Another Hospital Stay
Chapter 16
“Hey, that’s not a bad idea.” Gerard says, grinning.
“GERARD! I’m not joking. Quit messing around, I’m serious,” Frank says, struggling to get up. “I’m feeling better now.”
“Sure you are. You’re just annoyed because we like her playing better.” Mikey says, practicing his bass, and looking over at Frank.
“If that’s what you call it, then it’s true. So, Frank is not getting replaced, got it?” Ray says, looking annoyed. “Gerard, are you even going to warm up your voice?”
“Oh, yeah, I knew there was something I needed to do. I’m gonna be over there,” Gerard says, motioning to some random place before heading that way and disappearing in that direction. A few minutes later, I hear someone singing the song from Peter Pan.
“Is he singing that one song from Peter Pan,” I ask, grinning. Ray nods and Leena, Val, and I look at each other before bursting out laughing.
“He was Peter Pan when we were in elementary school,” Mikey explains, grinning and practicing his bass. “He was really good, too.”
“Ah, that explains it. So, what did you do?” I ask, sitting down on a couch next to Ray.
“Nothing. So, you leaving for Belleville tomorrow, right?” Mikey asks, sitting down on a bench across from Ray and I. I nod and he looks over at Ray. “We should just take her with us. Seeing as how we’re heading that way anyway.”
“Good idea. You wanna ride with us? And don’t worry, we’ll have the tour bus with us this time, not the van. Well, what do you say?” Ray asks, leaning his head back against the couch.
“You guys won’t mind?” I ask tentatively.
“Frank! Do you mind if we take Alexia tomorrow with us to Belleville, since she’s heading that way anyway,” Mikey calls out to Frank, who, along with Gerard, was doing jumping jacks.
Frank stops jumping and wipes his forehead with his hand. Nodding, he replies, “Nope. Don’t mind. What about you, Gerard?” he asks, before resuming his jumping jacks.
“Fine with me.” I smile broadly and then look over at Mikey quizzically.
“Umm….what are they doing?” I ask, motioning in the direction of Frank and Gerard.
“Jumping jacks. That’s what they always do before a show for some odd reason,” Mikey replies, fiddling with his bass.
“My Chemical Romance, you’re on in five minutes,” a guy with a headset and a clipboard warned when he poked his head into the room.
Gerard and Frank automatically stop with their jumping jacks and start walking around the room, taking deep breaths. Turning to look at Mikey, I ask, “Hey, Mikey, aren’t you nervous? You seem calm.”
Smiling, Mikey replies, “I’m fine. I just think about something other than us going out in front of a lot of people.”
“You should have seen him at our first show. There weren’t that many people. And he was drunk.” Gerard says, walking over to his brother and ruffling his hair.
“Dude, all of us were drunk,” Ray remarks, standing near the door.
“Enough talk, more play,” Frank says, grabbing his guitar and pulling the strap over his shoulder, heading towards the door.
“GERARD! I’m not joking. Quit messing around, I’m serious,” Frank says, struggling to get up. “I’m feeling better now.”
“Sure you are. You’re just annoyed because we like her playing better.” Mikey says, practicing his bass, and looking over at Frank.
“If that’s what you call it, then it’s true. So, Frank is not getting replaced, got it?” Ray says, looking annoyed. “Gerard, are you even going to warm up your voice?”
“Oh, yeah, I knew there was something I needed to do. I’m gonna be over there,” Gerard says, motioning to some random place before heading that way and disappearing in that direction. A few minutes later, I hear someone singing the song from Peter Pan.
“Is he singing that one song from Peter Pan,” I ask, grinning. Ray nods and Leena, Val, and I look at each other before bursting out laughing.
“He was Peter Pan when we were in elementary school,” Mikey explains, grinning and practicing his bass. “He was really good, too.”
“Ah, that explains it. So, what did you do?” I ask, sitting down on a couch next to Ray.
“Nothing. So, you leaving for Belleville tomorrow, right?” Mikey asks, sitting down on a bench across from Ray and I. I nod and he looks over at Ray. “We should just take her with us. Seeing as how we’re heading that way anyway.”
“Good idea. You wanna ride with us? And don’t worry, we’ll have the tour bus with us this time, not the van. Well, what do you say?” Ray asks, leaning his head back against the couch.
“You guys won’t mind?” I ask tentatively.
“Frank! Do you mind if we take Alexia tomorrow with us to Belleville, since she’s heading that way anyway,” Mikey calls out to Frank, who, along with Gerard, was doing jumping jacks.
Frank stops jumping and wipes his forehead with his hand. Nodding, he replies, “Nope. Don’t mind. What about you, Gerard?” he asks, before resuming his jumping jacks.
“Fine with me.” I smile broadly and then look over at Mikey quizzically.
“Umm….what are they doing?” I ask, motioning in the direction of Frank and Gerard.
“Jumping jacks. That’s what they always do before a show for some odd reason,” Mikey replies, fiddling with his bass.
“My Chemical Romance, you’re on in five minutes,” a guy with a headset and a clipboard warned when he poked his head into the room.
Gerard and Frank automatically stop with their jumping jacks and start walking around the room, taking deep breaths. Turning to look at Mikey, I ask, “Hey, Mikey, aren’t you nervous? You seem calm.”
Smiling, Mikey replies, “I’m fine. I just think about something other than us going out in front of a lot of people.”
“You should have seen him at our first show. There weren’t that many people. And he was drunk.” Gerard says, walking over to his brother and ruffling his hair.
“Dude, all of us were drunk,” Ray remarks, standing near the door.
“Enough talk, more play,” Frank says, grabbing his guitar and pulling the strap over his shoulder, heading towards the door.