Used to Love 'Em

"We are sorry to report that earlier this night there was a murder in downtown LA. There was one gun shot fired and the victim was a male that was 25 years of age. We beg that anyone who knows anything about the murder please call the anonymous tip line that the police have set up. The information will be displayed on the screen shortly." Duff McKagan's television blared out the news as Duff stood behind the bar sipping on a glass of water an eyebrow cocked. It was not every day that someone was killed in LA, well that might have happened everyday but it was not everyday someone was shot down in LA. Especially outside the Sunset Strip, that's where most of the action seemed to happen, where the rock stars would hang out and get smashed and then do something stupid. That was more or less the most common place for casualties to happen.

"Someone died?" Matt asked as he shared a look with Duff who just shrugged his shoulders and watched as Matt got himself a glass out of the cupboard and then fill it with tap water.

"Yep a twenty five year old male. One gun shot." Duff repeated what the news caster had just said. The television was now displaying the area of town where it had happened. The slums, Duff noted, again it was not common for someone to die down there, the gangs often hung around that part of town.

"That's not uncommon around here." Matt replied, shrugging his shoulders, that was true. Like Duff had already gone through everything, deaths, they were pretty common in LA and the area around it. Something about the street lights Duff had always thought, it was enough to make someone go mad. Never complete darkness, there was always light somewhere in the city.

"I know, he probably was part of a gang or something." Matt said, "poor dude though, twenty five years isn't enough time." Matt added after a moment as he shook his head. Duff nodded in agreement, that was true. What did he have when he was twenty five? Guns N' Roses and that was it. Okay fine maybe drugs and alcohol and occasional girlfriend or chick that was it. He did not have what he had now. The same thing went for Matt, they had almost nothing in Guns N’ Roses just themselves and the rest of the band, the money all that wonderfully dreadful money.

The money that was your best and worst friend at the same time. It was the thing that kept you going, the thing that got you all the girls a man could ever want and all the food you would ever need but it also got the drug dealers that were persistently knocking on your door. It also attracted the gold-digging whores that screwed with your emotions and took your money as you bought them everything they wanted. It was the thing that made their heads blow up as they filled up with the hot air become some girl said they were sexy. Money was the thing that saved them, it was what kept them going, it was almost an added bonus to just rocking out and doing what the loved but over time it became an enemy. The more money they had, the more hookers that came a-knocking, the more dealers that came knocking, the more alcohol that was purchased and drank. The more stupid shit they spent their money on when in reality they did not need it. They did not need half the stuff that they had bought, most if not all of it was sitting in the basement all packed up, or in some distant Landfill or dump where it belonged.

"I know what you mean, twenty five years isn't." Duff agreed softly after a second and took another sip of water as he shot a glance at the clock, it was eight, nearly nine o'clock at night and Slash still hadn't shown up. Maybe he had forgotten that Duff had invited him over, he had seemed more scatter-brained then usual after him and Perla's divorce, like she took more than the money, like she look part of him away too.

"Where the hell is Slash?" Matt spoke as he noticed the time that the microwave read out; he was voicing Duff's thoughts as well. Maybe they were on a wavelength after all it was the second time that night that it had happened.

"I don't know maybe he forgot." Duff said slowly after a moment as he thought it through. No Slash wouldn't have forgotten about something like this, not a chance and even if he did he wouldn't be doing anything by himself. He'd be sitting in front of the television watching it, or staring at his and Perla's wedding pictures blankly like Duff had caught him the last time he had been at Slash's house.

"Maybe." Matt said after a moment, like Duff not really believing it. "I guess we should call and see if he's there and remind him." Matt said after another moment of silence as Duff watched the television as the newscasters finished the story about the murder and went onto the weather and how it was supposedly going to get sunnier over the next week. Duff took a peek out the window and highly doubted that, after all it was cloudy earlier that day and it did not look like it was going to be especially nice tomorrow.

"Yeah I guess, but I texted him earlier and he never answered." Duff said, giving in after a moment as Matt pulled out his cell phone and clicked a few buttons before putting the phone up to his ear. "Is he picking up?" Duff asked after a moment as Matt shook his head no before turning away from Duff and sticking his finger in his ear.

"Yeah Slash?" He started before falling silent and letting out a sigh before he hung up. "Nope, nothing, maybe his phone is dead or something." Matt said as he slid the silver mobile back into his pocket. Duff shrugged, it sure did not seem like Slash to be honest, he had a better chance of having his phone on him then having his aviators on his face. It just did not seem like Slash...it just didn’t. Duff shrugged off the feeling that he had in pit of his stomach, it was no big deal he just didn’t have his phone on him. No big deal.