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Spin Spin Sugar

Chapter Three : Lucifer In Disguise


Raindrops.

New York City's sidewalks were absolutely wet, water fell on my head and it splashed on my pants. And I ran, I ran to catch the city bus with the bag that contained my life hanging loosely on my shoulder. I guess one thing had to suck. Everything was going just a little too well. But still, I managed to get it on time.

It was something like 5.45am when we slowly approached Kerrang's office. I can still to this very day, remember the faces of all the people around me. Their drained faces, weary from all the emptiness that inhabited them. And they were tired, so tired, I swear, they were vacant. Some of them even looked through the windows, gazes crawling up the sky, wanting to grasp it, hoping that maybe someday, they could fly away. You could see how much they wanted to escape, but mostly, how much they couldn't- all the sadness that killed them, probably way too slowly inside.

It's funny, though, I could see myself doing the exact same thing just a month ago. But now, I felt like I didn't belong in their world anymore. Yeah,I was finally drifting away from all of the heartache.

As if all of this had been just a bad dream and I was finally awake, at last.

I was listening to some My Chemical Romance very loudly, you know, to get in the vibe. I was in love with the song Cemetery Drive and it felt so strange to know I'd be spending my whole summer with these guys. I was the only one smiling in the pool of sadness that filled the city bus.

I made it safe and sound to the office, walking like my life depended on it. I hurried up the stairs until reaching the local 27. I was out of breath and threw myself in the doorway as raindrops dripped down my face. I used my hands to keep me from collapsing.

The rough sound of my gasps interrupted the conversation Todd and Erika were having. They both saw me standing there, ready to drop on the floor.

"Well, well, well! There she is, our little super woman!" Todd merely exclaimed, throwing a sly smile.

"Hi..." I breathed, breathlessly.

"How are you feeling this morning, hm?" He raised an eyebrow. "Ready for the big day, Miss
Lechowski?"

"Oh yes, yes I am!" I swore. "Now more than ever."

He clapped his hands. "Your van is waiting downstairs, in the parking lot. We were supposed to rent a bus but since you'll only be two, we've got this cosy little van with 2 beds in the back."

"Oh I see, who will be joining me?"

"Matsuko. She's our part time receptionist and our best assistant. She'll be in charge to secure the communication between us and take care of all the administration details. Very boring stuff so might as well brace yourself." Todd jaunted towards me and leaned against the doorway, somewhat all serious now. "She'll also be the one driving you everywhere. Cuz I want you to be concentrating on your job very, very hard. You understand me?"

Whoa, and what a crucial look he gave me. Reminding me this was no vacation trip.

I nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes of course! Matsuko seems like a sweet girl."

"Indeed, she is. Anyway, it is time now, Mia." He said, pressing a finger on the tip of my nose.

****

The Departure

- June 18th - 7.30am -


I had just received Erika and Todd's last directives, finally stepping in the soaked parking lot. I could see a blue van in the distance. I approached the vehicle, slowly, groaning at the constant rain that was probably going to transform my hair into a nightmarish jungle. But, there was this girl pressed against the van, holding a transparent umbrella. Smoke escaped the edges and from where I stood, I could already smell the burned tobacco.

"Hey." She told me. Matsuko wore a white beanie and black overalls with a grey tank top underneath. And wow, I couldn't help but marvel at how undoubtedly suave she looked.

"Hey yourself." I replied as I dropped my bag on the floor.

She crushed her cigarette on the pavement with one of her feet. "I know we've met before but my name's Suko, guess we'll be spending our whole summer together."

We shook hands as I grimaced from the intensifying rain. "Y-yeah, it looks like it. I bet you already know my name."

"Oh my god! You poor thing! Look at me standing there with my umbrella! Let's get in the van shall we?" Suko exclaimed, realizing the state I was in, then offered me to place my bags in the trunk.

We both entered the van once the doors were unlocked. And maybe, just maybe, if it hadn't been raining so much, I would've admired the vintage car. But as you know, mother nature was acting like a little bitch.

Anyway, the Westfalia was kitsch and retro, just like in the movies. I was astounded at how cliche, but overly amazing this was. I was sitting on the passenger's seat and immediately turned around to have a look at the back.

"Damn...." I spaced out.

The space was surrounded by orange curtains, giving it a fuzzy gleam. There were 2 mattresses on each side with a bunch of comfy pillows on the floor. Also, a small shelf was hanging on the surface of the trunk, it contained a coffee maker and other kitchen items. There was also a first aid kit and random boxes filled with CDs. A couple of blemish posters were stuck on each wall, some from Warped 2004, while the others were just old Kerrang's printed articles.

"I know, pretty cool right?" Suko stated as she noticed me in awe. "This is the legendary SoHo Van, you have no idea everything this sacred temple has seen." She pointed out the whole area with her widened eyes.

"I can't imagine." I replied as I sat properly on my seat. "Feel like I'm in 1969."

"Yeah, it's pretty rad." Suko chuckled, then abruptly turned around to face me. "Listen, before we go I have a couple of things to tell you. First of all, I'm a poor and helpless cigarette slut, so don't surprise yourself if this little baby gets smoky from time to time, m'kay? Secondly, I'm a terrible driver. And lastly, if we ever catch ourselves singing along, I suggest you block your ears, got it?"

I nodded. "Yeah sure, cool."

Suko lighted her cigarette and winked at me. Fuck, I blushed. How was she so cool? Seriously. I timidly glanced away and secured my seat belt. "D-don't worry, I'm a horrible singer myself..."

Suko laughed out loud just as she inserted the keys in the slot, making the sound of the engine resonate all around us. I felt the ground shaking below my feet. This was it. The van was about to leave, the wheels were about to roll. I was leaving New York. I was leaving my chains and my sadness and my fears. The horror was gone. Suko pressed hard against the pedal, looking at me, a cigarette dangling from her smile.

"This is it, Mia."

And then I watched, I watched the figure of Todd and Erika getting smaller and smaller in the mirror as we quickly parted ways on the surface of the road.

The grey sky covered the aboves.

The voice of the rain was screaming as loud as the ones in my head.

I couldn't believe it.

It felt surreal.

But it was so fucking beautiful
.

****

Okay. So we had been driving for about 1 hour now. Ohio was only two hours away from New York, so I guess this first stop was considered easy. I was in the back, looking through a box of CDs as I laid on one of the beds. Suko was just chain smoking at the front, and she didn't lie when she said she was a terrible driver.

"BLINK-182 YES!" I yelled when my eyes finally spotted their iconic album from 2003.

I heard Suko chuckle. "I guess you found the hidden treasures." She looked at me through the mirror, her black eyes reading my excitement.

"Man, there's just so many stuff, I don't know which one to choose!" I scratched my head, meticulously scanning the pile of CDs in front of me.

"Why don't you play that band we're about to meet?"

"Oh." I leaped. "Y-you mean...My Chemical Romance?"

"Yeah. They fucking rock and the singer's voice's pretty hot! Can't wait to see them." She bragged, still distracted by the road. But the way she said it didn't sound like a fangirl, nah, she was too cool for that.

"M'yeah, kinda anxious 'bout that." I whispered to myself.

I suddenly remembered the weird coincidences I tried so hard not to think about. What if these guys really were the same from the bar? Would they recognize me? But would that make any difference? Would it? I sighed. I had to stop asking myself so many questions, all of which I couldn't answer.

I made my way to the passenger's seat and hopped over the little barrier separating the two sections. I opened my bag to grab the MCR CD that was inside my walkman and switched it in the radio. Then suddenly, Helena started playing. Suko couldn't help but sing along. And again, neither did she lie when she said she was a terrible singer.

I subtly turned the volume up to mask her oh-so-fucking-out-of-tone voice.

We listened to the whole album for the rest of the trip.

***

Suko's Golden Rule

-Colombus, Ohio - Germain Amphitheatre - 10am-


The rain had finally stopped. It took us a bit more than 2 hours to arrive, due to circulation problems. But here we were; Colombus City, where all the madness was about to begin. We found a parking spot near the massive row of buses.

Surprisingly, the place looked already packed. Some wild teenagers ran around in the parking lot, making Suko curse at them, probably too drunk to notice our van.

"Damn lil fuckers! I could just hit them and none of their friends would care!" She grunted.

I laughed at her small annoyance. "Hey, gotta let kids be kids. It's an exciting day for them."

"Yeah, more like an exciting day to die." She sassed.

I looked back at her and rolled my eyes innocently.

Once we stepped out, we both stretched our legs and arms, letting out the ugliest dinosaurs moans you could ever imagine. I'm pretty sure we made a couple of people turned their heads, too. But I didn't care, it felt really really good. So yeah, the sun slowly peeked through the clouds, welcoming the breeze of the early summer. You know, that warm breeze that kisses your skin? Yeah, and it was beautiful. Something like a wind of change blew softly across the place. I could feel it in the air, we could all feel it.

Me and Suko walked to the trunk to grab our bags and other important things she needed.

We were just about to go but Suko grabbed me by the shoulders with a serious expression on her face. "Okay, Mia. First, we need to find Maurice. He'll be the one giving us our VIP passes and other bunch of bullshit we'll need to complete." Damn was she talking fast. "After that, that gives us a bit of time to walk around, maybe grab a bite or a beer, whatever you want really, I don't care. Then we come back here cuz we'll be meeting the boys at 2 pm. Do I need to repeat or?"

I meticulously nodded at every word she said, feeling electric shocks at the bottom of my stomach when she talked about the boys. I was still managing my anxiety pretty well but I knew it'd be a totally different game once 2 pm would creep around the corner. "Nah, sounds good to me. Where you go I follow, Suko."

She smiled. "Alright, let's go then!"

We both started walking towards the hill ahead of us. We could see the big show tents in the distance, they all spread across the field, it was massive and exciting.

I was jogging in front of Suko when I heard my name being called. "Mia-"

I turned around. "Uh yes?"

"Hum... there's something else I gotta tell you." She said, looking preoccupied.

I rushed towards her, wondering what was going on.

"You see..." She paused, sucking on her cigarette.

"What is it, Suko? Tell me." I urged her. She looked confused and it kinda startled me.

"Okay, listen to me, Mia Lechowski. You're young, and you're pretty." Wow. I blushed hard at that. She was fixing me deeper than the deep sea. "For the next 2 months, we'll be spending most of our times with celebrities. There will be a lot of parties, a lot of temptations. The boys will come at you, oh yeah they will. It's very easy to get impressed and lose all common sense. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. But that being said, there is only one rule you need to follow. It is the golden rule for every reporter. Do not fall in love, Mia." Her eyes flared at me, I almost took a step back. "Work and love don't go together. Feelings and overthinking do not go with professionalism. This is the golden rule, Mia. You may tumble or fuck, I don't care. But do NOT fall in love." Suko grabbed my wrists. I swear I was so fucking scared.

"Jesus Suko, it's fine, I get it, I won't fall in love." I assured her as I freed my wrists from her grip, rubbing them gently as I gawked at her.

She flushed. "Sorry for being so intense. But you have to believe me. You're about to step in a world where all of your senses will be stimulated. It's okay to have a little fun here and there, I love partying but, there is a line you must not trace. You understand me?" Her gaze finally softened a little. I didn't know she could have such mood swings.

"Yeah, yeah I swear, I fucking swear it Suko."

Oh mama Mia...


****


What a crazy guy, this Maurice. Though we had to walk in never ending circles for hours just to find him.

Suko was moving so fast, yelling nonsense on the phone as I tried to keep up with her pace. "Mhm yeah, yeah - We arrived an hour ago - Uhuh - I know but wasn't he supposed to be like, standing beside the backstage gate? - Oh, okay... - Well, telling me he's wearing a red shirt doesn't help at all - Okay. Yeah, I know but I can't do that - Yeah, she's with me - Fine - I said fine! - Yeah, I'll keep looking, thank you Erika."

I vaguely listened to her rambling when we finally found Maurice. He was standing beside the left side of the stage, right under a tent. He chit-chatted to a bunch of others punks, sipping god knows what into red plastic cups. Suko just whistled at him from afar and he practically jumped on us.

"MATSUUUKO!" The man exclaimed, his head was shaved and numerous piercings covered his face. Forty looking kinda guy. The background music caused everyone to shout instead of talking.

"Hey Maurice." Suko replied as he leaned in for a quick hug.

"Warped motherfucking tour baby! Ready to smash that fucking stage or what?"

"Yeah, guess it's all happening again. Listen, we need our backstage passes and the contract about the band." Suko urged him, not playing along with his tricks. You could see she wanted to get this over with.

"Oh! Yeah, got you all set darlings." Maurice finally noticed my presence and smirked at me, a little hint of pervertedness sprinkled just on top.

I glanced back, awkwardly, of course.

Maurice walked away and came back a minute after with everything we needed. We grabbed our VIP passes, sliding them around our necks and Suko completed a bunch of official papers.

I watched the crowd around me as I waited for her to finish. Most of the people were wearing black. There were teenagers dancing around, old punks getting wasted, merch guys selling their stuff, groupies freaking out, regular old people looking awkward. It was all there. Also, technicians spoke in earplugs and walkie-talkies, they wandered all around, very hastily. It's like everything was slowly transforming itself into a massive goth circus. And now, long queues drowned every entrance, as well as all the sponsor's tents. It was a busy scene, this I knew.

Good thing we finally had our passes, the backstage area seemed much more interesting.

Suko poked my shoulder. "Okay Mia, we're ready now, all the boring stuff's behind us. But first, we have to put this ticket on our van to let them know we're from Kerrang, cuz they're about to secure the parking lot and they'll throw us out if they think we're just a bunch of fans who wanna creep in."

I nodded.

Me and Suko ran to our van, doing our best not to bump into the endless sea of people.

But I gotta admit, I felt pretty professional with the pass around my neck.

~
Mia Eva Lechowski
Official Reporter
Kerrang! Magazine
VIP ACCESS
WARPED TOUR 2005
~
Yeah, that's what it said.

I bet a lot of people were ready to sell one of their kidneys just to get their hands on that.

And man.

What a sweet, sweet feeling that was.

Crossing to the other side.

****

Meeting The Band

- 1.45pm -


Me and Suko were just chilling in the van.

We had grabbed a couple of beers and tortillas that we silently ate together. But there wasn't much to say, really, because I was a fucking mess. And Suko knew it. Not sure if she knew the reason why, though. But probably. We were 15 minutes away from meeting the band and I swear- oh I swear to god, I had sweat forming at the base of my neck. Oh god. Why was I so freaking stressed out? The simple thought of being face to face with these guys...it gave me the creeps. All the doubts I had, all the questions I had.

"Okay, Mia. Finish your beer cause we need to go."

I almost spluttered all the liquid from my mouth. "Oh, already? Isn't it a bit early?"

"Nah, we're right on time." Suko stood on her feet and put her hands on her hips. "Come on, Mia! It's time to be a journalist, aren't you excited?"

"Yeah, of course. I guess I ju-" I grabbed my forehead, rubbing it viciously. " I just-"

"You're just thinking about the boys and it fucking frightens you, is that it?" She read my mind.

God, I loved her.

"Y-yeah." I blushed.

"I get you, but you'll be fine, I promise. They're just regular people like you and I. Now come on, get up, they're waiting for us!" She urged me as she grabbed my wrists, lifting me from the safe spot I didn't want to leave.

I groaned at her. "Okay, fuck it. Let's go."

"That's more like it." She winked at me as she tugged me along the bus rows.

They were still a lot of people here even though it was backstage. But it was the cool kind of people, easy and laid back. Maybe it'd get worse by nightfall, who knows. But for now, it was fine. We bypassed a couple of buses just before spotting the right one.

"Aw! There it is, good ol' My Chem Bus!" Suko turned around and smiled at me.

But god, I couldn't smile back. It was that fucking thing in my stomach. I wanted to die.

Suko knocked at the door, without any hesitation whatsoever. A few seconds went by just before someone opened it. I wanted to sink in the asphalt.

"Hey! I'm Suko from Kerrang Magazine, I'm here with Mia Lechowski." Suko greeted the man at the door.

And damn, I recognized this man. It was Ray Toro. Ray Fucking Toro. That curly sweetheart! Oh damn! Why was I fangirling so hard now? For christ sake, I was a journalist! A professional. Not a groupie.

Well...maybe I was both. Yeah, I probably was.

Anyway. I cleared my throat in a rough way and took a deep deep breath. This was it. This was it guys.

"Suko! Of course! Come inside ladies!" Ray insisted, smiling widely as he checked us out.

We both followed him.

I watched my feet as they climbed the stairs, concentrating hard not to fall down. The beat of my heart was playing aggressive symphonies in my head. Once at to the top, I could see the inside of the bus. This one was huge, and pretty fancy, but not too much.

The first thing I noticed was the living room area on the right, there was a large couch and a coffee table. Then further in the back, was the micro kitchen, it created a gap from the bed-bunks at the far end. Large windows covered the walls, letting the daylight spread across the whole place.

And of course, there they were.

The 5 of them
.

Well, the 3 of them because I think Bob and Mikey were in the back. But I could see Gerard, Frank and Ray, sitting on the leather couch. It was obvious we'd just interrupted them in the middle of something because crumpled papers covered the floor, as well as empty beer cans. Also, Frank Iero was holding his guitar, as if he'd just finished playing something.

Me and Suko simply stood in front of them. And of course, Suko was the one being all cool and relaxed with her little posing. I, on the other hand, played with my sleeves constantly, I wasn't able to look at them.

"Hey ladies!" A familiar voice said. I slowly lifted my head. It was Frank. Frank Iero.

And there, I recognized it!

Woa. The doubts vanished away, completely, they really did. He was the same guy that I met at the bar. It was him, I knew it. Then I looked at Gerard, who wasn't paying any attention. He was saying something to Ray and they were both laughing.

"Well." Suko stated, her voice was loud and caused all the boys to finally look at her. "Let me have the honour to present you the reporter that will we be spending the rest of the summer with you. Her name is Mia Lechowski and she's a very talented journalist. Don't worry, she doesn't bite, she's just a little shy."

And then, they all stared at me; Gerard, Frank, and Ray. Even Mikey and Bob appeared from the back. Oh bummer. I was being observed by the five members of the band My Chemical Romance and I wasn't doing anything. I wanted to disappear. I didn't know what to do, shit, my face was hot. I even choked on my own breath and the thought of using my mouth to say something was the very cause stopping me from doing so.

"Mia?" Frank suddenly said. "Mia, t-the girl from the bar! It's you, fuck, I recognize you! Oh my god, that's so crazy!" He exclaimed as he stood up.

I couldn't believe he recognized me. "Frank, huh, wow." I mumbled as he hugged me without any warning. He smelled like rock and roll and I blushed.

He slowly let go of me, grinning. "This is amazing, like seriously, what are the odds? I thought I'd never see you again! Hey guys! This is the girl who saved Gerard's ass last month!" He yelled at the others.

Everybody started laughing. Well, except me, and Gerard. But he was watching me, a preoccupied look played across his face as he bit his lower lip. I tried to smile at him but he quickly looked down and grabbed a cigarette. I frowned a little, but ignored it.

Then all the other boys came to greet me. I regained my speaking abilities as we all broke the ice. They were all so friendly and cool. Mikey was a bit distant, though, but nonetheless adorable. We all talked about tonight's show and my future plans for interviews. But I still hadn't talk to Gerard, it's like I was scared to approach him. I couldn't believe this was the same wasted guy I found at the bar, he looked nothing like him.

I peeked an eye on him while I stood between a conversation Frank and Suko were having. Everyone talked loudly but I wasn't paying attention. And gosh, he looked so gorgeous, all concentrated like that. His left hand held a cigarette, which he sometimes dragged a long puff from, and his other hand drew sketches in a note book with a fancy pen. All that while chewing a bubblegum in an animalistic way I've never seen before. His raven locks seemed dirty and messy - but just enough.

I freaking gasped when he noticed me staring. His eyes lifted up and locked in mine. We kept a steady contact for a few seconds.

Gerard then shoved his book on the table. He sucked one last drag of his cigarette- a very long one - just before crushing it in the ashtray. He hesitated a few seconds before standing up, battling with his hair a little. But he eventually did, lazily. I glanced at him anxiously as he sauntered towards me.

The sound of his gum was so loud, I almost cringed.

"Hi." He said quietly. I could smell his breath and it sure didn't feel like he'd been drinking flower tea.
"Hi." I responded, grabbing the back of my pocket pants. We both smiled awkwardly in silence.

"So..." He started. "You're the journalist."

"Yeah."

And man, I couldn't help but notice how tight his clothes were. Also, black eyeliner smudged the corner of his eyes. He looked nothing like the wasted boy I had found last month, his innocence had slipped away, completely. It was buried deep- six feet underground.

"I bet you're all about that sneaky game, huh?" He taunted.

Ooookay, what kind of interrogation was that?
Or was it supposed to be a joke? I could see his hazel eyes lurking at me from head to toe as he vulgarly smacked his bubblegum, he was waiting for my answer.

I frowned but did my best to stay professional. "Uh, no, you're mistaken. I am a rock music journalist, not a paparazzi."

He sighed. "Okay, cool then. I'm Gerard." He tilted his head on the side like he was bored.

His little attitude. I tell you. It wasn't nice. But he looked really hot so I was confused as hell.

"Yeah, I know that. I'm Mia, but you probably know that too, since we met at a bar." I shot at him, hoping to startle him a little.

Gerard waited before speaking again, smiling innocently. "Can't remember, sorry."

Okay, he was lying, and he knew that I knew.

"Yeah well, that's because you were pretty wasted..."

Gerard looked at the ground and chuckled silently. He then turned around and started walking towards the staircase. He put his hands on the rail and gave me one last look before going down. "Pleasure meeting you anyway...Mia Lechowski." He smirked devilishly and disappeared.

I couldn't help but frown again at the ambiguity of his tone. It was charming but arrogant. Like he wanted to twitch something inside of me. Which he was. I secretly wanted to slap him. He was acting like an obnoxious cunt, a freaking gorgeous one, but nonetheless, obnoxious.
I watched him through the window. Gerard just lighted another cigarette as he talked to some chick in the parking lot. Was I really about to spend a whole summer with this guy? Having to interview him, make him open up to me? Really?

Ugh. This already felt like an impossible task.

"Hey Mia, you're okay there?" Suko grabbed my hand. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"A ghost? Nah." I murmured. "The devil, Suko. The fucking devil."

Notes

stay strange

Comments

Yeah! Love your updates.

JackieK JackieK
11/3/19

@mychemaddict
@MotionlessTragedy
I'm trying to be the writer I once was. Its slowly coming back after almost a year.

E___ E___
10/5/18

@Inky Black
I started writing again<3

E___ E___
10/5/18

Ugh this is so good, I need more! One of my absolute favorites.

Inky Black Inky Black
7/31/18

Love This story hope you're still planning on more.