A Far Cry From Innocence.

“Hey Hazzard, you home?” I heard my brother’s footsteps and could track his movement through the quiet house in his search for me in my typical hiding places after school. I heard him open the door to my bedroom, “Avigaiel?”

“Stay out of my room, Haner!” I knew he wouldn’t snoop. Not that it would be out of character for him; there were many times I would watch him tiptoe into one of the guys’ bedrooms to snoop through their stuff. However, he usually let me have my privacy and stayed out of my space. I snickered as I heard him slam the door, quickly followed by his quick footfall down the stairs.

“Where are you?” He called just before wandering into the kitchen where I was sitting at the island and enjoying a bowl of cereal. A grin stretched across his face, “Oh, I found you.” He snickered and walked over to the fridge where he grabbed a beer.

I nodded, turning my attention back to the book we were reading in English Lit and took another spoonful of cereal from the bowl. My irritation rose as he came up behind me to read over my shoulder and I was half tempted to elbow him in the crotch. Not hard of course, just a bit of a warning shot. Finally, I sighed in annoyance and looked at him. “Really Brian? Get out of my bubble.”

He shrugged and backed off with a smirk, “Sorry, grumpy butt.” He cracked open the bottle and took a drink from it. He sat on the bar stool beside me. “I don’t know why you do the homework. I cheated the hell out of my classes in high school and look at me now,” he said, taking a handful of cereal from the box.

I rolled my eyes and took another bite of cereal. I waited until I swallowed my food before I replied, “Some of us actually like to read. I never said I don’t cheat, but I do like to read.” I raised a brow at him and stole his bottle of beer. I took a sip and my face screwed up at the bitterness. “Johnny’s are better,” I muttered.

He snickered, “You mean that fruity shit? Of course you girls like that shit better than a real beer.” He took the bottle back and took a long chug just to prove a point. What his point was, I wasn’t sure, but he was definitely trying to prove it. “I’m gonna hit the liquor store before rehearsals tonight. I’ll pick up something fruity for the two fruit balls.” He smirked at me and laughed as I playfully smacked his arm.

“Oh my good god, the Synyster Gates actually remembered there’s rehearsals tonight? And it was without me having to remind him!?” I mocked shock as I put my hands on either side of my face and gasped dramatically. I drank the milk out of the bowl and went to put it in the sink. “Fine, do it! Or even better, buy some Budweiser; see if I care!”

“Hey, I’m offended. I remember rehearsals by myself… sometimes.” He started out with a pout that quickly turned into a smirk. He took another handful of cereal before I took the box and put it away.

I rolled my eyes. “You are a twenty-four year old man, Junior. You should not need your eighteen year old sister to be your assistant and caretaker.” I stood with my back against the counter and crossed my arms. “I don’t get paid enough for half the shit I do for you.” I smirked and raised a brow.

“You’re not eighteen yet,” he mumbled. It was his turn to roll his eyes as he shrugged. “Yeah, yeah, yeah; you’ve got me there. But I don’t always forget! Besides, every great musician needs an assistant.” He pointed at me for a minute before taking another swig from his beer. “So, you’re coming right?”

I nodded. “At the rate you’re going, someone’s gonna have to be sober enough to drive us home. Besides, I want to talk to Zacky about this idea I had for Twitch & Gizmo.”

“I thought you guys weren’t serious about that; it was just something to do for fun?” He smirked at me. As much as he hated to admit it, he really did like the music Zacky and I made in our little side project. He called it noise, which reminded me of our dad, but he had drunkenly admitted to me once that it reminded him of Pinkly Smooth and he really liked it.

I shrugged, “It isn’t really serious and we are just having fun, but what’s the point of making music if nobody’s going to hear it? We have shitty demos on Myspace that people seem to like.” I shrugged again. The internet was a really beautiful tool for artists to utilize.

He laughed and waved it off. “Alright, whatever. I’m leaving in fifteen so go put on your face or do whatever it is divas like you need to do.” He flicked his bottlecap at me then stood up to walk out of the kitchen.

“If I’m a diva, it’s only because I got it from you,” I shouted after him.

Twenty minutes later, I was the one sitting and waiting in the living room. I looked at the time on my cell phone and sighed, drumming my fingers against the arm of the couch. “Come on, Brian! You said fifteen minutes over twenty minutes ago!” I ran a hand through my dark violet hair; it looked black until the right light hit it, then it lit up like a neon light.

Finally, he sauntered down the stairs. He placed his fedora on his head and beamed his trademark grin. “Alright, Hazzard, you ready to go?”

I pointed to my face, my makeup resembling his in the Waking The Fallen era, “Have been for the last ten minutes, bro.” I grabbed my jacket and pulled it on. “I thought girls were supposed to taking longer than boys to get ready,” I teased, arching my brow at him.

He glared at me, “You can’t rush perfection!” He opened the door and grabbed his keys off the side table, “Now move that scrawny ass of yours out the door! Double time, move it, move it!” He twisted his jacket in his hands and snapped it at me.

“Oh yeah, and I’m the diva?” I rolled my eyes. I yelped and rushed out the door, glancing over my shoulder to make sure his assault didn’t follow me past the door frame. Next thing I knew, I had plowed right into somebody and was on the ground, sprawled on top of him.

“Goddamn it, Avigaiel,” Zacky groaned. “I always knew you were as hard-headed as your brother but I didn’t know it was just as literal.” He rubbed his head and squinted at me. He nudged me with his elbow as I climbed off him and helped him to his feet. “Sorry for getting in your way, your mightiness Lady Hazzard.”

“You’re forgiven this time, peasant,” I chuckled. “Next time, watch where I’m going, Zachary… Or off with your head!” I rolled my eyes.

Brian stared at us blankly and shook his head, “You two are retarded.” He looked at me with mock disgrace before putting on his sunglasses. “So, Zacky V, what brings you over here when we’re all going to be at rehearsals in, like, five minutes?”

“I was actually hoping I could talk to you for a minute. In private. It’s kind of important.”

My brother nodded and tossed me the keys. “Like you said, little sis: somebody’s gotta drive.” Normally he’d tell me to scram so they could talk and I would argue just for the sake of annoying him, but I wasn’t going to pass up the offer to drive his car.

I unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver’s seat, putting the key in the ignition. The radio sang out the newest Papa Roach album and I mouthed along to the few words that I knew while I watched my brother and his best friend talk. Zacky seemed cautious and even a little hesitant, which wasn’t very like him. My brother’s reaction was what really made me curious about the topic; the more Zacky said, the more visibly irritated Brian got. His expression was full of fury, and I didn’t need to hear what he said to know it was something as hateful as his expression; he headed toward the car. Zacky grabbed him by the shoulder and said something that seemed urgent, his own expression pleading. Brian wrenched his shoulder away from Zacky and, having seen my brother in more than one fit of rage, I knew what he said next contained more than enough profanity before he finally came to the car. Zacky stood for a minute before reluctantly heading to his own car.

“Fucking son of a bitch,” Brian snarled, slamming the door hard enough to make the car shake.

I blinked, wondering what was going on. What had Zacky told my brother to make him this angry? “Whoa, Bri, calm down. What happened?”

“Just fucking drive. I need a goddamn drink,” he barked, crossing his arms and slumping down in the seat.