Life on the Murder Scene

“Where the hell is Frank with that Pizza,” Bert grumbles as he and Gerard tumble out of the bathroom for the third time within the hour. I’m beginning to think it’s not for just going pee and having private conversations. I have half a mind to ask but am holding my tongue because I’m scared of what the answer might be. I don’t want to have to admit to myself that Gerard is moving from alcohol to something stronger.

“We’re out of cigarettes,” my older brother says from a chair in the corner of the room. He’s holding an empty cigarette package upside down, a deep frown set on his face. He looks like he might cry.

“I’ll call the front desk and ask them to bring some to us,” Bert says going for the phone.

He’s acting like a diva. “Don’t bother. I’ll go across the street and grab some.”

Bert turns to me, looking slightly annoyed. God forbid I save the poor front desk people from having to drop what they’re doing to fulfill another whim of Bert McCracken. He’s already called down twice asking for towels and letting the staff know that their minibar selection wasn’t up to his tastes. “You’ll stay right here. It’s their job to get stuff like this.”

Sighing I stay on the end of the bed. When are Frank and Ray going to be back? I glance at the clock on the wall for what seems like the hundredth time. Getting pizza doesn’t usually take this long. I should have gone with them. What if someone hit the taxi? What if the boys decided to walk and got shot or a car ran over them both? My breathing picks up as scenario after scenario flashes before my eyes. I curl my hands into a fist, digging the nails into my palms. I don’t like being here with just Bert and Gerard. I wish Mikey didn’t insist on sitting with the laundry till it was done. Scenarios of the washer or dryer exploding and killing my brother or the lid closing on Mikey’s head and knocking him out flash before my eyes. I see more images of Frank and Ray getting hurt or in trouble in various ways.

Suddenly, the hotel door is pushed open and Frank and Ray enter the room. I fly off the bed, throwing my arms around both of them, relieved that nothing had happened to either. Ray gently moves away from me, placing the pizza on the table in Bert’s room. I’m left with both arms thrown around Frank’s torso. He’s got his arms curled around me, hands resting on my shoulders.

“Anxiety?” the guitarist whispers in my ear. Goose bumps run down my neck.

I nod, taking a step away from Frank. I’m sure no one is paying attention but I still don’t want Gerard or Mikey, if he survives the laundry room, to see anything and get the wrong impression.

“Why don’t we eat some pizza and see if you can calm down,” Frank offers as Mikey walks through the door. He’s carrying three bags full of now clean clothes with him. I grab a bag and shove it in a corner before moving over to pull out a piece of pizza from the box. Gerard and Bert have disappeared into the bathroom again. The singers have temporarily forgotten about their lack of cigarettes.

“What’re they doing in there,” Mikey questions staring at the closed door.

I shrug, finding a seat on the floor, my back up against the entertainment center. Above me a forgotten game of Call of Duty sits paused. I can hear the music on a constant loop. Ray picks up the remote, handing the other to Frank. The dark haired guitarist shoves the rest of his pizza into his mouth, cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk. I let out a laugh as he waggles his eyebrows at me.

“What time are we going to the party?” Mikey questions, laptop balanced on his legs. He spends a lot of time on the Internet at home and has seemed to miss it while we’ve been on the bus.

“Fantastic question,” Ray answers back, his eyes never leaving the television screen. I hear something explode and Frank throws his hands in the air. Ray frowns, letting his controller fall to the ground. “Fuck.”

Frank giggles a little before getting off the bed and sitting next to me. “I just won,” he whispers. My eyes flick to Ray who has picked his remote up off the ground, beginning to play by himself. When I'm convinced that the man who took me to the hospital isn't genuinely upset about the loss I look back to Frank.

“I’m very proud of you,” I answer back with a small smile. “Play me in chopsticks.”

Frank lets out a groan, “I hate this game. You always win.”

“I have to keep you from getting too big of a head about winning a video game.”

The guitarist sticks his tongue out at me but nonetheless holds both his hands out in front of him, a finger held out on each. I follow suit. He touches my left hand with his and I put out another finger. This goes on for a little. Eventually, like usual, Frank loses. He isn’t very good at this game. I usually play with Mikey; one time we went for an hour before deciding to just call it a tie.

“This game is dumb,” Frank grumbles.

“It’s a game for smart people, I understand why you don’t like it,” I answer with a smirk.

“You’re an asshole,” Frank laughs as Bert and Gerard exit the bathroom.

“Who’s ready to go party?” he giggles.

My hand flies into the air.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Music flows through the two large speakers set up by a table covered in red cups and various bottles of alcohol. I fill up my cup for the fourth time tonight. The bottle slips from my hand, hitting the ground, clear liquid and glass covering the area by my feet. A few of the guys standing around turn to look at me. I give them an awkward apology smile before setting my red cup on the table and bending down the picking up the glass shards.

“Hey, don’t do that you’ll cut up your hands,” one of the guys says, squatting down next to me. I don’t recognize him from any of the bands I’ve seen on the tour so far. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

I frown feeling silly for not being able to handle the simple task of pouring myself a drink. The guy takes my hand and helps me up. He opens another bottle of vodka and pours it into my solo cup. “Do you want it mixed with anything?”

“Diet Coke,” I offer back glancing over my shoulder. Frank has disappeared into the crowd.

“I’m Steven by the way. I’m a roadie. Nice camera.”

My hands instinctively go to the handheld camera that I’d strapped across my body. I’d been videoing the boys dancing around drunkenly, figuring someday someone might find it as funny as I think it is. “I’m Makayla and thanks.”

“What band are you with?”

I take the red cup from him, taking a sip of the liquid before answering, “My Chemical Romance.”

Steven smiles at me reaching for my arm and writing something across it. I drink more, as Bert makes his way over to me. He looks a little fuzzy but I know that’s just cause I’ve had more to drink in the past hour than I have had in the past few months. As Steven releases my arm and turns his back to talk to someone else, I try and disappear into the crowd. This unfortunately does not get me away from Bert. Somehow he appears in front of me, a drunken smile plastered across his face.

“Having fun?”

“A blast,” I answer the rest of my sentence slurring together.

“Are you drunk,” Bert questions, raising and eyebrow.

I blink a few times trying to get the little light orbs that float through my vision to disappear. I shouldn’t have walked away from my group. “No. Have you seen Frank?”

“You’re drunk.” Bert answers back with a laugh.

I let out a frustrated sigh as a band steps onto the makeshift stage. The sound of their guitars overtakes the small space, making it impossible to hear what else Bert is saying. I’m sure it’s not helpful. He looks a lot more drunk that I am. Suddenly I spot Ray and push through the crowd towards him. I catch the toe of my shoe on someone else’s foot and almost stumble to the ground. Ray Toro catches me.

“You alright?”

“Just a little drunk,” I answer with a giggle. I feel a lot better now that I’m with someone that I know. Bert makes me nervous and jumpy. The energy he gives off doesn’t feel right.

I smile as Frank comes into view. He’s walking a little crooked, a big drunk smile plastered across his face. He takes my almost empty cup and replaces it with a full one. The contents spill down the side, running over my hand. I wipe it off on my leg.

“There you are!” Frank exclaims. “I went to get you a drink and then you disappeared. Who wrote on your arm?”

I giggle as he slurs out his words. They all run together in one long sentence. “I won’t remember in the morning so it doesn’t matter. I missed you.”

Frank throws his arm over my shoulder, causing me to stumble a little. Once we’ve steadied ourselves the two of us walk over towards the stage. Mikey is over there and I grab his hand. He gives me a lopsided smile that he only gets when he’s drunk. The three of us jump around to the music, our drink cups lost on the ground.

Much later in the night and after too many drinks to keep track of I’m loaded into a taxi. We’d lost Gerard very early in the night. I’m sure his new best friend Bert is taking care of him.

I try to walk but the world is spinning too fast and I run into a wall. Mikey scoops me up and carries me through the hotel, dropping me onto one of the beds once we're in our room. My older brother takes my shoes off. My fingers fumble with the button on my pants.

“Mak, please leave your pants on,” that’s Mikey.

“They’re uncomfortable,” I whine back.

“She’s fine,” a voice from the other side of the room says. “It’s not like we haven’t seen it on the bus before.”

Finally the button pops open and I slide the skinny jeans down my legs. They get stuck around my feet. I struggle for a minute before giving up. “Mikey!”

My brother lets out a tired sigh before pulling the material over my feet. He covers my legs. Frank’s pullover is lying on the bed and I bring it close to me. I hear a few people shuffling around and then a weight on the bed.

Opening my eyes I see a tattooed arm and smile a little.

“Would you like to cuddle with the real thing?” Frank whispers, moving my hair out of my face.

Nodding I scoot closer to the guitarist. He wraps his arms around me and I fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

Notes

New chapter! I hope you guys enjoy :) Let me know.