Shadows Kiss

At exactly 5:45 there was a knock on the door. I did one last final take as Laura opened the door. I heard a whole lot of commotion coming from the sitting area. I slowly entered the room to see Anna latched onto Synyster Gates, Sarah drooling over Zacky, Laura shyly shaking the Rev's hand, and Kate explaining to Johnny just how much she loved him and understood him better than anyone else ever could. Yeah, that would be my girls when it comes to the guys from Avenged Sevenfold.

Suddenly the room became quiet. "Please one at a time, not everyone speak at once!" I stammered, putting my hand on my hip.

"Wow, you look amazing." Matt breathed slowly.

"Thanks." I said simply, feeling my face turning red.

"Damn dude, you weren't lying she is lovely!" Zacky said excitedly.

"For real." Synyster sighed.

"Fo shizzle my nizzle!" The Rev smiled. While Johnny simply stood staring with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, you've got to look over my boys. They are a little, umm, umm, sorry I don't even know a word that exists in the human language for what they are." Matt laughed.

"No worries. I can only say the same to you and your boys, about my girls." I giggled.

"Hey! Honestly we aren't that bad!" Sarah yelled.

"Yes, yes doll you are!" I flashed her a smile.

"Hey, whose are these?" I looked past Matt to see Johnny holding up a bright pink thong.

"Umm that's not important," I grabbed them from him quickly and threw them on the other side of the bar, "Hey guys I'm really sorry about the mess, we got a little carried away when we found out that you were coming."

"Those are Alice's!" Sarah offered, a smirk on her face.

"Sarah!" I shot her a look.

"Well he asked!" She explained, rolling her eyes at me.

"But you can pretend they're mine." Kate winked at Johnny, which he returned.

Suddenly the spotlight was on me again, the boys all staring in amazement, then looking to Matt with a look I really couldn't read. The girls standing with their arms crossed giving me looks that weren't hard to read at all, it was pretty clear...'Go to hell!'

"So anyways, time's getting away, we better get going." I reminded them.

"Right uh, sorry, yeah, okay let's go!" Matt shook it off, even though the bulge in his pants went no where fast. And everyone in the room busted into laughter at his silly antics.

Once in the limo, it was pretty obvious who had picked who to be their date for the night: Sarah and Zacky, Laura and Rev, Anna and Syn, Kate and Johnny, and Matt and I. "Gods I feel like I am in high school again, and we are all going to prom!" I laughed. And everyone cracked up as well.

"Hot and funny! Marry this girl Shadows!" Syn yelled over the laughter.

I rolled my eyes, "So anyways, where are you fine gentlemen taking us tonight?"

"We are taking you lovely ladies to the one and only Ravenwood." Zacky answered.

"Holy shit! For real? I have always wanted to go there!" Anna exclaimed with excitement.

Matt slid his arm around me, "Yeah it's a pretty great place. Another drink?" He asked, handing me another glass of champagne.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you are just trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me Mr. Shadows." I joked, flipping my long blond hair over my shoulder, then accepting the glass.

"I actually figured I would let you do the taking advantage of." He whispered and pulled me in closer to him, searing my soul with those enchanting hazel eyes.

'Oh gods I can't believe this moment is really happening right now. Is this real life?' I wondered to myself.

A few minutes later we arrived at the club, which was absolutely running over with people. We were led to a private VIP lounge. I had never heard of this place but it was obvious now that it was a very popular goth rocker scene. It was elegantly draped with black curtains against bright red walls and furniture, all created with a Victorian style in mind. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. Classical dark music streamed from the floor, very funeralesk. Very dark and very beautiful, just how I liked it.

"Who wants a shot!?!?" Syn yelled. Everyone cheered to that. After a few drinks everyone was pretty well loosened up. The conversations were deep and very random. By the end of the night we were all on the verge of lit.

As we made our way stumbling out of the attractive club, I couldn't help but to think of the Bat Country video. My mind had to be playing tricks on me. There were a lot of times where I had thought I had gone off the deep end, but tonight was it, I was officially crazy. There was no way I could possibly be walking hand in hand with Matt Shadows to a very expensive limo after an all night of hard partying.

"Where to?" Said the driver.

"Back to the hotel Richard!" The Rev called.

"You got it boss." He answered, and proceeded to pull out onto the street.

.................................................................................................................................................

So we joined the boys back at their hotel. We were taken to Zacky's suite, it was huge. The lights were dim and a cozy fire had been started in the main room. The boys led us to the long couches, where we all took a seat.

"How about some champagne?" Zacky asked.

"Sounds fantastic." Sarah smiled back at him.

The Rev poured everyone a glass and Zacky handed them out. I took mine and began to sip slowly on it. "What a terrific view." I acknowledged.

"Yeah, it's pretty spectacular." Zacky answered as he joined me by the open window. I could feel the breeze coming off the ocean. It was cool but the fire burning inside the room kept me warm.

"Have you girls ever seen anything like it?" Syn asked.

"Only Alice, none of the rest of us have ever even seen the ocean till she talked us into coming here." Laura said.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, but Alice has been everywhere, well every state in the continental U.S. anyway. Her parents moved around a lot because of her dad's job. Then when her parents got divorced her dad didn't really settle anywhere, he just kept traveling so she would go to all kinds of places to visit him. Isn't that right Alice?" Laura turned to me but I was too mesmerized by the moon hanging outside the window. "Alice?"

"Alice are you okay?" I felt Matt's hand on the small of my back.

His touch frightened me, I jumped and then turned to him my eyes wide. "What? Sorry."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized with a concerned look.

"It's okay, sorry I was off in my own world for a second there. I didn't know you were that close to me, that's all."

"Oh okay." He giggled at me.

"Sorry, okay now what were we talking about?"

"I was telling them that this was the first time for all of us to see the ocean, except you, but you have been everywhere." Laura answered.

"Oh well I wouldn't say that I have been everywhere. There are still millions of places in the world I want to see. But yeah I have seen the ocean many times before." I smiled.

"What were you looking at?" The Rev asked me then.

"What?" I looked to him confused by the question.

"You were staring out the window a moment ago, what was it that caught your attention?"

"Oh nothing."

"Yes, something. Tell us what it was." Syn replied, arching his eyebrow inquisitively.

"Just the moon." I answered honestly, looking over my shoulder back to it.

"The moon?" Zacky's eyebrow also shot up then.

"Yes, the moon." I said nervously.

"Most people would stand at that balcony and look down upon the ocean, yet you look towards the moon?" Syn stared at me hard.

"Yeah, I don't know. It's silly, don't worry about it." I shook my head, embarrassed at myself.

"Please go on Alice, I'm intrigued." Johnny pleaded.

"Umm, well it's just...blood on the moon." I looked down at my feet, not wanting to meet their gaze.

"Blood on the moon?" Syn asked.

"Yeah, umm...you see the way the clouds around the moon are deep red?" I pointed out the window to them.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Well when it looks like that, it's called blood on the moon. It means something bad is going to happen soon." They all stared at me. Syn and Johnny looked confused. While Zacky stared knowingly at Matt. The Rev looked back and forth from me to the moon with a concerned look on his face. And Matt stared at me with a hard look, almost as if he was trying his very best to figure me out, but he wasn't getting through. "Sorry, I know it's silly." I blushed.

"No! No, it's not silly at all!" Matt quickly interrupted me.

Zacky leaning up against the bar, took another deep sip of his champagne, then turned his head up towards the ceiling swallowing it down. As he brought his head back down, slowly opening his eyes, staring into mine. He paused for a moment. Mulling over the question that was burning inside his head. I could see on his face he was trying to decide whether to ask or not. I waited, for I already knew what he was about to ask. Finally he made a decision, "Who told you that?" He never blinked.

"Umm, I don't remember." I turned away from him, looking back up at the moon.

"Yes you do." I seen his reflection in the giant mirror beside me on the wall, his gaze still on me. I didn't answer. I started to face him but stopped and kept looking at that moon. "Where did you hear such a tale?" He asked again.

"It's just an old witch legend." I answered cautiously.

The room was quiet for a moment. I turned around to see Zacky's reaction, but his eyes were closed. Matt looked at me again like he had before, his eyes searching mine, trying so hard to find the answer. Syn, Rev, and Johnny all looked to Zacky with worried faces. The girls sat watching the boys, not knowing how they would react to my statement.

Finally Zacky moved, he took his last sip of champagne and sat his glass on the bar. Again he looked at me, "Interesting." He whispered, as he walked back to Sarah's side and perched on the couch, putting his arm around her.

Matt walked to me and put his arms around me. All my worries of what they would think of me and the awkwardness of it all was washed away as soon as his large arms were put around me. I had found my angel. Standing there pulling me into his chest, everything disappeared. For a second I felt as though it was just he and I, and were enclosed in the privacy of his large wings wrapped tightly around me. I was lost in his security.

He looked down into my eyes, "You are tired."

"No, I'm fine. Are you sleepy?"

"Never. But I know you need to rest."

"No, no I don't. I don't want this night to end." I protested

"It doesn't have to." Once again there was that radiant smile, my senses peaked and I couldn't help but smile too. "What do you say we go back to my room, get a little privacy?" He winked.

"That sounds amazing." I beamed.

"Well everyone," He turned to face our friends, "it's getting late. I think Alice and I are going to turn in for the night."

"Really?" Zacky asked, "Not leaving so soon are you Shadows?"

"I'm afraid so."

"What a jealous man you are, taking Alice from us already." Zacky's tone was dark. It made me a bit uncomfortable.

"Yes, I know I am. But you will all have plenty of time with her tomorrow."

"Well alright then, the rest of us will be here if you need us."

"Okay enjoy your night then." He bowed to the guys. "Goodnight ladies." He then bowed to the girls. And the room was filled with laughter.

"Take care of my Alice, Matt!" Anna called to him.

"I will protect her from the most wicked of evils." He promised.

My girls all came to hug me and say goodnight. "We love you Alice!"

"I love you guys too. I will see you all in the morning." I smiled to them.

"It was great meeting you, Alice." Syn said with a hug.

"It was great meeting you too." I hugged him back.

"Yes, I am so glad we met you! You're awesome!" Johnny squeezed me.

"Well thanks! I had a wonderful time with all of you guys."

"It was a true pleasure." The Rev said, then he kissed my cheek softly and gave me a hug goodnight.

"The pleasure was all mine." I answered. I turned to Matt, who guided me from the room by placing his hand on the small of my back again.

I was almost to the door leading out of the room when I heard, "Sleep well, angel Alice." I turned to see Zacky standing by the same window I was at earlier, again with that dark smile still on his face.

"Thanks." I said simply. Then I looked up at Matt who gave me a reassuring look and guided me forward.

Once at the main door leading out of Zacky's suite I turned one last time to still see Zacky giving me that wicked smile. "Don't let the bed monsters bite." He called in a haunting tone, that ran chills over my body.