I Wanna Get Well

The rest of the meal was really quite uneventful. Throughout the time we were there Matt and I spoke of random things. Music, his wife, movies, just random things that held nothing in common. I had forced myself to eat two of the three chicken tenders and a fourth of the fries. Luckily Matt didn’t press me to eat anymore, he was too busy complaining about how he was “so stuffed”. I guess that’s what he got for eating the whole plate. Johnny had finished off all of his food too, but he was less talkative than Matt. In fact, he seemed to practically swallow it whole before placing his head on the table again.

After paying and saying goodbye to Emily, we got in the Cadillac and Matt began to drive. I frowned as Matt drove in the opposite direction from Johnny’s house. I only knew this because I knew we had passed a Wal-Mart and that was being left behind in the complete different direction he drove. “Aren’t you dropping me back at Johnny’s?”

“Well without him there, there’s not much for you to do. Besides, Zack told me to bring you even if you argued. Don’t worry, you’ll still get a full day’s pay,” Matt promised, grinning at me. I frowned, trying to relax in my seat. It wasn’t the pay I was worried about. It was me having to give social interaction. Matt and Zack were fine guys (obviously I can’t say I feel the same for Johnny) but I could only handle so much people, so much acting… normal. Besides, I also had to meet their last band mate. What was his name? Ryan or something?

Why the hell did Zack want me to come with them?

I decided to be left in my thoughts on the way to their studio, wherever it was. Was I going to be back before Parker got off? Or would he get home before me? That was just an odd idea all on its own. I was either home long before Parker or back at the same time since he did give me rides. He was easily attached to his work. If he didn’t finish a design during work he would stay hours after everyone had left to finish it. I remember Parker telling me once that Zack had found him asleep in his office and had to drive him home and lug him upstairs to his bed. Needless to say he didn’t let him come in for a couple of days.

Soon enough we were pulling to a stop outside a bluish building. I frowned at the one-story studio, trying to figure out why it had looked so familiar. I decided it was because Parker must have shown me something similar. Maybe it was even relating to the guys’ band. Well, wherever it was it was where I was going to be stranded for the next who-knows-how-many hours. And by stranded I do mean it literally. There was no chance of finding my way back home since I didn’t even have the slightest idea of where we were.

Maybe being lost in my thoughts wasn’t the best idea I had.

“Fee?” I turned my head to see Matt next to me, my door wide open. I saw Johnny stumble into the front door of the studio, letting me know I was alone in the car. “You coming?”

“Yeah, sorry,” I stammered, jumping out of the car and observing my feet. Matt carefully shut my door before leading me into the double doors. It wasn’t until we were in the entrance area of the building I recognized the place and where I had seen it before.

It was, in fact, Parker who had showed me it, and it did relate to the band. This was where they had made their last album, their self-title album Avenged Sevenfold. Parker and I had watched the vlogs online of them making them album on the week Parker had off after picking me up from Newport. It looked just like it had on the videos. Only there was something that seemed to be missing from the piece. The really tall guy who had been acting silly with the glasses. Jimmy! The drummer who had passed!

I could tell that the others I had arrived with noticed it too. I had nearly bumped into Matt due to him stopping in the middle of the entrance way. I stepped around him and opened my mouth to say something, but as I looked up at his face, an indescribable pain was apparent on his face. I frowned as I shut my mouth and turned to look around the rest of the studio. Johnny was still too, staring at the booth which held a drum kit. He lightly shook his head before turning down a short hallway and disappeared into a room, the door slamming shut behind him. Suddenly a movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention.

“Phoenix! I’m glad you came!” A man spoke with a wide smile as he approached me. He had snake bites and messy black hair. I didn’t recognize him fully until I saw his eyes. The brightest, most brilliant green I had ever seen. It was then I knew exactly who it was: Zacky, Parker’s boss.

“It’s not like I had much choice,” I spoke halfheartedly, giving him a small smile. It easily slid off my face as I twitched my eyes to look at Matt who was still standing with a grim expression, his eyes seeming to lose focus. Zacky followed my gaze and frowned, lightly shaking his head to me. I knew what he was saying; we had to leave Matt to adjust on his own. There was no point in speaking to him right now.

“Still, I’m glad,” Zack spoke earnestly as he led me away from Matt. I turned my head to look back at Matt, but Zack lightly placed a hand on the top of my back and gently pushed me away. I felt bad but there obviously wasn’t much I could do. I gave Zacky a soft smile as he led me to a couch in an area past the ‘kitchen’. I sat down and he sat next to me, seeming like he was at a second home.

“Why did you want me to come so bad anyways?” I asked curiously. It had seemed odd to me that he would want me to come with them so badly. It’s not like we knew each other or anything.

“I wanted to keep up with you and all. I know Parker wouldn’t give me any details about you because it is your business so I figured I should ask you instead.” Zack noticed my weird stare I had given him. He chuckled. “I know it seems odd but I like to keep up with my employees and their family. The Vengeance University family is an extended line of my own family. All of them matter to me.”

“That’s, uhhh, weird but flattering,” I spoke, blushing lightly and staring at my lap. I can honestly say I never had someone feel so strongly about things like that with people that they didn’t even know. I can see why Parker likes his boss so much. He’s a good natured man. I can’t see how people could hate him at all, if there was anyone out there that did. We began to talk randomly, exactly like Matt and I had. Most of the conversation gravitated towards music, zombies, and horror movies, not that I minded. It wasn’t until Matt finally sat down on the other side of me I realized how much time we had spent.

I looked around curiously. Why were they just wasting time? Matt, Zack, and Johnny was here, who was missing? I guess Zacky caught my strange stare and smiled. “We’re waiting for our friend to show up. He’s running late. If he doesn’t show up in ten more minutes I think we’ll have to start without him. He might not show up until later this week.”

“He’s being selfish. We all came here and yet he didn’t,” Matt snapped. For the first time since I met him I was terrified of Matt. Luckily I didn’t have to worry long. Matt stormed off down the hallway Johnny had disappeared through and yet another door slammed shut. I turned to Zack, the worry obvious on my face. Zack sighed as he turned away, his cheeriness evaporating and an odd kind emotion was evident on his face. The word closest to what I could describe it is as was grief.

“Don’t mind Matt. He’s just frustrated. Jimmy’s death took a toll on all of us,” Zack spoke. He looked at me, either for conformation I knew who he was talking about or if I knew how he felt, but I nodded either way. I was common to the idea of being hurt by the passing of a loved one. “It took a lot of nerve for us to come here. Our last bandmate though, well, we haven’t seen him since the news came about Jimmy. He left a message on his cell and home phone, hoping he would come through. His father, who has to check up on him every other day, told us he will come, just not sure when. So you can see why Matt is angry he hasn’t shown yet when the rest of us did.”

“I see,” I spoke softly. I couldn’t blame Matt at all. Even I felt slightly angry at this last person I hadn’t met yet. It didn’t seem fair that the rest of them went through the pain of getting here and he hadn’t. Matt’s use of the word “selfish” seemed to fit perfectly. “Maybe he will show.”

“I hope so. I think it would be best for him.” Zack’s mouth form a tight lipped grimace as he sent a short look down the hallway Matt and Johnny had disappeared. “I was actually hoping this would help Brian and Johnny. They seemed to need it most. But I don’t think it’s helping anyone.”

“But what about you?”

Zack gave a short, empty laugh before flashing me an apologetic wince. “Sorry. I’m not much better off, truth be told. I didn’t want to be here either, I wasn’t used to the idea of being here again without Jimmy. I had to come in two hours early, just to get this comfortable and that’s not much. No, I’m not better off either. I just have to pull on a strong front. I have to show the guys it will get better but I don’t think care much. They’re too busy in their own pain to notice it much, not that I can truly blame them.”

As Zack began to stare at his lap and fiddle with his fingers, I started to form a new admiration for the man before me. He really was a selfless man. He put his feelings aside in hopes to be a moral support for his friends, when he needed it too. He really was one of the strongest and kindest men I had ever met. I cautiously placed my hand on his forearm. He started, looking up at me with his jade eyes wide. I quickly took my hand back and gave a soft smile. “You are a strong man Zack. And I think you’re going to be able to pull this band back together. They just need time around you for them to see it.”

Zack smiled before he covered his mouth making some kind of choking sound. My eyes grew wide and my mind began to soar. Oh shit, what did I say? Should I call someone? Just as I was wondering if I remembered how to do CPR, Zack raised his head again to me and nervously laughed as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hands. “Sorry. I don’t mean to get so choked up. Thanks Phoenix.”

I gave a genuine smile in return. I hadn’t almost killed their guitarist, that’s good. Suddenly my ears caught the soft sound of the front door opening. I turned my head, seeing Zack look over from my sudden movement in my peripheral vision. In strolled a very familiar, tall man with a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. He let out a sigh and took off his glasses, showing his eyes were actually shut. It was silent for a few moments before he slowly let his brown orbs open to take in the room. He opened his mouth to say something until his eyes locked with mine. At that point a confused look filled his face and his mouth slid shut.

“Hey! You’re that dude that was jogging!” I exclaimed. I instantly felt stupid as the silence ensued again, the man simply staring at me dumbfounded while Zack looked between the two of us.

“Uhh, Brian, you made it.” Zack tried to sound cheerful but the confusion he felt had snuck into his tone, making him sound like he was questioning the man instead of greeting him.

“Why are you here?” the man, Brian, asked curiously. It wasn’t rude, it just seemed like he was completely lost on why a stranger he had randomly met only an hour or so ago was suddenly in the studio, talking to his fellow band mate.

“I, uh, I’m related to Zack’s designer,” I forced out, feeling a bit anxious having such an intense stare on me. I slowly let my eyes trail over to the control panel with knobs and buttons littering it’s surface. “And I got a job as Johnny’s house keeper.”

“Oh.”

I can honestly say, this was the most awkward silence I had ever had the displeasure of attending.