Nancy Boy

The next time I woke up, the bus was dead quiet, which told me that there was no one there... Because Taking Back Sunday, unlike normal bands, couldn’t be quiet for more that five minutes.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the pleasant aroma of the bus. Since it was still early in the tour, well, being day one... The bus smelled of clean laundry and a dash of the Axe cologne that they used. I smiled, knowing that in a week, the bus would adopt a rather raunchy “tour” smell... Something a person got used to, but never looked forward to.

I jumped off the bunk and looked around for my luggage---which wasn’t there... I guess Adam didn’t think to grab it, although, he did grab my camera.

“Whatever,” I muttered out loud before going into Adam’s bag and pulling out his tightest pants and a white undershirt. I then grabbed one of Fred’s belts, this one was a white studded one that I had bought him for Christmas last year.

I then did something you’re really not supposed to do... I hopped in the on-bus shower. Now, it’s okay to use, but there’s this unwritten tour law that you only use the shower if it’s an emergency, and usually that means not until about 3 weeks into the tour. But, I knew they wouldn’t mind too much, as long as I didn’t make a habit of it.

After showering, I quickly towel-dried my hair and put on some eyeliner and mascara before getting the rest of my clothes on.

When I left the small, cramped shower stall and entered into the main compartment of the bus, I noticed a backstage pass on the table with a note from Adam. It was brief and just told me that the pass was for me, as they had already entered the venue.

I gave a final stretch before pulling my iPod out of the jeans I’d worn the day before and putting the earbuds in. Grabbing the pass, I bounced of the bus, listening to Nancy Boy, singing the lyrics out loud and dancing across the parking lot as I made my way to the VIP entrance, camera around my neck.

I sang even as I went up to security, getting an odd look from the guard as I flashed my pass. He gave a nod before I continued on, “Does his makeup in his room, douse himself with cheap perfume. Eyeholes in a paper bag, greatest lay I ever had. Kind of guy who mates for life, gotta help him find a wife, we're a couple, when our bodies double! And it all breaks down at the role reversal, got the muse in my head she's universal, spinnin' me round she's coming over me. And it all breaks down at the first rehearsal, got the muse in my head she's universal, spinnin' me round she's coming over me!”

Someone grabbed me from behind, causing me to jump slightly, I spun around to see Parker, “Jesus I’ve missed you!” he said, hugging me. “You alright?”

I shrugged, “I’m fine...”

He rose a brow, tilting his head at me... “You smell like you’ve got a secret...” he playfully sniffed my shirt. “Like perhaps you’ve kissed a certain frontman?”

My job dropped, “How the fuck---”

He smiled, “I know everything... Your secret’s safe with me...”

Frank came up behind him. “Plus, Parker and I saw you kiss Brian earlier,” he said with a smirk. “Lucky for you, you’re my best friend and I’m pissed at Gerard, so I’m not going to tell him shit, even though he asked me to spy on you,” Frank said with a devilish grin.

I could feel the anger rising in my veins, boiling my blood, “He did what!?” I demanded to know in a growl that made both Parker and Frank cringe.

Frank went pale and started rambling on, “Well, he’s just mad and worried, but I don’t think he’s reacting correctly to any of this, even though now you really are with a guy 15 years older than you... he doesn’t know that and you weren’t when he started all of this and---”

“He asked you to fucking spy on me!?” I asked in another growl.

“Yeah...” Frank said in a reluctant whisper.

I shook my head and huffed angrily, “That asshole!” I pushed past the both of them and stormed off to find Gerard, seething mad. Finally, I spotted him backstage, drinking a cup of tea. All the bands were hanging out there, as Julien-K played onstage and the boys in Placebo got ready to go on next.

“Come to apologize?” he asked, looking up from his conversation with Chester from Linkin Park, a smug smile on his face like the fucking know it all he thinks he is.

I saw Brian give a concerned look, as if he knew someone was about to be murdered. “Apologize?” I asked in an insanely calm and faux cheery voice. I whacked the tea out of his hand, watching the cup fly and the tea spill every where. He stood there stunned as I tilted my head and smiled, “Is that an apology enough for you?” I asked before slapping him in the face for the second time in two days. “Stay out of my fucking life Gerard! Don’t fucking try and get our friends, my best fucking friend to spy on me!” I yelled.

“Keep your voice down,” he said in a calm manner.

“No!” I yelled. “If you don’t want me to cause a fucking scene in front of all these bands, why don’t you try not acting like an asshole! Jesus Gerard, you’re so fucking afraid I’ll fuck up, you’re so concerned because I’m your ‘younger sister’ but I fucknig act much more mature than you!” I yelled before turning on my heel and starting to walk out. Halfway to the door I turned back around, “Leave me alone,” I said one last time before exiting the building.

I walked over to one of the outside bars and requested a frozen strawberry margarita with extra tequila. The guy didn’t bother checking my ID, something I’ve learned a while ago... If you have a backstage pass, you can get anything you want. He gave me the tall plastic souvenir cup filled with liquor and I slid him a twenty, telling him to keep the $9 in change... Fuck it, Gee was paying anyhow.

I sat down on bench and started drinking my margarita and people watching for a bit before feeling someone touch my shoulder, expecting it to be Gerard, I growled, “What do you want?”

“Easy there...” Brian’s voice said softly.

I looked to my side to see him in a hoodie covering his face and big black sunglasses. I laughed slightly, “Wow, are you serious?”

He shrugged, “It would be hard to have a serious conversation while people are swarming us, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, but these kids aren’t idiots, look they’re already sizing you up to figure out what band you’re in,” I said, nodding to a group of teens. “You’re trying to blend in so hard, you’re sticking out... Who the hell wears so many clothes?” I asked laughing.

He frowned before taking my hand and leading me to a VIP only area, it was a fenced off grassy area about fifteen feet below the festival grounds with tables and chairs. To get to it, you could either walk down a flight of stairs, or take an underground tunnel from the backstage to it... That’s how the bands got around unseen.

“Happy?” he asked, taking off the sweatshirt and sunglasses.

“I’ll be you are... It’s way too hot for that...” I smirked.

“Yeah, it is...” he said with a sweet laugh. “So...” he said, pausing to take a sip of my margarita, “what happened back there?” he asked, nudging me in the shoulder.

“What happened is my brother is asking people to spy on me for him,” I said, feeling angry again. “I wanted to rip his throat out... but instead I got myself more liquor, just to spite him.”

Brian rose a brow, “That’s your plan? Get drunk out back where he can’t even see you? Why not just ignore him, act like everything’s fine... Or... flash me in the middle of our set... Either one would be very effective,” he said with a devious smile.

I grinned and pressed my lips to his, “I could do both...” I laughed. “You know what?” I said with a smirk before pulling off my t-shirt so I was wearing only my jeans and my pink bra with black polka-dots, “Fuck it... It’s hot... I’m going to walk around like this all fucking day, see how Gee’s spies react to that!” I smirked.

“Um, okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme, Ash,” Brian laughed. “Let’s not rile him up too much in one day...”

Someone cleared their throat behind me. We turned around to see Ville Valo standing behind me, “First of all, thanks for saying hi to me after so long...”

I jumped up and hugged him, “Oh, sorry! Hey Ville...”

“Second of all,” he said returning the hug, looking at Brian, “try to stop her from walking around in her bra all day, all you want... She’ll never listen... Once she says she’s going to do something, there’s nothing you can do to stop her... Begging doesn’t work, neither does force,” he laughed.

“Did Gerard ask you to spy on me too?” I asked suddenly with narrowed eyes.

“I’m pleading the fifth on that one, kiddo,” he said with an innocent smile.

I sighed, “Jesus fucking Christ... He’s relentless...”

“He thinks you two are going to fuck like rabbits,” Ville said with a shrug. “So he sends the guy you’ve made out with to come watch you... I don’t understand his flipping logic sometimes, Ash,” he said with a laugh.

“Oh... you two dated?” Brian asked, nonchalantly.

“No,” I said way too quickly before calmly taking another sip of my margarita.

“Wow, someone is on edge today...” Ville noted, raising a brow. He then looked at Brian, “Uh... dude... I think Julien-K is almost through with their set... You should get going...”

“Shit,” Brian mumbled before heading for a door on what appeared to be a wall under the fence for the festival grounds. headed for the back stage.

Ville looked over at me, “So... I heard about what happened... Do you want to talk about it?”

I felt my heart sink. “No, Ville... I don’t,” I muttered. “If I wanted to talk, you would’ve heard about it years ago, right?”

“Sorry,” he said softly before offering me an arm as he got up to walk into the tunnel and head for the backstage area as well.

I shook my head and smiled slightly, “No thanks, I’m going to go scheme and by that I mean, walk around topless and piss off my brother...”

Ville shook his head. “You’re asking for trouble, love... but whatever creams your twinkie,” he said, stealing the line Parker and I often used. I giggled slightly, watching him disappear before running up the stairs, ready for some fun.