ronnie radke fanfic

I woke up the same way I have been waking up the last few nights. The same nightmare was still fresh in my mind.

I slid out of my bunk, listening to the guys snore. I shivered, realising I was covered in a cold sweat. I went to the bathroom, took a quick shower and got ready the same way I do every day. When I checked my reflection in the mirror, I grimaced. My eyes were slightly bloodshoot and dark circles were visible, making me look worse than I usually do, although I tried to cover up the dark circles with make up. I made a mental note to wear sunglasses today.

When I went to the front lounge, I looked at the clock. Half four. And it had taken me about an hour to get ready. I sighed. This was getting worse.

I flicked on the light and wondered what I could do to pass the time. The guys wouldn't be up for another few hours. I could play a little guitar, but I might wake them. Just because I wasn't sleeping didn't mean they weren't allowed to either. Sighing, I flopped down on the couch.

I then remembered what Ronnie said last night, that I could come over anytime. I bit my lip, debating. Against my better judgement, I grabbed a hoodie that was folded over the back of the bench I was sitting on, which just so happened to be the Iron Maiden hoodie, and walked over to the door.

As I walked through the field the buses were parked in, I was surprised that there were a few other bands awake too. I soon realised I was up early enough to catch a glimpse of some of the crazy parties that happened on Warped Tour. The guys wanted to go to one but I'm not so sure I wanted to. I've heard about stuff happening at those parties involving alcohol and heavy drugs. For me, anything that involved alcohol and drugs was out. I didn't care if that made me a wimp. I have witnessed first-hand what it can do to people. It's not going to happen to me or anyone I care about ever again.

Before I had time to realise it, I was standing in front of Escape The Fate's bus with my arm outstretched, ready to knock on the door. I pulled my hand back, hesitant. I took a step back, turning around, having second thoughts. It wasn't too late to go back to my own bus. Why was I making things so complicated for myself?

Before I had time to unscramble my mind, light flooded past me and in it was a shadow. I turned around quickly. Ronnie tilted his head to the side and smiled. “I knew you couldn't resist me.”

I had to smile at that. I walked over to him and punched his shoulder lightly. “Shut up.”

He laughed and stepped aside so I could walk onto the bus. “It looks good on you.”

I quickly realised he was talking about the hoodie. I felt my cheeks get hot and I said nothing as I stepped onto the bus.

“Are you always up this early?” Ronnie asked, closing the door.

“I guess,” I mumbled with a shrug, sitting down on the couch.

“Are you going to tell me why?” Ronnie asked.

I smiled and didn't answer him, instead eyeing the coffee machine on the counter. Ronnie noticed.

“You want coffee.” Ronnie said and he got to work making coffee.

I watched him get mugs from the cupboard. I noticed bottles of beer on the counter, some of which had “Property Of Max” or “Property Of Robert” scribbled across them. I smiled slightly.

“Sorry,” I said, absentmindedly, making Ronnie look at me, eyebrows raised.

“For what?”

I shrugged, not making eye contact. “I probably seem weird, coming over like this. I don't mean to be. Sorry.”

I felt Ronnie's eyes on me. He didn't say anything until he had finished making coffee, bringing over a mug for me and one for himself.

“I would never have suspected the pretty frontwoman of a kick-ass band to be low on self-confidence.” I blushed a little as he said this. Half of that is untrue. I am not pretty. Half of that is true. I am not self confident. “You are not weird,” Ronnie added.

“Thanks.” I quickly drank my coffee. As I thought, it woke me up a bit. Not wanting to continue that topic of conversation, I changed subjects. “So, I think I should let you know that you are coming to watch The Academy Is... play today. They asked me to do something and you need to be there.”

Ronnie smiled. “Okay.”

________________________________________________________________________

Emily left a few hours later, just before everyone else started waking up. She simply said she didn't want to worry her bandmates because it was unlike her to just leave, especially when it's dark.

Ronnie yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes. He was tired as hell. As soon as they returned from The Academy Is... bus the night before, he set his alarm for four in the morning and went straight to sleep. He had kept his hopes up that Emily would come by again, but he was still surprised when she showed up outside the bus just a while after he had gotten up.

Now, a few hours later, he sat down on the couch and had to work hard to just keep his eyes open. The first thought that sprang to his mind was: How the hell does Emily do this?

Max ran into the front lounge, making Ronnie jump. “Hey man! Did you have Emily on the bus again this morning?” He said Emily with huge emphasis.

Ronnie blinked. “Yes.”

“Dude, we never got a chance to talk about her last night,” Max said, sitting down next to Ronnie, although being Max, he jumped up again.

“Talk about who?” Robert asked as the rest of the band entered the room, being noisy.

“You guys are so fucking loud,” Ronnie moaned, glaring at Omar and Robert as they fought over a box of cereal.

“Emily,” Max said, putting the emphasis on her name again.

“Dude, I just have to say, she is fine!” Robert said, a smile lighting up his face.

Ronnie glared at him. “Shut up. Keep your thoughts to yourself.” Ronnie's expression turned to one of horror as he watched Robert's smile grow bigger as he stared at nothing, seeming distracted. “Dude, just keep those thoughts out of your mind.” For some reason, he suddenly felt very defensive of Emily.

Robert laughed and said nothing. “Stop before you start a cat fight,” Max said. “Sorry Robert. Ronnie saw her first.”

Robert scowled at him. “Maybe she'll like me better,” Robert said, purposely winding Ronnie up.

“Shut up,” Ronnie repeated. “You're an fucking asshole. No girl would like you.”

Robert shrugged, not bothered.

“She is gorgeous, dude, and she seems really nice,” Max said, pulling the attention away from Robert. “Plus, she has a kick-ass band. She's a keeper, dude.”

Bryan and Omar nodded. Ronnie sighed. How could he keep her if he didn't have her?

Robert was busy looking for beer, his head stuck in a cupboard. Ronnie didn't bother telling him it was on the counter.

“I'm going to bed,” Ronnie said, standing up, and they looked at him weirdly, since they had only just gotten up. “Wake me up at around one, Emily asked me to... never mind, just wake me up.”

The guys all let out “Ooh”s and Ronnie rolled his eyes. Before he went back to bed, he went over to Robert, who still had his head in a cupboard, looking for beer. Ronnie went over to the counter, took Max's beers, and hid them in a drawer. He then took Robert's beers and threw them in the bin. Robert didn't even notice and continued looking for his beer. Ronnie smirked and went back to the bunk area. He needed to sleep.

_______________________________________________________________________

The Academy Is... burst into “The Phrase That Pays” and I nodded my head in time as I stood sidestage. The rest of my band, Broken Colours, Escape The Fate and Chiodos all stood around. Ronnie was standing next to me.

“You said The Academy Is... asked you to do something and that I have to come to see their set,” Ronnie said. “What exactly did they ask you?”

I smiled. “You'll know in a minute.”

“The Phrase That Pays” ended and they stormed into “Classifieds”.

“My life reads like the classifieds. Pages of what's for sale...”

When the first verse ended and there was the part with no singing, I took off my sunglasses and handed them to Ronnie.

“Here, take these,” I said. “I can't go onstage wearing sunglasses.”

“Robert does,” Ronnie said. His eyes widened when he realised what I just said. I smiled and ran past him.

I ran onstage and the band all smiled. The crowd went crazy, screaming so loud that my ears hurt for a second, but not for long, since I did this every day. William went over to me and hugged me quickly before handing me another mic.

“Give it up for Emily from Broken Colours!” William said into his mic.

I ran up and stood on the speakers, holding the mic towards the crowd. They looked like they were about to break down the barrier and the security looked slightly nervous. I laughed and we burst into the chorus.

“Back down, cash out, that's the city for ya... Break down and back out and get what's coming to you...” I sang into the mic. I glanced sidestage and saw my band, Chiodos and Escape The Fate all cheering me on. Ronnie was smiling and shaking his head, spinning my sunglasses with his index finger. I smiled.

“I'm not the type to forget about nights like this...”