Saviour

The van pulled up outside, what I was guessing Andy’s place when Andy opened the door and stepped out and waited for me. I said bye to everyone and shut the door, before walking over to Andy who had just opened the door. I smiled up at him as he led the way into the lounge after shutting the front door.

“Take a seat. I’ll be back in a minute.” He smiled before leaving the room.

I sat down on the couch, looking around the room. There were many pictures of Andy with family members. One in particular caught my attention. It looked fairly recent compared to the others. Andy’s hair was how it used to be, long, just past his shoulders, before he cut it, and he was sat next to an elderly man. They both looked happy. I stood up and walked over to it, taking a closer look. I smiled upon seeing them both smiling. I walked around looking at some of the other photos; some were of Andy and the old members of Black Veil Brides, another of him and the recent members. I came across another, which was of Andy and his parents. There was a wall that had everything Black Veil Brides related on it. There were magazine covers framed, posters with sold out dates printed on it, and many more along with a shelf holding awards they had won. I looked it all over before going back to the picture of Andy and the elderly man, who I had figured by now, was his Grandpa. Just seeing Andy looking that happy, made me happy.

“That’s my favourite picture of me and my Grandpa.” Andy said.

I jumped and turned round, looking at him. He stood there, holding two drinks, and a cigarette between his fingers. I smiled at him.

“It is a wonderful picture.” I smiled.

I walked over to couch, that Andy had just sat on. I looked over at him, and saw the sadness in his eyes as he stared over at the picture.

“I miss him.” He all but whispered.

“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.” I asked.

He shook his head.

“It’s fine.” I heard him sniffle. “He um- he passed away, just last week.” He bowed his head looking at his hands. He had placed the cigarette he was previously holding, into the ash tray that was on the table.

“I’m so sorry.” I muttered grabbing his hand.

He chuckled slightly, shaking his head, before lifting it up and looking at me.

“It’s alright.” He smiled. “He’s at peace now, and I know he’ll be looking down on me, encouraging me to continue my dream.”

I smiled up at him and nodded. Hearing him talk about him, almost made me cry. He thought so highly of him. We sat in silence for a while.

“You know.” Andy started. “He’s the voice at the beginning on We Stitch These Wounds, and the voice at the beginning of the Perfect Weapon video.”

I looked up at Andy and saw him smiling slightly.

“I always wondered who that was.” I giggled.

“Well now you know.” He smiled.

I nodded, and we went into another round of silence.

“I’m sorry about snapping at you last week in the café. I really shouldn’t of done that.” Andy muttered.

“Don’t start this again.” I stated.

“I can’t help it. I just feel really bad, especially since I fucking knew what you’ve been through.” He sighed.

I shook my head and told him to stop it. Before we got into the topic of today’s photo shoot. It was a lot of fun to say the least. I know it won’t be like that all the time, some of the bands that come through will not be the least bit enthusiastic about it, like the guys were today.
That conversation soon died out though.

“So, you wanted to talk?” I asked, as Andy was taking a sip of his drink.

He placed it back on the table before nodding and turning to me.

“Yeah.” He started. “Well when I last saw you, you said you wanted to know about my past, as it seemed fair. And I agree.”

I nodded.

“Okay.”

“Fuck, um…” He stuttered.

“Andy, if you’re not ready to tell me, then don’t.” I said.

“No, I want to.” He said, staring right ahead.

“Okay then.” I said, waiting for him to start.

“Okay, um.” He cleared his throat nervously.

“I was pretty much a nobody during school. I never had any friends there, but that’s not to say I didn’t have any friends at all. But at school I was the outcast. I was the guy who dressed differently, I decided to paint my nails, wear eyeliner, I listened to rock bands, and I wore skinny jeans, always wearing band tees. No one seemed to agree with it though. Apparently everyone had to be into all that Pop shit, all the guys wearing sports kits and all the girls dressed preppy. I didn’t fit in. I was the kid who seemed to do nothing but go to school, sit in the corner of every class room and the lunch hall, with no friends. They seemed to think that as soon as I got home I’ll spend the rest of the day in my room sobbing over things, and self-harming.

It was just the occasional name calling for a while, until they found out that I got a girlfriend. They couldn’t understand why a guy like me could get a girl. I didn’t let it get to me though. That was until they started calling her horrible names as well. They didn’t know her; they couldn’t judge her for just being with me. But they did.” He paused, and looked at me, before continuing.

“She went away for a month with her family, and things got worse at school. They started beating me, and almost every day in the lunch hall, Lewis, the guy who came into the café the other day, would dump all his lunch on me, along with his friends. And every time he saw me with my notebook that held all my songs, he would rip them all out and rip them into small shreds before chucking them at me. Sometimes it got too much and I would, you know, self-harm. But it was very rare for me to do that. I stopped as soon as I found out that they knew.” He took a sip of his drink before continuing.

“They knew I had formed a band and would always tell me that we wouldn’t make it. But they didn’t realize that was pushing me further into trying to make Black Veil Brides big. They were encouraging me, not making me have doubts. When we started getting local gigs, they come to shows, call us names and throw things at us, then the next week at school would tell me how shit we were. It didn’t bother me. I knew we weren’t the best, but I was still determined to become big, be known worldwide, and help people with our music. A lot of gigs were like that for a while. The school bullies coming down to try and put us off, make us run off stage crying. It wasn’t going to happen; we weren’t going to let them get to us.” He stopped and sighed, looking at me.

“I know he sounds like nothing to yours. You know having your family hating on you as well, while I could go home, talk to my parents about it and have them give me advice on it.” He stated.

“You still had a tough time though.” I said.

“But still, that’s why I try and help people now, I remember how horrible it was to have it happen to me, and I don’t want to see them have to go through what I did.” He sighed. “You remind me of me.” He said, and lit up a cigarette.

I watched him inhale before blowing the smoke out and turned to me. He held the cigarette out to me, offering it, before I took it and repeated his actions. Yeah, that’s one thing I forgot to mention, I smoke. Not often, I can normally make a pack of 20 last me a week or two, while some people, it doesn’t last even a day.

Andy grabbed the pack and lit another one, keeping that one to himself and letting me have the one I was currently holding.

“I wasn’t aware that you smoke?” He questioned.

“Not very often. I’d be about to make that packet last me about a week.” I stated.

He raised an eyebrow.

“A week?” He questioned and I nodded. “Fuck, I’d be lucky if I can make this packet last a day.”

I giggled before taking a drag again.

“So, tell me a bit about your family. I mean, a few times I’ve heard you talk so highly of them in interviews.” I smiled.

“They’re my best friends.” He stated. “They believed in me, supported me in what I wanted to look like and what I wanted to become. They come to many of my gigs, and I appreciate that. Not many parents who’s kids are in bands would travel the world to see them. They supported my relationships, even if they didn’t think the girl was good enough for me, if I was happy, that was all they wanted to see.” He finished.

I nodded, wishing my family was like that.

We sat in silence again, a comfortable silence just enjoying each other’s company. I have to admit, Andy is the first guy I have ever felt comfortable around. Then again, he is the first guy to not judge me by the way I look.

I sighed and put the last of the cigarette I had out in the ash tray, before sitting back on the couch. It wasn’t long until Andy did the same. I looked over at him and saw him looking at me. He smiled slowly, and beckoned me over to him.

“Come ‘ere.” He said.

I scooted closer to him and he placed his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his side. He sighed and looked down at me.

“You’re different to other girls, Lizzie.” Andy muttered, looking me in the eyes.

I looked at him confused.

“You don’t treat me differently because I’m in a famous band; you’re constantly surprised when I stick up for you in something, like you never expect it. You don’t take advantage of anything, and I like that about you.” I smiled. “I like it a lot.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist. Hearing him say that made my heart melt. I’ve never had a guy talk about me like that.

“I really like you, Lizzie.” He started. “I’m glad we got the chance to meet.”

I nodded.

“So am I.” I smiled. “I also like you too.” I giggled and watched him smirk.

“So you wouldn’t mind if I did this?”

“Do what?”

Before I knew it, he placed his lips on mine. After the initial shock passed, I kissed him back, I felt him smile into the kiss. I felt him place his other hand on my cheek before tracing my bottom lip with his tongue. I parted them allowed him entrance and he started exploring my mouth. I stifled a moan, and felt him move his hand from my cheek to my waist, and pulled me over to sit on his lap.

We pulled apart gasping for air.

“Wow.” I gasped, trying to get my breath back.

“What?” Andy chuckled.

“Just-“ I took a breath. “I didn’t expect my first kiss to be like that.” I sighed.

Andy stared at me, his hands still resting on my hips.

“F-First kiss?” He stuttered.

I nodded.

“How?” He questioned. “I mean, how can it be your first kiss? Surely you’ve had a boyfriend before.”

I shook my head no.

“They’d all judge me for how I dressed. They didn’t want to date a girl like me.”

Andy brought a hand back up to my cheek and slowly rubbed it with his thumb.

“Well it’s their loss.” He smiled. “You’re beautiful.”

I blushed, and smiled at him slightly.

I saw Andy lean in again, I closed my eyes feeling his warm breath, on my lips when I heard my phone ringing. Andy groaned and pulled away, letting me get off his lap and search for my phone.

I got it out of my bag and groaned.

“It’s Hayley.” I sighed.