Life on the Murder Scene

“I’ve only had a couple beers today, it’s hot,” Gerard slurs, facing the camera as we all head towards the stage to do warm ups. He’d d drank through half a twenty-four pack. Maybe to him that isn’t a lot but I’m still worried All the guys are wearing black and the thermostat on the bus said it was over 100. My older brother hasn’t has anything but coffee, beer and the food he ate for breakfast.

Mikey bumps into me, almost causing the camera to fall to the ground. I scowl at him. “What?”

“I’ll try and get him to drink some water, okay? Please try to smile Mak, I want you to be having fun.”

“He called Brian to tell him that he had a problem and was suicidal. How an I supposed to think about anything else Mikes?”

My brother frowns at me; “Let’s just take it one day at a time okay?”

I nod as we all walk up the steps that lead to the stage. All the guys instruments are sitting side stage, waiting to be tested out and fidgeted with until they’re perfect. I video some of the warm up, sipping water form a bottle that I’d brought with me. Even in the shade I’m sweating. I feel bad for all the kids who are standing in the crowd, baking under the sun like potatoes in an oven.

Frank smiles over at me as he continues to tune up his guitar. The techs usually do a fine job but Frank is a perfectionist when it comes to this kind of stuff.

“Can I have some?” the guitarist questions, eyeing my water bottle as he sets his favorite guitar back on the stand.

“There’s water in the ice chest for you guys,” I answer motioning towards a big silver tub full of iced down water bottles.

“But I want yours,” Frank whines, sticking his tongue out at me.

“You’re such a child Frank,” I answer back continuing to lean against a few boxes that are backstage. He isn’t getting any of my water.

“Makayla, please,” the guitarist continues to whine, moving closer to me.

“No,” I giggle back, moving my bottle away as he reaches for it.

Frank pouts, jumping around as I continue to move the water bottle away from his reach. I laugh at his efforts. It’d be so much easier for him to just get a bottle out of the bucket.

Suddenly the guitarist launches himself at me, causing the water bottle to go flying out of my hand, the both of us landing with a thunk. Frank ends up on top of me. The two of us break into a fit of laughter as a few boxes tip over, spilling My Chemical Romance shirts out on the floor.

Ray, who is done tuning, comes over to see what the commotion is. He rolls his eyes at us but is wearing a smile. “The two of you combined are about as mature as a five year old.”

“I’m the three year old!” I announce, trying to flip Frank off the top of me.

“No, you’re the younger one,” he huffs back, still refusing to move.

“Get off me!” I squirm around.

“Admit you’re the two year old!”

“Never!” I giggle back before attacking Frank’s armpits.

He lets out a high-pitched squeak before rolling away from me.

About halfway through the set Frank runs off stage, a panicked look in his eyes. The other guys carry the rest of the song as Frank begins to fumble with his favorite guitar. I quickly squat down next to him, taking his guitar from him and handing him another. He has to be out there. Ray can carry the song but it doesn’t sound the same without Frank.

“The string broke,” Frank says as I shove him back towards the stage.

“I’ll fix it.”

Plopping down next to the guitar cart I pull out a box of strings and begin to fix the broken one on Frank’s guitar. I’m surprised that the tech didn’t pick up on this when he was tuning it earlier. Maybe Frank broke it from thrashing around like he always doe. Either way it’s a quick fix. I have it done by the time the next song is over. The guitar still can’t be used for the rest of the set though. It would need to be sound checked again and that just isn’t possible.

Despite the guitar debacle, the rest of the show goes off without a hitch. I’m pulling into a group hug as everyone hurries off stage. Mikey holds me a little longer than everyone else, his eyes kind of watery.

“Everything okay Mikes?” I question him, as he continues to hold me at arms length.

“I love you very much Mak.”

“I love you too Mikey. You’re kind of scaring me though. Is everything alright?”

My older brother just beams back at me for a second before nodding. I pull him into another sweaty hug before letting him go join the others who are downing water over by the metal tub. Frank walks over to me, handing over a bottle. I take it, and press the cold plastic to my forehead.

“Thanks for fixing my guitar,” Frank says with a cheery smile.

“Anytime dude. What happened?”

“I think I just hit it right and it snapped or something. I don’t really know. Everything was fine when I checked it.”

“Good thing you’ve got more than one guitar.”

“Yeah. Weird how the guitar you brought ended up on my stand,” Frank says pulling a cherry red Gibson off the rolling cart. It was the first every guitar I’d been given.

“I guess whoever unloaded just assumed it was yours,” I shrug as Frank begins to fiddle with my guitar, strumming out a few cords of Helena.

“You should keep it in the bus so that you can play.”

I sling the guitar over me, sliding it around so that it’s across my back. Together we head towards the bus. The guys have about an hour before the first signing event. That gives them just enough time to eat quickly and maybe change so that they don’t smell as terrible when they meet fans.

“What’re you going to do while we’re signing?” Gerard asks as he pops open a can of beer. He offers me one and I take it. I’m still really worried about my brother but he seems to be doing okay today.

“Maybe sleep. I might try and clean up a little bit,” I answer with a yawn. My hangover is mostly gone but my head still hurts just a little.

My older brother nods as the rest of the guys begin to get ready to meet fans. Just another day on tour.

Notes

I love you all so much that I wrote you another chapter lol. I hope you enjoy it :)