Crossroads

Lucy’s POV

“Are you sure you two are going to be alright?” Zack asked.

“Yes. I’m sure. We will be just fine.” Joanna replied for the millionth time.

“But-”

“ZACHARY JAMES BAKER IF YOU DON’T SHUT YOUR TRAP AND LET US LEAVE I AM GOING TO RUN YOU OVER WITH MY BIKE THEN BACK UP AND DO IT AGAIN!” I yelled tired of listening to him cluck about Joanna and I like a mother hen.

“Lucy…baby calm down.” Matt laughed.

“Easy for you to say! You haven’t listened to him all morning!” I replied.

“Just breathe Luce.” he said and kissed me.

“Fine. We have to go anyway. I’ll see you in a couple of days.” I smiled and pulled him down for a kiss.

“Alright call me when you get there. Love you.” he replied kissing me back.

“Love you too.” I smiled and threw my leg over my bike.

Matt gave me one last kiss as Joanna and Zacky said their goodbyes. We put on our helmets and started our bikes. With a wave we headed off.

It was going to be a long ride, a little over 4 hours. We had planned plenty of rest stops and places to get gas so we’d be okay. I was just happy to get back on a bike again.

About half way through we pulled into a gas station so we could fuel up, go to the bathroom and grab some shitty ass gas station food to sedate the rumbling in our stomachs. We walked in and I headed over to the food while Joanna ducked into one of the bathrooms. I grabbed a hot dog and was at the drink fountain concocting a suicide with Diet Coke, Sprite and Sunkist when Joanna emerged. She grabbed a burrito and a Mountain Dew and we headed up to pay.

“You’re already paid for.” the guy at the front said.

“Really? Who paid for us?” Joanna asked.

“Sorry they asked me not to say. Also paid for your gas.” he replied.

“Wow. I wish I could say thank you.” I said looking at Joanna.

“Same here.” she replied and we headed back to our bikes to fill up.

Twenty minutes later we were back on our way and two hours later we pulled up to the front of the Hard Rock Hotel. We checked in and parked our bikes before heading in.

“Hey look!” I said and ran over to one of the large display cases.

Inside sat clothes and instruments from our guys.

“I just LOVE Avenged Sevenfold don’t you?!?” I gushed in a valley girl voice.

“Oh my god totally!” she laughed.

“Take my picture.” I smiled and struck a Vanna White pose in front of the display.

Joanna laughed and snapped my picture before trading places with me and striking a similar pose. I snapped her picture and the two of us headed upstairs.

“Johnny Fucking Christ I’m tired.” I sighed as I collapsed on the huge white bed.

“Same here.” she replied.
“I say we sleep for awhile then hit up The Pink Taco downstairs and get our taco on.” I replied.

“Agreed.” she nodded.

I tossed off my back pack and kicked off my boots before closing my eyes. In no time I was out.

When I opened my eyes next sunlight was streaming bright through the window. Squinting through the brightness I glanced around the room. Joanna was laying spread eagle on her back on her bed snoring like there was no tomorrow. The sun was out which perplexed me. We had arrived at 3PM the previous day….there was no way that it could be this light out still. Unless…

My head whipped back and towards the bedside table. The clock read 10:25 AM. We’d slept through the night.

“Joanna! Hey! Sleeping beauty!” I yelled trying to get her attention but she only seemed to snore louder.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed one of my pillows and lugged it at her. She gave a quick snort before sitting up bleary eyed.

“What the fuck? Who turned on the god damned lights?” she asked.

“God. It’s 10:30 in the morning.” I replied.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she asked.

“No. C’mon Rehab opens in like thirty minutes and I call first shower.” I replied getting up.

“Alright. Hey imma call room service….you want something?” she asked.

“Blueberry muffin please and if they have it a mocha latte.” I replied.

“Alrighty!” Joanna replied and I grabbed my backpack and headed into the bathroom.

I took a quick shower before pulling on my favorite Infamous bikini with the dagger piercing the heart and crucifixes. Over that I pulled a pair of jean shorts and a black and pink Metal Mulisha tank top. After towel drying and brushing my hair I ran mousse through it so it would curl and popped my aviators on my head, slipped in a new pink lip ring and walked out.

Joanna was sitting on the bed sipping coffee. Without taking her mouth off the rim of her cup she pointed to a second steaming cup and muffin sitting on the food service cart and shut herself in the bathroom with her book bag. I flipped on the TV and grabbed my muffin and latte and set about checking my phone.

There were a million calls missed from Matt so I dialed his number and set it on speaker on the bed in front of me.

“There you are! Are you okay?!?” Matt asked picking up after one ring.

“Good morning to you too.” I replied.

“Lucy do you have any idea how worried we were?!?” he asked.

“Jeeze! Sorry Dad! Joanna and I crashed right when we got here and just woke up.”

“I’m sorry. I just worry.” he said.

“I know you do babe but you gotta chill.” I replied with a laugh.

“So how was the ride?”

“It was good. Someone paid for our gas and food about half way through. We never did find out who.” I said taking a bite of my muffin.

“Hmm…maybe it was a fan that saw you two. What’s on today’s agenda?” Matt replied.

“Rehab till like six then probably dinner at The Pink Taco then probably over to Circus Circus to ride the rides.” I replied.

“Sounds like fun. Just don’t drink too much okay? I’d like to get a call tonight.” he laughed.

“Deal.” I laughed.

“Alright well I’m going to let you and Joanna go have fun. I’ll talk to you later baby…love you.” he said.

“Love you too Matty.” I said and hung up.

“Did you get your ass chewed out too?” Joanna asked as she walked out of the bathroom in jean shorts and a purple tank top over what I knew was probably her purple Crash and Burn bikini. Her hair was wavy around her shoulders and her aviators were perched on the top of her head just as mine were.

“Not really. Just about how worried he was about me yada yada.” I replied.

“Lucky bitch.” she said rolling her eyes.

“Yep. Anyhow you ready?” I asked polishing off the last of my muffin and washing it down with my latte.

“Yes. Let’s get going!” she said and after slipping on our flip flops we headed downstairs for the pool.

We had reserved a cabana a few days before we’d come so we’d have one. We got our wristbands and one of the girls who worked there showed us to where we’d be for the day. She took our drink orders (long island iced tea for Joanna and a frozen margarita for me) and we got settled in.

We took a dip in the pool with our drinks before heading back to the cabana to lay out for a bit.

“So, I know we left home to get away from problems and such but, what are you going to do if that odd looking baby is Zee’s?” I asked.

She sighed, “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean I’ll stick by my word and I will be with him through it. I will always be by his side. It will just be a little weird for me.”

After that being said, we were silent for a while. That is until an entertaining thought crossed my mind.
“Lucy Sanders. Wow, that sounds so house wifey doesn’t it?”

She snorted a laugh. Then I thought about her and Zacky, “What about Joanna Baker? That’s actually a catchy name.”

“Pffft yeah, with that name I would sound like the next fuckin Betty Crocker.” She replied, I couldn’t help but burst out into a fit of laughter. “If I marry that man, he will be taking my last name. Shit.” Said added taking another sip of her drink. We ended the conversation there and continued to relax for a bit.

“Excuse me you wouldn’t happen to be Joanna Toscano and Lucy Moore of Shattered Halo would you?”

Joanna and I looked up and saw none other than Craig Mabbitt and Max Green looking back at us.

“Yeah! Hi!” I sitting up.

“Hi I’m Craig and this is Max we’re big fans of yours.” Craig said smiling at us.

“Yeah we’re actually in a band called-” Max started but Joanna cut him off.

“Escape The Fate…you’re the most played band on Lucy’s iPod other than Avenged Sevenfold.” Joanna smirked looking at me as I turned beet red.

“Oh yeah don’t like most of your band go out with members of Avenged Sevenfold?” Max asked.

“If by most you mean all of us? Then yes.” I laughed.

“Oh sorry.” Max smiled.

“Hey why don’t you guys join us?” Joanna asked.

“Seriously?” Craig asked.

“Yeah it’s just us here and it’s kinda empty.” I replied.

“Sure. How about we buy you a bucket of beer to repay you?” Craig asked.

“That’d be great.” I smiled.

A few minutes later Joanna and I were chilling with Max and Craig. A few moments later there was a knock on the bar of the tent and Joanna and I smiled when we saw who was at the mouth of the tent.

“Benji! Joel!” Joanna and I smiled and jumped up hugging the twins who were frequent visitors around the house thanks to their friendship with the guys.

“We thought we saw you two lurking around! Where’s the guys and your girls?” Joel asked.

“Well there’s some stuff going down around the house and I just wanted to get away. Lucy just got a bike and suggested we take a trip down here so here we are.” Joanna said.

“Besides Gates and Aden and Katie and Johnny Boy have their hands full with Jude and Alaina so they’re homebound. Then as to what Jimmy and Lexi are up to your guess is as good as ours. I at least know that Matt and Zee are probably playing video games nonstop.” I replied.

“That they most likey are.” Benji smiled.

“So who’s this?” Joel asked.

“Oh! This is Craig and Max…they’re in Escape The Fate.” Joanna replied.

“Nice to meet you.” Benji replied.

“Why don’t you guys come party with us? Are Billy and Paul with you guys?” I asked.

“Not today but we would love to join you. All the cabanas were taken when we tried to get one.” Joel smiled.

“Go grab your shit and join us.” Joanna told them.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out in the cabana dancing and drinking. We snapped photos and sent them to the guys who told us to have fun with Benji and Joel. As much as we loved Matt and Zacky as our boyfriends we loved Benji and Joel like big brothers.

When Rehab closed down for the night we invited Max, Craig, Benji and Joel to join us for dinner then to head over to Circus Circus. All four joined us for dinner at The Pink Taco then only Max and Craig followed us to Circus Circus.

“So…I have something that might make these just a little more fun.” Max smiled as we walked down the street.

“And what would that be?” Joanna asked.

Wordlessly Max pulled out a small plastic baggie with weed.

I stared at it for a moment before looking at Joanna. She raised her eyebrows and stared at me. With a hesitant hand, I took it and Joanna looked shocked. We both thanked him.

“No problem. Maybe tomorrow we can all get together and do some together.” Max said, Craig nodding in agreement.

“Maybe.” Joanna replied with a smirk, “Do you have a bowl however?”

Max nodded and handed her a small one that he discretely hid in his pocket. She thanked him again and put it in her pocket.

We rode every ride at Circus Circus as many times as we could stomach with all the tacos we’d consumed at dinner before heading back to the hotel. We parted ways with Craig and Max and headed up to our room.

Once in the room we took turns in the shower before pulling on our pajamas and calling our guys. Both were happy that we’d had fun and happy that we’d actually called them. When we hung up Joanna laid down and relaxed. I however was staring at the little bag of weed that sat on the night stand in between our beds.

Joanna must have noticed me staring at it, “Do you wanna try it?” she asked nonchalantly. Back in high school, Aden and Joanna would occasionally smoke it, however I was never one to wanting to try it.

“I-I don’t know.” I replied. Curiosity was getting the best of me.

“Well, it’s been a while for me, I might smoke some.” She replied. She reached over to her bag on the other side of her bed and reached for the shorts she wore earlier. She pulled the bowl out of her pocket and started to unroll the plastic bag.

“Wow, it’s broken up and without the stems. Max is alright in my book.” She said with a smile. She packed the bowl and lit it, inhaling deeply and holding it.

She held the bowl out to me and I hesitantly took it. I stared at it for a moment and watched the embers die. She let out a stream of smoke before handing me the lighter. “The point is to suck it in before it dies out.” She giggled.

I thought about this for a moment before making my decision. “What the hell, what could possibly go wrong?” and with that being said, I lit the bowl and took my first hit of weed….ever.