Growing Up Won't Bring Us Down

“How much longer now?” Marco groaned, leaning back in her spot on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest. Matt, the only one who wasn’t fucking with his hair or off getting a snack, looked at his watch.

“Thirty minutes,” Matt replied. Marco let out a loud groan, throwing her arms over her head for extra effect.

“Quit complaining Marco,” Brian sighed, still working at spiking his hair. He huffed when the front of his hair stubbornly fell down flat again. He grumbled a few coherent words under his breath, placing his black, pinstripe fedora over his hair.

“I’m just so bored!” Marco complained, dramatically throwing herself across the couch she sat on. Brian sat on the other couch next to Matt with his arms crossed across his chest.

“Pissed off at your hair?” Brian made no reply which caused Matt to smirk. “Such a girl.”

“I’m going to die,” Marco announced sternly, turning her head into a pillow on the couch. She let out a scream which was muffled by the pillow. Matt sighed, standing up to flip on the flat screen and XBOX that was in the dressing room. He knew she wasn’t trying to be spoiled but he was tired of hearing her sound like it.

“Here. Amuse yourself.” Marco sat up and stared at the controller that was placed in her hands with mild interest. Once the game loaded a menu with Call of Duty in big letters was on the screen. She pressed ‘new game’ like Matt instructed. After choosing all the settings on the game Matt and Brian gave her a quick summary of the controls.

“Oh my God! You can blow people up?!” Marco exclaimed excitedly. Matt and Brian shared worried looks. It had only been a couple of minutes and the teen was already hooked.

“I feel like we just did something that results in the end of the world,” Matt remarked.

“What does you mean ‘we’? You were the one that gave her the controller,” Brian scoffed.

“You’re the one that taught her how to throw grenades,” Matt mocked.

“Somehow I feel like I did the lesser of two evils,” Brian stated. Matt rolled his eyes at his childish behavior. But then again it was Brian he was talking about. Just then Johnny, Jimmy, and Zacky walked into the room, bags advertising Taco Bell in hands of the tallest.

“We have burritos!” Jimmy exclaimed, placing the two bags on the coffee table, next to Marco who had sat on it cross legged to get a better view of the game. A maniacal laugh left the young teen.

“Take that you stupid…other team. I don’t care what you are. I shall kill yoooou,” Marco shouted, grinning so wide it hurt her face. The three adults who had just returned faced to give the other two blank faces with their eyes half lidded.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” Zacky asked with an indifferent voice. The two sitting on the couch chuckled in unison nervously.

“Would you believe we have no clue?” Brian forced out with a laugh and half hearted smile. The three just glared then. “Okay, so we might have given her Call Of Duty and taught her how to play.”

“You didn’t,” Johnny groaned, hoping the two weren’t as stupid as he assumed they were. Weak smiles was his only reply causing him to give himself a literal face palm. Yup, they were, in fact, that stupid. “I plan on killing you guys soon.”

“I fail to see to the problem,” Jimmy remarked, coming to Dumb and Dumber’s defense. Just then the sound of gunfire and Marco shouting deafened everyone’s ears.

“What the hell is that?! How the hell did he sniper me?! You killed me you jerk! I’ll get you MarkPwnsYou!” Marco exclaimed, running forward on the game when the character regained health. Johnny crossed his arms over his chest, turning his dangerous glare to Jimmy.

“You were saying?” Johnny demanded.

“Absolutely nothing,” Jimmy replied, raising his hands in defense. He sat on the armrest of one of the couches, pulling out a burrito. The guys all followed suit, each grabbing a piece of Mexican food.

“Marco, let’s eat,” Zacky encouraged, nudging the girl.

“Hold on, gotta get revenge,” Marco said subconsciously. Everyone just sighed and left her alone to the violence of the video game. A couple of minutes later a stagehand, who no one seemed to recognize, stuck his head in.

“Five minutes guys.” With that he was gone just as quickly as he had appeared. By then the food had been devoured, Marco had skipped out and gave her tacos to Jimmy against Johnny’s wishes, so everyone but Marco stood to their feet.

“C’mon Marco.”

“Ha! Take that Mark!” Marco shouted, not hearing her father. Johnny just left the room, rubbing his temples. He just gave up. If Marco wanted to miss the show it was her choice. He was getting a massive headache and the random coughing fits he had been getting were kicking his ass. He did not need to deal with a stubborn teenager. Everyone left but Matt and Brian. They had gotten her hooked so it was their duty to get her away from it.

“Marco, don’t you want to go to the show?” Matt asked cheerfully.

“I got him corner though!” Marco opened fire on the pixilated character, laughing again.

“Marco, we need to get to the stage for the show,” Matt ordered, taking the more demanding route. She rose an eyebrow at him for a split second before tuning to the screen again.

“What if I don’t want to?”

“We were hoping to do this the easy way,” Brian sighed. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around Marco’s waist, plucking her from the coffee table. She began to squirm, even throwing the remote at Matt as he shut off the television and console.

“You meanie heads! I almost got him again!” Marco whined as the two ignored her to head to stage. Finally they placed her down on side stage where the rest were waiting for Bullet to finish. As they got their instruments situated Johnny entered yet another coughing fit. This caused Marco’s brow to wrinkle in concern, game forgotten. “Are you okay Daddy?”

“I’ll be fine,” Johnny finally breathed once his fit ended. They had been getting more frequent over the course of the day and Matt was beginning to try to ease him into the idea of taking a day or two break. That was the last thing Johnny wanted to do. The kids came to see the whole band play, not four of them and a random fill in. Marco gave him a look of disbelief, but just then Bullet ran off stage and roadies began to set up Jimmy’s kit.

“You’ll do great guys,” the other band chorused before leaving just as quickly. Everyone kind of raised their eyebrows, but shrugged it off. All six of them began to feel their adrenaline, causing everyone to grin as the crowd chanted ‘Sevenfold, Sevenfold’. When the guys were given their cue, they ran off on stage to have the deafening sound of screaming throughout the arena. Marco sat on the ground, cross legged, with a clear expression of awe.

During the final, extremely long finale of A Little Piece Of Heaven, Winter walked up without Marco’s knowledge. She was smoking a cigarette, leaning against a support on stage that held up the lights. She let out a silent puff, watching the slightly slagging bassist. Winter could tell he had been taken out of the mix by the way his fingers moved a millisecond too slow. She glanced down at the teenager who was oblivious to the whole thing.

“You know, Johnny’s been bad at everything lately.” Marco stiffened up, not even bothering to turn around and face the crazy woman. She still didn’t like her and she doubted she ever would. “He’s too busy trying to figure out how to please you that he’s failing to take care of himself. That’s why he’s getting sick. It’s because you’re holding him back.”

“You’re wrong,” Marco said sternly, watching her father. It was then she noticed his fingers hadn’t moved for about thirty seconds while his part of the song was constantly suppose to be making his hand move up and down. She felt a ping of guilt. What if she was right? No, she wasn’t. Winter couldn’t be right.

“I’m not. He’s been too worried about you to do anything like he used to. I helped out on a lot of their tours before. He’s acting nothing he usually does. He’s usually always insanely happy and having too much fun to be sick.”

“Shut up,” Marco hissed through clenched teeth. Winter just continued, smirking as she saw how pissed the girl was getting.

“He’s been mopping these first couple of days. I’ve never seen him so bad. The only difference between all the other tours and this one is that he has you here instead of at home. You’re making his whole being only worried for you. Are you gunna keep letting him deteriorate over someone who doesn’t deserve it like you?” Winter demanded.

“Shut the fuck up!” Marco screamed, standing to her feet. Somehow, over the music and through the earplugs he wore, Zacky could faintly hear Marco’s voice. He turned just as she ran off from side stage. He turned his eyes to Winter who looked shock, shrugging her shoulders in a fashion of ‘I don’t know’.

As soon as the concert ended the guys hurried off stage. Winter was still there, just finishing her smoke. What the guys failed to see was the fake worry plastered on her face. Even Jimmy had bought it. Johnny stepped forward, looking for his daughter. “Where’s Marco?”

“I don’t know. She ran off. I already informed Aaron who talked to a few of the other bands. They’re searching around for her. I stayed in case they heard something,” Winter replied, raising her walkie-talkie, as if it was her proof. Just as Johnny opened his mouth to say something Thor walked up.

“C’mon guys, we have an interview in a few minutes,” the manager informed.

“But Thor, Marco’s missing,” Jimmy whined.

“I know, Winter told me. She also informed me everyone’s looking for her. Don’t worry, she’ll turn up in a matter of time. We need to go now,” Thor told them sternly. He was right, Johnny thought, they would find her.

“Let’s go guys.” The four band mates watched the bassist and manager’s retreating backs and followed. Minus Jimmy. He turned to Winter with the most serious face she had ever seen.

“Please find her Winter,” Jimmy begged. She nodded which caused him to hug her. He quickly ran off after his friends, just hoping Marco would show up soon.