Picking Up the Pieces

The Minneapolis show had finally come, and we were only five songs into the set when Tony ran out of picks, having given one to almost every crowdsurfer that got pulled in on his side of the stage.

Since Joe was in the bathroom, and they had just finished playing Bulls In the Bronx, I took the chance to run out on stage and stuff six more picks into the side of Tony’s mike. He petted my hair cutely as I squatted down next to him, trying to be inconspicuous.

But I guess Vic had a different idea in mind, or maybe a couple shots too many in the bloodstream.

“HEY EVERYONE!” He yelled into his mike. “THIS IS OUR NEW MANAGER, ZOE! ISN’T SHE HOT???!!”

The crowd went crazy as I stood up and waves sheepishly. They screamed even louder when Tony decided to smack my ass.

“SHE SINGS THE SOLO IN HOLD ON TILL MAY ON THIS TOUR!!” He announced. “BUT ANYWAYS, WHO’S FEELING GOOD TONIGHT?”

The crowd yelled in response, almost every hand went up. Vic took the mike off its stand and walked over to me. “WHO LOOKS GOOD?!?!?!” More screaming, along with lots of hooting and guys yelling ‘GET SOME!” or ‘SKEET SKEET!’.

Before Vic could yell the third line, Tony beat him to it. “Who makes love good?” He said in a sultry voice, wrapping an arm around me. I rolled my eyes but laughed along with the crowd.

“This next song’s called Props and Mayhem,” Vic said as he walked back to the center of the stage. “Who wants Zoe to sing it with us?”

Once again, the crowd went nuts. I bet he could say something like who loves stds? and they would still scream at the top of their lungs.

I groaned, knowing I couldn’t just leave now, and went to Tony and took his mike from the stand. “Fine,” I said into it.

“YO EVAN!” Jaime yelled from the other side of the stage. “TURN HER MIKE ON YOU LAZY TWAT!”

From the very back of the crowd, I saw Evan flick him off, but then go back to his control board thingy and flick a couple switches.

“Can you hear me now?” I tried again. The crowd yelled a collective ‘yeah’ and a couple people gave thumbs ups.

I hopped up on the platform on Tony’s side as he played the opening guitar part. I raised my arms up as I had seen Vic do before, and the crowd started jumping to the beat. It looked really cool from the stage.

When the others joined in, I skipped to Jaime’s side and we both shook our booties as he laughed.

“Self medicate, while they sleep we let the night chase evil things away, and we’re like animals, homesick from shows, we gotta kill everything before the night gets wasted,” Vic sang as Jaime and I booty bounced some more.

My turn! “Maybe it seems so strange, but we don’t even stress at all, cause we’ve got poisons in our well.”

Vic and I raised our hands at the same time as the crowd sang the bridge. “Come at me with everything you’ve got.”

We sang the chorus and the next verse together.

Burst into flames, scream in the dark
I'm gonna light up this place
And die in beautiful stars tonight

Does it even make a difference?
When I'm sober, I feel pain
'Cause we run under the stars through cemetery backyards,
Celebrate the way the night hides scars.

Jaime joined Vic at center stage and they leaned on each other as they sang. Meanwhile I went to Tony’s side again and we stood together on the platform as I held my mike up to the crowd and lip-synced the words to them.

So dance!
If it moves you
Jump in the fire
If it burns you
I'll throw my arms around you darling
And we'll turn to ashes, drown me in the flames

From our respective side of the stage, Vic and I sang the chorus together again.

Burst into flames, scream in the dark,
I'm gonna light up this place and die in beautiful stars
But if these demons keep falling from the sky, it's alright
'Cause sometimes I love the way you swing the blade at everything in sight

“ZOE!” Vic yelled, pointing at me.

"Separate me from my own two hands, I've killed so many times, but I can't save the world from the creatures that don't die,” I sang. I kinda like the way you tell me, "Baby, please come home, I need you here right now, I'm crying underwater so you don't hear the sound.”

The crowd went nuts as I lowered my mike and backed off the platform, joining Vic to sing the last chorus together.

Burst into flames,
Scream in the dark
I'm gonna light up this place,
And I will be the only light
I'll be the only light

We bowed together and Vic gave me a congratulatory hug. I waved to the fans and went to leave the stage. That is, until Tony grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him, kissing me full on the mouth, making the crowd scream louder than before.

I pulled back after a couple of seconds and put his mike back into the stand. “That’s my girlfriend,” he said confidently into it. I rolled my eyes and left the stage, this time without any interruptions.