You Are My Downfall, I Am Your Forgotten Face
Chapter Nine
I walked into Chain Reaction, Dr. Vanderbilt was close behind, but was giving me some distance. I looked around and memories of when I was younger flooded my mind, the many times we entered the club illegally and all. I took in a deep breath as I saw the many people dressed in avenged merch, I witnessed the first time that the deathbat ever got printed on a tee. I shook my head lightly, clearing my mind, and went to the bar, asking for a water with lemon. The band was to go on in ten minutes, and fans were already rushing the stage. I decided to join the crowd, close to the front, but not so close that Dr. Vanderbilt would get crushed.
The guys graced the stage, and for a second, my heart stopped. I looked up and saw the same guys that I was best friends with only a few years ago. They looked the same, not much had changed. I scanned the whole stage, and that was when I saw my old friends on the very edge to the stage, failing at hiding themselves. My eyes finally landed on Matt. He was yelling with the crowd, getting them hyped up.
"How are you motherfuckers tonight!?!" He yelled into the microphone, getting an excited response from the crowd. "Good, good. Well our first song tonight is the first song we ever played here at Chain Reaction, Turn the Other Way!"
The crowd erupted in screams, as I stood there, silent, listening to Matt's words. If he only knew how much this seemed to describe what he did to me. If he only knew.
The concert continued on, they played songs that I helped write, and new ones that I haven't yet heard. The crowd dispersed away, leaving me and Dr. Vanderbilt alone. The guys were off the stage, and their roadies, including the Berry's, yeah I knew the Berry's too, were cleaning up the set. I heard a few female voices, and turned around, noticing my old best friends at the bar with a girl that I didn't know. I sighed and went to the bar, ordering another water, hoping they'd realize it was me.
I sat at the stool, and could fell eyes on me. I heard the creak of someone leaving their chair, and looked over in their direction. Ellie was walking my way, squinting her eyes, I think she knew it was me.
"Um, do I know you?" She asked, still looking me over.
"You might."
"Wait! Oh my God! Alannah!"
"Alannah?" I heard a chorus of girls voices ask.
"Yes Alannah! What happened to you?!?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked as Katie, Layla, and Jayce stood behind her, leaving the other girl by herself.
"It means, why did you leave me behind?"
"Wha..." She was cut off by the guys yelling out to them.
"Hey save some beer for us!" Jimmy yelled, running over to Katie, but stopping when he saw me. "Oh, that can't be."
"Rev, what finally got you to shut your mouth?" Brain asked, and glanced in my direction. "Holy Shit! Al?"
"Wait! Al?" Johnny asked running over to the crowd and looking at me. "Fuck! It is you!"
"I got to see this for myself." I heard Zacky say as he pushed his way forward. He looked me straight in the eyes. He smiled, and hugged me. "Hey Al. It's been too long."
The only one not out was Matt. I felt crowded, and Dr. Vanderbilt put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you OK Alannah?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah Doc. I'm fine, for now." Just as I said this, I saw HIM, he walked out, a big smile on his face, but it faltered when he saw the big commotion going on at the bar.
"Hey, what the fuck is going on around here?" He asked. Everyone went silent, except for the other girl at the bar. She stood up and ran over to him, giving him a a peck on the lips. All the other eyes landed on me. I took in a deep breath, holding it in so I wouldn't cry.
He walked over and looked at everyone, not noticing me. "Like I said, what the fuck is going on?"
No one said anything, all they did was point at me. Matt's eyes followed, and landed on me. They opened wide, and his mouth dropped open. "It can't be."
"Oh, but it is." Zacky said, causing me to giggle slightly.
"Zack, you never changed did you?"
"Did you expect me to?"
"Not really. Actually, none of you really changed. I'm glad."
"Now that we all know we're here, will you please tell me what you meant before?" Ellie asked, dying to get her question out.
"I meant. Why did you guys just leave and go on tour without telling me? All of you." I said looking at Matt. "No call, email, letter. You just left." I said as a tear slide down my cheek. Dr. Vanderbilt handed me a tissue.
"First off, who is she?"Jimmy asked.
"My therapist."
"What do you need a therapist for?" Katie asked, worried.
I looked at Dr. Vanderbilt and she nodded. "Alannah was admitted into my institute about six years ago, right out of high school. She was suicidal and refused to speak. Only a short while ago did I learn what her problem was. It was my decision to bring her here to this concert for a confrontation with you." She said pointing at Matt.
"Me?" He asked pointing to himself.
"Yes. Now if you don't mind. May we have a word with you?" She asked looking at the group. "Alone."
"Um, sure. Follow me, we'll go in the back. I'll be out soon guys." Matt said leading the way.
"But, baby." The other girl said.
"No Abby. I'll be out soon." He said looking at her and using a tone of voice that he had never used with me before. The girl looked at the ground and walked away.
We followed Matt and he lead us to an empty room with a couch and a single chair. This was it. I was to learn the truth.
The guys graced the stage, and for a second, my heart stopped. I looked up and saw the same guys that I was best friends with only a few years ago. They looked the same, not much had changed. I scanned the whole stage, and that was when I saw my old friends on the very edge to the stage, failing at hiding themselves. My eyes finally landed on Matt. He was yelling with the crowd, getting them hyped up.
"How are you motherfuckers tonight!?!" He yelled into the microphone, getting an excited response from the crowd. "Good, good. Well our first song tonight is the first song we ever played here at Chain Reaction, Turn the Other Way!"
The crowd erupted in screams, as I stood there, silent, listening to Matt's words. If he only knew how much this seemed to describe what he did to me. If he only knew.
The concert continued on, they played songs that I helped write, and new ones that I haven't yet heard. The crowd dispersed away, leaving me and Dr. Vanderbilt alone. The guys were off the stage, and their roadies, including the Berry's, yeah I knew the Berry's too, were cleaning up the set. I heard a few female voices, and turned around, noticing my old best friends at the bar with a girl that I didn't know. I sighed and went to the bar, ordering another water, hoping they'd realize it was me.
I sat at the stool, and could fell eyes on me. I heard the creak of someone leaving their chair, and looked over in their direction. Ellie was walking my way, squinting her eyes, I think she knew it was me.
"Um, do I know you?" She asked, still looking me over.
"You might."
"Wait! Oh my God! Alannah!"
"Alannah?" I heard a chorus of girls voices ask.
"Yes Alannah! What happened to you?!?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked as Katie, Layla, and Jayce stood behind her, leaving the other girl by herself.
"It means, why did you leave me behind?"
"Wha..." She was cut off by the guys yelling out to them.
"Hey save some beer for us!" Jimmy yelled, running over to Katie, but stopping when he saw me. "Oh, that can't be."
"Rev, what finally got you to shut your mouth?" Brain asked, and glanced in my direction. "Holy Shit! Al?"
"Wait! Al?" Johnny asked running over to the crowd and looking at me. "Fuck! It is you!"
"I got to see this for myself." I heard Zacky say as he pushed his way forward. He looked me straight in the eyes. He smiled, and hugged me. "Hey Al. It's been too long."
The only one not out was Matt. I felt crowded, and Dr. Vanderbilt put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you OK Alannah?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah Doc. I'm fine, for now." Just as I said this, I saw HIM, he walked out, a big smile on his face, but it faltered when he saw the big commotion going on at the bar.
"Hey, what the fuck is going on around here?" He asked. Everyone went silent, except for the other girl at the bar. She stood up and ran over to him, giving him a a peck on the lips. All the other eyes landed on me. I took in a deep breath, holding it in so I wouldn't cry.
He walked over and looked at everyone, not noticing me. "Like I said, what the fuck is going on?"
No one said anything, all they did was point at me. Matt's eyes followed, and landed on me. They opened wide, and his mouth dropped open. "It can't be."
"Oh, but it is." Zacky said, causing me to giggle slightly.
"Zack, you never changed did you?"
"Did you expect me to?"
"Not really. Actually, none of you really changed. I'm glad."
"Now that we all know we're here, will you please tell me what you meant before?" Ellie asked, dying to get her question out.
"I meant. Why did you guys just leave and go on tour without telling me? All of you." I said looking at Matt. "No call, email, letter. You just left." I said as a tear slide down my cheek. Dr. Vanderbilt handed me a tissue.
"First off, who is she?"Jimmy asked.
"My therapist."
"What do you need a therapist for?" Katie asked, worried.
I looked at Dr. Vanderbilt and she nodded. "Alannah was admitted into my institute about six years ago, right out of high school. She was suicidal and refused to speak. Only a short while ago did I learn what her problem was. It was my decision to bring her here to this concert for a confrontation with you." She said pointing at Matt.
"Me?" He asked pointing to himself.
"Yes. Now if you don't mind. May we have a word with you?" She asked looking at the group. "Alone."
"Um, sure. Follow me, we'll go in the back. I'll be out soon guys." Matt said leading the way.
"But, baby." The other girl said.
"No Abby. I'll be out soon." He said looking at her and using a tone of voice that he had never used with me before. The girl looked at the ground and walked away.
We followed Matt and he lead us to an empty room with a couch and a single chair. This was it. I was to learn the truth.