I'll Carry You Away

Rami and I stood in front of Jimmy’s car, one of us in shock and the other in awe. In front of us, at the end of a polished brick driveway, surrounded by a well-manicured lawn, beautiful flower beds and various palm trees, was a two-story piece of majesty. A beige mansion with cream trim, domed windows, iron lanterns illuminating the porch, clay tile roof, and large, castle-like doors surrounded in windows.

“It’s like going to Spain,” I said.

Rami was gushing.

“It’s like a big piece of Mediterranean art!” she exclaimed.

Jimmy, who had probably seen the house and visited a million times, was not phased.

“It’s just Shads’ place,” he said with a shrug.

Rami pouted.

“Leave us alone. We’re sheltered children,” she said.

Jimmy laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. Other cars were starting to pull in.

“Come on. Matt and Val are waiting for us,” he said.

I followed behind Jimmy to the front door, Rami quietly following behind with her mouth agape, eyes glued to the house. Jimmy led us up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Inside, a dog barked and I saw Valary walk passed the window. When the door opened, my heart rate picked up. Beyond the door were the remaining members of Avenged Sevenfold. Never did I think I would ever be this close to them.
Valary opened the door and smiled.

“Hey, guys,” she said, “Glad you could make it.”

“Hey,” Jimmy said, giving her a hug.

She smiled and hugged him, then turned to Rami and I.

“Hey, Sander. Hi, Rami. Come on in,” she said.

With that, we followed Jimmy inside. When I saw the interior, my shoulders dropped. Was this real? Rami gasped, causing Valary to laugh.

“I’m sorry,” Rami said, embarrassed, “It’s just that your house is so beautiful.”

Valary smiled.

“Thank-you,” she replied, “Come on. Let’s see if we can go find Matt. He’s excited to meet you guys.”

She waved us over, and we followed her into the massive living room. The place looked like something out of a magazine, or perhaps off of some “billion dollar home” show. The living room was a large space with a vaulted ceiling, and tan walls with cream trim, similar to the home’s exterior. The floors were white, and if they were not real marble, they certainly looked like it. Expensive Victorian furniture was staged around an elegant marble coffee table. A gorgeous stone fireplace was off to the side, bordered by two built-in bookcases that held pictures of Matt and Valary, their family, and of course, the band. Among the pictures were mementos, decorative pieces, and various music awards. The back wall held three massive windows with dark, flowing drapery. I could see the backyard beyond it. In front of it sat a beautiful grand piano that I was more than jealous of.
Rami tapped my arm, grabbing my attention. She leaned over to whisper to me.

“I thought our house was big,” she whispered.

I smiled and nodded in agreement.

Off of the living room was a smaller room with a bay window and various posters of the band, plaques, and records. In the center was well-used, and I’m sure well-loved pool table. So far, I was impressed. The rockstar life was treating them well.
Valary led us to a hallway, which felt like walking through a museum. Pictures of the boys covered the walls, as well as family pictures and a few art pieces, which Rami drooled over. I knew she was getting a million ideas. Throughout the hallway, though, we could hear music—music I should have expected, but didn’t expect to hear in the household of M. Shadows.

“Who the fuck has Country playing?” Jimmy barked, asking what I was thinking.

Valary laughed.

“Matt. I told him to turn it,” she replied.

She led us into the kitchen, which was not nearly as impressive as the showroom living room, but still made mine and Rami’s look like shit. Granite countertops, rustic cabinetry, all stainless steel appliances, and not only an island, but a curved bar as well, which currently held bags upon bags of potato chips, plastic cutlery, Solo cups, paper plates, hamburger buns, and a slew of other groceries. Two people were already working at getting everything prepared and organized, and when I recognized the man, I felt my heart freak out and run and hide behind my lungs.

“Hey, guys!” Jimmy said happily.

The couple looked up and smiled.

“Hey!” they said.

The man approached first, gave Jimmy a hug, then refer to Rami and I.

“These must be the girls you won’t stop talking about,” he said, smiling.

Jimmy put a hand on my back and I jumped like I had been shocked. Goddammit, why am I so jumpy?

“Yup,” Jimmy said happily, “Brian, this is Sander. Sander, I think you know Synyster Gates.”

I smiled shyly as he shook my hand.

“You can just call me Brian,” he said, smiling.

I nodded.

“Nice to meet you,” I said politely.

Jimmy then introduced Rami, who looked like she had seen a ghost. Normally, she was quite open and friendly around strangers, regardless of fame, but she was acting like I usually did—scared shitless.
Brian introduced his girlfriend to us, Valary’s twin sister Michelle, who was every bit as nice and friendly.

“I love your hair color, Rami,” she gushed, “Jimmy had blue hair like that back in high school.”

Rami thanked her, Jimmy rolled his eyes and looked away, obviously embarrassed. Brian laughed at him.
Down the hall, which from what I could see, led to a den, a tall figure entered off of the back porch and approached us.

“Shads, will you change this goddamn music?” Jimmy called.

Matt entered the living room, a spatula in one hand and the smell of charcoal on him. My brain ceased functioning.

“Yeah, I will,” he said, then locked his eyes on me, “Well, is this the piano virtuoso I’ve been hearing about?”

I felt my cheeks heat up. Goddammit, Jimmy.

Matt walked up to me and shook my hand. I couldn’t find my voice anymore, but Jimmy managed to find it for me.

“Yeah, this is Sander. The Smurf is Rami,” he said.

Matt greeted us and shook Rami’s hand. While his attention was on her, Jimmy lightly grasped my shoulders and leaned down to my ear.

“Breathe, Sunshine. You look like you’re gonna pass out,” he whispered.

I took a deep breath and did as I was told, trying to calm myself. Jimmy laughed and squeezed my shoulders.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Yeah,” I breathed out, even though I was shaking like a leaf.

I needed a drink. Jimmy lightly rubbed my shoulders. Meanwhile, Matt turned back to me.

“So, you excited to be writing with The Rev? He’ll probably have you working on some crazy, genius shit,” he said.

Rami gasped and stared at me. Oops.

“What?” she squeaked.

I bit my lip.

“Jimmy asked if I would come write with him,” I replied meekly.

Rami looked ready to kick my ass, then shot Jimmy a glare.

“Why didn’t you tell me this? When was this decided?” she asked.

“Yesterday,” I replied.

Rami squealed and pulled me into a hug, but pointed a threatening finger at Jimmy.

“You’re in trouble, mister!” she said.

Of course, Jimmy just laughed. When Rami finally let go of me, Matt looked guilty.

“I take it that might have been a secret,” he said.

I shook my head.

“No, it’s just…got kind of busy and it didn’t come up,” I replied.

He just nodded.

“Well, I’d love to hear you play,” he said.

And I forgot to breathe again and my chest tightened up.

“Later,” Jimmy said for me, “Let’s go find the rest of the guys first.”

Matt went with it.

“You guys go ahead. I’m going to find something else to listen to.”

And with that, Jimmy led us out of the kitchen and down the hall to the den. As we walked, Jimmy draped an arm across my shoulders, again, making me jump.

“Sander, calm down. What’s the matter?” he asked.

Rami looked at me. I knew I was probably white as a sheet.

“She’s freaked. Hold on. Stop walking,” Rami ordered.

She moved in front of me and held my cheeks.

“Breathe with me. Come on. In,” she said, breathing in, “and out. Sander, do it.”

I obeyed and followed her instruction, feeling slowly better.

“She panics, Jimmy. You’re dealing with a person who doesn’t handle people very well, and not to mention, this is a dream come true for her. You guys are everything to her, no matter how much she denies it. Mix it with new noises and sights and she loses it,” she explained, “Sander, can you breathe?”

I nodded. I felt my chest loosen.

“I’m okay,” I replied.

She smiled and rubbed my arm. Down the hall, I heard a voice call for Rami. We looked up to see Zacky Vengeance get up from a chair and approach.

“Hey!” he said.

Rami ran up to him. I looked down nervously, mentally kicking myself for not preparing myself for this. I was a naturally nervous person who needed to give herself a pep-talk before things like this. From being used to Jimmy, I didn’t think about it, and now hated myself for almost going into full-blown panic mode in front of Jimmy. I had never wanted him to know that I do that. Jimmy, however, seemed to notice my mood change and quickly scooped me up in a hug. I was a little taken aback by the gesture.

“It’s okay, Sunshine. Happens to me, too. I know how you feel,” he said softly.

I smiled and hugged him back. When we parted, Jimmy smiled at me.

“That’s one reason I get drunk at these things,” he said, making me laugh, “but not tonight, ‘cause I gotta drive you guys home.”

I just laughed. Jimmy looked back to see Rami and Zacky talking to each other. He then jabbed his thumb in their direction.

“How the hell do those two know each other? She was talking to him at the bar the other night,” he said.

I looked back at them.

“Zacky apparently talked to her while she was painting on the beach, and asked her to come in and paint for him. Now she’s one of his artists,” I replied.

Jimmy laughed.

“Sneaky shits,” he said.

I laughed.

“I know. I didn’t find out until today,” I replied.

Jimmy smiled.

“Well, you need to meet Zacky, too. Don’t worry. He’s as shy as you are. Come on,” he urged.

Jimmy took my hand and led me into the den where a few family members were sitting around talking. Zacky looked to me and smiled.

“Hi. You must be Sander,” he said.

I smiled and nodded. He held out his hand and I shook it.

“According to Rami, you already know who I am, so…” he trailed off, his eyes drifting down.

Jimmy was not lying about the shyness.

“Yeah,” I replied.

“So, you’re a pianist, huh?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Yeah. Word must have spread,” I said, cutting my eyes at Jimmy.

He just grinned.

“Oh, he couldn’t stop talking about you. You’re going to enjoy working with him,” he said, “I’ve really enjoyed having Rami on my crew. She’s extremely talented. I mean, my God!”

It was Rami’s turn to smile shyly.

A guy on the couch shot to his feet and bounced over to us. I immediately recognized him as Johnny Christ.

“Hi!” he said cheerfully, “You must be the amazing Sander I’ve heard so much about.”

Johnny shook my hand.

“I don’t know about amazing,” I said.

Johnny shrugged.

“Jimmy’s words. Not mine. I would like to hear you play, though. When do you guys start writing? We can jam!” he said excitedly.

“Soon. Yeah, Matt wants to hear her play, too. Later on we can let her loose on that piano in the front,” Jimmy replied.

My eyes widened. Oh God, yes!

“That would be cool,” I said, then glanced at Rami.

She was staring at Johnny in fascination. I smiled and introduced her to him.

“Johnny, this is my friend, Rami,” I said.

Johnny glanced at Rami, then gave her hand a quick shake.

“Hey.”

Rami looked a little put off by the quick greeting, but Matt caught our attention before I could speak to her about it.

“Guys! Food will be ready in ten,” he announced, then walked out the door.

Jimmy tapped my arm.

“Come on. Let’s see if they need some help hauling stuff outside,” he said.

I nodded, and Zacky and Johnny agreed to help. Rami and I followed them, but Rami suddenly pulled me aside and began slapping my arms.

“Why. Didn’t. You. Tell. Me—“

I snatched her arms.

“Stop hitting!” I hissed.

Rami tried to catch her breath.

“Why didn’t you tell me all of the guys in this band were fucking hot?” she whispered.

I burst out laughing.

“I mean, Brian…goddamn! And Johnny…oh my God, Sander!”

I grabbed her hands.

“Brian’s taken, Rams. Don’t hit on him,” I said.

Rami bit her lip and glanced down the hall to the kitchen.

“What about Johnny, do you think?” she asked.

I tilted my head to the side. Was she implying that…

“Do you like him?” I asked.

Rami’s kept her head down.

“He was kind of cute,” she replied.

I smirked.

“We can find out if he’s single. We’ll try and sit with him when we eat. No drinking tonight, though. You’re still recovering,” I said.

Rami nodded in agreement.

“No, I don’t want to make a bad impression. Guys don’t date drunk girls. They fuck ‘em,” she replied.

I smiled. Down the hall, Johnny and Zacky came walking by with handfuls of paper plates and cups. Rami’s eyes followed her boss and the bassist. I snapped my fingers in front of her face. Rami shook her head.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

I just shook my head. She was pitiful.

“Sandy!” Jimmy shrieked from the kitchen, “Smurfette! Get your asses in here!”

We looked from the kitchen to each other and laughed.

“Come on,” I said.

With that, we jogged back down the hall and helped the girls and Jimmy get the tables outside fixed up.

***

I groaned and set my fork down in defeat. Rami nudged me with her elbow.

“I told you not to eat so much pizza,” she whispered.

I rolled my eyes and swatted her shoulder. I can’t help it if I was hungry, and Matt made the most delicious goddamn barbecue I had ever tasted. The ribs never saw me coming. Let’s just put it that way.
I wasn’t the only one who had more than one plate. Jimmy was finishing his third, and Brian had given up on his second. We were sitting at one of the tables that had been set up in front of the pool. Jimmy, for whatever reason, made sure I was next to him, and Rami sat next to me. On Jimmy’s other side sat Johnny, and Brian and Michelle completed the circle. Matt, Valary, Zacky, Zacky’s girlfriend, and some family members took up another table, and some of the band’s friends had another. None, however, had a dinner conversation quite as interesting as our table. I had a hard time keeping up, for Jimmy’s thoughts were all over the place, but from what I did catch, I was laughing. The story went from feeding ducks at the park, to the cops chasing him down. It was crazy.

“It wasn’t like I had a choice,” Jimmy said.

Brian cut his eyes at his friend.

“You’re fucking stupid,” he said, then turned to Rami and I, “Why do you two hang out with this crazy bastard?”

The answer we gave was the most accurate and correct response. It was the only response.

“We don’t have a choice,” we said in unison.

Brian just grinned.

“So, what brought you guys to Huntington Beach?” he asked.

We shrugged.

“We wanted to live somewhere cool,” I replied.

Rami scoffed.

“Sander,” she scolded, then addressed the guitarist, “It was a dream of ours.”

Brian nodded.

“You guys picked an awesome place,” Michelle added.

We smiled at that.

Jimmy wadded his napkin, then began playfully slapping me. I glared at him and leaned away.

“What?” I asked.

Jimmy held his hands up in defense, as if he was going to go kung-fu on my ass. Like I was really going to do anything to him!

“Let’s go play!” he said excitedly.

I just smiled at him.

“Rami!” Zacky called from the other table.

Rami and I looked over our shoulders to see Zacky waving her over. She looked back at me, almost as if she was asking my permission. I waved her off.

“Go on,” I said.

Jimmy began bouncing and tugging on my arm. I rolled my eyes.

“The giant child wants to go play,” I said.

Rami grinned, then gathered her trash and discarded it in one of the black trash bags hanging from the grill before going to the other table. Jimmy grabbed all of his trash stacked it on top of mine, then shot up from his chair and grabbed my arm.

“Come on, Sunshine,” he said.

I had no choice but to follow. Jimmy looked over his shoulder to the table.

“Johnny, you wanna come, too?” he asked.

Johnny’s eyes wheeled up to Jimmy and he shook his head.

“Nah, man,” he replied, “I think I’ll stay out here and get drunk.”

Jimmy laughed, accepted his answer, then called to Matt.

“Hey, Matt?”

Matt looked up from his conversation.

“We’re gonna go play. You wanna come?” Jimmy asked.

Matt nodded.

“Yeah. I’ll be in in a minute,” he replied, then turned back to the conversation Zacky and Rami were having.

Jimmy and I walked through the back doors and turned down the hall on our way to the kitchen. As we walked by the bar, Jimmy’s shoes squeaked to a halt and he let out a shriek that echoed throughout the entire house.

“Oh my God! Sander, look!” he exclaimed.

Jimmy pointed to the counter where several bottles of alcohol sat.

“Fuckin’ Fireball!” he said excitedly, “Let’s take a shot!”

I spotted the glass bottle as Jimmy ran up to it. He snatched the bottle and popped open one of the cabinets in search of Matt’s shot glasses. He picked two mismatched glasses, which I’m assuming Matt simply collected and didn’t care what they looked like. Jimmy picked the bottle open and raised an eyebrow at me.

“You wanna take a shot?” he asked, tempting me.

I slowly made my bar around the bar to where he was standing. Jimmy popped the bottle open and poured the shots.

“We’ll only have one. This stuff fucks me up, and I don’t wanna puke,” he said.

I turned my head to read the label. When I saw the word “cinnamon,” I felt my throat close.

“It looks painful,” I said.

Jimmy smiled and closed the bottle.

“It is. You just gotta down it,” he replied.

I cringed. Jimmy handed me a glass and pushed the whisky bottle aside.

“It’s like liquified Hot Tamales. You know, the candy? Just like, a whole fuckin’ mouthful of them,” he explained.

“Oh God!” I laughed.

Jimmy held his glass up to toast.

“You paint a pretty picture, Jimbo, but if I vom—“

Jimmy held a hand up.

“You’ll like it, I promise. It’s not like I’m giving you tequila. Then, you’ll most definitely blow,” he said.

I just smiled.

“Ready?” he asked.

I nodded in response.

“Cheers,” he said.

We clinked our glasses and promptly downed our shots. Jimmy made a brief face of pain. I coughed and violently shook my head.

“Ah, damn,” I croaked.

Jimmy laughed at me, even though his eyes were watering.

“That grabs you by the balls, huh? Or, metaphorical balls,” he said.

I nodded and coughed into the crook of my arm. The stuff was harsh, and it definitely burned, but in the end, it wasn’t that bad.

“That’s intense,” I commented.

Jimmy smiled and held his hand out to take my glass. I handed it him and he set them in the sink.

“Okay, now we can go play!” he said, then took my hand and led me out of the kitchen to the grand piano in the front living room.

We walked in to the beautiful room, the glossy finish of the instrument shining like a beacon. I had only played a piano of this scale a handful of times for auditions in college. I suddenly felt like I was back in the music room in school, the room dead silence, save for the grunts and shuffling of the judges who had already decided they didn’t want me. They saw my black skinny jeans, ratty tennis shoes and leather jacket, and let that be the deal-breaker. Even when they didn’t care about my appearance, their eyes made me shake with terror, and their assessments of me made me feel like shit. When I did make the cut, it was because I fought the urge to pass out and tried to keep my fingers from slipping with so much effort, they cramped. Seeing the piano brought me excitement, and horrific flashbacks all at once. I knew when Matt came in, it really would feel like an audition for the college orchestra. I didn’t want to play anymore.
I walked over to the keys and pulled the bench out, then sat down. I then bit my lip and glanced up at Jimmy.

“What should I play?” I asked.

I searched his crystal blue eyes, waiting for an answer. Jimmy’s eyes narrowed and he tilted his head to the side.

“Whatever you want, sweetheart,” he said, acting as if I should have known that.

I lowered my gaze to the keys. I didn’t wan to play “whatever.” I wanted to play something to impress him—to please him.
I took a deep, calming breath and placed my fingers on the keys. The first song to fly into my head, one I knew would impress him, was one I knew I could play with my eyes closed. I had used it as my go-to for auditions, and I had practiced it to death. It was one of my favorites, but I didn’t count on my nerves getting to me. Of course, Modest Mussorgsky’s “Night On Bald Mountain” was probably not the best idea. Not for starters.
I started the song twice, either getting nervous fingers, or just getting so frustrated that I kept making mistakes that I had to start over repeatedly. I had to give up and shake it off.

“Sorry,” I grumbled.

Jimmy gripped my shoulders.

“It’s all good. Don’t apologize,” he said softly.

He sat down beside me and casually clasped his hands together, watching me curiously.

“You can do it. We all get nervous fingers. It’s okay,” he said.

He rubbed my back, making my eyes widen and my body slightly shudder.

“Try again. I know it’ll be amazing,” he said, trying to encourage me.

I looked up at him in surprise. Amazing?

Jimmy smiled at me.

“What?” he asked.

I cracked a small smile and shook my head.

“You,” I replied, “I’m not as amazing as you make me out to be.”

I pressed a chord on the piano. Criticisms from various judges, some established, award-winning, world renowned pianists who knew what they were talking about echoed in my ears. Nice critiques like, “Thank-you, but we don’t believe you have what it takes to make the cut. Try again next year,” to something that would make the devil himself cry. In other words, I was just another amateur. My only dream crushed flat. I knew I was no virtuoso, but dammit, I still wanted a chance to grow, and they wouldn’t even allow me that!
Jimmy looked a little confused.

“Of course you are,” he said.

I let my hand fall back into my lap with an irritated snap. I didn’t believe that for one second!

“Sander,” he said, now more serious.

His change in tone made me look at him.

“I don’t think I’m some musical mastermind, but people tell me that I am all the time. Sometimes we don’t grasp what we can do. We can’t understand what others see. We do what comes naturally. Sander, you don’t realize what you can do. That wasn’t just any cover. You put so much emotion and passion into your playing. You did the most beautiful freestyle over it and you didn’t even realize it. You’re an amazing player, Sander. What would make you think otherwise?”

I let my eyes fall and I shrugged, feeling pathetic. Jimmy gently grasped my chin.

“Look at me, Sunshine,” he said, his tone much softer.

When I met his eyes, I felt this knot in my chest. He simply gave me a warm smile.

“If it means anything coming from me, I think your playing is beautiful,” he said.

The knot morphed into a raging fire that lit me up with embarrassment, and a swift kick of encouragement.

That meant the world to me.

Jimmy ruffled my hair and pulled me into a hug.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he said.

I just nodded. Jimmy pulled back and cupped my cheek. Then, he lightly tapped my nose, making me laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Let’s play,” he said.

I nodded and returned my focus to the keys. I closed my eyes for a moment as I racked my brain for something to play. My mind skimmed through my mental playlist before landing on something more suitable. I brought myself out of my horror flashbacks, and instead, focused on just playing for a friend—the last person in the world to judge me, and one of the few that treated this crazy person and her eccentric Smurf friend like human beings.

***

Rami slipped off to the other side of the pool for a quick smoke break. She had just finished an engaging conversation with her new boss, discussing ideas and upcoming projects. Valary and Johnny had been at the table while Matt went to hunt for Jimmy and Sander. They listened intently, Valary commented on Rami’s ideas and making her feel really excited about getting to work next week to see what Zacky had in store. However, she had had a hard time following everything the guitarist had to say. Johnny was in the corner of her eye, drinking beer after beer with his eyes on her. She had wished he would say something. Smile, even. Nothing but a cold expression on his face. It put her off. She had wanted to find a way to at least befriend him, but he had made it hard. So, when Zacky returned to his girlfriend, giving her time to herself, she decided to have a smoke alone and reflect on the millions of thoughts buzzing around in her mind.
Rami was halfway through her cigarette when a figure approached her from the side. She looked up to see none other than Johnny fucking Christ, stumbling over with a fresh bottle of beer in his hand. She stood her ground as she watched him. He was drunk, and he was getting sloppy. She knew his world had to be spinning, and she feared he would stumble to her right and fall into the pool. Either that, or run to the bushes at the fence to puke. He was dangerously teetering on the edge of both possible outcomes. She twisted her lips in worry and flicked ash from the end of her cigarette. His staring had made her uncomfortable, and his silence did nothing to help the situation, but she still felt like this night could somehow be saved. It was far from ruined, but she had managed to make a good impression on everyone she met this evening. It would be nice to at least be on good terms with the bassist, who was alarming inebriated.
Rami had noticed that no one at the party had had more than three drinks. She had had none, and was feeling very proud of herself. Matt had had one, the twins just one, and then they were on to water, and Zacky had had two. Some of them had a nice, pleasant buzz, but no one was as wasted as Johnny, and that worried her. Was he always like this, or was something wrong?

“Hey,” he said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Rami jumped, and stared wide-eyed at the bassist.

“Um, hi?” she asked.

Johnny stopped in front of her and swayed a little before his equilibrium calmed.

“Rami, right?” he asked.

Rami slowly nodded. His current state was worrying, but his sudden attention towards her made her nervous.

“Yeah,” she said, slowly and questioningly.

Johnny took a swig of his beer, then gave her a sly smile, which, even as fucked up as he was, she couldn’t help but want to smile at. She tried to keep herself from thinking it, but even drunk, he was still cute.

“Whudya doin’ out here by yourself?” Johnny slurred.

Being shitfaced, however, was far from cute.

Rami, thinking it was obvious, held up her nearly depleted cigarette. Johnny blinked slowly, staring as if his brain was not processing the action. He then resumed functioning, and replied with a short “Oh.”
Rami rolled her eyes and took the last drag with the stick. Johnny sidled up besides her and put his arm around her shoulders. Rami was stunned. What the fuck was going on?

“I’ve been waiting on the chance to talk to you alone,” he said.

Rami glared at him. She didn’t like this at all.

“Why?” she asked coldly.
Johnny smirked.

“I was thinkin’, you know, maybe we could head back inside. Find a place to get to know each other,” he said suggestively.

Rami curled her lip in disgust. Well, she wasn’t disgusted by him, really. She was disgusted by his state, and his assumption that she would even put out for him, like he was, in this setting. He would rather be cold to her, then get wasted and nasty with her than do things right. Maybe she had sorely overestimated the bassist.

“You can think again,” Rami snapped.

Johnny didn’t like that answer. He frowned and removed his arm.

“Hey, there’s no—no need to get an attitude like that. I was just tryin’ to get to know you a bit better,” he slurred.

Rami rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please! I’m not that dense. I saw right through that trick. I’m not here to be a rockstar’s lay,” she stated.

Johnny stared at her dangerously and ground his teeth.

“Oh, come on!” he pleaded, wriggling his eyebrows.

Rami, pissed, fearlessly rushed Johnny, their noses mere centimeters apart. She narrowed her eyes threateningly.

“Run along and play, little boy,” she said lowly, almost growling.

With that, Rami stormed off in search of Sander, leaving Johnny to stare after her in shock.

***

I didn’t know that Matt had snuck into the living room as I played. I was lost in the music, and on songs that Jimmy knew, he would play along with the keys he could use and added little things onto the songs. Flourishes and such. When Matt came in, Jimmy were having a war to see who could play Mozart’s “Rondo Alla Turca” the fastest. Surprisingly, it was a close call. Jimmy’s eyes moved rapidly with his speedy fingers, his brilliant mind trained to work at a blistering tempo. However, I also had a quick hand (when I wasn’t nervous), and when I showed him that I really could play “Night On Bald Mountain,” he sat there in a daze, unsuccessful in keeping up with my fingers. The thing was, I wasn’t playing that fast at all. The song simply called crazy speeds.
When I was finished, Jimmy looked like he had shit his pants. It was then that Matt made his presence known. His clapping came from behind us, making the two of us jump.

“Holy shit! That was amazing!” he said.

I looked down and let out a meek thank-you. Matt moved to my left, opposite of Jimmy.

“No wonder Jimmy liked you. You play as fast as he does on the drums. That was crazy good, Sander,” he complimented.

I smiled.

“Thank-you,” I replied.

Matt gestured to the keys.

“Can you play something slower for me?” he asked.

I shrugged.

“Sure,” I said.

I thought of one of the few classics that I knew (somewhat) by heart, and played the theme from Swan Lake. Jimmy pretended to swoon, and Matt seemed to enjoy every second of it. By the end, he was applauding, and Jimmy fell off of the bench, pretending to faint. Matt just shook his head at him.

“Well, I’ll just saw this, darling: I approve. I’m excited to see what you two come up with for this coming album. I have a feeling it’s going to be fucking sweet,” he said, flashing a brilliant smile.

I smiled shyly and thanked him. Matt walked by me and patted my back.

“I’ll let you two get back to playing,” he said.

Jimmy let out a small yelp and thrust his arms in the air.

“Help,” he said.

Matt smiled and gripped one of Jimmy’s arms, helping him to his feet. Jimmy sprung up and fixed his shirt and jeans. Matt walked back towards the kitchen, but as he did, he stopped and called to Jimmy.

“Hey, Jim , if you want it, you can go ahead and get into your party gift. Val set it out on the island,” he said.

Jimmy nodded.

“Okay, I will,” he replied.

Matt pointed to me.

“You, too, Sander,” he said.

I nodded. Matt then left us to ourselves. Jimmy looked down at me and smiled.

“You wanna go see what we got?” he asked.

I shrugged.

“Sure,” I replied.

I stood from the piano, slid the bench back underneath the keys like I had found it, and walked with Jimmy back into the kitchen. We found an assortment of large bottles on the island, each with a name tag tied around the necks. Jimmy plucked his, mine, and Rami’s from the set up. Jimmy and I had identical gifts, and Rami had a bottle of champagne. Jimmy and I had red wine.

“Oooh!” I said.

Jimmy smiled. I picked up my bottle and examined the label. I knew very little about wine, as I was always the one to pick beer, but I knew it wasn’t cheap.

“They always give good party gifts,” Jimmy said, “You wanna share mine?”

I looked to him and smiled.

“Yeah, sure,” I replied.

I set my bottle back onto the countertop. Jimmy walked over to the cabinets and found two wine glasses.

“You really know your way around their kitchen,” I said.

Jimmy grinned.

“I’m here almost every day. Sometimes for work, sometimes to play,” he replied.

Jimmy walked back over with the glasses and placed one in front of me.

“Sometimes we drink and I spend the night. It all depends,” he continued.

I watched as he poured my glass, then his.

“Like a little kid at a sleepover?” I teased.

Jimmy smiled and nodded. He set his bottle down and picked up his glass.

“What should we toast to this time?” he asked.

I looked down as I picked up my glass, trying to think of something. Jimmy, however, made up my mind for me.

“Oh, I know!” he said, then held his glass up.

I followed suit.

“To a fuckin’ awesome writing partnership,” he said.

I grinned like an idiot. We toasted and sipped our tart, but sweet drinks. Jimmy decided to go back outside to rejoin the party, but was quickly distracted as soon as we stepped onto the back porch.

“Hey, do you want to see if we can see the meteor shower? There’s supposed to be one tonight,” he said.

“What time is it supposed to start?” I asked.

Jimmy shrugged.

“Let’s go watch and see if we see anything,” he said.

I nodded and followed Jimmy. We walked through the tables and out into the grass, heading straight for a large hammock between two of the only trees that weren’t tropical. Above us was navy blue sky, with a few wispy clouds and stars slowly appearing above Huntington Beach. It was such a beautiful night to be outside, but I worried that, because of how bright the city and the house was, we may not see anything. Jimmy, however, didn’t seem to care. He hopped right onto the hammock, careful not to spill his wine.

“Come on, Sandy Pants,” he said, patting the spot beside him.

There was plenty of room, but I was suddenly hesitant. Apparently, this was painfully obvious to Jimmy, and he snapped his fingers at me, ripping me from my thoughts.

“I’m not going to bite you, Sander. Come here,” he said.

I took a deep breath and gave up. I walked over to the hammock and carefully climbed into it, then reached over to set my glass on the grass, hoping I didn’t forget it and knock it over, breaking it. When I turned back over, I inevitably slid down against Jimmy’s side. Let the awkwardness begin. That boy, though, didn’t give a shit.
Jimmy put an arm around my shoulders. He was warm, and I wondered why I didn’t feel scared shitless. Normally, I would be anxious, but I was beginning to feel more at ease around Jimmy. In a strange way, he felt like an old friend, and I liked that feeling.

“Are you excited about writing?” he asked, “I’m going to put you to work. You may regret agreeing to work with me. You’ll probably be ready to kill me before it’s all over.”

I laughed.

“Maybe not,” Jimmy went on, “It’ll all be amazing.”

I turned my head to look at him.

“You think so?” I asked.

Jimmy turned to me and smiled.

“I know so,” he said warmly.

I smiled and looked back up at the sky. We laid there in silence for a long time, and with the mixture of the relaxing breeze, the small amount of alcohol in my system, and Jimmy’s body heat, I felt my eyelids begin to increase in heaviness.
Jimmy suddenly pointed to the sky, and a shooting star flashed over us.

“There’s one!” he said excitedly.

I smiled, but found it soon impossible to keep my eyes open. I turned my head into his shoulder, and I was out.

***

Rami spoke briefly with Valary and Matt before deciding on finding Sander and Jimmy. She needed to pretend to take a bathroom break with her friend and tell her what had happened with Johnny. She was still angry about what happened, but she had no idea that someone had seen and heard the whole scenario, and had a very strict talk with the bassist.
Rami asked around, and Zacky’s girlfriend pointed her in the direction of the hammock. Rami stormed over, ready to spill the store in an angry rant, but she suddenly stopped herself when she saw how peaceful they looked. Not only that, but she was surprised to see Sander in such close proximity to someone. She was one of those people who liked to be alone and physically independent, which annoyed Rami to no end. She had teased the black haired girl for years that she wouldn’t be able to remain untouched in a relationship, but then again, Sander had shown little to no interest in relationships for years. However, she had never found anyone that Rami knew could complete her, either. Rami could see how much she adored Jimmy, and could not mistake the way Jimmy looked at her. Their feelings were obvious, or at least, obvious to her, and she wasn’t about to break up a moment. Not when Jimmy was making a break-through with Sander’s funk she had settled in. No, she would give up and find something to drink and do, and tell Sander about Johnny later.
She turned around and stormed back into the crowd of people, looking for something to drink, when I hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her the opposite way.

“Come here, Smurfette,” said a male’s voice.

Startled, Rami tried to jerk away, and turned to see Brian, of all people. Brian tilted his head to the side, signaling for her to follow. Not sure what to think, she nodded and followed Brian into the house and to the loveseat in the abandoned den. He made her sit on the cushions while he took a seat on the coffee table in front of her. She noticed that his face was hard and his eyes were stern. His hands were clasped together and his elbows rested on his thighs.

“I saw what happened,” he said lowly.

Rami’s face fell. Shit, he did?

“Please, don’t be mad at Johnny, okay? He’s a good kid. He didn’t mean it,” he went on.

Rami rolled her eyes.

“For fuck’s sake! Don’t give me that shit,” she said.

“Rami, listen. He was drunk. Johnny doesn’t know his head from his ass when he’s that drunk. He’s been drinking all day. I swear, he’s not like that normally. Some bad shit has been going down with him, and he doesn’t know what to do to fix it. He just went through the most brutal break-up I’ve ever seen. He’s hurting, and he just hasn’t figured out the right way to go about it.”

“Oh, so in a guy’s mind, to fix a broken heart, you should just go have a one night stand with a stranger?” Rami snapped.

“No! Rami, listen. He’s Johnny. He’s immature sometimes, but he’s a sweet guy when he’s sober. Just, don’t hate him. What he did was wrong, and I talked to him about it, but I know he can make it up to you. He’ll apologize. I…I guess I can’t ask you to not hate him, but at least forgive him, okay?”

“For what?” Rami asked, “His benefit or mine?”

Brian sighed.

“The band and I like you and Sander. We think you two are really nice, and we’ve heard all about you guys from Jimmy. We enjoy having you guys around, and I want all of us to be friends. I don’t want to see tension between you and Johnny.”

Rami nodded in defeat. That’s all she had wanted to be with Johnny—friends, if not more. Maybe they had gotten off on the wrong foot.

“Besides, I think the little shit is a little smitten with you,” he teased.

Rami smiled, embarrassed.

“I suppose I could forgive him,” she replied.

Brian smiled. He patted her knee and stood from the table.

“Just give him a chance, Rami,” he said.

She nodded in agreement. With that, Brian left her to think. She didn’t know if she even wanted to accept Johnny apology, but if the band was friends with him, then there must be a good guy somewhere in his body. Still, was not going to be easy. She found herself wondering, though, who broke Johnny’s heart, and why the hell she felt like beating the dog piss out of whoever she was.

***

Jimmy looked down from his hypnotic gaze at the meteor shower when he heard Sander breathe in sharply. Her arm went across his chest, holding him like a teddy bear. Jimmy was shocked, but when he saw Sander fast asleep, he couldn’t help but smile. He wrapped his arm around her back and held her to him. He watched her for a long time, taking in her features. When he saw her for the first time, he never thought he would have the chance to hold her like this. His heart raced as he swallowed what was actually happening. It made him ridiculously happy, holding this young woman, who he thought was beautiful. He realized quickly that he had fallen pretty fast, but he hoped it would be worth it. He had faith that it would.
Jimmy tilted his head down to her’s, his eyes falling upon her lips. He bit his own lip, his heart beating uncomfortably. He recent decisions had been made hastily, but this one was begging to be fulfilled. When he was playing with her, the mysterious sadness in her eyes lifted. When he made her laugh or gave her a comment, he saw it fade. It made him happy to know that he was the reason the sadness faded. It pushed him to affectionate with her. In his mind, the more love he showed her, the more, it seemed, that the sadness faded. He wondered if part, if not all of that sadness, was in fact, loneliness. Possibly heartbreak. Either way, he wanted to fix it. There may not be a band-aid for whatever plagued her, but he at least wanted to help. Kiss her and make the boo-boos go away.
Jimmy pushed her fringe out of her eyes and craned his neck, getting closer. He moved to kiss her, but stopped right before his lips brushed hers. His reasonable side kicked in, and just smiled to himself. He knew that if he got far enough into a relationship with Sander, his first kiss with her would be special. He wanted it to be special, and not stolen while she was asleep. So, instead, he kissed her forehead, then curled around her, holding her sleeping form and fighting sleep himself.
Around an hour later, after Jimmy had briefly dozed, he saw Rami approaching. He lifted his arm and squinted at his watch. It was passed midnight. As much as he didn’t want to move, it was time to take the girls home, then get his own butt home and crash.

“Did she crash on you?” Rami asked quietly.

Jimmy smiled and nodded.

“You ready to go, Blueberry Muffin?” he asked.

Rami shrugged.

“If you are,” she said.

Jimmy smiled. He knew Rami was still a little puny from the day before, and both girl’s needed their rest.

“I think so. I know two girls who need to go to bed,” he said.

Rami smiled.

“I’ll go get our bags. Do you need help waking her? She can be vicious,” she said.

Jimmy shook his head, then in one fluid motion, scooped Sander up and pulled himself to his feet. Rami shrugged. Sander didn’t even stir.

“That works,” she said.

Jimmy smiled.

“I’ll take her to the car,” he said.

Rami nodded in agreement, then they said their goodbyes to the rest of the party-goers before grabbing their party gifts and heading to the car. Jimmy placed Sander across the back seat and covered her with one of his hoodies he had left in the floor. Rami sat in the front seat with Jimmy.

“Did she have a lot to drink?” Rami asked as Jimmy started the car and backed out.

“We took a shot of Fireball and she had some wine. Nothing extreme. Just enough to relax her,” he explained.

Rami nodded in agreement. She then looked to Jimmy and smiled. Even when drinking, Jimmy was a total sweetheart to her and Sander. She smiled at him as he pulled out into the street. She was grateful that Jimmy was not like Johnny.

“Thank-you,” Rami said.

Jimmy glanced over to the blue-haired woman.

“What for, little one?” he asked.

“For inviting us to this party. For being kind to us. Especially for being so good with Sander. I know I’ve been in kind of a bad situation, but Sander has been in a weird funk for some time now. She hides it well, and I usually forget. It’s selfish of me, I know, but I can never break through to her. You have. I don’t know if it’s because you’re you or that you offered her a job or simply because there’s something really special about you, but there’s something about you that she connects with. Whatever it is, it’s been a big help.”

Jimmy turned and smiled at her.

“You’re welcome, Rami,” he replied.

Rami smiled, then turned her focus back to the road.

At home, Rami helped Jimmy carry Sander to her room. She was still asleep, and Jimmy couldn’t bring himself to wake her, no matter how much Rami insisted. He carried her and her things to her room. She finally stirred as he pulled the comforter up to her shoulders.

***

I opened my eyes, wheeling them around and trying to make sense of my surroundings. When I saw Rami walk by a black dresser, and Jimmy looming over me, I realized I was home…and that I had missed something.

“Hey,” I said.

Jimmy smiled.

“Good morning, Sunshine,” he said.

I rubbed my eyes and stretched.

“What time is it?” I asked.

Jimmy glanced at the alarm clock on my nightstand.

“One in the morning,” he replied.

I groaned.

“Dammit!”

Jimmy chuckled and ruffled my hair.

“Did you have fun tonight?” he asked.

I tiredly nodded.

“Good. Monday, we can start work if you want. I’ll come by and we’ll head to my place and get started. How does that sound?” he asked.

Again, I nodded and smiled. Jimmy smiled.

“Your bag’s on your chair and the wine is on the island in the kitchen, okay?”

“‘Kay,” I replied.

Then, Jimmy kissed my forehead, making me suddenly wake up and my eyes snap wide open.

“Goodnight, Sunshine. ‘Night, Rami,” he said.

Rami and I said our goodnights to Jimmy before he left. Rami climbed into the other side of the bed.

“I really like those guys. I need to start listening to more of them. You have their albums right?” she asked.

I yawned and sat up to go change out of my clothes and into something to sleep in.

“All of them,” I said in mid-yawn.

Rami then snuggled under the covers.

“Good,” she replied contentedly, then soon fell asleep.

When I changed and returned to bed, the memories of tonight filled my mind, and I slept like a baby.

Notes

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Chapter by: sharpiewashere