Just Before You Go

Avenged was great, as always. Jimmy looked truly in his element as he thrashed on his kit and screamed into his drum mic. I loved to see him at ease, to see him happy. It brought peace to my soul and for a second, I was sure that I’d abandon my life to chase him around if ever he asked. I guess he had.
If my life was reduced to nothing more than living to be near him, I could be fine with it. I would happily watch Avenged play every night—watch my love find his passion. With Jimmy, the wicked world suddenly didn’t seem so vicious.
The after party was wild. There were people everywhere—celebrities and fans alike, all huddled under one roof warmed by the burn of alcohol and the scent of cigarette smoke in the air.
“Hail to the king!” Matt cheered, holding his glass up to everyone at our table. “Happy fucking birthday, Rev! We love you, man!”
“Cheers!” everyone cried, clanking our glasses together.
“Happy birthday, sweetie,” I smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek.
He grabbed my face with both hands, pulling me back and crashing his lips to mine. I wished that it could all last forever. The festivals, the performances, the love we shared. And maybe it would. I was feeling pretty optimistic.
Johnny’s girlfriend had joined us and she’d been getting increasingly drunk and increasingly obnoxious.
“Why can’t you guys make songs that have a specific sound?” she groaned, tossing back her pint of ale. “How do you expect fans to get invested if your sound is always changing?”
Matt grimaced with a roll of his eyes, “We don’t want to stay the same band. You’ve been around long enough, how do you not get it yet?”
“Because she’s an idiot,” Brian smirked.
“Fuck you, Brian!” she shouted at him, swaying in her chair.
He laughed, shaking his head at Johnny, who just shrugged.
“When the getting’s good,” was all he said.
She punched him, hard, in the shoulder, “Shut the fuck up.”
I looked to Jimmy with my eyes wide. Despite all of our fights and our dramatics, I was certain I’d never talked to him that way—I’d never wanted to speak to him that way. He just nodded, a smug grin on his face.
“What’re you two smirking about?” she hissed pointedly.
Jimmy looked at her, “Don’t get into it with me tonight, Anna. You might be a joke but I promise you won’t like the punchline.”
“Shut up, Jimmy,” she grunted.
He cackled, “Good one.”
“Fuck you guys,” she grumbled, rising from her chair with a stumble. “Come on, Johnny.”
He hesitated, looking around at the guys, “But it’s Jim’s birthday…”
“I don’t fucking care,” she said seriously. “Let’s go. I’m bored.”
“Anna…” he warned lowly.
She rolled his eyes, her hands on her hips, “It’s always something. We drink with them all of the fucking time—I’m bored! I want to go!”
“You’re drunk,” he told her. “And you’re being a bitch.”
She gasped, “I’m being a what?”
The group was tense.
“A bitch!” he hollered up at her. “Are you fucking deaf?”
She wound up and slapped him harder than I’d ever seen someone slap in my life. Zacky was on his feet in an instant, stepping between the feuding duo. He pushed Anna back lightly, which elicited screams of ‘don’t touch me!’ from her. He tried to talk reason into her but her drunken and angry state wouldn’t allow it. The group of us watched in horror—except Jimmy, who didn’t seem to notice them at all.
“We’re through!” she shouted at Johnny. “You and your friends can go fuck yourselves!”
Johnny nodded, “Maybe we will.”
She turned in a huff and disappeared. Zack collapsed back into his chair, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder as he rubbed at his red face.
“Sorry about that…” Johnny grumbled.
“Don’t get enough of that shit from us?” Brian smirked. “You have to look for it at home too?”
Johnny laughed, immediately lightening up the mood.
Jimmy leaned into me, whispering into my ear, “I’m so fucking glad you’re not crazy.”
I nodded in agreement at him.
Jimmy would never dream of treating me that way.
“Well, that was dramatic!” Matt laughed loudly. “And I think it calls for another round!”
“Group trip!” Jimmy hollered. “Last time you got the cheap shit and it did bad things to my organs.”
They all stood but I wasn’t really sure what to do. If we all left, we’d lose our table. But if I stayed behind…I was suddenly anxious.
“Are you okay to guard the table?” Jimmy asked me knowingly.
I just nodded.
They disappeared and I was left alone with my thoughts and my nerves. I tapped at the table anxiously. After only a few minutes, it felt like they’d been gone forever. Given the sheer volume of patrons, I was certain that they would be waiting in line for drinks for an eternity.
“Oh good, they’re empty,” a familiar voice laughed from behind me.
I whipped around to find Tyler smiling down at me. My nerves relaxed.
“I haven’t spilled anything on you in, like, a week,” I smirked. “Give me some credit.”
He laughed, “That’s true. Where’s Jimmy? Blair said we were supposed to coming over here for birthday drinks or something.”
I nodded, gesturing to the empty chair to my left, “They just went to get more drinks. Sit!”
He pulled himself down into the chair and rested his head on his hand, “Did you catch our show?”
“I did,” I smiled. “You guys were great. Blair is something else.”
“Yes, she is,” he said so fondly that my heart hurt.
“Where is she?” I asked curiously, trying to sound coy.
He glanced around, “Not sure. Probably outside smoking—she said to meet her over here at eleven. It is eleven.”
“It is,” I said oddly.
I caught myself admiring him for a second. His eyes were beautiful, if not a little dark. His face was chiseled and his shoulders broad. He was undeniably sexy and it was hard to believe that Blair hadn’t jumped all over him.
“Do you play music?” Tyler asked me.
I shook my head, “Can’t sing, can’t play an instrument…Think I might be a little bit tone deaf.”
He laughed, “Jimmy hasn’t offered to teach you?”
“Oh, he’s offered,” I giggled. “But I’ve never accepted. It would be way too embarrassing.”
“Have you met him?” he smiled. “Next to Jimmy, there’s no such thing as embarrassment. That guy’s done some wild shit. No inhibitions.”
I nodded, “True.”
“What about Synyster?” Tyler asked coolly, watching me carefully as he skipped along to Brian’s stage name.
I couldn’t help but detect a little suspicion in his tone. Was he feeling out Brian? Why?
Maybe it was nothing more than a protective nature for Blair—Brian had been such a twat to her…I laughed at the idea of Tyler beating the shit out of Brian in defense of his bestie. Sometimes it sure seemed like a real possibility.
“What about him?” I asked confusedly.
He shrugged, “Hasn’t he offered to teach you?”
“No,” I answered awkwardly. “We’re not really like that close…”
“Really?” Tyler seemed surprised. “Honestly wouldn’t have guessed.”
Much to my relief, a black haired beauty dropped herself into the chair across from me rather abruptly. She looked at me with wide, green eyes and smiled.
“I’m drunk,” she told me. “And I’m feeling pretty fucking proud that I found your table.”
Tyler rolled his eyes, “I’m not fucking carrying you out of here later.”
“Sure you are,” she smiled. “Where’s everyone?”
“At the bar,” I told her awkwardly.
She just nodded, sipping at the drink in her hand. Tyler was looking at her with great concern—and maybe a little bit of love.
“Blair can sometimes get a little…indulgent,” he said loud enough that she could hear him.
“Who doesn’t?” she asked seriously.
She wasn’t wrong. I liked to think of myself as a put together, strong-willed woman—but I was definitely indulgent. When I got a taste of something I liked, I had a hard time putting it to rest. Especially when it came to Jimmy. He was a drug that I just couldn’t quit.
The boys slowly started filing back into their chairs, each one greeting Blair and Tyler happily and with much adoration for a great set. When Matt came back, Blair made a point not to look at him. It was suspicious to say the least.
And when Brian came back, he took up a seat next to Tyler—despite the fact that he’d been at the other end of the table for the entire night. He was stirring up a sinister storm of attempt. I wasn’t sure Tyler was the one to start it out beside.
Tyler watched as Blair’s face lit up when Brian plopped into the chair across from her. He looked to Brian from the corners of his eyes, his jaw clenched.
Something was happening.
But it made no sense to me. If I had to guess, not knowing about any of the altercations the two Bs had had, I would have guessed that they were pining for one another. But I wasn’t sure that it was possible—too much had happened. Brian had said too much.
Hadn’t he?
“How’s it going?” Brian asked Tyler specifically, not looking at Blair at all.
“Good,” Tyler nodded awkwardly. “You guys were great tonight.”
“Yeah, you too,” Brian smirked. “Your sound is really tight. It’s awesome to watch.”
“Thanks,” Tyler smiled.
“Wasn’t Matt a good little addition?” Blair grinned. “We were thinking about stealing him for ourselves.”
Brian turned to her, a delightful little smile toying with his lips, “You could try. It wouldn’t be much of a battle—we feed him fish heads and mostly keep him chained up in the attic.”
“Like Hugo?” she asked with a little laugh.
Brian snickered, “Exactly like Hugo.”
Jimmy nudged me, trying to speak to me but I hushed him. He just laughed, shaking his head before turning back to the boys. He knew I couldn’t get enough of Blair—and the Brian, Blair, Matt triangle had enthralled me to no end. My relationship was stable, so maybe I just enjoyed the entertainment of budding lust.
“You know,” Blair said, taking a sip of her drink. “Tyler has gushed about you for so long, you’d think I’d have known how talented you were before tonight.”
Brian scoffed.
“You guys were really good,” she finally smiled. “I’m impressed.”
Tyler rolled his eyes, “I didn’t gush about you.”
“Yes you did!” she insisted happily. “You’re his idol. Or Synyster Gates is anyway…”
Tyler was red.
I just wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or rage.
I spun around to Jimmy, sensing the roadblock in the B’s way.
“Get Tyler out of here,” I told him with a sly grin. “Distract him. Brian’s being charming!”
“Brian? Charming?” Jimmy gasped playfully.
“Seriously,” I urged him.
Jimmy sighed at me, but did as I asked anyway. He asked Tyler if he’d come to the bar for him, claiming the bartender forgot half his order. It was his birthday, so Tyler couldn’t say no.
“How long have you and Tyler been friends?” I asked curiously once the thorn had been removed.
Blair hesitated, searching the past with her beautiful eyes, “I don’t know…a long time. We met when we were…oh, fuck…Six?”
“Jesus,” I laughed under my breath.
She smiled, “We’re old now.”
“You don’t look old,” Brian smirked. “You look fresh.”
“Fresh?” she retorted.
Brian nodded.
“I don’t even know what that means,” she laughed, downing the rest of her drink. “Fresh.”
“Mm,” Brian moaned, making circles with his hand in thought. “Like…tasty.”
Her cheeks flushed. She immediately started on her secondary drink to fill the awkward, very much sexual, tension.
“Is that so?” she bit amusedly.
Brian grinned from ear to ear, “Oh, fuck yeah.”
“Clarify for me, Mr. Gates,” she rebutted pointedly. “Am I tasty? Or is it just my ass?”
Brian faltered. There was nothing that got Brian more worked up than throwing his own shortcomings in his face. His ego was bruised—and he had no one to blame for himself. And, maybe, Cupid.
But he collected himself quickly, “Both.”
She took it in stride, showing nothing more than reception.
But, of course, nothing was ever easy. Matt came bounding over and slipped into the chair next to Blair, immediately stealing her attention away. Brian’s face flinched—he looked almost…hurt?
Jimmy and Tyler returned with another round of drinks. Jimmy looked from Blair, to Matt, to Brian, and then to me and pouted.
“Your matchmaking not going well?” he asked quietly.
I shook my head with a frown, “Other people keep getting in the way.”
“I have an idea,” he told me smugly. “Why don’t you let Brian work out his own drama and, instead, you can focus all of your attention on me?”
I laughed, kissing at his cheek, “You always have my attention, don’t you worry about that.”
“Good,” he smiled happily. “Then we’ll push them together.”
“Strength in numbers!” I added excitedly.
“Guys!” Jimmy shrieked to the table. “After-after-party at our hotel!”
The guys cheered with excitement. Jimmy was sure to specifically extend the invitation to the two stragglers from Haven at our table, as well. They accepted tentatively.
“It’s my birthday,” Jimmy reminded them. “So you have to do what I say!”
“Is that how that works?” Blair asked with a little chuckle.
Jimmy nodded seriously at her before turning back to me and leaning into my ear, “People who play matchmaker together, stick together.”
“Like glue,” I agreed.
He smiled at me, his piercing glimmering in the dim light, “Fuck do I ever love you.”

Notes

Merry (almost) Christmas!

xx