Roxanne

“Rox, get up sleepy head, it’s almost five, five pm. The show starts in an hour and you have to get up.” Duff called, as he gently shook me. Sleepily I opened my eyes.

“What?” I asked as I let out a yawn.

“You have to get up you’ve slept like twenty four hours. The show starts in an hour and in case you forgot you’re coming on stage with us tonight.” He told me as I let out a groan.

“Fine I’ll get up, but I have to change.” I replied as I pushed the covers off of me.

“Okay, I’ll be waiting outside with the others.” He bent down and kissed my forehead lightly before he left the room. After he left I debated about going back to sleep but somehow the better part of me won that debate, I peeled off the stinky clothes that I had fallen asleep in and put on a pair of metallic gold skin tight pants that Axl had got me for something along the lines of my eighteenth or nineteenth birthday and a very low cut black top, I didn’t both to put on a nice pair of shoes or anything I just put on my ancient pair of sneakers that should’ve been buried long ago.

“I can’t believe I’m actually wearing these pants.” I muttered to myself as I walked out of our room.

“Nice pants Rox, where’d you get them?” Axl asked when he spotted me in the pants. He was wearing I’m sorry to say the ugliest thing I had ever seen, they looked like a metallic purple leather pants, he wasn’t wearing a top either, and because of that I was quite sure that plenty of fan girls in the audience would be quite happy.

“My old boyfriend gave them to me after we had sex.” I replied with a laugh, Axl shook his head and let out a chuckle while Duff just rolled his eyes.

“We should head down to the stage guys.” Izzy said as he picked up his guitar then stood up. Axl and Duff both nodded in agreement. I didn’t make any comments on how they looked but they all looked good, especially Izzy and Duff. Izzy was wearing a button up blue and white shirt and a pair of insanely faded jeans. I thought it suited him well. Duff and Slash of course were wearing black leather pants with gloves to match; the only difference was where Slash was wearing a leather jacket over top with a black shirt underneath. Duff was wearing a blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and it fully unbuttoned he also had a red bandana in his hair pushing it back.

“Where’s Steven?” I asked looking around, just noticing that I had yet to see him.

“Oh he’s down at the stage already getting set up.” Duff answered we started walking down to the stage, the walk this time seemed longer, maybe it was or maybe it was just me.

“Okay Rox, just so you know the plan for tonight is we go on as usual perform then about half way through the show Axl walks off and gives the mic to you, Then you come on and apologize that Axl’s such an idiot and you sing Patience, after that Axl comes back on and you leave. We continue the show then at the end you come back on with us for Paradise City. Got it?” Slash explained I hoped to God that I wouldn’t get it, but unfortunately I did get it.

“Yeah I got it.” I replied numbly as Axl let out a chuckle.

“Hey, I’m glad you guys are here, we’re on in five.” Steven said as he opened the door to backstage and we walked in. The guys let out a groan since they had hoped that they could’ve had a beer before they went on.

“Sorry my fault.” I said quietly as Duff let out a chuckle.

“It’s not your fault.” He replied as he put on his bass. “We gotta go, see you on stage.” He added quickly as he kissed my cheek then scampered off after Slash.

“Axl, pull up your pants!” I hollered as he ran off with his pants hanging off his ass

“Yes mother!” He yelled back as he pulled his pants down more. I let out a laugh and took a few steps closer to the stage, I wasn’t paying attention to the song that they were playing but I thought it was Welcome To The Jungle. They kept playing I wasn’t exactly paying attention to the songs they were playing or for how long they were out there until Axl nearly ran me over and threw the mic at me.

“Your turn and remember, have some fun.” He told me with a laugh, “Oh and take your time because I really gotta piss.” He added after a moment, and then shoved me forward. I kept walked until I was in the center of the stage, with thousands of people staring at me.

“Well, it seems that Axl took off, which means that I’ll be replacing him.” I said into the mic, from behind me I heard both Duff and Slash let out groans. “Hopefully though he’ll be back soon security’s after him at the moment, so I guess we’ll all need a little patience.” I took a deep breath as the music began, I could do this, it wasn’t that nerve racking, just yet. From the corner of my eye I thought I saw Duff nod his head, but it might’ve just been my imagination. “Shed a tear ‘cause I’m missing you, I’m still alright to smile.” I sang the rest of the song on cue, or at least pretty damn close and when I was done the crowd cheered and clapped. Sure maybe it wasn’t as loud as when Axl sang but it was still loud. Then the crowd screamed and roared as Axl walked out onto the stage. He waved and gave me a hug before he took the mic from me. I waved once more before I basically ran off the stage. Ok so it wasn’t horrible performing, in fact it was kind of nice, I wouldn’t be able to go on and perform ten or twenty songs every day but one wasn’t too bad. A little while later they walked off the stage, as the crowd screamed and cheered from behind them.

“You were great Rox!” Duff said as he gave me a hug.

“Thanks.” I replied shyly as I pulled away from him.

“You’re coming on stage with us for Paradise City?” Izzy asked as he looked up and down at my outfit. I nodded my head as an answer

“Oh and we’ll have to share a mic, sorry.” Axl said to me apologetically. “Or you can share a mic with Duff if that’s ok; it’s on a stand though.” He added slyly after a moment. Duff and I shared a look before I shrugged.

“Sure we’ll share a mic since Izzy’s got his own.” Duff said looking at me, “not a problem.” Axl’s smile widened, and just because of that I was afraid, normally when he had a smile like that on his face that meant he was up to something. The crowd outside was already starting to quiet down which meant that we’d be going on soon.

“Well they’re starting to calm down, which means that we should probably get out there.” Slash said as he wiped the sweat off his face. Steven and Axl both nodded in agreement as Steven walked onstage to his drum kit and sat down.

“Let’s go.” Izzy said as we followed the rest of them out.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this” I murmured to Izzy and Duff as we walked across the stage.

“I can.” Duff answered with a laugh, “and here we go.” He said as we sang into the mic.

“Axl told me to tell you that you’re singing the whole song with him.” Izzy whispered during the bridge, I tried to hold back a groan with success.

“Just an urchin livin’ under the sea, I’m a hard case fucking tough to beat.” I sang shooting a quick glance at Axl who waved and walked over to me and put his arm around me. Basically we walked around the stage and sang, it wasn’t as horrible as I imagined it to be. We walked off the stage after the song, and I was about ready to throw a brick at Axl.

“Liar, you said you didn’t know all the lyrics.” Duff said as he nudged me in the ribs.

“Oops, I guess I learned them while I was sleeping.” I said with a shrug as Axl laughed.

“Here, have a beer.” Slash said as he handed me a beer then handed Duff one. I opened it and took a sip of it.

“I’m going back to the bus.” Izzy announced, as he took a huge drink of his beer.

“Me too.” I said as Duff looked at me in surprise.

“Well, wherever you go I’m going too.” Duff said as he swung his arm around me.

“We all might as well go up to the bus then.” Axl said then smacked Duff who was slowly moving his hands down my shirt. “Hands off my sister wait until you’re in your room and everyone’s drunk as fuck and asleep.”

“Damn, caught again.” Duff murmured to me as he slipped his arms around my waist and put his head on my shoulder.

“Well we’re going back to the bus, so if y’all want you can stay here.” Steven told us him and the others started walking away. We shrugged before we started following the rest of them.
We didn’t talk much on the way to the bus; I guess we must’ve been too tired to. When we got back the others talked and drank while I slowly sipped my beer and only chipped in every once in a while.

“You look exhausted Rox, maybe you should go to sleep.” Duff said as I struggled to keep my eyes open for the fifth or sixth time in five minutes.

“Maybe, I should go to bed, or maybe you should take me to bed.” I said slyly as I put my head on his shoulder. Izzy let out a chuckle as Duff shook his head and Axl rolled his eyes.

“Maybe I should take you to bed, but as it seems I’m too drunk to walk.” Duff said with a laugh.

“Fine, I’ll go alone because my boyfriend doesn’t care about me.” I said with a fake sob as I stood up, Slash let out a laugh and choked on his vodka he was drinking, Axl slapped his back frantically until Slash countered attacked and slapped Axl across the face. Duff didn’t say anything instead he just watched me, like I was some type of TV show or entertainment.

“Here you can have the rest of it.” I said as I handed my beer to Duff, I was not feeling very good at all. He smiled as he took it but I saw the concern in his eyes.

“Well goodnight all.” I said as I waved to the others, they waved back happy, drunk and very content. Again, I was too tired to even take off my clothes; it took all my strength to take off my shoes. Over the next two weeks that happened several times. Once or twice they’d all go out and I’d stay behind and clean and then eventually fall asleep.