We'll Laugh As We Die
Shocking
It was the first night back on tour. The clouds rolled by quickly as the light mist of rain fell upon the earth. A quiet thunder off in the distance rumbled enough to be noticed. I put my cigarette out and went back inside to get my guitar.
The rest of the guys were getting dressed. Ray was combing his hair. Gerard putting on the last touch of stage makeup. My guitar was leaning against the couch in our dressing room. I picked it up and played a few riffs just as the sound guy came in to tell us we were on in five.
We gathered around for our prep speech, then walked in single file to the stage. The lights dimmed and the crowd started to cheer. I walked out to my side of the stage. My epiphone waiting patiently for me to hold her tight and let her sing. I threw the guitar strap over my shoulder and turned towards the crowd. There was this girl right below me that caught my eye. Dark black, long straight hair. Bangs that were cut evenly across her forehead. She had her hair pulled up into pigtails in those hair ties. The kind with the balls on the ends. It reminded me of the hair ties the little girls use to wear when I was in grade school. Her bright blue eyes looked up at me as she reached her arms out towards me. I smiled at her and she smiled back.
Throughout the show, I found myself always looking back at her. During one of our songs where all the instruments cut out, except for Gerard's voice filling the stadium, I leaned over and grabbed her hand. Girls all around her screamed even louder. This girl however, did not scream, but simply looked back at me with a smile. I felt myself drawn to her somehow. Like there was this power that washed over me and put me in a trance. When we touched, there was this spark. Not the spark you think of like a romantic novel. An actual spark that I saw with my eyes. A shock. I jumped back a little from the few seconds of pain. Maybe it was static of electricity, but I didn't want to keep holding on to find out.
An hour and a half later the lights went out and we walked off stage back to our dressing room. The crowd roared louder. We all gathered back into the room.
"Great job guys." I said patting Gerard on the back.
I dug into my suitcase for some clean clothes and headed straight for the shower. It was so nice to have a place with showers. Some venues didn't have them and we had to wait until we stopped at a hotel or not take one that night.
I turned the water on and waited for it to turn warm. I stepped in, letting the warm water flow over me. It felt nice and I felt my body begin to relax. As I stood in the shower, I found myself thinking about that girl in the front row. Being on tour for many years, I have met many girls in my lifetime. This girl however, is the first girl to keep my attention after I have left the stage.
The water started to get cool, so I washed up quickly and got out. I grabbed my towel and dried my hair. It's getting longer now, almost to my shoulders. I dried off my body and wrapped the towel around my waist. The steam from the shower fogged up the mirrors. I took my hand to wipe off the mirror in front of me and leaned in to look at myself up close.
Staring into my normally hazel eyes, they appeared to be more golden than green. I heard water trickling from the sink next to me, so I turned it off and looked back up. That girl from the front row was standing there behind me. Smiling. Not saying a word. Squeezing my eyes shut and then opening them again, in hopes that I was imagining her there, she still stood there smiling back at me. I felt my heart start to race faster and faster. I spun around looking back and forth and she was gone. No one was there. The shower curtain hung half way opened. Approaching it carefully and slowly, I flung the curtain back like a mad man. Nothing. What is wrong with me? Laughing to myself for being scared at nothing, I turned back around and there she stood in front of me. She startled me so bad I screamed and backed up.
Not realizing how close I was to the ledge of the shower, I tripped backwards and fell inside. I hit my head and all was black.
"Frank! Frank! Are you okay?" Gerard asked helping me up.
"What? What happened?" My head was throbbing and I gently rubbed the back of it.
"I heard you scream and then fall."
"Oh, I must of slipped."
"Yeah, and you hit your head too. You're bleeding. We need to get you checked out." Gerard was always looking out for me. Always there when I needed him.
"Where is she?" I looked around. No one was here but Gerard and I.
"Where is who?"
"That girl with the pigtails?" I asked as I continued to look around.
"Wow, you really hit your head hard. Come on, get dressed. I'm taking you to get your head looked at."
The rest of the guys were getting dressed. Ray was combing his hair. Gerard putting on the last touch of stage makeup. My guitar was leaning against the couch in our dressing room. I picked it up and played a few riffs just as the sound guy came in to tell us we were on in five.
We gathered around for our prep speech, then walked in single file to the stage. The lights dimmed and the crowd started to cheer. I walked out to my side of the stage. My epiphone waiting patiently for me to hold her tight and let her sing. I threw the guitar strap over my shoulder and turned towards the crowd. There was this girl right below me that caught my eye. Dark black, long straight hair. Bangs that were cut evenly across her forehead. She had her hair pulled up into pigtails in those hair ties. The kind with the balls on the ends. It reminded me of the hair ties the little girls use to wear when I was in grade school. Her bright blue eyes looked up at me as she reached her arms out towards me. I smiled at her and she smiled back.
Throughout the show, I found myself always looking back at her. During one of our songs where all the instruments cut out, except for Gerard's voice filling the stadium, I leaned over and grabbed her hand. Girls all around her screamed even louder. This girl however, did not scream, but simply looked back at me with a smile. I felt myself drawn to her somehow. Like there was this power that washed over me and put me in a trance. When we touched, there was this spark. Not the spark you think of like a romantic novel. An actual spark that I saw with my eyes. A shock. I jumped back a little from the few seconds of pain. Maybe it was static of electricity, but I didn't want to keep holding on to find out.
An hour and a half later the lights went out and we walked off stage back to our dressing room. The crowd roared louder. We all gathered back into the room.
"Great job guys." I said patting Gerard on the back.
I dug into my suitcase for some clean clothes and headed straight for the shower. It was so nice to have a place with showers. Some venues didn't have them and we had to wait until we stopped at a hotel or not take one that night.
I turned the water on and waited for it to turn warm. I stepped in, letting the warm water flow over me. It felt nice and I felt my body begin to relax. As I stood in the shower, I found myself thinking about that girl in the front row. Being on tour for many years, I have met many girls in my lifetime. This girl however, is the first girl to keep my attention after I have left the stage.
The water started to get cool, so I washed up quickly and got out. I grabbed my towel and dried my hair. It's getting longer now, almost to my shoulders. I dried off my body and wrapped the towel around my waist. The steam from the shower fogged up the mirrors. I took my hand to wipe off the mirror in front of me and leaned in to look at myself up close.
Staring into my normally hazel eyes, they appeared to be more golden than green. I heard water trickling from the sink next to me, so I turned it off and looked back up. That girl from the front row was standing there behind me. Smiling. Not saying a word. Squeezing my eyes shut and then opening them again, in hopes that I was imagining her there, she still stood there smiling back at me. I felt my heart start to race faster and faster. I spun around looking back and forth and she was gone. No one was there. The shower curtain hung half way opened. Approaching it carefully and slowly, I flung the curtain back like a mad man. Nothing. What is wrong with me? Laughing to myself for being scared at nothing, I turned back around and there she stood in front of me. She startled me so bad I screamed and backed up.
Not realizing how close I was to the ledge of the shower, I tripped backwards and fell inside. I hit my head and all was black.
"Frank! Frank! Are you okay?" Gerard asked helping me up.
"What? What happened?" My head was throbbing and I gently rubbed the back of it.
"I heard you scream and then fall."
"Oh, I must of slipped."
"Yeah, and you hit your head too. You're bleeding. We need to get you checked out." Gerard was always looking out for me. Always there when I needed him.
"Where is she?" I looked around. No one was here but Gerard and I.
"Where is who?"
"That girl with the pigtails?" I asked as I continued to look around.
"Wow, you really hit your head hard. Come on, get dressed. I'm taking you to get your head looked at."