I Ain't Waiting For The World To Change

“Could you come a little bit earlier? I overslept and still have to go to the groceries. Pleeease, I can’t clean up in time,” Johnny begged on the phone.
I bit my lip. “Okay, but I still need … some time,” I said and had to stop to stifle a hiss of pain.
“Where are you?” he asked suspicious.
“Have to do something, you’ll see later. I’ll be there when I finished here,” I promised and replaced.

“Surprise for your boyfriend?” Rob looked up at me and smiled a bit before the needle tortured my skin again.
“Not really. He’s a close friend of mine and I like to surprise him and some other friends with my new art,” I said and smiled at the new ink on my skin. ‘Not Ready To Die’ was released and I liked to keep a memory of the first song I ever had worked with. So I had decided to get the cover on my left ribcage. If you don’t know the cover is a bloody hand print with the deathbat inside.

“You know how to take care of this?” he asked as he did the last lines.
“Yep, not my first one,” I said and added after a short break “But the most painful.”
“But I think it’s worth it. I really like it,” he declared himself satisfied. The rest didn’t take long. After I could admire it in the mirror Rob masked it for protection, I paid and left the tattoo studio. I stopped at home to change and when I opened the mailbox I saw a huge envelope. I knew exactly that it was the copy of the Modern Drummer magazine when I saw the sender. I pressed it against my chest and decided to open it at Johnny’s. I quickly changed and took my netbook with me when I left the apartment. I had promised my dad to Skype with him and show him my new tattoo and as Johnny had called me I had to do it from his house.

I quickly left and drove the meanwhile known way down to Johnny’s. He wasn’t at home but as he knew I would be coming I had no problem to enter the house without its owner here. “Hey sweetie,” I said when Peanut came around the corner to greet me. So I saw I had a lot of work to do and decided not to let grass grow under my feet. I grabbed his clothes from the living room and brought them into the laundry room. Then I grabbed the empty pizza boxes, cans and everything and throw them away before cleaning the table and then the floor. I asked myself why I was doing this. When the room was okay I sat down, opened my netbook and logged in.

I saw my dad was online and as soon he saw me too, I accepted his video call.
“Hey honey, how are you?” he asked.
“Fine dad. You want to see it?” I asked and saw him nodding. It wasn’t the best quality but more than nothing. I lifted my wide shirt and showed him my rib.
“Can’t see it clear but I’m sure it’s awesome when you like it.”
I grinned and nodded. “I love it,” I corrected him. I heard the door open and put a finger on my mouth to show my dad he shouldn’t tell anything.
“You know honey, I really miss your apple pie,” his voice bleared through my speakers as he changed the subject.

“I’m glad you miss my pie, dad. I know it’s gorgeous, but it’s nice to know that I’m missed too.” I pouted and he chuckled a bit. Through the cam I could see Johnny walking through the room.
“Hey Kim’s dad,” he said and walked towards the kitchen.
“Hey whoever is walking through the screen,” my dad responded.
“Glad to know you all love me. The one doesn’t greet me, the other only misses my pie,” I complained theatrical.

“Your pie? You can bake?” Johnny asked and stood in front of me.
“Yeah, why?” I asked confused.
“You lived some months with me and never ever told me you could bake?” he asked.
“You should try her chocolate cake, it’s one of the best you will eat,” my dad barged in.
“The best you say?” he asked my father and he nodded again. “I’m sorry but your daughter is needed in my kitchen right now to show me how good it is,” he said and my dad laughed again.

“I doubt you even have the things I need,” I said. Five minutes later I sat here again Johnny on his way to the groceries.
“What’s goin’ on between the two of you?” Dad asked.
“What do you mean?” I answered his question with a question.
“You miss him?” he asked again.
“What? Dad we’re in a band and on tour the most of the time. We live together in a bus and I see him most of the time the week. When should I miss him?”
“I was just curious. I’m goin’ downstairs now, have a nice evening and save a piece of the cake for me,” he said and we said our goodbyes.

I walked in the kitchen and grabbed some bowls until I heard the door again. I saw Johnny with two paper bags in his hands. “I just grabbed the rest,” he said after dropping the bags on the counter.
“The rest?” I asked and unpacked the brown bag. He came back with another one.
“What did you buy?” I asked when he stood in front of me with a big grin on his face.
“I heard your dad talking about apple pie and I just wanted to try it. So I bugged the vendor until she told me what I need for an apple pie. Here are two springform pans and a hand mixer and some stuff like that. You know if I like it, you need to bake a lot more. I didn’t buy it for nothing.”

“Alright, alright,” I laughed. “How much time until the others arrive?”
“Around an hour.”
“Okay then store away the groceries and I’ll begin.”
After that he sat on a bar stool and watched me when I scrambled the ingredients and filled the pan. Then I put it into the oven and began to peel the apples.
“Hey Christ, what’s that smell?” I heard a woman say and thought it was Gena. And really she and Zach walked in the kitchen.
“She can bake, you believe that?” Johnny said and turned towards the two people. And I laughed as he complained about it. I slide the apple and throw it into a bowl.

“You can bake but not cook?” Gena asked and pushed me aside so she slid the next fruit while I grabbed the fixings for the pastry.
“Every Sunday I was at my grandma’s and she showed me how to bake. I wasn’t interested in cooking, but baking was something different,” I explained.
“Is that chocolate cake I smell?” I heard from the corridor.
“Kay’s baking,” Johnny and Zacky screamed synchronous.
“You know you have to do it more often now,” Gena said and elbowed me.
“Ouch,” I said and grabbed my side.

“I’m sorry I didn’t think it was so hard. Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s okay. I’ll show you why it hurts when Matt’s here,” I said and then it didn’t take long. I exchanged the cakes in the oven and hit Johnny’s hands as he tried to grab the cake.
“It’s still hot so leave it alone. And where’s Matt? I can’t wait to show you,” I said and as speaking of the devil Matt and Val entered the house.
“Michelle, why did you bake at Johnny’s?” Val asked and looked at the cake in the middle of the table.

“That wasn’t me, that’s Kim’s,” she said while Johnny and Zacky screamed again: “She can bake and didn’t even tell us!” How long do I have to hear that?
“Okay enough of the cake, I have to show you something,” I said and shooed them into the living room. “Actually I have two things, first is the painful one,” I said and put on a sad face.
“Spit it out, girl,” Val said and I saw the other nodding.
“I went to a tattoo studio this morning and got this,” I said and lifted my shirt so they could see the tattoo.

“That’s so cool,” Gena said and soon they stood around me to see it clearer. “I told you, she would get a deathbat someday,” Brian said and grinned.
“Why didn’t you tell me, I would have given you a template of my hand… further up,” Johnny pointed at my boobs and got hit at his back head by Val.
“I’m sure you would,” I said under chuckles.

“Christ, go search for a girl and get laid,” Matt said and then he asked me where I got it and stuff like that. “Wait, you said two things, what’s the other one?”
“I would like to wait until after the video…” I began but heard a scream from kitchen.
“Holy shit!” Matt and I turned around and walked into the other room.

“You opened it? Fucker, I didn’t even look at it,” I said and grabbed the magazine from his hands. While the boys shoot the video for ‘So Far Away’ I went to New York and did an interview with the magazine. I was on the fuckin’ cover??? ON THE COVER? I couldn’t close my eyes if I blink maybe it would disappear.
“Give it to me if you’re not goin’ to open it soon,” Matt said and tried to grab it, but I snapped it away and opened until I was on page 6 and saw a huge picture of myself.

“That’s…,” Matt said as he watched over my shoulder. He couldn’t find a word and I started reading the article.

KAY - A WOMAN ENTERS THE WORLD OF METAL

We met the new drummer of Avenged Sevenfold last week in New York. A very natural woman talks about being a member of a metal band, her influences and the changes in her life.

Kay: I think I was five when I heard Rock music for the first time. My mother tried to get me to my ballet lesson, but I refused to go so I stayed at home with my dad. He led me to his room and put on his platters. So when my sister was at the ballet studio I used to sit in my dad’s room and listen to AC/DC, Sex Pistols and some more. I grew up with some bands the kids at my age didn’t even hear of.
I went to my first concert at the age of fourteen. I saw Metallica and that was the point when I decided I wanted to be a drummer. I had already learned the basics by my neighbor in his garage but at this point I was absolutely sure that I would put more energy in it. I listened to some old stuff and John Bonham, Keith Moon, Dave Grohl, Stewart Copeland and Mike Portnoy became my idols. I watched a lot concerts at home and tried to study their moves.

MD: From a drumming standpoint, who did you first focus on?

Kay: Charlie Watts! My dad was a huge Stone’s fan so I had to listen a lot to their music.

MD: Were you taking lessons at that time?

Kay: Not really. I tried to take some but that didn’t really work out. I was really bad when I started but I had spent a lot of time in the garage and practiced some hours.

MD: How did it come you became a part of the band?

Kay: I heard about an audition. They searched for a drummer for a metal band and I thought I should take my chance. [laughs] And here I am now.

MD: Is it hard to be a woman?

Kay: [laughs] I don’t know how it is to be a man. But it’s okay to be the only woman in a band full of men. They don’t treat me very special and that’s okay. They had accepted me so fast as one of them and they’re some sort of family now.

MD: You’re replacing The Rev. What is it like to have so much pressure on your shoulder?

Kay: Someone said to me there is only so much pressure which you allowed to be. Sure it’s hard to replace someone who had left this world to early.

“I can’t look away from that picture,” Matt interrupted my reading. “Wow, that doesn’t look like you.”
“Well, thanks for that,” I said and studied the big picture. On the cover it was me behind the drums. In the magazine it was me lying on a bed. I wore some tight washed out jeans and a white top which showed much of my back and my tattoos, but not my cleavage or stuff like that. My hair was teased and some curls flowed over my left shoulder. On my right arm were some wristbands and looked up to the camera with dark smokey eyes.

“No offense. You’re looking good in the picture.”
“That means I’m ugly in real life?” I asked.
“God, women,” he said irritated. “Can’t please them no matter what.” He left the kitchen with these words.
“So, can I eat my cake now?” Johnny asked.

“Do whatever you want,” I said and walked outside with the magazine in my hand. I flipped through it and stopped when I saw another article which I was interested in. It was about Steve Forrest and he smiled from the magazine at me.
“Who’s that?” Michelle asked and looked over my shoulder. “Doesn’t look that bad,” she admitted.
“Not that bad?” I asked bewildered. “He’s damn hot!”

“Aw cute you have a crush on him,” she said and my cheeks blushed lightly. I followed Johnny who had walked past us with a big piece of cake. I throw the magazine on the table in the living room. “So, watching the video now?” I asked.
“Damf goodf thif cake,” Johnny smacked. “Youf shoufd mafe thif more often.”
“And you should learn to speak when your mouth is empty,” Val said.
“Letf go dofnstaif,” he said and earned some bewildered looks.

“Don’t talk with food in your mouth,” Val and I said in union. “And why should we walk in the basement? Do your laundry?” I asked.
“Just come on,” he said clearly and we followed him. He walked past the laundry room and opened another door and switched on the light.
“What the fuck?” I asked. I stood in a home cinema. There was a huge, huuuge couch, many speakers and some lamps on the walls. The walls were dark brown only one was white with a big screen on it. “What’s that?” I asked and didn’t move an inch.

“Mofie roomf,” Johnny said and sat down on the white seat in front of the bright wall. “Sit down and start the video, Zee,” he yelled and perplex I sat down beside him.
“Don’t have popcorn, but some beer in the fridge,” he said and pointed at a corner of the room. My mouth was still hanging open.
“Can’t wait to gamble here,” Matt said and sat down on my other side. When we all sat – this couch was so huge I still had some space – and Zacky had put in the DVD Johnny turned down the lights and we started watching the video for the new single ‘So Far Away’.

They wanted it to be a tribute to Jimmy and I was really okay with not being in the video. Suddenly it was really silent in the room and while watching the video I grabbed the hand next to mine and squeezed it. It was… I couldn’t describe it. I knew the guys loved Jimmy and this video did show it. Some kids had played them for the scenes when they were young – I had known it but I didn’t know that this video would make me so sad. When we had watched the making of there were some laughter in the room and now there was this uneasy silence. Even when the video finished and we all stared at the black screen it didn’t go away. I couldn’t hold it any longer and squeezed the hand next to mine before I left the room.
I went outside and lit a cigarette I had taken from the counter. I knew I could smoke in the house, I mean Johnny did it all the time, but I just wanted some fresh air. I rained and the rain drops were pretty big so I just stood in the doorway and took some deep breaths of smoke and fresh air. I relaxed a bit until I saw some brown fur which run right into the garden. Fuck! I yelled after the dog but Peanut decided it was more fun to chase something then walking to the house.

I throw the cigarette away and run towards the dog. The problem was – Peanut thought it was a game and run away. So I run after him until he decided I should catch him. I got him and walked into the house. It seemed everybody was still downstairs and I didn’t want to go there again so I walked into the bathroom upstairs and grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the dog while he decided to shake himself dry. My strips which hold the foil around my tattoo started to dissolve.
In the living room was Val. “Everything okay?” she asked and I nodded.

“Could you please deduct the stripes?” I asked her and lift me shirt. “But please do it quick,” I begged like a pussy. She did as I told her and I yelped a bit. “Gosh, had your boobs been grown? You know that’s a indication for a pregnancy,” she said and laughed a little ‘bout her gag.
“Yeah could be, but I’m on my period right now,” I said and heard some gagging noise behind me. I turned my head and saw Brian and Johnny. Johnny seemed a bit relieved while Brian was the one who had made the noises.
“That’s so gross!” he said.
“Grow up,” I simply said. “Let’s see if there’s some cake for us,” I said and walked into the kitchen with Val.