Avenged Sevenfold's Best Kept Secret

It only took me half an hour to get home from the beach, jogging that is, I didn’t want the two teenagers to catch up with me, I didn’t want to see them again, I didn’t want them to know who I was. Not now not ever. As soon as I got inside the back gate I let the dogs off their leashes and left them in the back yard for a while going in to get some lunch.

“Hey Mom? I’m home!” I called through the house.
“We’re in the kitchen sweetheart.” I heard the reply and nodded to myself taking my hat off and running a hand through my hair pushing my sunglasses to rest on the top of my head then paused and registered what she had said and ran quickly to the kitchen flinging the door open and hurtling myself at my Dad’s back screeching.

Moments before he may have been talking to Matt but thanks to him being gone so much and my reaction when he comes home being the same his reflexes to this were fast enough to catch me before I threw us both to the ground.

“Daddy!” I yelled happily making the others all chuckle a little then ignore us
“Haley!” HE laughed at me “How are you doing kiddo.”
“I’ve been good… I missed you.”

I relaxed and felt at home the moment I saw the warm smile break out on his face. I had always been close to him and I always knew I could tell him anything, I could trust him with anything no matter what trouble I was in I knew he would do anything to help. Then there was Mom… I loved her but we had never been especially close, she’d never been very good at the whole mothering thing and instead treated me like her younger sister which was great in certain situations but when I needed parental guidance, terrible.

“I missed you too Haley, later on I’ve got something to show you but you’re going to have to wait for the guys to go home.”

I nodded vigorously and then gave him another quick squeeze before I turned to face the others and hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter between Jimmy and Brian, my Dad’s drummer and fellow guitarist for the band.

“So how was the tour?” I asked whilst munching on a bowl of carrot sticks next to me.
“Ah. Not yet.” Mom swatted my hand away when I reached for a final one and I cracked a grin

“It went well… There weren’t any cancellations, no major injuries, no breakdowns or arrest s on our part so all in all it was a good tour.” Matt, the vocalist, told me smiling as he flung an elastic band at my head.

I nodded and a silence passed over us, a comfortable one, formed through the years.

“Oh, Haley. Saturday… Barbeque here. Everyone is going to be here but there aren’t going to be any other kids, I was wondering if you wanted to ask your friends over.” Mom suggested
“Sure, Let me go ask them now.” I smiled leaving the kitchen and rushing upstairs to go text them all soon getting replies that they would all check.

I went back down to the kitchen only to be patted on the head the moment I crossed the threshold, “Well me and Val are gonna head on home Mini vengeance.” Matt smiled warmly at me and patted my head again before him and his wife left closely followed by everyone else except for my own parents.

I went to let the dogs back in and moments later my phone flooded with messages from them letting me they could all come as well as them trying to start up a conversation for what we would do today but I ignored the last part, I’d reply in a bit.

“Hey Mom? They’re all comi… O sorry, am I interrupting something?” It looked as though I’d kust walked in on an argument between them but they quickly stepped back and Dad smiled at me shaking his head.

“No. You’re good. Hey, come see me in the garage, I have something to give you” He smiled and left but I stayed back staring at Mom frowning, “Mom… Are you coming too?” I whispered worrying as she looked up and quickly snapped out of her daze smacking the smile back on her face, “Mom? Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine.” She promised and took my hand dragging me to the garage but I was still suspicious our family did not need a repeat of the last summer.

“Are you coming or what?” Dad poked his head back into the hallway and started grinning like a kid in a candy store, he will never grow up. That I am certain of. Following him this time I froze when we go to the garage and stared at the car sitting there, the car I was so used to but it had been redone over the years and it was now shiny and beautiful looking ready to go.

“Are you kidding me?! When did you finish it?!” I grinned going over to it and running my hand across the roof smiling wide.
“A magician never reveals his secrets…. You ready for your first car?” He chucked the keys at me ut I ran back to him tackling him in a hug once again, “I know it’s early kiddo but happy birthday.”