Love at First Fright

**Rayna’s P.O.V**

After the show I watched as Joey slowly walked off, not even stopping at Eric whose arms were stretched out in front of him.

“Mommee, what wrong with Daddee?”

I shook my head and stopped Wednesday who was walking by me to get cleaned up and changed.

“Wednesday, can you watch Eric? I need to talk to Joey.”

Wednesday agreed and lifted Eric up on his shoulders to take him to the dressing room. I left the backstage area to look for Joey. I looked out in the audience and saw only a handful of people, mainly roadies, standing around. I scanned the groups of people stopping when my eyes focused on two familiar silhouettes by the bar. One was obviously Joey with his long hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. The other I could barely believe was actually there. Her long brownish red hair was cut shorter, a large tattoo stretched across her exposed back and she was wearing a purple tank with a crossed out razor blade on it.
I slowly walked over and cleared my throat making both turn around. Joey immediately took my hand and pulled my closer to him.

“Rayna?”

It was her. The girl I used to call my best friend. Hell, I used to call her my sister.
“Kat?”

She nodded and slowly extended her hand for me. I felt as if it took me hours to finally shake her hand.

“What are you doing here Kat?”

She gently put her drink down and sighed deeply.
“I heard the band was in town and I wanted to see if you two actually stayed together. Didn’t know you would be married.”

Joey nodded and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him as if he was afraid at any minute I would be throwing punch at Kat.

“We also, have a son. He’s with his uncle somewhere around here.”

“Your son? Rayna, does your mother know? Does anyone know?”

I scoffed a little at her fake concern. It was as if someone had written a cheesy soap opera for her to perform. Like she actually cared if anyone knew. I knew she was here for a different reason than to just catch up with Joey and me.

“Daddee! Uncle say we gots to go. Jacky say also.”

We all turned to see Eric running in carrying a water bottle in his hand. Behind him Jack came walking in slowly talking on the phone.

“Who dis?”

Eric gripped Joey’s leg and stared blankly up at Kat as she kneeled down and looked into his eyes.

“He looks like you Joey. Such a shame, you marry someone so pretty and have a child and they inherit so much ugly.”

I stepped in front of Joey and Eric and glared at Kat as she stood back up with a smirk across her face. Behind me I could hear Joey whispering to Jack to take Eric but Eric refused to leave Joey’s side.

“I knew it. You didn’t come to see me. You came to ridicule me. You thought that Joey would be on that stage with no ring or anything and that I would be somewhere alone huh? Well guess what Kat sometimes good things do happen to people with shitty pasts. And calling my son ugly? What the fuck is wrong with you? He is barely 4 and he is the most beautiful person I have ever seen. Unlike you where ugly resides inside and out.”

I watched as Kat’s smirk slowly disappeared and she grabbed her jacket from the bar.

“You know what Rayna; yeah I didn’t come to check on you. I came to actually tell you that your mother for some reason is looking for you. So have fun with your fucked up little rock star wannabe husband and that little demon you call a son. As for the band’s performance tonight. I have to say I’ve seen better.”

Without thinking I grabbed the glass Kat had been drinking from and threw the remainder of its contents directly in her face.

“Have a good night Katherine. Come on Snare we got to get on the bus.”

I turned around smiling to myself when I heard Kat yell my name and Eric laugh as he ran off behind me. I was a little startled when I felt Joey run up behind me and grab my arm to slow me down. I tried my best to keep on walking but as I walked out the door and began heading towards the bus Joey’s grip got stronger as he stopped me. I took a deep breath and turned around to see his features were full of concern.

“Ray, are you okay? I’m not letting you get on that bus until you calm the hell down.”

“Calm down Joey? Calm down? Did you not fucking hear what she said? She deserved a lot more than a simple drink thrown in her face. I just can’t do this anymore Joey…”

I leaned my head against the cold bus as Joey came up behind me and laid his head in the crook of my neck.

“What do you mean?”

I sniffed back a tear before turning around to face him.

“I don’t know. I guess I thought touring with Eric would be easy but then again it’s only the first day and it is in the same town where I used to live so I should have expected something like this right?”

He smiled weakly and leaned in to kiss me softly. Joey always knew exactly how to make me feel better no matter what was going on. I don’t know what I would be doing if I hadn’t met him that night. I would most likely still be living with Kat working at the record store and now that I think about it I would probably be the dumb ass to beg for Derick back.

I kissed Joey back before telling him we had better get on the bus before they left us. Hand in hand we walked on to see Jason sitting again at the driver’s seat this time flipping through a magazine as if he had been waiting for us the entire time.

“Bout damn time.”

He closed the door and started up the bus as we made our way down the small walking space into the ‘living room’ area where everyone, except for Eric, was stretched out on the various couches and bench seats looking like they were about to die already.

“Come on guys it’s the first night aren’t you all supposed to be getting drunk and being loud and shit?”

I laughed as Wednesday groaned from the couch and pulled a pillow over his head before pointing at a half empty bottle of Jack beside him.

“Nice guys. I’ll be taking this.”

I grabbed the bottle and kissed Joey before making my way to the bunk area looking for Eric. I threw the bottle of Jack into our only empty bunk which we all used for storage. I passed everyone’s bunks and stopped in front of the only one whose curtain was pulled halfway shut. I gently opened it to see Eric curled up gripping his stuffed skunk fast asleep. I smoothed back his shaggy hair and kissed his forehead before pulling his blanket up a little more and closing the curtain the rest of the way.

With Eric asleep and Joey talking to Jack, Wednesday and Roman I took it as the perfect opportunity to get my mind set. I grabbed my pajamas and went into the small bathroom making sure to lock the door behind me. Once inside I changed and let the warm water run in the sink allowing it to fog up the small mirror. I shut off the water and wiped a section of the mirror large enough to see just my eyes.

As I stared at myself in the foggy mirror I began thinking if I was still the same person I was before I met Joey. Easily I could say no. I had cut ties with my entire past life. No more job, no more best friend, no more shitty apartment, no more Hollywood Ray. Now I had the best job of being a mother and wife. I had more than enough friends that I considered family. I may not have busy and loud Hollywood around me but I loved living in quaint and quiet Des Moines with Joey, Eric, Wednesday, Roadie and Mokie. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the money in the world.

I sighed and unlocked the door before leaving the still pretty foggy bathroom. I checked on Eric one more time and went into the ‘living room’ area to see everyone was actually sitting up watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre on the TV on the wall. I made my way over to Joey who was sitting next to Jack both staring at the screen not even noticing me walking in front of them. I stood directly in front of Joey ignoring him as he groaned and told me to move. I laughed and shook my butt as he grabbed me around my waist and pulled me onto his lap so he could see the movie again.

“Okay not to sound like a perv or anything and Joey don’t kill me over this but, Rayna you have a really nice ass.”

“What the fuck Roman?!!?”

We all laughed as Roman put up his arms to shield himself from the pillow Joey threw from across the couch.

“I said don’t kill me!”

I could tell that touring with these guys was going to never have a dull moment.