Rum and Coke

“Hay, Man,” Zacky told Jimmy after finally catching up to him in a bar nearby. A bar near a hospital- now that’s irony.

Jimmy just grunted.

“Listen, I’m in the same boat as you,” Zacky said as he slid onto the barstool next to his bandmate and bestfriend. “She was one of my bestfriends, too.” Zacky signaled to the bartender.

“Yea, after I introduced her to you. I- fuck man, I’m the one who spent a night in jail with her after just meeting her!”

Zacky let out a small chuckle, that was more like a snigger, as he recalled the story. “Man, that’s because you were clumsy as a preteen and used her as a shield from the cops.”

Jimmy growled at the guitarist. “You weren’t there.”

“Maybe not, but I’ve heard the story enough times to know what happened.”

Jimmy finally cracked a smile. “Yea, that was a crazy night. I was only- hell, what? Twelve? Thirteen? Fuck, how time flies.”

“Yea, and not much changes,” Zacky smiled while sipping his beer.

“A lot has changed.”

“Not really. We’re still basically doing the same thing. Sure, we have money, wives, and kids now…but, still, her we are- in a bar, drinking- doing the same thing we did when we were kids.”

Jimmy sighed and sloshed his drink around a bit. “When ellie first came into the audition booth, I didn’t see the resemblence to Syn- I saw her. A-and when she started to play and sing, I heard Danni. And I thought, hell, I’ve found her. I have her back. That’s all I’ve ever wanted: Danni back. Hell, I’d give anything just to see her again and to be able to hang out. She- we were more than just friends. It was like- I don’t know. Like we were the same person living in two different bodies.”

Zacky, up until now, had been nodding trough Jimmy’s speech. “If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I would swear that you were in love with her.”

Jimmy took a large gulp. “I loved her, but I was never in love with her.”

Zacky nodded. “I know what you mean. She was like a sister to me- the sister I never had.”

“What the hell is Zina to you then?”

Zacky shoved the drummer. “I meant she was the little sister that I never had.”

“Danni was older than you.”

“Shut the hell up, I’m trying to reminisce. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that I feel the same as you. It’s like- there’s this huge gaping hole in my heart. I never realized how much apart of my life she was- even after all these years. Of course, I have to admit that I saw Brian before I saw her in Ellie.”

Jimmy smiled. “That little girl is just like her- stubborn and rebellious to the core.”

Zacky nodded. “She’s got compassion, though. Somehting that Danni struggled with.”

Jimmy nodded and finished off his drink before signalling for another. The two sat in silence, too lost in their own thoughts.

Zacky suddenly snorted.

“What the hell, man?”

“Nothing,” Zacky said through his laughs. “I was just remembering the time that we brought Danni to meet the others. God, that was funny- everyone thought that she was a serial killer or something.”

“I don’t remember.”

“We were high.”

Jimmy sighed. “Figures. Why the hell can most of my life be explained by me being under the influence of any drug?”

“Hate to break it to ya, but we were pretty much always under the influence.”

“Thanks to Danni. But, man, I wouldn’t have traded anything we did for the world.”

Zacky nodded. “You know, we didn’t really lose her. She’s living on through Ellie, even if no one can see it.”

Jimmy nodded and cracked a larger smile. “You’re right. Hey, you remember that time…”