Hello Angel

Frank lunged at the crowd of his band members and the girl who had seemingly torn his entire world apart. She narrowed her eyes and steadied herself, pushing off Mikey and Ray's attempts to get in between the two of them.

"What's your problem?" she hissed at Frank, not knowing where this surge of confrontation came from. She tried to make herself bigger, but even though Frank was notoriously shorter than everyone in the band, he still was an inch or two taller than her and his rage made her feel like he was looming over her.

Madeleine shrank back before correcting her reaction and getting right up in Frank's face.

"My problem?" Frank growled. "My problem is that Gerard's pissed off his ass after being sober for almost the entire tour. My problem is that all this sobriety he built up just went to shit. And he says he only drank because you showed up."

"So you're blaming me?" Madeleine huffed at him, and when Ray tried to interject, both of them in unison said "Stay out of it, Ray!" Madeleine tried to hide the faintest hint of a smile creeping up the side of her mouth at the coincidence, but Frank kept going on and on rambling about how Gerard shouldn't have been drinking.

Eventually she couldn't handle it anymore, thrust her arms out, and shoved Frank sharply and pushed past him. Mikey called after her but Madeleine snarled back in Frank's direction, "Sorry Mikes, it's not hard to see I'm not wanted here." She stormed off the bus, not realizing that Gerard was no longer outside. There was still shouting on the bus - this time Ray and Bob had joined the fray and were trying to calm Frank down and talk to him. Madeleine was furious. She was angry. She was upset. And she didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face as she clutched her left wrist, rubbing the raised pink lines from a time gone by.

Fuck it.

She made her way to the back of the bus, where she plopped down on a small ledge above the bumper, furiously scratching at the scars on her arm. "It's not my fault. He's an adult. He made his own damn choice. I'm not his fucking babysitter. I barely know the guy. Mikey didn't say anything to him. Its not my fucking FAULT."

Madeleine didn't realize she had shouted the last part, and she looked down at the mess she'd made on her arm. Her nails were entirely worn down and covered in blood, and her wrist was torn up. And all she could do was laugh at herself, wiping the blood on her jeans and slamming her head into the back of the bus. Gerard's not the only one in danger of relapsing, huh.

She kept giggling, almost maniacally, until she heard footsteps coming around the bus. She slid off the ledge and ducked behind the other side.

"Don't be a fucking idiot and come out. I know you're there," she heard Frank call out. "Get over here before you do something stupid or get yourself hurt." Madeleine covered her mouth with her hand to quiet the psychotic giggling and heavy breathing. "Listen, the guys are really upset and they want you to come inside."

Madeleine took a cautious step out from her hiding place. "Good to know it's the guys that are worried and not you." She gave him a little wave with her mutilated arm.

Frank looked surprised when she stepped out and he backed up.

"I was looking for Gerard."

"Oh." Madeleine sheepishly looked at her shoes and made to duck back behind the bus.

"But they're worried about you too." Frank stepped forward to catch her arm, almost mistakenly. It burned where he touched her and she jerked her arm back, giving him only seconds to realize he'd smeared all her blood on his hand. "Just go back on the damn bus and go placate them since they're so fucking enthralled with you. I'm going to go look for Gerard."

Madeleine huffed and stomped around to the bus door.

"He's so fucking rude, and inconsiderate, and a one track mind," she snapped, speaking mostly to herself but everyone else on the bus. They were all sitting in their bunks quietly as she went in to their little bus bathroom and rinsed off her arm. Madeleine felt Mikey staring at her and the hair on her neck stood up. "What? What the hell are you looking at?"

"What happened out there, Mad? I'm worried about you three..." Mikey mumbled.

"Don't worry about me. And apparently Frank has Gerard's back. So we're fine. Fucking fine."

She went back to her seat and curled up, waiting until the guys fell entirely silent before she fell asleep.

Notes

Frank's a bit of an asshole, isn't he... Poor Mad :(