Make You Feel My Love

Jade had just stepped out of the small hotel shower. Her brown hair was soaked, and the mirror close to the sink was covered in a mellow fog. Jade wrapped her hair inside a towel, before she paddled over to her toilet bag and snatched her deodorant from it. She took her time to do some easy makeup and apply some perfume, before she got dressed in a black turtleneck and a pair of loose trousers.

“Girl, you ready?” Michelle asked from the other side.

“Yep!” Jade announced, before she unlocked the door and stepped out. “Is this okay?”

The other brunette was just done applying bright red lipstick as she glanced over at her friend. “You look smashing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in that much black,” she chuckled.

“I think this is the most metal-chick I’ll ever get.” Jade admitted, while tying her hair into a high ponytail.

“You look great, sweet.” Michelle assured her.

“You too!” Jade said to her, glancing up at the black knee-high boots Michelle was wearing, over a pair of torn jeans. “You look really good, Michy.”

“Thanks, babe,” Michelle soon wrapped her arms around Jade’s shoulders and pulled her in for a hug.

“I’m so glad we worked things out, Jade.” she admitted.

“Yeah, me too.” Jade agreed.

“No man should get between us again,” Michelle commented. “And certainly not a rock star.” she chuckled.

“I’ll drink to that tonight!” Jade assured her friend.

The two women soon grabbed their coats and bags, before they joined the other girls to the venue. The guys would be playing a huge show tonight, and everyone was looking forward to the after party that followed.

All six of them arrived at the venue two hours before the show. Lines already filled the pavement, as they all got out of the car. Valary lead the way to the backdoor, knowing how their fans easily could recognize all of them except for Jade. Larry, who held the door for the ladies, soon greeted them all.

“It’s good to see you!” Val announced, circling her arms around the older man, who accepted her into his embrace.

“You too, sweet!” Larry said, soon letting go of the blonde woman. “Come on. I’ll show you the way.” he commented, waving his hand at the group of women.

The older man guided them down the corridor, as he hummed along to a song that had been occupying his head all day. He soon opened the door to the infamous green room, where all of the guys had been slacking around ever since dinner.

“There you fuckers are!” Jimmy snorted, as he emptied his beer and threw the can at Johnny, who glared angrily at his drummer.

“You little fucker!” the bassist growled.

“I’m not little!” the drummer responded, before he hurried over to his girlfriend, whom he scooped into his arm, carrying her to the couch like a bride.

“There’s beer in the fridge, ya'll! Not for you, Val!” Matt said, pointing his meaty finger at his wife, who only rolled her eyes at him.

“Aw, you guys even bought cider!” Lacey exclaimed happily, while handing one to Gena, before she grabbed one for herself as well.

“Lacey, can you hand me a beer?” Michelle asked, her eyes examining the room. The floor was of hard cork, and was currently filled with trash and empty beer cans. The walls were light grey and decorated with posters of musicians that had played at the venue.

“Are you excited?” Zack asked his wife, who was still placed between his heavily tattooed arms.

“I’m always excited when I get to see you play,” Gena smirked, feeling his grip that tightened around her torso.

“God, give us a break!” Matt told the lovebirds, as he took a swig from his beer.

“Ey! I’ve put up with you and Val my entire life!” the dark-haired guitarist pointed out. “You don’t get a say in this, Shads!”

Matt flipped him off, as he plumped down on the couch, an arm resting at the backside of it, meanwhile his wife snuggled into his side.

“It’s been a while since last time I saw you play.” Val admitted, as she could still remember their early days.

“Yeah. It’s good to have you here.” he smirked.

“He needs it. He never forgot the lyrics when you were touring with us.” Johnny announced.

“It doesn’t happen that often!” the singer snapped at his bassist.

“It does,” Brian snickered. “Remember that time at Warped?”

“Fuck off, Gates!” Matt hissed at him.

“I used to stick your lyrics in the ceiling of your bunk.” Val chuckled, knowing that her husband sometimes struggled remembering the lyrics.

“I remember that,” he mouthed back. “The good old days.”

“I miss those times.” Jimmy pouted his lips.

“What? When were all cramped inside a tiny ass vehicle with no space and air conditions?” the blonde woman cocked her eyebrows at him.

“It was the best days!” Jimmy announced.

“No, it wasn’t!” Matt shook his head.

“Listening to Syn fucking another girl every night? I don’t miss it.” Johnny commented.

“God, I still have nightmares about that!” Zack admitted, frowning at the lead-guitarist who only smirked.

“You were just jealous.” Brian told him.

“Yeah, right.” Zack rolled his eyes.

Jade observed the guys with a cold beer resting in her hand. She had been quiet for some time now, her mind drifting off to the day she had gone out to New York City in order to see them with one of her friends from college, Riley. She was a pretty girl, shorter than Jade with faded ginger coloured hair and wide sanitary eyes. Riley happened to be the only person Jade had managed to convince to see Avenged Sevenfold, as Riley studied music and had been playing it longer than the guys.

“Jade!” Jimmy nudged her, almost making her lose her beer, as she was sent back to reality.

“Hey, you.” she smiled softly at him.

“He asked you a question, Perez.” Lacey chuckled a little.

“What’s up?” the brunette turned her attention to Jimmy, who was currently resting his head in Lea’s lap, demanding that his girlfriend ran her slender fingers through his rough dark hair.

“This is gonna be the first time you see us since high school, right?” Jimmy asked.

Jade sank her teeth into her bottom lip. Brian was eyeing her from the corner of his eyes, wondering if the guys were aware that she had in fact seen them before. He watched as the brunette shifted rather uncomfortably in her seat, crossing her legs and taking a swig from her beer.

“Yeah,” she lied, pressing her glossy lips together. “I’m stoked.”

“I can’t wait!” Jimmy shrieked.

“They’re great.” Leana assured her friend, while running her fingers through her partner’s hair.

“Yeah, really great.” Michelle added.

“Oh, I know we are,” Johnny snickered. “The best actually.”

The time back in the green room disappeared faster than anyone wanted to, as the guys soon emptied their last cans and grabbed their instruments. Jimmy spent his last time running around in circles, crawling unto the floor and doing anything in order to shake off the energy that had crashed into him. Zack and Brian and gathered together, as they tuned their guitars together, meanwhile Johnny was on his own and Matt started pacing panicky around the room.

“Babe, you’ll be fine.” Val assured him, soon placing both of her palms against his chest, almost like the petite blonde woman thought she could prevent her husband from pacing around.

“I know,” Matt confirmed, his hands on his lower back. “I’m just a little nervous.”

“That’s good.” Val told him.

“Yeah,” her twin agreed. “Being nervous means that you care about your own performance. You’ll gonna be fine.” Michelle said.

“Thanks.” the singer smiled at the two twins, just as their manager entered the room again.

“Okay, yall!” Larry exclaimed, clasping his hands together. “It’s time to hit the stage!”

Jade watched as the band gathered, Matt giving a small pep talk to his best friends, before they all did some kind of cheering, and then received their last kisses from their partners. The brunette watched as Brian glanced over at her, his dark Schecter resting in his hands, meanwhile he stuffed his earplugs into his ears.

“Good luck.” she said, even though she was somewhat aware that he wouldn’t be able to hear her.
Brian only snickered at her, before he saluted the brunette with her hand, and then followed his friends unto the stage.

The crowd went wild as the band walked out. Jade watched as they gripped the railing, screams filling the entire venue, as M. Shadows cupped the microphone with his hands and greeted the crowd with his soar and excited voice.

The way Jimmy twirled his drumsticks in his hands and smashed them effortlessly into the cymbals took her back to the time when Riley and she had seen them do that.

♠♠♠ FLASHBACK ♠♠♠

The air was heavy, and the petite brunette was cramped between thousands of others. Jade had pushed her way through the crowd, almost able to touch the railing, with her friend right behind her.
Riley circled her arms around Jade’s hips, somewhat convinced that they would be driven apart by the massive crowd if she let go of her.

“I can’t believe you convinced me to come!” Riley chuckled a little, knowing how much this meant for her.

“I love you for coming!” Jade told her for the fifth time that hour. The students pushed their way closer to the stage, meanwhile Jade all but stretched her hands out, wanting to feel the cold railing against her fingers.

“I know you do, Jade! I mean, how can I turn down this offer? You’re soon moving to freakin’ England!” Riley snickered.

Jade sank her teeth into her bottom lip by the idea. The offer had turned up, and the brunette had been open about how hesitant she was. She didn’t want to leave America just yet, even though Cambridge was a good offer.

“Let’s not talk about this now,” Jade insisted. “I haven’t decided yet.” she reminded her friend.

“Okay,” Riley smiled. “So, you really went to high school with these people?” Riley asked, freeing her red hair from her scrunchy.

Jade looked at her friend, signalizing that she should lower her voice before she confirmed her question.

“I wanna surprise Brian.” she whispered.

“Your boyfriend?” her friend cocked her eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Jade smiled brightly.

She hadn’t been able to see Brian in a long time, and even though they had promised each other to call every day, the frequent phone calls had started to fade. The brunette knew he was busy on tour, and Brian also knew how much work Jade had in medical school.

“They sound pretty decent on the radio.” Riley admitted, once again lowering her voice, knowing that she was surrounded by some pretty die hard Avenged fans.

“And they’re even better live!” Jade assured her.

The lights went off, and the entire stadium was filled with joy and excitement, loud noises filling the ocean of people, meanwhile the band stepped unto the stage.

Jade noticed how the lights swept over Matt’s figure, his silhouette showing, meanwhile his large palms cupped the microphone, pouring his voice into it.

“Good evening, NYC!” the singer greeted loudly, before he listened to the massive response from the crowd. “We’re Avenged Sevenfold!” he roared, just as his fellow band mates introduced their first song.
Jade was mesmerized by how much Matt’s voice had improved over the last years. The growling vocals he had been famous for back in high school had been replaced by his clean and soft voice. The amount of power inside his body was absolutely breathtaking, as he moved confidently around the stage.

Her eyes soon looked over at the two guitarists, feeling her heart rise in her chest as she saw him.
Brian.

He was dressed in a leather fedora that hid his long raven hair. She was barely able to see his nose ring from where she stood, and her eyes soon trailed down to his torn jeans and ripped shirt. The man moved towards the elephant stand, demanding attention, meanwhile he ran his fingers down the neck of his guitar, making it look so easy. A cheeky grin covered his lips, and he enjoyed the sound of women yelling his name.

The concert was amazing. Jade was at the verge of tears when she realized how much they had all improved over the years. The guys had really gone from a local band in California to a worldwide band that was recognized and cherished across the world.

The brunette adored every single second of it. She loved the way Matt connected with the crowd, fooling around on stage, meanwhile he demanded that they kept singing with him through every song. The way Jimmy claimed attention by making noise even when Matt was speaking was adorable, and the way Zack and Johnny joked around on stage made her smile to the point where it hurt. The sight of Brian was perhaps the best part. He was wearing his cocky personality as a proud cloak on the stage. He owned ever single note he played, and he made it look so easy when he did it.

She missed him. A lot.

When the concert was done, the pressure that had surrounded her body finally loosened up. Riley went on about how impressed she was on their way out, going on about how she loved the harmony between the two guitarists, even though metal wasn’t really her cup of tea.

The ginger-haired woman couldn’t stop her fascination as the brunette checked her phone, realizing that Val had tried to reach her.

“Riley, I’m gonna go and see if I can catch up with them!” Jade announced, interrupting Riley’s rambling.

“Okay, sweet. I think I’ll be heading home. It’s late and I have opera classes tomorrow.” her friend said.

“Take care and call me when you get home! If you get home, that is.” Riley snickered, nudging her friend while wiggling her eyebrows.

“Gosh, you’re awful!” Jade chuckled, nudging her back, before the two of them parted.

The brunette quickly glanced back at her phone, noticing that Val had e-mailed her the backstage card she needed to show in order for the guards to let her enter. A smile curved her red lips as the man who guarded the backdoor let her passed. Her feet nearly danced down the long corridor, her entire body filled with joy and excitement as she was finally about to see Brian.

Her Brian.

The brunette pushed her phone back into her pockets, her feet merely touching the ground as she rounded the corner and saw a man sneaking inside the door to the green room.

The sound of familiar voices soon reached her, once again making her heart rise in her chest, just as she saw a dark-haired man appear from the toilet. His dark voice reached her ears, and Jade was barely to keep his name trapped in her throat.

“God, you’re driving me crazy.” he chuckled, as he held the door for a woman who stepped out of the toilet along with him.

The woman had dark blue hair that was thick and that slipped down her back. She was dressed in ridiculously tall stilettos and torn tights underneath a short dress.

Jade could feel a tight knot at the pit of her stomach, as she saw how Brian interacted with her. His palms were grabbing a firm hold of her hips, just like he had done with Jade so many times. His hands drew dangerously close to her butt, and the woman giggled lightly, while lacing her arms around his neck and pulling herself closer to him. She soon connected their lips, letting his tongue play with her pierced one, as a groan left his vibrating lips.

Tears dwelled up in her eyes, and soon exploded like heavy waves down her face. Jade couldn’t believe the sight she was greeted with, as she was just standing in the middle of the hallway, not caring if anyone saw the devastated brunette who blocked the way.

A dark-haired girl soon emerged from the green room, her eyes rolling at the sight of her friend. “God, Brian,” Val frowned. “Why can’t you keep it in your fucking pants?”

“I don’t have to, Val. I’m Synyster Gates.” he grinned.

“Have you seen a familiar face around here?” Val asked, not wanting to reveal who she was looking for.

Jade could feel her heart that hammered against her chest. Her feet soon stepped back and she nearly hid behind the corner, as she placed her hand against her chest, almost like she had to make sure that her heart was still beating.

“No, why would I?” Brian responded.

“I was just wondering.” Val responded, before she disappeared into the room again.

The brunette could feel how her heart brutally slammed into her chest. It felt like a part of her had just died. As though someone had stolen the only comfort she had in her life away from her, and refused to hand it back to her.

She was speechless. Completely lost for words. She was still in love with him, despite the fact that he had moved on to the next chapter of his life. Jade was so in love that moving to England had been nearly impossible, because she knew that meant creating a bigger barrier between the two of them, which she couldn’t handle.

Jade dragged her hand through her hair, soon noticing that Val had been trying to call her. A sigh left her lips, as she locked her phone and went to step into the cool night. There was no point in staying at the venue any more.

Brian had moved on, and so should I, the brunette thought to herself.

Jade paced around at the parking lot, not quite ready to leave, as her thoughts kept circling.

For how long has he been sleeping around? How long did he manage to keep it in his pants?

She felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to shake the entire sensation off her body. It was dreadful to think that she had been in love with a man who had obviously moved on with his life.

I can move on too.

Jade picked up her phone and pressed it firmly against her ear. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, meanwhile her other hand rested inside the pocket of her jacket. Her knees were shivering, just as she was comforted by a voice.

“Hello, Mrs Perez. I assume you call in order to announce that you won’t be taking the exchange?” the headmaster announced.

“Hi, Headmaster Winterbottom. I’m actually calling because I’d love to take it.” Jade announced.

“Really? What made you change your mind?” the old man looked taken aback by her decision.

“There’s nothing that’s keeping me here anymore.” she confessed.

♠♠♠ END OF FLASHBACK ♠♠♠

Jade was soon brought back to reality, as she realized that she had been gazing at the guys throughout the entire concert. Matt soon chuckled, waving his big palm at the cheering audience, before he grabbed his towel and saluted one last time. The singer was the first to return from the stage, as he tackled his wife in a bonecrushing hug, showering her face with kisses.

“You were awesome!” Val exclaimed, connecting their lips in a long kiss.

The brunette held unto her purse, while she saw how the girls greeted their partners after the show. Michelle and Jade were once again watching their friends rather awkwardly, as they both tried to brush it off by reminding themselves that they didn’t have to see it once they were back at their hotel room.

“DRINKS ON ME, MOTHERFUCKERS!” Jimmy announced out loud.

“Dude, you’ll regret that in the morning,” Matt warned him.

“Nonsense!” the drummer flipped him off. “I wanna get these chicks drunk and I wanna get them drunk now!” he bellowed.

“I guess you’ll have it your way then, Jimbo.” Gena shrugged, as she never turned down a good offer.

“But get in the shower first, babe.” Lea chuckled at her boyfriend, who soon pecked her forehead.

“I’ll be ready in five!” the drummer promised, leaving his drumsticks in her hands, before he all but stormed down the hall.

“You too, honey. You smell like shit!!” Lacey told her boyfriend, who only pulled her tighter against his chest.

“He’ll regret this.” Lea told Jade, as she shook her head, meanwhile the guys went to hit the shower before they all went out.

“Yup,” the brunette nodded her head. “It’s gonna cost him a fortune.”

“That’s the thing you get when you’re a great musician, dear.” Michelle chuckled, slipping her arm around Jade’s shoulders.

“Yeah, apparently.” Jade shrugged.

The guys didn’t spend that much time getting ready. The slowest was without doubt Johnny. The man had spent nearly twenty minutes styling his hair, allowing the guys to dig through three cigarettes before he returned from the bathroom.

“Fuck, you’re slow!” Michelle whined.

“Yeah, what the hell, Short Shit! I can do my makeup faster than this!” Gena bleated.

“Ah, screw you!” the bassist groaned at them.

“Well, I’m ready to fucking party!” Jimmy yelled happily, shaking his wet hair, making water spill in every possible direction.

“Have a great party, guys.” Val snickered, as her husband walked over and placed his hands around her stomach.

“Are you fuckers seriously ditching us?” Zack cocked his eyebrows at the couple.

“I can’t drink, you asshole!” Val sneered at him.

“Still! Olivia went to a bar when she was knocked up!” Brian pointed out.

“Well, I’m not Olivia,” Val half-snapped at him. “We’re gonna spend some quality time on our own.” she said in her smooth voice.

“Ew!” Johnny frowned.

“Ey! You better wear a fucking condom this time, Shads! You don’t wanna knock her up once again!” Jimmy pointed his finger at him.

“Jimmy…” Matt dropped, shaking his head.

“Her oven is already loaded!” the drummer went on, avoiding how everyone was looking at him.
Val and Matt soon left the venue together, and as did the rest of the guys. They were all surrounding a table at the back of the bar, as the guys didn’t want to attract too much attention. All kinds of drinks loaded the table, and Jade knew it was more to come as well. The brunette took a sip from her Cuba Libre, enjoying the strong taste of rum, meanwhile Michelle took shots with Jimmy.

“I don’t wanna remember this night!” Jimmy announced, which became obvious when he took his fifth shot of tequila.

“Please take care of him!” Jade voiced at Lea who was settled across from her.

“Of course, baby.” Lea winked playfully at her, before she joined her boyfriend, stealing a couple of his shots.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Michelle and Jimmy were busy doing a drinking game, Lea was stealing alcohol from her boyfriend and Lacey and Johnny were on the dance floor. Zack and Gena had disappeared into the toilet a while ago, and Brian was watching the scenario before his eyes while enjoying his cold beer.

“Fuck you!” Jimmy sneered at the brunette, as he realized that Michelle had drowned more shots than him.

“You can buy me a fucking beer, Jimmy!” Michelle said to him. “I drink in order to forget!” she smiled brightly.

“You’re fucked up! I love it!” the drummer exclaimed. “Come on!” he announced, grabbing her hand and letting her lead the way over to the bar.

“I’ll just go and make sure they don’t faint on their way.” Lea told Jade, before she got up from her seat and chased the two of them.

“You liked the show?” Brian asked, taking the opportunity to sit closer to Jade, as he had been placed rather far away from the brunette.

Jade only shrugged, refusing to feed his ego. “It was okay.” she answered rather nonchalantly.

“You shit,” Brian shook his head. “Stop hiding it.”

“Hiding what?” she arched her eyebrows at him. “You were okay, I guess.” she shrugged, holding her façade, as she slurped from her drink.

“Eat shit, Perez,” the guitarist told her, before he drowned his beer. “You owe me a fucking drink.” he reminded her.

“Here.” she said, sending her credit card down his way.

“Come with me.” Brian requested, feeling their fingers touch lightly as he grabbed her card.

“I’m too lazy to move.” Jade whined.

“God, you’re a fucking baby sometimes, Jade!” Brian shook his head, his slender fingers circling around her wrist, his cool skin making her jump slightly.

“And you’re so fucking demanding!” Jade complained back.

“Yeah, yeah,” he chuckled. “Come on. I want a fucking drink.”

Jade followed the guitarist, his fingers remaining around her wrist meanwhile he pulled her through the packed place. The two of them stopped in front of the counter, his fingers drumming on top of it, as Jade glanced up and saw how Michelle eyed the two of them.

Hurt circled her shining eyes, and the brunette could already notice the heavy tears that loaded her eyes. It all became too much to Jade, as she instantly freed herself from Brian’s grip and created some distance between the two of them. The guilt was practically eating her up from the inside, before she connected her eyes with Brian.

“Make that three thinks. I could need some more.” Jade announced, before she left him all by himself.

Tonight I drink to forget.