Login with:

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Google

Yahoo

Aol.

Mibba

Your info will not be visible on the site. After logging in for the first time you'll be able to choose your display name.

Just Before You Go

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Heathen, Heaven, Haven

We were backstage, crammed into a tiny room with “Avenged Sevenfold” printed on a piece of paper on the door. The guys were buzzing with excitement; I was buzzing with nerves.
Jimmy had stuck by me while we took in the band playing before we were ushered away. He’d ducked into the bathroom when Brian had come around to distract me with pleasantries. I pretended not to notice.
After all, they were going to be playing to a massive crowd and I didn’t want to instigate something right before….And I couldn’t be entirely sure that Jimmy was up to no good and not just using the facilities as intended.
But his personality shifted in a way that concreted my suspicions. I decided not to care for the time being.
I was sitting on the very edge of a tiny black sofa, Brian was gyrating next to me. Jimmy was tormenting Johnny—poor guy. It was entertaining at least.
“Are guys sticking around after?” Matt asked his group.
There was a unanimous yes.
“Brian has to stay,” Zacky grinned.
Brian scoffed, “I don’t even know that I’m hanging around when we’re done. I might just head home.”
You’re going to head home?” I asked flatly. “Puh-lease.”
He furrowed his brows at me, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re the party animal,” I shrugged.
The group all laughed…hard. Brian shook his head at me, gesturing to Jimmy who was now pacing back and forth.
“You were saying?” Brian asked sarcastically, one eyebrow cocked.
I grumbled, “Shut up.”
“In his state,” Brian said lowly to me, “I might have to stick around just to keep you company. I think Jimmy’s taken himself out of the running.”
Jimmy whipped around, “I have not.”
“Oh, hello,” Brian laughed. “I didn’t think you were still with us.”
“I’m with you,” Jimmy smirked. “But you stay away from Aria.”
“Don’t worry, Jim,” Zacky grinned. “Brian will be so busy drooling over that singer chick that he won’t have a chance to give Aria the gears.”
“What singer chick?” Jimmy asked curiously, dropping into Brian’s lap and giving me a little smile.
Blair Peterson,” Zacky, Matt, and Johnny all sang together.
They erupted into laughter. Jimmy looked at Brian in shock and amusement. Brian got instantaneously angry.
“Get off me, you fuck,” Brian growled, giving Jimmy a shove.
“Touchy,” Jimmy cackled, climbing into my lap instead.
Brian got up and stormed off like a true diva. Jimmy sank into Brian’s spot, shrugging at me.
“Poor Synyster,” Zacky laughed. “So sensitive.”
“I gather Haven is playing tonight?” I asked the group, trying to sound even remotely knowledgeable about their world.
Matt nodded, “Yeah, they play after us. You should check them out; they’re pretty good.”
“That singer,” Johnny hummed, shaking his head. “Mm-mm-mm.”
Zacky feigned dramatics, “Johnny! That’s Brian’s girlfriend you’re drooling about!”
Jimmy giggled. Sometimes Jimmy and Brian’s friendship showed itself in the strangest ways. He didn’t chase after his friend or try to talk some rationale into him, no. Instead, he listened intently to the jokes on his friend’s behalf and giggled about it. It was adorable.
I was jealous.
I missed my friend.
“Do you mind if I step out for a quick second?” I asked Jimmy quietly.
He shrugged in response.
I waltzed out of the room, the guys continuing their relentless game of who can piss of Brian the most. Brian was nowhere to be seen, which I was a little grateful for. I ducked around a corner and held my phone to my ear.
The ringing had me on edge.
“Hello?” Jen answered blankly.
“It’s me,” I said quickly. “Don’t hang up.”
She sighed loudly, “I know who it is, Aria. What do you want?”
“I’m sorry we fought,” I frowned into the phone.
She hesitated, “Is that supposed to be an apology?”
“It is an apology,” I replied seriously. “I’m sorry that we fought…I’m sorry that you feel like I’m changing…Maybe I am. Fuck, not maybe. I definitely am. I get it…I’m trying to be better.”
“Go on,” she sang lowly.
“You’re my closest friend,” I huffed. “I really don’t want to be fighting. Everything you said…maybe not everything—but most of what you said…has some merit. I don’t want you to worry about me; I promise I’m okay.”
She groaned, “I just don’t like your boyfriend.”
“I know,” I pouted. “But you’ve honestly…you have him pegged all wrong. I don’t know how to convince you—or even if I should…But I promise you that Jimmy isn’t the person you think he is.”
“Is he sober?” she asked me deadpanned.
I shrugged, “Mostly?”
“Oh my god, Aria,” she growled.
“He can live his own life,” I retorted quickly. “He’s not the one calling you to make up. I am. If you have a problem with Jimmy, that’s fine…I just don’t want you to have a problem with me.”
“I’m just worried,” she said softly. “You’ve been really freaking me out lately.”
“I know…”
The sound of people headed down the hallway startled me. I turned to face the wall, covering the phone with my hand a little.
“I just wanted to say that I was sorry,” I rushed. “I’m at a…thing right now. I’ll be home tomorrow, can I see you?”
She took a while to reply, “Yeah, I guess…”
“I’ve really missed you,” I frowned.
She laughed a little, “I’ve missed you too. Wait—what thing? Where are you?”
“I’m at some festival,” I said oddly. “I came with Jimmy.”
“Man,” she whined. “You couldn’t have made up with me yesterday? I love festivals.”
I shook my head with a laugh, “Next time.”
“Thanks for calling,” I could hear her smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I hit the little red button and stuffed my phone into my pocket, turning to rush back to the dressing room without looking. Unfortunately, I walked straight into another human being.
“Shit, I’m so sorry!” I gasped as the guy surveyed his shirt absolutely covered in the drink he’d been carrying.
The black-haired girl beside him was snorting she was laughing so hard. She kept pointing to the wet mass that was his chest and howling with satisfied chuckles.
“I’m so, so sorry,” I continued frantically.
He breathed out aggressively, “It’s fine.”
“Can I do something?” I panicked. “I can go grab paper towels or something—I’m so sorry.”
“You could go get your eyes checked,” he suggested unhappily.
My jaw dropped a little. I wasn’t sure how to take what he’d said.
The girl started pushing him along, shaking her head, “Ignore him. He gets grumpy when he’s inconvenienced.”
I couldn’t help but swoon as she talked to me. She had these magnetic eyes that I couldn’t look away from. If Jimmy was a woman incarnate, I bet this girl would be it. They had a similar hypnotic appeal.
As they walked away, the guy grumbling about his discomfort, I called out again, “I’m sorry!”
“What’d you do?”
I jumped ten feet into the air, grabbing at my chest, “Jesus, Brian!”
He snickered, flashing a toothy grin, “Sorry. But seriously…what’d you do?”
“Oh, I walked into that guy,” I told him. “And…he spilled his drink all over himself.”
“Classic,” Brian laughed.
I looked up at him, “Did you know them?”
He shrugged, furrowing his brows, “I didn’t see who it was. Maybe we both need to get our eyes checked.”
I nodded, smiling a little. He took a giant swig from the beer bottle in his hand. His muscles were still visibly tense.
“You okay?” I asked carefully.
He looked at me and then away, “I’m fine.”
He gestured to the door with his head and I knew that meant to follow him. We returned to find the guys getting ready to go. Jimmy was without a shirt, as per usual. I nearly fainted at the sight of him—his effect on me had yet to relent.
“After party tonight at the docks,” Brian said to the guys. “We should hit it up.”
Matt beamed, “I’m in.”
A knock at the door silenced everyone.
“Avenged! Five minutes!” a man’s voice called through the door.
They all looked at each other knowingly and got settled into themselves in preparation for hitting the stage. I felt immediately out of place.
I followed behind them as we were all led through the corridors and eventually to the stage. I was told to watch from the wings and to ‘try and not get in the way’.
“Don’t listen to that guy,” Jimmy grinned. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Have a good show,” I smiled fondly.
He kissed my cheek and followed Brian out onto the stage. The crowd went nuts for them—they were cheering so loudly that I thought I might go deaf. But it was a wonderful thing to play spectator to. Jimmy looked so genuinely happy as he thrashed around on his kit, occasionally leaning over to screech—and I do mean screech—into the microphone.
I was in absolute and complete awe of the man. He had such control over his instrument; it made me wonder how it was possible he have so little control over himself. Maybe he had to trade one for the other.
Despite his shortcomings, I was drawn to him. Watching him play out his affections was enough to materialize my affections for him again. I’d forgotten all about what he’d been up to earlier.
When they finished, they waved to the crowd and Jimmy made sure to toss his sticks to an adoring fan. He was sweaty and it was sexy as hell. The back of his head was spiky from the sweat.
“Best part of the night,” he grinned at me, slinging an arm over my shoulders.
The guys disappeared out of sight, except for Brian. Brian hung around on Jimmy’s other side, saying nothing. Jimmy shrugged at me when he could tell I was on the verge of asking what was up with Brian.
“What’d you think of our set?” Jimmy asked me as tech crews poured onto the stage and began removing Avenged’s equipment.
A girl with her hair pulled back was running chords out onto the stage as Jason pulled Brian’s up. The whole dynamic was really interesting to watch.
“It was incredible,” I gushed. “Way better than the studio!”
“Good answer,” Jimmy beamed.
I pointed out to the stage, “What’s happening here?”
“They’re switching bands,” Brian spoke up without looking at either me or Jimmy.
“Oh.”
“Our roadies are taking out our stuff,” Jimmy told me. “While the next band’s roadies replace it with theirs.”
“They’re really fast,” I said stupidly.
“That’s the idea,” Jimmy laughed.
Brian quipped, “If your kit wasn’t so expansive, they’d probably be a lot faster.”
“Fuck you, Haner,” Jimmy smirked. “My kit is perfect.”
A darkness fell onto the stage as a panting Jason Berry joined us in the wings. Brian patted him on the back a couple of times and then returned to staring blankly at the empty stage.
“I’m going to faint,” a girl’s voice cut out from behind us. “I swear. I’m going to fucking faint right here.”
“You’re fine,” a man groaned in response to her.
“Are you going to do this every show?” another man whined.
Suddenly a group of five appeared just to my left. They were nattering and buzzing with, what I assumed, was excitement.
“Go, go,” a tech rushed the group.
They started filing onto the stage, greeted with screams and roars.
“How’s it going, man?” a cute, blue-eyed boy nodded at Jimmy as he passed.
Jimmy nodded back.
I watched this particular creature as he walked out onto stage and climbed behind a drum kit. I guess birds of a feather really do flock together.
“Fuck,” Brian grumbled aggressively to himself.
I looked at him and then at Jimmy. Jimmy was grinning like a moron.
“What’s with him?” I asked.
Jimmy pointed out to the stage as a sexy ass woman roared into the microphone, “What’s up L.A.?!”
“That’s Brian’s girlfriend,” Jimmy cackled, scrunching his nose up as his friend gave him a slap to the gut.
“Brian,” I grinned widely, “I saw her in the hallway! I walked into the guitarist.”
The guy’s shirt was still wet but he didn’t seem to notice. He was strumming his guitar, bobbing his head to the melody.
Brian snapped his neck to look at me, “Was she as fucking heavenly up close as she is from afar?”
“Totally,” I said seriously.
Jimmy was dying of laughter, tossing his head back dramatically every so often to really let us know that he was having a great time.
“Do you have,” Jimmy took a deep breath to try and stop his laughter, “a girl crush on Brian’s girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend!” Brian snapped loudly.
I giggled, “If you play your cards right, maybe she’ll be your wife.”
“Or suck your dick at the very least,” Jimmy added happily.
“You guys suck,” Brian grumbled. “I’m going to watch from the other side.”
“Say hello to your girlfriend for us!” Jimmy called after Brian.
Brian tossed his middle finger into the air as he quickly moved away from us.
In all seriousness though, the band really was good. And making Brian uncomfortable was surprisingly fun.
Jimmy kissed my cheek and my life was pretty good.

Notes

Tyler :(

xx

Comments

Fyction's profile is currently offline due to sign-in issues on the website.
You can find her updates at:
www.A7Xfanfic.com

RamonaFoREVer RamonaFoREVer
6/18/19

@kiss my sas
I'm sorry!!!! Didn't mean to kick you while you're down, I swear!!

fyction fyction
5/14/19

I'm so proud of you for finishing this masterpiece, but I am SO SAD!!!
WHY ARE YOU BEING MEAN AND UPSETTING THE SICK AUSSIE?!??!?!
WHAT IS LIFE??!???!!!!

kiss my sas kiss my sas
5/14/19

IT IS NOT OVER!!!
I REFUSE TO ADMIT IT IS OVER!!!!!!
PLAGUIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kiss my sas kiss my sas
5/14/19

Holy shit, holy shit, I am not prepared!!!!
Going to read the... last... chapter now...

kiss my sas kiss my sas
5/14/19