I Can't Forget What You've Forgotten

{{ Zacky's P.O.V. }}

"Hey." I heard someone whisper loudly and the end of the bed sink down from the added weight. I opened my eyes halfway and glanced down at where my feet was; Jimmy sat himself at the end of the bed with his legs crossed indian style.

"What," I asked him, my voice dull of emotions.

"Since tomorrow's our day off and we're near Huntington Beach, I say we go to a club tonight and get shitfaced." He grinned. Brian walked by just then and they high-fived each other; he then joined Jimmy on the bed but deciding to sit next to me instead. I pushed myself up from my laying position and into a sitting position, just like the other two.

"We should," Brian said, clapping his hand togethe. "Man, I haven't partied in so long."

"And with it being a day off tomorrow, the bitch can't do anything about it." Jimmy referred to Tracy, our tour manager. We were sitting in our hotel room, near the venue we were playing at tonight and a good over thirty minute drive back home to Orange County.

"I say we go; what do you think Zack?"

I nodded; I needed to get out and away anyway. "What 'bout Matt and Johnny?"

"They're coming," Brian answered me and I nodded, falling forward and burying my face into the mattress as a knock came on the door.
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I stared into the mirror, fixing my now-dry hair after taking a shower after the show; you gotta smell fresh when heading out to a nightclub. I re-applied my normal amount of eyeliner and completed my regular outfit with a bandana hanging off loosely around my neck. I glanced around the room to see Brian finished, just in time.

"Let's go." Matt stood up and grabbed one of the two room keys, placing it into the back pocket of his jeans before heading out the door. We all piled out and Johnny closed the door quietly behind him, careful not to disturb Tracy. Hopefully, Cassie distracted her long enough for us to escape.

Inside the elevator, I could hear Jimmy talking on his cell phone. I heard him ask the person if they were sure that they didn't want to come - most likely, he was talking to Cassie. She had declined our invitation before, therefore, I don't think there was a chance of her accepting it this time.

"Fine," we all heard Jimmy whine silently. "I won't drink." Things got quiet as he listened to what Cassie had to say on the other line. "Okay okay; I promise!" he grumbled as he closed his cell phone shut, frowning and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Aw, what happened?" Brian asked him in a baby voice. "Girlfriend won't let you party?"

Jimmy grumbled some more. "She won't let me drink. I promised to be the sober one tonight." He sighed and things fell quiet once again until Johnny had an outburst after the silence had lasted for about two seconds.

"The Rev's whipped!" Everyone guffawed as he took off through the lobby with Jimmy chasing after him.

We went through the lobby, avoiding all the people that stopped to stare at Johnny and Jimmy or people who were going against us. We finally reached the main door and walked out into the sidewalk where Johnny and Jimmy waited next to a black Escalade that Matt had rented for the night.

Climbing in, I settled myself in the lone seat in the middle row, near the window on the left side of the car. I stared out the window and idly watched the lights and other cars pass, listening to the conversations within the car as if the words were all a blur in my head.

I took the open bottle of alcohol that the bartender handed me and took a gulp. I watched as everyone around me either talked loudly over the music or danced and swayed on the dance floor. My eyes traveled over to one particular area of the club - the part of the club that gave it the name of a specific kind of club, the strip club.

All four of the guys went over there but I stayed behind, telling them that I just wanted to sit and drink.

Before I knew it, when I looked down at the table where my arm laid on the bar, a petite girl had placed herself in the once unoccupied seat next to me, making it look as though she belonged to me. I noticed that she was looking up at me, waiting to get my attention; she must've been there for a while.

With the alcohol burning in my brain, I didn't bother to remove my arm and left it there as she leaned into it. I took in her features: she was a small girl - shorter than me in height by probably half a foot, brunette, and hazel eyes, outlined with a light layer of black eyeliner. She wore heavy mascara though, but other than that, she looked natural.

"Hey." She smiled up at me, revealing her straight, pearl white teeth.

"Hey." I smiled back at her, not bothering to make much of an effort. "Are you here alone?" I asked her, just to be nice and she nodded. "I'm Zack." I decided to introduce myself and stuck my hand - the one that was previously laid around her - out for her to shake.

"Angie," she replied sweetly and took my hand into her own for a handshake. I chuckled inwardly to myself; a handshake with a girl at a club? That was something almost unheard of.

I felt a pair of eyes on me, staring, but by the time I looked up to look around in search of whoever the spy was; everyone was minding their own business. I heard Angie begin to talk, and I tried hard to listen to what she had to say but with much effort, I couldn't make out the words. I caught Brian's eye and he beckoned for me to come over; I decided to obey - just anything to get away from talking to this unknown girl.

I turned towards her and she was using hand and arm motions to express herself as she spoke. I nodded at some of the things, to make her believe that I was listening before I interrupted her.

"I'm sorry darling but my friend over there is calling me." I pointed in a random direction. "We're about to leave soon. It was nice meeting you." I faked a smile and she nodded sadly, looking down at the drink in her hand. I sighed, feeling guilty and reached over to give her a hug, which she gladly accepted with eager arms.

I finished off my drink and set the bottle on the bar table, taking out a twenty dollar bill and placing it underneath for a firm stay. I got up, leaving the girl behind and pushed my way through the crowd to where I last saw Brian - which was near the other side of the bar where the strippers were.

I stumbled over my own two feet, struggling to get through the crowd that was constantly moving to the beat of the music that pumped out of the stereo speakers, the bass vibrating through the walls and the floor. I felt a hand grab my shirt before the person pulled me over to the side with them.

I looked up and saw Jimmy, standing next to three other drunken guys that were looking around, amazed with the half-naked women on the stage in front of them. They were all laughing and joking around, pointing everywhere. I couldn't say that they were idiots to do so, since my state of mind wasn't exactly sober but I felt more calm then they probably felt- enough to control myself.

"Help me get one of them out to the car," Jimmy leaned in near my ear and shouted over the music. I nodded, and with my vision slightly blurred, my hand grabbed onto the skinny arms of who I was sure was Johnny. I stumbled worse than before, with Johnny's own clumsiness as an added effect and tried my best to follow Jimmy, who had Brian and Matt on both arms, out of the crowd.

As I was pulling Johnny along, I came to an abrupt stop, looking up at the stage of girls. Out of the corner of my eye, a certain girl caught my eye. I ignored her dancing onstage and focused more towards her face. Her black hair shined underneath the dim colored lights and from what I saw, part of her hair that seemed reddish-brown, glowed brighter. I watched what looked like her flawless skin coated with dark makeup, react underneath the dark lights as her eyes scanned around the room - her audience.

I felt my feet nearly trip over Johnny's as someone bumped into me, causing me to move along and fight through the crowd after losing sight of Jimmy for a long while now. We moved through the crowd and out, feeling the cold breeze hit our sweaty, hot skin when we got outside.

I struggled to keep Johnny standing up straight and headed towards where I last remembered Jimmy parking the car.

"She was totally checkin' you out," Johnny slurred from beside me, and guffawed as the tip of his shoe got caught on a sidewalk crack and he fell chest-first into the asphalt. I couldn't help but laugh out loud, trying to stand up straight myself.

"Get up." I nudged him on the side with my foot and started to slowly walk towards the car where Jimmy waited, honking for us to hurry up. I grabbed him by the shirt to hold him steady as he caught up with me, and pushed him into the backseat before getting into my own.

I dropped my head against the window, sure that it would leave a liquid mark on the glass, and closed my eyes, preparing for the little hangover that awaited me the next time I opened my eyes.