The Monster War Tour
A tribute
Mikey rose early the next morning, not tired in the slightest, and left the caravan. He knew Gerard had forbidden him for leaving the caravan on his own, but it was already light and he could hear the voices of other people talking and meeting across the camp. He didn't have a strict plan of where he was going, just wandering, but then after a few minutes he decided to try and find Pete Wentz. He paused when he heard a girl shouting a little distance away, and, looking up, saw a teenager standing with Billie Joe Armstrong.
"Jess, just take it off!" Billie was urging, looking extremely worried, and Mikey realised the other man standing with them was clad in the uniform of the Controlled.
"No, I won't!" The girl, presumedly called Jess argued, clutching at the silky patterned brown scarf around her neck, "It was my Grandpa's!"
"And Blue was my first ever electric guitar,"Billie said softly, "Please, Jess, give it up."
"NO!" Jess shrieked, stepping backwards, "I don't why that fucking tincan wants it anyway!"
"It has an odour of tobacco, which is a banned substance on this camp." The Controlled informed her robotically.
"Love is a banned substance in this shit hole!" Jess spat. She screamed and Mikey looked away quickly as the Controlled pulled out a knife and slashed her across the face. It plucked the scarf off her writhing body on the floor and marched away. Mikey walked on quickly.
When Alexa woke up that morning, she found herself on top of Brian's chest. She blinked, having no memory of falling asleep there.
"Fair enough," She said to herself, sliding off him onto the floor, relieved to find herself fully clothed. She stood up and crossed to the small, grimy window. She saw someone walk past, in the near distance. She squinted.
"Ooh it's Mikey!" She squealed. Caitlin, who was under the table, woke up with a start and banged her head on said table. Alexa sped to the door and opened it, jumping down the steps on the grass.
"Mikey!" She called, "Mikey Way!"
He stopped and looked round at her, a scared expression on his face.
"Mikey!" She called again, "Come here! Please!"
He began to walk begrudgingly towards her, looking as if it was against his better judgement, his hands in his pockets. By this time, Caitlin had appeared behind Alexa and was looking intently at Mikey.
"Yes?" He said.
"I'm Alexa," Alexa introduced herself, "I was just wondering if you're alright. You know, cause this place is horrible and stuff... and being a My Chem fan, just you know... caring about you..." She trailed off, and Mikey was quite touched. He smiled.
"I'm okay thank you Alexa. I'm just trying to find Pete Wentz." He looked pale and shaken.
"You don't look alright," Said Alexa, while Caitlin remained silent, "What's happened?"
He lowered his voice, and unable he was telling them this, said,
"I just saw a girl get slashed across the face because she wouldn't give her scarf to one of the Controlled. She was with Billie Joe Armstrong." Caitlin felt sick. She was sure of whom she had seen with Green Day the day before. This must have shown on her face, because Mikey turned to her and said,
"What? Did you know her?"
"Yeah," Caitlin said quietly, "Her name is Jess. I do know her. She goes to... went to my school."
"I'm sorry," Mikey began, but Caitlin put up her hand.
"No, don't be sorry. You have no reason to be."
"Sorry for what?" Brian staggered into view, clutching his head, "Urgh, I have a hangover and I don't see how that is possible since there is no alcohol in the whole camp." He leaned heavily against the door frame. "So anyway," He continued, "What shouldn't-" He looked at Mikey properly, "- Mikey Way be sorry for?"
"A girl we knew, Jess, was attacked by a Controlled." Alexa explained.
"What?" Gasped another voice, and everyone turned to see Claire stood behind Brian.
"She's alive," Mikey added quickly for Claire's sake.
"I suppose... some of the people we knew will be dead by now." Claire said quietly.
Nobody had anything they could say to that.
When Charlotte got up, she couldn't find Alex in the caravan. Her heart rate increased- first Nick, now Alex? She pulled on her shoes and ran outside, then heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him. He was rolled into a ball on the dew coated grass, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up, clutching Nick's bass close to his chest. It was quite sweet in a heartbreaking way. She knelt down low beside him and shook his shoulder gently. He stirred, opening his eyes and looking up blearily into Charlotte's face.
"Good morning," She smiled, "Cold?"
"Fuck yeah." He sat up, causing Charlotte to lean upwards, her face centimetres from him. Had he felt like it, he could easily have kissed her. But he didn't, instead pulling down his hood and rubbing his face with his hands. He had been crying. He pushed the bass away gently and stared at it.
"Where is he, Bob?" He asked, his voice hollow. Charlotte swallowed, then put her arms around him, embracing him tenderly. He let himself be held, breathing heavily and trying not to cry again. Deep in his heart he knew that Nick was probably dead. But he couldn't believe it. This time last year, life had been good. He had been happy. And he had been in love. He looked down at the teenager holding him, but quickly dismissed his thoughts. He patted her awkwardly on the back then pulled out of her hug, getting to his feet and walking back to the caravan. Charlotte sighed and touched Nick's bass gingerly. Then she pulled it into her hands, and started to play.
'I'll play it today,' She decided in her head, 'Instead of doing drums.'
This was quite a risk- although she was about as familiar with Nick's bass as she was with the single drum kit with which every drummer was supplied, she had started to be better at drums than at bass. But she wanted to do it. As a tribute. She stopped playing and stood up.
"Heaven help you Nick..." She whispered.
"Jess, just take it off!" Billie was urging, looking extremely worried, and Mikey realised the other man standing with them was clad in the uniform of the Controlled.
"No, I won't!" The girl, presumedly called Jess argued, clutching at the silky patterned brown scarf around her neck, "It was my Grandpa's!"
"And Blue was my first ever electric guitar,"Billie said softly, "Please, Jess, give it up."
"NO!" Jess shrieked, stepping backwards, "I don't why that fucking tincan wants it anyway!"
"It has an odour of tobacco, which is a banned substance on this camp." The Controlled informed her robotically.
"Love is a banned substance in this shit hole!" Jess spat. She screamed and Mikey looked away quickly as the Controlled pulled out a knife and slashed her across the face. It plucked the scarf off her writhing body on the floor and marched away. Mikey walked on quickly.
When Alexa woke up that morning, she found herself on top of Brian's chest. She blinked, having no memory of falling asleep there.
"Fair enough," She said to herself, sliding off him onto the floor, relieved to find herself fully clothed. She stood up and crossed to the small, grimy window. She saw someone walk past, in the near distance. She squinted.
"Ooh it's Mikey!" She squealed. Caitlin, who was under the table, woke up with a start and banged her head on said table. Alexa sped to the door and opened it, jumping down the steps on the grass.
"Mikey!" She called, "Mikey Way!"
He stopped and looked round at her, a scared expression on his face.
"Mikey!" She called again, "Come here! Please!"
He began to walk begrudgingly towards her, looking as if it was against his better judgement, his hands in his pockets. By this time, Caitlin had appeared behind Alexa and was looking intently at Mikey.
"Yes?" He said.
"I'm Alexa," Alexa introduced herself, "I was just wondering if you're alright. You know, cause this place is horrible and stuff... and being a My Chem fan, just you know... caring about you..." She trailed off, and Mikey was quite touched. He smiled.
"I'm okay thank you Alexa. I'm just trying to find Pete Wentz." He looked pale and shaken.
"You don't look alright," Said Alexa, while Caitlin remained silent, "What's happened?"
He lowered his voice, and unable he was telling them this, said,
"I just saw a girl get slashed across the face because she wouldn't give her scarf to one of the Controlled. She was with Billie Joe Armstrong." Caitlin felt sick. She was sure of whom she had seen with Green Day the day before. This must have shown on her face, because Mikey turned to her and said,
"What? Did you know her?"
"Yeah," Caitlin said quietly, "Her name is Jess. I do know her. She goes to... went to my school."
"I'm sorry," Mikey began, but Caitlin put up her hand.
"No, don't be sorry. You have no reason to be."
"Sorry for what?" Brian staggered into view, clutching his head, "Urgh, I have a hangover and I don't see how that is possible since there is no alcohol in the whole camp." He leaned heavily against the door frame. "So anyway," He continued, "What shouldn't-" He looked at Mikey properly, "- Mikey Way be sorry for?"
"A girl we knew, Jess, was attacked by a Controlled." Alexa explained.
"What?" Gasped another voice, and everyone turned to see Claire stood behind Brian.
"She's alive," Mikey added quickly for Claire's sake.
"I suppose... some of the people we knew will be dead by now." Claire said quietly.
Nobody had anything they could say to that.
When Charlotte got up, she couldn't find Alex in the caravan. Her heart rate increased- first Nick, now Alex? She pulled on her shoes and ran outside, then heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him. He was rolled into a ball on the dew coated grass, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up, clutching Nick's bass close to his chest. It was quite sweet in a heartbreaking way. She knelt down low beside him and shook his shoulder gently. He stirred, opening his eyes and looking up blearily into Charlotte's face.
"Good morning," She smiled, "Cold?"
"Fuck yeah." He sat up, causing Charlotte to lean upwards, her face centimetres from him. Had he felt like it, he could easily have kissed her. But he didn't, instead pulling down his hood and rubbing his face with his hands. He had been crying. He pushed the bass away gently and stared at it.
"Where is he, Bob?" He asked, his voice hollow. Charlotte swallowed, then put her arms around him, embracing him tenderly. He let himself be held, breathing heavily and trying not to cry again. Deep in his heart he knew that Nick was probably dead. But he couldn't believe it. This time last year, life had been good. He had been happy. And he had been in love. He looked down at the teenager holding him, but quickly dismissed his thoughts. He patted her awkwardly on the back then pulled out of her hug, getting to his feet and walking back to the caravan. Charlotte sighed and touched Nick's bass gingerly. Then she pulled it into her hands, and started to play.
'I'll play it today,' She decided in her head, 'Instead of doing drums.'
This was quite a risk- although she was about as familiar with Nick's bass as she was with the single drum kit with which every drummer was supplied, she had started to be better at drums than at bass. But she wanted to do it. As a tribute. She stopped playing and stood up.
"Heaven help you Nick..." She whispered.