Pin-Up Paper Rockstars

The music wafted through the air as Dustan stepped through the door frame. He set his key to Jillian's apartment on the kitchen table. He'd been phoning her but she wasn't answering so he'd taken matters into his own hands.

"The walls are thin here in this motel room, some fool is raging over head, and he's preaching the gospel, according to, johnny walker red, four hundred miles talkin to myself, me and your memory end up here, I tell myself I'm gonna be alright, but it's still not clear..."

He cocked an eyebrow as he entered the living room. "What are you singing?" he asked her. She was sitting at her computer, no doubt playing with one of the programs she used to alter her voice slightly which was something they'd never thought about before.

"Amanda Marshall," she answered but never looked up at him. "I love this song."

He moved across the room towards her and took a seat on the small loveseat, propping his feet up on an old wooden coffee table. "So are you ready to fly out tonight?"

Jill sighed and shut down her computer. "I am, but I'm not. I know that you and Ryan are going to make this tour a living hell."

Dustan's laugh filled the room. "Oh come on, Jillian. Those guys are pricks. They made a quick rise to the top, and now they think they're at the top to stay. They'll be their own downfall, guaranteed."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Well, at least they're getting to enjoy the top." She patted her lap top softly and smiled. "Can you pack this up for me?" she asked him before heading to her bedroom.

He did as he was asked, folding up the cords and packing her lap top into it's bag that sat on the floor beside her chair. Almost as if on cue, when she emerged from her bedroom with her bag, her front door swung open.

"I'm here!"

Jill smiled when the door swung by her to reveal her best friend. Carla dropped her bags to the floor with a smile before moving in on Jill for a hug.

"Thank you so much for staying here while we're gone," Jill smiled.

Carla brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "I told you, it's no big deal. I'm just going to miss you alot. You're going to be gone for so long," she pouted.

"I know," Jill whispered. That thought scared her. The longest tour they'd been on was two months. This tour was worldwide. They were going to be gone for close to a year.

"Well, I'm going to come visit you any time I can," Carla assured her. "Because I'll go crazy if I can't."

They hugged again and Dustan couldn't help but laugh. "Chicks," he muttered before he grabbed Jill's bags. "I'm taking these down to the car."

Jill nodded slightly then released her friend, "and I'll make sure to talk you up with M. Shadows," she winked.

Carla giggled and followed Jill to the door. "Be safe alright."

"I will," Jill assured her, waving slightly before heading down the hall after Dustan. A whole new chapter of her life was opening up before her.

***

"Well they're coming in for sure," Larry Jacobson, Avenged Sevenfold's manager from World Audience grabbed himself another beer from his fridge before sitting down at his kitchen table with the guys. "In fact they're flying in tonight."

"Wow, dude, I really didn't think she'd agree to it." Zacky Vengeance ran a hand through his black hair.

"Think the fans are going to like this song?" Johnny Christ asked as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

M. Shadows shrugged and tipped his beer back, letting the cold bubbly liquid slide down his throat before he answered. "I think it'll be a big hit with the female fans."

"Yeah, but Sick Chick isn't exactly a widely known band," Rev protested. "I mean, people still won't know who she is unless they read the credits."

"That's why we're taking them on tour with us," Synyster Gates smiled. "Plus, then we'll actually be able to play the song live."

"You should have picked Cristina Scabbia," Rev laughed. "Lacuna Coil has a good following. Plus, she's hot."

The guys shared a laugh. "Rev, have you even seen a picture of Jillian Court?" Johnny asked him seriously.

Rev shook his head and Zacky grinned. "There's a reason Matt wants to get her in the booth with him," he winked.

Johnny laughed, "a girl that looks like that should not be singing metal songs."

"I think you're getting ahead of yourselves," Syn downed the last of his beer. "She's probably a bitch."

"Well bitch or not," Larry locked eyes with all of them. "She's going to be an asset to this song, and this tour."

"Here, here," Johnny raised his beer, and everyone else followed suit.

***

"What are you listening to?" Ryan asked her as the band made their way through the airport.

"Avenged Sevenfold," she replied, pulling an earphone from her ear to hear better. Ryan let out a puff of frustration. "What?" she took a seat in one of the chairs. Unlike being able to just wait for luggage, they also had to wait for all of their equipment. "I'm trying to familiarize myself with his voice and style as much as possible."

Trent leaned around Ryan, "well I'm happy we're playing with them Jillian."

"So am I," Kyle piped up.

Ryan and Dustan rolled their eyes and sank back into their airport seats. Jill smiled and turned up her Ipod, replacing the earphone in her ear.

We won't be here tomorow, hold on to me for one last time...

She closed her eyes and focused on his unique voice. It was undescribeable really. He didn't sound like anyone she'd ever heard, and she guessed that was what made him so appealing. And the more she listened, the more eager she was to get into that booth with him, and create a song that would truly mean something to them.

She didn't know how much later but Dustan was soon waking her up. Their equipment had arrived. And so had a couple visitors.

"Hey," the guy took of his sunglasses and extended his muscular tattooed arm and hand to her. "I'm Matt Sanders."

"Hi," she replied awkwardly, reaching out and taking his hand in her own. "Jillian Court." He was as she expected, the rockstar mentality mixed with the body of a wrestler, yet the grin told her he was truly nothing but a pushover.

"Nice to meet you," he replied, before standing up straight again. "Well we brought a uhaul, so we can load up your equipment."

"Are you excited for the tour?" the other one asked. Jill looked him over. His black hair and pierced lips made him easily recognizeable. Zacky, one of the guitarists. He seemed more quiet than Matt. In fact she was positive she'd relate closest to Zacky, they were alot alike, right down to the identical facial piercings.

"Thrilled," Dustan replied.

Jill elbowed him and he glared at her.

"It's exciting. We've never been to Europe, so hopefully it goes well," she covered Dustan's ass for him.

Both of the Avenged Sevenfold guys smiled. "We'll make sure you have a good time," Zacky promised her. "Now lets load you guys up and out of this place."

***

After meeting everyone, the Avenged Sevenfold boys took the Sick Chick boys and Jill to a bar. It was there that Jill had asked about the studio, and Matt had replied with a suggestion. Why didn't they just go check it out? She agreed, and she left with Matt and with a promise to be back soon.

The Warner Brother's studio was nothing less than impressive. From the actual sound booth, to the mixing area, to the living and sleeping area's. Everything had it's place and that made it look inviting. Jillian had longed to record in a place like this. Not that the studio's they'd been in were shitty, it was just nice to be able to use top of the line equipment.

She eyed the mixing board while Matt turned on more lights.

"That's all new," Matt smiled.

"Looks new," she trailed her fingertips lightly over the adjustable buttons, careful not to move one of them. She looked over all the spots where they had labeled tape and levers.

"Are you producing your own album?" she asked him.

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah, we learned so much from our last producers, that we decided to arrange our songs, and produce everything on our own this time around."

"Sounds fun," she grinned up at him before leaning her hip against the board.

"The freedom is definitly nice," he nodded in agreement.

She suddenly felt awkward, which wasn't like her at all. "Ummm, can I see the song?"

"Oh," he stood up straight and began busying himself with a stack of papers. "Here," he handed her a piece of paper.

She scanned it quickly. She liked it. It was very un-Avenged Sevenfold. If there was one thing she absolutely loved about their band, it was their desire to be different. Their desire to create music first, for themselves. Secondly for others. And ultimately, a band, completely open to change and growth as musicians. They were who they wanted to be. Not what someone expected them to be.

"Sing it to me?" she asked quietly. Interested in hearing nothing but Matt's voice at the moment. He cocked an eyebrow and she laughed. "Come on Matt, sing it to me, I want a feel for how it goes."

His thick raspy voice filled the room as he sang her to the end of the first chorus.

"And where do I fit in?"

"Here," he moved to stand beside her, pointing down to the paper at a paragraph of words. She shivered slightly as his warm body pressed closer to hers. His cologne filling her nostrils. But she couldn't focus on that, that would only get her into trouble.

"You mean I'm actually singing a whole verse? I was under the impression I was coming for backing vocals."

"No," he shook his head. "I want you to actually sing on this song," he moved his finger further down the page. "And down here, we'll either alternate, or you'll back me. I haven't decided yet," he took a step back from her. "We'll play it by ear."

She locked eyes with him and found that was a mistake. His eyes were gorgeous.

Carla digs him, you can't..

She quickly glanced back down at the piece of paper in her hands. Christ, this whole experience was going to be a mistake. She could feel it now.