I went about snapping shots of the guys individually as they did they separate rituals to get ready to go on stage. They were headlining again tonight, and regardless that it was a small show of only three other bands it was still as nerve wracking and exciting as any other headlining show. Or regular show period. I silently went about my stealthy work, liking it better when they didn't know I was standing their snapping shots of them when they thought they were alone. They looked more real that way, more serene. Though I would always end up with some random ones of Frankie making god awfully weird faces at me when he would eventually catch me snapping stills of him. I didn't mind, that was just part of who he was and needed to be documented right along with the rare moments when he was still and quiet.

My favorite of Frankie so far was from tonight, I had caught him sitting alone in a poorly lit area sitting on a couch tuning his guitar. There had been outside noise all around but for some reason around him the air had seemed to be still and quiet as he softly hummed and tuned his gloriously white guitar. He had been so still and calm, such a severe polar opposite to his normal day to day self, that I couldn't resist. I took multiples, some in color, some in black and white and some of them I knew I would mess with on my computer.

I had taken some of Ray stretching with his eyes closed and his fro swaying softly as he reached for the ceiling and limbered up. I had caught Bob with his head resting on his arms on one of the white vanities in the back, eyes closed as he silently counted beats to the songs on the set list of the night. His fingers drumming softly. I caught Mikey sipping bottled water and doing a crossword puzzle, as he always did one before he went on stage, his feet propped up in front of him on a folding chair, his shoes off till he had to go on stage.

I had even caught Gerard and Sharon sharing a silent moment with one another, unaware of me around with my camera even though they were surrounded my tons of other people. I didn't know if I felt like I was intruding or not, but had clicked the pictures nonetheless. I didn't feel anything for Gerard, sure I was in love with his words and maybe even his presence to some degree, but not with him.

I snapped a few of Gerard walking around the room where actors would change as once again they were playing in a small theatre. He was softly doing his vocal warm ups as he paced crazy shapes on the floor, his head tilted back and his eyes switching back and forth between being closed and staring at the ceiling tiles. I snapped all but one in black and white, he really was made for black and white, even though I did so love snapping shots of his eyes in color.

As I put my camera down I made my way to the side of the stage since it was just about time for the show to start. All the guys and Sharon were gathered there as last minute things were set up before they were to grace the stage. I snapped a few of the guys in a quick huddle as the lights went dim and even went to snag one of Sharon leaning into to kiss Gerard before he ran off onto the stage, but stopped. Something in the way he seemed distracted from the kiss, like he wasn't paying attention to it or her leaning in made me not want to capture the moment. There was nothing special about to put it to film and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
-xXx-
"I don't wanna," Frankie whined after the guys had cooled down after they had finished playing.

It had been a stellar night and even more amazing performance from the guys. I never really got tired of watching and listening them play. I snagged a few killer shots but let myself just watch the set for the most part, only clicking my camera shutter when I saw a shot I just couldn't pass up. We were currently walking out of the back into where all the kids who had come to the show were milling about. Sharon had taken over duty of selling merch and I was going to lend my support, as were the guys as well as seeing the kids who had come to see them.

"Suck it up Iero," Bob said as he grabbed a hold of Frankie's shirt collar and began dragging him after all of us.

"Whatever you say Bryar," Frankie answered, using Bob's last name as Bob had him.

Bob merely rolled his eyes and threw Frankie out ahead of us into the throngs of gathering kids.

"Ahh!" Frankie yelled as he was swallowed by the mass of bodies, not mauling him but more or less just sucking him in as it was jam packed in the tiny area.

I finally reached in and pulled out the mock hyperventilating guitarist and righted him on his feet as he dramatically wiped his hair and invisible sweat off his forehead.

"Pheeuwph, that could have been a disaster," Frankie exasperated dramatically as he tried hiding a grin.

I went to open my mouth to say something more or less ridiculous but was cut off.

"Oops, sorry. Watch out, ahhh," a feminine voice sound loudly from somewhere behind Frankie.

And then Frankie was no longer standing in front of me, no he was falling to the ground. I side stepped a bit so as not to be caught in the mangle of tangled limbs going down like the Titanic before me. I heard a loud oomph as the two bodies finally hit the cold concrete floor, and it was definitely feminine. Well more feminine than Frankie. I looked down and tried not to laugh at the horridly funny sight below and before me. Frankie was tangled horribly with a girl who had bright blue tips on her blonde hair.

The most shocking thing was she was giggling hysterically as she laid there tangled with Frankie on cold hard concrete, with probably more than one bruise. They just laid there sprawled out, fully on the ground, heads and all. Finally Frankie started giggling as well and the two of them just, well giggled as people walked around them and stared down with confused or even slightly disdainful looks. Those people I shot quick death glares to before looking back down at the mess in front of me and the guys.

"Your hair tastes like blue strawberries," Frankie finally said as he spit some of the girls blue hair out of his mouth dramatically.

The girl sat up, her giggles to a soft minimum at that point. And well she didn't really sit up, more like attempted to as the tangle she was in with Frankie was fairly severe. She laughed a bit before shoving Frankie to get him off of her so she could stand.

"And you weight as much as a ton of cows," the girl teased, trying to sound serious as she finally shoved him completely off of her and stood.

Frankie scoffed from the floor as he stood up last.

"Do not," Frankie said childishly as he wiped dust off of himself.

"Do too," the girl replied just as childishly.

"Sooo do not," Frankie sang at her, still just as childishly.

"Oh yes you do, but it's more like three tons of cows," the girl teased and stuck her tongue out at Frankie.

Frankie growled at the girl, baring his teeth and raising his hands like claws in an attempt to look like a ferocious monster. Frankie really did have his moments sometimes. Slowly he advanced at her, a whole two steps, in his quote ferocious monster pose, still growling at her. The girl let out a fake scream of fear that was more than half made up of giggles and turned and ran away from Frankie. Frankie being Frankie, ran after her, still looking like his monster, no regard to those staring oddly at him.

I found myself chuckling softly through the whole ordeal, especially at the end as the two of them ran off down some random hallway in some random direction, paying no mind as to where they were going, just that they were going. I saw Gerard grinning like a fool out of the corner of my eye and smiled a bit.

"Oh no," I heard Bob say softly.

I looked over at him and saw him shaking his head slightly. My grin grew.

Finally Mikey spoke.

"Uh wow, was, was that really what it looked like? Could there possibly be two Frankie's in this world?" Mikey asked in soft shock and awe. "Is it even physically possible?"

I heard Bob groan and then let out a couple of faux sobs as I watched him drop his head into his hands and his shoulders start to shake. At that point Ray burst out laughing so loud he startled some of the kids standing near him as he slapped a hand reassuringly on Bob's shoulder. Maybe, just maybe there were two Frankie-esque people in this world.
-xXx-
Eventually Frankie and the semi blue haired girl came back to where we were standing, arm looped through arm. Only they weren't just walking towards us, oh no. They were skipping, and not only were they skipping as they talked animately to one another about god knows what, but they were skipping backwards through the crowds of people. We were definitely in for it.

Finally Frankie and the girl stopped their backwards skipping and fast chatting when they bumped into Bob's unmoving form and nearly fell over once again. This only caused them to break into giggles, arms still locked like chain links, and this only caused Bob to groan more.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Gerard said as he stood with his arms crossed across his chest as he stared at the oddly alike pair.

"Her names K.C., can we keep her?" Frankie asked as he jumped up and down in place, his hands clapping wildly.

I shot a look at Bob and realized that everyone else was doing the exact same thing. Poor Bob did seem to be Frankie's eternal keeper and adding another person that so far seemed to be exactly like Frankie to the group was up to him. The decision was being solely put on his shoulders to bear.

"Why are you all looking at me? What makes you think he'd listen to me regardless of my answer?" Bob exasperated as he threw his arms up into the air in defeat.

"Oh Bobby wobby you know I always listen to what you say," Frankie crooned as he batted his eyelashes at Bob.

"Yeah, and I'm Santa Claus," Bob whispered under his breath as he rolled his eyes at Frankie before shooting them the direction of the blue haired girl recently quasi introduced as K.C.

"Santa Claus!?" Frankie squealed happily in question like a little kid as his eyes got the size of saucers.

"Oh no," Bob said as his own eyes got the size of dinner plates.

"SANTA CLAUS!" Frankie shouted loudly as he threw his own arms up into the air excitedly and made to hug Bob.

"Fuck," Bob swore loudly as he turned and made to run from Frankie.

Frankie yelled happily as he chased after Bob's running form, who seemed to fleeing for his dear life.

"PRESENTS!" K.C. shouted excitedly as she joined in the chase.

"Oh my," Gerard said silently as he softly draped an arm on my right shoulder.

I smiled as I watched the two chase poor Bob for all he was worth, much to the amusement of those standing around. Even Ray and Mikey were smiling and chuckling over the public scene as they signed autographs for the few kids not too shy to ask for them. I assumed Gerard was thinking the same thing I was when I turned my head up to look at him as he winked at me and nodded his head before looking back out at our two friends and newly acquired third. This was going to be fun.

Notes

And so I introduce you to my dearest best friend Katie, who the character K.C. is modeled after.
Katie shows up a lot in my stories. It's just how it is.

I still wonder, is it physically possible for the world NOT to implode with two Frankie's gracing it's surface???