Letters For Jimmy

Dear Avenged Sevenfold,

I doubt this letter will be terribly long, because the feelings I have for the band and your music cannot be put into words too well.

Discovering Avenged Sevenfold was probably one of the bests things that has ever happened to me. Your music consoles people when the rest of the world refuses. Your music brings people closer together, and gives them a way to open up to others without the tension that comes with it. Honestly, I turn to your songs more than I turn to actual people in times of distress. Maybe that makes me a bit odd, but that’s just fine with me.

Your music has done so much for so many people, I sometimes wonder if you even know just how grateful we all are for you.

There are so many fake people in the world, so many people that try too hard to be something they are not. However, Avenged Sevenfold is an exception. You guys can be saviors without even trying. It’s such a nice change to have a band here that is honest with what they do, and don’t give a damn what others think.

I, and many others, are more than grateful for Avenged Sevenfold’s existence. I don’t think I’d be the same person I am right now if it were not for your music.

Losing Jimmy was like losing a great friend, although most of us fans did not know him personally. The fact that he is no longer here leaves many of us with an empty feelings in our hearts. However, he will never be truly gone, will he? No one will ever forget him, I don’t see how anyone possibly could. I don't think I've ever looked up to someone as much as I look up to him. One of my goals is to keep his memory alive, to tell everyone what an amazing person he was. My heart feels as if it is being ripped apart when I remember that he is no longer walking this earth, but sometimes, that is what's best for some of us. There is no pain, no guilt or sad feelings in Heaven. I bet Jimmy is smiling right now, looking down on all of us. The admiration I feel towards who he is and what he does is overwhelming. Even when I'm a wrinkly old grandmother, not a day will go by without me wondering how he is doing, if he is feeling alright, and when I will finally get to meet him. I like to imagine that he's up in Heaven, having fun and making music for all the other angels, and just being The Rev.

Again, thank you so much for what you do. I hope you all can keep creating mind-blowing music, and keep on staying strong.

foREVer,
Ashley

(This story is my friend's)

"Matt!" Jimmy screamed. "Maaaaaaatt!"
"What?" Matt's head poked around the corner of the hotel room as Jimmy held up a paper.
"We got mail." He said, imitating a computer.
"It's from this girl names Alison." Brian said, looking up at Matt. He walked over and took the paper from Jmmy. His eyes scanned the page.
"What do you think, Shadows?" Brian asked. Matt looked up at him.
"I don't know. Rev?"
"Let's see what she's got to show us." Jimmy sat beside Brian.
"You Know..." Matt said, "we souldnt do anything until we ask Zacky and Johnny." He tucked the let in his pocket.

"What do you think?" Matt asked Zack and Johnny.
"Well," Johnny looked up from the paper, "she seems pretty determinded in her writing."
Zack nodded in agreement.
"That's it then!" Jimmy exclaimed. "It's time for Avenged Sevenfold Idol!" He flailed his arms in the air and prance around the room.

"Call her..!" Johnny shouted, hanging upside down on his bedside. Jimmy looked at him.
"You call her!"
"No! ou!"
"One of you should pick already." Brian shot a glance at them. Johnny threw his cell phone at Jimmy. He caught it and dialed the number quickly sribbled at the bottom of the letter. He held the phone to his ear and waited for Alison to pick up.
"Hello?" She answered in a gentle, sweet voice. "Who's this..?"
"The drummer of your favorite band." Jimmy said. Alison screamed.
"No way!" She cried.
"Pfft! Yes way, girlfriend!" Jimmy made himself sound gay. "You want to sing for us?"
"Ohemgee! O-of couse!" Alison took a breath but Jimmy stopped her.
"No no." He said. "Not over the phone. Face-to-face."
"You're joking."
"Nope!" Johnny screamed in the background. Alison screamed her heart out.
"Oh gosh...I think I'm going to faint..." She said breathlessly. Jimmy smirked.
"Save your voice for Saturday. We'll come to you." he said. Alison gasped.
"But that's two days away!"
"Yep."
"I-I'll be ready..!" Alison sounded flustered. "T-thank you for the oppritunity..!" She cried. Jimmy smiled, nodded, and hung up. "Untill Saturday." He said.

"We should get some beer." Jimmy said, sitting in the backseat. Matt looked at him from the mirror beside his eyes, turning the key in the ignition.
"Later."
Johnny and Zack agreed with Matt, but Brian agreed with him.
We should greet the girl with something nice." He said. Matt shrugged, pulling out of the hotel parking lot.
"True..."
"Beer it is!" Jimmy exclaimed. Everyone laughed.

The band pulled up to the alcohol store. Zack was quick to hop out of the van and rush inside. Brian laughed.
"What?" Johnny asked.
"He still has the microphone pinned to his shirt." Brian said. Everyone looked at the pile of headsets in the middle of the van and snatched one for themselves. they heard the sounds of ack carrying the bottles in his hands as he walked to the front counter. Then, there was a crash.
"Gah! Dammit!" Zack shouted. Everone in the van laughed as Brian stepped out of the van and went inside.
"What did you do?" He asked. Zack pointed to the shattered beer bottle on the floor.
"It jumped out of my hands." He stated.

The band drove up to Alison's small town house in Atlanta, Georgia. The five piled out of their van and went to the front door. They knocked and the door was open in a matter of seconds. A tall blond haired, brown eyed man stood before them.
"We're here to see Alison..." Matt said.
"Oh. Of course." The man let them in and led them to a room deep in the hall, the door wide open. Inside was a grand piano, a tiny girl with dark hair pouring down her back to her waist sat before it.
"Alison..." The blond haired man spoke. Alison responded without turning.
"Yes, daddy..?"
"There's some people here to see you." Her father said. Alison turned, big brown eyes resting on the six people standing there. Jimmy waved from behind Matt and poked his head over Brian's shoulder.

After letting everyone into her room, Alison stood before her idols.
"You don't know how happy I am to see you guys!" Alison exclaimed. Jimmy held a beer bottle out to Alison.
"Want a drink?"
"Wait until she's finished singing." Zack nudged him with his elbow. Alison giggled.
"Oh yeah...A7X Idol...forgot. Sorry!" Jimmy laughed.
"So what are you going to sing..?" Matt asked. Alison looked at him.
"With your permission...I wanted to sing one of your songs."

(A YEAR LATER)

Alison (who had joined the band) sat backstage at a concert in New York. The band was playing in Times Square live. They were playing their last song of the night begore heading back to their hotel. Nightmare came to a close as Matt and the band said their goodbyes and walked off stage.
"Great job, guys!" Alison exclaimed ack gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. Alison whined.
"Ow..!"
"Don't go hurting our pianist, Zacky!" Brian said.
Alison grumbled and walked behind Matt.
"C'mon now, Allie..! Don't be like that..!" Zack whined. Alison hissed.

Before heading back to the hotel, the six took a trip to the park. Alison and Zack argued with each other about the bruise on Alison's arm while Jimmy and Brian were chasing ducks. Matt and Johnny watched Alison and Zack argue.
"Oh my God!" Jimmy screamed. "That's the biggest fucking duck I've ever seen!" he started to run for it. It sat still. Everyone looked.
"It's huge!" Alison cried, forgetting Zack and running behind Jimmy.
"It's not afraid at all!" Matt exclaimed, laughing in the background. Johnny and Zack joined the duck chase.
"It's a fucking stallion duck!" Jimmy shouted, chasing it.
"It has a fat ass!" Alison giggled. Jimmy (not judging his distance from the pond correctly) chased the duck straight into the water. Everyone lughed as Jimmy's head poked up from the water.

Alison sat in her hotel room listening to her iPod when she heard a knuck at her door. She got up and saw Johnny and Zack at the door.
"We're all in the lobby. Want to come?" Zack asked. Alison tucked away her iPod.
"Sure." She stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her. The three of them quickly walked to the elevator and wen to the ground floor. They passed through small crowds of people to find Jimmy running arond like a drunk. Turns out, he was drunk. Brian and Matt sat at a table with glasses and glasses that were empty. Johnny, Zack, and Alison walked over.
"Did Rev drink all this..?" Alison asked. Matt looked at her.
"Most of it. The rest was Syn."
"Pink is the new black!" Brian hiccuped.
"No." Zack said. Alison laughed.
"If you can't beat them, join them." Johmmy said, grabbing one of the beer filled glasses and chugging it down. Matt and Alison shrugged and joined in the drinking.

After about an hour, Alison, Matt, Brian, and Johnny were drunk. Zack had to be the sober one to lead them back upstairs. Jimmy sat , his head pressed against the table.
"Zack!" Brian screamed. Zack looked at him.
"What?"
"Get us more beer!" Brian and Jimmy shouted Zack rolled his eyes and went up to the bar to get more drinks. Jimmy got up clumsily and did a front roll on the ground, crashikng into Zack's legs. Zack almost toppled over and everyone laughed.

The next day, everyone woke up with terrible hangovers. Matt, Alison, Brian, Johnny, and Jimmy sat in the lobby and groaned.
"My head hurts like hell..!" Alison cried.
"You're learning..." Jimmy responded, holding his head on his hands. Matt sighed and looked at them through glazed eyes. Zack chuckled.
"I told you." He said. "You drank too much."
Matt rolled his eyes.
"Whatever."
"Uh...what do we do now..?" Alison asked.
"I...I don't know..." Johnny said from his place on the floor.
"Should we go to the pool or something..?" Alison looked out the window to the sunny summer day. Everyone shrugged.
"Sure."

Everyone sat in the pool staring at each other.
"This is awkward." Alison stated plainly. Matt nodded.
"Kind of..."
Brian turned to look at Jimmy, but saw his legs in the air instead.
"What the hell are you doing Rev..?" Brian asked. Jimmy's head popped up from the water.
"I'm doing handstands. Duh." Jimmy said. Alison giggled.
"I want to try!" Alison said. Her and Jimmy did handstands while everyone laughed.

(A FEW MONTHS LATER)

Alison had grown into the band as if it were her second family. She had grown close to everyone, but Jimmy especially. He was like her big brother, so it wasn't a surprise when she was sitting with him in his hotel room almost every day. Anything they could do together, they did.

Alison sat in Jimmy's room and read her journal while Jimmy had run off to the bathroom. Alison sat, completely quiet and composed, while South Park played on the T.V. Jimmy reappeared beside Alison and the two sat watching the mindless humor that flashed across the screen.
"Excuse me...I'll be right back..." Alison whispered, standing up from her seat and leaving the room. Jimmy watched her go through weak eyes.

Alison quickly walked into her room, dropped her notebook on the bed, and walked out, closing the door behind her. She stepped into Jimmy's room again, shocked when she saw himlying lifeless on the floor. She ran over to him and kneeled beside him.
"Jimmy..?" She mumbled. "Get up, Jimmy...please..."
Jimmy didn't respond. He just continued to lie flat on the floor. Alison whined.
"Jiiiiiimmy..! This isn't funny..!" She cried. No response. Hesitantly, she pressed a finger to Jimmy's wrist. She felt no pulse. Alison's eyes widened with shock and horror as she fumbled around her purse for her phone. She pulled it out and called 9-1-1, her hands shaking.

The ambulance arrived in a matter of minutes. Brian and Zack (who were playing x-Box) heard the sirens and looked out their window. They saw the ambulance and decided to ask Alison and Jimmy about it. they left the room to find Jimmy's door wide open. The two walked in and saw two E.M.T's there, along with the rest of the band.
"Is he alright..?" Brian and Zack heard Matt and Alison asked in unison. The E.M.T looked at Alison.
"I'm afraid not..." She looked at her partner. "We've don all we can do. I'm afraid he's no longer with us..."
"No!" Alison screamed. "No, no!" Tears formed in her eyes as she stood. "You can't just give up on Jimmy! You need to do something!"
"I'm sorry..." the E.M.T said. "There's nothing we can do..."
Alison buried her face in her hands and cried. Johnny sighed and put his arm around her shoulders.

A few weeks later, it was time for Jimmy's funeral. The band still couldn't believe their friend had just died...

Alison sat on the nearby bend, wiping her eyes with her tissue. Matt sat beside her. He pushed his sunglasses up on his nose and looked at Alison.
"Hey..." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You should get ready for that speech."
Alison nodded, looking up at him. "Alright..."

Everyone who was to attend the funeral was gathered around the hole Jimmy's coffin was to be put in. Alison stood before them all.
"Everyone..." She said, getting everyone;s attention. "James Owen Sullican was a great guy. He was a family member-" she looked at Jimmy's mother, "-a close friend-" she looked at her bandmates, "-and an overall amazing guy. He was like a brother to me, and it was a terrible stab in the heart when he died." Alison held a hand to her heart. "No, he wasn't perfect. He made mistakes. But, who here hasn't? Jimmy made decision that we frown upon, but he would be happy to see all the people he cared about all together like this." Alison gave a sad smile and turned her head to the sky. "He'll always be with us. As I speak, he's probably watching us, hoping we don't make the same mistakes he did. He'll always be watching over us. He'll be our guardian angel. And he'll always care for us up on his little piece of heaven."

Written by: Anesia Crespo