A Far Cry From Innocence.
There’s More Than Meets The Eye ‘Round Here.
We drove in silence other than the occasional profanity that oozed from my brother’s mouth. I debated asking again what had happened, but decided that a change of subject was probably in my best interest. “Do you know if Val is going to be there?”
“]b]Do I look like I can see the future? How the fuck am I supposed to know?” he grumbled angrily. “]b]You know her and Matt well enough to know the answer to that question for your goddamn self.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes, pulling into the parking lot of a liquor store. I turned up the radio as he got out, hoping it would fill the awkward silence and drown out his grumbling for the rest of the drive to Matt’s house. I was getting irritated with him, but it still didn’t quite overpower the curiosity. I couldn’t possibly think of what could piss my brother off this bad.
After a while, Brian climbed back into the car. A small smile tugged at my lips when he put the packs of beer in the back seat; he remembered to get me something. That smile, however, instantly vanished as he started to grumble again. “Who the fuck does Baker boy think he fucking is?”
I rolled my eyes and pulled the car out of the lot and back on to the road, hoping to finish the drive as soon as I possibly could. At least now I knew that Zacky had said something to make Brian mad at him. One small clue that hardly answered anything. Maybe the guys could help me figure out this mystery.
I parked the car in Matt’s driveway behind Jimmy’s car and pulled the keys from the ignition. Brian held his hand out for them and I looked at him like he was crazy. He scoffed and got out, getting his case of beer from the back seat and heading toward the house. I sighed and grabbed the case he’d bought for me then walked up the pathway.
“Hey, it’s the Avi Monster!” Jimmy ran up and half hugged me. “Need some help with that, squirt?” He snickered when I nodded, struggling with the case of beer in my hands. He took it from me and quickly peeked into the house before looking back at me. “So, Syn looks pissed… Who came in his clam chowder?” He snickered.
I snorted a laugh and shrugged. “I don’t know what his problem is but I think Zacky’s behind it.” His eyes burned curiously. “He came over when we were walking out the door to come here, said he needed to talk to Brian about something important. I don’t know what was said but it really got under Syn’s skin. I thought Zacky had just said something that pissed him off, maybe about someone else or something that happened, but after we hit the liquor store, he just fucking blurted ‘Who the fuck does Baker boy think he fucking is?’”
“He’s this mad at Zacky V!?” The look on his face was pure shock and curiosity. Suddenly, an all too familiar mischievous twinkle in his eye appeared along with a grin. “Let’s go see if they’re fighting to the death!” He grabbed my arm with his free hand and pulled me into the house. “Zacky was in the studio with Johnny when I came out for a beer; let’s see if it’s become the death arena!”
“Yo Rev, I told you, no kidnapping underage girls in my house!” Matt looked at us with a grin, his dimples showing clearly. I swear he was one of the most attractive guys I had ever met. “I mean, if your girl wasn’t here then I wouldn’t care, but I think she’d kill me.”
“Oh no, Matt, it’s alright. It’s Hazzard; I wouldn’t mind getting some one on one time with her when he’s done.” Jimmy’s girlfriend Leana winked at me and gave me a hug before turning her attention back to the television.
“Well, since your girlfriend approves, just stay out of my room.” He snickered and looked at me. “Hey Hazz.” He walked over and gave me a tight hug. “I really thought you had better taste than The Rev, though. I’m kinda disappointed.” He shook his head in faux disapproval.
“Ew! Jimmy’s my brother; that’d be like suggesting there’s something going on between me and Brian.” I stuck my tongue out and made a sound like I was gagging. I yelped as a new set of arms were around me, slightly lifting me off the ground in a hug. “Put me down, you Leprechaun!” I laughed.
Johnny let my feet touch the ground again as he laughed at me, a little out of breath. “You’re heavier than you look.” He cringed and put his hands up defensively as I punched him in the shoulder, still laughing “Good to see you too, Hazzard.” He walked away from me.
“Zacky and Syn in the studio?” Matt asked. Johnny nodded as he pulled a beer out of the fridge. “Cool, maybe they’ll write some new shit.” He took a sip from his bottle of Coke, which I was sure had a fair amount of whiskey in it.
“They’re alone,” Jimmy almost squealed, prancing in place like he might pee his pants. “We’re going to miss it!” He quickly put the case in the kitchen then hurried back to me, tugging on my arm. “Let’s go, let’s go; I wanna see!”
Val came down the stairs, her face screwed up. “Jeez, Jim, we don’t want to know about your perversions!” She gave me a hug. “I love your hair; I told you it would look awesome,” she said, running her fingers to see it against the light.
I smiled in appreciation. She had helped me pick the color and I hadn’t been sure how it would turn out. I should’ve known I could trust her judgment. “There is no reenactment of a Snacky fan-fic going on. They got in a fight,” I explained.
Matt tensed, his posture straightening. “They got in a fight? With who?” It wasn’t rare for someone to start shit with one of the guys, and they always stood up for one another. We were all a big family that looked out for and cared for each other.
“You’re never going to believe it but… they got into a fight with each other.” I didn’t think they’d believe me. No one would ever believe that those two would ever get into a fight with each other. Sure they’d had arguments before, but never fights. “Well, at least, I think they got in a fight.” I quickly retold what had happened when we left the house. They all looked stunned.
“Why’re we all just standing around? They could be tearing each other apart! Let’s go see who’s winning,” Jimmy said, grabbing my arm again and dragging me down to the makeshift studio in Matt’s basement.
“My money’s on Gates,” Matt hollered, falling in line behind us with a stupid grin on his face.
Johnny was on his heels in seconds, reaching out and shaking Matt’s hand, “You’re on, Shads! I’ve got twenty bucks on Zacky!”
“Only you would bet against Syn, midget!” I shook my head and snickered. “He’s never lost a fight before.” Maybe I should’ve taken it more seriously. I mean, I had never seen my brother this mad at his best friend, a man he called a brother and would do anything for; it seemed like that had completely changed all in a matter of a few minutes. But that was the thing, they were brothers. I truly didn’t think he’d hurt Zacky.
As we neared the studio, there was a loud thud on the wall by the door. We all froze, half expecting them to come walking out, but nothing happened. “Finish him,” Jimmy declared in a clichéd fighting video game announcer voice.
I stifled a laugh as we walked into the adjacent room that served as sort of the control room. The light was off, so they couldn’t see inside the dark room barely lit by the lights in the studio. We all watched the two men through the window, like it was a new episode of a hit reality show. I jumped as my brother’s voice boomed into the room; Matt had turned on the mics.
“I don’t give a shit, Baker! Do you even fucking understand how big of a disgusting, pathetic, pervert you are!?” Each insult he barked was dripping with hatred. He advanced toward his friend in a menacing way, body tensed and ready for a fight.
Zacky backed away, hands in front of him defensively. “No, you don’t understand, man; just let me explain!” He stepped around instruments and amps, trying to keep the distance between himself and Brian.
A bitter laugh escaped my brother’s lips. “Oh no, you don’t need to explain a goddamn thing, I totally fucking understand! You’re a sicko! A freak! A pervert! She’s just a fucking kid! Do you even know how wrong that is!?” He threw his arms in the air.
Whoa. That took me off guard. The insults, the mention of a kid… What the hell had Zacky gotten himself into? If Brian was right, then he had a point; Zacky could get in a lot of trouble. Potential jail time, making himself and the band look bad… I could understand my brother’s anger.
“Yeah, okay, she’s technically underage, but –“
“No! There is no ‘but,’ Baker! You’re lucky I don’t fucking tell everyone and whoop your ass myself! I can’t believe y-“
The mic cut out and Jimmy swore, putting his hands up and looking at the console. Everyone was quietly hissing to get the sound back. He looked at Matt for help, muttering an apology. Matt groaned and pushed a small button below the level, the voices returning.
“If you know what’s good for you Baker, you’ll leave her alone!” Brian stopped advancing toward Zacky and was walking toward the door. He stopped and turned on his heel, jabbing a finger in Zacky’s direction, “You know what, stay the fuck away from my house… And from Avigaiel.” He turned back around and stormed out of the studio, slamming the door behind him.
“]b]Do I look like I can see the future? How the fuck am I supposed to know?” he grumbled angrily. “]b]You know her and Matt well enough to know the answer to that question for your goddamn self.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes, pulling into the parking lot of a liquor store. I turned up the radio as he got out, hoping it would fill the awkward silence and drown out his grumbling for the rest of the drive to Matt’s house. I was getting irritated with him, but it still didn’t quite overpower the curiosity. I couldn’t possibly think of what could piss my brother off this bad.
After a while, Brian climbed back into the car. A small smile tugged at my lips when he put the packs of beer in the back seat; he remembered to get me something. That smile, however, instantly vanished as he started to grumble again. “Who the fuck does Baker boy think he fucking is?”
I rolled my eyes and pulled the car out of the lot and back on to the road, hoping to finish the drive as soon as I possibly could. At least now I knew that Zacky had said something to make Brian mad at him. One small clue that hardly answered anything. Maybe the guys could help me figure out this mystery.
I parked the car in Matt’s driveway behind Jimmy’s car and pulled the keys from the ignition. Brian held his hand out for them and I looked at him like he was crazy. He scoffed and got out, getting his case of beer from the back seat and heading toward the house. I sighed and grabbed the case he’d bought for me then walked up the pathway.
“Hey, it’s the Avi Monster!” Jimmy ran up and half hugged me. “Need some help with that, squirt?” He snickered when I nodded, struggling with the case of beer in my hands. He took it from me and quickly peeked into the house before looking back at me. “So, Syn looks pissed… Who came in his clam chowder?” He snickered.
I snorted a laugh and shrugged. “I don’t know what his problem is but I think Zacky’s behind it.” His eyes burned curiously. “He came over when we were walking out the door to come here, said he needed to talk to Brian about something important. I don’t know what was said but it really got under Syn’s skin. I thought Zacky had just said something that pissed him off, maybe about someone else or something that happened, but after we hit the liquor store, he just fucking blurted ‘Who the fuck does Baker boy think he fucking is?’”
“He’s this mad at Zacky V!?” The look on his face was pure shock and curiosity. Suddenly, an all too familiar mischievous twinkle in his eye appeared along with a grin. “Let’s go see if they’re fighting to the death!” He grabbed my arm with his free hand and pulled me into the house. “Zacky was in the studio with Johnny when I came out for a beer; let’s see if it’s become the death arena!”
“Yo Rev, I told you, no kidnapping underage girls in my house!” Matt looked at us with a grin, his dimples showing clearly. I swear he was one of the most attractive guys I had ever met. “I mean, if your girl wasn’t here then I wouldn’t care, but I think she’d kill me.”
“Oh no, Matt, it’s alright. It’s Hazzard; I wouldn’t mind getting some one on one time with her when he’s done.” Jimmy’s girlfriend Leana winked at me and gave me a hug before turning her attention back to the television.
“Well, since your girlfriend approves, just stay out of my room.” He snickered and looked at me. “Hey Hazz.” He walked over and gave me a tight hug. “I really thought you had better taste than The Rev, though. I’m kinda disappointed.” He shook his head in faux disapproval.
“Ew! Jimmy’s my brother; that’d be like suggesting there’s something going on between me and Brian.” I stuck my tongue out and made a sound like I was gagging. I yelped as a new set of arms were around me, slightly lifting me off the ground in a hug. “Put me down, you Leprechaun!” I laughed.
Johnny let my feet touch the ground again as he laughed at me, a little out of breath. “You’re heavier than you look.” He cringed and put his hands up defensively as I punched him in the shoulder, still laughing “Good to see you too, Hazzard.” He walked away from me.
“Zacky and Syn in the studio?” Matt asked. Johnny nodded as he pulled a beer out of the fridge. “Cool, maybe they’ll write some new shit.” He took a sip from his bottle of Coke, which I was sure had a fair amount of whiskey in it.
“They’re alone,” Jimmy almost squealed, prancing in place like he might pee his pants. “We’re going to miss it!” He quickly put the case in the kitchen then hurried back to me, tugging on my arm. “Let’s go, let’s go; I wanna see!”
Val came down the stairs, her face screwed up. “Jeez, Jim, we don’t want to know about your perversions!” She gave me a hug. “I love your hair; I told you it would look awesome,” she said, running her fingers to see it against the light.
I smiled in appreciation. She had helped me pick the color and I hadn’t been sure how it would turn out. I should’ve known I could trust her judgment. “There is no reenactment of a Snacky fan-fic going on. They got in a fight,” I explained.
Matt tensed, his posture straightening. “They got in a fight? With who?” It wasn’t rare for someone to start shit with one of the guys, and they always stood up for one another. We were all a big family that looked out for and cared for each other.
“You’re never going to believe it but… they got into a fight with each other.” I didn’t think they’d believe me. No one would ever believe that those two would ever get into a fight with each other. Sure they’d had arguments before, but never fights. “Well, at least, I think they got in a fight.” I quickly retold what had happened when we left the house. They all looked stunned.
“Why’re we all just standing around? They could be tearing each other apart! Let’s go see who’s winning,” Jimmy said, grabbing my arm again and dragging me down to the makeshift studio in Matt’s basement.
“My money’s on Gates,” Matt hollered, falling in line behind us with a stupid grin on his face.
Johnny was on his heels in seconds, reaching out and shaking Matt’s hand, “You’re on, Shads! I’ve got twenty bucks on Zacky!”
“Only you would bet against Syn, midget!” I shook my head and snickered. “He’s never lost a fight before.” Maybe I should’ve taken it more seriously. I mean, I had never seen my brother this mad at his best friend, a man he called a brother and would do anything for; it seemed like that had completely changed all in a matter of a few minutes. But that was the thing, they were brothers. I truly didn’t think he’d hurt Zacky.
As we neared the studio, there was a loud thud on the wall by the door. We all froze, half expecting them to come walking out, but nothing happened. “Finish him,” Jimmy declared in a clichéd fighting video game announcer voice.
I stifled a laugh as we walked into the adjacent room that served as sort of the control room. The light was off, so they couldn’t see inside the dark room barely lit by the lights in the studio. We all watched the two men through the window, like it was a new episode of a hit reality show. I jumped as my brother’s voice boomed into the room; Matt had turned on the mics.
“I don’t give a shit, Baker! Do you even fucking understand how big of a disgusting, pathetic, pervert you are!?” Each insult he barked was dripping with hatred. He advanced toward his friend in a menacing way, body tensed and ready for a fight.
Zacky backed away, hands in front of him defensively. “No, you don’t understand, man; just let me explain!” He stepped around instruments and amps, trying to keep the distance between himself and Brian.
A bitter laugh escaped my brother’s lips. “Oh no, you don’t need to explain a goddamn thing, I totally fucking understand! You’re a sicko! A freak! A pervert! She’s just a fucking kid! Do you even know how wrong that is!?” He threw his arms in the air.
Whoa. That took me off guard. The insults, the mention of a kid… What the hell had Zacky gotten himself into? If Brian was right, then he had a point; Zacky could get in a lot of trouble. Potential jail time, making himself and the band look bad… I could understand my brother’s anger.
“Yeah, okay, she’s technically underage, but –“
“No! There is no ‘but,’ Baker! You’re lucky I don’t fucking tell everyone and whoop your ass myself! I can’t believe y-“
The mic cut out and Jimmy swore, putting his hands up and looking at the console. Everyone was quietly hissing to get the sound back. He looked at Matt for help, muttering an apology. Matt groaned and pushed a small button below the level, the voices returning.
“If you know what’s good for you Baker, you’ll leave her alone!” Brian stopped advancing toward Zacky and was walking toward the door. He stopped and turned on his heel, jabbing a finger in Zacky’s direction, “You know what, stay the fuck away from my house… And from Avigaiel.” He turned back around and stormed out of the studio, slamming the door behind him.