Second Guessing and Tears Stressing

“Promise you won’t forget me,” I said, holding onto him, kissing him, inhaling his scent for the last time.

“I could never forget you Korynn,” he chuckled. “You’re my best friend, the only person I’ll always love.”

“But still, you’re gonna get all big and famous, and you’ll forget everyone in Cali, and then you won’t remember us when we try to call you.”

“I’ll NEVER forget you darling. Never.” I smiled.

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That was nine years ago. Now I’m 25 and I’ve been living on my own for 9 and a half years now. I got kicked out not even a month after my best friend, Zacky, left to be in the band a7x.
A7x is now on tour again, and I haven’t heard from them in nine years, to date. I sighed and turned the TV off as one of their videos came on. I couldn’t bear to listen to the music of a liar, no offense. The phone rang, and I grabbed it from the coffee table. “Hello?” I asked.

“Um, is Korynn erm, Gallaher there?”

“Well, considering the only one who lives here, yes, I’m here.”

“Oh, well, Hi,” The voice said. What was it that made this raspy voice sound SO familiar.

“Okay, I give. Who is this?” I finally said.

“Matthew,” the voice said. I only knew one Matthew, and he was on tour with my other high school friends.

“Matthew Who?” I asked.

“Shadows,” he replied. I choked on air. “You okay?” He asked curiously.

“You decide to call after nine YEARS?!” I asked shocked. “Then no, I’m not O-freakin-kay!” I half shouted.

“I’m sorry,” He said. “I tried the whole state of Cali to find you in this past week, and finally I had some private investigator find you. It was like you’d disappeared off Earth all together…I mean…living in Jersey and all.”

“So? I didn’t think you’d CARE!” I snapped. “It was six months and no word. And then all the sudden three years later…you call. Why Matthew? Why?” Tears started falling. I hated bottling up emotions, but it was three years of worthless tears falling now. He sighed.

“We need a new drummer,” he said, pleadingly. “Rev kinda screwed his wrist up and it won’t be healed until AFTER the tour. There’s three months left, and we need a kick-butt drummer. Please?”

“You want ME to be the new replacement drummer?” I asked shocked.

“Yes,” he said.

“Matt, I have a job, unlike some people I know.”

“That doesn’t start until three months after the tour ends. I’m not stupid. I asked the private dude everything. And boy, you can find out A LOT!”

“Matthew!” I scolded. “What’d you find out?” Now I was curious.

“Well, you told My Chem you were 20 when you first applied for your guitar tech job, and when they found out your real age, they still kept you. You’ve been there for 4 years now, you go to AA meetings every week, you see a therapist, you’re on Prozac, you used to be on Ritalin, till your doctor told you your old doctor was full of crap, you haven’t finished high school, you smoke, and…”

“And?”

“And you’re dating Gerard.”

“That’s a lie,” I lied. How could something like that get into my records.

“Nope, it’s not. You’re in loooveee!” He teased.

“Whatever. What else?”

“You like rock music, you’ve been arrested twice since arriving in Jersey, once for public disruption, and the other for beating the crap outta some kid. You mock police officers, you spend most nights at the Way residence, and you were in alcoholic, hence the AA meetings you go to with Gerard.” He finished.

“Wow, I need to hire one of them people,” I sighed. He laughed.

“So will you do it?” He asked. I sighed again.

“I dunno Matt…with everything…”

“PLEASE!!” He screamed. I sighed again.

“Okay, okay, ok-“ There was a knock on the door. “God, what do people WANT with me?!” I screamed more to myself. I lived independently, never wanting to talk to those whom weren’t close to me for long. Matthew had known that since we were in fifth grade and he tried to make friends with me. He and Zacky were great friends from the start, but I was cautious about whom to accept into my little cave of a heart. A cold, stone, hard, impossible to break through to, heart.

“Calm down. It’s probably the UPS guy sending you your ticket.”

“You already sent me a ticket?” I snapped. Wow, sometimes this guy had serious guts.

“Yes…get over it and answer the freakin door!” I went into the entrance hall of my apartment and swung the door open. There stood Gerard.

“Oh, hey Gee!” I greeted, shifting the phone from one ear to the other. “See, you’re not psychic,” I told Matt.

“Oh yeah?” He asked. “Look behind Gerard.” I pushed Gerard to the side and stood, my mouth dropping to the floor, as the UPS guy pulled up. “Sweet, sweet tacking system moron.”

“Shut up Matthew Shadows!” I shouted. “I’m hanging up now!”

“5 p.m. tomorrow, the airport,” was the last thing I heard before pressing the end button, and tossing the phone into the house. I signed for the ticket as Gerard stood there smoking. He handed me the cigarette and I took a drag.

“Where ya going?” He asked, kissing my lips lightly when we were finished.

“Um, well, on tour.” I said, biting my lip.

“Wha?” He asked, stopping short of the couch.

“On tour. With a7x.”

“You hate them!” He declared. “And now you’re their guitar tech?”

“Drummer,” I said, biting my lip again.

“Drummer…” He repeated trailing off. “Why?”

“The used to be my best friends Gee! I couldn’t just leave them hanging. And it’s only three months. Not that bad at all!”

“What do you mean they used to be your best friends?”

“I lived in Cali with them. They were my best friends, and then three years ago, we stopped talking after Zacky’s parents died and Matt had been living on his own for a while and the other two just basically split from their parents when they wanted to. After that, we hadn’t talked until today, when he said Rev hurt his wrist and they needed another drummer, and he asked me.”

“So you know Rev, Johnny, M, and Synyster?” He asked, still recovering. I nodded. “And you’ve known them since when?”

“Since like, fifth grade and middle school.”

“Wow,” he said. I nodded and sat down next to him, kissing his cheek.

“Remember that it’s you I love,” I said smiling. But he wasn’t the one I was trying to convince here.