Danger Line

„Can someone please tell me, how the fuck did this happen?” Brian was laying on the ground of the parking lot just outside Johnny’s. He claimed he was tired so he decided to take a quick power nap on the concrete ground.

„Gates, man, get up...” Matt was leaning against Matt Berry’s car, I couldn’t even compare those two. Matt seemed way too sober for it to be true, cause I knew for fact they had hit it hard with Bailey, knowing she was sleeping all over the back seats of Berry’s car. They have called Matt Berry already after Syn’s fifth echo, trying to get him to stop drinking, but the dude was just too stubborn. I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t think neither of us would make it over the sixth shot, but somehow the shot’s stopped hitting after the fifth one. At least in my case. How it affected Syn we could all see at the moment. Maybe that’s because I didn’t go for a smoke every five minutes.

„I can’t believe I lost to a fucking chick...” He caught my ankle as I tried to sneak away from him. „You cheated.”

„Sure I cheated,” I started,” Rinsing those echo’s down with jager shots.”

„You did not,” He protested, trying to pull me to the ground.

„Syn she used to drink with Rev,” Matt explained.

„With Jimmy?” His eyes went wide and I gave him a hand, helping him up. Man he weighed a ton. „My Jimmy?”

„Your Jimmy,” I approved, putting all my strength into getting him to his feet.

„He was my best friend,” Syn told me. Yeah, I know, and he was one of the best drummers too. „I still can’t believe you won...” He snaked his heavy, tattoed arm around my neck, looking for a bit of stability in his life.

„Come on Gates, I don’t have all night!” Matt Berry shouted from the driver’s seat, getting very much irritated. He’s already waiting for a good half an hour.

„Then just fucking go!” Syn flipped him off.

„Haner don’t be a dick,” Matt tried reasoning, „Just get in the fucking car. You know your wife’s waiting.”

„My wife can suck a cock, see if I care... She just spends all my fucking dough not doing anything.”

„I hate to break it to you, but you just paid for all my drinks, casanova.” I pointed out to the nice bills he received and the generous tips he handed out.

„You’re different... I like you, however my wife--”

„Okay let’s just stop there Gates,” Matt pushed himself off the car and walked over to us. „We’re not at home where you can shit talk about Chelle. There are chicks around here ready tear her apart if only you’d say so.” Okay, was I really that drunk or did I hear there was a breach in paradise? Synyster Gates wasn’t as happy as everyone told him to be.

„Yeah, you’re right man... But I’m not going home. Na-ah. Nope. I know she’s fucking that Jason guy, remember the one I showed you on that facebook thing? Meg, you know him right?” he turned his head to look at me. I swear with every passing minute he’s getting drunker. „Oh who cares. But I refuse--”

„Yeah, I remember, Gates.” Matt sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, „What do you suggest then?”

„I suppose he can crash with me...” I sighed, making Matt look at me.

„You’d be okay with it? I mean he could try to fuck you.”

„In this state? Please,” I laughed.

„Yeah, you’re probably right.” He smiled, „Then get him in the car, we’ll give you a ride.”

Matt helped me to get Syn in the back seats next to Bailey. „Sit in the front, I need to keep an eye on Bails.”

„Okay,” I nodded, listening to him.

„So where do you live?” Matt Berry asked me.

„Just drive straight.”

„Meg?” Matt spoke up, forcing me to look back at them. Syn had fallen asleep and Bailey’s head was now laying in Matt’s lap.

„Yeah?”

„Forget what Syn told today. He’s going through a rough phase in his marriage and I’m not letting him make the same mistakes I did.”

I frowned, not really understanding him fully. He wants to tell me he regrets he divorced Michelle’s twin? „But you have Bailey...”

He looked down on my friend, smiling warmly as he caressed her head, „I know, but Bails is not family material.”

„I see,” Somehow Matt’s words made me a bit pissed. So he was just fucking my friend with no serious intentions... Good to know. If only I had a cue right now, I believe I would’ve gone on a crazy chipmunk rampage, just like Bails did with Stan.

„And I know Syn. He’ll probably start spending a lot of time with you and at one point he’ll tell you he loves you and all that bullshit,” I raised an eyebrow on him making him shrug, „it’s what he does, Meg.”

„Syn’s not a sweetheart,” Berry added, „Sure he can be nice... if and when he wants something.”

„That’s true,” Matt approved.

„What are you both getting at?”

„We’re just saying to be careful with him.” Matt stated looking over Bailey’s raven bangs. Gee thanks dad.

„He’ll never leave his wife no matter what he says. It’s too advantageous to him.”

„What are you suggesting... You want to tell me I’ll ask him to divorce his wife?” I was so sick and tired of people making assumptions about me and telling me how to live my life.

„I’ve known the guy since high-school. I know what he’s capable of.” Matt turned his head to look out the window, „You’re a cool chick Meg... I usually don’t do this, I could care less about his trophy girls, but I know you and I like your dad... I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

„I see,” I turned back in my seat to face the road.

„Don’t get me wrong, but I won’t allow Syn to leave Michelle.”

6 months later

„Hey, Meg?” I raised my head from grading the papers. The blue eyed, light haired prince- Frank was standing in front of me.

„What’s up?” I draw a letter ‘F’ on yet another paper. Dive bomb session? These guys should really stop watching Gate’s master classes. The dude’s even worse teacher material than me. Although I was a teacher of guitar practice, I did in fact sometimes test my students with theory. Just to see if they could handle what I’ve prepared for them. And judging by these tests, they're complete idiots.

„I have a question about the exam...” He started. Lil’ Wayne is a guitarist? Well that’s something new. Fucking wrong.

„Yeah?”

„I was wondering if I can use Avenged Sevenfold’s song?” I raised my eyes on him, frowning greatly. Okay, Frank had grown through time, but Gate’s solo’s could be a little too hard for him.

„Which one?”

„This Means War,” He replied simply.

„Hmm... Why not?” I shrugged, „As long as your band’s cool with it...”

„About that,” Please don’t tell me you don’t have a band, dude. In order to pass the exam, these kids had to team up with kids from Chris’ and Bailey’s class and do a band performance. „I kind of don’t have a band...”

„Frank, come on man...”

„I know, I’m sorry, but everyone just teamed up so fast...”

„Okay, I tell you what, if we change to Nightmare, I may be able to play you the rhythm, just get yourself a drummer.” Why Nightmare? Cause I knew the tabs for it, the other song however would ask for some effort, and I didn’t want to dig as deep just to help one of my students to pass a test.

„How about-„

„No, Bailey’s not the person you’d like to be in a band with.”

„Okay, cool. So what do you want me to learn?”

„Lead,” I chuckled, „But it’s fairly simple. Most of it is just one note hits, I can cover you with some parts so your fingers don’t go numb, but the solo... Dude, you have to nail it.”

„Okay, thanks Meg. Like, really, really thanks.”

„You’re welcome,” I returned to the real nightmare the grading of these moron’s paperwork happened to be.

„hey,” I heard Frank greeting someone on his way out.

„Hey man, your teacher’s busy?” Over the past six months, I’ve grown to know that timbre a little too well.

„I in fact am,” I answered before Frank, knowing how starstruck he was every time he saw Syn, but over the past months, he finally could manage to get out a simple ‘hi’, which was a very huge deal to him. I raised my head to look at him. The eternal hot stud. He took off his shades, before crossing his way to me and flunking his ass on one of the desks. „What’s up?”

„What are you doing?” He asked curiously.

„Realizing my students are a bunch of morons.” He chuckled. „Which is nothing new. So what’s with you? Why are you reaking of a ton of hairspray and another ton of cologne this early in the day?”

„I was on a date,” Let’s just forget for a moment he’s a married man.

„With whom?” I looked over another paper. Jesus Christ, Slash is the lead guitarist of Led Zeppelin. Good to fucking know. Why don’t they know their classic rock, is it that hard to learn a couple of the greatest guitarists?

„Tiffany? Tanya? I really don’t remember her name.” Slowly my eyes narrowed on him. He didn’t even look the last bit regretful.

„And?”

„And she wants to meet me again.” He was cleaning his shades with the edge of his black shirt, revealing a bit of his tanned skin.

„Do you?”

„The only thing I want to do is have lunch. Are you in?”

„You just told me you were on a date,” I said, crossing over another wrong answer, „Didn’t you eat?”

„She wanted to go to movies and I don’t consider popcorn as a meal.” He grimaced, hooking the shades on his shirt. „So where are we going? Maybe we could try that asian restaurant? Matsu or something?”

„I didn’t agree, Haner.”

„Sure you did. You know I’m paying.” I took a deep breath. He did realize I was not his wife and he couldn't bribe me, right? „Come on Meg, I’m hungry.”

„Well that’s your fault. I in fact did have lunch. Just three hours ago.”

„So you’re turning me down?”

„I didn’t say that. I’m just not up for spending your money.”

„What?” He looked dumbfounded, „Are you crazy?”

„Maybe I am,” I mumbled, double checking the nonsense this freshman had written. Inventor of shredding- Synyster Gates. Okay, that’s it. I’m not grading yet another work. „Listen I’m the designated cook today, so we can just eat at my house.”

„I’m not sure if I can fully trust you with cooking. Why can’t we just go to that fucking place?”

„Oh... I know what’s going on here...” I smirked, leaving him a bit confused, „there’s that chick working, right? The one you’re trying to get in your bed?”

„I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He said innocently.

„I know you Haner, I believe even better than your own wife.” And that’s a bit scary.

„That... could actually be true.”

„Fine, let’s go... But only because I want to see how the stud gets turned down. Yet again.” I gathered the tests, putting them all in my briefcase.

________

„So where’s she?” I scanned the restaurant, searching for the hot waitress he’d been blabbing about all week. Syn had chosen the table in the very center of the restaurant, obviously wishing for all the attention to be on him and him only. Through the last months there had been a couple of things I had to get used to when starting to hang out with him, like for example all the crazy girls photographing him right now, on which he seemed so regardless, but I sure as hell knew that boosted his ego up high.

„I already told you, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” So he decided to stick to that story. Fine by me. „So you’ve decided what you’re having?” He studied the menu the waiter had brought us.

„Maybe the sumo roll,” I replied, not even checking the menu, but instead scanning the place. I’ve noticed one girl, who happened to be a waitress. She had long slick black hair and a very cute face. She could be the reason for us being here.

„That’s not on the menu,” He frowned, searching for the meal.

„I know,” My finger wiped an invisible dust from the table, before shrugging, „A friend of mine is the chef.”

„Can we go to a place where you don’t know anyone? Would that be possible?”

„Why? Are you jealous?” I didn’t even mention the fact that he dragged me here just to get laid.

„Am I jealous?” He questioned mockingly, still not bringing himself to look at me, „I’ll be jealous when you’ll end on the Metal Hammer magazine. Then I’ll be jealous.”

„I wouldn’t want to steel all the fame away from mister asshole,” that actually did hurt.

„Are you referring to me?”

„Gee, I don’t know.”

„Speaking of which... They interviewed me about you,” I raised my eyebrows. This can’t be good, he must’ve said something I’ll regret being friends with him for.

„And...?”

„Well... Obviously they asked who you are and why I’m spending so much time with you,”

„I hope you didn’t say what I think you said...”

„I just gave them your phone number so they can ask you themselves,” Finally he looked at me, grinning widely.

„Fine, maybe I deserved that.” But still, he didn't have to do that. Did I tell Michelle about all the chicks he was dating? No! Cut me some slack, man.

„You really would...” I shot him a confused look, which resulted in a heavy exhale from his part, „Do you think I hate you that much?”

„I don’t know, maybe?”

He shot me a look which made me feel very much like an idiot, „Would I spend my time with you if I really did hate you?”

„You’re very much stubborn, Haner, you would... to make a point.”

„And what point would that be?”

„How the hell should I know? I don’t live in your head.”

„So what will it be?” A beautiful voice interrupted us seconds away before getting in a nasty fight. We both looked up to see the waitress, the cute face, smiling warmly at us, but mostly her attention was on Haner, who seemed very ignorant towards her. Okay, what the hell is he doing?

„We’ll have the shrimp egg roll and the sumo roll, if that’s possible.” What no nasty remarks, no smirks, no grins and absolutely no attention?

„Sumo roll?” The girl looked confusedly from me to Syn and then again back to me.

„Tell Tim Meg’s here,” I explained. She smiled and nodded, making a note down in her notebook.

„Would you also want something to drink?” She questioned, eyes narrowed on mister douchebag himself.

„Nothing asian please.” I announced, „Can I get a black coffee?”

„Sure, and for your friend?” She pointed to Haner, who in fact was now surfing through his phone. What was wrong with him? He dragged me here to get this girl, but now he’s acting like she doesn’t exist.

„Some sulfur,” I muttered.

„Excuse me?” Her eyes shot to me.

„I said some soda, like coke or something.” The girl nodded and left.

„What the hell are you doing?” I kicked his leg underneath the table. „She was ready to eat you up. Just get it done so I can get back to my life.”

„You really don’t know anything about women do you?” Uhmm, hello? Has he seen me? I think I was a woman, maybe not the type he preferred, but last time I checked, I was missing on some certain limb to call myself a man.

„Then educate me, I beg of you,” I squinted my eyes on him, being just a hint away from smacking him hard. He had this look saying I was a complete moron. We’ll see who’s the real moron, „Fine, I’m going for a smoke and please, while I’m gone don’t run after the first flesh you see like a stray dog.” He looked up from the phone.

„You can’t be serious... You’re really mad at me?” He questioned, leaning over the table as I got to my feet. „What for?”

„Can you just act like a man for once?” I said loud enough for the nearest tables to catch on the conversation. He looked beyond confused. Good. „I’m so sick and tired of you being so fucking nice! I can’t stand it anymore. Man the fuck up!”

I noticed the heads turning our direction. Even the cute waitress stopped in her tracks with my coffee, interested in what was going on. Syn frowned, „What the hell are you talking about?”

„Just... Just leave me alone, okay, Bri?” With that I took my bag and stormed out, leaving him completely dumbfounded. Serves you right, asshole. Although I didn’t go too far away, I stopped just a couple of feet from the huge window and lit up a cigarette.

I saw Brian still not being able to regain, but I also saw something else. The cute waitress came over, a concerned look on her face. They spoke for a couple of moments, before she slipped him a note.

It didn’t take long to catch on. As soon as the waitress left, he threw a couple banknotes on the table and left. I blew out a thick cloud of smoke as he went through the door, with a mischievous smirk on his face.

„And I don’t know anything about woman...” I took a drag, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. He came closer snaking his arm around my shoulder.

„Come on Twinkles, I think you’ve deserved a treat,” He smiled, guiding me to the car.

„What treat?”

„You’ll see.”