Walk With Me

“Here’s a funny theory. There are two sets of drums right in front of you. We want you guys to battle.” Matthew started, while him, Arin and Erika were in the drum recording room.

Both Arin and Erika stared at the drumsets in front of them. Both of them were DW, but only one of them had Deathbat logo on it. The one with the Deathbat logo belonged to The Rev, and they’ve been using it in the audition the other day.

“Beautiful, huh?” Matthew led them nearer, as he squatted on the floor facing Jimmy’s drumkits.

“They’re gonna put this up in Hard Rock Hotel by the end of this month. I just thought that maybe we could use Rev’s kits for this battle. A chance to say goodbye to it.” He said, while touching the sticker on the bass drum.

Actually Arin and Erika were more surprised by the thought of them having to battle it out rather than the news coming from Matt just now. But a last chance to use Rev’s drumkits was also one of the reasons for them to gape at each other.

Battle it out, huh. Erika thought. She could definitely nail this. Arin is amazing, but she isn’t some petty drummer either. Both of them almost had the same style, both of them had their own technical specialty and both of them studied music. Only Erika didn’t major in drums. Well so did The Rev. He can play both piano and drums. It was like, if combined the two of them equals to one The Rev, right?

Wrong, nobody could ever replace him, even if they combined every drummer and pianist in this world.

“Matt, quit moping down there and start the fucking battle already!” suddenly a voice echoed in the drum room, and it made both Erika and Arin flinched. They spun around and saw Johnny was speaking into the microphone from outside of the room.

Matthew got up from his squat. He wiped a trace of tears on his cheek briefly.

“Okay. Please take your seats, lady and gent. Both drums are the basically the same. It’s just that this has a Deathbat logo sticker on it.”

“I’ll take this one. You take Rev’s drums, Erika.” Arin started as he paced forward to the original DW drumset.

“Uh, no. I shouldn’t. You should take The Rev’s. I’ll settle with this one.

“But I insist. You’re an amazing drummer, Erika. You deserve to have the last chance of playing using Rev’s kits.”

“But Arin, I-”

“Guys, what did I just say about these drums? They are both the same. The only difference is just that fucking sticker.” Matthew scoffed, and it immediately shut them up.

Matthew frowned at them both, his eyes narrowed at them.

“Is there something going on between you two?”

“Nope.” “Nope.” Both Arin and Erika answered, a bit too quickly and in sync. Matt’s eyes even more narrowed now.

“Riiight. Okay, Arin, you take the DW, and Erika – enjoy using The Rev’s kits.”

Erika beamed at Matthew and then at Arin, who smiled at her back.

“Thank you, Arin.” She mouthed.

She loved DW drums. They sounded clear and tight but not as stuffy as hers. She bought those drums online and it wasn’t new. She wasn’t actually poor, her parents were rich. But in terms of her hobbies and passion in drumming, she had to spend her own money.

“Here’s the thing. We want you guys to just do your thing, with no guitar to accompany you or whatsoever. And from this battle, we’ll see who the strongest contender is.”



As soon as Matthew went out of the room, Arin started first, with a smile on his face and eyes on Erika. Erika smiled too, watching Arin thumping his toms and cymbals and sometimes threw in a couple of double pedal from the kick. He played a bit from Remenissions, but soon combined with Chapter Four and Erika can sense immediately that he added some of his own notes.

At the mid section of his playing Erika barged in with notations from Danger Line which is from their latest album, Nightmare crossed her mind. It blended greatly with Arin’s last note. And Arin didn’t stop either, he thumped faster and harder. Gosh that sounded wrong. Well, he did play his drums like he was having a rough and wild sex with it. ;)

Erika soon made an amazing change in her notation. She combined both Danger Line and Blinded in Chains. She’d always thought that those two songs are almost the same. Hearing that, Arin took back her Danger Line tabs, and they both merged into one harmonic drum solo.

It blew the mind of Avenged Sevenfold from outside the room.

“Harmonic dual drums? I’ve never even thought of that.” Matthew claimed, putting his hand on his hips.

Zacky marched forward to look at them closer. He’d always preferred the way Erika played, but combining the two of them, he was really amazed.

“Look at the chemistry between them.” He said with one hand over his chin.

“Man, my fingers are itchy! I wanna shred. Matt, let me in there. I gotta shred my baby!”

Brian took his pinstriped Schecter guitar and just rushed into the room. Matthew couldn’t stop him. He plugged in his guitar and started sliding his fingers across the fret board. It made a loud whooshing and stinging sound; both Arin and Erika stopped playing with two thumps on their toms. They made way for Brian to finger lick randomly.

He made accidental melodic riff and Erika just followed. Erika plays well with guitar anyway, rather than just a drum solo. They looked like they just wrote a whole new song together.

“Man I love watching her playing with Syn. It’s like they both have the same mind.”

“Word.” Johnny nodded, agreeing with Zacky.

Arin seemed lost for a second. He too, amazed by how Erika can quickly pick up her pace and just followed Synyster Gates randomly like that.

“Arin!” Erika shouted, making him came back to earth again. Erika ended her drum playing with a few of rimshots on her snare and her feet kicking the double pedal bass drum fast. Brian too, ended his random but melodic shredding, before he started again with Arin on the drums this time.


Both Arin and Erika were now out of the room and sweaty. Erika took off her hat and pulled her long hair back into a high ponytail.

“Whew!! It’s like I’m watching a drum concert featuring Syn Gates!” Matthew clapped, so did the rest of the band.

“Now I’m really confused. You both are great. I don’t know how to pick.”

Erika looked at each of them intently, and then at Arin. He ran his hand through his sweaty curly hair while waiting for decision from Matt. Her heart’s heavy. She knew they won’t be picking her, as Matthew already stated the reason weeks before. But she really needed this. Otherwise she would be stuck with those assholes for another decade.

“I gotta have a smoke first.” Matthew finally spoke, and walked towards the door.

“Me too.” Zacky followed.

“Me three.” Johnny then pursued, with his pack of cigarettes and lighter already out of his pocket.

Brian watched them go for a while, before he too, made his decision to follow them out.


Erika and Arin were left alone in the studio. They stared at each other, smiling awkwardly. She wondered, when will they ever be comfortable with each other? At the tour? During the show?

“Great job back there.” He started, while landing his skinny ass on the wheeled office chair.

“Well, you’re not so bad yourself. Original.”

He chuckled. His round eyes glinting at her as she wandered around the room.

Arin recalled the memory from last night. He didn’t actually say that he liked her. He just stated that he liked listening to her talking. It’s true, he really liked it. She looked alive and carefree. He certainly can’t forget how fast his heart raced last night when they were both relay in awkward silence.

Hell, I actually like this girl! He admitted finally but not verbally.

Then go for it, Arin. She’s single, and so are you.

But it wasn’t that easy. Arin is a loner, and a shy guy. He had been single for as long as he can remember. His last girlfriend cheated on him with a rich guy, a classic cliché tale that he would never imagine it can happen to him too. Arin had a relationship with Kimberly years before he joined Confide. She was his longtime childhood friend, so it was pretty much they were stuck with each other.

“I bet they’re discussing down there. I bet they pick you.”

Arin looked up. Erika was standing right in front of him, making him startled for a bit and stood up too.

“Why…would you say that? You’re amazing too. You merged so well with Syn.”

Erika blinked at the tall Arin. “Well, for the obvious reason. I’m a girl and they hate girl being in their band.”

Arin frowned. “No way! It’d be awesome to have a female touch in a rock hard metal band like them.”

Erika laughed. “You really think that?”

“Yeah, makes them more…acceptable. I guess.”

Erika beamed at him. She wanted to hug him for having opinions like that.

“You’re too nice Arin. Hey, I have an idea. Let’s be best friends.” She held out her hand and Arin slowly took it.

“Feels like summer camp all over again.” He grinned. She laughed. Their hands shook for a couple of seconds but then they stood still, hands still attached, eyes pierced into each other.
They both shared an unspeakable fluttery feeling that Arin was too shy to admit, and Erika wanted to avoid it.

They drew back their hands quickly after realizing they’ve been holding on too long.

******************************************************************************************************

“So, any thoughts on this, guys?” Matthew lighted his Pall Mall, watching as Zacky and Johnny did the same. Brian soon joined in with a Marlboro already lighted in his hand.

“I am as confused as you are.” Johnny sat down on the lawn chair, the rest followed.

“Look, Matt. Both of them are awesome. But I personally would pick the girl.” Zacky threw in his opinion not long after.

“Yeah? You really liked her don’t you?”

“Nah, man. I’m just saying. I mean I like her, but not like, ‘like her’ like her.”

“Spoken from a lonely guy’s point of view.” Brian lazily teased and Johnny laughed.

“Shut up, Syn. I knew you liked her too.”

Brian sneered at Zacky. He knew him too well. True, he liked that girl. But he liked Arin too. “I like them both. Take your pick. I’m fucking down with anyone.”

“Wait, why didn’t you want to hire that girl again Matt?” Johnny asked, curiously as most of them had voted Erika.

Matthew inhaled his last straw and exhaled deeply.

“A girl like that. So young and innocent, anything could happen. I mean just fucking picture anything. She’s going on tour with us. You already knew how we roll on the road. We get drunk a lot. Made a hell of a messy bus. I mean, come on. She looks like she wouldn’t be comfortable with us. Plus, on our side too, are we gonna be comfortable touring with her?”

Johnny frowned, his forehead creased into layers of skin. “Val used to follow us around. You didn’t seem to have a problem with it.”

“Look what happened in the end. I married her.”

Johnny finally got the picture. But then Zacky cut in;

“That makes this easier. You already have Val, you have Michelle, short shit has Lacey and I’ve got my 6661. We won’t have a problem with her touring with us then!”

Johnny and Matthew looked at each other. Zacky had a point too. That girl will come as one of the guys if all of them just treated her like one.

“Let’s take them both on tour, and make some experiment, shall we?” Brian stood up, finishing his last smoke and the guys murmured in agreement. Including Matt.

Notes

A/N: yeah, they battled it out! so what do you guys think? :)