When Friends Fall in Love

~Krista’s P.O.V.~

Zacky, Jimmy, Matt, and Marissa weren’t back by eight-thirty. Neither Matt nor Jimmy were answering their phones.

"Maybe they intend to go straight to the bar from Brian’s," Helena suggested.

"Then why didn’t they call and let us know?" I said, feeling the first stirrings of worry.

Helena frowned. "You don’t think something’s wrong, do you?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. Let’s go to the bar and see if they’re already there or if anyone knows anything. Brian should be able to tell us something."

But when we got to Johnny’s Bar, Brian wasn’t there yet. Zacky, Jimmy, Matt, and Marissa were also absent. It seemed that everyone else was there, though: Johnny, Lacey, Josie, JB, Matty, Cam, Brent, Papa Gates, and Mama Gates.

Johnny spotted Helena and me. He hurried towards us. "What the hell is going on?"

"No clue," I said. "Have you heard from—" I broke off as Josie ran past us.

Brian had just come through the door. Josie kissed him. He pulled away first and started talking to her. They made their way over to the group consisting of their friends and Brian’s family. I noticed Brian was carefully avoiding my gaze. Before I could wonder too much about it, however, Helena had nudged me.

Zacky and Jimmy approached us, faces grim. Johnny realized that whatever was about to be said wasn’t meant for his ears, so he went back to stand with Lacey and the others.

"Where’s Marissa?" I demanded.

"Where’s Matt?" Helena asked at the same time.

"They’re at the dorm," Zacky informed us.

"Why?" I studied Zacky’s solemn face. "Zacky, what happened?"

He didn’t say anything, so I turned to Jimmy. "Rev…?"

"Brian gave Marissa some news," Jimmy replied.

Helena’s brow furrowed. "What news?"

Jimmy gestured behind us. Helena and I looked.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, give me your attention," Brian was saying. "Josie and I have an announcement."

"Oh, no," Helena whispered. I suddenly felt nauseous.

"I popped the question while we were in Japan and this lovely woman said yes," Brian told everybody, twining his fingers with Josie’s. "We’re getting married."

Lacey squealed excitedly. Mama Gates began crying happy tears. JB, Matty, and Cam offered congratulations. Brent yelled to the bartender for drinks. Only Johnny and Papa Gates looked as unhappy as I felt.

Brian broke away from the excitement and navigated a path to Zacky, Jimmy, Helena, and me. "So?" His eyes held uncertainty.

"Congrats, man," Zacky said, but not like he meant it.

"Yeah," Jimmy muttered. "Congrats."

Brian smiled. "Thanks." He focused on Helena and me. "And what do you two think about it?"

Anger slammed into me. Marissa had professed her love to him and this was the response he’d given her, that he was getting married? He’d hurt her yet again.

"What do I think about it?" I repeated. "This. This is what I think about your engagement to Josie."

I hit him. I had been longing to hit him for most of the time I’d known him, and I put every ounce of my rage into that punch. I caught his jaw, snapping his head back.

Someone shouted. I couldn’t tell who it was or what they were saying because blood was rushing in my ears. I glanced around in time to see Helena’s fist smash into Josie’s face, then hands gripped me and I was dragged outside. JB and Matty seized Helena’s arms and forced her out of the bar, too.

I twisted free of Jimmy’s hold, and Helena wrenched her arms free of the twins. JB and Matty blocked the door, but it didn’t matter. We didn’t want back inside.

"C’mon," I urged. "I’ve got to get to Marissa."

**********

~Marissa’s P.O.V.~

My cell phone was ringing. I squeezed my eyes more tightly shut and waited for it to stop. I felt someone move beside me. My cell quit ringing. "Hello?" a voice grumbled sleepily. About two seconds passed, then: "Marissa, it’s Papa Gates."

I opened my eyes. I was in my bed in the dorm room, sandwiched between Krista and Matt. Matt was holding my phone. I reluctantly took it from him. "Hello."

"Hey, sweetheart," Papa Gates said. "How are you?"

"Fine," I lied automatically.

"Sure," he scoffed. "Tell me the truth or I’m asking Matt."

I sighed. "I’m miserable. Brian broke my heart."

"That’s because my youngest son is an idiot." Papa Gates sighed, too. "Listen, I know you’re gonna be avoiding this family for a while. That’s understandable. But promise me that if you ever need anything, you’ll call me. Even if it’s just to talk. I’m here for you."

"Okay," I agreed. "I promise. I love you, Papa Gates."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

I hung up. Helena and Jimmy were standing by the bed now. "Why am I in bed with Shads?" I queried.

"You guys were asleep together when we got back from Johnny’s," Krista told me. "We didn’t want to wake you." Her eyes were full of so much sympathy that I had to look away.

"I know something that will make you feel better," Jimmy piped up.

I shot him a surprised glance. He was the last person, besides Zacky, that I’d expected to help me through this. He’d been mad at me for so long. "What?"

"Well…" His blue eyes danced with amusement. "Krista let Brian know exactly what she thought of his engagement."

I looked at Krista. "What did you say?"

"She didn’t say anything," Jimmy interjected. "She punched him in the fucking face!"

My jaw dropped.

"She did," Helena confirmed.

"Then, when Josie came over to defend him, BAM! Helena took her out," Jimmy reported gleefully.

Matt grinned. "Hells yeah! I wish I had seen that!"

"Marissa?" Krista’s voice held a note of concern.

Matt, Helena, Jimmy, and Krista watched me a bit apprehensively.

"I love you!" I yelled, pouncing on Krista. Laughing, I hugged her tightly. It was the first time in a long time that I’d really felt like laughing.

**********

The weeks passed, and I found myself talking to Matt more and more. Krista tried to be there for me, but I told her that I’d be fine and that she needed to go out and have fun with Jimmy. I was done holding everyone back. I decided I was going to move on and get over Brian.

This wasn’t as easy as it sounds, which was why I needed Matt. He was the only one I could talk to who knew Brian, not Synyster Gates. Matt remembered the Brian that I remembered, the one who listened to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd obsessively, the one who’s favorite movie was Pink Floyd’s The Wall, the one who thought the best way to pass the time was to play "Dark Chambers" for Atari.

I missed that Brian. It was almost as if he’d died and left us with Synyster Gates. So in a way, Matt and I were mourning the loss of our friend.

Jimmy and I talked some, but things were still a little awkward between us. We had basically hated each other every since we met. That made it difficult to just act like nothing had happened.

Helena was fine about the amount of time Matt and I were spending together. I always invited her along because I didn’t want her to feel like I was trying to take over her territory or anything. She always refused.

"I don’t know Brian the way you and Matt do," she said one day. "I don’t know how to help, and Matt does. Besides, I get to have an entire afternoon alone, without Matt. Do you know how peaceful that’s going to be?"

I didn’t hear from Zacky at all during all this time. I knew he was hurt, and I would’ve done anything to take that pain away. But I couldn’t make myself want Zacky the way he wanted me.
I also didn’t hear from Brian. I didn’t know what to say to him, and he obviously didn’t know what to say to me, either.

It took nearly a month for me to begin to get over it. I could think about Brian without my heart aching.

Then it happened. The ultimate destruction of my fabricated happiness.

I was only happy because I forced myself not to accept the reality that Brian was actually getting married. I was treating this like a fight that would work itself out instead of like what it actually was—-an action that was going to alter our lives forever. I never would’ve admitted it out loud, but there was still a small part of me that hoped Brian and Josie would break up and Brian and I would end up together.

But reality has a way of making itself recognized and slaughtering your dreams.

It was on a Friday. The guys had been in the studio all day, recording. Matt and Jimmy came straight to the dorm from the studio, where Helena, Krista, and I were hanging out.

The instant they stepped through the door, I knew something bad had happened. Helena and Krista sensed it, too.

"What’s wrong?" Helena inquired.

Matt was staring at me and there was something in his eyes that made me dread the words he would speak. "Brian has decided he wants to be married before we finish the album. He wants to be a married man when we start the next tour."

"Okay…" I didn’t know exactly where Matt was going with this. Tears stung my eyes and my heart pounded apprehensively.

Matt met my gaze. "He and Josie are getting married this weekend."

And just like that, the happiness I’d been working so hard to rebuild was annihilated.