The Black Swan

I saw one bullet, one knife and three sticks of dynamite. You would think I had transfered you to some crime novel, huh? No, that is certainly not the case. This is still the story of good ol’ Ally Morgan and it is not my intention to tell you some story of a drug dealer who had been shot in the back of an alley. No, it would be too mainstream. We’ve all read a book, or the laziest of us- seen a movie, about some detective looking for justice and basically it takes four hundred pages to tell his story of how he unmasks a person, who you suspected from the goddamn beginning to be the murderer, that goes under the label- shitty story. A good story is when the murderer turns out to be your mother who you mentioned very rarely, and the best story is where you are the murderer only you are slightly schizophrenic and you are not aware of the things you’ve done. Okay, back to the case...

There was no stealing, no murders, no framing anyone, no drug deals... Well, I’m not quite that sure about the last part, but heck, we were in Miami, nobody considered for drug deals to be illegal here, well everyone except the government. But the government closed their eyes most of the time.

No, I was talking about all the girls. I saw all those deadly weapons in their eyes, I was very thankful that homicide was in fact illegal. Thank God. The reason for such behavior? Well... Maybe the extra temptatious palm of Synyster Gates on my lower back. Get the picture? Yeah, me neither, I’m not the green-eyed type of the person, so to me it all seems like total nonsense. How can you be jealous of someone who will never be yours? Not that you could ever own anyone, except for slaves. Do slaves still exist nowadays?

Brian was leading me outside on the patio. So this was his idea of a place „more private”? I suppose he wasn’t the smartest peanut in the pack. Neither was I. I had to check his background before I spend some time with him. But no, let’s just trust the stranger. Smart, Ally, very fucking smart. You should’ve taken the candy! It could’ve been ecstasy. Yay.

„Are you okay?” He sounded slightly concerned as I pressed my back against the wall. Oh boy, I couldn’t live with the constant paranoia, because... Brian? He was a true star, and some of the girls were completely crazy. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day I woke up with a head of a horse next to me. Just like in godfather.

„Nope,” I shook my head, „I don’t think I am.”

„Listen, I can explain everything, just give me,-„

„You could’ve introduced yourself- Hey I’m Synyster fucking Crates,” I threw my arms in the air, going little too ecstatic about the whole thing, „world famous rockstar, instead of- hey, I’m Brian.” I shrugged my shoulders. Couple of people were turning their heads in their directions. Yup, I’m speaking to Synyster Crates here.

„It’s Synyster Gates.” He corrected me. Gates? Well that makes even less sence.

„Who cares?” I yelled straight in his face, although I knew he deserved none of the shit I was giving him. I just hated these half truths.

„Mind keeping your voice down?” He shushed me meeting the glances of a couple nearby us.

„Sorry...” I brushed my fingers through my hairspray filled hair. Ally, keep it together, you’re acting like a crazy person. Well maybe I am, maybe I’m not acting. „I’m, just... You’re exactly the type of the person I run from. I avoid guys like you like a plague.”

„Ally, take a deep breath and chill out,”

„Chill out?!” I did indeed need a chill-pill, something strong at the moment to chill out. Why was this hate for famous people? I knew how it was to fall in love with one. Take Andrew for instance. He’s not as famous as Brian, but heck... He’s a rockstar and the Vagabond is his stage. At first I found it amusing- seeing all the girls line up just to get a glance of his smirk, but somewhere in the middle I got annoyed and tired of it. Of course, he didn’t need anything from those girls, but oh boy how he loved attention. And somewhere along the way Nikki showed up. It was not like they were a thing from the very beginning, oh no. Only when me and Andrew started spending some time together, only then she showed up. Long story short- she managed to fire me, at least so she thought and now all the questions... How could she fire someone whos brother owns the place? Well... She couldn’t. She thought she could, I went away completely on my free will. Rather than ran away and moved to Huntington Beach. Never looking back. Although my whole family was left here, in Miami.

„Just tell me, why are you so worked up about this?” He tried to place his palm on my shoulder. Tried. That’s the correct word. „It’s not like I lied to you.”

„You didn’t tell me the whole truth. It’s just as bad as lying.” Really? Was it? Sometimes it’s better to keep shit to yourself.

„I don’t get it... I mean, Roy told me about this, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”

„Oh... It’s way worse. Roy was being very modest, I assume.” I know, some of you may think, just get over it, it’s some famous rockstar for god sake, I would give my leg for a minute with him. Me too, just for a minute without him. It was like this disease I got in my brain, I couldn’t extinguish the flame of hate that was burning for these kind of people.

„Can you name one logical reason for a behavior like this?” Now he was pinching the bridge of his nose.

„You won’t like it...”

„Go ahead.”

„You’re famous.”

„Godammit, Ally!” Why did he even bother this much? A normal guy would’ve run at the first opportunity he received. It was not like I was the prettiest of them all, and I, sure as hell, was not the sanest.

„But it’s the truth...” Now I got desperate and it was hearable in my voice.

„Ally, I really like you. Please, be reasonable.” He exhaled deeply. Music inside faded completely. A very good beat broke the silence. Jenna. Who let her choose the music? Traitors!

„I would’ve liked you, if you were a janitor.”

„I can’t change who I am.” That was a bummer. Oh well.

„Neither can I, Brian, neither can I.” I decided this was my open window to bail from this situation. I went back in the pile of hot bodies rubbing against one another and Jenna’s wonderful djing. Fine, Will was good, but nothing outdid Jenna when he got herself completely lost in the music. She took some simple pieces and made them absolutely wonderful.

I moved through the overly intoxicated bodies towards the place my brother was sitting earlier and believe it or not, he was still there. Sipping on something brown. If it was not Jack Daniels you could hang me from a tree and tickle me until I die.

„Roy, please, send someone for Jenna, we’re leaving.”

„Wo-wo-whoaw... What’s the rush?” Roy emptied his glass and the bartender was immediately there to refill it. Did they have some sixth sense or something? And of course, Jack on the rocks. He was too predictable.

„I’m... tired.” The girl at the other side of the counter gave me my black leather bag without even me saying a word. Something finally has been improved here. Taking Vagabond to the next level. Was about goddamn time.

„It took too long to come up with that lie. You’ve lost your touch.” Roy looked rather sober. How come he never got completely wasted? I mean... He drank pure whiskey. Without any kind of softs. What was his insides made of? Steal?

„I don’t like lying.”

„Bullshit... You’re lying since you learned to talk.”

„Am not.”

„Where’s Brian, Ally?” He asked calmly, too calmly.

„It’s not going to work out, bro.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as I searched the surroundings. Jenna’s still in place and no Brian, thank god for that. Speaking of Brian, where did his friends go?

„How do you know? You haven’t even given him a chance...”

„I know plenty of guys like him.” I looked for my phone inside the bag. It was time to call the cab and rap it all up. I had enough for today.

„He’s nothing like Andrew!” His palm landed on the counter with a loud thud. I didn’t like when Roy was like this, he rarely got mad, but when he lost it- he truly lost it. I gave him a concerned look. His physiognomy softened a little. „ Ally, he’s nothing like him...Please, just give him a shot...”

„Why are you pushing this so much?” I raised my eyebrow.

„You’ve been alone since that bastard... There’s something wrong with every guy you meet. There’s nothing wrong with Brian.” A couple of girls went us by, very sternly looking at my brother, but he pretended not to see them, although we knew, he saw them all. He always saw and remembered every and each one of them, although for a small amount of time, but he remembered them.

„He’s fa-„

„Don’t you dare start that shit with me! It’s bullshit and we both know it.”

„What else do you want me to say, Roy?”

„I want you to say that you’ll be going to their gig tomorrow...” My eyes widened at that very same moment. I didn’t do no gigs. Youtube was made for that shit. I hated the crowd. „With me. And you’ll apologize to Brian.”

„Apologize for what? For the truth?”

„Sis, I heard it was just peachy before you knew out he was... in a band.” He avoided to say the ‘f’ word. Fame. Just say it out loud. It’s not that hard. F-a-m-e.

„Somebody surely has a big mouth...”

„Does he? Doesn’t look that big to me, but hey...” He took a mouthful of his bourbon. „You’re the one that tasted him.”

„Roy!” I punched him hard.

„Someone’s blushing.”

„Stop it.” My cheeks were burning. None of these people needed to know details of my private life. I hated that people knew that much of me and Roy knew it.

„I can embarrass you even more...”

„There’s no need.”

„Mom thinks you’re a lesbian.”

„Wha-at?” That got me choking on my own saliva. She thought what?

„Yup. And that Brazilian waxing does no good in the matter.”

„Fine. Jesus. I’ll go. Just shut up!”

„I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” He turned against some girl and started talking away.

I threw the bag over my shoulder and moved towards the exit in the same moment looking up the number of the cab. Too sweaty bodies rubbing against me. Too sweaty... wait... Did he say Brazilian waxing? How the fuck did he know? Oh-my-god. Disgusting.