Keep Me Alive

"Jaz, I can't see anything!" I whined, picking up a popcorn kernel from the bowl on my lap and throwing it at her head.
"Hey! Why'd you have to go and do that, Maddy?!" She exclaimed, turning around to look at me from her spot on the floor.
"Well maybe if your giant head wasn't blocking the TV screen, I wouldn't have to," I retorted, sticking my tongue out at her.
She rolled her eyes and got up from the floor, sitting next to me on the couch, cross-legged.
“Why the hell were you sitting on the floor anyways?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She shrugged, taking a handful of popcorn and shoving it all in her mouth. “Felt like it.”
I shook my head, looking back at the TV.
Jaz and her weird ways.
It was a Friday night. My best friend Jaz had asked me to come over her house and spend the night. Of course, being the kind person I was, I accepted.
Besides, I always liked sleeping over Jaz's place, since my house was so incredibly boring. And we always had something to do. Well, most of the times anyways.
We were watching reruns of our favorite show. Friends.
We never got sick of watching them. We had even memorized several lines we thought was cool and we'd say them whenever we felt it was a friends moment.
"Which one do you think is funnier?" Jaz asked.
I shrugged. "Of the girls, I think Phoebe is the funniest. And the boys....it's a tie between Joey and Ross."
She laughed. "I like Chandler the best. He reminds me of you."
"Really?" I asked, laughing. "How?"
"I don't know. Maybe the sarcasm thing."
I laughed again.
In the middle of an episode, we suddenly heard the front door open, followed by Zacky entering the living room where we were at.
Zacky was Jaz's older brother. Even though they were four years apart, Zacky being twenty-one and Jaz being seventeen, they looked very much like twins and got along well.
Well, sometimes.
“Hey, Maddy Berry. You're here,” Zacky said, coming towards me and tackling me in a hug.
“Ugh, Zack, you're squishing me,” I said in a muffled voice, as my head was buried in his chest.
“Oh! Sorry,” He said, laughing. He let go and ruffled my hair.
An annoying habit, I'd say.
I grunted, adjusting my dark hair back to the way it was. “Zacky, dear. Would you do me a favor?” I asked, ever so politely.
“Sure. What?” He asked.
“Don't ever call me that again,” I said.
“But I always call you that!” He said, with his hands on his hips.
“Well don't. It's lame and embarrassing,” I said, crossing my arms.
Zacky smirked, making a funny face, as he watched me.
I looked at him confusingly. “What?”
“Aww you just look so cute when you're mad,” He teased, pinching my cheeks.
“Zack, stop! Can't you see you're making the girl uncomfortable?” Jaz said, slapping Zacky on the arm.
“Hey! That was uncalled for, Jasmine!” Zacky said to his sister.
“Shut up,” Jaz said, rolling her eyes.
Zacky shrugged and jumped on the recliner. “Oh, by the way, the guys will be over soon. We're jamming tonight,” He said, taking the bowl of popcorn off the center table and shoving several down his throat.
"Did you seriously just say jamming?" Jaz snorted in laughter.
Zacky flipped her off, shoving more popcorn in his mouth.
When Zacky graduated from high school, he along with four of his friends formed a band named Avenged Sevenfold. They were fucking awesome, in all honesty.
Him and the boys would just play all day in the basement, making up new songs and playing them for us to hear afterwards.
Jaz and I were their biggest fans since the day they started. They weren't well known yet, but we knew they'd make it big once a record deal came.
And about the name of the band, Jaz and I didn't understand it at first. Zacky and the guys had come up with it. He later explained that the name of the band is a reference to the Book of Genesis from the Bible.
I thought it was very creative and they knew no band would ever have that name.
Plus, it had a nice ring to it.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, making an echo sound around the house.
“They're here,” Zacky chimed, jumping off the recliner and heading towards the door.
Jaz and I remained in our seats and could hear the guys' voices. They all spoke animatedly with each other.
“So, Maddy, Brian's here,” Jaz said to me, wiggling her eyebrows as if trying to tell me something.
I shrugged indifferently. “So?”
She smirked. “You have a thing for him, don't you?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Oh, I don't know. Maybe because everytime you see him, you blush at least five shades of red. I mean, the guy's a hottie. Who wouldn't drool over him?” She laughed, looking at the TV.
“I don't drool over him,” I mumbled.
Jaz scoffed. “Then why did you start stuttering when he said hi to you that day?”
I shrugged. “I'm a shy person. I sometimes stutter. What's the problem?”
“Oh please! Girl, you've liked him since the day Zacky introduced him to us! And don't tell me I'm lying, because I've seen the way you look at him!”
I shook my head. “Jaz, he's like four years older than me. Doesn't that seem a little strange to you?”
She furrowed her eyebrows. “Of course not. Let's not forget that these guys are about as mature as a five year old,” She stated with a laugh. "Besides, age is just a number."
“Are you implying that I should hook up with Haner?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I'm just saying, what's stopping you? He's got no girlfriend and may I say, you and him make an outstanding couple.”
I snorted, taking a small pillow from the couch and throwing it at her.
She laughed, throwing the pillow back at me.
"Come on, Maddy. Why don't you just ask him out?"
I snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm the girl. Girls aren't supposed to ask guys out. It's the other way around."
Jaz clicked her tongue, waving me off. "Nonsense. This is the twenty-first century, darling. Girls ask guys out all the time."
"Oh yeah? Name one," I said, crossing my arms.
She looked deep in thought. "Okay, so maybe I don't any girl who actually did ask a guy out but I'm telling you. It happens!"
"Right," I said, rolling my eyes.
We suddenly heard the boys coming in the living room. I looked over at them and so did Jaz.
I couldn't help but smile once I noticed Brian standing next to Matt.
Okay, so maybe I might have a thing for this guy.
“Sup boys?” Jaz greeted.
“Hey Jaz. Hey Maddy,” Matt replied, smiling.
“Sup ladies,” Brian said, also smiling.
I smiled goofily at Brian and noticed Jaz staring at me with a huge grin plastered on her face. I rolled my eyes, mouthing 'shut up' to her.
“What are you girls watching?” Johnny asked, as he came and sat down on the recliner.
“Friends,” We replied in unison.
“Damn that Rachel chick is hot!” Matt said, sitting on the arm of the couch as he stared at the TV.
“I know right?” Zacky said, laughing.
"Dude, she's like way older than us but looks like a freaking 20 year old," Jimmy said.
"I'd tap that," Johnny stated, with a smirk.
Jaz and I stared at each other, shaking our heads.
“Boys, don't you have to go play?” Jaz asked. “We're kind of watching TV here and we'd appreciate it if you'd stop rambling on about how hot Rachel is,” She said, rolling her eyes.
The guys laughed. “You don't like having us around?” Brian asked, making a puppy face at me, while blinking.
Damn, boy. Don't do the puppy face. It's fucking adorable!
I laughed nervously, biting my lower lip. “Nah, I like having you around,” I said with a grin.
I felt Jaz nudging me in the stomach, but I just simply ignored it.
"See, Maddy is nice to us. How come Jaz is such a brat?" Matt joked, recieving a glare from her.
"You guys have no brains," She stated simply.
"Coming from the girl who once got her head stuck in a metal gate," Zacky retorted, causing everyone to burst out laughing, including myself.
"Hey, that was an accident!" She exclaimed. "You weren't even there, Zack!"
"Yeah, but by what Maddy told me, it must've been fucking hilarious!" He snorted.
"It really was," I stated.
Jaz glared at me. "Who's side are you on?"
I shook my head. "Okay, Jaz. No more jokes about the metal gate."
She huffed. "Much better. And just for the record, I was fucking thirteen!"
This only made us all laugh even more.
"Okay, guys, come on. Let's just go practise," Matt said once the laughs had stopped, getting off the couch.
All the guys went and followed Matt out the living room, except for Brian, who had a sudden interest in the episode of Friends that was on.
I realized he had stayed behind and watched him.
He was wearing a black shirt with a white skull on it along with black baggy pants and etnies. His black hair was spiked, giving him a sort of 'boyish' look.
I sighed.
He was just so cute to look at. But I knew nothing could ever happen. I mean, I was only seventeen years old. What would a hot twenty-one year old guy want with an average teenager such as myself?
What the hell was Jaz thinking, anyways?
Like I'd ever really ask him out. He'd probably laugh at me.
"Haner, you comin?" Zacky asked, realizing Brian hadn't followed them.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," He replied, looking away from the TV. He turned around and winked at both Jaz and me before following the guys to the basement.
Once he was gone, I heard Jaz squealing beside me. "You see that?"
"See what?" I asked plainly.
"Brian just winked at you, that's what!" She said, nudging me
I rolled my eyes. "He winked at both of us, genius," I answered.
"No way. See, he likes you."
"Or maybe he's just a big flirt and does that with every girl he sees," I replied, focusing my attention back at the TV.
Jaz sighed. "I see I'm gonna have to take drastic measures," She said, putting a finger to her chin.
I stared. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, since you obviously can't make a move, I'm going to have to do it for you."
I laughed. "Are you going to ask him out for me?"
"Maybe." She shrugged.
"Are you crazy? Jaz, as your friend, I am begging you. Please don't do anything stupid."
"Chillax, Maddy. I won't screw anything up. You think I'd do that?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. Just please don't do anything that'll make me look like a complete idiot in front of him. I mean, remember the time when I tripped over the amp in the basement and fell right on top of him?"
Jaz threw her head back and laughed. "Who doesn't remember that? Priceless."
I hit her arm, making her squeal.
"Hun, don't worry. I won't do anything stupid."
I looked at her. "Then what are you gonna do?"
I was very aware of what this girl was capable of and I never doubted her either. But if she said she wouldn't do anything stupid, I had no choice but to trust her.
She grinned mischievously, as if having an evil plan inside that head of hers.
"Oh you'll see my friend. You'll see."