I'll Carry You Away

Fucking Rami.

I cleared my throat and pressed my cell phone closer to my ear, trying to hear the voice on the other end. It was no use.

“Listen, I’m really sorry, but I’m going to have to call you back,” I replied.

That was the very last thing I wanted to say to the Kawasaki rep.

“I understand. Kids?” he asked, laughing lightheartedly.

I glanced up at the ceiling.

“Yeah, something like that. May I call tomorrow?” I asked.

“Absolutely. My name is Jeff, so when you call, just ask for me. Can I get your name, ma’am?” he asked.

“Alexandra,” I replied.

“Alright Alexandra, just call when it’s a better time,” he said kindly.

Whether it was the way this guy was trained to talk to people, or just that he was a good guy, I appreciated his understanding. I thanked him, ended the call, and slammed my new phone on the counter top. That’s when Rami came running in. When I locked my eyes on her, she looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“Hey,” she said.

Her eyes looked weird. I knew that look. She had gotten into the evil pills.

Calmly and slowly, I relaxed my body and walked around the island.

“Hey,” I said softly.

Rami watched me carefully, almost fearfully. I approached her and slowly took her hands.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

A sickeningly sweet smile appeared upon her lips. She then giggled and started swinging our arms.

“I’m fine!” she said dreamily.

She was high as a kite. I had only minutes before they changed on her and caused the opposite effect. She had had some this morning, I knew, but how many? I was a twig, and my doctor had had me on one a day. Her milligrams were so high, they could quite possibly kill her. Not only that, but she had taken more. How many more?
Rami’s eyes rolled and she swayed on her feet. I knew I had to do something.

“Hey. Look here,” I said gently.

Rami’s eyes wheeled up to mine.

“Why don’t you show me what you painted?” I asked, speaking to her like I would a child.

Rami perked up.

“Okay!” she said excitedly.

I let her lead me upstairs to her art room. I only had to step over the threshold before I had seen what had happened. The room was trashed. There were holes in the walls, furniture overturned, and…how did the fucking paintbrushes end up stuck in the wall?
Rami swayed and moved sideways into the wall. She was out of it. I took her hand and led her out of the room.

“You want to give each other makeovers?” I asked her.

Rami grinned.

“Come on. Let’s use your electric colors palette. Where is it?” I asked.

I hoped she fell for it, because what I was about to do to her would not only make a mess, but I didn’t want the mess in my bathroom.

“In here!” she said dreamily.

She fell for it. Walked right into my trap. As soon as she was in, I saw the pills Jimmy and I had found strewn everywhere. I’d be damned if she used them again.
I kicked the door shut and grabbed her. She was easy to take down, thankfully. She was overmedicated, and shorter than me. I yanked her down to the toilet, pushed the lid up, and forced her head down. It was disgusting, but I didn’t want to visit the emergency room tonight.

“You fucking bite me, and I’ll kill you,” I growled.

I forced her mouth open, eliciting a whine. She bucked against me, but I had a secure hold on her.

“Yak it,” I said, forcing her to vomit.

Rami gagged, and after another try, she choked and vomited. I removed my hand in time and pulled her hair out of the way. Rami gagged and hurled violently, puking up the pills until she collapsed over the seat, completely spent. When she was finished, I flushed the toilet and pulled her up to sit on the lid. She was breathing hard, shaky, and had tears streaming down her face. I stood up and moved to wash my hands. Then, I took a washcloth, dampened it, and returned to Rami to wipe her face.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

Rami looked lost. Her eyes then filled with tears. She was hurt.

“Why would you do that to me?” she croaked.

I sighed and pulled her into a hug.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t have a choice,” I replied.

I pulled back to see her face. She was heartbroken.

“How do you feel?” I asked again.

Rami took a deep breath.

“Like shit,” she said.

I nodded.

“Listen Rami, I know about these little fuckers,” I walked over to the sink and grabbed an orange prescription bottle.

Rami’s eyes widened.

“How?” she whispered.

I bit my lip.

“Jimmy and I were looking for you. He found them on accident. Listen Rami, these are dangerous,” I said.

“They’re medication for…from my doctor, Sander! I have to take them.”

I moved to sit in front of her.

“They’re junk, Rami. You have to believe me,” I said.

Rami visibly swallowed. I looked down at the bottle, reading the label I had already examined.

“Did the dosage not even alarm you?” I asked.

Her bottom lip shook. She shook her head.

“I didn’t even notice,” she whispered.

I sighed and studied her for a moment. She kept her head hung.

“Stop taking these, okay? They make you crazy,” I said.

“But they calm me down,” she said meekly, nervously looking up at me through a stringy mess of blue, “I need them.”

I gave her a stern look.

“Did your doctor say that?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Since when have you, of all people, listened to authority?” I asked.

She cracked a small smile.

“You never needed them before college. Doctors always tell woman our age something satisfactory to get our money. Didn’t you realize they were making you act weird?”

She slowly nodded.

“I just…” she broke down and put her head in her hands, “God!”

I leaned over and scooped her up into a hug.

“No more, okay?” I asked.

She whimpered and nodded.

“Next time you feel like you need them, come to me. Got it?”

She nodded again. I pulled away and held her by the shoulders. She was a mess.

“Jimmy said he lost a friend over those pills. They’re not something you can just pop. Hell, I think they should be illegal. You know they’re just opiates, right? Depressants? Not only that, but they’re main use is for the institutionalized. No normal person should ever ingest these. Now, the doctor may say differently to save his ass, but I know you better than any fucking doctor. You’re not insane.”

Rami smiled at that. She then hugged me.

“I love you, Sander,” she said in hushed voice.

I hugged her tightly.

“I love you, too, Smurf.”

Rami pulled away, then, to my surprise, chucked every pill she could find into the toilet. Then, she flushed them down.

“Good riddance,” she said.

I stood from the tub and walked over to her medicine cabinet. I found a few tubes of lotion and facial products, tweezers, nail-clippers, a tube of Chapstick, but no Evil Pills.

“Are there any more?” I asked.

Rami grabbed a bottle from a drawer, but it was empty.

“Nope. I was supposed to get my prescription filled, but I’m not going to waste my money any more,” she replied.

I smiled. I was proud of her. She returned to smile.

“I trust you. It’s just…I owe you an explanation. I’ve been selfish,” she said.

I gripped her shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it right now. Come on. Let’s get you to bed,” I said.

Rami suddenly looked worried.

“Can I sleep in your room?” she asked.

I smiled, suddenly reminded of our childhood. The fact that she asked was relieving. I had planned on making her sleep in my room anyway. My bed was a king, so there was more than enough room, but I wanted to keep an eye on her.

“Sure. Will you stay this time?” I asked.

She nodded. I knew she would, as she was about to fall asleep standing up. I took her arm, then led her out of the bathroom and down the hall to my room. Inside, she walked over to the bed and pulled the black comforter over her body. I walked over to the window and pulled the closed curtains open, letting the light from the highway filter in. Rami was pleased.

“Thank-you,” she said.

“I’m going to leave the door open. This room gets pretty dark, and I know how you feel about the dark,” I said.

Rami stared at me in surprise.

“I never told you that!” she said.

I smiled at her.

“Rami, I’ve known since we were little kids. It’s okay. We all have our fears,” I replied.

She sighed and nodded. I opened the door, letting the light from the hallway fill the room.

“I’ll go get you a glass of water,” I said.

Rami nodded. I was preparing to leave when she spoke up.

“Hey, Sander?” she asked.

I turned and looked at her. She smiled tiredly and closed her eyes, snuggling into my pillow.

“Thank-you,” she whispered.

I smiled.

“You’re welcome.”

I proceeded to find get her some water, then decided, after all of the excitement, a cigarette sounded like a plan. Cigarette and coffee.
I returned to the kitchen and picked a K-cup from the carousel as the coffee machine warmed up. I then returned upstairs to retrieve my laptop from my desk in my bedroom. Rami was out when I returned, so I tip-toed through the room and back down the hall.
Downstairs, I made my coffee, then toted my mug and laptop out to the patio table on the back porch and settled down. I opened my laptop and logged in, sipped my coffee, then grabbed my pack of Marlboros and my lighter. I took a long, relieving drag from my cigarette and looked out at the horizon. The sun was gone, and the light of dusk had given way to the darkness of night. It was late, and I sat down and looked around, I realized how fucking tired I was. The day had been long and all-too eventful, and I was extremely sore, but all in all, happy. Jimmy and I had had a good day, and things with Rami were looking up.

“Hey.”

I jumped and nearly had a heart attack when I heard the voice. When I looked up to see Jimmy outside the gate, I grabbed my chest and finally allowed myself to breathe.

“Shit!” I hissed.

Jimmy giggled and opened the gate, letting himself in.

“Did I scare you?” he asked.

He had this stupid grin on his face.

“I didn’t see you coming,” I replied.

Jimmy shrugged and pulled a chair out from under the table. He sat beside me, and I started to become a little nervous. I wasn’t sure why. I had spent the whole day with him.

“I just wanted to check on you guys,” he said.

I nodded. He studied me for a moment, his smile falling into a concerned frown.

“Everything okay, Sunshine? You look exhausted,” he observed.

I took a drag from my cigarette, then flicked the ash in the tray.

“I just put Rami to bed. She got into those pills. I’m not sure if it was before her freakout or after. I had dinner, then made a call and I could hear her screaming,” I replied.

Jimmy looked horrified. I waved him off.

“Don’t worry about it. She’s okay. She had too many. Had to do what I had to do, to get her to puke them back up, but she’s going to be okay,” I explained.

Jimmy slumped a little and shook his head.

“Man. I’m sorry, Sander,” he said.

I shrugged.

“It’s okay,” I replied quietly.

I finished off my cigarette and snuffed it out.

“She’s a handful, but she’s my best friend. If I could stop, she can.”

Jimmy smiled softly at me.

“She’s lucky to have you around,” he said.

I smiled shyly. He leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

I shrugged.

“Sore, but I’m okay,” I replied.

Jimmy smiled and nodded.

We spent the next hour talking. He told me about some exciting stuff he had planned for me, and swore he would find the power cable for my piano. We talked about random things, and a story about Avenged Sevenfold bassist Johnny Christ that had me laughing so hard, I cried. Our laughing must have awoken Rami, because his laughter immediately ceased and his eyes locked on whatever it was behind me. I turned around to see Rami standing in the door way, one of my blankets wrapped around her body, and a sleepy look on her face.

“Hey,” she said shyly.

Jimmy perked up.

“Hey, blueberry muffin!” he said excitedly, making her smile.

I smiled at that.

“Hi,” she replied, “I thought I heard your voice.”

Jimmy smiled.

“Did we wake you?” I asked.

Rami shook her head. I stood up and walked over to her.

“Come sit with us,” I said.

Rami quietly obeyed, and shuffled to the seat beside me—across from Jimmy.

“You want some coffee, Rami?” I asked.

She nodded.

“French Vanilla?” I asked with a smile.

Rami’s tired eyes lit up.

“Good God, yes!” she replied enthusiastically.

I smiled and looked to Jimmy.

“How about you, big guy?” I asked.

Jimmy politely declined. I then left the two alone and went to the kitchen, plucking Rami’s K-cup from the carousel to brew it. When it was prepared, I walked back out with her mug to see her laughing at whatever Jimmy was talking about. I was beyond relieved to see her laughing again.

“Here you go,” I said, handing Rami her mug.

She took it, thanking me before lightly blowing on it. I returned to my seat.

“You feel better?” I asked.

Rami nodded, setting her mug down.

“I feel a little bit more like myself,” she replied.

I nodded.

“Good,” I said, “Those could have killed you, Rami.”

She looked down and her coffee mug.

“I know. I’m sorry,” she said.

I leaned forward and took her hand. She looked up at me.

“It’s okay,” I said.

She just nodded, then looked to Jimmy.

“Did you really lose a friend over those?” she asked.

Jimmy sadly nodded. Rami took a deep breath.

“Are they hard to kick?” she asked.

Jimmy shook his head.

“They’re not like, you know, cigarettes or something. The want to take them would most likely stem from whatever triggers it, versus the pills themselves,” he explained.

She nodded understandingly. I remembered being able to flush them down the toilet and never looking back, but I didn’t know how long Rami had been on them.

“You can do it, though. I believe in you,” he went on.

That made Rami smile. I looked over at him. He really was very sweet—especially to two fucked up girls he barely knew. I suppose that didn’t matter to him, as friendly as he was.
I scooted closed to the table and took both of Rami’s hands.

“Rami, can you explain to me what they were for?” I asked.

Of course, I knew that answer, but I wanted the full story. Rami nodded, then looked to Jimmy.

“Can you keep a secret?” he asked.

Jimmy smiled, then marked an X over his chest. I smiled. I knew he would never tell.

“Cross my heart,” he replied.

Rami then took a deep breath.

“Jesus. Okay, um…I’m not sure where to begin,” she said.

I thoughtfully chewed the inside of my cheek.

“Well, why don’t you tell us what the pills were for?” I asked, “What were they meant to do?”

Rami took a sip of her coffee and cleared her throat.

“Curb my…mental problem,” she replied slowly.

“Which is?” I asked.

She looked fearfully.

“It’s okay,” I said, trying to encourage her.

She let out a shaky breath.

“Schizophrenia,” she whispered.

I just nodded. She seemed confused by my calm reaction.

“Let me ask you this, did your doctor give you an official psychiatric assessment?” I asked.

She looked down, thinking back, then shaking her head.

“Not really, no,” she said.

“See?” Jimmy asked.

Rami looked between me and Jimmy and back again.

“Rami, we don’t believe you’re a schizo, okay? You’re just loud and eccentric, and you were scammed. I know you, Rams. Between the two of us, you’ve always been the sane one. Well, saner,” I said.

Rami smiled at that.

“You guys really believe I’m not crazy?” she asked.

“Of course not!” I replied, “Why in the hell did you think you were?”

Rami’s smile flipped.

“I kept hearing voices,” she whispered.

Jimmy and I exchanged concerned glances.

“What voices?” I asked.

Rami cleared her throat again.

“Well, just one,” she replied.

“Whose voice did you hear, little one?” Jimmy asked.

Rami’s nervousness melted away. I felt her hands relax in mine. Jimmy was watching her with a warm smile. It was his soft and caring tone that made her relax, and at the moment, I was very grateful he came by.

“K-Katie,” she stuttered.

I quickly backtracked, thinking off all of the people we knew. Family members. Kids from school. I knew of a Caitlyn, but no one named Katie.

“Who’s Katie, Rami?” I asked.

Rami wrung her hands nervously.

“She was a friend on mine in college. We were pretty close, you know? But, like any college student with freedom, I ran wild. Of course, Sander, you know how wild we were as teenagers.”

I nodded.

“I ran rampant. Drinking and, well, just being stupid. One night, I dragged her to a bar. I don’t think she really wanted to go. We had a huge test the next day, but I dragged her there anyway. God, why did I do that?”

Rami put her face in her hands. I scooted closer to her.

“What happened?” I asked.

Rami’s eyes slowly remerged behind his fingers.

“I took off. There were some frat boys in there. I had been drinking and I wasn’t thinking. I just…took off. Katie came looking for me. Couldn’t find me, so she left the bar, thinking I might be in trouble. Then…”

Rami’s words fell away. Her eyes moved from their shatterproof focus on her mug to my eyes.

“Someone took her, Sander,” she whispered, tears quickly filling her eyes.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding.

“Oh, Rami,” I sighed.

Rami hung her head. I put a comforting arm around her.

“I looked for her and looked for her, Sander. I did everything I could do, but it wasn’t enough!” Rami said, then let out a shaky breath, “They did find her, but by that time…she was gone.”

I felt my heart drop. I put both arms around her, pulling her into a hug.y Rami laid her head on my shoulder.

“He killed her, Sander!” she cried, “He killed her and it’s my fault!”

I rubbed her back as she covered her mouth and let out a sob. Jimmy stood from his chair and walked around the table.

“No, it’s not, Rami. You did what you could, right?” I asked.

Rami just nodded. Jimmy moved behind us and leaned over, pulling both of us into a hug. I smiled and Rami wrapped a hand around one of his arms.

“Then, it’s not your fault, Rami,” he said.

Rami whimpered and shook with a sob. Jimmy tightened his arms around us. I rubbed her back and tried my best to soothe her crying.

“I miss her, Sander. I broke my promises to her and I just wish I could apologize,” she said.

“I know. It’ll be okay, Rami. It will,” I replied.

Rami lifted her head and sniffed. Jimmy gave Rami a squeeze. She smiled and thanked him.

“You’re a sweet guy, Jimbo,” she said.

He smiled and moved around to lean against the table, facing us.

“You two need to have a night of fun,” he said.

Rami and I parted and stared up at him.

“Look, tomorrow night I’m going to a barbecue at Matt and Val’s place. You guys should come,” he said.

Rami didn’t say anything, but my jaw dropped.

“Matt? As in—“

“Shadows? Hell yeah! The whole band will be there, Sandy Pants. You can meet everybody,” he said excitedly.

My eyes darted nervously as I tried to process everything.

“Oh, come on, Sander. I saw the sticker of the Deathbat on your keyboard case,” he said with a wink.

I took a deep breath.

“Jimmy, I don’t know. I’m not a big party person,” I replied.

He smiled.

“It’s not a big party. Just the band, a little bit of family and the crew. Just hanging out,” he explained.

I bit my lip. Rami’s eyes lit up. She then excitedly tugged on my arm.

“Oh, come on, Sander! Let’s go!”

I cut my eyes at her.

“You need to rest,” I said sternly.

“I’ll sleep between now and then,” she compromised, “Please, Sander? I need to get out of the house.”

I sighed in defeat and glanced up at Jimmy.

“When is it?” I asked.

Jimmy crossed his arms.

“I can swing by and pick you guys up at six,” he offered.

I nodded and looked to Rami, raising an eyebrow at her.

“If you rest, then I guess we can go,” I replied.

The only person who was more thrilled than Rami was Jimmy. He was all smiles.

“Yes!” he shouted victoriously, “It’ll be worth it. I promise!”

He then leaned down and hugged us.

“Things will turn around. You leave it to me. Jimbo’s got your backs,” he said.

We laughed and hugged him.

“I better go,” he said, then made a move to leave, “Sander, I’ll find that cord and bring it by in the morning. Rami, you take it easy, okay?”

Rami nodded. I smiled at Jimmy.

“Thank-you,” I said.

He smiled warmly.

“You’re welcome, Sunshine. Goodnight, you two,” he said.

Rami and I said our goodbyes to him and watched in silence as he walked through the gate and back to his condo. Rami then turned to me.

“He’s a sweet guy,” she said.

I nodded in agreement.

“Now I see why you liked him so much,” she went on.

I opened my mouth to argue, but resorted to just letting it go. She was right.

“I have a feeling we may have made a friend for life,” I said.

Rami smiled.

“We’re stuck with him,” she said.

I smiled at that. I could live with that.

Rami leaned over to me, staring.

“That boy likes you,” she teased.

I growled and shoved her away. Rami giggled.

“Sunshine!” she laughed.

I stood up and rolled my eyes.

“Shut the fuck up.

I grabbed my laptop and coffee mug. Rami grabbed her mug and followed me back inside. As we deposited our mugs into the sink, I let out a loud yawn. Rami caught it and yawned, too. When we realized what we had done, we started giggling like little kids.

“We need to go to bed,” Rami laughed.

I smiled.

“Right behind ya, Smurf.”

***

Jimmy went to bed in a daze. The days events swirled around his head, replayed for him in rapid flashing, running at the high speed his brain functioned at. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw everything. He felt everything. It was difficult to make sense of anything, so he let his mind settle on a calmer memory. He settled for his time at the beach, playing with Sander, and he finally fell asleep.
The next morning, he woke up late. For him, it was not so unusual, and he slowly pulled himself out of bed and fumbled around for his glasses. Once on, he blinked, stood, and stretched, feeling the satisfying pull of his muscles as they awakened and broke free of their dormant stiffness. It was time to, finally, get up and get started with the day. As slow moving as he was in the mornings, he was ready for it.
Jimmy grabbed a fresh change of clothes to wear from his closet. He noted that his floor was a wreck, and although he did not feel like taking it all downstairs to do his laundry, he knew he had to. Sooner or later, Sander would be there working with him, and though he was sure she could care less about his mess, for he was a bachelor and it was understandable, he did not want to give off the impression that he was a slob or a pig. He was the opposite. Meticulous about every detail. Almost obsessive about certain things. Music, in particular. His equipment. He was not what you would call “high maintenance.” He was far from it. He did not care so much about his appearance, but things had to be in order. Not necessarily clean, but organized. Presentable. As he surveyed his mess, he could hear his mother’s voice in the back of his mind, scolding him and his sisters for their messy rooms, and not letting them go play outside until their chores were finished. Of course, Jimmy managed to somehow get away with disobeying, but now, he sympathized with his mother. The chores had to be done. Today!
Jimmy toted his clothing down the hall to his bathroom, had his shower, shaved, and placed his contact lenses in his eyes before brushing his teeth. Then dried his hair and combed it down, covering his receding hair line and damning his genes. After finishing, he happily returned to his bedroom, slipped on his watch, tore the messy bedroom apart looking for his shoes, then found them, slipped them on, and jogged down the stairs in search of his hamper. His thought process? Get the shit out of the way, then he could go see Sander. Then, he had go hurry and get to Johnny’s house. He had news that he almost could not contain anymore. This news, of course, was decided the night before, just before he fell asleep.
When his laundry was finally started, and his remaining dirty garments were sitting in the hamper, waiting to be washed, he tidied his room and then walked down the hall to his studio in search of Sander’s power cord. He found it inside of a large plastic storage bin. After making sure it was what she needed, he coiled it, then ran to his room, grabbed his cellphone, wallet, and car keys, and like a kid being let loose in the McDonald’s PlayPlace, barreled out the door.
His stop by the girls’ house was short and sweet. He was already an hour and a half late to Johnny’s and was starting to feel increasingly guilty about oversleeping. He was continuously receiving texts from the bassist, he was starting to get anxious when he did not receive a reply from Jimmy. Jimmy sent a quick “B rite there. Chill,” before Sander opened the door and let him in. Jimmy could smell coffee and cigarettes, as well as food. The television was on in the living room where Rami was resting. Both girls looked well rested, and Jimmy was happy that they had had a good night. He asked Sander about her bumps and bruises, and in the seclusion of the foyer, away from Rami, he showed her the healing cuts and assured him there was nothing to worry about. Nevertheless, he did worry. After yesterday, his heart went out to these two troubled friends. Their passed lives sounded like his. Riddled with ridiculous events that he hated, but never cared enough to let them drag him down. He was never one to not have a good time, and he hated it when he saw others not having a good time. For some reason, since he met Sander and Rami, he found that he cared about them. He connected with them. Their hearts were in the right places, but they were outcasts. Like him. They were alone, and needed the support of a tight-knit group of friends. A not-blood family. They were basically sisters, no matter what their birth certificates said. Jimmy could see that, but he felt the need to be there for them. They needed big brothers, and he knew just the guys.
After talking with Sander and Rami, and leaving the power cord on the island, not letting Sander talk him out of giving it to her for free, he gave them a hug, and assured them he’d be back by 6:00. If not he’d call, and left his cell phone number. These girls, or at least, Sander, was a fan of the band, but he was certain he could trust her with his personal cell phone number. Besides, he kind of wanted her to have it.
After saying his goodbyes, Jimmy rushed to Johnny’s house, fell upon the couch, and let out a dreamy sigh. Johnny loomed over him.

“It’s noon,” he said.

“Yeah,” Jimmy said distantly.

“Why are you late, man?” the bassist asked.

Jimmy turned his head and smiled at his best friend. Johnny had always been like a little brother to Jimmy. He had known him longer than any of his other band mates, and though he had picked on the kid to death in school, he loved his little brother. He did not have any of his own, and seeing as the entire band was younger than him, he declared all of them his brothers. Johnny, however, was special. He was one of the last to enter the band, and at the tender age of 18. Jimmy, at the time, was 22, and felt the need to take care of the youngest member. Johnny was young, and compared to Jimmy, small. He was relatively Sander’s height. Nevertheless, he was the little one, and Jimmy took care of him. He was Jimmy’s little sidekick, and knew a lot of stuff about the drummer that not even best friend Synyster Gates knew. He would do anything for Johnny, and in turn, Johnny would do anything for him—that included sitting there and listening to Jimmy gush.

“I’m in love,” Jimmy said dreamily.

Johnny rolled his eyes.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

Jimmy pouted. Johnny watched as his friend’s bright blue eyes filled with hurt. He was serious about this!
Johnny sighed and grabbed Jimmy’s pants legs, lifting the drummer’s long legs up to allow himself a place to sit.

“Alright, Jim. Tell me about her,” he said.

“It’s quite a story,” Jimmy warned him.

Johnny grinned, then quickly stood back up to leave.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Jimmy called.

“I have a feeling this calls for a beer. You want one?” the bassist asked.

Jimmy smiled to himself. He knew him too well.

“You know I do, goddammit!” he shouted.

Johnny laughed and quickly returned with two longnecks. He handed one to Jimmy, sat at the end of the couch, and placed the drummer’s feet in his lap.

“Go for it,” Johnny cued.

Jimmy sighed.

“Where do I begin?” he asked.

He honestly was not sure where to begin, so he started from the very beginning, and the images that came flooding back, mixed with the alcohol beginning to enter his system, gave him a warm feeling inside.
At Johnny’s Saloon, from his perch on a barstool in a dark corner near the pool table, Jimmy could see everything. Matt and guitarist Zacky Vengeance were getting into a heated argument over who cheated at the pool table, Johnny was standing by, drinking, laughing, and watching the drama play out. Brian, or Synyster Gates, was standing a little ways away with his girlfriend Michelle, happily drunk and sharing loving gazes and short kisses while gently swaying to the music. Valary, Matt’s girlfriend and one of his best friends, was standing near him, being a comfort. Jimmy had not been in a good mood lately, and Valary was trying her best to make him happy. He appreciated it.
As he sat, smoking a cigar while sipping his drink, his eyes caught a flash of blue hair at a table near the front of the bar. His heart skipped when he saw it. He had seen that hair before. Then, he saw the blue-haired one’s friend, and he knew exactly who he was looking at. The girls from down the street. The ones he had nearly flattened because he was paying attention to his iPod and not the road. He had tried to turn around and catch them to apologize, but they had fled in fear. He was nothing to be scared of, but they were right to follow their instincts. They were smart. Ever since, he had wished he would run into them again. He wanted to apologize, and his naturally extroverted side wanted to make friends. After seeing them from the street, he knew they were his kind of people. Especially the dark and pale Sander. As soon as he had made his U-turn and caught a good look at her, he was done for.
Her dark clothing and hair had caught his eye, but it was the rest that made him keep his focused. She was thin, and from afar, it was a bit difficult to discern her gender. However, like most women, the chest gave her away. She was taller than her blue-haired friend, but to Jimmy, she looked just a small. Her skin stood out the most. Californian women, especially around the beach, were tan, curvy, and never truly unique. No, not like Sander. This girl immediately caught Jimmy’s eye. She honed him in like a beacon, but the reason was hard to decide. Sander was pale. Paler than pale, Jimmy decided. A corpse had more color. Jimmy liked it, though. She was ghostly, but he was reminded of the whiteness of the moon. A cool, but loving glow that occurred during Jimmy’s favorite time of day: night. He found it a little ironic that he called her “Sunshine,” but he felt that the nickname was appropriate. However, she confused him to no end. As dark as she appears with be, with her short black hair and faded dark clothing, she had these bright brown eyes that seemed to see everything—physical or otherwise. They are frighteningly alive. This is where Jimmy found his deepest confusion with the girl. There was a mysterious air around her. He could sense that from the beginning, and he wondered if it had something to do with the sadness in her bay eyes. Even when she smiled, he could see it. He wished he knew how to make that sadness disappear.
Jimmy had spent most of the night watching Sander and Rami at Johnny Saloon. He was not trying to be a creep or anything, but rather, grow a pair and get up to talk to them. Finally apologize for his mistake and almost killing Sander. As he watched them, though, he grew more and more nervous, and felt his muscles lock up, keeping him on his stool. His focused remained, for the most part, on Sander. She had a few drinks, but her friend was starting get very loud and extremely buzzed. She was having a blast, but Sander looked like she did not want to be there. She looked around as Rami squealed and demanded another drink, looking lost. Jimmy had to restrain himself from running up and hugging her—a person who was a total stranger at the time. She looked as small as he was sure she felt, and he wanted to, more than anything, make this newcomer feel welcome. This was one of his favorite places in Huntington Beach, and he wanted to show her that it could be a fun place. He wanted to make a new friend with this woman, whom he was starting the crush on.
All hope was out the window as he watched a drunk guy spill his beer on Sander. She tried to attack him, but Rami held her back. That didn’t stop Jimmy. The guy stumbled passed him, and never saw his foot come out to trip him. The guy went down hard, and had a bloody nose when he emerged. Jimmy smirked and turned his focus back to the girls. Rami was giggling when someone caught her eyes. Jimmy snorted as he watched her leave her friend’s side, and stumble passed him and straight up to Zacky. Zacky saw her and smiled. Jimmy was confused, but thought that Zacky was simply amusing the drunken girl until she left. Valary walked forward and over to the bar. Jimmy stood and watched as she asked for a couple of paper towels, then went to help Sander. Jimmy smiled and slowly made his way to them. He watched Sander try to clean herself up, but he never made it to her before it was too late, and she was out the door.
Jimmy went on to explain to Johnny what happened in the alley, and of course, yesterday’s events that made him fall for the dark girl. He told Johnny how quiet she was, but how much fun she was when she opened up. He even told him how he hired her to write with him, and how impressed he was with her musical skills. Johnny also seemed impressed.

“You should invite her to the barbecue tonight, man,” he said.

Jimmy laughed.

“Already ahead of ya, Johnny boy!” he said, then took a swig of his beer.

***

I excitedly ran down the hall, balancing two large boxes in one hand. I ran into the kitchen, snatching a liter of Coke from the refrigerator and running into the living room. I slid around the arm of the couch, leapt over it, and slammed down beside an unsuspecting Rami. She jumped as I slammed the pizza boxes down.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” she exclaimed.

I smiled and settled into the cushion, crossing my legs underneath me. She watched as I opened the first box, then slid it over to her.

“That one’s yours,” I said.

She examined the piping hot pepperoni pizza in the box. She didn’t seem too interested in it.

“Hey, if you don’t want it, there’s Chinese in the fridge. Jimmy got it for you yesterday, but you weren’t here,” I said.

“No, I want it,” she said, then eyed me up and down, “It’s just that I don’t think any other person on this planet gets excited about pizza like you do.”

I smiled and opened my box. Cheese. Plain and simple. I ripped a slice from the pre-cut circled and stuffed it into my mouth, making a pig out of myself. Rami just shook her head and carefully pulled a slice of pepperoni from her box.

“You’re going to eat too much and ruin your dinner, Sander. Would you slow down?” she asked.

Before she had taken two bites of her first slice, I was on my second. I stared at her with stuffed cheeks, confused.

“They’re shmall,” I said with a mouth full, grease disgustingly dripping down my chin.

Rami scoffed and grabbed a napkin to wipe my face.

“God. It’s like giving a kid pizza,” she said.

I swallowed and grinned.

“Don’t stuff yourself,” she said, wadding the napkin and tossing it onto the coffee table.

“But what if the food at Matt and Val’s is gross? I don’t want to starve,” I said.

Rami rolled her eyes.

“Sander, don’t be such a child. Goddamn! Wipe your mouth!”

I chewed on my food and shook my head.

“Fuck you. I’m eating,” I retorted.

Rami just groaned.

After I had eaten half of my pizza, and Rami only a few slices, we leaned back on the couch, digesting and watching Spongebob, of all things. There was nothing on. I was bored, so I turned to Rami.

“Have you…heard anything today?” I asked tentatively.

Rami shook her head.

“No. It’s been quiet today. Still, I’m scared of my room and the art room,” she said.

I nodded.

“Understandable. Is that where you normally heard her?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Not restricted to those rooms, but yeah,” she replied.

I nodded. This was starting to sound less and less like mental insanity, and more like a little thing Rami and I had been researching since we were kids, obsessed with Scooby-Doo.

“You know what I think is going on?” I asked.

Rami perked up.

“What?” she asked.

I leaned forward.

“Well, you said Katie died tragically, right?” I asked.

She nodded.

“She was young, died tragically, and unexpectedly. I don’t know about you Sander, but it sounds to me like you’re haunted. Literally,” I replied.

Rami’s eyes widened.

“Sander, no,” she began.

“Rami! We’ve been hunting ghosts since we were little! You know as well as I that spirits exist!”

“I know! It’s just…I hate thinking of her like that. In spirit form, you know?” she asked.

I nodded.

“I know, but think about it. What if she’s attached?” I asked.

Rami’s eyes went out of focus as her mind went into deep thought.

“Let me ask you this. When do you hear her? What triggers her activity?” I asked.

Rami looked up at me and shrugged.

“I don’t know. It always seems to be random,” she said.

“Well, think about it,” I pressed on.

And Rami did. For a moment, she was silent before coming up with an answer.

“Maybe when I’m feeling stressed?” she replied.

I tilted my head to the side. The night after the bar was one thing, but Rami was always the one with the cool head.

“What do you have to be stressed about?” I asked.

Certainly not the move, right?

“Well, work is kind of nerve-wracking,” she began.

I narrowed my eyes at her. Her eyes widened and she clapped her hand over her mouth.

“Oh my fucking God! I forgot to tell you!” she said.

I rolled my eyes and looked away.

“Fucking hell!” I groaned.

Rami grabbed my arm.

“Sander, I’m sorry. Everything’s just been crazy. I’m sorry,” she apologized.

I sighed and shot her a serious look.

“Fine. Where are you working?” I asked.

Rami suddenly grew excited.

“Okay! Do you remember the buff shit?” she asked.

I looked away, trying to wrack my brain for the answer.

“Oh! Yeah, yeah. I remember you telling me about him,” I replied.

Rami smiled.

“Well, he asked me if I would like to be an artist for his clothing line. I went in, and he liked my artwork, and now I’m like, one of the main artists. It’s crazy, Sander!” she said happily.

I narrowed my eyes at her. Clothing line?

“And what is this clothing line called, Rams?” I asked.

“Vengeance Un—wait! Is it Vengeance? Yeah! Vengeance University,” she replied.

My jaw his the motherfucking floor.

“Vengeance University?” I asked coldly, not believing what I was hearing.

Rami smiled and nodded. I turned around fully to face her.

“And the buff shit is your boss?” I asked.

“Yeah. He’s really cool, Sander. Maybe next time I go in, you can come with me,” she said.

I took hold of Rami’s arm.

“What’s his name, Rami?” I asked.

Rami leaned over to grab her drink and took a sip before replying.

“Zack,” she said with a shrug.

My heart crashed into my ribcage.

“Zacky Vengeance?” I asked in disbelief.

Rami nodded.

“With the tattoo sleeves? Black hair? Blue-ish green eyes? Snakebites? Soft voice? Kind of has a lisp? I mean, not like Jimmy, but—“

“Yeah! That’s him! How the hell do you know him?” she asked.

I stared at her like she was crazy.

“Motherfucking Avenged Sevenfold, Rami! Jesus! Jimmy’s band?”

Rami’s eyes grew to the size of baseballs.

“Oh my God! No way!” she said.

“He’s the guitar player,” I said.

Rami burst out laughing.

“That’s fucking crazy! Oh my God! He may be at the barbecue tonight!” she exclaimed.

I shrugged.

“Most likely.”

“He’s the guy I went to talk to after the…” Rami trailed off, and her mood plummeting, “that guy spilled beer on you. I just fucking took off like I did…before.”

I frowned and took her hand.

“Rami, it’s okay,” I said.

Rami watched me with sad eyes. I covered our hands with my free one.

“What happens when she visits you, Rami? What do you feel? Does she manipulate your thoughts?” I asked.

Rami chewed on her lip as she thought about it.

“Um, well, yeah. In a way, yeah,” she replied.

“Do you feel her presence?” I asked.

Rami nodded.

“It’s like she’s in my head. That’s why I thought I had something wrong with me,” she replied.

I gestured with my hand.

“Attachment,” I repeated.

Rami involuntarily shivered.

“Sander, don’t say that,” she pleaded.

“Well, come on, Rami! Think about it. It all makes sense. When you hear her or sense her, does she mess with things. Move things around?” I asked.

Rami shook her head.

“Your cell phone isn’t drained or anything?” I asked.

I had to know where Katie’s energy was coming from.

“No, but I do,” she said, perking up, “In fact, I almost always feel drained when I hear her.”

My eyes widened.

“Rami, she’s attached to you. She’s using your energy. Didn’t you say you could hear her with your own ears? Without the help of some electronic device?”

Rami nodded.

“God, Sander! Why didn’t I realize this before? It makes perfect sense!”

“You were in mourning and overmedicated,” I replied.

Rami gave me a small smile. I returned it.

“Does she touch you? Do you ever get scratched or pushed?” I asked.

Rami shook her head. Good. Maybe this was just an angry spirit, versus something far worse.

“She’s becoming aggressive, though. She’s pretty pissed off with me.”

I nodded understandingly.

“Well, we’ll figure out what we can do for her. She’s attached for a reason. Tomorrow, we’ll break out the gear and launch a little investigation. See what we can dig up,” I replied, “But, for now, don’t let her get to you. Keep your guard up, and either address her firmly, or ignore her. Not even ghosts want to talk to people who don’t talk back.”

Rami laughed at that.

“Okay. I can do that,” she replied.

I smiled and patted her shoulder.

“‘Atta girl. Now, I don’t know about you, but I could use a nap,” I said.

Rami laughed and snuggled into the couch’s throw pillows.

“Wake me when it’s time to get ready,” she said.

I reached for my cell phone and set my alarm to five o’ clock. I knew I wouldn’t sleep that long, as it was just now one, but I prepared myself anyway. Rami, however, just might.

“Sleep tight,” I yawned, then settled into my side of the couch, Nickelodeon commercials slowly fading away.

***

Later that afternoon, I had a smoke after getting dressed in my “party clothes.” Frayed, dull burgundy shorts, an Iron Maiden t-shirt, and settled for a pair of black Vans that had not been worn since high school. Hell, even then, they had barely been worn. I decided they could use some love.
Afterwards, I dried my freshly washed hair, threw some texturizer in it, smeared my eyes with eyeliner and eyeshadow. Black on black, as usual, then went downstairs to finish my laundry while Rami took her precious time in the shower. When I returned, however, I couldn’t hear her shower, and the air upstairs was charged. My skin prickled with goosebumps. Oh shit.
I slowly made my way down the hall. As I approached the art room, I could hear Rami talking, seemingly to herself. I could hear footsteps, and the sound of things being moved around, including the loud clunk of the couch being rightened. She was cleaning up.

“You made me do this, Katie,” Rami said bitterly.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Rami, don’t provoke her.

“Hey! I don’t have a short temper!”

I wondered if I should knock.

“What are you talking about, Katie?…Katie, I’m trying to do right, but you have to let me.”

I heard Rami approach the door, and I quickly slid away to my bathroom. I’ll admit, it did creep me out to hear Rami talking to herself, but I was glad things were not getting hairy.

“Don’t talk about them like that!” Rami suddenly screamed, “Would you please drop it!”

That was it.

“Rami!” I shouted.

The room went silent. Rami then shot out of it, looking frazzled. She walked into the door way of my bathroom and I moved to hug her.

“It was fine until—“

“Don’t worry about it. Just don’t let her get to you. Are you ready to go?”

I looked down at her. Her pastel blue hair was curly in beautiful beach waves, a black beanie slouched on the crown of her head, and she was wearing a flowy black tank top, which was tucked in to her floral print skirt. She also wore black, dressy sandals to match. We looked like a couple of 90’s grunge kids.

“Almost. I need to finish my makeup,” she replied.

I nodded.

“Go finish. Jimmy will be here soon,” I said.

Rami nodded and walked down to her room. When she was out of sight, I walked back towards the art room. The air felt dead now. I looked back down the hall to see Rami’s door ajar. I looked back to the room, then around me.

“Katie, we know you’re upset, but that doesn’t mean you can take it out on others. We will help you, but you have to let Rami be. Understand? I know you’re mad at her, but if you let her be for a little while, she’ll be ready to help you. For now, don’t follow. You stay here,” I said sternly.

Whatever energy that was in the air fizzled out. I felt pleased with myself, then went to my bathroom and grabbed an amethyst bracelet from a drawer. It was my protective jewelry I wore on paranormal investigations back when Rami and I did it nonstop, and I had yet to be attacked. I knew I had probably pissed Katie off, so I just in case, I wore the bracelet.
Just as Rami announced that she was ready, I heard a car pull into the driveway. I checked my cell phone. The time was 5:59. My heart skipped and I was suddenly extremely nervous. Rami and I exchanged glances, then nearly tore each other apart trying to beat each other to the front door. We growled and laughed at each other and ran to the front window. I beat Rami to the window and peered out, making sure it was Jimmy. It was, and when I saw him, my jaw dropped. Jimmy was just shutting his door, and I briefly thought I might drop. He looked…amazing. He wore a black button-up, with the sleeves rolled up and enough buttons open to see part of the reaper that was tattooed on his chest. He was wearing a silver watch, dark jeans, a belt with a large buckle, and…white boots. The eccentricity of The Rev had to come out somewhere. Regardless, his hair was straightened and thoroughly teased at the crown and down the back of his head. I was frozen.

“Goddamn!” Rami exclaimed, “Sander, go open the door.”

I gasped and backed away in fear.

“No,” I said.

Rami stared at me in disbelief.

“Sander!” she scolded.

I backed straight into the stairs.

“You do it,” I said childishly.

Rami rolled her eyes.

“Sander, for fuck’s sake! You put your big girl panties on and go answer that fucking door this minute!” she ordered, pointing to the door.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. I froze up. My knees locked and my feet were glued to the hardwood floor.

“Sander, come on!” she hissed.

Rami tried to pull me forward, but I fought her, an immature slapping fight ensuing.

“Goddammit, Sander! You chicken shit!” she snapped.

“Just open it!” I growled.

“Why should I do it?” she asked, “You’re the one who’s head over heels for him!”

“Bullshit!” I argued.

“Why won’t you go open the door?” she growled.

My answer was honestly the best and only answer I could come up with.

“I do it all the time! It’s your turn!” I said.

Rami rolled her eyes and gave.

“Jesus Christ!” she said.

Rami turned around and opened the door before Jimmy could ring again. I slowly followed her. I hoped to God my nervousness wasn’t evident.

“Hey!” Rami greeted him.

“Hey there!” he said.

I appeared behind Rami and smiled at him. Jimmy’s grin didn’t do anything to ease my nervousness. He gave Rami a one-armed hug, but I didn’t fail to notice that, when it was my turn, he used both arms.

“Hey, Sunshine,” he said.

I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself.

“Hi,” I replied shyly.

We parted and he looked to Rami.

“You guys ready to go?” he asked.

We nodded.

“You two go ahead. I need to get my bag,” Rami said.

It was then I realized that I didn’t have mine. Fuck!

“I’ll get yours, too, Sander. Be right back,” Rami said, saving my ass, but leaving me alone with Jimmy.

Fucking fuck.

Rami tore back up the stairs, and I nervously glanced up at Jimmy. He waved me out.

“Come on, Sandy Pants,” he said happily.

I smiled and followed him out the door, taking shotgun. Rami soon emerged with my bag and locked the door before climbing into the backseat of Jimmy’s car.

“Did you get my phone?” I asked Rami, opening my bag.

“Wallet, cigarettes, lighter, phone, and iPod. You’re set,” she replied.

I thanked her and put the bag in the floorboard.

“Are you buckled, Rami?” Jimmy asked.

We heard the click of her seatbelt.

“‘Kay,” Jimmy said, then backed out of the driveway, “Did that cord work for ya, Salamander?”

Rami went into a fit of giggles. I glared at Jimmy. He innocently grinned.

“I haven’t had the chance to try it yet,” I replied, “Don’t call me that.”

Jimmy giggled.

“Salamander?” Rami asked, “Where did that come from?”

I rolled my eyes.

“This brilliant mind, little Smurf,” he replied.

Rami got a kick out of that. I was not amused. Jimmy saw this.

“What’s wrong, Sandy Pie?” he asked, letting his long fingers crawl up my shoulder to my neck.

I flinched and slammed myself into the door, not only startled, but his lithe fingers really did feel like spider legs. Jimmy burst out laughing.

“Fucking shit!” I hissed, then cut my eyes at him, “Asshole.”

“Oh, come on, Sander. What’s wrong?” he asked.

I stared at him and huffed.

“I don’t like being tickled,” I grumbled.

Jimmy grinned, then quickly slapped on a fake pout.

“I’m sorry, Sunshine. Forgive me?”

I stared at him for maybe three seconds before cracking and forgiving him. It was impossible to stay mad at him.

“Yeah,” I replied.

That pleased him.

“Does Matt and Valary know we’re coming?” I asked.

Jimmy nodded.

“Yeah. I told him this morning. He’s excited about it. We’re going to have a lot of fun. You guys won’t regret it,” he replied.

Rami sat forward, propping herself between our seats, a happy smile on her face.

Little did I know that that smile would not stay.

Notes

Rami seems to be on the straight and narrow, but what will happen when she meets the band Sander so loves? What will Sander do when she meets the rest of her favorite band? And what of Katie? Will she behave, or are they putting themselves, and the boys in danger?
Stay tuned!

Chapter by: sharpiewashere