Knives & Pens

“Pandora!” Andy yelled from downstairs on a Sunday night, Pandora was upstairs in her bedroom laying on her bed listening to Black Veil Brides Die For You when she heard Andy’s deep voice yelling for her. She jumped up and left the room immediately, jogging down the hallway and down the stairs and entered the living room, seeing Andy standing next to a Christmas tree box. He had a smile on his face, and he was looking at Pandora.
“What’s this?”
“Well, I never really put up a Christmas tree in my house before but I decided this year I would and your going to help me do it.” Andy said, a soft smile came across Pandora’s lips, and she looked at him after looking at the brown Christmas tree box.
“Okay, but there is one thing we have to do.”
“What’s that?” Andy asked questioningly, crossing his arms and looking at her, she smiled big..


Most people put the Christmas tree up while playing Christmas music, but not Pandora and Andy, no. They played Black Veil Brides while putting up their Christmas tree, the music was playing loud but not as loud, and Pandora could still hear Andy singing along, even screaming to some of the songs that had him screaming in it. Pandora was all smiles when she remembered her dream when she was fifteen, she even chuckled which made Andy suspicious. He looked at her, seeing her smiling as she hung the ornaments.
“What?”
Pandora was snapped out of her thoughts and she looked at Andy, still smiling uncontrollably.
“Oh nothing, I was just thinking of something.”
“Well tell me.” Andy said, looking at her, she smiled and giggled.
“No, it’s too embarrassing.”
“How is it embarrassing? You don’t have to be too embarrass to tell me anything, you know I won’t judge, and I won’t laugh at you.” Andy told her, his focus going back to the ornaments. Pandora bit her bottom lip and continued decorating the tree, listening to Love Isn’t Always Fair, and hearing Andy sing along to it as she decided if she should tell him or not.
“Okay, when I was fifteen,” Pandora began, Andy’s focus snapped towards her immediately. “My dream was for when I got older, I wanted to scream like you.”
Andy smiled and chuckled softly, and she felt herself go red.
“Now that’s pretty awesome.”
They went silent for a while, still decorating and singing along to Black Veil Brides songs, when Pandora started to think about what had happened in the last month or two. Her life was hell, then one guy in a band, changed her entire life just by seeing her scars. They became best friends, she ran away, went on tour with her favorite band, moved out of her parents house, stood up for herself, and she’s now living with Andy Biersack.
“Never give in, never back down, never give in, never back down, when your life feels lost, fight against all odds! Never give in, never back down!” Andy sang, Pandora looked at Andy.
“Why did you help me?”
Andy looked at her, unsure of what she meant. “What do you mean?”
“Help me get away from all of that..” Pandora said, Andy swallowed hard.
“I couldn’t let you stand alone, you know nobody in the army would let you stand alone. And I was there, and I had the chance to help you, and I was going to take that chance.”
“But I was just a fan..”
“I don’t care if you were a fan or not Pandora! You’re a human being, and do you really think I was going to sit back and let whatever was happening to you continue to happen?” Andy said, his voice getting deeper.
“No, but you had your band to worry about.”
Andy looked at her. “I don’t give a shit Pandora, I will never sit back and let something bad happen to my army members. No one in the band would, not Ashley, CC, Jake nor Jinxx.”
Pandora nodded, and Andy smiled.
“What’s going to happen between you and Juliet?” Pandora asked, changing the topic. She honestly had been thinking about it, wondering if they’ll get back together, or what will happen between them once their child is born.
“I don’t know honestly, she wants to get back together but I can’t find in my heart to do that.” Andy replied, sounding a little bit sad. Andy walked over to the brown box, and pulled out a star that will go on top of the tree of course.
“That’s understandable. I don’t think you’ll need a chair, your already tall enough to put the star on top just by standing.” Pandora said, Andy chuckled and approached the tree, and she was right, but he wasn’t as tall as the tree. He looked at her, and she giggled.
“Get me a chair.”
Pandora left and went and got one of the kitchen chairs, Andy stood on it and put the star on top. He hopped off the chair and Pandora plugged the cord to the lights in and the tree was lit with colored lights, they stepped back and looked at their work and high five each other.
“Good job Andy.” Pandora said, Andy smiled and crossed his arms.
“Same to you.”
Andy sat down on the couch and Pandora joined him, they sat there looking at the tree and singing Black Veil Brides Shadows Die. They sat there forever, just talking and listening to Black Veil Brides on Pandora’s Ipod. When Carolyn started to play, Andy started to sing along, it was 3:12 AM when Carolyn started to play. Pandora listened to the music, and Andy sing along. She started to get dizzy and tired, she laid her head against the couch arm and crossed her arms over her chest, Andy smiled knowing she was about to fall asleep, but he continued to sing in his deep, soft, comforting voice until she fell asleep. Once the song ended, Andy stood up and slid his arms under Pandora, he lifted her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to her bedroom. She rolled over and curled up into a ball once Andy place her in her bed, he covered her up with enough blankets to keep warm and sat down on her bed. Looking at her, he honestly had no idea why he sat down, and didn’t leave.
“I promise I won’t let anybody hurt you ever again.” Andy said softly, she continued to lay there asleep. Andy stood up and flicked off the lamp on the nightstand, and left the bedroom, closing the door once he left.








Pandora woke up the next morning with the sun shining bright in her eyes, she groaned and hid her face under one of the pillows she slept with and laid there for what seemed like hours. Her bed was too warm and comfortable to leave, and she did not want to get up, she didn’t even know what time it was. She removed the pillow, seeing how bright her bedroom was with the sun shining through the open-curtain window. She saw a note at the end of her bed, folded up neatly and just laying there. She set up straight and grabbed the note, unfolding it and seeing the handwriting was Andy’s.
I have some things to get done today, I’ll be back soon.
Andy.

Pandora didn’t mind being home alone, she was left home numerous times when she lived with her parents. Usually when her sister was cheerleading at a football game, Pandora would ditch going, just so she didn’t have to see her students and bullies.
Pandora hopped up from the bed and approached her window, seeing her mustang gone and seeing how beautiful it looked today. A clear blue sky, with only a few white clouds floating here and there, the sun shining bright. Since Andy was still looking for a new car to drive since his was towed, Pandora let him drive her mustang since that’s the only vehicle they had. Andy isn’t the type of celebrity who has fifteen different cars, he only had one. Pandora laid the note on the nightstand and left the bedroom, going downstairs to the kitchen to get something to drink. She looked at the Christmas tree when she entered the living room, the lights still on. The curtains were closed, which blocked the sun from shining into the living room and making the living room dark, but Pandora decided not to open the curtains yet, not until she had a glass of Orange juice or whatever else she could find anyways. Luckily they still had Orange juice, enough for one last glass, Andy swears up and down Pandora is a Orange juice addict. She entered the living room again and opened all the curtains, letting the sun pour in. She sipped her Orange juice and approached the radio sitting on the bookshelf, her Ipod was still plugged up, she turned it on and started her Black Veil Brides play list again; Let You Down came on first. She turned up the volume, and skipped upstairs to take a shower. The music was loud enough that she could hear it upstairs, in the bathroom with the door closed, with the water running. She knew Andy wouldn’t care if she played her music that loud, he never did care, as long as it made her happy.
After the shower and getting dressed, she decided to check her Facebook page for the first time since she returned from the tour with Black Veil Brides, she sighed heavily as she logged in and saw all the notifications and messages she had.

Notifications (24)
Messages (13)

Pandora clicked on the messages first, seeing some of the messages from her Mom, Sierra, Liam, some other people too.
She clicked on Liam’s message first and begin reading.


Liam Johnson: You can’t just leave High School like that Dora! Sierra is torn all to pieces, you need to return home! Finish High School all that shit, and be a sister, and be a daughter. You can’t just shut them out of your life you damn disrespectful bitch!


Pandora swallowed back tears, but kept on reading the messages, no matter how bad they hurt to read.


Gail Chambers: Pandora, please return home. I don’t know what happened that made you leave, or what that band is offering you. But you need to return home, we’re your parents, their not. Sierra misses you, James misses you, I miss you. Tell me what we’ve done that made you leave. I can’t believe you ran away, and joined that band or whatever you did. Their a bunch of grown men Pandora! Their going to use you, hurt you, or do whatever their planning to do. You may think that their nice, and caring and all of that, but that’s what they want their fans to think. But in real, their drunks, drug-addicts, there’s no telling what they’ll do to you. You need to return home, or I will fight to bring you home. You hear that Pandora? You didn’t even finish High School! I had to go to some meeting with your principal because he had no idea where you were!

Pandora shook her head side to side, and swallowed hard. She wiped her tears with her sleeve, and continued to read the other messages. Maybe she did deserve to be treated like that? It seems like their blaming her for everything, so maybe she did something to deserve it, or needed to be treated that way. Maybe they were doing it to teach her something? Pandora didn’t know, but she kept on reading, as thoughts ran through her mind.

Aubrey Coleman: Hi Pandora Chambers, you may not remember me but I sit next to you in Math class. I don’t know what happened, or why you left, or where you are. But you should return back to School, you need to finish High School and graduate so you can get a better job for yourself. I saw on Facebook you were in a interview with Black Veil Brides, every student in the School saw it and laughed. I’m not trying to make you feel bad, but you should really sit and think about what your throwing away by not graduating.


Jackson McCormick: I know why you left High School Dora, I’m pretty sure I do. Your pregnant aren’t you? Got yourself knocked up, probably sleeping with a older guy, probably in his twenties. He was probably paying you, and of course, you’re a slut and your going to do it. So you did, got pregnant, knew that everybody at School would find out how big of a whore you are, and you couldn’t handle that could you? No. So you left High School and you left your family. Damn I knew you’d always be a failure. I always knew it. And I was right.



Maggie Chambers: Pandora, I know I haven’t seen you since you were eight. I miss you though, and I just found out recently that you ran away with some band. Black Brides Veil? I don’t know, your mom was crying though when she told me. She doesn’t know what she did wrong, none of us do. But your grandfather and I are very worried about you darling, you running away is very dangerous and you know running away is bad. I don’t know what made you ran away, or pushed you too far. But I saw on the News you were in a car accident, and then I saw you in a interview with that band. So, I’m hoping your okay and there wasn’t anything bad or serious happened to you. The family is saying the driver, what is his name? I don’t remember, but I know your mother told me. But the driver was drinking, and was speeding, and ran a red light and hit another car. Your aunt thinks he’s abusing you sweetheart, because the Doctor told her there was some bruises on your body and it wasn’t caused by the accident. Please honey, message me back, we’re all worried.



Sierra Chambers: You fucking bitch! How can you leave me and Dad and Mom like we’re a piece of trash on the side of the highway! I don’t care what I said, or what they did, or how ‘bad’ your life is! I don’t care! You think Andy likes you? NO ONE COULD LIKE YOU! I don’t like you! You left us all, while we stood beside you! You’re a liar, and a slut! I hate you so much! Why don’t you do life a favor, and just END it all?!




Pandora clicked out of Facebook and closed the laptop, and started to cry into her hands. Because of her people thinks Andy Biersack is abusing her, her hero abusing her? The Andy Biersack abusing anybody? That’s not Andy Biersack, he wouldn’t lay a finger on her like that, or anybody else. Pandora lifted her head up from her hands, and wiped the tears and stood up, she entered the bathroom and started to brush her wet hair while what they all said in those messages replayed in her head like a tape.






Andy pulled up in front of the house, he cut off the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition. He hopped out of the mustang and approached the trunk, he unlocked it and the trunk popped open, revealing several bags from different stores, some bags from Hot Topic and other places where Andy shops at. He spent half of the morning, Christmas shopping for Pandora. The only person he really went Christmas shopping for was Juliet, and he always got the things she wanted. So he took a chance and went shopping for Pandora, and picked out things he thinks she’d like, and some things that he liked as well. He entered the house, and heard Shadows Die playing loudly in the living room. Like Pandora said, he didn’t care. He entered the living room and tossed the mustang keys onto the coffee table, and took the bags to a closet Pandora didn’t even know existed. Afterwards he turned down the music a little bit, and took off his sunglasses, realizing he hasn’t seen Pandora yet. He looked at his phone to see the time, 2:10 PM. He knew she was awake, or maybe. So Andy climbed the stairs quickly and approached her bedroom door, before he knocked he heard crying. Instead of knocking, he just entered inside. Pandora was sitting on the floor, with her head in her hands, and sobbing. Andy joined her on the floor, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head to his chest and letting her sob there. He rubbed her back, and waited for her to calm down to explain what happened. He wiped her tears away, and some running mascara and eyeliner while she explained. He felt his blood pressure raising as she explained, telling him what they said to her.
Pandora hugged Andy, and told him she didn’t think they were ever going to stop. Andy held her close, and rubbed her back, and replied.
“They’ll stop, just ignore them. Don’t listen to anything they say, we know the truth, and they do too and that’s why their blaming you because their too immature to take blame. People that only focus on things that hate, are miserable in their life. You are not a slut, so don’t you dare think you are. None of this is your fault, your doing a fantastic job Pandora dealing with this. Your becoming a role model, you can tell everybody in the world whose dealing with the same stuff as you that it will get better. You stand up for yourself, and you got away from that and your fighting and your strong. Your doing a fantastic job, and we’re all proud of you.” Andy said, seeing a smile forming on her face. Pandora wiped the tears and took a deep breath, she nodded, knowing all the things he said was the truth. As Pandora sat there thinking, Andy stood up and held a hand for her, she took it and he pulled her up. He patted her shoulder and smiled at her, she returned the smile.
“Can you help me with something?” Pandora asked Andy, Andy nodded.
“Sure, with what?”
“Making a video, I want to say some things, and I want you to be in it.” Pandora said, Andy stuck his hands into his jeans pockets and nodded.
“Sure, tell me what’s your plan?”
Pandora sat down on the bed, and Andy joined her. He listened carefully to her plan, and he agreed with her and knew what she’s doing might help everybody out there.



Pandora sat in the wooden chair in front of her desk, Andy’s laptop was sitting in front of her with the camera set up perfectly. She was apprehensive, but then she wasn’t. Andy stood beside the window, with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at her with a smile. She took a deep breath, building up her strength that she has but hides. She clicked on the button to start the camera to record, and then a screen of her appeared on the laptop. The camera’s light on red, showing it was recording, she begin.
“I’m Pandora Chambers, I just turned eighteen two months ago.” Pandora said, she sighed and continued, Andy was smiling, listening to what she had to say. “I’ve been bullied since I was fourteen years old, I was called all sorts of names and pushed around. I was known as being ‘Emo’, because I wore dark clothing, dark makeup, have black hair and I listened to ‘Emo’ bands. When I entered High School, the bullying got worse. I became quiet, so that made me even more weirder. Every morning there was pieces of paper taped to my locker calling me names, and everybody would laugh. Even some students wanted to fight me, but I never did start a fight. One of my bullies was my older sister Sierra. I did turn to self harm, cutting. And if you are self harming, don’t do it, it’s not worth it. Taking a razor to that beautiful body of yours, it’s not worth it at all. I stopped, and I honestly thought I couldn’t, but if I can stop I know for sure you can too.” Pandora said, Andy’s smile got bigger as he listened to this. “I ran away on my eighteenth birthday, I was pushed over the edge and I just left. Things started to get better a little bit, but it was still rough. I did drop out of school without even saying I did, I haven’t been back to school since I ran away. I guess, I’m trying to tell you, that I understand how you feel. Those people in school calling you names, it gets in your head and starts to make you think their right. But their not, they don’t know anything about you, and none of the things their saying it true at all. You’re beautiful, worthy, smart. Don’t let anybody tell you differently. You can stand up for yourself, and when you do it feels amazing. It makes you feel good about yourself too. I started to stand up for myself, and I realized I was stronger than I thought. Standing up for yourself brings the bully down, it lowers them and takes you higher. And if you see someone else getting bullied, don’t stand back and watch, help them out. Because if you are bullied, you know how bad it hurts. I’m trying to tell you it gets better, it really does, and if you don’t believe me. I’ll prove it.” Pandora said, she looked at Andy and Andy smiled and approached the laptop and sat down in the chair beside her. He waved to the camera, and looked at Pandora.
“I’m sure some of you know who this guy is, and for those who don’t, this is Andy Biersack the lead singer from Black Veil Brides.” Pandora said, Andy looked at the camera with a soft smile.
“Sup?”
“I met Andy at a concert, he saw my self harm scars and told me whatever was happening it would get better. I didn’t believe him at all, but I wanted to. And after that, what did you do?” Pandora said, Andy took a deep breath.
“I started to look for her, I spent days just staring at people trying to see if it was her. I swear, I was so close to giving up. But then I met her again, after stepping in and saving her from one of the bastards that was bullying her.”
“After he did that and found me again, we became friends, but at first I didn’t know he was Andy Biersack because he kept hiding his face. But one day he finally did tell me he was Andy Biersack, and we’ve been friends since. When I ran away, I went on tour with them. You probably recognize me, if you have seen me before at a concert or something. I’ve been here with him ever since, I even live with him.”
“Yeah, and she eats all my food.” Andy said, he couldn’t help it, Pandora shook her head.
“I do not eat all of his food. Anyways--”
Andy interrupted. “Oh so the food fairy is coming into my kitchen, opening my cabinets and refrigerator and eating my food?”
Pandora looked at him. “I don’t know. Now where was I--”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Andy!! Stop interrupting me!” Pandora demanded, Andy chuckled which made her giggle.
“Okay, sorry.” Andy apologized, then he lit a cigarette.
“If my life can change from being bullied and treated like crap, to living with one of my favorite singers. Can you imagine what could happen to you? It will get better, it will. I believe that and I believe in you. You are not alone, I’m here, Andy is here. We won’t let you stand alone.” Pandora said, she looked at Andy, and he blew smoke in her face with a smile. “Do you want to say anything?”
Andy looked at the camera. “I’ll be there.” He said, Pandora nodded.
“Very nice.”
“That’s what I thought too.” Andy said, with a smile.
“Thank you for watching this, and remember we’re here for you. And you can do this, don’t let them bring you down.” Pandora told, she clicked a button and the recording stopped. Andy gave her a high five and smiled.
“Good job, I’m proud of you.”
“I’m glad, and I do not eat all of your food.”
“Bullshit Pandora, you do too!”
“Nah uh, Jake eats it all!” Pandora protested, Andy went quiet.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to blame you.” Andy said, then hugged her, she hugged back.
“Now, how do I upload this?” Pandora asked, after pulling away, Andy shook his head side to side and sighed.
“I’ll do it, now move.”
Pandora stood up and he took her seat, his cigarette was resting on his lip, as he uploaded the video. After it was uploaded he turned towards Pandora, and inhale the cigarette then exhale.
“I’m a smart, sexy, bastard aren’t I?” Andy asked, Pandora laughed at him and shook her head side to side and didn’t answer. “Is that a no?”
“I bet you wish you knew don’t you?” Pandora said teasingly, Andy chuckled.
“Fuck.”
Pandora laughed…

Notes