When Friends Fall in Love

~Marissa's P.O.V.~

I awoke to the chorus of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters." Brian had obviously changed my ring tone. Groaning, I felt around on the bedside table for my cell. My fingers finally found it.

"Hello?" I managed through a yawn.

"I don't like her," Helena stated without preamble.

"Hey, Rissa," Krista said.

"Hey, Kris," I replied, sitting up in bed. "Don't like who, 'Lena?"

"Josie," Helena said.

"Cunt!" Matt sing-songed in the background.

"She was a bitch!" Helena declared. "What the hell does Brian see in her?"

"She was a bit of a cunt," Krista said. "That shy, quiet act is bullshit! But she seems to have Brian fooled."

"Twat!" Matt chimed in again.

"So, Marissa, what do you think?" Helena asked.

"She makes Brian happy," I answered. "That's all that matters."

Neither Helena nor Krista said anything for a few moments.

"You're lying!" Helena accused finally, breaking the silence.

"'Lena, he's my best friend," I said. "I want him to be happy!"

"Slut!" Matt crowed from Helena's end of the line.

Krista laughed.

"I don't believe you," Helena said to me. "That's not the way you really feel."

I remembered the unidentifiable feeling that had washed over me the first time I'd seen Josie. "She gave me no reason to dislike her."

"But you still do," Helena insisted.

"So," I said, changing the subject, "where are you, Kris?"

"You know what," she said. "I have to get ready for class. Later." She hung up without responding to me.

"Marissa," Helena pressed. "Tell me the truth."

My cell beeped, alerting me to the fact that I had an incoming call. I glanced at the caller ID. It was Brian. "Look, I gotta go. Brian's on the other line."

"Fine," Helena grumbled. "But don't think this conversation is over." She hung up.

I switched to my other line. "Damn, Bri! How many times were you gonna let it ring?"

"Until I woke you up," he returned. "Gee, it worked."

"No, it didn't," I said. "I was on the phone with Helena and Kris."

"Okay," he said. "So, what's the latest girl gossip?"

"Umm, nothing really." I couldn't tell him that Helena and Krista had been insulting his girlfriend.

"Oh. Too girly for my ears, huh?" he said.

"Yeah," I agreed quickly. "So girly that it might cause you to menstruate."

"Then I don't wanna know," he decided. "What are you doing today after your classes?"

"Nothing," I said. "Then I thought I'd go do nothing, followed by a couple of hours of nothing."

He chuckled. "Think you could skip some of that nothing and come over to my parents' house for lunch?"

"That's a tough choice," I joked. "I really enjoy doing nothing. But I guess your family is worth losing a little of my nothing time."

"I'm honored," he said sarcastically. "I'll see you at one."

"Bye." I snapped my cell shut and jumped out of bed. I showered and changed into a red spaghetti-strapped top and a black skirt. I applied black eyeliner and red lipgloss. By the time I finished getting dressed, I only had 15 minutes to get to class. I snatched my keys off my dresser and ran out of the room.

**********

~Krista's P.O.V.~

I had just gotten off the phone with Marissa and Helena when Jimmy poked his head into my room.

"Good morning," he said.

I smiled at him.

"Who called?" he questioned.

"Helena," I told him. "She wanted to talk about Josie."

"Let me guess," Jimmy said. "She didn't like her."

I grinned. "Nope. And neither did Matt."

"I don't think anybody did, except Lacey," Jimmy remarked. "And, of course, Bri. But he's not thinking right."

"Of course not," I muttered without thinking about what I was saying. "He's a guy."

Jimmy arched an eyebrow. "Oh, is that the reason?"

"Sorry," I apologized. "It's just…guys are always thinking about sex and…" I trailed off, blushing.

Jimmy looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh at my embarrassment. "So, do you need a ride to school?"

I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was 7:42. My first class was at eight.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, scrambling out of bed.

Jimmy chuckled, shook his head, and walked out of the room. I hurriedly changed back into my clothes from the night before and ran after him. We climbed into his black Camaro.

"Marissa is going to give me hell when I get there," I commented.

"About what?" Jimmy wanted to know.

"Staying the night at your house," I said. "She's gonna think that we…Well, you know."

Jimmy smirked. "So let her think what she wants. She's just jealous."

I swatted at him. "Don't say that about her!"

"What?" He widened his eyes innocently. "It wasn't supposed to be mean. I just think that she shouldn't assume those things about you."

"She normally wouldn't," I admitted. "But it being you and all…"

"You didn't assume she had sex with Brian when she stayed at his house, did you?" Jimmy queried.

"No," I replied. "But she and Brian are—"

"Just friends," he finished for me. "Yeah, I know."

We fell silent and I realized that something had changed between us. It was nothing major. The sexual tension between us had just increased by about three million points. We pulled up outside of Harris Hall, where my first class was held.

"Krista," he said once I was out of his car.

I leaned back in the open window. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to go out tonight?" he asked. "Me, you, Shads, and Helena?"

"Sure," I agreed.

"Okay," he said. "I'll pick you up at seven."

I sauntered inside, feeling extremely happy. I rounded the corner on the way to the stairs and a hand closed around my arm. I was dragged into the bathroom.

"Was that a certain Mr. Sullivan I just saw drop you off?" Marissa demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes," I said. "But it's not what you think."

"You sleep over at his house and show up at school in the same clothes you wore to the club and I'm supposed to believe that nothing happened." Marissa looked at me. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Seriously," I protested. "After you left, me and Jimmy went back to his house and watched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. We were too drunk to drive, so I slept in the guest bedroom."

She studied me for a second. "I believe you. I don't think you'd lie about something like this." Then, her cell rang. "What?" she snapped impatiently into it. She listened as the person on the other end talked, then said, "That sounds great. I'll see you then."

"See who when?" I questioned curiously.

"Zacky," she responded. "He wants to take me out Thursday night."

"Awesome!" I enthused. "And I'm going out with Jimmy tonight. We're going to be the next two A7X girls."

Marissa grinned. "Hell yeah, we are! Now come on. Let's get these classes over with so we can enjoy the rest of our day."

**********

~Marissa's P.O.V.~

I knocked on the door of Brian's childhood home. During my high school years, I had probably spent more time here than at my own home.

The door opened to reveal Brent. "Marissa! Hey! I haven't seen you in ages."

"That's because she has a life," Brian remarked, coming into the front hallway. "Hey, Vix."

I walked inside and followed Brian to the kitchen. His father was sitting at the table.

"Hello, Marissa," he greeted.

"Hi, Papa Gates," I replied.

"How's school?" he asked.

I lifted a shoulder. "Can't complain."

He looked at Brian and Brent. "Boys, go check the grill."

Both boys obediently started for the sliding glass doors that led to the patio. I took a step to follow them.

"Not you." Papa Gates stopped me. "I need to talk to you."

Brian frowned, shooting me a confused glance. He obviously had no idea what his dad had to say to me. He and Brent walked outside, closing the doors behind them.

Papa Gates gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit down."

Slightly nervous, I sank into the chair.

"How's your family?" he inquired.

"Umm, good," I said, wondering why he'd wanted the boys to leave when he asked about my family.

"They're back in Alabama, right?" he said.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then why didn't you come to me when you started having trouble with that guy?" he demanded.

I stared at him in silence.

"Brian called me when he found out you were in the hospital and yelled at me for not taking care of you," he explained.

"But it's not your job to take care of me," I stated.

Papa Gates chuckled. "Marissa, everyone in this house loves you. You're a member of this family. So, yeah, it is my job to take care of you. Especially while your parents are gone."

I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing.

"And another thing," he went on. "Brian tells me you liked Josie."

"Yeah, I—" I managed to get out.

"Don't lie to me," he interrupted. "You've never liked any of his girlfriends. I don't know why he always believes you when you say you do."

"Have you met Josie?" I asked.

Papa Gates shook his head. "Not yet. He's bringing her over Thursday while you're out on a date with Mr. Vengeance."

I blushed. "How did you know about that?"

"Zacky was here when he called you," Papa Gates informed me. "I think it's cute, but I don't know how Brian feels about his two best friends hooking up."

Someone tapped on the sliding glass doors. Papa Gates and I looked up. Brian was holding up a plate with grilled hamburger patties on it.

"C'mere, Marissa." Papa Gates stood.

I got to my feet and he hugged me tightly. "You can always come to me for whatever you need."

"Okay," I murmured, feeling tears in my eyes.

We went out onto the patio, where Brian and Brent were fixing their hamburgers.

**********

~Brian's P.O.V.~

After lunch, Marissa and I escaped to my bedroom. I put on a Guns 'N' Roses CD and we sprawled across the bed. It was so reminiscent of high school that, for a few minutes, I felt 14 again.

"Vix," I said softly.

"Hmm?" she murmured, eyes closed.

"Zacky was here when he called you this morning," I announced.

"I know," she said. "Your dad told me."

"He wanted to ask my permission to take you out," I said.

She opened her eyes. "What? Are you my father now?"

"Don't get mad," I soothed. "He just wasn't sure how I'd react to him dating my best friend in the entire world."

She frowned. "How do you feel about it? Honestly."

"There's no one I'd rather see you with," I said, though this wasn't entirely true. "I know he'll treat you right and make you happy." The last part was true.

We were silent for several minutes, listening to "November Rain."

"Vix?" I said, thinking she might have fallen asleep.

"What, Bri?" she queried.

"Do you remember when I taught you to drive?" I said.

She giggled. "When I was 13? Yeah."

"You remember when you hit that car parked on the side of the road?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. And you took the blame."

"Because I always protect my friends," I said.

She rolled onto her stomach and looked up into my face. "If this is about Tristan…"

"No," I cut in. "This is about Zacky."

Her brow furrowed. "Umm…okay?"

"He's my friend," I said. "And so are you. And I want to protect you both."

"Bri—" she attempted.

"Don't hook up with Zacky until you're sure how you feel about him," I blurted out.

She stared at me. "What?"

"Well…" I hesitated, unsure of how to say what needed to be said. "You seem to have a fear of commitment."

"Wait." She sat up. "Synyster Gates is lecturing me on having a fear of commitment?" Her tone was amused.

"Vix, just listen," I pleaded, not wanting to upset her. "Zacky really likes you. He's going to fall for you if you hook up with him, and he'll fall fast. That's just how he is when he's really attracted to someone. But you don't get serious in relationships. You don't like serious relationships. And if you think things are getting too deep, you bail out."

"I do not!" she argued.

I ignored her protest. "If you hook up with Zacky, then scare yourself by falling in love with him, you'll break up with him. And that will break his heart." I looked at her, holding her gaze. "I can't watch that happen. But I'm not talking to him about this because I would never do anything to make my band mates think less of you. And I don't want to scare him away from you because you guys could be very good for each other. I'm talking to you. I know you'll do what's right now that you're aware of the situation."

She stayed quiet.

"Vix?" I cupped her face in my hands. "I'm not insulting you. I'm just trying to protect both you and Zack. I don't want either of you to get hurt." I smoothed a stray strand of her silky blonde hair out of her eyes. "I'm here now, and I'm never going to let you get hurt again. I love you."

Her blue eyes sparkled with tears and there was a hint of realization in them that I didn't understand. "I love you, too," she whispered.