Another Hospital Stay
Chapter 17
“This is definitely the best night of my entire fucking night!” Leena screamed. She had slipped her arm around my waist halfway though the guys’ set and was jumping up and down like a maniac.
“Leena, hon, calm down. You don’t want the guys to think you’re mental now, do you?” Val asks her from where she was standing calmly next to me, bobbing her head and tapping her foot in time to the music.
“I don’t care what they think about me. Hell, look at all those losers in the mosh pit. They look crazier than I do. So, therefore, I don’t give a damn. Is that guy trying to grab Gerard’s boy parts? He is! Eww.” She made a face. Suddenly, she stops jumping and squints against the bright stage lights. “Is that Shane down there in the pit? It is! Fucker told me he was sick!” She started muttering stuff under her breath and from the few words that I caught, they weren’t very nice.
I glance over at Val, raising an eyebrow as if to ask who the hell Shane was. Val rolled her eyes and mouthed the word, ‘Boyfriend.’
I nod and glance back into the crowd, squinting my eyes against the lights to try and make out Leena’s boyfriend. I feel Val nudge me and point to a tall guy standing directly in front of where Gerard was standing at the moment, his arm wrapped around a girl.
At that moment, an idea suddenly popped into my head. Grinning, I turn to Val and whisper something in her ear. She pulls away and nods, grinning mischievously. “Let’s do it. You think Gerard’ll agree to do it?” I shrug, glance over at Gerard and instantly knew he would.
“I think so. He was impressed with Leena earlier, why wouldn’t he not let her?” I point out. I motion for Gerard to come over to where we were standing. He tells the crowd he needed to fix something and approached us. Leena had no clue what was going on, since she had walked away towards the stage door after seeing Shane with another girl.
“What do you want?” Gerard asks, gratefully taking the towel Val offered him and wiped his face cautiously so not to ruin his makeup.
I quickly explain to him what had happened moments earlier and he, fortunately agreed with me.
“Yeah, just let me tell the guys. I’m sure Frank and Ray won’t mind having another guitarist. Run to the dressing room and grab Frank’s spare guitar.” He turned and strode back onstage, grinning. “Hey, guys!” he yells into the microphone towards the crowd. “You all like surprises? I can’t hear you!” There was a roar from the crowd and Gerard smiles. He walks over to Frank and whispers into his ear. Frank nods and walks over to Ray and tells him what Gerard had just said. Ray agrees and I bolt towards the dressing room, grabbing Frank’s guitar.
Running back, I shove it into Leena’s hands and tell her to warm up. Fast.
“Why? Frank’s better.”
“Just trust me and warm up, now! Hurry up!” I head back to where Val was standing in the wings.
“What did she say?” Val asks, staring out on the stage where the guys were playing, ‘Drowning Lessons.’
“Nothing. Actually, she was trying to play Twenty-One Questions with me. Holy shit! Frank just fell onto Bob! Did you see that? He has more energy that the other guys.”
I didn’t say anymore as I watched Frank attempt to disentangle himself from Bob. He sent him an apologetic smile as he grabbed his guitar and strode back to his spot. “That was interesting. So, is she getting ready?” I nod and smile when Gerard yelled into the microphone,
“And here we go! You guys ready for this? I want to introduce you all to one of my good friends. LEENA! Now, we normally don’t do this, but she’ll be joining our friends here, Frank and Ray for this one song. Leena, come out here!”
“What the fuck is he talking about, Alexia?” Leena shrieks into my ear, clutching my shoulder.
“Surprise!” I say, shrugging. “Now, go get your revenge and get that boyfriend jealous. And you owe me. Just kidding. Oh, and you’re playing ‘Thank You for the Venom.’”
I push her away and onto the stage, making her squint once again because of the lights. I nudge Val and nod in the direction of Shane, who was staring at Leena, his mouth hanging open. We both look at each other and burst out laughing.
“Leena, hon, calm down. You don’t want the guys to think you’re mental now, do you?” Val asks her from where she was standing calmly next to me, bobbing her head and tapping her foot in time to the music.
“I don’t care what they think about me. Hell, look at all those losers in the mosh pit. They look crazier than I do. So, therefore, I don’t give a damn. Is that guy trying to grab Gerard’s boy parts? He is! Eww.” She made a face. Suddenly, she stops jumping and squints against the bright stage lights. “Is that Shane down there in the pit? It is! Fucker told me he was sick!” She started muttering stuff under her breath and from the few words that I caught, they weren’t very nice.
I glance over at Val, raising an eyebrow as if to ask who the hell Shane was. Val rolled her eyes and mouthed the word, ‘Boyfriend.’
I nod and glance back into the crowd, squinting my eyes against the lights to try and make out Leena’s boyfriend. I feel Val nudge me and point to a tall guy standing directly in front of where Gerard was standing at the moment, his arm wrapped around a girl.
At that moment, an idea suddenly popped into my head. Grinning, I turn to Val and whisper something in her ear. She pulls away and nods, grinning mischievously. “Let’s do it. You think Gerard’ll agree to do it?” I shrug, glance over at Gerard and instantly knew he would.
“I think so. He was impressed with Leena earlier, why wouldn’t he not let her?” I point out. I motion for Gerard to come over to where we were standing. He tells the crowd he needed to fix something and approached us. Leena had no clue what was going on, since she had walked away towards the stage door after seeing Shane with another girl.
“What do you want?” Gerard asks, gratefully taking the towel Val offered him and wiped his face cautiously so not to ruin his makeup.
I quickly explain to him what had happened moments earlier and he, fortunately agreed with me.
“Yeah, just let me tell the guys. I’m sure Frank and Ray won’t mind having another guitarist. Run to the dressing room and grab Frank’s spare guitar.” He turned and strode back onstage, grinning. “Hey, guys!” he yells into the microphone towards the crowd. “You all like surprises? I can’t hear you!” There was a roar from the crowd and Gerard smiles. He walks over to Frank and whispers into his ear. Frank nods and walks over to Ray and tells him what Gerard had just said. Ray agrees and I bolt towards the dressing room, grabbing Frank’s guitar.
Running back, I shove it into Leena’s hands and tell her to warm up. Fast.
“Why? Frank’s better.”
“Just trust me and warm up, now! Hurry up!” I head back to where Val was standing in the wings.
“What did she say?” Val asks, staring out on the stage where the guys were playing, ‘Drowning Lessons.’
“Nothing. Actually, she was trying to play Twenty-One Questions with me. Holy shit! Frank just fell onto Bob! Did you see that? He has more energy that the other guys.”
I didn’t say anymore as I watched Frank attempt to disentangle himself from Bob. He sent him an apologetic smile as he grabbed his guitar and strode back to his spot. “That was interesting. So, is she getting ready?” I nod and smile when Gerard yelled into the microphone,
“And here we go! You guys ready for this? I want to introduce you all to one of my good friends. LEENA! Now, we normally don’t do this, but she’ll be joining our friends here, Frank and Ray for this one song. Leena, come out here!”
“What the fuck is he talking about, Alexia?” Leena shrieks into my ear, clutching my shoulder.
“Surprise!” I say, shrugging. “Now, go get your revenge and get that boyfriend jealous. And you owe me. Just kidding. Oh, and you’re playing ‘Thank You for the Venom.’”
I push her away and onto the stage, making her squint once again because of the lights. I nudge Val and nod in the direction of Shane, who was staring at Leena, his mouth hanging open. We both look at each other and burst out laughing.