Iero Fiasco

“Wake up.” Tray says shaking Jess and Molly, “We’re here.”
“Marf.” Jess grumbles as the three of them clamber out of the taxi in San Francisco. They had just gone through a six hour flight then airport customs followed by a forty-five minute taxi ride.
They grabbed their bags out of the trunk of the car and headed into the building where five tour buses were parked outside. In the lobby of the building they headed up to the front desk where a couple of security guards were seated.
“Hey, we’re Warped Battery, for the Vampire Tour.” Tray says since she was the most awake; Jess and Molly were about to fall asleep standing up and everything.
“Third floor.” One of the security guards says pointing to the elevators to their right.
“Thank you.” Tray says, then leads her semi-conscious band mates.

Molly yawns and rubs her eyes as the elevator starts to move.
“I’m not wearing eyeliner.” She says randomly.
“Hey what do you know.” Jess says looking over at the bassist, “They’ll see your eyes for once.” Tray laughs along, but Molly just grunts.
“I hate my eyes without eyeliner.”

The door open and they’re confronted with a secretary’s desk and a few guys in their early twenties sitting on waiting room chairs asleep. I guess they too felt that it was way too early in the morning. Molly recognized them as the three piece band Capacity from New York. They must’ve been suffering from the three hour time difference too.

“Molly!” Jess yelps from the corridor into the next hallway. Molly stops spacing out and follows her band mates down the hallway. They go into a board meeting room.
“Hello.” A man in his early thirties says shaking each of their hands in turn, “I’m Mike Warson, we talked on the phone.” The three women nod, too tired to speak. Warson picks up a piece of paper and looks it over, “We’ve got five bands on this tour including yourselves.”
“I thought there would be more.” Molly says looking around the room hoping to see a table with a coffee pot but doesn’t.
“Yeah, but a few bands dropped out so-“ he trails off, “Anyway, since you’re only three you’ll be sharing a tour bus with Capacity.”
“The guys asleep in the waiting room?” Tray asks chuckling.
“Yep, that’s them.” Mike says nodding, “They were just waiting for you.”
“Oh now I feel loved.” Molly laughs.
“You should, they were really keen on meeting you.” Mike says chuckling, “Anyway, they have the keys for the bus so you can just wait in the buses now, we’re only waiting for one more band to arrive before the buses take off.”
“Thanks.” The women say at once as they head into the waiting room.

“Should we wake them up?” Jess whispers as they look over the three guys.
“I don’t know, we could always use them as sex toys if they’re heavy sleepers.”
“I have a boyfriend.” Tray says rolling her eyes, “And so do you!”
“I was kidding.” Molly defends herself.

The guy with short brown hair, in a green CBGB shirt squints his eyes open then sits up.
“Hi I’m Paul.” He says standing up, “From Capacity.”
“Yeah, we know.” Molly says shaking his hand, “I’m Molly.” He nods.
“I’m Jess.”
“I’m Tray.”
“Uhh right, so did they tell you our bands would be sharing a bus?” he asks calmly. They nod, “You alright with that?”
“We have no problem with playing with the boys.” Molly jokes, Paul laughs then nudges awake his band mates.

“Warped Battery’s here.” He mumbles to them, the bassist and drummer wake up and grumble a bit as they stand up. After further introductions to Corey (bass) and Durban (drums) they all head outside to where the buses are parked.
“We get the red one.” Durban points out. They climb into the bus and like reflex they all head towards the six bunks in the back of the bus.

Molly lies in her bunk but finds it hard to fall back asleep. She feels her cell phone in her back pocket so she decides to call Frank up. It rings a couple of times.
“Hey Mols.” He says groggily.
“Hey, did I wake you up?” Molly asks worriedly.
“Yeah, but its okay, Mikey would’ve woken me up in a few minutes anyway.” He laughs lightly.
“So you’re on tour already?”
“Yep, just lying here on the tour bus.” Frank says calmly.
“I’m so tired.” Molly moans.
“Then sleep.”
“Not working out so well.” She says lightly.
“I’ll sing you to sleep then.” Frank says smugly. He thinks for a moment of what to sing then clears his throat, “I sit alone on my tour bus, staring at the walls, I’ve been up all damn night long, my pulse is speeding, my love is yearning.” Molly can’t help but laugh into the phone. “I hold my breath and close my eyes and dream about her, cause she’s 2000 light years away.” Frank felt quite clever at this moment, he knew Green Day was one of her favorite bands, she had even told him the first songs she learnt on guitar were Green Day’s.
“Well you do know a way to a girl’s heart.” Molly laughs lightly as not to wake everyone up.
“I try.” He says smoothly. Molly feels Jess kick her bunk from bellow.
“I gotta go now.” She says softly, “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Alright, bye.” She hangs up the phone.

They spend the entire morning sleeping on the tour bus then they’re driven to their first show of the Vampire Tour right outside the San Francisco city limits. Capacity and Warped Battery clamber out of the bus and head into the small building connected to the outdoor stage. Warson is there to great them and points them to their dressing rooms, Capacity had to share their changing room with a band called the Burnouts, but it was bigger than the one assigned to Warped Battery.

Warped Battery sits on the couch and turn on the TV in the cramped changing room. They were supplied with chips and soda though. Molly gets up and digs through the cooler.
“Fuck, I knew they’d do this.” Molly says rolling her eyes.
“What?” Jess asks.
“No coolers.” She mumbles, “That’s another reason why Canada is better, younger drinking age.”
“Honestly.” Jess comments with her signature eye roll.
“I’m going to see if Capacity or something is willing to spare a bottle.” Molly says as she heads out of the dressing room and down the hall to where Capacity is supposedly staying she passes, The Burnouts, Fridge Magnets but stops when she reads the paper on one of the doors which say MCR. It couldn’t be.

She knocks on the door and waits anxiously and to her delight Mikey Way opens the door.
“Holy Shit Molly, what are you doing here?” he laughs then turns around, “Frank!”
“My band’s on this tour, what the hell are you doing here?” Suddenly Frank comes out of the washroom.
“Molly!” he exclaims as he runs up to her and hugs her, “You didn’t tell me you were on the Vampire Tour.”
“You didn’t tell me you were on it either.” She says still hugging, “I just saw MCR written on the door.”

“Alright, who drank all the soda!” Gerard demands.
“They didn’t give us any.” Mikey informs.
“Oh,” Molly says parting from Frank, “They filled our dressing room with soda, go ahead help yourself.”
“Thanks.” Gerard says heading out the door to find the Warped Battery dressing room.
“Mind if I take a couple of strawberry coolers?” Molly asks the other members.
“Go ahead.” Ray says shrugging. Molly plucks three bottles of the bright red liquid out of the cooler of ice then she and Frank head down the hallway slowly.

“You cut your hair.” He comments as he touches a strand of her now chin-length hair.
“I always cut my hair at the beginning of touring,” she explains, “Showers aren’t exactly consistent, so I figure this way it less of me to get dirty. Easier up-keep.”
“And you’re not wearing eyeliner, I’ve never seen you with out eyeliner.” Molly blushes at this.
“I completely forgot to put some on this morning, transferring flights, long taxi rides and argh.” She says frazzled.
“You have really pretty eyes.” Frank says smoothly. Molly rolls her supposedly pretty eyes, “I’m serious.”
“Okay.” She sighs.

They walk into the dressing room to find Gerard talking casually with Jess, explaining the touring circumstances.
“Aren’t you lucky.” Jess says to Molly. She just smiles meekly at the fact Frank’s arm was around her waist. Molly goes and places the bottles on the counter and pulls the cap off her own before taking a long drink. When Tray comes out of the washroom she also takes a cooler.

“People!” someone yells as they bang on the door. The herd of them, including the contents of the other dressing rooms charge down the hallway and out into the sunlight. Tons of screeching teenagers with wavering arms greet them while begging for autographs. All the members from all the bands start signing everything from shirts to, well in one case an empty jar of maple syrup. Probably because Warped Battery and The Burnouts, are both Canadian bands.

They each play their forty-five minute sets, all the bands watched their fellow bands in a sort of brothership of the vampire tour. They all went back stage to their dressing rooms to shower while the crowds of teenagers left the premises.

“Soccer baseball! Soccer baseball!” Mikey Way yells through the back stage hallway as he banged on all the doors, “C’mon you fuckers, soccer baseball!” Within a matter of minutes everyone was out in what was the mosh pit making teams.
“I take Frank.” Gerard says, he was first team captain.
“I take Durban.” Hank from the Burnouts calls.
“Molly!” Frank calls.
“Jess!” Durban calls next. And it continued like that till all twenty people from all five bands are split into two teams.

Whilst being at third base, her boyfriend at second, Molly gets ready to make the mad dash home as Gerard gets ready to kick off. As the ball repels off the lead singer’s foot she runs like the wind to home base then goes to sit on the side, Frank joins her seconds later.
“Awe, can we play too?” someone asks from behind them. They both turn around; Molly can’t make out who the three people are since its so dark out.
“Hey, I didn’t know you guys were coming.” Frank says standing up and gives them each a sort of half hug.
“You played great, as always.” The man with black hair says, “And so did you Miss Molly Fiasco.” She recognized the voice, so she squinted in the darkness and recognized his face too, along with those of his companions.
“You’re Billie Joe Armstrong.” She says in half-awe and half shock that he just complimented her band.
“Why yes I am.” He says grinning.
“I’m a huge admirer of Green Day.” She says to the three men.
“Careful there, you might make your boyfriend jealous.” the one and only Tre Cool states. Frank just laughs.
“So can we play or what?” Mike Dirnt asks sort of hopping in place.
“Yeah, of course.” Frank says as Gerard runs up to them.
“Hey, it’s great to see you again.” He says hugging Billie.
“Man, you reek.” Billie Joe laughs, “To tell you the truth I missed the smell of Way after a show.” Gerard laughs.

Mike and Tre left to go kick off leaving Gerard, Frank and Molly with Billie Joe.
“You guys didn’t tell us you’d be in town.” Billie Joe says, “We only found out because Dan from Fridge Magnets called all excited that he’d be touring with you guys.”
“Uhh sorry.” Gerard laughs, “Fridge Magnets are signed on Adeline?”
“Yeah,” Billie nods, “Signed them two years ago.” He turns to Molly and Frank, “So is Warson okay with you two being together on tour and everything?” Apparently Warson could be a real drill sergeant about touring.
“He doesn’t know.” Frank laughs, “But he can’t afford to lose anymore bands on this tour.”
“I remember we were going to touring with The Donnas and Tre was with erm, I can’t remember her name but they ended up transferring them to headline Lollapalooza.”
“Bummer.” Molly says kicking at the gravel on the ground.

At the end of the game, Gerard’s team wins but ten points.
“YEEEHAAA!” Tre yelps as he jumps on Mike Dirnt’s back. Their antics are so contagious that everyone starts horsing around and “riding” each other. All the bands were in their own way psyched out that Green Day was actually hanging out with them, and actually came to watch them play the gig.

“Buses people!” Warson yelled, “Gather round here first.” Green Day had left minutes prier. The bands gathered around Warson to hear what he had to say, “The buses will drive through the night to get you to San Diego for morning.” He explains, “Everyone go to your buses and get some rest. I’d also like to take this time to remind you that you got lucky today, this place has showers.” This all seemed pretty repetitive to the members of My Chemical Romance who’d been on similar tours many times before, “But as in the past you could go a whole week without even seeing a shower so when you do come across one, for the love of god take one!” the members of the bands let out a small laugh, “And yes, on this tour there are members of the opposite sex, please restrain from doing each other.” He looks specifically at Frank and Molly, “But if you can’t get a room, no one wants to walk in on it.” Everyone laughs a bit before parting to their separate buses.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” Molly says as Frank holds her close.
“Yep.” Frank laughs, as he kisses her lips lovingly.