We Stitch These Wounds

“Let’s go swimming!” TJ proposed jumping up from Max’s couch and looking around for someone to second the idea.

“I can’t get my hand wet.” I replied picking at some of the tape I had yet to be able to get off of my cast.

“Well why on earth did you have to go and break your hand?” He whined as he plopped himself back down on the couch.

I rolled my eyes at him before replying. “I didn’t just wake up one day and say …Hmm … today feels like the day to break my hand. I think I’ll run it over with a car or something like that.”

“Well that does sound like something your dumbass would do. I can just imagine it now… you get a blowout, pull over to change your tire, and as you are leaning down to look at the tire the car rolls over your hand because you didn’t put it in park.” Robert mused acting out the actions as he said so.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his facial expressions as he did this. “Well I kind of have rolled over my hand before.” I replied looking at my cast. “The night that I apparently died I flipped my car and my hand went out of the window. It was nearly ripped off. I spent a year in and out of the hospital with surgeries. Thanks for just assuming I was dead by the way guys. Having someone come visit me would have been nice you know. I had to stay in the hospital for two weeks straight by myself, and five of those days I was in the ICU scared shitless for my life. Hell I would have even been happy if Craig showed up to check up on me, but nope no one.” I ranted looking around at the guys.

“Way to make me feel like shit Mir… I mean Jade.” Monte mused as he looked down at his hands. “We were leaving for tour, we weren’t even sure if that was your car that we saw.” He tried to defend himself. “We figured if it was you one of us…” He said nodding his head in Max’s direction “would have gotten a call saying something happened to you and for us to come back home. By the time we got off tour your house was empty and everybody was saying you were dead.”

“I tried to tell you guys it was her, but none of you would listen to me. You kept saying there were millions of cars in the world that looked like hers, but I saw her!” Max said jumping up from the couch and pacing. “You guys just thought I was high!”

“Well were you?” I asked trying not to laugh.

“I might have been, not much though. I only did a little bit.” He replied in honesty.

“Yes Max, but you see a little bit to you is a lot to most people. You probably were higher than a fucking kite. You see Ronnie and I use to amuse your drug induced delusions, because we too were either high or coming down and didn’t want to hear you complain. They had no reason to.” I replied shrugging my shoulders at him and motioning for him to walk closer to me.

“Yes my love?” He asked in a fake British accent, presumably trying to poke fun of Jacky.

I squinted my eyed at him in a slight glare before raising my cast up to him. “Get all this fucking tape you put on here off. It’s starting to drive me fucking crazy!” I whined as I slightly thrashed about the couch.

“But I find you so amusing when you freak out.” He replied with an evil grin.

“Maxwell I swear to God if you don’t get this off I’m going to beat the shit out of you and I’m not kidding.” I growled standing up from the couch and bucking up to him. I was so close my chest was against his.

“All I hear are empty threats.” He replied with a smile.

“Get this fucking tape off of my cast. You are the one who put it there you are going to be the one to take it off.” I said pushing his chest with my good hand causing him to stumble back a few feet.

“I think it’s time for someone to take their happy pill.” He laughed at me.

“Max I’m only going to say this one more time… Get… this… tape… off … my … cast!” I said each word slowly as to get my point across.

“Shouldn’t we stop them?” TJ asked completely bewildered by our argument.

“Shh.. no this is normal for them. Just sit down and shut up; the end will be hilarious it always it.” Robert replied taking his aviators his face and attaching them to his shirt.

“I’ll take it off later.” Max replied with a laugh trying to brush past me. He was intentionally trying to piss me off and it was working.

“No take it off now!” I growled grabbing him by the back of the shirt and pulling him back towards me.

“You know I love you right?” Max asked as he pulled me into a tight hug. He knew that I had a claustrophobia problem and he was trying to freak me out. He tightened him embrace on me and I could feel the air rushing out of my lungs.

“Get the fuck off of me!” I demanded as I tried to squirm out of his grasp.

“Say you love me back!” Max sang.

“I hate you!” I grumbled managing to get my arm with the cast out of his embrace.

“Awe, now that’s no way to talk to the person who has been taking care of you.” He replied with a grin as he looked down at me; tightening his hold on me a little more.

“If you don’t let me go I’m going to hit you.” I warned.

“No you won’t.” He replied with a cocky smirk.

I wasn’t thinking when I did this, seeing how I was in the midst of a panic attack, but I reared back my hand and punched him in the side of the head. “Fucking shit, you’ve got a hard head.” I screeched as I clutched my cast to my chest.

“Why on earth did you hit me with that hand?” He asked running over to me.

“My other hand was pinned beneath us, and it was the only one I could use.” I replied with tears streaming down my cheeks from the pain I was feeling. “I … I .. It hurts!” I whined slapping him upside the head with my good hand.

“Why the fuck are you hitting me?” Max shrieked as he shielded his head from another blow.

“Cause you’re an asshole!” I growled turning my back on him and going to sit in Monte’s lap. This is something I use to do a lot when we were younger. Monte was the only guy in the band to never piss me off, so when someone else did I would run to him. I guess you could say he was my safe zone.

“How’s your hand?” He asked as he inspected it. “Well it doesn’t look like you’ve broken the cast on Max’s stupid block head so I think you’re fine.” He laughed kissing the top of my head.

“I think you hurt his feeling.” Craig said in a baby voice as Max walked out of the room.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Well his stupid head hurt my hand, so his feelings can be hurt cause I bet you my hand hurts worse.” I grumbled hiding my face in the crook of Monte’s neck.

“I’m not trying to be an ass or anything, but did you think it wasn’t going to hurt when you punched him in the head. I mean how long has your hand been in that cast anyways?” Robert asked from beside me.

“A day.” I mumbled refusing to look at him. I knew they were going to laugh at me.

“Well no shit it hurt then.” Craig replied in a duh tone.

“You know what fuck all of you. You can all go to hell TJ is my only friend down.” I replied sliding off of Monte’s lap and sitting next to TJ putting my arm around him.

“Hey why am I being defriended?” Monte whined.

“Your bony legs were digging into my ass. I miss when you were fluffy.” I replied with a smirk.

“I was not fluffy!” He retorted.

“You sure as hell we a lot squishier when we were younger.” I replied shrugging my shoulder.

“Here take this.” Max said handing me one of my pain pills and a cold Dr. Pepper. I eyed him for a second before taking the pill and drink from him. “Do you still hate me?” He asked sitting on the other side of me.

“You made my hand hurt.” I glared popping the pill in my mouth and taking a sip of the drink swallowing them both.

“Yea, but I made you forget about the tape on your cast.” He replied giving me a toothy grin.

“I hate you!” I replied scooting closer to TJ.

“What is this?” Max asked motioning between the two of us. “You’ve replaced me in my own band I’m not letting you take her as well.” Max replied pulling me onto his lap.

“Awe is someone a little territorial?” I asked in an annoying baby voice causing Max to roll his eyes.

“No I’m not he just can’t have you! Its bad enough I have to share you with Radke.” He replied wrapping his arms around me.

“You make me sound like a whore.” I said with a grimace.

“Well if the shoe fits…” He replied with a wink.

“I hate you…” I grumbled.

“You love me and you know it.” He replied poking my side causing me to squeal in shock.

“So what are we doing today?” I asked trying to change the subject.

“We’re going to play laser tag.” Craig replied clapping his hands in delight. “I’m the master of this game you know.” He added in a matter of fact tone.

I raised a brow at him. “I will kick your ass.”

“Fine losers got to supply the alcohol tonight.” Craig wagered.

“Prepare to be going home penniless then.” I retorted jumping off of Max’s lap and running off towards his room.

“What are you doing?” Max yelled after me.

“Well if were playing laser tag I’ve got to go in stealth mode and I can’t think of anyone else on this earth that has more black clothes then you besides maybe Manson.” I shouted back.

“You know Jade can both drink and kick ass at this game. She wasn’t kidding when she said you were going to go home broke.” Robert said with a laugh.

“Pshh … she’s got a cast on her arm.” Craig reasoned

“I don’t know man I still think she’s going to kick your ass.” Monte chimed in.

“All I know is I’m on her team.” Max added.

“But I wanted to be on her team.” Both Monte and Robert said in unison.

“I need someone to button up my pants.” I could feel my cheeks going red when I said this. The guys turned to look at me and when they did they laughed. I was in a pair of Max’s black bondage pants, I had on the Iron Maiden I had been previously wearing, I had black war pant under my eyes, and I had drawn random lines across my exposed skin.

“Wow you really are Jake’s little sister!” Max said with a laugh as he walked towards me and buttoned my pants up for me. “Now you better not have to piss while we’re out cause I’m not going into the restroom with you. People mistake me enough for a woman is it is.” He said with a laugh.

“Alright let’s go pretend to blow people up!” I replied jumping up and down excitedly. “Oh and I’ll even let you have all the guys, but one on your team.” I said wrapping an arm around Craig’s shoulder as we made our way out the door. “Cause when I win that way you can’t blame it on who was on my team. I’ll even let you pick.”

“So how does it feel to have your ass handed to you by a girl?” I asked in an interviewer’s voice as I held a fake microphone up to Craig’s mouth. He didn’t reply he just grunted causing me to smile even wider. “So fellow winner, what will you be drinking tonight? I was thinking a whole bottle of Jager for myself, what about you?” I asked Max

“I want a bottle of their finest champagne.” Max replied in a British accent.

“If this upsets you don’t ever let her play paintball with you, she’s even worse. She will take no mercy on you then.” Robert laughed at my antics.