I woke up the next morning in the same position that I fell asleep in but tears were escaping my eyes.
“Why are you crying?” Zacky asked me
“I don’t know I woke up crying.” I said
He wiped my tears with the pad of his thumb and kissed my forehead
“Can you watch the kids today?” I asked
“Yes ma’am may I ask why?” He asked
“I’ve got some things to do.” I said
“Like?” He asked
“A few things, I’m going to go visit my mom and help her around the house.” I said He nodded.
I got up and went into the bathroom to shower. I let the scolding hot water wash over my body, it was cold in the house. I got out and wrapped a towel around myself and walked out into the bathroom.
“Babe what’s the temperature on the thingy say?” Zacky asked me
I walked over to it and looked “
Sixty-three.” I said
I turned to look at him like he was nuts.
“Turn it up to eighty. I don’t know how it got that low, I didn’t do it.” He said
I nodded and dropped my towel and rifled through the dresser, I pulled out underwear and a bra and put them on. By the time I got them on I was visibly shaking. Zacky got up and wrapped his arms around my half naked body, he was warm and inviting.
“Dress warm today, it’s cold for a day in September.” He said
I nodded into his chest and walked over to the closet.
“I’m going to bum it.” I said
He looked at me oddly and I pulled out a pair of sweat pants and slipped them on. They were thick fabric but they hugged my legs and hips. I grabbed a tank- top and a long sleeved shirt with thumb holes and slid them on. Then something hit my face, I pulled it off of my head to see it was one of the only one of Jimmy’s hoodies that I had. I smiled at Zacky and slipped it over my head. I walked over and hugged him.
“I loves you.” I said
“I loves you too.” He smiled
I did a little dance and grabbed knee high socks out of the dresser. I pulled them on and Zacky handed me my converse.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back but I’ll have my phone on me just in case anyone needs me.” I said
“Okay baby. Does Junior know I’m home?” He asked
I shook my head.
“Early morning breakfast surprise for him.” He smiled
I smiled and we walked downstairs, it was finally starting to warm up in the house. We walked down to the living room and Matt was watching TV.
“Morning Mattie.” I said
“Morning doll.” He said looking away from the TV for a few seconds.
“What are you totally engrossed in over here?” I asked
“Morning cartoons.” He smiled
I looked over at the TV and old cartoons were running from when we were kids. “How long have you been here?” Zacky asked
“Just an hour, I got to watch two episodes of The Power Puff Girls and now Dexter’s Laboratory is coming on.” Matt said
“I love that show.” Zacky said
They were like children some mornings and I loved it.
“I’ll be back guys.” I said
“Can I talk to you before you leave?” Matt asked
“Come outside.” I said
He nodded and I kissed Zacky goodbye and walked out the front door.
“Yes?” I asked looking up at Matt.
“Are you mad at me for last night?” He asked
“No it just shocked me that you would actually do it.” I said
“He raped my best friend’s wife. That’s a little crossing the line with us. And you know Jimmy is kicking his ass in the spirit world too.” He said
I smiled at the thought and nodded.
“Did you tell Val?” I asked
“No, I’m not going to.” He said
“You still can’t fully trust her can you?” I asked
“No. A few months ago she was telling me all the shit that she did to you and I don’t know how I could have been so fucking blind.” He said
“It’s okay now, it’s all in the past.” I said
He nodded.
“So where are you headed?” I asked
“I’m going to go visit my mom and then Jimmy.” I said
He nodded.
“I only told Zack about the mom part. I don’t want him to think I’m over working myself with Jimmy again. Last time I completely freaked out and I couldn’t stop crying.” I said
“It’s safe with me. Tell him I said hi and that I miss him.” He smiled
I nodded and Matt engulfed me into a bear hug with his huge arms. When he let me go he walked back inside and sat back down, I walked out to my car and started it. Thankfully my heat heats up super-fast. I drove off to the cemetery, when I found Jimmy’s headstone I sat down next to it.
“Hey Jimmy, I know I couldn’t control my emotions last time but I think I have a good handle on them right now. Matt says hi and that he misses you, and if the guys knew I was here they would say the same thing. I know you were probably watching last night but Matt killed someone, not just anyone but McKenna’s ex-boyfriend Beau. I’m completely shocked by it, I didn’t know that Matt really cared that much about me, he’s always pretty silent but we had a bonding moment before I came here. It made me realize that I was only ever really close to you, Zack and Brian. I was scared to tell them about Beau, because I knew they were going to beat him up but I never suspected one of them to kill him. I know if you were here that you would of gone with them for what he did to me, I don’t really know how to explain what I feel right now after all of this has happened. Being raped wasn’t on my agenda and I know if it were possible that you would jump out of the ground right now and comfort me about it but I know it’s an impossible dream to have you back in our lives. I guess I kind of do have a little you in my life, he’s so much like you that he’s going to kill me one day. He runs around and falls; gets hurt and gets right back up. He actually pulled a you the other day; he was running around yelling Avenged Sevenfold assemble and he tumbled down the entire flight of steps that lead to the basement and he slammed his head on the washer in the laundry room. He got right back up and pretended to fly, I took him to the hospital and he got a few stitches but they are out now. He’s got all of your features, honestly I can’t find any of me in him, I guess your genes are pretty dominant.” I said
I sighed and got up.
“I’m going to head over to my mom’s house now, I told her I’d be there soon, and then I’m going to clean.” I said
I knelt back down and kissed my hand and pressed it to the headstone.
“I love you Jim Jam.” I said
I stood back up and walked out to the car wiping my eyes.
“You’re Zacky Vengeance’s wife right?” I heard someone ask
I turned around and there was someone also leaving the cemetery.
“Yeah that’s me.” I said
“You guys have kids right?” She asked
“Yeah three.” I said
“One of them is The Rev’s right?” She asked
“Yeah, looks and acts exactly like him. I was just visiting him.” I said
“I was visiting my mom. Do you remember me?” She asked
I shook my head.
“It was a while ago. I’m Melody Jimmy’s ex.” She said
I took a good look at her.
“Oh my god it is you.” I said
She hugged me and I hugged back.
“How have you been?” I asked
“I’ve been a little torn up. When Jimmy died it was horrible for me, it was so unexpected he was fine when I saw him a week before you found him. Then he turns up dead it broke my heart.” She said
“We’re you two dating when he died?” I asked
“Sort of, we were getting back into it but then it happened.” She said
I nodded
“Well then after the funeral I didn’t come here with y’all because I didn’t think I could handle it, I eventually came and visited and then I saw the interview that you guys did and I cried through the entire thing, Johnny’s statement brought the water works and then I heard about you having Jimmy’s baby. I’m glad there is something left of him in the world. But after two years my mom died and she was buried here too.” She said on the verge of tears
“Don’t cry.” I said hugging her
“Brice you’re crying.” She laughed
“That I am.” I smiled
She smiled and looked down at her feet.
“How have you guys been?” She asked
“Pretty good I guess. Brian has a wife and a daughter named Alice, Matt is sort of with Val, Mandy and Johnny are still together, I have two daughters and a son.” I said “How have you been besides all the deaths?” I asked
“Well I finally moved on and found someone to marry, Jimmy’s still here though.” She said tapping her heart
“Married?” I asked
“Yeah his name is Austin and he’s so sweet. He had a daughter before we met so I take care of her like she’s mine but we don’t have a little one together yet.” She said
“How old is his daughter?” I asked
“She’ll be five soon.” She said
“So is mine and Jimmy’s kid.” I said
She smiled.
“What do you have planned for the rest of the day?” She asked
“Well, I’m going to go see my mom and then go next door and let the water works flow as I clean Jimmy’s house.” I said
“Would you mind if I came?” She asked
“Nope, follow me.” I said
We went to my moms house and stayed for lunch and then walked next door.
“Are you ready?” I asked
“Is it going to smell?” She asked
“I don’t know. Last time I was in here I was still pregnant with the first baby and it smelt like rotting food.” I said
“Let’s brace ourselves just in case.” She smiled
I nodded and pushed the key into the lock and opened the door. We walked in and shut the door behind us, I took in a breath.
“It doesn’t smell.” I said
“Nope.” She said
We walked through the living room and into the kitchen, there was a note on the door.
Brice,
I came over and cleaned out the fridge because I knew soon enough you’d be back over here and I didn’t want you to upchuck on the floor in the living room. I didn’t restock it with food or anything but there are bottles of water in there.
Love, Brian.
The note read.
“It’s dated for seven months ago.” Melody said
“Yeah, he never told me about this.” I said
“Well where do you want to start?” She asked
“Well since the kitchen is clean how about the living room?” I asked
“Do you have any music?” She asked
I nodded and pulled my iPod out of my pocket. We walked into the living room and it wasn’t that messy just a few plastic cups and glasses and other dishes scattered about. I walked over to his stereo and wiped the dust off with my hand and plugged my iPod into the dock.
“It’s hotter in here than it is in my entire house.” Melody said taking her coat off “Same here.” I said
I shed Jimmy’s hoodie off and placed it on top of her coat.
“Is that his?” She asked
“Yeah, that’s another reason why I came is to collect all of his clothes to take home.” I said
She smiled.
“Ready to clean this house?” I asked
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She said
I hit play and Sleeping With Sirens started to play, it wasn’t loud so that we could hear our phones go off is they did and so we could talk to each other. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the trash can and dragged it into the living room. We threw away all the plastic cups and made a pile of dirty dishes in the middle of the floor. When we were done with the living room I looked over and Melody had her hand under the couch, she pulled it out and she had a fork in her hand.
“He shoved it in there last time I was here.” She smiled
“Maybe we could clone him with that fork.” I said
“Then he’d have a pointy personality.” She smiled.
I laughed and we took the dishes into the kitchen and placed them in the sink. I grabbed a few trash bags and we headed upstairs to his room.
“The possibility of it smelling in here is great. Bottles everywhere.” I said
She nodded and I opened the door, we were hit with the pungent smell of moldy beer bottles. She went to walk into the bathroom.
“I wouldn’t. It’s where I found him.” I said
She nodded.
We cleaned out his room of all the nasty bottles and took the trash outside. I sprayed his cologne in the room to make it smell like him and I plopped down on the bed, she did the same.
“So where is Austin and his toddler?” I asked
“At his moms house for three days, she had some type of surgery and I don’t get along with her. Where’s Zacky and your babies?” She asked
“At home.” I said
She nodded and ran downstairs, I heard the music cut off and he footsteps coming back up.
“Thanks.” I smiled
She nodded.
“Who is going to do the bathroom?” She asked
“I don’t know, neither of us has cried yet and I know if I open that door I will.” I said “How about we do it together? Tears and everything.” She asked
I nodded and we walked over to the door and opened it. The pill bottles were still scattered the so were the pills. There was the little outline of his body taped to the floor. I fell to my knees in the exact same spot I did when I found him, then the tears started to come about.
“First things first.” She said ripping the tape up off the ground and balling it up. “Yeah.” I said
We both cried as we cleaned up the pills and threw the bottles away.
“Done.” I cried
She nodded and we both went back into the bedroom and laid on his bed.
“I remember when my mom kicked me out of the house because I mouthed off to her and after staying at Matt’s didn’t work out I stayed here and he fell asleep on the couch the first night and I snuck up here and slept in his bed.” I said
She looked at me and smiled.
“Want to bag the clothes and maybe we can take a nap?” She asked
I nodded and we got up and walked over to his closet.
“I remember getting him this.” She said pulling out a zip up jacket off the hanger. “Keep it.” I said
“Are you sure?” She asked
“Definitely.” I said
She put it on and we started putting everything else in trash bags. I picked out a jacket as well and put it on. We filled two bags up with just his closet.
“No one I know can fit into this man’s clothes.” She smiled
“I wear them a lot to like laze around in, they also became my maternal clothes.” I said
“Good idea.” She said
I nodded and we moved over to the dresser, I started with the bottom drawer and she took the top. We shoved clothes into the bags.
“Brice.” She said
“Yes?” I asked
“I think this is for you.” She said handing me a note and a box.
I opened the note.
“Read it aloud.” She said
I nodded.
“Brice, I didn’t know why I attached a note to this but I did so here we go. Look I know you love Zacky and I love Melody but I will always have that little part of me that wishes that you and I were together. After all we have been through I figured this would be the prefect Christmas gift. If you find this before I can give it to you there is another part in the closet and you are a creep for going through my underwear drawer.” I read
“Awh. Open it.” She said
“I will when were done.” I said
She nodded and rushed through putting the clothes in the bag.
“We’re done.” She said
I went to the closet and grabbed a big thing that said my name on the back of it. From the back it looked like a picture frame, I turned it around and it was. It was filled with pictures Jimmy took of me, us and the guys. I started to well up with tears. I set it next to the trash bags full of clothes and went over and sat on the bed. I sent a quick text to Matt.
-Mattie don’t you and Zacky worry I’m safe. I’m over at Jimmy’s place and I cleaned it up. I think I’m going to take a nap so please come wake me up in a few.-
I texted.
“Open this.” She said handing me the box that the note was with
I opened it and there were two necklaces in it, one was a locket that had a picture of Jimmy and I in it on one side and the other side had Best friends even after death was engraved into it. I smiled and put it on, Melody smiled. Then other one was just a sliver circle that had diamonds around the entire thing.
“He got me one of those too.” Melody said pulling the necklace out of her shirt.
I smiled and put it on as well.
“He died three days before our Christmas party.” I said
She nodded.
“Nap time?” She asked
“Yeah.” I said
She got in and turned the TV on and popped in a movie.
“Just like a sleep over.” She said
“I haven’t had one in years.” I said
“Tonight’s the night.” She sang.
We both laid under the covers in Jimmy’s bed and watched the movie Creep.

Notes

A little longer than the last one.