Someone out There Loves You

In my opinion, that was too close for comfort. And I’m amazed Clayah wasn’t totally weirded out by my stuttering. Fans have stuttered when they met me-- it’s not normal vice versa.
“Mikey,” Molly said, coming up to me, “Are you alright?”
I nodded, leaning back into the couch in the bus lounge. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You’re pale as a ghost, and you don’t look fine.” She sat down next to me, and looked at me in that way that only Molly can. She was the kind of person you just didn’t bullshit; she saw right through it.
My eyes actually welled up a little. “No, I’m not fine,” I confessed. “I just don’t really want to talk about it.”
Molly nodded and leaned back into the couch next to me.
“You know,” she said, “Maybe if you spent more time around Clayah, as opposed to avoiding her, it would get easier.” I just stared at her. “I know it hurts,” she said. “But one, if you avoid her she’ll be hurt, since she’s such a fan. Two, she just might get suspicious.”
“Molly, I fucking stuttered when I shook her hand today.”
“True… But hey,” she clapped her hands and sat up. “Everybody’s hanging out tonight. You should come! I heard something about marshmallow guns.” She nudged me with her elbow a couple times.
I grinned. “I do enjoy marshmallow guns…”
“Perfect!” She got up and threw me my coat. “Park across the way, now.” She put on her own coat and pulled me up and out the bus door.
As we walked to the park, I started getting cold feet-- literally and figuratively. “Mollers, I dunno about this…”
“C’mon, Mikey,” she said, pulling me behind her. “Even Gerard got the balls to do it. Marshmallow gun war. To turn that down would be just plain stupid. Family bonding time.”
“Yeah, well, Gerard had an easier time with the whole Clayah thing.”
“How so?”
I sighed. “Gerard was away at college in New York for the nine months. I was still in high school. I knew Todd and Claire-- the Shier’s, who adopted Clayah and were close family friends-- were going to adopt her sinc ehtey couldn’t have kids and we couldn’t keep Clayah, but… I just got really attached…” I shook my head. “Nothing hurt more then that day at the hospital, Mollers. I just can’t take the thought of losing her again if she hated us if she found out.”
“When she finds out,” Molly corrected. “The day I found out I was Frank’s daughter was a huge shock, but it hurt that my life had been a lie up until then. I can’t stand by and watch that happen to another girl.”
I nodded. She was right; she had taken it pretty well, though, and now look how much she blessed all our lives. Maybe it wouldn’t turn out so bad after all.

“Okay,” Ray whispered. “Clayah, you take the left flank. Bert take the right. I’ll go straight. And Bille gets to be the bait.”
“Why do I have to be the bait?!”
"Because I'm captain and I said so."
“Because I’m captain and I said so.” Billie huffed.
Gerard rolled his eyes. “Grow up, Billie.”
“Grow up, Billie,” Billie mimicked. Mark slapped him upside the head.
“Shut it, guys,” I snapped. “They’ll hear us.”
We had split up into three teams for the Marshmallow War; Me, Billie, Mark, Ray, Bert, and Gerard were one team; Molly, Mike, Quinn, Jeph, Drew, and Levi were another; Monster, Tre, Dan, Mikey, Frank, and Yoda were the last. Our team got red bandanas on their heads, Team Two got black, and Team Three got blue. There were ten marshmallow guns, and The Used had brought six Nerf guns. Each team got two Nerf guns and three marshmallow guns. (Team Three got an extra marshmallow gun since they drew the long straw.) The park was huge with streetlights scattered all over the bike path running through it. First team to capture the entirety of another won. We’d already been at it for two hours, but we were having so much fun that no one noticed the setting sun.
“Billie, go,” I whispered.
“I don’t want to go!”
“Tough shit.” Gerard kicked him through the bush.
We watched Billie stand up, holding his Nerf gun and turning in a careful circle, searching for opponents. A rustle came from a bush across the path. Billie jumped and aimed toward it, watching carefully…
“HEEEYAAHH!!!!!”
The team turned to see Molly riding on Mike’s back, charging at us with a marshmallow gun over her head. Drew and Jeph were on either side with Nerf guns. They shot at us; Billie yelled from the middle of the path and ran to the opposite side, but Quinn popped out of the bush and bombarded him with marshmallows. Billie did a [totally badass] somersault and dodged it, shooting back with his Nerf bullets.
The rest of our team went their separate ways. Gerard and I ran left, Mark and Ray fired at Drew and Jeph, and Bert… well Bert pretty much just ran for it like a total pussy.
Gerard and I ran backwards toward a giant oak tree, firing at Mike and Molly, who were in hot pursuit of us. We were about to take cover when Molly made a damn good shot and hit us both.
“MOTHERFUCK!” I screamed.
“Booyah!” Mike reached up and high fived Molly.
“That’s not fair,” Gerard said. “You can’t double team us!”
“You were double teaming us,” Molly pointed out.
“Yeah but you were shooting down at us,” I argued.
“Blah blah blah, there was nothing against it in the rules,” Mike said. “Point is you’re our prisoners now, so vamoose.”
Jeph came up behind Gerard and me, following as we walked to enemy territory.
“Where’s Drew?” Mike asked.
“Bert got her,” Jeph said.
“Dammit…”
“And the other team got Billie.”
“I knew the bait plan was dumb,” I mumbled to Gerard.
“Next time, Bert’s captain,” Gerard whispered back. “He actually had a good plan.”
“He ran away!”
“But he’s the one who got Drew.”
“Touché.”
We walked to the “jail”-- a rectangle surrounded by sticks and stones. Quinn was guard.
“I suggest you guys sit,” he grinned, cocky. “You’ll be here for a while.”
“Quinn,” I said, “You’re probably the worst jail guard ever.”
“You suck, Clayah.”
“You swallow.”
“BUUUURRNNN!!” Gerard laughed. Quinn glared at us.
The rest of the team walked off, leaving the three of us. Gerard and I just sat and waited; I pulled out a bag of marshmallows (stale, since no one would be able to feel normal ones hit them) and Gerard and I reloaded.
After about five minutes, I could see Ray’s fro peeking out from behind a tree on our left, and Billie checking from another on our right. They nodded to us and signaled-- they would fire at Quinn, take him captive, and Gerard and I would go find the rest of the team three trees away to our back while Ray and Billie guided Quinn to jail.
Gerard and I nodded to Ray, scooting back a little bit so we would be able to jump up and run once they got Quinn. Bille signaled-- 3, 2, 1...
Nerf bullets fired from Billie’s side, making Quinn jump back. He tried to return fire, but it was too late.
As soon as the Nerf bullet hit Quinn’s arm, Gerard and I jumped up and ran for it into the trees behind us, just far enough in so no one could shoot at us but still see that Billie and Ray had gotten Quinn. They did.
We walked three trees like Ray said, but no one was there waiting.
“What the hell?” I said.
“They either got captured or they’re on the way,” Gerard said.
“Or Ray gives shit directions.”
“That, too.”
Then Mark came running through the trees. “Sorry,” he gasped, out of breath. “Bert’s guarding the jail. Billie got Jeph a couple minutes ago. We got Drew there, and then on the way here I got Tre and Frank. I had to turn back.”
“It’s cool,” I said. “Ray and Billie are on the way there with Quinn.”
“Clayah and I will go find Mike and Molly to take them down,” Gerard said. He pumped his fist in the air. “REVENGE!!”
Mark laughed. “Okay. Mikey and Monster are making a pretty lethal team, too, so get them if you find them.” He adjusted the folded bandana around his forehead and cocked his marshmallow gun. “I’m going after Levi.”
I gasped over dramatically. “Mark, it’s too dangerous…”
He put a hand on my shoulder. “I know.”
“You may not survive!” Gerard put the back of his hand on his forehead, pretending to almost faint.
Markr exhaled. “It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” He sniffed. “If I don’t make it… try not to replace me with someone who’s a better guitarist then me.”
“We won’t,” I whimpered.
Mark took another deep breath and turned into the trees.

“There they are,” Gerard pointed. I crawled forward a little farther on my elbows, squinting through the underbrush. Molly and Mike were about three yards away from us; Molly wasn’t riding on Mike’s back anymore, but she was walking behind him, ready to jump if they were attacked.
She wouldn’t be ready for us.
Gerard and I had taken this war to the next level. We brushed a bit of dirt over our faces, and tangled some of the dead leaves in our hair (those wouldn’t come out easy, but victory required sacrifice). I itched at a bit of the dried mud under my eye.
Gerard grinned. “Hotel rooms have showers. Tell me it’s not tempting to get one now.”
I rolled my eyes. “Bitch please. Our bathroom has a sink.”
“Whatever.”
We peered through the bush. Molly and Mike had gone too far out of our range now.
“Fuck,” Gerard whispered. “We lost them.”
“Like hell!” I looked around-- there was a rock under the bush, hefty enough to make a noise if thrown but not too heavy to pick up.
I took it in my hand, feeling out the weight of it. There was a tree about ten feet away. I raised my arm and chucked the rock at it. I hit it square in the center of the trunk.
“Nice throw!” Gerard whispered.
“Thanks. Now shut up or they‘ll hear you.”
Molly and Mike snapped toward the tree, Mollers jumping up onto Mike’s back and aiming her gun.
“COME OUT!” Mike called. “OR WE’LL MERCILESSLY SHOOT YOU DOWN!”
Gerard and I didn’t move. Mike took a few steps in our direction, but the two were still out of range. Gerard reached an arm out under the bush and crumpled a couple of dead leaves.
Hearing the crunch Mike took a few more steps forward.
“You have to go further,” Mollers whispered to him. “I can’t shoot that far.”
“Oh come on,” Mike said. “It a Nerf bullet. The aerodynamics are made to go that far.”
“Please, when’s the last time you fired a Nerf gun--”
I jumped over the bush, Gerard running out of the right side and swinging around them. Before they realized what was going on, I shot Mike, and Gerard got Mollers.
“GOD MOTHER--” Mike didn’t even finish, just stamped his foot. Molly jumped down.
“YESS!” I screamed.
“FUCK YES!” Gerard corrected. We ran over and high fived.
“We won!” I pointed to Mike and Molly. “We got your WHOLE team!”
“Aw, hell…” Mike grumbled. Molly took out her cell phone and texted everyone that the game was over.
“Okay, I’m bushed,” Mike said.
“Not as much as we are.” I pointed to the leaves in my hair.
Molly laughed. “Oh, double meanings…”
“Our hotel room!” Gerard said, walking off into the woods, snapping his fingers over his head for us to follow him. “Hot chocolate and nachos!”
“Because those go so well together,” I said sarcastically.
“Fuck yea they do,” Molly punched me in the arm.
“Blaahh,” I groaned. “My feet hurt and I have a rock in my shoe.”
Gerard turned around. “Jump on my back,” he said. “If Mollers and Mike can do it, so can we.”
“But I’m taller and heavier then Mollers!”
“I’ll live.”

Mikey and Frank had stolen mine and Gerard’s camouflage idea, so twenty minutes after we had gotten to the hotel the bathroom in Gerard and Mikey’s room was completely brown and leafy.
Everyone brought clothes to change into, and the Green Day guys offered to do Rush And Ruin’s laundry. (Thank God, because otherwise my Slipknot shirt would’ve had some nasty-ass mud stains for the rest of it’s existence.)
Hot chocolate and nachos actually went a lot better together than I thought (I gave my apologies to Mollers). Rush And Ruin was the band smart enough to bring board games. Video games were fine and all, but board games were classic. We split into new teams and played a round of Monopoly. It had only been seven when we started, and we finished the game in an hour. Shortest Monopoly game I’d ever played.
Since we were all beat, Drew brought up the first Saw movie from her box set. Yoda and Tre ran across the street to the 24 hour Wal Mart and bought popcorn, orange soda, Sprite, and Dr. Pepper. We all settled in around the room and let the gore unfold. Even though the first Saw is the least gory.
Molly had never seen the Saw movies, which totally sickened me. And the hog mask freaked her out, which highly amused me. By the end of the movie, her jaw was dropped.
“That had to be the best horror movie ending ever.”
“I know, right?” I said. “Dude, are you tired at all?”
“Not really.”
“You should sleep over on our bus tonight,” I said. “I hardly sleep, so you and I should watch Saw III.”
“Awesome!” She turned around. “Dad, is that cool?” He nodded.
We all said our goodbyes and goodnights, and headed to rooms and the bus. If the first day of the tour-- not even the tour-- I couldn’t wait for the next few months.