Harder Than You Know

Nightmare’s POV

I climbed off the sink to open the door. “Max I don’t think we fit in here.” He laughed “Follow me!” He took me to our bunks. The girls door locks and theirs doesn’t. He closed and locked it behind him. “Nightmare I want us to be friends.” I looked at him “I thought we were friends Max.” He chuckled. “No I mean best friends. I think you are the best person I’ve met in forever. You are a female me.” I laughed at that one. “What so you are a bitch?” He tackled me and sat on me. “Take it back Nightmare or so help me I will….” I groaned “Ok! Uncle. Get the fuck off me.” We stayed laying on the bed laughing. “Nightmare I really want to know what the problem is with New Jersey.” Damn the tears are forming again. I had to think about something that would piss me off. Think about boarding school. Oh hell that just reminds me of Frankie. I didn’t even realize when the tears started all I know is Max was wiping them away with the end of his shirt. He looked concerned. “Come on girly, best buds tell each other shit.” I looked out the window next to my bunk “Fine! My Chemical Romance is in New Jersey.” He looked at me with so many questions in his eyes “And that is a problem why?” I looked at him and realized the entire world didn’t know my past. “Max I am Gerard Way’s ex girlfriend. We made the news for what felt like ever. That is why we stopped touring.” He looked at me sadly and said to hold on. He jumped down off the bunk and out the door.

I was lying on the bed thinking how much I hated going there again when Max came in with two glasses and a bottle of Jack. He locked the door and climbed back up on my bunk pouring each of us a glass. “Better. Now tell me what happened.” I clinked glasses with him and drank deeply of the amber burning liquid. “I was nineteen when I met Gerard. It was hell I don’t know. I wouldn’t say love at first sight but maybe lust.” Max grinned “Hey, we’ve all been there.” I slugged him in the arm. “No shit? Well Gerard and I dated for a year and I was staying at Frank Iero’s house with him. I went to school with Frank so when school was out I stayed with his family. So I’d known him forever. My parents never cared so long as I wasn’t bothering them. Or embarrassing them with my looks. I lived with Frank and his family for five years. That’s how I met Gee. Anyway, when we both turned nineteen it turned sexual. Well everyone thought we were the king and queen of rock. Our bands toured together and Gee was a heavy drinker. I mean bad heavy. I was so in love with him I couldn’t stand to leave him. He always told me he loves me. Hell he told anyone that would listen he was going to marry me. I fell for it hook line and sinker. We moved in together, I came home from rehearsal early one evening. He didn’t expect me back for another two hours. I walked into the house and the TV was blaring so I headed upstairs thinking he was in the shower. I opened our bedroom door and Lyn-z was ridding him like a starved animal. I just stood there staring. Gee finally noticed me and went sheet white. I grabbed my phone charger and ran to Frank’s house. Within a week Lyn-z was living in my house and I was staying with Frank and Vengeance.” Max looked wide eyed at me “What did you say? Vengeance lived with Frank.” I blushed. SHIT! Me and my big fucking mouth. “Uhm, yeah. That’s another story. So Lyn-z’s band became the new opening band for MCR. Dysfunctional Family toured with Avenged Sevenfold. Our paths only crossed a couple of times. We had been on the road for almost a year. When we got home to Jersey I didn’t know where to call home. I felt stuck. Frankie made me stay with him and ….er anyway. We had been back for about three weeks when Gee showed up drunk off his ass. Claiming to love me more than he ever did. I took him home to Lyn-z and found her in bed with one of our stage hands. Yep Dysfunctional Family’s stage hand was doing exactly what Lyn-z was doing to Gee a year before.” Max laughed “I guess she got just what she gives.” We both laughed. I continued “I took Gee back to Frank’s and we called Mikey. He brought the rest of the band with him and Vengeance called Sunshine and Angel. We sobered Gee up. He stayed clean. He was so different. Loving and romantic and so damn funny. I loved him so much that when he asked me to get back with him I did.” I looked down and the tears started again. “During a concert in LA Gee pulled me onto stage with him and asked me to marry him. I said yes. We were happy as hell for the next six months. We were onstage in New Mexico when I spun around and Gee was standing right fucking there making out with none other than fucking Lyn-z. I lost it Max. I ran from the stage and Lyn-z and I were rolling all around and bashing each other’s faces into the ground. Gee was fucking laughing at us. Frank and Mikey were pulling us apart. Frank and Vengeance were fighting too. So Vengeance and I got a place in Vegas and the other girls followed a few weeks later. We didn’t finish the tour and Patrick told me I completely killed our band. Now you know my fucked up life story. Happy now?”
Max smiled and hugged me tightly, “Nope! I do know what will make us both happy.” I looked at him like he lost his mind “What?” He grabbed my hand and said for me to wait. He told the bus driver to stop in the next town. When we did he dragged me off the bus with everyone following close behind. I looked up “A tattoo shop?” Max grinned “Ok, girls get Escape The Fate and we get Dysfunctional Family.” We all laughed. Vengeance said “And where am I going to put this tattoo???” Max laughed “On your ass babe!” She slugged him. “Try again. If you want to see my ass just ask. No ink on the ass!”The two of them agreed on her hip. His would be on his collar bone. Craig’s would be on his Chest. Brian’s on his hand. Robert’s on his wrist. Angel’s on her ankle. Sunshine’s on her ankle as well. Mine was on my lower back. When we were all done I thanked Max. He was right. I was in a better place. I almost got my MCR tattoo removed but though it was part of what I am today so I left it.