Bleeding, Just For The Attention

[Elise]

“Haha, you’re so screwed” i laughed at Shane, who sat opposite, holding a playing card against his head, as i took a card out of the deck and placed it against my head.

He stuck his tongue out at me. “No way, you’re the screwed one!”

“You both have 2’s. His is clubs and yours is hearts.” Davie said from across the room.

“Way to ruin our game Davie!” Shane threw the deck of cards at him, and they flew across the room.

“Guys, they actually gave us a room backstage this time, let’s not make a mess.” Steve scolded, staring at me.

“What are you looking at me for?”

“No reason.” He looked over at Davie.

“They’re just cards.” Shane said, glaring at the two of them.

Davie gave him a dirty look and went back to his magazine.

“Come on Elise, let’s go get changed.” Shane grabbed my wrist and started dragging me away.

“Not with you. You’re a boyyyyy.” I giggled. “You’ll be watching me change and that’s naughty.”

Shane stopped.

“What?”

“I wouldn’t watch you change.” He said quietly.

I frowned. “Should I be insulted?”

“No. No, that’s not what i meant. I wouldn’t watch you change because... I’m gay.”

“Oh is that it? Okay then. Come on, we’re on in 20.”
I started pulling him towards the change room.

“what do you mean that’s it?”

“Well, that’s it. You’re you. Doesn’t change very much at all.” I said, closing the door behind me.

“Really?”

“Yeah, why were you so scared to tell me?”

He rubbed his arm self consciously. “Well Davie found out and he... he didn’t take it too well.”

“Aw, Shane I’m sorry. Do you want me to go talk to him for you?” I started to put on my pin-striped pants.

“No i wouldn’t ask that of you. I know the two of you don’t get along.”

Thanks to my lack of any sort of coordination or balance whatsoever, i began to fall backwards, and Shane rushed over and caught me just before i fell.

“Well gay or not, you’ll always be my knight in shining armour. And my best friend.”

“And you better not forget you said that next time i steal your jeans.” He helped me get both legs into my pants before setting my upright again. “Now come on, we have a show to do!”

Halfway through our set there was a giant crash of thunder, audible over all of the noise, then the power went out.
The manager of the place manager to somehow get on stage, in the dark, with a megaphone, or a really loud voice, and told the crowd that the power would be back on in a few minutes.
I decided that due to my habit of falling over things that i could already see, I would stay exactly where I was, between the microphone and Davie’s keyboard.
Which is why when somebody tapped me on the shoulder, i hit the neck of my guitar on the mike stand, making it crash to the floor.

“Shit! Shane is that you?” I whispered.

“Yes.” He whispered back. “Why are we whispering?”

“Why’d you tap me on the shoulder?” i turned towards where his voice seemed to be coming from.

“Well i just went backstage, and there’s somebody there.”

“Of course there’s going to be somebody there, we’re not the only ones playing here tonight you know.”

“No, I mean somebody. All of the bands are still out back smoking before their sets.
This was just the one person.”

“How did you know it was just one person if the power’s out? Actually, how did you even get backstage?”

“I used echolocation. Like a bat!” he said dramatically.

“Right.”

Shane can be very creepy in the dark

“There’s little emergency lights everywhere. Can’t you see them?”

There’s lights? Really should get my eyes checked.

“And besides, I heard him talking on his phone.” He continued.

“You sure it wasn’t two people? Or one crazy person?” I asked.

“Yes I’m sure. And the fact that they mentioned the band, a livejournal comment and they sounded like Pete Wentz had nothing to do with it.”

“No fucking way.” I went to grab Shane just as the lights went back on, revealing that Shane was in fact, beside me.

“You really need to get your hearing checked too.” Shane laughed, going back to his side of stage, leaving me standing next to Davie.

“Well now that the power’s back.” Davie spoke into the microphone. “I’d like to introduce our next song, it’s called You, Me and the Bathroom floor.”

We swung straight back into playing and I looked out into the crowd, searching the faces like I normally did.
Except normally I didn’t see Pete Wentz standing by the emergency exit. I saw his face lit up by the light of his sidekick, as he typed something in, and i nearly missed my cue for backing vocals.

That will get us signed

He looked back up from his sidekick and smiled. The rest of the set seemed to just fly by, and suddenly we were out the back, packing our gear back into Steve’s van.

“Let’s hear it for random blackouts!” Shane said, shoving his bass in.

“And livejournal comments!” I added, slamming the door shut.

We headed back inside to the bar, where Davie’s currentfuckbuddy, i mean, girlfriend was working. Davie and Steve both bought a drink while Shane and I went to look for a spare booth to sit in.
After walking past 3 booths full of already-drunk patrons, we came towards the back corner, where the booths were almost in total darkness but for the small red lamps hanging from the roof.

“Hello you two. What did you do with the rest of The Broken?” a voice came from the darkest of the booths.

I went closer, trying to see who it was.
Shane, of course, got it straight away.

“Pete Wentz?” he asked.

“Yes. Come sit with me.”
I heard him pat the cushioned seats. A dull thump.

“Uh... oka-“ Davie and Steve arrived with the drinks.

“Who are you...” Davie trailed off. “Pete Wentz?”

“Yes.” He sighed. “You going to sit down or not? I have a proposition for you.”