were pulled out and taken away the lights went down and the curtains were pulled back. Fog was rolling thick off the stage right into our faces. A single spotlight found the middle of the stage. High up in the rafters a man was standing on the lighting rig. As the opening chimes for Nightmare came through the arena he found the noose hanging near his head and pulled it around his neck. Then, with the first pounding beat of The Rev's bass drums he jumped.