The Look Alike

*Gerard’s POV*

I can’t believe Bert had the nerve to just come up to Zane like that! I swear to God, if this is one of his ways of getting back at me…

“Gerard?” Zane said cautiously. I blinked twice, now aware I was staring at a wall.

“Ahem, well that concludes the tour of the whole arena. Hopefully you’ll be able to navigate pretty well,” I covered, smoothing my shirt.

“Yeah, well, knowing me I’ll get lost in the freaking bathroom stall, so keep your eyes peeled for a teen in distress,” Zane chuckled. God, it was odd how much we were alike. Come on Gerard, snap out of it.

“Haha, okay. I think I see Brian trying to alert us to begin prepping for the concert. Man, time flies!” I laughed, ushering Zane over towards Brian.

“You seem sugary sweet, Gerard, how much coffee did you exactly drink?” Zane smirked, playfully squinting suspiciously.

“Way too much, now shoo!” I said, hiding a grin as Zane went off to set the stage up with Brian and the other stage hands.

The smile broke free as I went behind the stage; the concert sponsor had made sure there were some lights behind the usually dark stage. Ever navigate through a crowded backstage area? Yeah, odds are you’d face plant into a random speaker or something, so lights were a saving grace. I finally was able to make it to the band’s dressing rooms to change; everyone, I’m assuming, was already dressed and waiting to go on stage. Therefore, I had to get ready fast…except my black parade uniform wasn’t hanging on the rack where I’d left it. Motherfucker, somebody stole my costume! Now wasn’t the time to be fretting, I’d just go on stage in my black T-shirt and perform. A slight noise made me jump, it was followed by the dressing room door slamming shut and locking. Shit!

“Hey! What the fuck!?” I screamed, beating the door with my fists.

“Don’t worry, Gee-tard, the concert’s still going to be a killer!” Laughed a voice from behind the door.

“BERT! YOU FUCKING OPEN THIS DOOR!!” I raged, throwing my body against the door and achieving a numb torso in the process.

Oh god, what was he up to!?

*Zane’s POV*

I could tell the rest of the bad were getting nervous because Gerard still hadn’t shown up yet and the concert was starting in literally two minutes. Brian told them not to worry, to just go out on stage and we’d get Gerard’s ass out there pronto. That’s when I felt a hand grab my shoulder. It had to be Bert; he’s the only guy I know who’s been grabbing my shoulder like that.

“Hey buddy! How’s it going?” Bert said, raising his voice to be heard over the crowd’s screams.

“Good, I guess. It’ll be better once Gerard gets his ass out here now!” I said, vainly trying to spy the missing rock star.

“He’s missing? Well, he’d better get out there fast! The band has just gone out onto the stage!” Bert stated, squinting slightly out of concern.

“Yeah, this is bad…I should tell them to come back offstage. No use just standing there,” I sighed, walking closer to the stage opening.

“Yeah…hey you look cold, wear this,” Bert said, putting a jacket on me. Truthfully, I wasn’t cold—I was burning up in this heat.

“What the hell?” I said, noticing that it was Gerard’s jacket he put onto me.

“Smile big, Gee-clone!” Bert cackled, shoving me out onto the stage.

The guys couldn’t see my face properly, the lights were too bright. So for all they knew, I was Gerard. Toro ushered me to the mike, where I stood like a deer in the head lights. The crowd was screaming so loud…the volume intensified as the band struck the beginning tune to the first song. Oh God, don’t let me throw up on stage. I’m pretty sure I was having a panic attack, or maybe I was too petrified to do anything. All my life I’d been the “invisible guy” and right now I was very visible. The crowd had to have noticed something was wrong when the band started playing, but the vocalist just stood there. I turned my head, body trembling slightly and tears of embarrassment prickling at my eyes, to look at Frank. He frowned for a moment before mouthing “Oh shit”.

The crowd was still screaming, but the volume had toned down as more and more people noticed I still wasn’t singing. I managed to turned my head to the other direction…I could see Bert laughing at me; it was like high school all over again. Oh god, why? Tears broke free and streamed down my face as I brought my shaking hands up to wipe them away. Frank dashed over and pulled me into a hug, quickly ushering me—in my shell-shocked state—offstage. He was trying to soothe me, but I couldn’t hear him. All I heard was the mocking laughter and the tears pouring from my eyes. The whole band was around me now, but I knew he was still watching…laughing. It took an enormous effort on my part to lift my head, but through the veil of tears I saw him—yet, he wasn’t laughing anymore. Bert actually looked sorry for what he did.

I felt the shock taking over, my body going slack as I fainted into blissful darkness. Thus leaving me to deal with the agony of the events, the embarrassment, and the suffocating sorrow all by myself…