When Friends Fall in Love

~Krista's P.O.V.~

I was tired and in a very bad mood. Work had been hell. Not only had we been really busy, but a group of the most obnoxious customers ever had come in at about 9:30. I couldn't pass their table without getting whistled at or having someone attempt to grab me. I was so ready to go home that I forgot I had invited Marissa to bring Avenged Sevenfold by at closing time.

I was in the kitchen, mopping the floor, when I heard the noise from the direction of the dining room. I grabbed the nearest knife and crept to the door between the two rooms.

"We're closed!" I yelled, clutching the knife tightly and cautiously poking my head through the door.

The dining room appeared to be empty. Then I heard the noise again. Someone was banging on the front door. I crossed the dining room.

"We're closed!" I repeated when I reached the front door.

"Krista, you twat!" came Marissa's impatient voice. "Open the fucking door!"

"We want free food!" a male voice demanded.

I almost dropped the knife. Fuck! I thought. I glanced down at myself. I looked like shit. I didn't want to meet Avenged Sevenfold for the first time while I looked like shit. Why did I invite them here?

"Krista!" Marissa called, now sounding a bit worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" I called back, shoving the knife into a nearby vase. I smoothed my hair and unlocked the door.

"Food!" Johnny came barreling into the restaurant.

"Johnny, you fucktard," Jimmy muttered.

Marissa giggled and led the remaining members of A7X through the door.

"Everyone, this is Krista," she announced. "Krista, these are four random unimportant guys--and my bestest friend, Brian!"

"Hey!" Zacky protested. "Who are you calling unimportant?"

"You mean you didn't understand who she meant?" Matt teased. "Damn, Zacky, you really are slow."

"Nice to meet you, Krista," Brian said politely, offering me his hand. "I hope you're protecting my Vixen while I'm not around."

I shook his hand. "I'm doing what I can. But she's a big girl and is pretty capable of protecting herself."

Marissa gave Brian a pointed look. "See? I'm grown."

"She can't protect herself from everything," Brian stated seriously.

I shot Marissa a questioning frown. Apparently, I had missed something. And I wasn't the only one. Johnny, Matt, Zacky, and Jimmy all wore the same confused expression I knew must be on my face. But Marissa seemed to understand what Brian meant.

"Bri," she said warningly. "We are not starting this now. We're here to get Krista and go have a good time. Me and you will deal with personal shit later, okay?"

He nodded.

"Good." Marissa faced me. "Let's go, Krista."

"Go?" I echoed. "Go where?"

"To Spank Daddy's," Marissa answered.

"I can't go out dressed like this!" I cried, gesturing at myself.

"You look fine to me," Jimmy commented, running his eyes down my body.

I blushed.

"Kris, do you honestly think I'd let you down?" Marissa said. "I brought you a change of clothes." She held up her car keys. "Now, go get them and change so we can party!"

**********

~Marissa's P.O.V.~

I collapsed in a booth across from Matt. Brian sat down next to me.

"Too much dancing," I mumbled, leaning against Brian.

Matt slid his drink to me. I stared at it, but made no move to pick it up.

"I swear, there's no backwash," Matt said.

I shrugged, grabbed the drink, and downed it in one gulp.

"So, how did you two meet?" Matt asked interestedly.

"She moved to California in the eighth grade," Brian said. "We had practically every class together. Then I ran into her one day near my house."

"My house was about a block from his," I added.

"She was playing guitar," Brian went on.

"He thought I was this hot, guitar-playing chick," I said. "So he came up and started hitting on me."

Matt raised his eyebrows and looked at Brian.

Brian nodded. "It's true. I was running my best game that day, and she turned me down."

"I don't hook up with guys I don't know," I defended myself.

Amusement shone in Matt's eyes.

"She blew me off," Brian said. "So, naturally, I was hateful as hell to her when I saw her again at school."

"He was relentless," I agreed. "I had wounded his male pride and he wanted to be sure that I paid for it."

"But that ended one day right before Christmas break," Brian said, growing solemn.

Matt noticed our grim expressions. "What? What happened?"

"Some high school guy was harassing her in the parking lot while she waited for her brother to pick her up," Brian replied. "It was one of the football players and he had her up against a car and his hands were all over her. So I walked up to him and punched him in the face."

"Yay-uh!" Matt cheered.

"We've been friends ever since," I concluded, reaching over and squeezing Brian's hand affectionately.

"Hey, Matt, your lady is here!" Zacky hollered.

"Group meeting!" Johnny shouted a second later, appearing with a dark-haired girl at his heels.

Zacky, Jimmy, Krista, Johnny, and two dark-haired girls crammed into the booth with Brian, Matt, and me.

"Marissa, Krista, this is Lacey," Johnny introduced the dark-haired girl at his side.

"Hi," Krista and I greeted.

"Hi," Lacey murmured.

"And this is Helena," Matt announced, draping an arm around the other new arrival's shoulders. I recognized her from some pictures I'd found online. She and Matt had been together for a long time.

She gave a little wave.

"This is Marissa," Brian told Lacey and Helena. "My best friend with a vagina. And this is her friend, Krista."

"Okay, good," Jimmy said. "Now that everybody knows everybody, can we get wasted?"