Sequel: Glass ›
Status: Complete
Pieces
Four
You can say the exact same sentence with the exact same words, but it can have a totally different meaning if you say it in a certain tone of voice.
"I just don't like showing skin," I told Val. My voice was so strong and assuring, she didn't even question it. The real question she had was why I had so many long-sleeved and quarter-sleeved shirts when I lived in Orange County. She also couldn't fathom why I didn't own a single pair of shorts.
Val was a saint for coming over to help me pack. I showed up at the studio in the morning, only to have to do one thing before Zack sent me home to pack. I wasn't sure how he knew, but he had some sixth sense of knowing that I was procrastinating. He also found it necessary to send Val over so I wouldn't have to pack by myself. I think he also wanted her to regulate and make sure I was actually taking clothes I could wear to bars and clubs.
"This is cute!" Val exclaimed, pulling out a skin-tight black dress with only one sleeve. The dress was slightly glittered, but not over the top. It was just enough to make it shine underneath the club lights.
The black-glittered material made up the outfit that I wore on my last night in Vegas. It was in that dress that I made my great escape, magically disappearing off the face of the planet. It was an awful reminder that I once lived a totally different life.
I bit my lip as I examined it. I wasn't sure why I still even had the dress. I used to adore it. I simply hated it now. It brought back a lot of memories I didn't want to remember. Instead of throwing it away, I just tossed it to the back of my closet, expecting to never see it again. That was before Val got ahold of my entire wardrobe.
"Uh, kind of short, don't you think?" I asked, "I'm not too big on showing off my legs," I noted and she rolled her eyes.
"Girl, you have legs to die for. Show a little skin once in a while," She smiled and I sent her a warning look, "Or you could wear it with tights," She smiled and I shrugged.
"I just don't like the dress," I muttered, "I don't even know why I bought it," I lied and this time it was her who shrugged.
"Oh well. I'm packing it. You might just change your mind. Besides, you don't have very many options here," She reminded me and I nodded, knowing she was right, "I wish you had told me. We could have gone shopping. I guess that means we'll just have to shop when we're in Vegas, right?" She questioned and I laughed.
"What did you end up packing?" I questioned as I snuck in yet another pair of leggings into my luggage. I feared for the day Val showed up to my place with a blowtorch, ready to burn every single pair of leggings and tights I owned.
"I got this super cute new dress from Celine. It's to die for. It's a strapless red dress with a sweetheart neckline. The back has this adorable sequined lining and the front is ruched to give me some curves," She rambled. One thing about the DiBendetto twins was that they loved fashion. They could talk a-line dresses and Italian handbags all day if their husbands let them.
"Sounds amazing. Now what shoes do I wear with that?" I nodded towards the dress she had lay out for me, "I don't do well in heels," I reminded her.
"I have a cute pair of wedges you can wear. Those are easier to walk in. Or just make Dan carry you the whole time," She noted and I shook my head, laughing at her, "We'll have some downtime before we actually go to the clubs. We could find you another outfit there if you really don't like this one."
I didn't like the idea of me trying on short sleeveless dresses in front of Val. The mere thought of it placed my stomach in a state of dread, "It's fine. This dress is growing on me," I stated and tossed a blazer in the mix when she wasn't looking. I still wasn't comfortable with the fact that the dress was missing a sleeve, so I figured a blazer would fix that.
I even made sure to pack pajamas that covered up, seeing as I would be sleeping in the same room as Zack. I didn't want anyone to see any of the marks I had on my skin from plenty of previous experiences, let alone him. He'd think I was some crazy sadistic mess if he saw them, and I'd be out of another job and another group of friends.
And I didn't like the idea of being alone.
"You know you've really made a difference in Zack since you've started working for him," Val noted as she dug through my endless supply of makeup.
"How so?" I questioned.
"Well, Amber's obviously screwed him over one too many times. The guys used to have a lot of trouble with him when Zack's relationship got rough. He wouldn't go to the studio at all some days, and we'd have to threaten to call his mother just to get him out of bed," She explained, "But because you're not afraid to piss him off, you can be rough on him without hurting him. He needs that."
"Why don't the guys rough him up then? Why do I have to do it?" I asked and she laughed.
"Because Zack will probably start a fight with them. You should know how much our boys like to get into fist-fights with each other," She explained, "And he won't ever hit you. He'd sell his precious BMW before he'd ever lay a hand on you."
That was assuring. Comforting, even.
"Well, he isn't exactly a walk in the park, but I like working for him," I confessed and she laughed.
"And we like having you as a friend. Now let's get this all zipped up. The guys will kill us if we're late," She reminded me and I nodded.
For the plane ride I exchanged my usual boots for a pair of Uggs, wanting to be comfortable while walking through airport security and while on the plane. We unfortunately had a late flight. The guys guessed that we wouldn't be in the a actual hotel until two in the morning.
"That's the last of it. I guess we better go before they send a search party," Val sighed as she grabbed one of my bags while I grabbed the other.
This is it. I was heading to Las Vegas. And there was no turning back.
-
"You okay?" Zack asked as we sat down on the plane.
Truth: No, I was not okay. I was actually a mess. Not only did planes scare the living Christ out of me, but I was jittery just knowing where the plane was headed. Within the hour I was going to be back in the sinful city of Las Vegas. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I didn't like that.
"Fine," I shrugged and he smiled knowingly at me.
"It's only a thirty-minute flight," He informed me. It made me feel a little better, but not by much.
The schedule went as follows. We'd be in the Palms Hotel hopefully by one. The convention didn't start until the late morning at the Luxor. The guys would head off to do a short interview in a room with a handful of lucky fans, sign some autographs, and talk to press. While they were doing this, I was going to be running a Vengeance University booth to try and sell us much merchandise as I can, and promote Zack's line to kids who might not be Avenged Sevenfold fans.
That night they were scheduled to make an appearance at the Playboy Club in the Palms, which I had yet to get myself out of. The guys were adamant that I go, including the unruly Berry twins. On Sunday Val and I had a free day to do as we pleased while the rest of the guys had interviews with Vegas radio stations. Then it would be off to the bar to celebrate a great weekend before having to catch a flight Monday morning.
In a way I was excited. I was just excited to spend time with the guys. I hadn't done any personal promotions for Vengeance University yet, and this time I would have to prove to Zack that I could be a people person when I wanted to be. I also liked seeing the band in action. I was still a fan, and always would be, so seeing them in their natural element was always exciting for me.
"Wow, you really don't like planes," Zack noted and I realized that my hand was shaking so bad, one would thing I was having a seizure of some sorts.
"I've never been on one," I confessed and his eyes went wide.
"Um, don't you think that would have been good information to tell me before getting on the plane?" He asked and I smiled sheepishly.
"I will next time?" I asked in a small voice and he sighed. Regardless, he placed his hand over mine. The warmth from his own guitar-calloused hands was comforting. I wasn't expecting Zack's hand to be so soft, seeing as he had been a guitarist for so long. It was one of the most comforting things I had ever felt in a long time. For a moment, I thought everything would be okay.
"I've been on a countless number of planes and I'm still kicking. We'll be landing in no time," He assured and I nodded.
As promised we were landing in just a blink of an eye, and I was even more nervous than before. I said nothing as I followed behind Zack to leave the plane, heading out to get our bags.
When we finally grabbed our bags we were headed out to the dark night that made up the early morning. I breathed in the air. It was a strange wave of nostalgia.
I didn't even know Vegas had a specific scent until I breathed it in again. No more was the salty air and fresh crisp morning I was used to. Instead, the smell of cigarette and cheap booze filled my nose. In the distance I could see the glistening lights of the strip. Vegas was where I had left my sins behind, and I made a promise to never come back.
Promises were meant to be broken, I guess.
"I just don't like showing skin," I told Val. My voice was so strong and assuring, she didn't even question it. The real question she had was why I had so many long-sleeved and quarter-sleeved shirts when I lived in Orange County. She also couldn't fathom why I didn't own a single pair of shorts.
Val was a saint for coming over to help me pack. I showed up at the studio in the morning, only to have to do one thing before Zack sent me home to pack. I wasn't sure how he knew, but he had some sixth sense of knowing that I was procrastinating. He also found it necessary to send Val over so I wouldn't have to pack by myself. I think he also wanted her to regulate and make sure I was actually taking clothes I could wear to bars and clubs.
"This is cute!" Val exclaimed, pulling out a skin-tight black dress with only one sleeve. The dress was slightly glittered, but not over the top. It was just enough to make it shine underneath the club lights.
The black-glittered material made up the outfit that I wore on my last night in Vegas. It was in that dress that I made my great escape, magically disappearing off the face of the planet. It was an awful reminder that I once lived a totally different life.
I bit my lip as I examined it. I wasn't sure why I still even had the dress. I used to adore it. I simply hated it now. It brought back a lot of memories I didn't want to remember. Instead of throwing it away, I just tossed it to the back of my closet, expecting to never see it again. That was before Val got ahold of my entire wardrobe.
"Uh, kind of short, don't you think?" I asked, "I'm not too big on showing off my legs," I noted and she rolled her eyes.
"Girl, you have legs to die for. Show a little skin once in a while," She smiled and I sent her a warning look, "Or you could wear it with tights," She smiled and I shrugged.
"I just don't like the dress," I muttered, "I don't even know why I bought it," I lied and this time it was her who shrugged.
"Oh well. I'm packing it. You might just change your mind. Besides, you don't have very many options here," She reminded me and I nodded, knowing she was right, "I wish you had told me. We could have gone shopping. I guess that means we'll just have to shop when we're in Vegas, right?" She questioned and I laughed.
"What did you end up packing?" I questioned as I snuck in yet another pair of leggings into my luggage. I feared for the day Val showed up to my place with a blowtorch, ready to burn every single pair of leggings and tights I owned.
"I got this super cute new dress from Celine. It's to die for. It's a strapless red dress with a sweetheart neckline. The back has this adorable sequined lining and the front is ruched to give me some curves," She rambled. One thing about the DiBendetto twins was that they loved fashion. They could talk a-line dresses and Italian handbags all day if their husbands let them.
"Sounds amazing. Now what shoes do I wear with that?" I nodded towards the dress she had lay out for me, "I don't do well in heels," I reminded her.
"I have a cute pair of wedges you can wear. Those are easier to walk in. Or just make Dan carry you the whole time," She noted and I shook my head, laughing at her, "We'll have some downtime before we actually go to the clubs. We could find you another outfit there if you really don't like this one."
I didn't like the idea of me trying on short sleeveless dresses in front of Val. The mere thought of it placed my stomach in a state of dread, "It's fine. This dress is growing on me," I stated and tossed a blazer in the mix when she wasn't looking. I still wasn't comfortable with the fact that the dress was missing a sleeve, so I figured a blazer would fix that.
I even made sure to pack pajamas that covered up, seeing as I would be sleeping in the same room as Zack. I didn't want anyone to see any of the marks I had on my skin from plenty of previous experiences, let alone him. He'd think I was some crazy sadistic mess if he saw them, and I'd be out of another job and another group of friends.
And I didn't like the idea of being alone.
"You know you've really made a difference in Zack since you've started working for him," Val noted as she dug through my endless supply of makeup.
"How so?" I questioned.
"Well, Amber's obviously screwed him over one too many times. The guys used to have a lot of trouble with him when Zack's relationship got rough. He wouldn't go to the studio at all some days, and we'd have to threaten to call his mother just to get him out of bed," She explained, "But because you're not afraid to piss him off, you can be rough on him without hurting him. He needs that."
"Why don't the guys rough him up then? Why do I have to do it?" I asked and she laughed.
"Because Zack will probably start a fight with them. You should know how much our boys like to get into fist-fights with each other," She explained, "And he won't ever hit you. He'd sell his precious BMW before he'd ever lay a hand on you."
That was assuring. Comforting, even.
"Well, he isn't exactly a walk in the park, but I like working for him," I confessed and she laughed.
"And we like having you as a friend. Now let's get this all zipped up. The guys will kill us if we're late," She reminded me and I nodded.
For the plane ride I exchanged my usual boots for a pair of Uggs, wanting to be comfortable while walking through airport security and while on the plane. We unfortunately had a late flight. The guys guessed that we wouldn't be in the a actual hotel until two in the morning.
"That's the last of it. I guess we better go before they send a search party," Val sighed as she grabbed one of my bags while I grabbed the other.
This is it. I was heading to Las Vegas. And there was no turning back.
-
"You okay?" Zack asked as we sat down on the plane.
Truth: No, I was not okay. I was actually a mess. Not only did planes scare the living Christ out of me, but I was jittery just knowing where the plane was headed. Within the hour I was going to be back in the sinful city of Las Vegas. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I didn't like that.
"Fine," I shrugged and he smiled knowingly at me.
"It's only a thirty-minute flight," He informed me. It made me feel a little better, but not by much.
The schedule went as follows. We'd be in the Palms Hotel hopefully by one. The convention didn't start until the late morning at the Luxor. The guys would head off to do a short interview in a room with a handful of lucky fans, sign some autographs, and talk to press. While they were doing this, I was going to be running a Vengeance University booth to try and sell us much merchandise as I can, and promote Zack's line to kids who might not be Avenged Sevenfold fans.
That night they were scheduled to make an appearance at the Playboy Club in the Palms, which I had yet to get myself out of. The guys were adamant that I go, including the unruly Berry twins. On Sunday Val and I had a free day to do as we pleased while the rest of the guys had interviews with Vegas radio stations. Then it would be off to the bar to celebrate a great weekend before having to catch a flight Monday morning.
In a way I was excited. I was just excited to spend time with the guys. I hadn't done any personal promotions for Vengeance University yet, and this time I would have to prove to Zack that I could be a people person when I wanted to be. I also liked seeing the band in action. I was still a fan, and always would be, so seeing them in their natural element was always exciting for me.
"Wow, you really don't like planes," Zack noted and I realized that my hand was shaking so bad, one would thing I was having a seizure of some sorts.
"I've never been on one," I confessed and his eyes went wide.
"Um, don't you think that would have been good information to tell me before getting on the plane?" He asked and I smiled sheepishly.
"I will next time?" I asked in a small voice and he sighed. Regardless, he placed his hand over mine. The warmth from his own guitar-calloused hands was comforting. I wasn't expecting Zack's hand to be so soft, seeing as he had been a guitarist for so long. It was one of the most comforting things I had ever felt in a long time. For a moment, I thought everything would be okay.
"I've been on a countless number of planes and I'm still kicking. We'll be landing in no time," He assured and I nodded.
As promised we were landing in just a blink of an eye, and I was even more nervous than before. I said nothing as I followed behind Zack to leave the plane, heading out to get our bags.
When we finally grabbed our bags we were headed out to the dark night that made up the early morning. I breathed in the air. It was a strange wave of nostalgia.
I didn't even know Vegas had a specific scent until I breathed it in again. No more was the salty air and fresh crisp morning I was used to. Instead, the smell of cigarette and cheap booze filled my nose. In the distance I could see the glistening lights of the strip. Vegas was where I had left my sins behind, and I made a promise to never come back.
Promises were meant to be broken, I guess.