Battle of the Bands

-Julie's Point Of View-

I had walked up to Melissa's room and now the two of us were inside her room trying to figure out what we wanted to do for the day.

"Should we go find one of the bands? Some of them did invite us to join them." Melissa said as she gestured to all eight slips of paper that were in a pile on her bed.

I shook my head, "No way!" I said as I couldn't help but giggle, "They totally ditched us for the day. I mean, I'm sure they didn't all intentionally do it on purpose but it ended up that way."

"So... we don't go anywhere?" Melissa questioned slowly.

"Hell no! We're in Vegas!" I nearly shouted as I couldn't help but jump up and down, "So let's go out there and experience it. No bands, no guys,...and nothing illegal." I finished as the jumping came to a halt.

"Yeah!" Melissa shouted as she shot up to her feet and pumped her fist into the air, "...Wait, define illegal."

"Uhh... no gambling and no drinking cuz we're under-aged." I clarified.

Melissa nodded, "Right... so what else can we do?"

"Well.... we could go check out the lions at MGM, or go watch the fountains at the Belagio, or take pics with the street performers and prey to God they don't feel us up, or walk the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood, or-"

"Would you just pick something already?!" Melissa interrupted me.

"Oh right! Sorry." I apologized as I smiled, "I heard there's a really sick arcade at New York, New York plus they have a roller coaster."

"To New York, New York!" Melissa shouted as she pumped her fist back into the air.

I smiled and grabbed my bag, "Alright, let's go!"

"Should we take a cab?" Melissa asked.

I shook my head, "No way! In Vegas everything is in walking distance and if it's not then you haven't walked far enough!"

"Alright, but when we get there can we get something to eat?" Melissa asked, "I'm freakin' starving."

We walked out of the Luxor casino, through the Excalibur, over the pedestrian bridge that crossed the street, and into the New York, New York. Once we entered there was a fairly large food stand that sold things you would expect to find on the street at vendors in New York. Hot dogs, hamburgers, soft pretzels, churros, nachos, ect. It all looked so good. Both Melissa and I got a soft pretzel and ate them on our way through the casino to get to the arcade beyond it.

We played in the arcade for several hours, wasting our day away and using the money we would have used on band merch to pay for everything. Almost four hours later, we had enough tickets combined to get a green electric guitar. It was like 75,000 tickets, but Melissa and I must have had good luck or something because we kept hitting jackpots on most of the games we played.

After we got our guitar we decided it was time to check out the roller coaster. For a coaster in Vegas, it had a wait line like a Disneyland attraction. We stood in line for nearly a half hour, but while we waited Melissa strummed out songs and I sang.

Give me a second I,
I need to get my story straight
My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State
My lover she's waiting for me just across the bar
My seat's been taken by some sunglasses asking bout a scar, and
I know I gave it to you months ago
I know you're trying to forget
But between the drinks and subtle things
The holes in my apologies, you know
I'm trying hard to take it back
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I'll carry you home

Being the song was insanely popular at the time, the people around us who knew the song sang the chorus with me.

Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

When it came back to singing the verse, I was on my own which I didn't mind at all anymore.

Now I know that I'm not
All that you got
I guess that I, I just thought
Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart
But our friends are back
So let's raise a glass
'Cause I found someone to carry me home

Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

While I sang the next part, the people around us sang the 'na na na's.'

Carry me home tonight
Just carry me home tonight
Carry me home tonight
Just carry me home tonight

The moon is on my side
I have no reason to run
So will someone come and carry me home tonight
The angels never arrived
But I can hear the choir
So will someone come and carry me home

Then they all joined me for the chorus yet again and Melissa really dug deep when it came to playing the guitar.

Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

As the song was ending, I was on my own again. Slowly, my voice began to fade with every line I sang.

So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I'll carry you home tonight

When I was done, everyone around us clapped so Melissa and I smiled at each other before we took a bow together. We hadn't realized it yet, but after we finished the song we were at the front of the line and got to sit in the front row of the coaster.

We didn't have to take our things on the coaster being it had a lot of loops and stuff so a security guy held our guitar and purses while we rode the epic adventure. When the ride was over I was dizzy as hell and strangely hungry. We got our stuff back and left the New York, New York, going across the street where the MGM hotel and casino was located where I heard there was a Rainforest Cafe.

I had never been to a Rainforest Cafe before, but when I first saw it I wondered how I could have never been to one before. There were robotic animals that you would find in an actual rainforest spread around the restaurant. It was really cool actually. There were also huge tropical fish tanks and a huge waterfall in the back of the restaurant. We got seated next to a few elephants who would blast their trumpets every once in a while, but mostly they would flap their ears, blink their eyes, and shift their trunks. It was still cool none the less. About every half hour, the restaurant experienced a little rainstorm. It darkened most of the restaurant, some lights flashed on and off to resemble lightning striking, there was also thunder and the animals went nuts with making sounds. It was really, really cool.

When we finished eating, Melissa asked, "So what do you want to do now?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I think if we play it right we can go back to the arcade and win that purple electric guitar too."

Melissa nodded, "Yeah that's what I thought. Let's do it!" she said happily.

We paid for our meal and went back to the arcade in New York New York and played the games until we had enough tickets for the other guitar - which didn't take us very long. We must have been on a lucky streak because we kept hitting more and more jackpots.

After we got the second guitar, Melissa took the purple one and gave me the green one as they were our favorite colors.

"Man, I'm tired!" Melissa whined, "What time is it?" she asked.

I checked my cell and my eyes widened, "It's almost midnight!" I said quickly.

"Oh wow. We've been out that long?" she asked.

I nodded, "Apparently. Vegas makes sure to not post around clocks so you're not really sure what time it is, so you don't focus on it and keep gambling instead."

"Oh. Do you think the bands are all still out?" she questioned.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. Who said they were going to be in New York New York?" I asked back.

"Uhh... My Chemical Romance and Avenged Sevenfold." Melissa replied.

"Right... Do you see them anywhere?" I asked as my eyes began to search the casino below us.

"Yeah! Over there!" Melissa shouted as she pointed.

I followed the direction of her finger to see she was pointing at a craps table that both bands were playing at. "Wow... they look really drunk." I said quietly.

Melissa nodded, "Yeah, they do." she agreed, "Should we get them back to the Luxor?"

"I don't see them going any time soon if we don't." I said.

"Okay! Let's get them back then!" Melissa shouted as she pumped her fist into the air for the third time today before she ran down the escalator, nearly knocking over a little kid as she ran.

"Hey Melissa! Wait up!" I called as I ran after her in her wake.

By the time I caught up to her, she was already standing with the bands and trying to get their attention.

"Move along young lady." a security man said as he shoved her away from the table.

"Hey back off!" Melissa shouted at the guy, "Those are my friends!"

"Sure they are." he said as he stood between her and the bands.

I huffed, knowing if I didn't do something quickly the security guy was going to have Melissa ushered into a back room and we couldn't have that. I glanced around at the bands to see who looked the most sober and that ended up being Johnny. "Johnny!" I shouted, but he didn't hear me as the dice rolled landed on a winning number and everyone at the table cheered, "Johnny Christ!" I screeched and he turned around to have his eyes land on me and Melissa.

He walked away from the table and up to us, putting a hand on the security man's shoulder just as he was about to escort Melissa off, "They're with us." he told the guy, causing him to release Melissa and stalk away. "What are you guys doing here?" he questioned.

I sighed, "I hate to be 'that person,' but do you guys know what time it is?" I asked.

Johnny shook his head.

"It's almost midnight!" Melissa shouted.

"Actually, now it's past midnight." I clarified.

"Is it that late already?" Johnny asked.

I nodded, "You guys should get back to the Luxor. You've got a show tomorrow." I reminded.

"Yeah, you're right...." he said quietly, "Okay, let's get the guys back." he agreed.

It took us some time, but we finally managed to get My Chem and A7X back to the Luxor and into their hotel rooms for the night. Melissa and I put our guitars in our rooms and regrouped in the elevator.

"Are the others back yet?" she asked.

"I don't think so. They didn't come when I knocked on their doors." I replied.

:Yeah, they didn't come when I did either." she agreed.

"So what do we do?" I asked, "If they're too tired to go on tomorrow night they're going to have a lot of pissed off fans."

"I say we go get them." Melissa said.

"Huh?" I asked.

She smiled, "We know where they're going to be because they all told us, so I say we go get them and bring them back."

I nodded, "Okay, so who gets who?" I asked.

"I'll go get Lady GaGa, Fall Out Boy, and Simple Plan."

"So that means I'll bring back Forever The Sickest Kids, Cinema Bizarre, and Tokio Hotel." I finished.

"Right. So operation 'Bring Back The Bands So Their Fans Don't Get Pissed' is under way!" Melissa shouted as the elevator doors dinged open on the casino floor.

"Uh-huh, but you've got to come up with a better code-name for that." I said as I laughed, "Oh hey, you use the Monster bus to get the bands because you've got to go to further casinos than I do."

"What about you?" Melissa asked,.

"Gerard gave me his credit card to use for a cab." I said.

"Okay, see you soon!" Melissa shouted before she ran off in the direction of the Luxor spa to find Lady GaGa while I went in the direction of the Belagio to bring back Cinema Bizarre.