{Avenged Sevenfold} Help Me Find My Way {Book 2}

{Avenged Sevenfold} Help Me Find My Way {Book 2} [15]

The sound of the wheels turning on the pavement filled the air. The only noise keeping the silence from being deafening. I bit my lip in worry for Jr and anxiety for myself as Zacky turned into Uncle Brian's drive. I flinched at the sight of every light in the house lit up. They were definitely still awake and there went my chance of just going home. I didn't know what to expect. Sure Matt and I had disagreed from time to time but it was never anything big and I had never seen him this angry before. Zacky parked the car behind Brian's car and turned the engine off. We sat for a moment.

"Zacky do you think Matt is furious with me."

"I'm not sure if furious would be the right wording."

He unfastened his seatbelt and I reluctantly followed suit, opening my door and trailed closely behind Zacky as he approached Brian's porch. He knocked quickly on the door before entering. Michelle and De's raised voices became louder as we stepped inside the door. Brian was leaning against the wall outside the living room with his arms crossed. I had a feeling from his seriously pissed expression that he hadn't had his turn with De yet. He glanced our way briefly before returning his gaze to the living room.

"A bit late for a social call isn't it."

I flinched at the cold control that kept his voice on a neutral level and even tone couldn't mask how furious he was.

"Not a social call. Matt will be here as soon as he's done at the hospital."

Michelle chose that minute to stop screaming so the word hospital was like a thousand ton bell tolling in the sudden quietness. That one word hung in the air as all eyes fixed on me.

"Did he get worse?"

"No, I... I couldn't leave him by himself all night."

"What do you mean leave him? And what do you mean by worse," Michelle asked De and I. I took a shaky breath.

"Jr was slipped some drugs tonight. He... He wasn't conscious when we left the party..."

"And you left him there?" Brian exploded.

He didn't wait for a response as he followed up his questions with a rush of expletives, pacing up and down the hall while running his hands through his hair. I shrank back towards the door. I'd only seen Brian this angry once before and he had sent that guy to the hospital. I knew realistically he wouldn't hurt me but I couldn't help being scared.

"God I can't believe you girls are to old to spank. I wish I could spank you both and send you both up to De's room where I would lock you in until you guys are both 21."

"Not a bad idea. Why don't we try it," Zacky commented.

"Where is Ashlyn?" Chelle asked.

"At my house in bed."

"Did she know about this?"

"She knew about Jimmy but De and Ash didn't know I was going back."

"So Matt's coming here," Chelle verified.

"Yeah, after he gets Jimmy settled at the hospital," Zacky answered.

"De you are grounded until the end of summer and that means you will be coming on tour with us. End of discussion," Brian curt off when she opened her mouth to protest. "You will work, I'm not sure doing what but you will have a job on tour and from now on it will be straight home after school. When school is out for the summer until tour starts, you will not leave this house unless it is with your mother or me. Now go to your room. We will be up to check on you in a while."

She opened her mouth to protest but Chelle cut her off, "Now young lady."

She snapped her mouth shut and stomped down the hall and up the stairs. All eyes once again turned to focus on me. I kept my eyes on the floor.

"Why don't you go sit in the living room Andy? I'm sure Matt will be here soon," Chelle said.

I followed her instructions and sat myself stiffly on the couch. Chelle came in a few minutes later with a pitcher of lemonade and glasses. She gave me a sympathetic smile as she poured me a glass of lemonade. The house was quiet now except the soft ticking of an old grandfather clock and the low sound of Zacky's voice as he talked quietly on the phone in the hallway. I studied the old grandfather clock that had been handed down through the generations of Chelle's family.

"You know the anger is coming from thief fear. They love you with all their hearts and they are afraid they can't protect you anymore."

"Matt is furious."

"Matt is scared. Probably as scared as the day you gys were born."

"He was scared that day?"

Chelle nodded as the opened. I blinked and swallowed as Matt's footsteps came slowly and steadily to the living room. Chelle poured a glass of lemonade and rose from her spot across from me. "Here I'll give you two some privacy. Brian's in his music room."

Matt nodded once as he accepted the glass and then settled across from me in the chair Chelle had just vacated. He sat the untouched lemonade down.

"Is he going to be ok?"

"Yes."

I fidgeted.

"He'll have to do his exams after school is out. They are going to keep him for a week or two to make sure there are no long term side effects."

My eyes stayed glued to the floor as they filled with tears and my heart rose in my throat.

"Why Andy? Why did you lie to me?"

"I...I don't know. We didn't want Jr to get in trouble and De suggested that we tell you he was helping."

Matt sighed loudly. I looked up at him cautiously. His eyes were closed and his face drawn as he pinched his nose.

"Andy I'm going to ask you some questions and I want honest answers to them. Do you know if he took the drugs willingly?"

"Jr wouldn't do that!" I bit my tongue then lowered my voice. " I wasn't with him all night but I know he wouldn't have."

"Do you know where they came from?"

I hesitated. "Not first hand but Gavin said that Riley sold them to Jr's 'friend' Suzanne and that she slipped them to him."

"Isn't that the guy De is seeing?"

I nodded.

"Does Brian know about this?"

I shook my head.

"Do you know what punishment he's given De?"

"Grounded until the end of summer so she has to go on tour and she has to work on tour. From the end of school until tour she's not allowed to leave the house unles it is with him or Chelle."

"I think that sounds fair don't you?"

I nodded feeling my heart sink knowing my fate was sealed.

"I'll pass it on to Johnny when we get home."

"Ash really didn't have much of a part in this."

"She kept quiet too so she is as much at fault as the rest of you."

"I'm sorry Matt."

"I know you are but that's not enough. This could have been so much worse. The combination of drugs in his system could have been fatal if he'd had any more liquids to help them dissolve. I trusted you Andy and you broke that trust on a big way."

I let my eyes drop back to the floor. Matt's disappointment was almost worse than his anger.

"Can we go home now?"

"No, I need to talk to Brian first."

I nodded and stayed seated as Matt rose and walked out of the room.

"Consequences Andy, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Chelle is right though. The anger comes from the fear and the fear comes from the love."

"I know Dad, I know."