Almost Easy

The Beginning- Zoey's POV

Most people are usually pretty regretful when they remember who their first kiss was, who they lost their virginity to. But not me, I mean seriously, who else can say that they had both experiences with none other than A7X's, Synyster Gates.

Well, he wasn't Synyster back then. He was plain old Brian Elwin Haner Jr. and he was one of my brother's best friends. Being two years younger than them, I had never really given any cause for him to notice me. I'll never actually even know why or how it happened. I just know that it did.

Being about a foot shorter never helps attract the opposite sex.  I mean being tiny is cute but guys especially tend to characterize you as a kid. They never seem to let you grow past your height. But it wasn't like height ran in my family. Zacky was a whole 5'8..not short but not exactly standard guy height. I was lucky that I made it to be over five feet to be honest.  My brother and I didn't look exactly alike but we looked enough alike for people to know that we were related. We were both left handed guitar players. Both of us have dark hair and pretty full lips.  He has the clearest green eyes that I had ever seen, a gift from our mother that I always envied. My eyes were green but they had more a more hazelly (I know totally not a word) appearance. Zacky had teased me growing up that God had thrown some mud in my eyes to give them that appearance. Don't get me wrong, I think I'm pretty, just not the drop dead gorgeous that some people deserve to be with. People like Brian..anyway, I'm diverting.

First I guess I should tell you about my first kiss. It was my birthday. My 16th birthday to be exact. It wasn't great day. I almost felt like I'd woken up in the movie 16 Candles. I was Samantha Baker..same last name at least. A coincidence? Probably not. My mom had let me have a sleep over with three of my friends but that was pretty much the extent of the party. I mean, we were 16 with no driver's licenses or cars so we sat at home and watched movies. I let my best friend Lana give me a makeover which she'd been dying to do since she discovered makeup.

Zacky and his friends had managed to score a gig at a party being held by one of the popular jocks who was taking advantage of his parents being out of town so I knew they'd be in late. I think that was the only reason my mom let me have friends sleep over. She rarely did if Zacky was home but she didn't ever seem to have a problem with letting me sleep in the same house as Zacky's friends.  I guess she figured Zacky was all irresistible and I was..well I was me.

Not going lie though. Zacky has some hot friends. Matt Sanders was probably the best looking of the bunch. Conventionally speaking that is and he knew it. And he made sure everyone else knew he knew that he was top dog. He had hazel eyes that reminded me of the honey whiskey that my mother seemed fond of taking sips of when she was stressed. He was built like a football player with tons of charm and flirtiness.  And his dimples, whenever he smiled it was hard not to fall immediately in love.

Then there was Johnny...Johnny was much smaller and younger than the rest of Zacky's friends but he was a big presence.  Shaved head and silly personality made him lovable but his often blond/black hair combo made girls a little leery of him. If you were lucky enough to see past that, you'd fall into the depths of his brown eyes and not want to be saved.  And Jimmy...geez Jimmy was a big tall goof. Of all Zacky's friend's he was my favourite because he treated me like a person. He often asked my opinion and actually listened to what I was saying. Of course, he was wild and crazy and quite the trouble maker that had my mother throwing him out of the house at any small provocation but he always managed to get back into her good graces.

And of course I saved the best for last, Brian. Brian was who I considered the most beautiful man alive. At 18, he was the epitome of everything I wanted. He was my Jake Ryan, right down to the warmest brown eyes.  I had a crush on him of epic proportions that no one but Lana and Lucy knew about. When I was around him, I managed to bring in my most sarcastic dialogue which I think he appreciated and was always rewards with the patented Haner side smirk. Alas, it appeared that he only saw me as Zacky's little sister..well at least until that night.