Growing Up Won't Bring Us Down

Nine hours later, nine whole hours, and the bus finally came to a stop in the first city: Denver, Colorado. Marco slammed the door open, hopping out to kiss the dirt covered ground. It didn’t faze Marco in the slightest as she screamed about ‘salvation from boredom’. In all honesty Johnny didn’t get why she was so worked up. She had been watching countless Disney movies she had snuck along and texted Phoenix the whole time.

“Marco, stop kissing the ground. You don’t know who or what has been there,” Johnny sighed, almost seeming like if he was talking to a five year old about licking a wall or something. Marco stood and turned to Johnny with dirt all around her mouth.

“I’m just so happy,” Marco cried dramatically, clasping her hands together under her chin. Johnny sighed, slapping a palm to his forehead. It was about the same as a five year old right now, huh?

“Is she okay?” Alex asked as he stepped off the bus with his suitcase and backpack in hand. Johnny nodded as Marco wiped off her mouth, eyes trailing around the venue. An occasional ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ left her mouth. It was like a kid in a candy shop. “Well I need to go find the guys. I’ll talk to you guys later so I can introduce Marco to everyone.”

“Okay. See you later,” Matt called and waved along with the rest of the guys who had stepped off the bus, stretching and such. Alex smiled, nodded, and headed off with his suitcase in tow.

“So what do we do now?” Jimmy asked, turning to Matt with wide eyes. For some reason whenever they first arrived at a venue Jimmy had no clue on what to do. He actually listened to they guys for once. It was a miracle really.

“We need to go to sound check Jimbo,” Zacky replied calmly. Jimmy ‘ooh’ed before nodding and literally skipping off towards the stage with the Berry twins, Zacky, and Matt in tow. Johnny and Brian silently watched Marco who was fascinated with staring at the long line of people waiting to get in.

“C’mon Marco. We need to go do sound check.” Marco turned around to Johnny with a pout, her lower lip jutting outwards.

“But I like watching the people in line. They’re kind of like a petting zoo. But if I tried to pet them they’d probably try to eat me. Like that meanie goat that tried to eat my pigtail when I was younger,” Marco remarked, a small frown taking over her features. It was strange. The older she got the younger her mind seemed to lapse.

“As fun as memory lane sounds, we seriously need to go to sound check Marco. We’d leave you with someone, but we don’t know where everyone is,” Brian explained. Marco smiled and nodded, skipping behind the adults. They finally reached the stage where everyone was going through their routine of sound check. The three walked up the steps and Marco walked to the edge of the stage, sitting down to have her legs swing over the edge.

As the guys did their thing, Marco stared at the sea of people outside the venue and endless merch tents inside the venue. Marco turned her head to see the adults messing around and tuning before turning back to the tents. She watched as men and women alike walked around, some hauling boxes others moving and setting up tables. She looked over her shoulder at the adults one more time before hopping off the stage. She walked away, heading to the rows of tents.

“Get out of the way squirt!” A woman shouted, running past her. She turned around and jumped to the side just in time to see two men run by with a table in their hands. The two men were laughing their asses off, oblivious to the people screaming at them for being stupid. It was definitely like a zoo to Marco. Everyone was just so crazy. It was probably just 'the first day' thing.

“Hey, you.” Marco turned around to see a woman with a short, black Pixie cut staring at her, hands on her hips. She was dressed in some capris, a black halter, and some slip on Vans. “Do you have a pass to be here already?”

“Pass?” Marco’s hazel eyes flickered to the laminated pass that was hung around her neck. She could faintly read "Taste Of Chaos '08" and "VIP" from her distance away from the woman. She looked back up to meet her gray eyes that were narrowed in suspicion. “No I don’t ma’am.”

“Well at least you’re honest,” the girl muttered. “And don’t call me ‘ma’am’. I sound old.”

“Okay.”

“So how did you get in here anyways kid?” Marco huffed, crossing her arms.

“If I can’t call you ma’am then you can’t call me kid. My name’s Marco.”

She rolled her eyes with a faint smile. “Fine, Marco, how did you get in here without a pass?”

“My dad is in one of the bands.”

“Like I haven’t heard that one before,” the girl snorted. She had been working as a merch girl since she was eighteen, so three years now. If she could have a dollar for every ‘kid of a band member’, she’d be rich. Marco narrowed her eyes at the lady before her.

“It’s true. If you don’t believe me that’s your fault,” Marco said with a firm tone. The woman chuckled as she picked up a box to place on the surface of the table she was leaning on.

“I’ve been on the scene for a while Marco. If I don’t see it, I don’t believe it.” Just as Marco opened her mouth to say something she heard yelling from the way of the stage. Both Marco and the unnamed woman turned to face the shouting. Suddenly Marco saw Johnny and Jimmy running between the rows of tents towards her. Marco smirked, turning towards the person next to her.

“Here comes your proof now.” The woman simply raised her eyebrow. Just then Johnny reached her, bringing the teen into a tight hug.

“Marco, never do that again! You scared the fucking shit out of me!” Johnny exclaimed, checking her over like a mother hen would. Marco chuckled, hugging him.

“Sorry Dad.” As Jimmy gave Marco a hug and whined about how much he missed her Johnny noticed the other woman nearby. He smiled at the familiar woman with snakebites, septum, and angel bites.

“Hey Winter. Long time no see.” Winter had been the Atreyu merch girl for as long as he could remember. Winter grinned cheekily as the two shared a hug. Jimmy recognized her and quickly snatched her up into a bear hug.

“Winny! I missed you like a fat kid misses cake when he’s at fat camp!” Jimmy exclaimed, twirling the woman in circles. When he placed her to the ground she swayed a bit. She shook her head to make the world stop spinning and show only one Jimmy clearly in front of her.

“Hey Jimbo. Not in jail too much I hope.”

Jimmy fake gasped, his eyes wide. “Why, never! Does that really sound like me?”

“Last time I checked, yes.” Marco and Johnny just watched the two silently. The two friends had been the cause of much trouble over the three years they’ve known each other. Then again, no one could resist being Jimmy’s partner in crime. Most people just learned to stop at a certain point. Winter never did.

“Oh yeah! Winny, this is my other bestest buddy Marco. She’s Johnny’s adopted kid,” Jimmy introduced, turning the pale woman around to face the father and daughter. “Markie this is Winter. But don’t call her Markie, only I can. And Markie, don’t call Winter Winny. That’s my nickname.”

“Got it Jim Jam,” Marco replied with a polite smile to Winter.

“Yeah, I got it Jimmy,” Winter laughed. A man called Winter’s name, causing her to turn around to the merch tent she was suppose to be setting up. She held up her index finger, signaling for one more minute. She turned back to the three and smiled apologetically.

“Well I gotta go do my job. I’ll see you three later.”

“Bye Winter.” With that the three walked back towards the stage where the rest of the Avenged group was now just solely playing around. As the three approached everyone turned around to scowl at the teenager attached to Johnny’s hand.

“You had us worried missy,” Matt Berry scowled. Marco rolled her eyes with a smile.

“Oh yeah. I could totally tell by how much you were all freaking out and staying on stage and all.” In unison the twins stuck their tongue out at Marco. “Oh, bring it on. I could take both of you with my eyes closed.”

“Is that so?” Jason asked. They shared a look before hopping off stage. Marco chuckled nervously, hands raised in front of her as she took a few steps backwards.

“Now boys, no need to make things drastic.”

“Get her!” Matt Berry shouted. Marco turned and ran with a girlish scream. The twins chased the teenager around the venue, laughing when they got close and she would squeal. Everyone on stage sat on an amp while Johnny and Jimmy leaned on the stage. Everyone’s eyes were following the three with amusement.

“Should we save Marco?” Zacky asked.

“Nah, she be aight,” Brian replied with a wave of his hand. Jason tackled Marco to the grass, sitting on her waist to pin her to the ground. Matt B. appeared out of almost nowhere and began to tickle Marco. Her screams of terror reached the band mates who just smiled.

“So we’re just leaving her on her own, huh?”

“She kind of deserves it,” Johnny replied to Matt’s question.

“Touche.”