Motion Sickness

"So do you like the guys?"

"What?"

Ali tucked some of her long brown hair behind her ear. "Their music, do you like them?"

"Oh we've never heard them. We just heard of the band at all a few hours ago," Ape answered. We were back at the Blackout and the guys were finishing setting up. We were sitting on the little stage, with our legs dangling over the edge while Frank and Mikey tuned guitars, Gerard and Ray set up some cords, and Bob assisted a couple of the sound guys.

She gasped, "Do you guys want a cd?!" Before we could reply she spun around to Ray, "Ray, can I get these guys a cd?"

"Oh yea sure," he replied, looking up for merely a second as he and Gerard tried to set up an amp.

"Wait right here," she said breathlessly, jumping off stage and running outside.

Ape was quick to start conversation. "So whats with you and Frank?"

I rolled my eyes, "Oh my god. Please Ape, can you save the questioning for later?"

"Fine! But expect it," she said, slightly annoyed. "So look at this place. Is it wicked or what? I wish we had a place like this in Carolina."

She was right about that part. It was amazing. If I lived in this town? I would spend ever waking moment here. I bet theres a lot of kids that do just that. The walls were brick, with pieces of paper advertising upcoming shows for other clubs and maybe even some for this one. The floor was black, with old stickers and trash stuck to the floor. The stage was no more than a three foot riser in the corner of the club. And there was a small booth in back for sound. If you want to call it a 'booth'. More like another tiny riser with a wire fence caging it.

"Its pretty awesome. I'm jealous of this town," was all I could manage to say.

She cocked an eyebrow at me, "Think you wanna live here?"

I thought about it for a second. "No. Not until braless wonder gets an atm machine. I'm sure theres more welcome places. And this cant be the only club like this on the east coast."

Frank jumped off stage and stood in front of us. "So what do you guys think?" He used his hand to motion around the room. The other was occupied with a little black bottle of something.

"Pretty awesome..Whats that?" I asked, pointing to the bottle.

He held it up to me. "It's a Head Shot. Drink one of these and chase it with a cigarette? You'll be bouncin' off the walls," he replied, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket.

I rolled my eyes. "You realize its probably just placebo, right?"

He took another drink and set the empty bottle onstage. "Placebo or not, it still gets me pumped."

Ali ran back just as he lit a cigarette, "Here. It's pretty awesome for their first album."

I turned the cd over in my hands, looking at the back. "Hey guys, you probably need to move." Frank grabbed mine and Apes wrist and pulled us up.

Ray set a mic right where we had been sitting. He tapped on the end, "Check check. Gerard I think this ones good."

Gerard trotted over to the mic. "And while the red ones make me fly, and the blue ones help me faaall!" he sang while adjusting the height.

"Oh my god. Gerard has an amazing voice," Ape said quietly to me.

"Ya think? And he's even drunk. You should hear him when he's sober!" Frank added.

I looked at him confused. "He's drunk?" I glanced back up at Gerard, and noticed a few beer bottles sitting onstage. He was spinning around in circles a little as he drank another one.

Someone called from the doorway. "Hey guys, it's ten til. We're gonna let the kids in."

Frank jumped up onstage and me, Ape, and Ali stood right in front of Gerard as he sang a few random lyrics into each of the mics. "I sound just as beautiful in all of them!"

A few kids were starting to mingle around the floor a little. They slowly started making their way around us, chatting lightly amongst themselves.

Mikey was finishing tuning his bass. Ray was adjusting some knobs on his amp, and Frank slung his guitar around his neck, jumping up and down a little.

Somebody yelled something up at Frank. I watched as he walked to them at the edge of the stage and bent down to talk to them. Gerard was taking a few more swigs from a beer bottle, and Bob was..doing whatever drummers do to their drums before a show.

"HELLO PHILADELPHIA!!!" Gerard screamed into the microphone.

A few people clapped. Someone yelled, "It's Laurelville!"

"HELLO LAURELVILLE!!"

I glanced down at Frank again. He stood back up, a smile on his face. Talking to some of the kids in front.

Gerard continued into the microphone. "Hey everybody. Thank you for coming and stuff. We are My Chemical Romance! Repeat after me! My!"

"MY!"

"Chemical!"

"CHEMICAL!"

"Romance!"

"ROMANCE!"

"All together now!" He instructed, waving his hands like a composer.

"MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE!"

The room went black, as Gerard belted, "You're not in this aalone! Let me break this awkward silence. Let me GO!"

The lights shot back on, and the cheap colourful lights flashed and made the whole place look pretty trippy. People started bobbing their heads along with the rythm. Ali wasnt kidding when she said they were pretty good for their first album. It sounded awesome!

And Frank was freaking OUT.

He was all over his section of the stage, letting the Head Shot take effect. Causing the kids that were closest to him to mosh a little.

Another thing I noticed. Ray was back up vocals, but Frank would sometimes back up with some screams. I couldn't help it. It was kinda hot.

After the song was over, everyone cheered and jumped up and down a little. "That song was called Skylines and Turnstiles. What do you guys think?"

A few people cheered. Someone yelled, "Frank you're sexy!"

"I know, right?" he replied into the microphone, rubbing his chest seductively. There were probably forty kids there. A few people whistled jokingly.

Gerard leaned on the mic for support. "Does anyone have any requests? We're playing four songs tonight."

"Drowning Lessons!" someone yelled from the crowd. There weren't many people there that seemed to know of any. I guess not many people had a cd.

"Early Sunsets!"

"Drowning Lessons!!"

"EARLY FUCKING SUNSETS!!"

"How about Early Sunsets?" Gerard said with a laugh.

"YES!" A few people laughed as Ray started the beginning of the song. It sounded pretty mellow compared to the one before that.

Frank played a few simple notes here and there. But it really helped the song. It was obvious why they had two guitarists. They both played a serious part in the band.

Gerards voice rang through the club as people swayed with the music. A few holding up lighters.

"And would anything matter? If you're ALLLREADY DEAD?!" Gerard sang, inches from me and Ape. He really wasnt that bad, for being drunk and all.

After a while they finished the song and few people applauded. I glanced back over at Frank, and could easily read his lips as one of his strings broke and he mumbled, "Fuck.."

He immediately set it on the ground and started taking the string out. Gerard grabbed the mic again, "Hey does anyone in here have any special talents? You know..have a history in training ponies? Miming? Beatboxing?"

A few people started yelling and picked up some dude in the back.

"DO YOU TRAIN PONIES?!" Gerard yelled excitedly.

"NO HE CAN BEATBOX!" they yelled back, forcing him to crowdsurf up to the stage. He was kind of reluctant, but he didnt seem to have much of a choice. I laughed, as Frank tossed a little plastic bag into his guitarcase and started threading a new string.

"Alright man, you can beatbox?" Gerard asked the kid, pulling out Franks mic from the stand and handing it to him.

"Yea..but I'm not that good.." he replied. A few people yelled 'bullshit!' and other stuff up at him. He was about four or five inches shorter than Gerard, and had shaggy brown hair.

"Whats your name, kid?"

"Michael.."

"OH MY FREAKING GOD. THATS MY BROTHERS NAME!" Gerard jumped, gesturing toward Mikey. Ok, so Gerard is indeed drunk. "All hail the Michaels!!"

Michael's friends cheered as Gerard stepped back, giving him the spotlight. Frank got up and started tuning his guitar again.

He really wasnt as bad as he said he was. I was impressed. He laid down a twenty second beat or so, getting pretty fucking creative with it. When he was done everyone cheered and laughed and he hopped down.

"Thank you Michael! Frank you ready? Or do I need to unleash the ponies?" Gerard asked, leaning on his mic, turning towards Frank.

Frank strummed his guitar, a new string attached, "I think I'm good."

Ray started on the next song, and Gerard followed, "Without a sound, I took her down, and dressed in red and blue I squeezed.."

Once the song started to pick up somemore, people started jumping up and down. It was really fun. All of My Chemical Romance's songs were pretty good.

I glanced over at Ape, and it was obvious that she was staring at Mikey the whole time. So I figured that meant it was ok for me to watch Frank the whole time, right? I mean, he's just entertaining to watch.

Gerard finished the song, and pushed some of his long hair out of his face. Frank's eyes met with mine, and he gasped, slinging his guitar behind him and pulling out his mic.

"Anyone else have a request for our last song?" Gerard asked.

"Wait wait, I got this one Gee. Eveyone, I have an announcement to make!" Frank interrupted, waving his hand in the air. He walked over to Gerard and put his arm around him, and Gerard did the same. "We- My Chemical Romance - dont do groupies..."

Oh my fucking GOD.

He smiled down at me as I glared at him. A few people laughed and Frank continued. "I know you all are very sad. Especially, Miss Taylor..Calvin was it? Taylor Calvin? Everyone get a good look at her right here. Shes the one with the black hair." He pointed down at me. I almost wanted to grab his foot and make him fall. But I restrained myself as Ape and Ali laughed around me. "She's been trying to get in bed with me all fucking day!"

Gerard and Mikey started laughing while a few people whistled and laughed along. "Frank I am going to fucking kill you!"

"You say that babe, but I'm still standing," he replied into the mic, bending down so he was just a few inches from me. "What song do you want?"

I shrugged, "I dont know any."

He grabbed the cd from my hand and held it in front of me. "You've got the fucking cd in front of you, dumbass. Pick a song," he pushed, with a smirk.

He held the mic to my face as I scanned the songs, deciding to pick the last one. Just because it was last and it sounded cool. "Demolition Lovers."