I Fell in Love With a Dead Boy

After a four hour drive we arrived at the new destination. Billie looked like a right mess. He started freaking out when he realized that his friend Lou was coming to do a new tattoo for him and he hadn’t done his hair. I had already been running around like a blue arsed fly trying to sort out some new clothes for Billie, book him in some press release and let’s not forget getting his coffee and aspirin to cure his hangover.
I burst through the door with numerous things that required his signature to see him sitting shirtless next to Lou, a buzzing needle injecting his skin with ink, filling in a small design of Adi’s favourite flower that Lou had drawn up for him. Billie winced as he signed the papers.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Like shit, I can’t believe how much I drank.”
“I can” Lou smirked at me, “Your bleeding like a haemophiliac.”
I chuckled, “anything you want me to do?” I asked my uncle whose brow was creased in an uncomfortable frown.
“Yeah, one last thing Fia, just, pop over to My Chem’s…ow…bus…shit…”
“Sorry Beej, muscle” Lou chewed his tongue in concentration.
“I would never have…ow…guessed. Yeah, anyway, Fia, Gerard left his jacket at Tre’s last night when he scooted off to talk on his cell…anyway, whatever, I rescued it, in hope of borrowing it. Would you just take it back on your way back from Mike’s bus?”
I nodded, “What does Mike want?”
“Begins with C” Billie winced.
I nodded, coffee, Mike and his bloody coffee.
“Shall I tell him that Lou is here too?”
“Yeah, I’ll ink him up if he wants” Lou paused to wipe Billie’s arm.

I turned to see a black leather jacket on the couch behind me, scooping it up I made off to Gerard’s bus. Secretly happy as Larry, this has to be the best job Billie has asked me to do all day.
I trotted over to the huge black bus shared by Gerard, Frank and Ray. Knocking on the door and opening to the sound of “come in.” I trotted up the stairs to see Ray and Gerard lounging on the couches. Ray reading some sci-fi book, Gerard on his phone.
“Hey Fia” Ray smiled at me, “How be you?”
“I’m good Ray, I’m just returning Gerard’s jacket.” I smiled holding up the garment on my index finger.
“Hey! Where was that?” Gerard asked hand covered the receiving end of the phone.
“Under Tre’s couch, Billie rescued it.” I giggled walking over and sitting next to Ray who patted the seat next to him. I handed Gerard his jacket over and he nodded at me gratefully. Dark sunglasses covering half his face, he began to end the conversation on the phone.
“Trust him to loose something on the first night” Ray sighed.
“Where’s the others?” I asked
“Mikey is out meeting Alicia, Bob is with the roadies, Frank dashed off when he heard there was a tattoo artist in the area.”
I chuckled, “Is he okay from Tre’s Ferrari drink last night?”
Ray giggled before brushing a hand through his hair, “Yeah, he should be fine for tonight.”
“…okay, yeah, you too, bye”
I looked up at Gerard and he slipped his sunglasses off, sighing.
“Thanks Fia” he smiled at me, looking rather tired.
“No probs Gerard, I was just on my way to get some coffee for Mike.”
Ray was looking down at his book again; Gerard leant down and clutched his forehead. I guess that was a sign that I should go; maybe this was the wrong time to chat. I felt so uneasy around him right now.
“Right, I better go, see you guys later, I’ll probably see you before the show…” I began standing up.
“Hey Fia, wait, I might err, I might come with if you don’t mind.” Gerard asked also standing up.
“No” I smiled at him, my heart suddenly thumping against my ribcage, “No, I don’t mind.”
“See ya later Ray” Gerard waved at his band mate and followed me out of the bus.

“I needed to get out of there you know” Gerard croaked, lighting up a Marlboro red from his pocket. “I need a walk”
“I was grateful for the sit down, I have been rushing all over the place today, like always” I sighed as we both turned right and headed for the street beyond the venue car parking lot.
“Did you get drunk last night? You disappeared pretty quickly from the party.” I chuckled
“Nah, I’m laying off the drink for a while” Gerard inhaled his cigarette, and then let out a small puff of smoke. My mind went blank as I took in the way his tattered hair enveloped his face so perfectly. I must have been silent for a while because Gerard swallowed in an awkwardness that sometimes erupted between strangers conversing.

“So, Fia, it’s a strange name, a nice one but, strange.”
I nodded, “Yeah, it is, strange I mean… well, my mom is Adi’s sister and she married a guy from Scotland, Fia in Scottish means the Dark of Peace or something along those lines.”
“Cool.” Gerard nodded, “better than plain old Gerard Arthur.”
“Arthur?” I laughed, “I never would have guessed that in a million years”
Gerard cracked a grin, his mouth curling to the side slightly. Something I noticed he did whilst speaking too. It was hard to take your eyes away from him once they had settled there.
“I’m half Scottish too” he exhaled, dropping his cigarette as we walked down the street to the town centre.
“Really? Weird.”
“So your Billie Joe’s niece? Bet that was cool to brag about when you were younger.”
I turned to see him watching his feet as he walked.
“Well, not really, I’ve never been settled you know, never got on with my mom, never known my dad, without Adi and Billie I dunno what I would have done to be honest.”
I shrugged; I had developed that small story as just a quick answer to whenever anyone asked. I never spoke about my past; history was a thing that I was constantly trying to escape from.
“Billie’s such a good guy, I dunno what I thought he would be like, but, well, I look up to him, you know.”
I nodded, “I know, he’s great. Apart from him turning into a little spoilt girl and demanding his hair gel and beer.”
Gerard chuckled.
“Shit” I just realized something as we came into view of the bustling shops in front of us.
“What?” Gerard asked turning to face me as my feet froze to the cracked pavement beneath me.
“We didn’t bring anyone, like, Rigger Dan or anyone, I mean, what if someone recognises you?”
Gerard smirked and I suddenly felt like an idiot.
“Err, you know, coz I’ve been in a few hairy situations with Billie and…”
“Fia, its fine, really, thanks for your concern though.”
I blushed.
I fuckin blushed, like a kid. Goddamn my cheeks and their blood pumping ability.
I swallowed and carried on walking, I heard Gerard chuckle behind me and trot to catch up with my agitated pace. I’ve never been good with guys when it comes to saying the right thing, or impressing them. I was definitely slaughtering any chances that I had with Gerard…what am I thinking? As if there was any chance in Hell that Gerard would look at my sideways, he probably thinks I’m a bumbling kid.

“Isn’t that Bob?” Gerard pointed to a guy with strawberry blonde hair and a pierced lip, his drummer, who appeared to be carrying Starbucks coffee.
“BOB!” Gerard yelled across the street, the drummer looked around left and right before glancing in our direction. He waved and legged it across the road. Thank God for Bob in rescuing this situation, I’m buying him some beer later.
“Hey guys” he panted, chewing on his lip ring.
“Do you have enough coffee there?” Gerard smiled.
“They gave me two extra cups but I figured that some fucker will want it when I get back.”
Gerard turned to me, “There ya go Fia, give Mike one of those.”
“Would you mind Bob?” I asked sheepishly.
“Not at all” he smiled handing me the holder and taking his own cup.
“Is that why you guys were down here?” the drummer asked sipping from the steaming beverage.
“Yeah, I just wanted a walk” Gerard sighed as we turned around and headed back up the street.
“Mikey is coming back with Alicia I hear.”
“Mikey’s fiancée” Gerard turned and filled me in.
I nodded, “already missing her?”
“Yeah I know” Bob grinned, “one night and the lover’s can’t cope apart”
Gerard made a small ‘huff’ sound as we turned the corner to see the parking lot once again.
“Hey, Philly tomorrow” Bob grinned
“Yeah, stop over” I grinned, practically shaking with excitement at the thought of a shower and a bed that wasn’t a bunk.
“I feel so sorry for that hotel after last night’s antics” Bob chuckled.
I did too; it was well known that Green Day had a thing for destroying as many hotel rooms as possible. Gerard’s cell rang yet again, he waved and me and Bob before running off to answer it. He was soon gaining a reputation for being ruled by his cell calls. That was a marvellous little walk however; for once I was glad to be ‘coffee running.’

Billie promised to get ready early today so he would sit with me backstage and watch My Chemical Romance, however, Jay, Green Day’s tour manager, decided to join us and they both sat whispering to each other about various dates and so on.
I wasn’t fazed; Gerard was the only thing running through my mind. He had painted his face white, a black stripe masking his eyes, I joked to Billie that him and Gerard would give any woman a run for their money in the make up stakes.
In retaliation he shoved me off the amp we were sitting on.
Wanker.
“Beer kiddo?” Rigger Dan chucked one across at me.
“That Alicia is one hell of a catch.” He yelled in my ear as the lights dimmed and Gerard starting melting the microphone with the song he had introduced as “Ghost of You.”
“You are a perve” I sniggered as Mikey’s girl came closer towards us.
“I can look, there’s no harm in that.”
I was thinking the exact same thing regarding Gerard. He was crooning into the microphone, his heavy breathing making me feel very heated indeed. Damn the little fucker.