Doctor Death Defying

"I think someone took this from you," Ray said, holding out the case they'd been searching for this entire time. "But I think it might not be the right one. Your guitar appears to be more of a hammer than anything."

Evie was at a loss for words. This was Ray fucking Toro. How was she supposed to reply? Why was he here? Why did he have her guitar case? What the actual fuck was happening. She had one hand clutched around the neck of her guitar, the other still in the air from when she'd been analyzing her cut.

Ray didn't seem too phased, extending the case out to her again with a big lipped smile. "Does this mean I can keep it? Because I peeked and it seemed to have some pretty important stuff in there."

"Uh, no. I'll take it," she stuttered, accepting the case and slowly placing her guitar in it after retrieving her phone and wallet. As she stood again and held the case over her shoulder she couldn't keep herself from speaking again. "I mean this with no offense, but how the fuck... Did you end up with this?"

Apparently, her directness was hilarious because it set Ray laughing, one of his hands shoving those too perfect curly locks out of his face again, a couple stray strands sticking to his sweaty forehead. "I mean, I was watching your set and spotted some kids sneaking off to the side where your stuff was. One of them came out with this. I had to fight the crowd to reach him but I mean, you're welcome.I guess you already have some crazy fans, yeah? Have you been playing long around here?"

This conversation was far too normal for Evie to make heads or tails of it. Like, Ray fucking Toro was talking to her. Did he not realize that? Ray Toro was talking to her and she was being totally uncool. "Um, no... This was actually our first real gig. We play the bar on Shepherd Street every Saturday night though... The manager there hooked us up to be the uh, opening for this band." Again, she was stunned to find that words were actually working as they came out of her mouth. And again, she was going to end up talking too much. "Okay, and like, not to be rude again, but why are you guys here? Aren't you... Like you're Ray Toro right?"

Another chuckle. Geez, was she Louis CK or what?

"We're between albums. Evie, right?"

"How do you even know my name?"

"You said it on stage. 'I'm Evie, we're City Skyline'… Sick name by the way."

"Skylines... City Skylines," she mumbled stupidly.

There was a brief moment where neither of them said anything. Out of habit Evie tucked a hand into her jean pocket only to flinch back when she remembered the cut. The skin pulled and stung at the open wound and she cursed herself for not carrying around at least a band-aid. Maybe she could find a first aid tent somewhere. They might be able to care for her between passed out fan girls, right?

Or maybe not since Ray scooped up her hand, holding it close to inspect it. "That's one wicked cut. I remember doing the same on my guitar once during a show. Pretty cool that you managed to tough it out."

"Yeah, well, it hurts like a bitch but the show must go on. I consider it a battle wound." Evie snorted at her own exaggeration.

"I think we have a first aid kit in the trunk of the car... I can help you clean it up if you want?" Ray's face was so open and inviting. It almost didn't feel like he was actually a huge celebrity but rather just a normal person. Which Evie knew of course that all celebrities were people but it was different knowing who they were on stage and on screen and then in person. Sure, My Chemical Romance was from her town, but there was a solid 10 years between her and most of the members and they had kind of kicked off in fame before she'd had time to ever get to know them. She vaguely remembered going to the Way brother's house as a five-year-old since her brother (or half-brotherfrom her mother's first marriage) had been invited to Mikey's birthday party. He was maybe thirteen at the time and since he didn't want to hang out with her at the party and her mother was too busy chatting with their mom she had slunk off to sit on her own, watching the others play. She couldn't remember who had joined her on the couch but he had showed her comic books and drawn with her and she still had those drawings to that day. They just meant more to her now that MCR was huge. She felt connected to the band despite never really having spoken to the.

Her brother had never kept in touch with Mikey and she hated him for it. But then again, her brother was an interesting character to begin with.

This wasn't the time to be nostalgic though and Evie struggled to keep herself on track. She vaguely remembered nodding and agreeing to follow Ray, feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket and ignoring it as she followed the tall man through the rest of the thinner crowds. The car apparently, was a street down where the foot traffic was less. It felt a lot nicer here in the shade of a building and away from the crushing presence of bodies around her.

Ray popped the trunk to the car and Evie leaned her guitar against the vehicle, taking a seat on the edge as Ray invited her to. He pulled out a small black bag with a red cross emblazoned on the front, unzipping it to pull out a wad of band-aids and an alcohol swab wrapped up in its tiny sachet. "I know the cleaning part is the worst but if you can play on a fucked up finger, this shouldn't be a big deal," Ray warned, waiting for Evie to offer up her hand after he pulled open the alcohol swab packet.

"Ugh, it's gonna suck either way. I don't have the adrenaline rush now," Evie whined, preparing herself for the sting. She winced noticeably as Ray pressed the cold wipe to her finger, still incapable of believing this was happening with Ray fucking Toro. "So, tell me Mr. Toro, are you here alone? Why did you come here?"

"Well, first, you can call me Ray, second, no I'm not alone. We were taking a break from work to visit some family and we heard about the festival here and we're all about listening to new music. And... there, I'm sorry we don't have other band-aids."

Evie observed her ring finger, now wrapped in a batman band-aid and smiled. "Nice handiwork. I'll make sure to be more careful from now on. Did you see any bands you liked? You're missing a good one right now. The people we opened for have sick songs. Like top notch. They used to play Saturday nights at the bar before us but they got signed and their first album is coming out soon. It's a show you don't want to miss." It was true, too. They were called Lighters and they had the sickest guitar player. Evie had almost asked him to join the band but then they'd found Kels and they ended up parting ways.

But Ray seemed disinterested, shaking his head. "Nah, I saw the shows I wanted to see. There were a few good bands this morning that I had an eye on. I had no clue your band was there, though, and I'm impressed. I actually liked it." Ray sat next to her on the back of the truck and Evie felt herself blush, pulling one leg up to rest her arm on, the other dangling down.

"Well, we work hard. We wanted to make an impression. Y'know, in case any rep was in the audience. We want to get out of here. Or, I do at least. But adventures aren't fun alone so I'm glad the girls are there."

"Adventures definitely are great with others. Until you share a tour bus with four other guys and lose all sense of privacy."

Evie laughed, pushing her bangs out of her face and wishing she had a clip. Her hair would be so frizzy by the time she got home. She dropped her head into her knee, shaking her head simultaneously at the incredulity of all this. Ray Toro had watched their show and liked their set.

"Y'know, I've been following your band since you first started shows in Belleville... My brother went to school with you guys. I'm kind of obsessed. And now you're sitting next to me and we're having a normal conversation. I'm pretty much convinced that I'm hallucinating because of dehydration or something."

Her mouth was always one step ahead of her brain and Evie felt herself blush again at the blunt admission that she was a fangirl of theirs. She was, by no means, one of the girls that would jump on them, cry and stalk them like some of the crazy ones she'd seen in her life, but she had listened to their albums on repeat for years. Now she was twenty-six and making casual talk about how she was practically a groupie.

God must have been smiling on her, though, because Ray didn't seem to mind. In fact, he laughed, a belly chuckle that made her look at him with a confused frown. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing! I just... You don't really remember who you are in the industry until these moments. And I'm kind of surprised that you're not like, freaking out, since you claim to be a big fan. I'm just kind of flattered is all. And maybe a little confused.

"Well believe it. I'm not gonna like... Cry or anything. I'm just kind of shocked is all."

"Maybe I should feel insulted that you're not being more hype over this then?" Ray teased to which Evie rolled her eyes.

"Maybe if I was ten years younger."

It seemed like Ray was going to say something else but before he could someone else did. "Ray! Where did you go? We've been looking all over for you!"

Holy shit, take 2.

Notes

Um I literally can't remember half the things I write in the previous chapter
there will be no consistency
there will be no shits to give
I'm going all out with no reservations lmao i'm honestly writing this with the same level of skill and grammar and shits to give as i did when i was 13
it is a liberating experience to not give a shit
as always dedicated to xoxoxox alie rawrsaurus x 10 x3