Gods & Monsters

The first time he saw her, he was on the bus. He was in Chicago, in fact, on the CTA heading back to his hotel after grabbing lunch at one of his favorite sushi bars. He kept a low profile; a grey hoodie and black pants that covered any distinguishing marks or tattoos. He managed to snag a few side glances, but nothing extreme. It was times like this that he was thankful that his band wasn’t ridiculously famous.

He was on the CTA, heading back to his hotel. It was in walking distance, but it was a little bit too far for his liking. Climbing on the bus, he counted out the correct cash, handing it to the driver. He quickly headed to the back, head down, not wanting to call any unnecessary attention upon himself. Once he was settled in the back, he sighed, pulling the hood from his spiky raven hair. Running an inked hand through the strands, he allowed his free hand to venture into his pocket, digging out his ipod. A curse left his lips as he realized his headphones had managed to tangle themselves in a twisted knot inside of his pocket. After a few minutes of fighting with the cord, he finally managed to separate the knot into two earbuds. Frustrated, he jammed them both in each ear, cranking up his music until everything around him was muted. Shoving his hand in his pockets, he leaned back in his seat, his green eyes staring out of the window, unfocused. Saturday Night by Misfits blared in his ears, his head nodding slowly to the beat subconsciously. But he perked up when he saw her.

She wasn’t alone, that much was clear. The guy that held her close to his side with an arm strewn around her shoulders had a smug grin on his face. She seemed to be cowering into his side, her face solemn as she walked with him, trying to keep up with his pace. She lifted her eyes from the sidewalk, looking over to the direction of the bus. And their eyes met for a brief second. Long enough for Zacky to feel his heart beat a tad faster and his palms get moist. She shot him a tiny side smile, before her date snapped her back to attention. He literally snapped his fingers directly in front of her face, causing her to stumble back a bit and almost lose her balance. He laughed loudly at her, loud enough for Zacky to hear from his spot inside of the bus. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and annoyance as she shoved past him, continuing their plight down the sidewalk. He quickly caught up to her, grabbing her elbow back to him and pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek. She slunk away from it, subtly wiping the wetness from her cheek onto his coat jacket. Zacky scoffed at the sight, and watched her move until she was out of side. The bus let out a loud huff of exhaust, before he felt the vehicle rumble and begin to move.

Recently divorced was the only term that seemed to be surrounding Zacky these days. The moment someone heard that phrase, they assumed the worst. Surprisingly, he was happy. He didn’t regret signing the papers and he knew that his now ex-wife, Gena, didn’t either. They had their arms around each other when they agreed on the divorce. He’d always love Gena, but they had grown their separate ways. They were great as friends, but destructive as lovers, and the two realized it. She still hung around and went to the shows, which surprisingly, Zacky had no problem with. Gena was a great woman; she always was and always would be.

With a huff, Zacky let his thoughts drift back to the women he had seen earlier. His eyes slid closed as he remembered her honey blonde locks, cascading past her shoulders in loose curls. He remembered the way her eyes looked trained on his, big hazel orbs so vibrant that they would probably make Matt jealous. Unfortunately, her large trench coat had prevented him from seeing her body. He had a feeling it was just as perfect as the visible part of her was. Zacky doubted that he would be able to find a single flaw on that woman, a groan slipping past his lips.

He didn’t even get her fucking name.