Follow Your Bliss

I tied my hair into a ponytail fed up with it. "I don't know how you go without showering." I plopped onto the couch next to Frank.

"Think of it as practice for South Africa." Frank laughed at me. "Besides, it depends on the arena we play in if we get the bus hooked up."

I rolled my eyes. "This is torture."

"It's not that bad, Caitlin." He shook his head chuckling.

"Of course not. Because, my hair being so static and greasy is awesome." I laughed finally realizing the diva in me had been taking over. "I'm complaining a lot huh."

"No, really?" Frank said sarcastically.

"It's hard though." I pouted tying my hair into two loose braids. I knew Frank would understand because he apparently has shower radar. "I've been taught to be so hygienic that when I look around, I can't help but cringe. And, somehow, you always make sure you find the shower first, leaving me to look blindly for it!"

"That's because it's too much fun watching you look for one." Frank laughed. "I can't believe I'm stuck here with you. Are you even listening to yourself?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Not really. I'm more or less talking for the sake of it now."

Frank rolled his eyes. "I never thought someone could out annoy me."

I turned my head toward the front of the bus hearing the pin number being entered. "Who's that?"

"Let me look into my crystal ball." Frank began to gaze into the air in his cupped hands.

"You suck." I stuck my tongue out at him and stood up getting a bottle of seltzer out of the refrigerator.

"Hey," Frank grinned to whomever was standing behind me.

"This her?" I heard someone behind me.

I turned around to see three guys standing their looking at me suspiciously. "Her who?" I raised my eyebrows. They didn't answer me and started whispering quietly amongst themselves. I groaned and plopped back down next to Frank, who got into their conversation. "I should have gone exploring with Toro and crew. Lucas is more entertaining than you people giggling and whispering like girls."

"Excuse me?" The taller one with long hair looked at me, standing up.

"You're excused." I waved my hand casually and started to play solitaire on Gerard's computer.

Frank giggled. "She's being bitchy because she hasn't had her shower yet. Normally she's sickly sweet, right honey?"

I looked up and glared before going back to ignoring them childishly.

The tall one draped his arm around my shoulders. "So, you don't dig the grease?" He pouted, batting his eyelashes.

Frank laughed at the annoyed look on my face. "She's going to kill you, Lazzara."

"Nah, not yet." He chuckled, taking the laptop and opened a window to the Internet. He went on Google and typed in my name.

"How do you know my name?" I looked at him, shrugging off his arm.

"Please, darling." He rolled his eyes, laying his southern accent thick. "With your brother on the revolution stage and your fiancé on the main stage, it's hard not to know of your existence." He gently took my left hand and whistled at the size of the rock set in the ring. "Gerard went all out for you, huh?"

I took my hand away from his gently and turned the computer so I could see the screen too. "I've never Googled my name before." I looked surprised as a few things came up. A few were articles I had written for medical journals, but mostly it was people's blogs.

"What happened to the bitchy Caitlin?" He looked at me, grinning.

I shrugged. "She's gone for now. And what's your name? Don't I get to know the names of the people who annoyed me, interrupting my peace?"

"Adam." He shook my hand and introduced the other two members of their band.

"Oh! You guys are in that band I like the music videos of." I tapped my chin, trying to remember the name. "Taking Back Sunday."

"You like my videos?" He puffed out his chest proud.

"Well, I'm sure they're not just your videos." I chuckled, clicking on images to see what there was.

"Damn straight, Lazzara. You know it was all me." Matt grinned, chucking a pillow at him.

"You wish, Shorty." He grinned.

"Aw, look Frank that's from Brighton." I cooed at the picture of Gerard and I in front of the fountain a couple of months ago. Frank chuckled having seen that picture dozens of times since that night.

"That's where he proposed to you?" Adam looked at the picture, smiling at the happy couple in front of it.

"Yeah," I said softly reminiscing on that night. The three of them took turns asking me questions making Frank snicker as they interrogated me. They were asking silly stuff like favorite music, moves, and TV shows as well as what I did for a living. I rolled my eyes. "Are you done yet? Or did I fail and I'm not good enough for your friend?"

"No, you passed." Adam smirked as Mark and Matt picked me up. "We just have to kidnap you now."

"What?" My eyes widened as they began to carry me off of the bus. "Frank! Aren't you going to do anything?"

"Sorry, but I need a break from you, babe." Frank waved smiling as they took me away.

I began to wiggle once they were on solid ground and I knew I wouldn't be falling down the metal steps of the bus. "Should stop struggling, Caitlin." Mark warned me. "It only makes things worse."

"Remember, this is major trust, letting you kidnap me." I sighed lying limp as they ran through the grounds, laughing like mad.

"I think you are a bit confused about the term 'kidnap', darling." Adam chuckled.

"Now, we talked to Linkin Park and said 'Who are you going to include in the Project Revolution Tour?' They brought in our good friends who caress and love us, My Chemical Romance, and we're talking with Mr. Gerard Way. " Steve spoke to the camera, sitting in two beach chairs not too far from the buses. "What's up, buddy? Always a pleasure, by the way."

Gerard crossed his leg over the other and gripped the microphone in his right hand. "Thank you; thanks for having me." He grinned, laughing as they began to talk about opening for Muse as well as the success of the new record. They talked about a few other brief things occurring on the tour keeping answers short given the time that they had.

I spotted him first and was about to call out for him, but Adam covered my mouth and beat me to it. He walked over and crouched down in between the two and grinned. Mark and Matt held me off to the side, out of the camera's view, as well as theirs, with my mouth still covered.

"Hey! Look whose here." They laughed and grinned, making me roll my eyes, as they were completely oblivious to me.

"Adam Lazzara from Taking Back Sunday everyone." Steve introduced him as Adam kissed both his and Gerard's cheeks.

"Where are you heading?" Steve asked nosily.

"Oh, over to catering." Adam smirked. I rolled my eyes as he lied so easily as Mark and Matt snickered.

"Hey, get his kid brother over here." Gerard and Adam waved Nate over.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Adam said into the microphone that was handed to him.

"Nothing, just chilling. Talking about The Black Parade." Steve turned in his chair to face him better.

"Oh, oh!" Gerard declared childishly, making me smiled, as he explained how Taking Back Sunday was always the first to hear the new album. I sighed to myself in relief hearing that they were really good friends with the band that had kidnapped me, though I should have realized Frank wouldn't just let anyone steal me; hopefully.

"Well, I'll let you guys get back to it." Adam stood up and nodded when they said their goodbyes. "Oh, Nate, this is Gerard's fiancé that we've kidnapped. Caitlin, this is my little brother, Nate."

I tried to say 'hello' behind Matt's hand, but it came out muffled. Nate looked between his brother and me and laughed. "Uh, nice to meet you?"

They talked louder as sets were playing in the background. "Alright, Gerard, I've gotta ask you: when you look back on the year 2007, what's the going to be the biggest thing you're going to remember?"

"Alright, might as well go to catering." Adam shrugged, but stopped short hearing the next question. "Or not." They stayed to the side, curious of his answer.

Gerard chewed his gum, smiling as he brought the microphone closer to his lips, unafraid with his answer. "Um, aside from all the amazing things that has come with The Black Parade, I think meeting some one amazing and beautiful from the inside out, and that I want to share the rest of my life with is and will always be the greatest thing that happened to me."

"Well said." Steve smiled, not expecting that answer. "Very awesome." He shifted in his seat and asked about what's coming after The Black Parade.

My heart skipped a beat and I felt my cheeks flooding with heat hearing his answer that he just told the whole world. "Aw, look at her blushing!" Matt pinched my cheeks letting his hand slip off of my mouth.

The camera filmed the fans that were behind the barricade as he began reading questions that fans had emailed him. "Ah, we've got Project Revolution. And, that's how it works here. Gerard Way everybody; My Chemical Romance." Steve ended the show before standing up out of his chair and stretching as the camera crew put everything down for a rest. "Well, man, thanks for a good interview, like always."

Gerard shook his hand. "No problem; I always enjoy-"

"Gerard Arthur Way!" I shrieked after taking a breath of fresh air. "You're friends have been kidnapping me all freaking day!"

Gerard laughed seeing me being held by two of his friends, apparently it was a hostage situation. "I see you've finally met Caitlin."

"You know, you're supposed to have some psychic ability to detect my presence, Way. I've been held here since Adam interrupted your interview." I huffed and groaned as they threw me up to adjust me in their arms. "Well, let me tell you, your psychic-ness sucks ass!"

Gerard sat back into his chair from laughing so hard. "Well," Adam cleared his throat. "We'll be going to catering now." He grinned and signaled for them to follow him.

"Sucks ass; you hear me!" I yelled, laughing as they swung me, carrying me further away.

Gerard chuckled, rubbing his forehead and handed one of the staff members of Fuse the microphone. He signed a few autographs to some kids that didn't get any on the commercial break. He walked over and folded up the chair for them. "That's Jane." He chuckled, explaining the random woman to Steve, "My fiancé."

"She's gorgeous." He smirked as they followed slowly to catering too for a late lunch. "So, are you in for it? For sucking ass in the psychic department?"

Gerard laughed with him. "Nah." He sat behind me on the bench under the catering tent and stole a tomato out of my salad, kissing my cheek.

"So how was being kidnapped by Taking Back Sunday?" Steve asked as he sat down next to Nate.

"They could have chosen a cooler day to do it." I chuckled looking at my sunburned skin.

"Where did you guys go?" Gerard asked taking a bit of my hamburger, basically stealing my whole lunch.

"I lost track after running around the third bus for the fourth time." I shrugged.

"Frank basically begged us to take her." Mark chuckled.

"Hey, he's just upset that I was able to out annoy him at his own game of annoying people." I laughed at how funny that sounded.

"You always say random shit like that?" Adam laughed.

"It flows freely." I grinned.

Gerard looked at the missed calls on his phone and sighed at the long list of missed calls from the same two phone numbers. "Do you know that both our mom's have been harassing me?"

I looked over my shoulder and shook my head, sipping my iced tea. "No, why?"

"Because they still think I can talk you out of your little trip." He smiled softly, realizing a while ago that he wouldn't be able to.

"Caitlin!" Josh whined lying on my lap. "I need you to crack my back and give me a foot massage. Pretty please, lady." He batted his long eyelashes, laying across the bench and put his head in my lap.

"Way to say hello to everyone." Steve chuckled, knowing who Josh was, having interviewed him earlier.

"Hello to everyone." He rolled his eyes and looked up at me. "Please?"

"Yeah, I'll come around before you go on." I ran my fingers through his hair.

"What would it take for me to get the same treatment?" Adam grinned, drinking his Pepsi.

"Really," Steve agreed. "I would want in on that too."

I laughed. "Sorry, gentlemen. I need to know your feet better and they better be cleaned too."

"Face it, you're just not special enough." Josh sighed in content as I played with his hair. "Oh, and mom wants you to call her."

"What's with all the mother calls?" Adam asked stealing a slice of cucumber out of my salad.

I pouted and took another bite out of my burger. "I'm leaving to go to South Africa. The hospital that I worked for is sponsoring for me to go down. They get publicity and I get to do something I've always wanted to do. It's a win-win situation."

"Except where you have to be careful for your own life down there with all the violence going on." Josh pointed out. He, not that he would admit it, agreed with our mom 100% and was worried for my safety too.

"It'll be an adventure." I smiled. "I'll be fine; it's only three weeks."

My body prickled as I began to sweat not used to the strong sun, although it was a comfortable 84° Fahrenheit outside. It's hard to imagine that the season is winter when I'm so used to knowing July as summer. I was heading towards the northern part of South Africa, in a rural area above Cape Town. The truck bounced along the dry dirt path. "Don't worry," the driver grinned, his white teeth were bright in contrast to his dark skin. "You'll get used to it, miss. Be prepared for cold nights, but you will be fine."

I smiled politely, hoping that he was right and that I would. My stomach churned in nervousness as I realized halfway over the Atlantic that I would alone on this one. My hair blew in the wind that the truck's speed created, other than that all was still.

I had three large duffle bags and one small suitcase in the back of the truck. The small suitcase was what held my belongings while the other three held medical supplies and mosquito nets, as well as other donated materials. I was relieved when everything made it safely and was not lost or stolen.

I was told that it was much longer than the three-hour drive that the driver assured me to the medical clinic I was being stationed at. But, with his driving, I could understand how the long trip would be made in record time. Gerard had gotten me a new Nikon digital camera along with many memory cards, which everyone intends on seeing every last one filled. The driver chuckled seeing me click the camera away at the scenery throughout the trip.

Kimoni, the driver as well as one of the volunteers at the clinic, told me great stories of the land to keep me busy and made the long ride enjoyable. "I was informed that you came here instead of Soweto; that was a wise decision."

"Well, actually, I came here first," I began to explain my itinerary a little unsettled that even he didn't want me there. "And, I will be for two weeks. And, then I'm taking a plane to Johannesburg and staying half a week volunteering in Soweto." The other half of the week would be spent in at Kruger Park as a gift for my work.

"You will have," he paused trying to think of how to translate the word. "Protection, yes?"

"Yes, like here there are two arm guards, especially at night." I explained hoping that would keep me safe.

He nodded. "Do not take that security for granted. You are a female and with that color hair you will stand out as an easy target."

I swallowed and nodded, touching my blond hair passively. I squinted to see a dark blob up ahead. "Kimoni, what's that?"

He slowed down his driving to a normal speed and cursed under his breath. "Caitlin, I need you to stay calm." I nodded, though I was sure my heart was going to leap out of my chest with how fast it was beating. "Turn your phone off and put it, along with your camera in between the seat cushion. Get your passport and visa ready."

I quickly did as he said, not wanting to put us in any danger. "Who's up there?" I asked cautiously, wondering what I had gotten myself into.

Kimoni paused looking at the supplies in the bed of the truck, hoping they would be left alone. He reached under the seat, feeling for his gun that he kept there just in case. The large trucks were more visible, as you could see now that were painted in camouflage. I looked to him, waiting for an answer. "It is like a random government check point. Just stay quiet and let me do the speaking. Though answer them if they ask you anything. Do not get out of the truck. They cannot always be trusted."

I saw the man dressed in a military uniform step in the center of the road stopping the car. I looked straight ahead, adverting my eyes elsewhere, when he came up to the truck and spoke to Kimoni in a language other than English. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw one looking at the back of the truck, though he did not look through the bags.

"Passport and visa." A deep voice startled me out of my thoughts. I put on a brave face and calmly reached in the pocket of my jacket that laid on my lap and handed him the appropriate materials. "Name?" He asked, although he could have just read it in my passport.

I knew he was just testing me so I answered him following Kimoni's instructions, "Caitlin Hack." I also had to explain the reason for my visit.

He nodded and flipped through the book seeing that it was stamped and marked properly for the country. He looked at the tourist visa and checked to see that the information matched at that the dates I would be here were valid. He shrugged to another member, saying something that I couldn't understand, and handed me back my documents.

Kimoni nodded and thanked the man before going on our way again. We stayed silent for a few minutes after we passed the military trucks. I was trying to pull myself together after what had occurred settled in.

"You must have God on your side that we got through that without any trouble." He smiled warmly, breaking the silence.

"That was the second time in my life that I have ever been that afraid." I chuckled, letting a breath out that I had held in since the officers said we could go. Of course, the first incident was the event in Montefiore Hospital last December.

"Well, you did very well, Caitlin. Better than most in that situation." He smiled, picking up speed once again.

"Thank you." I returned his smile, beaming at his compliment. As soon as we got to the clinic I smiled at all children that rushed to the truck, curious. A soccer ball was fouled over from a game that was being played. I stopped it with my foot and kicked it back over with the little skills I had making some kids laugh. I looked at them confused as they all started saying something, yet it was the same thing. "Kimoni?"

"They say that you look like a beautiful angel." He smiled. "You being here gives them hope, Caitlin."