DEDICATION


I want to thank my friends and family for all the love, patience, support and encouragement they gave me as I journeyed down the hard road to publication. Of course, my three sons, Jay, Andrew and Vincent, had the most patience of all.

There are people who I bounced ideas off of, who read scenes over and over (I’m sure they hate me for that!) and gave me their honest feedback on this story. Mike, Pam, Ray, Chase, Danny, Karim, Chad, Amy and the most important, my sister Christine, thank you for your extreme patience with me and all your help. Brian, thanks for letting me see into your life on the road and for being my muse at times.

Inspiration came in many forms. A lot came from just listening to music, like Adelita’s Way, Slipknot, Daughtry, Five Finger Death Punch, Seether, Nickelback, Theory of a Deadman, 311, Art of Dying, NIN, Papa Roach, Sick Puppies and truly most of all, Shinedown and Avenged Sevenfold.

Shinedown’s versatility and talent, along with Brett Smith’s amazing voice, drove me to create a band worth making it. It takes more than hard work, perseverance and begging for gigs. It takes talent, showmanship and having it together.

Avenged Sevenfold is one of my favorite bands. Along with being talented and amazing, they showed me how close a band could really be. They seem to be like family. All revealed to me because of The Rev’s death.

It is awful that such a talented drummer and friend was lost, but that loss compelled me to look deeper into the history of other bands. Although this continuing story was partly created before I knew of his fate, I want to thank him, wherever he is, and the rest of the band for the insight. He will live on in my heart foREVer, as I know he does in yours.

R. I. P.

Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan

February 9, 1981 - December 28, 2009





CHAPTER ONE


It was Christmas break, and my best friend Chad and I had been home for a few days already. We were both seniors at Southwest New Jersey University, which was just outside our hometown. I loved going to the same school as him, but I missed living right next door to him more than I thought I would.

I was still in bed and naked under the blanket. I wasn’t a morning person, so I never got right up when my alarm went off. It was even more difficult on cold winter mornings.

I sighed, remembering the awesome dream I’d had right before awakening. Chad and another guy from school were in my bed with me. I often dreamed of them both separately, but they’d never been together with me before. They were both in my pussy at the same time and had me screaming in ecstasy for what seemed like hours. I wondered if I would ever be with either of them, let alone both, that way and if it would be that good.

I shook the dream away and turned onto my belly. I gazed out the window next to my bed. I could see Chad’s bedroom in the house next door, but not Chad. I loved watching him in his room. I had yet to see him naked, but was sure one day I would.

He was in love with me. If he knew I watched him, it would make his day. However, I had only sexual, not romantic, feelings for him, which I hid. We had made out in the past, but had gone no further.

I got out of bed and put on my silk robe. I took a shower, which helped to quell my arousal. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like for one of the men of my dreams to be washing me. I closed my eyes and imagined Chad’s soapy hands running over my breasts and down my belly towards… “Stop that!” I scolded myself.

We had been trying to make it in the music world for five years, but had never found the right people to connect with. Chad promised me he had found two brothers who would finally mesh with us as a band. As I dressed, I wondered what the newest drummer and singer would look like. They were most likely geeks from Chad’s computer classes. That was his major. Mine was music. We had put together three other bands before, but most of the time Chad’s impatient nature and need to control things got in the way.

I checked myself in the mirror. I had jeans on because Chad’s garage would be cold. But I still wore a low cut blouse that revealed ample cleavage. Chad would love it, but then again he would love me in a sweatshirt.

I tried to have an open mind, but we had wasted a lot of time trying to find the right bandmates. When I got over to Chad’s, his garage was open. There was another van in the driveway, parked next to the one he had driven since high school. I took a deep breath and went right to him.