Life on the *** Scene

The nights and days flew past and before I realized it, August was closing in on it's last two weeks. Everything seemed to be ending too fast. Where had the summer gone? Where did all the cities go? How had I missed so many days by being on a bus for three months?

I didn't want the tour to end. I didn't want to go back to school and deal with idiot kids who would only want to be my friends because Frank Iero was my dad. I wanted to stay on tour with the guys and Jack for the rest of time, rocking out every night and spending time with the people I loved the most every day.

Frank and I hadn't really discussed school yet. We both knew that I didn't want to go back to my old school, despite the fact that all my friends were there, and we both knew that I couldn't be home schooled due to how ADD we both were. So either I was being sent off to boarding school in Wisconsin (neither of us was that trilled with that idea) or I was going to find a local private school and be forced to wear uniforms day in and day out.

But I refused to let myself think about that. I had almost three weeks left of tour. I was turning sixteen within the next ten days. I was going to soak up as much time with Jack as possible before he had to go back to his home town and get fully ready for his first day of school at his impossibly tiny prep-school. I spent every moment I had after a show with him and I was either texting him or calling him at every free moment I had.

Frank was obviously irritated by this, but I refused to let his mood get me down. I was already sad enough that I wouldn't have Jack throughout those last few days before we got back to Jersey, I didn't need him bringing me down to sail on his ship, the S.S. Grumpy Gills, where he was captain and crew.

The guys were also seeming to come down from that tour-high. I could tell they all wanted to get home to their wives, and I couldn't blame them. I didn't even know how Gerard could take a step out of his home in California with how cute Bandit was. I know that I definitely wouldn't want to leave the house if it meant that I wouldn't be able to play with Bandit every day.

And yet somehow they all brought the same energy for every single show. It seemed to be even more insane as we got closer to Jersey. There were more stage antics, more jokes, more banter. I was brought into it many a time and they make jokes and poor Frank's expense about Jack. I would laugh along with the crowd, but when I got on the bus I would give half-hearted scoldings.

Like they actually listened to me anyway.

The last day of the second to last week of tour started as normally as all the others had.

Wake up.

Eat whatever left-overs were in the fridge for breakfast.

Brush teeth.

Nap.

Get ready for show.

Go to show.

I was giving myself up to the crowd. I was part of a bigger thing. I was screaming, jumping, adding to the roar. We were in sync with Frank's almost desperate tempo as he almost seemed to control all of our bodies as he flung his upper body forward and back in the same way that we did. Fists were raised in the air to punctuate the sound. My heart beat matched time with Bob's drum and if I had the chance I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The music was the fuel I lived on.

I was barely paying attention to the songs, I knew the set list. I had helped write it. We had just finished the last song (Mama, definitely my favorite way to end a show) and Frank and Mikey were already unplugging their instruments. But then Ray started playing something I didn't remember suggesting. The chords weren't familiar over the din. I didn't even realize what was happening as two security guards pulled me out of the crowd at Gerard's signal.

As soon as I set foot on stage I finally heard Gerard's voice floating over the crowd.

Happy Birthday to you. Happy fucking Birthday to you...

I practically laughed out loud as I saw Frank cross to the side of the stage. As he was coming back I saw a member of the tech crew carrying a cake that held sixteen candles.

Happy Birthday, Molly fucking Iero. Happy Birthday to you...

Mikey pranced up behind me and placed one of those cheesy plastic tiaras on my head. Gerard grinned as Frank kissed my forehead and handed me a mic.

“So, Molly, how old are you?”

“Gerard, you know that.”

“Well they don't, silly!”

“Well, I'm going to be sixteen,” I paused for a moment as the crowd screamed, “My birthday isn't even for a week!”

“So? Make a wish, Molly! We didn't bring this cake out here just so you could stare at it!”

I looked around me. The guys were looking at me expectantly. The crowd had hushed, as if waiting for me to think. But what more could I want? I had the family I always wanted. I had been on tour all summer. I had a great boyfriend. I just wanted it all to last.

I took a final look at Frank's grinning face before closing my eyes and blowing out all the candles. The crowd roared and I smiled. I heard someone shout, “What'd you wish for?”

Immediately I held up the mic and said, “If I told you, it wouldn't come true!”

Choruses of “aww”s rippled through the sea of bodies. I smiled. “Do you guys really want to know?”

The all screamed in response and I couldn't help but give them what they wanted.

“I wished for...one more song. One more song. One more song!”

The chant rose until it filled the whole stadium. The guys laughed and started hooking up their instruments again. Gerard gave Ray and Frank a look and they both nooded, almost immediately ripping into chords we all knew.

Well let's go back to the middle of the day that starts it all!

I ripped the tiara off my head and threw it in Frank's direction, then did something I'd always wanted to do. I took a running start and dived into the crowd. Hands carried me to the back of the venue and then back towards the stage. Security officers set me down in front of the gate and I just grinned like an idiot. The adrenaline rush was amazing, and I stood alone in front of the thrashing crowd. I was stationary, soaking in the feeling of sheer excitement that radiated from everyone else.

As the show ended I ran out to the parking lot to find Jack. The cool air hit my face and I breathed in deeply, closing my eyes and enjoying the night.

Jack saw me before I saw him, and he grabbed me around the waist and spun me around about four times before putting me back down on the ground.

“That was so amazing! God, I wish I could've done that dive, it was so awesome.”

“It felt awesome. You have to try it next show.”

“Molly, about that-”

Just then his phone went off. He checked the screen and smiled apologetically at me.

“I have to go, but I'll see you later.”

“Alright.”

“Try not to miss me too much.”

“Oh, definitely not.”

He grinned and pecked me on the lips before running off. I missed him already.

I stood out in the cold air for a few minutes more, trying to get my flushed skin to cool down. I probably looked horrible, but I felt amazing. I wanted to do that dive again.

I was in the middle of the third repeat of it in my mind when my phone went off, signaling me back to the bus. I didn't walk too fast. I let my shoes scrape on the ground, getting the feel for the asphalt under the rubber soles. Iliked loved this show. I didn't want to have to leave this city. It was just another stop until the tour ended and I would have to go back to boring school and not see the guys as much. That whole thought process sucked, the action would suck even more.

I climbed onto the bus, still in my funk, when someone threw something at me. I looked down. It was the tiara that Mikey had placed on my head only fifteen minutes ago. I picked it up, then looked towards who had thrown it.

“SURPRISE!!”

The whole bus was covered in streamers. The guys, the driver, and Jack all stood before me, arms out and wiggling their fingers. The cake from the show sat on the counter by the microwave and presents were stacked on the couches.

“Oh my God, guys! You didn't have to have a party all for me!”

“Sweet sixteen is sweet sixteen whether you're on the road or not,” Mikey pronounced, “We had to have a party.”

“Your birthday dress is in the bathroom, go get pretty,” Bob said, and I rushed past him into the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

The purple dress from last year was hung up and a pair of fishnet tights sat on the sink. I wasted no time in pulling off all my sweaty clothes and pulling on the fresh ones, swabbing on some deodorant to make sure I didn't stink, and brushed my hair before messing it up just a little. I slipped my shoes and stepped outside. The guys spared no amount of idiocy by “ooh”ing and “ahh”ing and taking ridiculous amounts of pictures.

“Okay, so do you want us to sing again, do you want to eat cake, or do you want to open presents?” Frank grinned at me and I grinned back.

“Sing, presents, cake. Always save the best for last.” I raised my hands and they all stood straight, coughing and rubbing their throats. After a second or two, I conducted them all through a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday. Then Bob was insisting that I take an envelope from him.

“Bob, I'm going to assume this is from you.”

“Yeah, it is.”

I smiled as I opened the envelope. I pulled a $50 iTunes gift card from the thick paper and hugged the drummer tightly. “Thanks Bobby.”

Frank instantly snapped a photo before Mikey was handing me another gift. I unwrapped it eagerly to find a Japanese version of the “Mikey fucking Way” shirt.

“Mikey! Isn't this yours?”

“Yeah, it was the last one. I want you to have it.”

“Aww, thank you!” I pulled the shirt on over my dress and was handed a new box from Gerard. Inside was an album of candid pictures of the guys and me from the tour. Laughing, smiling, sometimes glaring at someone else.

“I wanted you to remember this tour 'cause it was the best tour we've had.”

“Why is that?”

“'Cause you were here with us.”

The guys “aww”ed and I hugged Gerard while laughing about how cliché it was. Then I turned to look at Frank expectantly, but he just held out empty hands.

“I can't really give you my gift, seeing it's back in Jersey, but I have a picture of it if you want to see.”

“Yesyesyesyes!!” I felt like I was five, and I didn't care that I was in front of the guys or my boyfriend. Frank's gifts were always the best in my mind. He could've given me a rock that he specially painted just for me and I would love it more than anything else I had been given. He handed me a picture and I took it from him, carefully inspecting it. A new, cream-colored bike stood in front of our garage.

“Did you get me a bike!? A bike, THIS AWESOME!?”

“Yep! I knew you'd love it.”

A squeal escaped my lips and I wrapped my arms around Frank's neck in a fierce hug. “This is better than a car!”

The guys laughed and as soon as I let go of Frank I was handed a piece of cake. I went to go sit by Jack and leaned on him contentedly as I allowed him to steal pieces of my slice instead of eating his own. After a minute or so he got up and took my hand, leading me off of the bus. We stood a few feet away, just holding hands in silence.

“Look, Molly, I need to talk to you.”

“Please don't tell me you're breaking up with me, because that would kinda suck.”

“No, I'm not breaking up with you,” Jack laughed, “but this feels like it'll hurt more than that.”

“What's going on?”

“I have to leave to go back to school tomorrow. We have to make sure we get back to Jersey in time and my mom is insisting that I get home early enough that I can get a 'proper' amount of sleep before the first day.”

I found my voice was gone. I thought I had at least another two days to spend with this boy with orange hair. His leaving so soon wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all. He smiled at the upset look on my face as he pulled a chain from around his neck over his head. He unlatched it and let the mica ring that had been hanging on it fall into his palm. He slipped it onto my ring finger and kissed my forehead.

“Through it all we'll find another way to carry on,” he whispered.

“Have I ever told you how much I hate it when people quote songs as if they're normal sentences?”

“I know, but I decided I would anyway.” He wrapped his arms around me and I didn't want to let him go. After minutes that only seemed like seconds, he pulled away. “I have to go back to my hotel, we're leaving in the morning.”

“Casanova...You know I love you, right?”

“I love you too, Mollers.”

He gave me one last kiss and then he was walking away. And I just stood there in the dark night and watched him disappear.

******

First Day of School

Have I ever mentioned that I hate starting school? Especially starting a new school. Especially when this new school was very small and I had to wear a heinously ugly uniform that I could barely look decent in unless I rolled up the waist of the skirt so it didn't hang at my knees and rolled the sleeves of the white button up shirt to my elbows.

I had pulled my hair into messy braids upon waking up, having found that I had barely any time from when I opened my eyes to when I needed to be at school. The only good thing about this new school year was my new My Chemical Romance back pack and my beautiful bike (both provided by my splendiforous, rock god of a father, Frank Iero).

But back to the bad things.

Where as this school was in a good part of town, it was a fifteen minute bike ride from my house to the school. My old school had been maybe a ten minute bike ride. Also, this school barely had a decent bike rack. I was afraid someone was going to steal my baby. And then there were the students.

Oh God, the students.

Obviously they had been raised together in this wonderfully compact and closed neighborhood since birth. I was like an alien. They all stared at me like I was a llama escaped from the zoo that had somehow high-jacked a car and was now careening down the street leaving a path of destruction in my wake. Which I was not.

And what was worse was that I had forgotten to charge my iPod, thus meaning that I had no music to drown out that uncomfortable feeling that was now creeping up my spine as I locked up my bike. I was out of my element, definitely. And no matter how many times my friends from my old school texted me words of encouragement, I still felt like I was going to crash and burn here.

The only thing that made me feel somewhat calm was the mica ring on my finger. I fussed with it as I stared up at the amazingly large building. Why in the world would they need such a big building for such a little number of students? Why in the world-

“Molly?”

I immediately turned, confused as to who would be calling my name at this school where no one knew me. I scanned the crowds of students who looked like clones in their uniforms until I spotted a bright patch of hair that I thought I wouldn't see for months.

“JACK!”

I sprinted towards him and leaped into his arms, content to stay there forever. Or at least until the warning bell rang.

Who said that starting a new school would be a bad thing?