Give Me Vengeance

The door cracked open, and he hesitantly looked out like someone wanted to kill him. When he saw it was only me, he came out and threw his arms around me, hugging me tightly. It knocked the breath from my lungs in a whoosh.

“Nice to see you to” I gasped, joking. He smiled slightly and let me go before looking at his feet.

“So where are we going this time?”

“I don’t know yet, and until I do, you’re staying with me”

“What about the band?” his eyes grew wide.

“If you don’t stop, you’ll be out of the band like Ronnie. Do you want that?”

“Of course I don’t! Those guys are my best friends”

“Then treat them like it. Give them the respect they deserve and don’t lie to them anymore. You’re coming to live with me. End of discussion”

“What about clothes? I’m to small to fit in anything the Avenged guys could give me and I have no money on me”

“We’ll go to your place together and grab you some clothes”

His expression became guarded. “Maybe I-“

“You’re not going alone and I don’t care what your place looks like. We lived togther at one time, remember?”

“Of course I do. You saved my life twice at that shitty apartment”

“Then remember I know what to expect when you’re like this. How much drugs and alcohol are there?”

“A lot. More than what me and Ronnie had stashed”

“MORE?!”

He and Ronnie had more than 15 pounds of cocaine at out apartment along with 5 pounds of pot. A total of 20 pounds of drugs stashed in one room is what I came home to one day.

“Yeah. I’m holding some for a friend that deals”

“Max!”
“Listen, I told you it was bad”

“I didn’t think it would be that bad”

“Sorry to disappoint!” he snapped harshly.

I looked at him, my jaw set. “You will not talk to me like that when I’m about to help you”

“Sorry”

“Let’s go”

“Where?”

“To go get your clothes. I’m not waiting and if you want them we’re going right now. Take it or leave it”

He sighed in resignation. “Fine”

I walked out to the living room, and everyone turned and looked at me expectantly. I guess to them I was the expert here, the only one that could handle what Max had done and make sense of it. Zack walked over to me and hugged me, and I knew that he could feel the hurt I was trying so hard to hide from everyone. No matter what I said, the whole thing with Max had cut deep.

“You okay?”

“As fine as I could be. I’m going to Vegas with Max to get his clothes, and he’s moving in with me until I find a good rehab place for him. Apparently the last place failed and I wont send him back there”

“I’m going with you”

“What? No. This is something I have to do with Max and no one else. That’s the only way he’ll go”

“I don’t want you alone with him” he gritted his teeth.

“I can handle myself. You of all people should know that by now. Nothing you say can stop me from doing this. Max is a very good friend. I have to help him”

“No. you want to”

“Same thing with me”

“Matt wont like this”

“I don’t care what Matt thinks about this whole thing”

“I thought he was like your brother”

“That doesn’t matter. So is Max”

He sighed. “Fine”

“I’ll call you”

“You’re going right now?”

“I can’t wait. He’s in a critical stage right now, and he wants more coke. I have to be with him at all times”

“Fine”

I let go of him and grabbed Max away from Craig before dragging him out the door. He followed without fighting me, and I was glad about that at least. We climbed into my car, and I pulled out of the driveway, setting off on a very long car ride that was sure to be hell.