Life on the Murder Scene

As per usual the merch tent is packed. There are kids on every side of us, shoving various objects at the guys. I run around behind them trying to keep up with the huge line of the people trying to purchase memorabilia.

“You guys sounded really good tonight,” a guy shouts from the crowd getting claps and yells from the others.

Gerard turns and smiles in the kids general direction, ‘I’m overly medicated.”

Frowning I push my brother out of the way. He’s too drunk to be dealing with fans right now. They don’t deserve to see him like this. Pulling a shirt out of one of the boxes I hand it to the guy, giving him an apologetic smile. The kid smiles widely before disappearing back into the mass of people. Digging into my pocket I pull out the fifteen dollars that the shirt would have cost and shove it into the metal box we’re using as a cash register. Now no one can bitch at me for handing out free merch.

About an hour later Big Worm, the guys ‘body guard’ comes over to help them get through the crowd back to the bus. As we walk I call a taxi service to take us to the hotel. All of us desperately need a shower. The Used played almost last tonight so if we hurry I’ll be able to take a shower before Bert gets there.

“The taxi will be here in like fifteen minutes to take us to the hotel,” I announce as we climb the stairs to the bus.

“Fuck yes,” Mikey replies giving me a smile. The bus has definitely started to smell. Showers are a must. Also sleeping anywhere but the couch tonight will be amazing. It isn’t that the couch isn’t comfortable; I’m just tired of rolling off of it in my sleep.

Gerard grabs a beer. I try my best to ignore him while I shove a few things into my black backpack. Frank gathers up the garbage bags full of the guy’s clothes, putting them at the front of the bus so that we don’t forget them.

“This taxi driver is going to hate us,” he laughs, pulling his t-shirt over his head and shoving it into a bag, Ray follows suit grabbing another and pulling it over his head. Frank stays topless, walking around and throwing various empty paper plates, plastic water bottles, and empty beer cans into a trash bag. I grin knowing this is a habit that he’d picked up from me.

Gerard looks over at Frank for a few minutes, “Put a shirt on. My sister is here.”

Frank smirks, “It’s not anything she hasn’t seen before.”

My face instantly turns tomato red as a slap Frank gently on the shoulder. He can be an ass when he wants to be. Both my older brothers turn to look at me, their eyebrows raised, expecting answers.

“Fuck you Frank Iero,” I say knowing that no matter what I say my brothers aren’t going to believe me. “I was with him when he got the pumpkin on his back.”

Mikey rolls his eyes as a horn sounds outside. We trudge outside, bringing the laundry along with overnight bags. Handing Ray the address I let him sit up front with the driver. Mikey, Gerard and Frank sit in the back and I crawl on top of them. Frank’s arms wrap around my waist acting as a kind of seat belt. My stomach instantly fills with butterflies but I remind myself that nothing can happen. I won’t take the risk of ruining what the guys have created just to take a chance with Frank.

Mikey opens a window to help keep the smell form building up inside the small car. I lay down across the guys, feet propped up on the window ledge. Ray give the driver directions based off of the paper that Bert had handed me earlier in the day. We arrive out front of a white stucco building about fifteen minutes later. Piling out, my older brothers, Frank and I gather up the bags while Ray goes to get our keys. Apparently Bert left our names at the front desk, having called to book a separate room just for the guys and myself.

“I get to shower first!” I declare as we ride the elevator up to the second floor.

“I personally feel like Gerard should go first,” Ray says, “he smells the worst.”

This gets us all to laugh. Gerard stares at himself in the mirror on the celling, too strung out to follow our conversation. I do my best to ignore him. He’s going to be a shit show at this party tonight. I’ve decided that I’m going to get too drunk to notice.

The room is like any other hotel room; two beds, a small dresser with a TV on top of it and a desk shoved in the corner in front of a window. There is a door just inside the entrance that leads to the bathroom. I slip inside of it, shutting it quickly.

“I have to pee,” Frank whines on the other side as I begin to peel off my clothes.

“I’ll yell when you can come in,” I answer back as I start the water and get into the shower, pulling the curtain behind me. “Okay!”

The warm water washes over my body, a brownish puddle forming at my feet as a weeks worth of dirt is washed off. Even after I’ve washed my hair and body twice I stand under the stream of water, enjoying the feeling. Who knows when I’ll get this opportunity again.

“Don’t waste all the hot water,” a voice on the other side of the curtain says.

“Why are you still in here?”

“I like it when you sing. You only sing in the shower.”

I let out a sigh, “Frank….”

“I know,” he grumbles back at me. “We have to think about the band.”

I shut the water off and am handed a towel. I wrap it around myself before getting out and sitting on the floor. My head rests on Frank’s knee as he begins to pull his fingers through my damp hair. I enjoy this. It reminds me of this past year. I got tired of living at home but wasn’t making enough money to get my own place. Frank offered to let me live in his spare room. I’d agreed. We’d gotten close over that year. We’d stay up late and watch stupid movies that they played at the dollar theatre. On nights that I couldn’t sleep he’d let me come lay in his bed while he staid up playing new music for me. It was like living in an alternate universe.

“Are the others still out there?”

Frank shakes his head, “Mikey and Gerard went down to Bert’s room to shower. Ray started on the laundry. He’s expecting to get to wash up once he gets back to the room. Gerard is going to be okay Makayla. He’s incredibly strong.”

“I’m worried this is going to kill him Frank. I’m worried that this is going to destroy Mikey…destroy me. I can’t stand seeing him like this. It makes me want to cry and scream all at the same time. He worries so much about making sure everyone else is okay and that the fans enjoy the show. Gee doesn’t take good enough care of himself.”

The dark haired man nods, before leaning down and laying his lips to my temple. “You should start singing again…not just in the shower.”

As I go to respond there is a banging on the other side of the door; Ray is back. “Stop fucking in there! I want to take a shower!”

Notes

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. School is crazy. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)