The Only Thing I Ask

Michelle rang the doorbell, for the third time. She felt so guilty for ditching Leana yesterday, so after sending those guys away she immediately went to look for her.

She rang again, still no answer. Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she tried her number.
"Michelle? Hey!"
She flinched a little and turned around. Leana stood there with a grocery bag in her arms and Zoey in the stroller.
"Lea! Where did you come from?"
It was a stupid question, but Leana just smiled at her and gestured the grocery bag with her eyes.
"Oh right. How stupid of me. Let me carry that for you."
Michelle took the grocery bag from her and Leana opened the door.

"So I take it you wanna pack and leave me now? Again?" Leana asked casually while strolling Zoey inside and Michelle followed from behind.
"Hey, I never left you. I was just..."
"Running away. I know." She picked her daughter up from the stroller and headed to the kitchen.
"Are you angry at me, Lea?"
"No honey, why would I? I'm just worried about you. You kept running away from things, Michelle. It has become your habit. That man yesterday, I don't know him but I can see that he truly loves you."
"I know. I've done some stupid things." Michelle looked down at her feet.
Leana walked closer to her, touching her shoulder. "Well at least you guys are back together now."
"He left, for another 6 months."
"What? Why did he do that? Did you guys fight again?"
Michelle laughed softly watching Leana frowned at her.
"No, they're on tour right now."
"They?"
"Yeah, both Jimmy and Brian are in a band, called-"
"Avenged Sevenfold. Yeah, James kept telling me that yesterday. He's a fun guy though. I had so much fun talking to him last night."
Michelle raised her eyebrows. "James?"
"Well, yeah. That tall guy with glasses and lip piercing."
"I know, but you call him James? Wow, Leana, good for you! One step closer I see."
Leana frowned, but her lips curved up into a smile.
"What's wrong with calling him that? It's his name, right?"
"Yeah but knowing Jimmy, he would never introduce himself as 'James Sullivan'. It's always 'Jimmy' or 'The Rev'."

Leana flushed and moved away towards the refrigerator while still holding Zoey in her arms. She remembered something from yesterday;

"Only my family and close friends call me that. But I like hearing you say it." Jimmy smiled at her sincerely. Her face went red, her heart beat like crazy watching him smiling so adorably like that.

She wanted to know more about him, but hell, she was a single mother. Normal guys would avoid her, let alone a rock star like Jimmy.

"I don't see any problem why I can't call him that. We went to high school together."

"What? No way! Don't tell me he was crazier than he is now, back then?"

Leana smiled while putting down Zoey in her crib. Truth was, she had a crush on Jimmy in high school. Jimmy was a crazy guy, and he mainly hung out with his friends who were just as crazy as him. They didn't care about school rank, they acted like they ruled the world. They would always create trouble, having detention after school, been caught smoking or even drinking and so on.

Leana on the other hand, was a straight A cheerleader. She first met Jimmy in calculus class. A spectacled pale guy with crazy spiky hair and a pair of drumsticks always in his hands, had never been her first choice. But she was attracted. So she avoided those feelings and turned her attention to the popular crowd. Sooner or later she figured that she will forget all about him.
Little that she knew, many years later they would find each other again.

"Hello? Earth to Lea?"
Leana blinked for a bit before turning to Michelle who eagerly waited for her answer.
"Reminiscing are we now?"
Leana smiled shyly.
"Well, he was a crazy boy back then. I don't know how he is now. I haven't seen him in a long time."
"You sound like...you had a crush on him. Did you??"
"No! I didn't!" her face went full red as she walked away from the crib, avoiding Michelle.
Michelle tailed behind her. “You want his number?”
Leana rolled her eyes, pretending to choose something from the fridge.
“I totally have his number. Right now, in my phone.”
“Michelle please. I have to cook, okay?”
“Oh just his number. Just say hello, and then hang up. Or not. Or just have a nice conversation-”
“I’m a single mother for God’s sake! Nobody wants a woman with a kid!”
Michelle stunned in her words.
“I’ve tried online dating, speed dating, but nobody ever wants to date a single mother like me. Especially James, since he lives in a totally different world than me.”
“How do you know that for sure?”
“Ever since Zoey was born, I’ve been dating a lot, hoping that I could somewhat find and provide a father for her. But no one, not one called me back once they knew I have a daughter at home.”
Michelle approached her slowly.
“Well, Jimmy is probably different. He’s a bit interested though. But, then again. I can’t force you guys. It’s your life.” She paused for a moment. “Okay then, I’m gonna go pack my stuff.”
She turned away and was heading to the guest bedroom when Leana called from behind.
“Wait, Chelle. Um…did he say something about me?”
Michelle’s lips slowly broke into a grin.

******************************************************************************************************

The stage was huge as hell. There was a sculpture of a skeleton king in the middle of it, sitting in its throne, surrounded by dozens of skulls. A Deathbat logo spread majestically on the backdrop and it even glowed in the dark.

Tona looked around. The crowd was massive, and she couldn’t believe she was standing on top of the stage and looking down at them. Her camera at the ready, she took a shot of everything. Her flashes flared repeatedly, couldn’t get enough of this beautiful scenery.

The pyro went off suddenly, giving cues that the band will go on stage in mere minutes. The crowd screamed. She quickly took off to the backstage and immediately found her favorite face.
“Hey you.” Zacky, who was standing only behind the wall with his guitar strapped on his shoulder, pulled her hand closer.

“Hey,” she met his lips for a moment. “Don’t be nervous, but the crowd is huge. I’ve never seen so many people in one place.”
“Darling, I don’t get nervous, right Syn?” said Zacky, arrogantly. Brian, who heard their conversation from behind, nodded and smirked. He wore a fedora hat this time, along with a black bandana underneath. Tona rolled her eyes.
“Okay, but in case you are, take this. For good luck charm.” She handed something in his hand. He took a look at it. It was a photograph of them both, flirting for the first time, in the recording studio, and it was printed in black and white.
“Wow. This is really my good luck charm. We looked beautiful.”
She smiled as Zacky took out his own wallet and put the photo in it. She did the same to her wallet too.
“Thanks baby. Gotta go.” He kissed her lips softly before going on stage and played Beast and The Harlot as the opening song.