No Matter What

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^*Brian’s POV*^
I slowly woke up, groaning as I felt the back of my head throbbing, and it took me a minute to remember that I had fallen down the steps. Or had been pushed down them, rather. In the middle of rolling over onto my stomach, the reality then hit me of being on a couch. I hit the floor, and heard snickers, and chuckles around me as I cried out as I had quickly turned, trying to keep myself from falling, and the knot on the back of my head reconnected with the floor as I did so. What a fucking wonderful way to wake up…

“About time you woke up, you’ve been out since last night.” I heard Matt’s voice, but I was still on the floor, my eyes squeezed shut in pain.

“Here,” I felt a hand grab mine as I held it out, and pull me up. I opened my eyes to see Zacky as he easily pushed me back onto the couch. “You have one more fucking bruise on your head, man.” He said, sitting down beside me.

“Johnny shoved him down the stairs, what more could you expect?” Jimmy scoffed, sounding tired, and looking it as he looked back at the TV, his eyes closing slightly. I didn’t remember shit.

“Why did he push me down the stairs again?” I asked, looking over at Matt as it was obvious Jimmy was too absorbed in the TV to even acknowledge a question from another human being, and looked like he was about to fall back asleep.

“You found Madison in the kitchen, and when he came down he thought he could cover it all up by telling her it was a dream according to Jimmy. I didn’t know anything really until you two came falling down the stairs, and Madison ran down a few minutes after.” Matt answered simply and I nodded, then remembering everything, and I couldn’t help but smile a little. Madison was here. I thought we had left her in the prison, and I had given her up because I didn’t think it was right for us to be together, but…but now we’re back in the same house, and I don’t think I can keep pushing her away.

“Well, I’m hungry.” Zacky said, bringing me from my thoughts as he stood up.

“Oh, what’s for breakfast?” Matt asked, looking at him. Zacky then looked over at Jimmy, who was sitting sideways on the couch, nearly asleep it seemed.

“Jimmy, what’s for breakfast?” Zacky asked, and Matt nudged Jimmy’s shoulder just for him to snore slightly.

“Strippers…” He muttered, and Matt’s face lost all expression as he looked to Zacky.

“Is he serious?” Matt asked, straight-faced.

“No.” Zacky got up and went to kick Jimmy in the shin, but Matt stopped him.

“No, no, no, let him sleep, let him sleep. He’s in some kind of haven right now…” Matt said and I rolled my eyes as I stood up.

“I’ll go get something.” I said and Matt and Zacky looked at me.

“Strippers?” Matt asked, sounding hopeful and Zacky slapped him in the back of the head. “Fuck.” Matt hissed, rubbing the place.

“What do you two want?” I asked and Matt sighed.

“Strippers...”

“Shut the fuck up.” Jimmy mumbled, and laid down, his head in Matt’s lap.

“I’m not hungry anymore.” Matt mumbled.

“Just go pick up some biscuits or something, and we’ll go from there.” Zacky said and I nodded and walked towards the stairwell. I couldn’t believe they actually though I was going out. I jogged up and into the house, then through the kitchen and up the stairs and I looked in the first room straight ahead, and found Johnny. I walked in and went over to his bed and leaned down in his face.

“JOHNNY!” I screamed, and he jolted awake, his hand automatically slapping my face. “Ow!” I recoiled as he sat up quickly, seeming ready to punch me in the face.

“Good lord, Brian! What’s wrong with you?”

“You bitch slapped me, you little fucker.” I said and he scoffed.

“You gave me a heart attack!” He defended.

“Well sorry, but goddamn, man.” I said, rubbing my cheek.

“God, what do you want?” He asked, sounding tired and annoyed.

“We’re hungry. And those bastards were going to let me go out and get breakfast, but I can’t go out.” I explained and he groaned and laid back, his hands over his face.

“You guys are like fucking toddlers.” He muttered.

“And we’re hungry!” I whined, dragging the last word out and he groaned again as he got up.

“Okay, okay, I’m going.” He said with a sigh and I smiled.

“Thanks short shit.” I grinned, ruffling his hair and he sighed again.

“Yea, yea, don’t mention it.” He waved my hand off as he walked towards his closet, and I walked out of his bedroom, but I was stopped before I could get down the stairs.

“Brian, what’s wrong?!” I heard Madi and I smiled as I walked towards her voice, stopping in the doorway of her bedroom, seeing her lying in bed, an arm over her eyes.

“Nothing m-” At my voice she bolted up, one arm laterally in front of her in defense and the other raised to punch me in the face, apparently. “God, you’re like Johnny.” I said with a smile and she just grinned, shaking her head as she relaxed.

“You scared me.” She said and I shrugged and walked in.

“You couldn’t just expect me to hear your voice and not hunt you down.” I said, and as I crawled on top of her and she just smiled and kissed me on the lips, and I kissed back until-

“Dude, refrain from raping my sister whilst I’m in the house.” I felt Johnny’s hand on my collar, pulling me from her lips, and I just sighed, still straddling her hips as I looked over at him.

“Johnny, get out.” Madi said, obviously annoyed that her brother was doing such a thing.

“Fine, fine, I guess you don’t need food.” He said and walked out.

“Now that he’s gone…” I trailed off with a smirk as I leaned down and kissed her again, her lips moving against mine and her arms snaking around my neck and then.

“SHIT FUCK!” Johnny’s screamed reached out ears, along with the sound of two bodies tumbling down the stairs.

“Shit!” I hissed, and Madi got out from under me, running towards the stairs and I was right behind her.

“Zacky, man, are you okay?” Matt’s voice could be heard as we finally got to the stairs to see Zacky and Johnny lying at the bottom, the two of them blinking profusely, but neither getting up. Matt was over with Zacky, and Jimmy with Johnny

“Quick, shortstack, how many fingers?” Jimmy held up his middle finger in Johnny’s face and Johnny winced and slapped his hand away.

“I’m fine, Matt, stop flipping out.” Zacky pushed Matt away from him as well as Madison and I got to them.

“What happened?” Madi asked, looking between the two as they finally got to their feet.

“Yea, the hell was that crash?” I asked, just as worried.

“That was my face hitting a step, then my foot, then my knee, then another step, and then repeat.” Zacky said, seeming like he was still trying to get his vision back.

“Well you shouldn’t have been running up the stairs.” Jimmy said, and Johnny sighed.

“Says the guy who slipped and fell running to get to my side.” Johnny said sarcastically.

“What can I say? I love midgets.” Jimmy grinned and wrapped his arms around Johnny’s shoulders.

“What the fuck happened? We don’t’ care about your love for Johnny, or safety warnings, all we want to know is what happened.” I said and Madi nodded.

“I was running to tell Johnny that I saw someone looking through the little window in the basement.” Zacky cringed as he placed a hand over a bruise on his cheek that was evident, but the fear was still in his voice.

“What?” Matt asked, looking at him.

“Who was it?” I asked and Matt gave me a look that told me he wasn’t amused even though I was serious.

“It was Batman, coming to save us, dumbass.” Matt said sarcastically, and I held my hands up.

“Sorry, my god.” I said, not wanting to get hit in the face after the few close calls this morning.

“He saw us. I know he did. I mean, that guy could’ve been there for a good fifteen minutes, and we wouldn’t have noticed him.” Zacky said, his voice shaking slightly now. “I mean, I wouldn’t have noticed him if I hadn’t of been trying to get Jimmy off of me so I could get up.” I didn’t have time to question, nor did I want to about why Jimmy was on top of Zack.

“What did he look like?” Madi asked and Zacky shook his head.

“I don’t know, as soon as I looked at him he turned so fast and ran I didn’t see his face.” Zacky said and things then fell silent for a second. I could tell this was weighing on everyone. This guy could’ve seen us, and recognized us from the news or something, and he could be headed to the station right now to rat us out and the police could already be on their way over.

“Zacky, are you sure you weren’t seeing things?” Jimmy asked, his voice taking on a serious tone.

“I’m sure. I saw him.” Zacky was telling the truth, he wouldn’t lie about something like this.

“Well let’s just not panic.” Madison said, seeming to try to instill some calmness before we all began flipping out.

“Not panic, that’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one hiding from the cops with a risk of being put down like a fucking dog if you ever get caught.” Matt snapped, running a hand through his hair.

“Matt, don’t say shit like that, we’re going to be fine.” Zacky said, punching Matt in the shoulder. “No one’s going to find out where we are, we’re going to be okay.” I looked over at Jimmy, because he was too quiet.

“Jimmy, you okay?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“I can’t go back to jail.” He said, looking up from the floor. The mood in the room had dropped so fast it wasn’t even funny. “After everything I’ve gone through, I can’t- I won’t get taken back to that prison. I’d rather die than have to get thrown back in that place.”

“Well if they find us I guess you’ll get your wish.” Matt said quickly, and turned, walking towards the kitchen.

“I-I’ll go talk to him.” Johnny said, sounding slightly cautious before he walked off in the direction Matt had gone.

“What are we going to do? Matt does have a good point.” Zacky said, and I shrugged.

“We can try to make it.” I said, looking up from the floor. “We can’t just give up, because if someone really did see us and is on the way to the police station now, then…then we’ll get rather re-arrested, or shot for sure.”

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^*Johnny’s POV*^
I had to admit, going after an escaped convict that sounded pretty pissed off was one of the most ballsy things I had done in a while, which was why I didn’t just walk straight into the kitchen. I was afraid he was going to be tossing plates or something. I peeked around the corner though, and let my guard down slightly when I found him leaning over the counter, his shoulders heaving up and down like he was out of breath and angry. I stepped on out from behind the wall and into the kitchen cautiously.

“Matt, are you alright?” I asked and he took a deep breath, shaking his head as he leaned up from the counter.

“You’ve got to help us here, Johnny.” He said, his attitude in a three-sixty from what it was not too long ago. “You’re the one that’s got a decent amount of control over us right now, and you can’t let us get taken back there.” He said, stepping forward. I couldn’t just let them get taken back. They didn’t seem like the prison type, and from what I had experienced of them, they were good guys. Plus, Brian and Madison were apparently together. I was afraid of them -of what could happen if it were to be figured out that I was harboring them- but it would kill my little sister if something happened to him. I wouldn’t do that to her.

“Don’t worry.” I’d help out as much as I could. “I’ll help.”