Smile for Me

My cell rang and I dug it out of my bag, flipping it open to check the caller ID. It read SEXY and I smiled before answering.
“Hello?”
“Hey, there. Remember me?” Syn greeted.
I felt a tiny chill at hearing his deep voice over the phone, but covered it and said, “Of course I remember you. You’re only the hottest lead guitarist for the hottest band in the whole world.”
He cleared his throat. “Why, thank you.”
I laughed. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just came across your number and thought I’d give you a call.”
“Oh, I see.”
“So what are you up to?”
“Just walking home from school.”
“Oh.” He paused. “It’s two thirty.”
“Yeah.”
“You skipping or something?”
I laughed again. “No, I have a last block spare on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s.”
“Ah. So where are you?”
I frowned, thinking it was an odd question, but told him anyway. “Victoria Street.”
“No shit.”
“Yes shit.”
He laughed. “Take a right and you’ll be a block away from my place.” He paused. “You should come over, we can hang out for a bit.”
I hesitated, thinking about my Dad even as I became excited at the thought of seeing him again.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, if you want to or if you don’t have any other plans – “
“No, I want to.” I took a deep breath. “So take a right and then what?”
“Just keep going straight until you hit 315 Victoria Crescent.”
“Okay, I’ll see you – “
“No, stay on the phone. I want to keep talking to you.”
I huffed out a laugh even as my tummy tightened in excitement. “Okay.”
“So how was school?”
I groaned. “It’s school, what else can I really say about it?”
“True enough. You’re graduating this year, though, right?”
“Yes, thank God. I’ll be out of that school and out of my house. High school is such a pain in my ass.”
He laughed. “Yeah, it is. What are you planning on doing when you get out?”
“I don’t know.”
I turned right and continued going straight, wondering how far I had to go to get to 315 Victoria Crescent.
“College?”
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t know what I would take. I think I’ll take a year off, just work, and see how things go.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
“So how are things with you?” I asked, wanting to get the conversation off me for a while.
“Um…good, I guess. Just chilling until we start recording again.”
“When will that be?”
“In about a month or so. We just finished Warped and all that so we decided to take a bit of a break before jumping into the studio.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” I repeated his words to me, which made him laugh.
“Yeah, I’m enjoying it. So where are you now?”
“Um…” I peered at the number on the house that I was coming close to and told him that I was getting closer.
“Well, I’m waiting for you.”
I laughed and looked ahead, seeing someone walk out from the front yard, onto the sidewalk. The person stopped and turned to face me and I narrowed my eyes.
I laughed. “You’re standing right there, aren’t you?”
“Told you I was waiting for you.”
“You actually live really close to me, too.” I told him.
“Really? What street do you live on?”
“I am 235 Harper Street.”
“Shit, that’s like…five blocks away.”
“I know.”
I was now about five feet away from him and couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. He was grinning at me, but finally pulled the cell from his ear and shoved it in his pocket. I pulled mine away and flipped it closed, but held onto it for the moment.
I stopped walking when I was right in front of him and smiled up at him. “So I’m here.”
“So you are.” He reached out to touch my hair. “You changed your hair.”
I nodded. “I dyed it like…two days after seeing you.”
He grinned and hugged me, saying, “It looks great.”
I blushed. “Thanks.”
He cleared his throat and pulled back to take my arm. “So, come inside. You’re actually just on time.”
“And why is that?”
“Because the guys are all on their way over.”
“The guys?” My tummy flipped.
“As in the rest of my band.” He replied simply, leading me through the front entrance. “Drop your bag anywhere, make yourself at home. You want something to drink?”
“Uh…sure.” I dropped my bag down by my shoes, sliding my phone into my front pocket.
“What would you like? Water, pop…” He turned to narrow his eyes at me. “Beer?”
I laughed. “Beer’s fine, thanks.”
He nodded and went to the kitchen, leaving me to follow slowly. I watched silently as he pulled a bottle from the fridge and popped the top for me before handing it over.
“Thanks.” I said again before taking a sip as he grabbed his own.
“So what have you been up to since getting back?” I asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
“Not much. Drinking, partying all night, sleeping all day to do it all over again. The usual.”
I laughed. “I’m assuming you’re a strip club boy.”
“You would be right.” He leaned against the counter and held the beer in one hand, resting his other on the edge of the counter behind him. “What about you? What do you do when you’re not studying your brains out?”
I laughed and put the bottle on the table. “First of all, I don’t study that much. And I don’t know, I guess I just hang out with my friends, hit whatever parties we can.”
“Oh.” He smirked.
I frowned at him, but felt a smile tugging at my lips. “What’s that look for?”
“When do you turn eighteen?”
“Two glorious weeks.”
He laughed. “So I guess I’ll have to take you out then.”
“I’ll still be underage, dummy.”
“I know, dummy, but I know people.”
I quirked an eyebrow at him. “You know people?”
“Of course. I am Synyster Gates, I know how to get you in.”
“Okay.” I laughed and kept the fact that I had a fake ID to myself. For the moment.
“What kind of parties do you go to? I don’t imagine high school kids throw very good ones, unless things have changed since I graduated.”
“Oh, high school parties are okay, I guess. But my girls and I usually hit the college parties.”
“Wow, you are a party girl.” He said mockingly.
I laughed. “Shut-up.”
Just then the front door opened and I heard male voices together before someone yelled in a girlie voice, “Honey, I’m home.”
Syn set the beer down on the counter and left to greet the guys. I stayed in the kitchen, not sure if I should follow or wait for him to get me.
“I have someone for you guys to…Katie, get the hell in here.” Syn ordered with a laugh.
I smiled and stood to meet him in the living room, where the guys of Avenged Sevenfold had spread themselves out along the couch and floor. There was a girl with them, too, and she was obviously M. Shadow’s girlfriend if the fact that she was sitting on his lap was any indication.
Syn put an arm around my shoulders to pull me into his side as he pointed out the others. “That’s Val, and you can probably guess who she belongs to. I’m sure you know everyone but I’ll do it anyway, that’s Jimmy, Johnny, Matt, and Zacky. Fuckers, this is Katie.”
I received various greetings from everyone, but they all seemed really nice. Syn led me over to the empty recliner and made me sit down before he sat on the arm, spreading his arm out along the back.
Zacky was frowning at Syn as he pointed to me. “Is this the girl you met on the plane?”
Syn nodded and Jimmy looked astonished. “You told him about her? Why didn’t you tell me? Why am I always the last to hear everything?”
“Oh, stop whining already.” Matt said with a role of his eyes.
“What happened?” Johnny asked.
“You remember I stayed in LA for a couple of days after you guys left? Well, Katie and I were actually sitting next to each other on the plane.”
“Cool.” Val smiled at me. “Did you have fun in LA?”
I nodded. “I love LA.”
Zacky was shaking his head at me. “I feel sorry for you, having to sit next to that fucker for a whole flight.”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t that long.”
“Hey.” Syn shoved me and I laughed. “You’re lucky I was sitting next to you, I made you not as nervous.”
“Yeah, you did.” I patted his leg before taking another sip of my beer.
“Why were you nervous?” Matt asked.
I blushed and looked down at my lap when I said, “I’m kind of…well…terrified of flying.”
“I thought she was going to pass out. Or throw up on me, at which time the friendship would never have started.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, shut-up.”
“So what were you doing in LA?” Jimmy asked.
“My friends and I went down together for a week.” I shrugged. “You know, to have fun and unwind before school started.”
Everyone paused at this before Johnny asked, “You a college girl?”
I shook my head. “No, high school. I’m graduating this year.”
“How old are you?” Val asked.
“I turn eighteen in two weeks. Actually, ten days to be exact.”
“We’re going to take her out,” Syn announced. “Corrupt her from her college parties.”
“Sweet. We should take her to Willie’s.” Zacky suggested.
“I was thinking strip club.” Syn said.
The guys all started hollering and talking about how fun it was going to be. I looked at Val and saw she was shaking her head mournfully.
“Um, excuse me, I am not going to a strip club.” I said loudly.
“And why not?” Syn demanded.
I turned in my chair so I could look at him without putting my back to everyone else.
“Number one, because I don’t want to. And two, because I’m a girl. Why would you possibly think that I would want to go watch other girls take their clothes off and dance on a pole?”
“Amen.” Val muttered and we laughed together.
Syn was looking at me with a blank stare before he shrugged. “Because it’s fun?”
“Because strippers are hot?” Zacky seconded.
I rolled my eyes at them. “I’m not going, but Willie’s is fun.”
“Fine.” Jimmy huffed.
“We could take her to – wait, wait, wait, did you just say Willie’s is fun?” Syn asked, finally realizing what I had said.
I noticed the mistake and frowned, trying to play innocent. “Oh, did I? Oops.” I sighed. “I probably should tell you that I have a fake ID.”
“You have a fake ID.” Syn was incredulous and held out his hand. “Let me see it.”
I put my beer on the table beside me and stood to pull my wallet out of my bag by the door, sliding the fake ID card out of its pocket before walking back to hand it to him.
“Huh.” He studied it for a moment before passing it along. “It looks good.”
“Thanks. My friend’s older brother made it for me.”
“Shit, that’s way better than the fakes we had in high school.” Matt said, giving it to Jimmy.
I smirked, but hid my face so they wouldn’t see.
“Don’t even think about it.” Syn said slowly, obviously catching my smile.
“What?” I shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.”
He looked at me with narrowed eyes. “No, but you were thinking it.”
“Okay, Einstein, since you’re a mind reader now, what was I thinking?” I countered, crossing my arms.
“I don’t know. Something about our ages after what Matt said.”
I laughed out loud. “Well, he walked right into it.”
“Oh, whatever.” Syn rolled his eyes. “There’s only four years difference. You’re about to turn eighteen and we just turned twenty-two, that’s four years.”
“I’m twenty.” Johnny said, raising his hand in the air.
“That’s nice, little man.” Jimmy taunted, making Johnny punch him hard in the arm.
“Hey, stop the violence!” Jimmy yelled, holding his hands up to shield himself.
“Well, don’t say shit about his height then.” I scolded. “Not everyone can be eight feet tall.”
The guys laughed at me while Johnny nodded his head. “That’s what I keep saying.”
“So any plans for the big eighteen?” Val asked.
I shrugged. “Not really, no. I’ll probably just hang out with my friends.”
“Nothing with your family?” Syn asked.
I shook my head. “It’s just me and my dad and we don’t get on that well, so I would say no.”
“Is he a hard-ass?” Johnny asked.
I nodded. “Pretty much.” Understatement of the year.
“Hey, you’re coming out with us for your birthday.” Syn said, playfully pushing me. “We’ll show you how the boys party.”
“Oh.” I looked at Val. “Should I be scared?”
She laughed. “I don’t think so, they’re pretty fun. Just don’t let them get you drunk because you’ll end up with the strippers.”
I nodded and pointed my finger at her. “Right enough.”
“Hey, we wouldn’t take her against her will.” Matt insisted, but she scoffed.
“Matt, she’ll be drunk. You’ll make her agree without telling her exactly what she’s agreeing to.”
“No – “ He tried to argue but she shoved him in the side of the head.
“You did it to me; I know what I’m talking about.”
He huffed and rubbed the side of his head.
“Do your friends have fakes, too?” Johnny asked, passing the card back to me.
“Yes, they do.” I stood to shove the card in my bag, deciding to put it away later.
“Bring them.” Zacky ordered.
I smirked, already imagining the look on Emma’s face when I introduced her to the one and only Zacky Vengeance. “Oh, I will.” I sighed. “But I should get going.”
“What? Why?” Brian demanded, frowning at me.
“Because I have homework and I didn’t tell my dad I was going to be out after school. He’s kind of a Nazi when it comes to that stuff.” I laughed, trying to make it sound like a joke when I knew how true it was.
“Okay, let me drive you home.” Brian offered, putting his beer down and standing.
“No, that’s okay.”
“I can – “
“Brian, no.” I insisted. “Thank you for the offer, but I can walk. It’s only a few blocks away.”
“Okay.”
I looked at the group and smiled. “It was nice meeting all of you.”
“See you later.” Val smiled.
“We’ll see you in two weeks.” Jimmy promised, pointing his finger at me.
I nodded and waved at them, walking to the door to slip on my shoes and pick up my bag. Brian was right behind me, smiling down at me.