A Far Cry From Innocence.

"Hey, Hazzard, you home yet?" I heard my brother's footsteps and could track where he was from the doors he opened and closed while he walked around the house in search of me. "Avigaiel?" I heard him ask when I knew he got to my room.

"Stay out of my room, Brian," I called, sounding as serious as possible. I was really just trying to let him know that I was home and give him a sign of where I was. I snickered as I heard my door slam shut and his quick footfall down the stairs.

"Where are you!?" He called just before walking into the kitchen, where I was eating a bowl of cereal. "Oh, found ya!" He snickered and walked over to the fridge to pull out a beer.

"Yep, here I am," I said, eating another mouthful and looking back down at the book I was reading for English class. I tried to ignore him as he stood over my shoulder and read the book. Finally, I looked straight ahead, hoping he'd catch the hint. But, of course, he didn't. "Brian, really!?" He looked over at him in annoyance.

He shrugged and backed off, "Sorry, sorry." He cracked open the bottle and took a sip, sitting across from me. "I don't understand why you actually do the homework. I cheated the hell out of it when I was in high school," he said, taking a handful of cereal from the box.

I made a face and took another bite from my cereal. I waited until my mouth was empty before I shrugged, "Some of us actually like to read. Not saying I don't cheat, I just like to read." He looked over at him and grabbed the bottle of beer, taking and sip and giving it back. "Zacky's are better," I muttered, my face puckering at the bitterness.

He snickered, "You mean that fruity shit?" He laughed and rolled his eyes, "I'll be getting some of the really good shit before rehearsals tonight." He took the bottle and looked it over for a second before taking a swig. "Maybe I'll pick up something fruity for you two fruit balls."

I raised my eyebrows in shock. "Oh my god, Synyster Gates actually remember there's rehearsals tonight!" I gasped dramatically, slapping my hands on the side of my face like the kid in Home Alone. I smirked and drank the milk from my bowl before putting it in the sink. "And fine, do it! See what I care!"

"Hey, I'm offended," he said with a pout, giving me the puppy dog eyes and taking another handful of cereal from the box before I put it away.

I rolled my eyes. "You're are twenty-two year old man, Brian. You're seventeen year old sister shouldn't have to remind you of anything. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be the other way around." He stood with my back against the counter top. "Pretty that's why dad stopped calling me Sister Gates and started calling me Sitter Gates when I moved in here."

He rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright. You've got me there. But I don't always forget!" He said, pointing at me and taking another drink from his beer. "So, are you coming?"

I nodded. "Going at the rate you are, someone's gonna have to drive home. Besides, I need to talk to Zacky about this idea I had for the Twitch & Gizmo logo." I grinned.

"I thought you guys weren't serious about that, it's just something to do for fun?" Brian smirked. He hated to admit it, but he really did like the music Zacky and I made in our little side project. He called it noise, which reminded me of our dad, but I'd found him listening to it a few times before.

"It isn't really anything serious, we are just having fun, but that doesn't mean we can't write and record songs and put them on the internet or do stupid little gigs at Johnny's or something."

He laughed and put his hands up, waving it off. "Alright, whatever. I'm leaving in fifteen so go put on your face." He tapped the top of my head lightly with neck of the bottom before walking out of the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, I was the one sitting and waiting in the living room for my brother. "Ughh, come on, Brian! You said fifteen minutes twenty minutes ago!" I fixed the bar in the bridge piercing and sighed impatiently.

Fianlly he came down the stairs, his makeup and hair perfect as always. He placed his fedora on his head and beamed me his trademark grin. "Alright, Hazzard, you ready?"

I pointed to my makeup, slightly resembling his, and my black and red piercings. "Syn, baby, I was born ready." He grabbed my leather jacket and pulled it on. "I thought girls were supposed to take longer than men to get ready," I said, teasingly.

Brian glared at me, pulling his own jacket on. "Hey, you can't rush perfection!" He opened the door. "Now move that tailbone of your out the door! Double time!" He laughed as I hurried out the door.
I ran out in such a rush, glancing over my shoulder at my brother, that I didn't notice Zacky until I plowed him over and we were both sent sprawling to the ground.

"Goddammit, Avigaiel, I always knew you were a hard head like your brother but I never knew it was this bad," he said rubbing his head. He nudged me with his elbow and climbed up to his feet, helping me up.

"Well, look who I'm related to!" I giggled and gave my brother a half hug. "Besides, I'm the victim here. I maybe plowed into you, but I couldn't see where I was going," I stated in my own defense.

Zacky rolled his eyes but snickered. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you're right, Hazzard," he said, putting extra emphasis on my name. He snickered again and smiled at me.

"You're a liar, you're not sorry." I crossed my arms and stuck my nose in the air. "But I forgive you." I pat him on the shoulder, my nose still turned to the air.

Brian rolled his eyes at us, "You two are retarded." He shook his head the looked at Zacky, "So, what brings you over here when we're all gonna be at rehearsals in less than ten minutes."

"I was actually kinda hoping I could talk to you for a minute. It's kind of important."

My brother nodded and tossed me the keys. "Hazz, I already had a couple beers, wanna drive?" It wasn't really a question, so I didn't answer. I just walked over to the car, unlocked it, and climbed into the driver seat.

I watched my brother and his best friend talk as I started the car and turned on the radio. Zacky seemed hesitant while Brian slowly got more and more annoyed. Brian's expression turned hateful and he yelled something before starting toward the car. Zacky grabbed him by the shoulder and said something that seemed urgent, pleading. Brian wrneched his shoulder away from Zacky and, having seen my brother in more than one furious fit before, I knew what was yelled next contained more than a few swears before he finally coming to the car, Zacky reluctantly heading for his own.

"The fucking son of a bitch," Brian hissed, slamming the door with all his might.

I blinked in shock to hear him talking about that toward Zacky. But maybe I was just misunderstanding? "Whoa, Bri, calm down. What happened?"

"Just fucking drive. I need some fucking booze," he muttered angrily.