All Grown Up

Chapter 28

2 months later

Sam sat down in the front of the camera again. She took a deep breath and pressed the record button.

“I hate doing this, but the therapist said that we all need to do it. To keep you up to date as if you’re around. But you’re not, so here I am in our apartment all alone. Brian came for the weekend, they’re playing in Ohio. He liked the idea of keeping you in touch.

Dana left Zacky; she couldn’t take his moping around anymore. Matt’s focused on music; he’s not talking about anything to anyone. But he’s got everyone there for him. I’m here alone again. I hate this apartment; I always thought we’d be in it together. But here I am going again.

I miss you dude, and you should wake up soon. I was thinking about bringing Cole here, but Brian took him on tour. What am I doing? I think I’m in love with Brian and I can’t tell him, you need to wake up and tell me what to do. Sometime soon.

Love ya,”

She pressed the stop button took the memory out of the camera and placed it in the computer, saved it next to the other videos. Looked at the clock on the wall and realized she needed to go to the hospital. A smile spread across her lips, hope was in her heart and mind. Maybe today Jo would wake up.

“Dude where you been?” Johnny asked as Brian came into the changing room.

“Around,” Brian said looking at Zacky he was practicing their duelling solos.

“Well, we have to play in like 5 minutes,” Jimmy said coming into the room.

“I went to see Sam,” Brian said, it got Zacky’s attention. “No she’s not awake yet,” Brian said before he could ask.

Zacky slouched back on the couch, “Sam had a good idea. We all think about her everyday so we should make a video when we think about her,” Zacky didn’t look up. Jimmy was all up for it; he went and got the camera.

“Not, right now,” Brian complained.

“Why not, we have time, there’s like a half an hour before we start, besides I was right we should of kept on doing this from the beginning,” Johnny said.

“You guys said 5,” Brian argued.

“We lied,” Johnny said.

“Fuck you,” Brian said picking up his guitar.

“That’s very nice Brian you want Jo to see you flipping the bird,” Jimmy said then pointed the camera at him, “I would never do that to you, that is so fucking disrespectful, you should kick his ass when you wake up, just for fun, we can video tape that too.”

Matt came into the room, “What are you clowns doing now?” He asked taking a bottle of water and twisting the cap off.

“We’re making a video for Jo,” Jimmy said pointing the camera at him.

“Did she wake up?” Matt asked.

“No, but when she does,” Jimmy jumped on the couch and did a surfer pose, Matt squeezed the bottle of water in his face. “That’s good material.”

“Let’s go play,” Zacky stood up, the Jimmy pointed the camera at him and he waved and gave a little smile.

Jimmy shut off the camera and followed them out of the room, each of them quiet in their own way, thinking about different things but the same person. Sam had convinced them to actually do the tour, they had planned it before the accident and Sam reminded them they had fans and Jo would never forgive them if they didn’t go on tour because of her.

They took their places, first song was Bat Country, and they knew it without thinking about it. Then the lights went out, the crowd quieted. Then a spotlight showed on Matt, “We’re going to do a song that means a lot to us right now. One of our best friends is in a coma and this song fits everyone because it reminds you, you only have one life to live.”

The spot light went away and focused on Zacky, he took a deep breath as him and Brian played the riff of the beginning then his voice filled the speakers,
Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over.

The concert was a hit, but they still had not been able to go back to the way things used to be, they didn’t party they got drunk, and they played their hearts out each night. As the night went on, they all got drunk except for Zacky. He took Jimmy’s camera and went on the bus; he placed it on the counter and thought about what he wanted to say to Jo.

He pressed record.
“Hey Jo, so the rev had this idea well he got it from Brian who got it from Sam that we should record stuff for when you wake up. I don’t want to do this, I want to see you open your eyes and yell at me for fucking everything up. I miss you, I really do, and more then I thought I would. Just wake up soon, I mean you’ve been away long enough. 2 months is a long time. When you wake up I’m going to tell you all the things I thought I could tell you after the race. I promise everything I have to say you will hear. Just get better and fast.

He pressed the stop button and left the camera there, going to crash in his bunk. About 2 hours later Johnny came in, after throwing up he felt sober again. He saw the camera and picked it up; he wanted to tell her stuff that’s been going on with the band, stuff that would disappear once she woke up.

He pressed record.

Dude this isn’t funny you know. I mean who am I going to plan shit with now. I know you’re sick and I know you need time to rest but think about it. I mean Brian is worried about Sam a lot. The Rev will not stop drinking and when he doesn’t drink all he talks about is you. Which is getting annoying you’re not that great?

The Matt is all into the music, obsessed about getting this concert done. He stopped talking to Janice he can’t stand the sight of her, even though he hasn’t broken up with her. She does look a lot like you, but she’s no replacement, you need to wake up and tell him to grow up and be a man.

And Zacky that dude is working on JD and cigarettes; I have barely seen him eat. He’s really torn up about the way Dana showed up that morning. Apparently Brian told Matt where we were because he was like worried or whatever, and when Dana called for Zacky Matt told her where we were. She’s like a jealous freak so she showed up at your door.

Man the guy in the race, he’s ok but if Zacky would have gotten a hold of him all hell would have broken loose, we had to calm him down.

Dude just wake up, as soon as you can, this tension is killing us. Peace.

He blew a kiss to the camera and shut it off, he needed sleep. Maybe tomorrow since they had a day off again they would all go see Jo. He fell face first into his pillow and didn’t wake up till the next morning.

Jimmy walked on the bus, his head pounding. Matt was sleeping on the couch, Brian across from him. “Get up you fuckers,” Jimmy said.

“What do you want?” Brian rolled over to the side.

“We have a day off, what are we doing?” Jimmy asked sitting on Brian’s back.

“Get off me fucker,” Brian said trying to push him off.

Zacky got out of his bunk and came to see what the noise was about, “What’s going on?”

“I want to do something today,” Jimmy said.

“Dude, it’s early,” Matt said from the couch not waking up.

The phone rang in the distance, it sounded like 5 phones going off at once. No one reached for them, and then they heard a thump. “The baby fell out of bed,” Jimmy said laughing.

“Fuck,” Johnny said coming from the bunks he had a big smile on his face. “Did you guys get it?”

“Get what?” Matt asked.

“The text message,” Johnny said trying to find a clean shirt.

“It was probably a chick from the party last night,” Jimmy said.

“Sam saying good morning,” Brian half mouthed as he rolled Brian off him.

“Nah, you’re wrong, now fucking think, why would we all get a text at the same time?” Johnny wanted to blurt it out.

“It’s too early in the morning,” Brian said reaching for his phone it was a message from Sam. “She’s awake,” Brian said.

“Great your girlfriend is fucking awake, who the fuck drank the last orange juice?” Zacky grumbled.

“No, Jo’s awake,” Brian said.

Everything happened in slow motion, Jimmy fell of the couch, Matt turned and looked at Brian in awe, Zacky’s mouth fell open, and Johnny jumped up and down.