Bless the Fallen

I woke up feeling like crap, go figure. I did my normal routine and stood in front of my body mirror, arguing with myself about which outfit made me look moderately normal, and cranked up my iTunes as I put on what little makeup I own. I ran downstairs and snatched a little something from the pantry for on-the-way and headed to my car. Turning up my radio, I backed out of my driveway and left for school.

I headed for my usual group of friends, who at the moment were giggling uncontrollably over something I'd apparently missed. After waiting what seemed like an eternity for one of them to return to sanity, I figured out what they were giggling so girlishly about. A new guy was walking casually to the front of the school. He was kinda tall, with short black hair, a lean build, muscled arms, and had some tattoos and piercings. Don't get me wrong, he was drop dead gorgeous, 'cause I'm in to those bad boys. My mom thinks they're trouble, but I always fall for them.

Out of curiousity, I asked my friend Chloe about him. "Hey, is he new?" 

"Yea, but he looks like a creep to me," she answered. "I'd stay away from him."

"Oh," I said. "Alright, I gotta got to my locker. I'll see you guys at lunch. Maybe."

I ran to the front steps and walk into the school, heading fir the hallway where my locker was. After fighting with my lock for awhile, I reached in for my first bell books and closed my locker and see the new guy opening a locker right next to mine. Great!

He turned to me and said, "Hey, 'sup? I'm Matt Shadows."

Nervously, I pushed my long black bangs from my eyes and replied, "Hey, just getting some books. I'm Zoe."

He laughed a little, and I swore I melted at the sound. "What's your first class?" he asked. "This schedule is so confusing."

"Oh, I have history with Mrs. Summers. Let me see your schedule," I said. I took his schedule from his hands and look to see-shockingly-that his schedule is exactly like mine. "Wow, you have every single class I have."

"Great," he said with a smile. "I wanna get to know you, oh mysterious Zoe."

Blushing furiously and hiding behind my bangs again, I motioned for him to follow me. The first bell rang and people began to pour into the halls like herds of wild buffalo. While I was walking, I felt a large, warm hand grasp my free hand. Turning around, I saw Matt's hand holding mine. 

He smiled at me sheepishly and explained, "I don't wanna get lost."

I start pulling Matt through the hallway, trying not to get trampled even though I'm kinda tall. I headed towards my history classroom, wondering what other classes we'll have together. We made it into the classroom just as the tardy bell rang, and the entire class stared at me, with Matt attached to my hand.

Mrs. Summers asked, "Is there a problem, Zoe? And who is this?"

Embarrassed beyond this world, I drop Matt's hand and replied in a little voice, "He's a new student, and I was helping him find your room. His name is Matt Shadows."

"Oh my, hello Matt!" Mrs. Summers exclaimed. "I'm Mrs. Summers. You'll be needing this book. Hmm, where to sit you? Um, why don't you sit next to Zoe since there aren't any open seats. Zoe, show him to his seat."

I walked Matt to the back of the room, once again hiding behind my hair. He pulled out a notebook and started writing something. Not that I was being nosy or anything, but I couldn't see what he was writing. 

While Mrs. Summers was teaching, I felt something slide under my arm. Looking down, I saw a folded up piece of paper. I looked at Matt, who appeared to be immersed in the lesson. Unfolding the note, I saw that it said 'Hey, wanna go somewhere for lunch? I'm not a big fan of cafeteria food (: Matt' I glanced over at Matt, who smiled and shrugged. I nodded at him and mouthed, "Sure."

The bell to end the class period rang and Matt once again grabbed my hand, and we headed to the next class. The next two periods crept by so freaking slowly. As soon as the bell rang for fifth period lunch, I started walking towards my car.

Suddenly Matt jogged up beside me and said, "Hey, mind if I ride with? No reason to take two cars, right?"

"Sure, just let me move my stuff," I replied. I cleaned out my passenger seat and climbed into the driver's seat of my black Charger. I waited on Matt to deposit his book in the backseat and climb in the front with me. "So, where are we going again? I don't think you ever mentioned a place."

"No, I didn't," he said smiling. He pointed to the left. "But just go out that way and I'll give you my GPS and we'll find this epic place a friend told me about." He pulled out a TomTom and punched in some words I couldn't see and began telling me directions.

By following these directions, I pulled up to this small place that resembled a Japanese dojo. He smiled. "I hope you like oriental." He got out of my car, and before I could open my own door, he opened it for ne and smiled his cute pierced-lip smile.

I climbed out and locked my door, and followed him inside the restaurant. Once we were inside, my mouth nearly hit the floor. The place was beautiful, nothing at all like the outside. Flowers of all sorts were hanging everywhere and miniature ponds were in all the nooks and corners. 

A waiter soon arrived and showed me and Matt to a table. Once we were seated, I quietly said, "Wow, this is amazing. But I can't afford this."

"No worries," Matt assured. "It's on me."

I ordered something small, feeling self-conscious about eating a lot even though I'm really skinny. I nibbled at my food while Matt, who had a huge appetite, pigged out. Taking a break from eating, he said, "So Zoe, tell me about you. Any friends, enemies, a boyfriend?" 

I blushed at the last part of his question. "Well, I'm sixteen. I've lived here for awhile, asong as I can remember actually. Um, I get nervous easily. I have some friends but they're usually too busy for me. I don't have a boyfriend, I guess 'cause guys call me a weird emo freak." I looked down.

He pinches my chin in his fingers tilted my head up. "From what I've seen so far, you're not a freak. You're really cute, actually. I happen to like shy girls with you."

Blushing, I bit my lip with a coy smile and said, "Tell me about you."

"Well, I was born Matthew Shadows. I'm also sixteen. I love tattoos and piercings, I listen to rock music, and I moved here from Texas. So what kind of music do you listen to?"

"Uh, about the same as you," I answered. "I'm not really into the whole pop music stuff."

"Whoa, we have a lot in common!" Matt shouted. "Have you ever listened to screamo? 'Cause I used to be the singer in a band back in Texas, and I screamed a few songs."

"Yea, I have my favorites when it comes to screamo," I agreed with a smile. "But hey, it's time to go if we wanna catch sixth bell."

Matt got the bill and paid, and then we climbed into my car and went back to school. After school, we were walking from the building and Matt asked, "Hey, mind if I get your number?"

"Uh, sure," I said. I gave him my number and we parted ways; him to his car, me to mine. 

When I got home, I got out my laptop and pulled up my chat messenger and found a message from a pen pal. I wrote her back, then laid back on my bed, cranking up my iTunes. I fell asleep quickly, and a nightmare unfolded in my mind.

As the nightmare began, I found myself at the beach with some friends at a party. We're all drinking something, but I can't really tell what it is, and hanging around a huge bonfire.  Suddenly somebody pulled me aside and told me there were some guys that needed me in the parking lot. I headed that way. I stumbled into the parking lot a little buzzed, looking for these guys. They noticed my presense quickly and walked over to me.

"Who are you?" I mumbled.

One by one, the guys introduced themselves as members of Matt's old band back in Texas. 

"Hi, I'm Johnny. Bassist."

"Sup? The name's Synyster Gates. I handle lead guitar."

"Hey, I'm The Rev and I would be the drummer."

"You already know our bro Matt is the singer," said the one named Johnny. He was the shortest one of the bunch and wore his hair spiked in a short mohawk. "Speaking of Matt, where'd he run off to?"

"Man, I dunno," answered Synyster, taking a swig from a half-empty bottle of whiskey.

 "Probably went to take a piss," added the Rev. Everyone laughed at this.

"Oh, well I guess I'll wait with you guys 'til he gets back," I said. "I think he wanted to hang out anyways."

"Sweet," Synyster said. "So how did you come to meet our little Matty?"

Concentrating a little harder than necessary, I replied, "Well, he kinda met me. I have all my classes at school with him."

"Oh, really now?" Johnny asked.

"Yea, weird I know. But he's not annoying or anything."

Suddenly another guy showed up and Johnny said, "Hey, this is Zacky. He's another guitarist. Zacky, this is, uh…"

"Zoe," I finished, shaking his hand. "Hey guys, I'm gonna go get my phone from my car. I'll be back in a second." Sobering up a little, I ran over to another parking lot where I had left my car and fumbled in my pocket for the keys. 

After I finally found them, I began to unlock my car, but a hand covered my mouth and dragged me away. Kicking as hard as I could, I tried to get away, but the hand covered my nose, making my breathing shallow and quick. I felt light-headed, and the next thing I knew I was falling to the ground. I laid there motionless as I heard my attacker struggling with an unknown force.

I woke up curled up against Matt's chest in his bed. I tried to sit up, but fell back onto the bed, my head aching. Matt's eyes flew open and he pulled me back to him, shushing me, telling me to rest and relax.

"What happened last night?" I mumbled. "I know I fell asleep in my own bed."

"Actually, you came to my house last night because you couldn't sleep," Matt answered. "Then when we were talking you fell asleep."

I racked my brain for the slightest memory of last night, but couldn't remember anything. "All I remember is the horrible nightmare I had," I said. "I remember falling in my dream and hitting my head…ow! Why does my head hurt?"

"When you came over last night, you were getting a glass of water and you hit your head," Matt said. He gave me some pain reliever and after I took it I laid back down and curled up on my side facing Matt. Pulling me closer to him once more, he said, "Did it bother you that I let you sleep in my bed with me?"

"No," I whispered, aware of his mouth lingering near my neck.

He kissed my neck, sendig a warm, tingling feelings down my whole body. He kissed my jawline, then my lips, and said, "Will you go out with me, Zoe?"

I thought for a second, our foreheads pressed together, and replied, "Yes, on one condition. Don't try to push me to fo anything I'm not ready to do."

"Never, Zoe," he said. "I'm not like that."

So we sat in his room all day, listening to his music watching movies. During one of the movies, he got a call and had to leave, so he dropped me off at my house. He kissed my forehead and left. 

I pulled out my phone and dialed my friend Chloe's number. While I was waiting for her to pick up, I listened to her ringback, tapping my foot. After what felt like forever, she picked up. "Hello?" she said.

"Hey, I got a question," I said. "Was I with you guys last night?"

"Uh, no you weren't," she answered. "Considering I was at work 'til midnight."

"Oh okay, I was just wondering," I told her. "I think I hit my head, and I can't remember last night. But thanks. Bye." With that, I hung up. 

Flipping through my contact list, I found my friend Damen's number, and I called him. "Hey Damen, what's up?" I said.

"Oh nothing, just nursing a gnarly hangover," he replied. "Don't you have one?"

"Um, no?" I said, confused. "My head feels fine."

"Whoa, someone can handle her alcohol, can't she?" Damen teased, laughing. "Well, I'm gonna go lay down and get rid of this hangover. Bye, Zoey." 

Wow, odd just a little. Matt said I was with him last night, but Damen says I was with him and the others. I walked outside to look at my car. The windows were fine, along with the paint and everything else. Except for the lock. My keys were still in it.

I waited a few hours, then called Matt. "Are you positive I was with you last night?" I asked. "'Cause the keys are still in my car."

"Yea babe, I'm sure you were with me," he replied. "Hey, I'm coming over to pick you for something special. I'll be there in a second."