Michelle stared at the blue eyed girl. She didn’t look like an Avenged Sevenfold fan at all. She was a plain Jane. She wore knitted sweater over her dull colored knee-length skirt and flats. Her burgundy hair was tied to a simple ponytail and she wore no makeup at all.

But how did she know about ‘Brian Pickled Liver Hane-Dog’? That was Jimmy’s custom voicemail in Brian’s phone. Only someone really close would know about something like that.

“Who do you think she is? Ex girlfriend of Jimmy?” Valerie asked, whispering. They were now in the dressing room of Metal Hammer studio, waiting for the band to finish their interview out front.

“Doubt it. Jimmy would never go for a girl like her. I think. Besides, Jimmy met Lea when he was still single.”

Blake sat on the couch and shook her leg nervously. The twins had been watching her for a while and she felt uncomfortable with their stares. Jimmy wasn’t here with her. He went to watch the interview at the front. For the first time, she wished that Jimmy was here, holding her hands and tell her that it’s gonna be okay.

They brought her here after she shouted that sentence, the one that Jimmy told her to. She didn’t even know what it means. But nevertheless, it got their attention. That guy named Matthew was furious as hell towards her. He still thought that she had insulted Jimmy’s memory while the others were just as curious.

“Hey, girl. Um, you seem like a good person. But then again, we don’t know you.” Valerie approached her with a smile. Blake scooted in her seat without knowing.
“How did you know Jimmy, actually? Are you his fan?”
Blake shook her head slowly.
“Did you…go to school with him?”
Again, she denied it.
“So then, how? Did Jimmy even know you, at all?”

Blake stared at her own fingers and nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but then the band suddenly barged in, chattering and laughing even from the outside. As soon as they stepped into the room and saw her, they went silent.

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

“Hi there loyal viewers of Metal Hammer! We’re here in the studio with none other than the legendary Avenged Sevenfold.” the interviewer spoke to the camera with a microphone in his hand.

Jimmy peeked through the camera lens. He’d always wanted to do that when he was alive.

“Hey, Ron. That’s quite a compliment. Legendary.” Matthew replied to him, as he too was holding a microphone.
“It’s true though. It’s true. You guys are legendary.”
“Nah we’re not. Come on.”
“Well, if you don’t believe me, we’ll see the ratings for this show after this, how bout that?”
Matthew laughed, so did the rest of the band. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Well anyway, these guys are here to talk about their upcoming album, as well as their current released album called Nightmare.”

The band nodded their heads. Jimmy was done making a fool out of himself in front of the camera and now was standing behind them.

“I don’t get no microphone?” he mumbled to no one. As the band took the interview session, he teased them. He touched Brian’s ears, he cupped Johnny’s mouth when it was his turn to answer and so on. But his touch just went through them like the wind.

“So, now that you guys have found a new drummer, how did you guys maintain your style throughout this album?”

Matthew looked over at Arin before answering. Jimmy on the other hand, stood still, anxious to hear his answer.

Please say that you guys hate his style. He prayed.

“Well, Arin is definitely different from the Rev, but that’s a good thing actually. We’re not looking for another Rev. We’re looking for someone who can understand how we play, someone who can hang with us and be our friend at the end of the day.”

Jimmy’s heart dropped hearing Matthew’s answer. His glance fell to the floor as he can’t hear anything else after that. He dropped down, hands in his hair. He didn’t even notice that they had ended the interview and the band had dispersed to the back.

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

“What’s your name again?” Matthew asked, his fury still hadn’t gone.

“Blake.”

“Well, Blake. What is it that you wanted to say to us, so desperately that you had to insult Jimmy’s memory?”

Blake looked at each of them intently. Her heart pounded so fast, she was silently begging for help from Jimmy.

But Jimmy wasn’t around.

“I-I…”

Matthew raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to speak.

Blake felt like crying. Jimmy where the heck are you when I need you?!

“You – what?” Johnny asked, hands on his hips.

Blake was torn between telling the truth or just walk out of there without saying anything. If she tells them that she had seen Jimmy’s spirit, they will send her straight to psych ward. Or even worse, to jail. If she just let this go, it would hurt Jimmy so much. She took a deep breath before starting again.

“Jimmy came to me.”

Their eyes bulged hearing her first complete sentence. Brian stepped closer, his face gleamed with hope.

“Really? He came to you? You mean before he-” Brian let his sentence hung, he couldn’t bear to mention the next word.

Blake looked up to him. His brown eyes pierced straight into hers. She really felt like crying right now.

“I’m going to sound like a crazy person, but no. He came to me 2 days ago.”

All of them stunned, their jaws dropped for the longest time. Blake had to shift in her seat for a couple of times until they stopped staring at her.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Brian said, his voice came out in half whisper. Blake took another deep breath.

“I have the ability to see…well, spirits.”

Brian stood up, and laughed in disbelief. “I don’t have time for this shit.” He ran his hand through his hair and messed it up.

“What do you want from us? Money?” Matthew jerked his head in front of her suddenly. She flinched and shook her head. But money would be nice too, she thought.

“THEN?! Why the fuck do you have to do this? Why the fuck did you lie to us?!”

Blake closed her eyes at Matthew’s rage. Tears were flowing down her cheek. Michelle automatically ran to her and pulled her into an embrace. Blake didn’t fight.

“Matt! Stop scaring the poor girl!”

“She’s a fraud Michelle! Can’t you see? I’ve met so many people like her yet they were all after my fucking money. None of them really saw Jimmy!”

The room went silent as Matthew suddenly made an accidental confession. Valerie approached him slowly.

“You’ve…been trying to…”

Matthew rubbed his face. His secret was out.

“Yeah. I can’t take it when he didn’t say goodbye to us. I gotta meet him for one last time. There’s so much I want to say to him.”

Matthew didn’t actually believe in superstitious stuff but after Jimmy died, he figured anything will do. He tried gypsy’s caravan, a paranormal group church meeting, or even a street fair fortune teller. But he came back with the same answer everytime – they were after his money.

Brian had so many things to say to Jimmy too, but he’d never thought of it that way. Usually he cope by drowning himself in alcohol, or talking to Jimmy’s grave, or even listening to his own voicemail for over and over again. Speaking of that voicemail,

“How did you know about my voicemail?” Brian went closer to Blake who was shaking in Michelle’s arms.

“Wha-what voicemail?”

“That Brian Pickled Liver Hane-Dog you shouted earlier.”

“Ji-Jimmy told me to say that.”

Matthew growled.

“She insisted man. Maybe she’s telling the truth.” Zacky, who had been quiet all this while, spoke suddenly. In his heart, he truly wanted to believe her.

Matthew inhaled deeply, trying to calm his heart down.

“Okay then. What does Jimmy say right now?”

Blake pulled away from Michelle’s embrace slowly and sat up straight, looking around. Jimmy wasn’t there. She wondered where he went. She didn’t know how to contact him.

“He’s…not here.”

All of them sighed heavily at the same time, feeling disappointed.

“We really don’t have time for this. Let’s go guys. And don’t let Lea know about this, otherwise she’ll broke down again.”

Blake panicked as they all scattered and ready to leave the room. “Wait! I’m telling the truth! He really isn’t here. But most of the time he is with me!”

Michelle felt sorry for her. She couldn’t bear leaving her alone, but Brian was pulling her arms, forcing her to get out of there.

“Wait, baby. I feel sorry for her. Maybe we can take her home and wait. Maybe something will happen then?” she whispered to Brian.

“What? You seriously believe her? She’s lying Michelle!”

“Well, at least let’s send her home.”

Brian stared at his wife for a second before nodded, sighing. Michelle went back to the couch again, bent down in front of Blake.

“Where do you live, Blake? Let me take you home.”

“Alberta.”

Michelle’s eyes widened. So did Brian, behind her. The other band members and Valerie had gone out of the room.

“As in, Canada?” Brian cut in.

Blake nodded to Brian. He rolled his eyes and pulled Michelle away from her.

“You followed us here? Fucking stalker.”

After that, both of them vanished outside the room leaving Blake alone, hurt, crying and not knowing what to do.

Notes

A/N: aaahh i gotta stop posting so many chapters in one day! but i can't help it! lol