Forgive Me

The rest of the band was in front of the bus, surrounded by countless fans. Some wanted pictures with the entire band, others just with their favorite member, and others wanted an autograph on a torn out page of a magazine.
Some girls were perhaps a little too flirty, but the four musicians were accustomed to this kind of groupies.

Zack's POV

Zacky ended to sign a ridiculous piece of paper for one of these hysterical groupies, and then his eyes fell on her.
She was a rather small girl, about 5'2, with shoulder-length brown hair. Zacky’s eyes met the young woman ones. She had lovely brown eyes, in harmony with his roundish face. She was wearing a purple tank top, dark denim shorts, and purple Converse.

"Hey ...”, he began, unable to take his eyes off from the young unknown.

"Hello.", she replied shyly.

"What's your name? Huh…I think ... you already know mine.", he asked, smiling.

The young woman couldn’t help but smile at him in return. After all, it wasn’t every day that Zacky Fucking Vengeance asked you your name, while smiling.

"Madeleine," she finally answered. "But my friends call me Maddy."

"Oh ... I'll have to become friend with you if I wanna call Maddy too, then?, "He joked.

Maddy her cheeks start burning, and didn’t know really what to say.

"Well, ... How old are you, Madeleine? ", the green-eyed man continued, deliberately insisting on the pretty young woman’s name.

"21 years, since recently.", she answered.

"So, that makes you a big mature girl, then ...", he simply replied.

"Yeah, if you find a girl measuring 5'2 can be described as 'big’ ", she replied sarcastically.

The guitarist couldn’t restrain a small chuckle. This Maddy girl was special.

"You're funny. By the way, if you're right here in front of me, I guess that's because you want... you know ... a picture or something, right? ", the guitarist asked, hesitantly.

The young woman gave him a little smile.

"Yeah, probably, but admit it, M. Vengeance, you’re only asking this because you love to be photographed, aren’t you?", she joked.

This time, Zacky laughed outright and put his arm around Maddy’s shoulders.

"I think I like you, Madeleine. Come, I'll introduce you to the band!", he says while leaving the crowd of fans.

Normal POV

"Ha! We barely left Zacky alone five minutes and he already has found an innocent girl to bother! "Johnny noted.

"Shut up, Christ! ", the guitarist said, addressing Johnny a look of annoyance.

"Seriously, Zacky, who is this lovely young lady?", Arin asked more calmly.

"Well, it's Madeleine, or Maddy. But as we aren’t her friends we have no right to call her Maddy ...”, Zacky replied, jokingly.

Maddy rolled her eyes, and added, laughing:

"Ok, Baker, you seem very frustrated by not being allowed to call me Maddy, then do you know what, do just as you like! Call me whatever you want. "

The five musicians laughed together, while Maddy smiled shyly.

"Okay, your turn, Matt," Zacky began.

The singer looked at him, confused.

"Well what? You forced me to introduce Maddy, and you wouldn’t tell us who is this lovely girl you old by the shoulders from just now? ", the guitarist asked, raising his eyebrows, trying to look shocked.

The singer smiled, and his dimples left out completely.

"Guys, this is Alyssa.", Matt introduced the girl, sending her a warm smile.

"Hi.", Alyssa simply said in return, but making a small wave with her hand.

She was a 5'7 pretty girl, with an asymmetrical haircut, a beauty mark above her upper lip, reinforced by her dark red lip gloss. The beautiful brunette had deep green eyes, highlighted with a black though fairly basic makeup.
She was wearing a Metallica T-shirt, ripped jeans and sneakers.

"So, Alyssa, here is Zacky, the idiot just here is Johnny, and the quiet young man right here, it's Arin. But hey, I guess you were already aware of it. "Matt continued, in a playful tone.

Alyssa only shook her head.

"Where is ... Synyster? ", Maddy suddenly asked.

Zacky turned toward her, fainting to be annoyed:

"Why does this matter? You have five splendid rock stars right here with you, and it's not enough for you? "He asked, trying somehow to appear shocked.

"I guess it’s something like that", the brown-haired beauty replied, laughing frankly.

"Seriously," Matt began, "Brian, I mean Synyster, wasn’t feeling very well after the show. He preferred to stay in the bus and said he was sorry for not being able to talk to fans today.”

"Oh, ok," the two girls replied, almost in unison.

The musicians continued to chat with other fans, leaving Alyssa and Maddy get to know each other.

"So where do you come from ?" Maddy asked.

"California. But I had to visit my aunt, who lives here in New York, so I took the opportunity to go to this show. What about you? "

"Well, I come from Scotland, where I live with my mother, my stepfather and my half-sister.", Maddy answered.

"Wow, that's far away. And you came to New York alone?! "Alyssa asked, surprised.

"No, no," Maddy said, smiling, "Actually, I'm here with my half-sister for four days. We always wanted to come to New York, and so we took advantage of this small vacation we have to go here ...", she explained.

"And your sister she doesn’t like Avenged?”, Alyssa asked.

"I told her about this group, but she didn’t seem interested. In fact, we have pretty much the same musical tastes, but she isn’t really looking to discover new bands. So, she knows Avenged Sevenfold’s name, but she never listened to their music. She doesn’t even know what they look like! "Maddy said, in an almost mocking air.

"Well your sister don’t know what she miss! ", Alyssa joked, quickly glancing at Matt.

"That's what I told. But the Miss said she had work to do, and she had, I quote, no time to waste to go see a band that she doesn’t even know."

That's at this point that the two girls noticed almost all the fans were now gone, and that there were only the both of them, and the four musicians, of course.

The said musicians joined the two girls.

"Is it okay with you to spend some time with us in the bus? ... Or you have better things to do than hang out with four, well.. five, lovely gentlemen? ", the singer asked with a teasing smile.

The two young women looked at each other, but it was Maddy who replied.

"It's ok for me. Anyway, if I go home, my only company would be my half-sister, who would spent the rest of the night the head in a book. Hang out with you guys .... seems more fun.", Maddy replied honestly.

"Okay, what about you, Alyssa? ", Matt asked, this time more seriously.

"Uh ... I think my aunt can survive an evening without me…", the brunette replied with a big smile.

"Ok girls! Prepare yourself to spend the funniest evening of your life! ", Johnny said, enthusiastically running to the bus.

"The little shit becomes hysterical when an unusual event happens…", Zacky explained, trying to contain his laughter.

Matt, Arin and both of the girls laughed slightly before joining the bus.

When they entered, Brian was asleep on the couch, but was awakened by the sound of Johnny’s loud footsteps.

"What the....? ", the lead guitarist started.

"Come on, Gates! Wake up, we got company tonight! ", Johnny almost yelled.

Brian looked around him, and his eyes fell on Maddy and Alyssa. He rolled his eyes, rose from the couch, grabbed his jacket and said:

"I'm not in the mood for that, guys, sorry. I'll go to the hotel. One not too far, though."

And without another word, he exited the bus. Zacky sighed, but smiled when he locked eyes Maddy.

"Too bad for him, but we can have fun without him.", the raven-haired man said, putting his arm around Maddy’s shoulder.

"So girls, what do you want to do?", Matt asked.

Alyssa shrugged, and Maddy didn’t seem more inspired.

"What do you think about a movie?", Zacky proposed.

Everyone seemed to agree with this idea. They also agreed on the choice of the movie and settled into the couch.
Johnny was at the end of the sofa, Arin was seated between Johnny and Matt, the latter being seated next to Alyssa. Maddy was seated between Alyssa and Zacky.

They had a good time occasionally laughing as Matt told Johnny several times to shut the fuck up.

"I think it's time for me to go back home ...", Alyssa said, getting up from the couch.

"Wait!", Matt says. "How will you go back there?"

"Oh I'll call a cab. My aunt doesn’t live far away from here. Twenty minutes driving, something like that.", Alyssa explained.

"Well okay then ... But I prefer to go with you, if it doesn’t bother you. I wouldn’t want that something bad happens to you, huh ... ", the tall man said with a huge smile.

"Yes of course, Matt! We’re never too careful! "Johnny joked, sending the singer a meaningful smile.

"Shut up, Little Shit! ", Matt cursed, before exiting the bus, Alyssa on his heels.

"And you, what are you gonna do now?", Zacky asked Maddy.

"I'll go home too, because my half-sister will eventually call the cops if I’m too late…" Maddy said, rolling her eyes.

Zacky laughed lightly, before asking again:

"Taxi?"

"Oh no, the hotel where we sleep is not very far from here. I can walk. "Maddy assured.

"Okay but I’ll walk you, it's late and it's dark. Who knows what can happen to a pretty girl like you in the streets of New York.", Zacky said, addressing the said girl a warm smile.

"As you want", Maddy responded, trying to hide her blushing cheeks.

Alyssa's POV

A comfortable silence had felt between her and Matt during the cab ride.
Matt finally asked the woman what she was doing in New York, and she told him the same story she told Maddy a little earlier in the evening.

"So that means you're not here for a long time ..." Matt said, as a matter of fact.

"I guess so. But hey, I still prefer California to this crazy city...", Alyssa admitted.

"Wait, wait, wait, have you ... just said… California? ", Matt asked, wide-eyed.

Alyssa giggled at the singer’s facial expression.

"Absolutely. I know you're from California too…In fact, I live in a small studio in Los Angeles.", the young woman explained.

"And ... what do you do for a living?", Matt asked, curious.

"I am a tattoo artist in a small shop," Alyssa replied proudly.

"Cool! So I guess you have many tattoos on your body…", Matt implicitly asked.

Alyssa sighed almost sadly.

"I'd like to. But I’ve got a quite sensitive skin so I can’t ...” , the tattoo artist confessed.

"I see.", Matt simply replied.

Without them realizing it, the cab arrived at its destination.

"Well, well ... good night, Matt. I was very happy to meet you and the band.", Alyssa said, handing money to the driver before leaving the car.

"Wait!”, Matt called, following her.

The young woman stopped and looked at the singer, wondering what he wanted.

"We have a few days off between our concerts ... you could ... I don’t know ... have lunch with us tomorrow, for example? ", Matt asked, expectantly.

Alyssa pretended to think very seriously about that before sending a pretty smile to the singer.

"I would love to.", she said.

The singer smiled, showing his dimples, and approached the young woman.

They exchanged phone numbers, and Alyssa started to turn again and enter the building behind them. But Matt held her by the wrist. Alyssa frowned, but didn’t have time to think further, because she found herself engulfed in the strong grip of Matt’s arms. She put her arms around him as well, and inhaled his scent.
The singer released his grip.

"Good night, Alyssa, and see you tomorrow.”, the singer said, almost whispering.

"Good night, Matt," Alyssa said with a smile.

And this time, she disappeared behind the doors of the old building. Matt got into the taxi, and returned to where the bus was.

Maddy's POV:

On their way, Maddy and Zacky talked about everything and nothing. She told him about the reason of her presence in New York, her family, and ... music. The two young men had much in common from this point of view then. Moreover, Zacky seemed almost surprised when the young woman mentioned she liked Papa Roach.

Zacky’s phone signaled a new message and the guitarist smiled while reading it.

"Have you plans for tomorrow?", Zacky asked, point blank.

"No, not that I know ...", the brown-haired beauty replied distractedly.

"Good thing!", Zacky enthused. "Because Matt proposed to this girl, ... Alyssa, I think, to have lunch with us tomorrow. This means that you can come with us too. "

“What if I say no?", Maddy asked, raising an eyebrow.

The guitarist pretended to be very sad, and wiped fake tears.
"Well ... well ... it's not a big deal, really..., really," he says still pretending to sob.

He was so sweet. Maddy had difficulties to refrain herself from holding the green-eyed man in her arms, but she regained her composure and added:

"I’m just kidding. Of course I will come tomorrow! And maybe I’ll convince my dear half-sister to join. But anyway, I’ll be there!"

Zacky pretended to be extremely relieved, and smiled frankly to the girl.
They arrived at a modern building. The hotel.

"Well, so I think I’m arrived ..." Maddy stated. "Thanks for walking with me."

"Wait a minute. I want a hug before you go home!", Zacky groaned, pretending to be angry.

The young woman blushed, but didn’t need to be said twice.

The two friends exchanged cordial "good nights", and promised to meet tomorrow at lunch.