“Dude, is it wrong for me to be attracted to you right now?” Johnny asked Jimmy suddenly after they had ordered their bar food and drinks from the waitress. Earlier this evening, when Jimmy went downstairs with fully improved look for Blake, they were all stunned in awe. That plain girl had turned into a babe in just mere hours.

“Hah, I always knew short shit has feelings for me!”

“Don’t flatter yourself, I meant Blake.”

“Well, she’s not available so back off.”

“Jeez, keep your pants on, man. I already have a girlfriend. Why are you so protective towards her?”

Jimmy wanted to answer that, but he couldn’t. He had no idea why. So he just changed the topic casually.

“You have a girlfriend, Christ? Who’s the unlucky girl?”

“Ha-ha very funny. Lacey Franklin. The girl that Brian tried to kiss on the night of Matt-” Johnny then stopped suddenly. He refused to go on because the incident which happened in the next morning was too painful for them to reminisce.

“Oh I remember her! And I also remember that was your first kiss with him…” Jimmy leaned closer to Brian who backed away his body a bit as the person who was close to him right now was a girl. A pretty girl at that.

“Who said that that was our first kiss?” Johnny innocently asked and made everybody went silent, for a long moment of pause and staring at him. Brian cleared his throat.

“So then, brother. Tell us everything. Tell us how you ended up here with Blake.” He refused to discuss this further and also didn’t want to look at Jimmy as a babe, so he intentionally pressed on the word ‘brother’ as he leaned back to the leather couch. He flung his left arm on the back of Michelle’s seat next to him.

Jimmy took a deep breath as he tried to find words in his head, and to really start his story.

“Where do I begin…let's see. Well, I dunno how to start so I'll just fucking tell you. After I died, I’m not sure for how long but I lingered around. Then somehow I was moved. My body – was moved. Farther from here. I was slipping away."

They listened carefully despite the chattering ambience and loud rock music played around them.

"Slipping away like the wind. I've been to almost every city that we visited during our tour. Our fans...they were miserable. Some are suicidal, some are abused. And I just - stood there. Watching."

He paused for what it seemed like the longest time, giving space for each and every one of them to digest everything.

"Your drinks, darlings."

They looked up abruptly and in sync. The waitress was a bit startled by it.

"Your food will be up in just 5 more minutes okay?"

Matthew nodded and smiled at her. She smiled back, melting and quickly went back to work.

"Then what happened, Jim?" Zacky urged, his left hand touched Blake's inner thigh without knowing.

"Careful, Vengeance." Jimmy teased, narrowed his eyes at him. Zacky withdrew his hand instantly.

“Sorry. I saw you as Jimmy, that’s all.”

“Dude, I am Jimmy.”

“Then why the fuck – this is getting confusing.”

Jimmy laughed watching him.

“I was kidding, Zacky! But seriously though, don’t touch Blake.”

The guys didn’t respond but their gazes met, as they knew how protective Jimmy can be around someone he likes.

“Rev, your story.” Valerie said, when she saw Jimmy started to take a shot of his JD.

“Right. Where was I?”

“Our fans-”

“Yeah. Well, I wish I could help them. But none of them can see me. Until a few days ago, I landed on Blake’s doorstep. The time went by normally again. She can see me and I can touch her. Thus here we are.”

“How about this possession? For how long will you be stuck in her?”

“I dunno. I just tried it morning because she was having an awful gastric, I had to help her. I can’t carry her around, people might think that she’s flying.”

They chuckled and nodded, sipping their own drinks.

“Sorry you guys had to see me in that state.” Jimmy said in a low voice, referring to the day he died, but they can hear him. “Oh well then. I’m back, so cheers!” he claimed and lifted his glass up. They followed him suit.

Brian lifted his too, but after a shot of JD went down his throat, he closed his eyes. Picturing how he found Jimmy’s cold body on the bed, and how heartbreaking it was to watch him being carried away. This friend of his had come back from the dead now, and he still felt like dreaming. If only Jimmy knew how shattered they were after he passed, how miserable they had been without him. His tears formed and started to flood.

“I bet you guys Brian’s sleeping right now.”

Brian opened his eyes. Blake and the guys were staring at him. He stared at them back, dumbfounded.

“Aw man, he’s awake! One shot for me!”

Jimmy lifted up his glass and drowned his shot in one go. They guys were cheering for him and shouting his name as he succeeded to drink a total 4 shots so far.

Brian laughed and shook his head. Eventhough the person in front of him right now was a girl, but she was truly Jimmy in disguise. Only Jimmy would make a drinking game out of his friends.

“So,” Jimmy slurred, as he was already on his fifth shot. “What’s up with you guys? How’s the album - ” he hiccuped. “- going?”

Matthew hissed after he drank his second shot of vodka. “Nightmare’s on fire, Rev. They loved it. Our fans. Mostly because that album is pretty much dedicated to you.”

He paused. Remembering how painful it was to finish recording the album in the absence of their drummer. They were all paused from drinking and just reminisced. Even Michelle and Valerie witnessed their difficulty of going through that phase.

“Mike was replacing you.” Matthew began again when he saw his entire band members sat in silent, all heads looking down.

“Portnoy?”

“Yeah.”

“There was one time, he screwed up. I snapped at him, but I was calling your name.” Matthew’s voice cracked, tears started to flow down his cheek. “Oh fuck why am I crying right now.”

Jimmy got up and went towards him. As Matthew stood up to meet him they hugged and Matthew just sobbed. Soon, Johnny joined in, then Zacky and Brian was the last person. In case you’re wondering, Arin wasn’t there the whole time. He left from Matthew’s house due to prior engagement.

“Jimmy, don’t leave us again.” Matthew’s hoarse voice cleared the air as they were hugging in silence.

“I can’t make promises, Matt. But as long as I’m here, I’m with you guys. I love you guys to death.”

“We love you too Jimmy.”

They parted from the hug, all eyes were bloodshot red. It was overwhelming how a lively drinking game can turn into such emotional sap like this.

“I noticed you guys have pretty much the same tattoo…what is it? FOREVER?” Jimmy said, pointed to Brian’s upper chest which visible through his deep cleavage V-neck white tshirt.
Brian looked down to his chest and smiled.

“It’s for you, Jim.”

“Really? For me? Why Forev- Oh! Now I see! That’s fucking rule dude! Fuck yeah! I’m gonna make a tattoo like that too!” he placed his hands on Brian’s shoulder, but as a Blake, he couldn’t reach them enough.

“Wait, on Blake’s body?”

Jimmy blinked fast. He forgot that he’d been using her body for hours already.

“Uh, probably not.” He parted from him and looked down to Blake’s feet. “I’m gonna get some more drinks.” He wiggled out of their embrace and went to the bar. He waited for the bartender to pay attention to him because there were a lot of customers. Plus he was there as a girl. The bartender was a girl too. If he came with his usual tall body he would have been served in no time.

“Did it hurt?” a voice suddenly whispered beside Jimmy’s ear. He alerted, and quickly spun around. There was a man behind him, smiling seductively.

“Did what hurt?”

“When you fell from heaven.”

Jimmy almost burst out laughing when he heard that lame pickup line, but he managed to hold it back.

“I heard your friends called you Jimmy. It’s that your name?”

Jimmy splayed his eyes, staring at him. “Uh, it’s short for um, - Jemima.”

“That’s cute.”

He rolled his eyes, can’t believe he was being picked up, at a bar, by a man.

“Hey can I get another bottle of JD?” Jimmy called the waitress again. But she ignored him.

“For a small girl, you sure have a lot of big guy friends.” The man didn’t give up and moved even closer to him. He flamed in fury but at the same time he felt like laughing his ass off right there.

“Yeah, they’re like my bitches. They will do whatever I tell them to. Including kicking your ass.”

“Ooh, I’m scared.” He mocked and took another step further. His hand started to grope Blake’s ass and that made Jimmy lost it. He nudged that guy hard in the crotch with his knee and the guy immediately grouched down, hands on his groin, in absolute pain.

“Fuck, bitch!” he screamed.

The bartender who looked a bit taken aback, smiled a little at Jimmy and instantly handed him his order. Jimmy grabbed it and leaned closer to that pain in the ass guy.

“Did it hurt?” he whispered to his ears and simply walked away.

Notes

A/N: sorry this chapter's just a filler :)