Getting Surreal

“Becks,” a voice whispered. She shook her head lightly, letting whoever it was know that she wasn’t ready yet. “Becks,” they repeated, and she felt a hand shake her shoulder gently.

“Mmm,” she let out a small groan and she both felt and heard a chuckle, causing her brow to furrow a little.

“Come on, sweetie,” the hand on her shoulder moved up to brush back the hair that had fallen in her face.

Finally, she accepted her fate of being woken up and slowly opened her eyes, blinking at the brightness. “What…” she wasn’t sure exactly what she was asking about, but it seemed to be the only word that came to her mind as she lifted her head off Frank’s shoulder and looked up at him, blinking sleepily. He gave her a small smile.

“You fell asleep,” he explained. “We’re here. Time to get ready.”

“We’re here?” She asked, her head twisting to the window. “How long was I out for?”

Frank hummed in thought as he stood up from the seat, offering Becks a hand as she scooted out after him. “Half hour? Maybe forty-five minutes,” he said, stretching his back and arms.

“Shit,” she muttered. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you. Must not have been too comfortable.” She winced at him apologetically and he rolled his eyes playfully, waving a hand in a dismissing fashion.

“It’s fine,” he assured her. “Deserved it, really.” Becks’ face contorted in mild confusion. “I mean, I did wake you up way before you had to.”

At this, she nodded, “yeah, I guess you did…” she trailed off as she looked around the seemingly empty bus. “Where’s everyone else?”

“They’re all checking out the venue,” he explained, then quickly added when Becks looked at him, “I figured you could use the rest, so I stuck around so you could sleep a little more.” Becks flushed a little at his kindness.

Flashing him a smile, she said, “Thanks, Frankie,” then backpedaled towards the bunks. “I’ll get dressed real quick then we can check it out together?” He smiled his doofy, happy smile and nodded, taking a seat again while he waited for her.

---

After Becks had changed her clothes and brushed her teeth, her and Frank linked arms and took themselves on a long tour around the venue, letting the conversation wander wherever.

“I’m thinking about kinda like, shaving the sides of my head,” Frank raised his hands to the motion to the points in question, “and bleaching it out.”

Becks raised her eyebrows. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Frank nodded and looked at the ground, kicking a pebble as they walked. “Whatcha think?” He glanced up at her and watched as she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in an appraising manner.

“Hmm,” she hummed, reaching her hands up to cover the hair on the sides of his head, as though it would help her visualize his idea, then pursed her lips. “Yeah.” She said, nodding.

“Yeah?” He perked up and smiled.

“Yeah,” she nodded stronger. “So punk rock, dude. I like it.”

“Awesome. I think I wanna do it for when we start Warped.” He smiled and threw an arm around her shoulders, causing her to giggle. “What?”

“It’s just kinda funny…you do that all the time.”

“Do what?” Frank was totally baffled, and his expression of complete confusion only made Becks laugh harder.

“You put your arm around my shoulders all the time.”

“Is that a bad thing?” He started to remove his arm, but Becks grabbed onto it, holding it in place.

“No, it’s fine, but....”

Frank was beyond confused, now. “But what?”

“It’s just,” she took a moment to compose herself from her laughter as they rounded the corner at the back of the venue to make their way outside. “I’m taller than you. Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“Fuck, Becks!” Frank laughed, tightening his arm around her so she was pulled into him a little. “I’m not that much shorter than you!” They finally made their way out the back door and both winced and blinked at the brightness. “You’re what, an inch taller than me?” She shrugged a little. “I dunno,” he sighed as their laughing eased, “it just feels right?”

“I mean, I’m cool with it,” she shrugged with a complacent smile. “Just always wondered-what.” She stiffened and completely froze on the spot.

“The hell?” Frank looked at her, confused, then followed her gaze, trying to figure out what she was looking at.

“Redbull,” she whispered under her breath.

And then, Frank saw the van. He removed his arm from around Becks’ shoulders so he could clutch at his heart while he laughed at her. “You kidding me? You just scared the shit outta me for a-whoa! Becks!” He stopped mid-sentence when she suddenly tore away from him, headed towards the truck in question. He had to run to catch up with her, bracing his hands on his knees and panting slightly when he made it to where she was stopped on the edge of the lawn, staring at the vehicle in front of them. “What. The. Hell.” He said in between gulps of breath. It wasn’t that Frank wasn’t fit, it was just that he wasn’t quite ready for the sprint across a miniature fucking field and…yeah, okay, maybe he wasn’t that fit. “You’re insane, you know that?”

“Do you think they’ll give us some?” She asked quietly, turning to look at him. “That’s what they do, right? Free Redbull?” Frank shook his head to himself, standing up straight.

“Shit, Becks.” She just looked at him, waiting for him to confirm or deny her hopes. “I don’t know,” he looked at the oddly shaped vehicle and frowned in thought. When he looked back at her and took in the hopeful, almost childlike look in her eyes, his expression softened. He put a hand on her arm and gave a light squeeze. “I’ll go and see what I can do,” he said, and the grin that lit up her face made him smile wide, too, before he turned on his heel and walked around to the other side of the truck.

---

“Fuck, where’d you get those?” Ray asked as Frank and Becks strolled into the small room that was labeled ‘MCR’, each of them sipping on their own energy drink.

Becks just beamed a smile at Frank. “Frank’s a doll,” was all she said before walking over to the sofa against the far wall and plopping down on it in the open spot between Gerard and Mikey.

“There’s a truck out back with ‘em,” Frank told him, quickly moving himself out of the way as Ray, Gerard, Bob, and Mince, Bob’s drum tech all practically shot out of their seats and stampeded out of the room.

“Geez,” Becks said to the room (but mainly herself) with a laugh of shock, “I’m glad I sat down for that-oof!” Her sentence was cut short as Frank sat right on top of her. “Frank.” She said pointedly into his back, “There is literally half a couch open for you if you wanted to sit.”

He just shifted sideways, splaying his legs across Mikey, who promptly shoved them off.

“Still bitter about this morning?” He asked. Mikey just glared. “Alright then,” and Frank scooted back to the open part of the couch and threw his legs across Becks’ lap instead. She just rested her arms on his shins and looked at Mikey.

“You good?” She asked.

He looked down at her, then at Frank who was busy playing with his phone and sipping his drink behind her, then back at her and nodded. “Yeah,” he gave her a tiny smile, “you?”

She grinned widely. I’m great!” She lifted the energy drink in her hand. “This stuff’s my favorite,” she said with a smile. “Um…” she held out her half empty can to the younger Way. “You want some?” She asked quietly, for a reason unbeknownst to her, nervous.

Mikey looked hard at her, then at the can in her hand, then at her again. “Yeah,” he said quietly, taking the can from her and taking a sip. He winced. “That’s your favorite?” She giggled a little and nodded. “Ew,” he responded, taking another sip.

“You say ew, but you just can’t stop!” She laughed and took that can back from him, sipping on it herself now. “It’s like…gummy bears in liquid form and it just hypes you up.” Now, Mikey chuckled.

“I wouldn’t say gummy bears, but it’s not bad, I guess.”

“Really not bad,” she said with a smile. Then she paused, pursing her lips in thought. Mikey watched her, waiting for what she was going to say. “So…Rockstar or Monster?”

Mikey’s lips twitched up at the corners as he guessed what she was doing. “Monster, all the way.” He looked around the room, thinking of what he should ask. “Blink 182 or Sum 41?” He finally asked, looking at her with an adorable sort of expectant look.

“Oh,” Becks feigned offense, putting her hand over her heart. “You kidding me? Sum 41 without a doubt. They’re actually one of my all-time favorites.”

“Really?” Mikey asked her, stealing the drink from her hand again.

“Yeah, been thinking about getting the ‘41’ tattoo for a couple years now.” She gestured to the back of her left arm.

“Fuck, that’s awesome.”

“I’m awesome,” she joked, grabbing the can back from him and taking a sip. He just smiled. “Smashing Pumpkins or Radiohead?”

“That’s dirty,” he said, narrowing his eyes and looking at her like she was crazy. Becks just smiled sweetly at him, playing with Frank’s shoelaces as she waited for his answer while he pondered.

“What’re you guys talking about?” Frank asked, looking over his phone at the two of them.

“Nothing,” Mikey responded. Frank looked at Becks, but she shook her head and gave him the finger, a smirk on her face so he knew it was all in good fun. He rolled his eyes and went back to toying with his phone.

“So?” Becks asked, her attention coming back to her and Mikey’s game, not missing the barely there smirk on his face.

“I think I’ve gotta go with Smashing Pumpkins,” he said, nodding with his answer. “Yeah. They were my first show and that’s when me and Gerard decided to start a band.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It was awesome.”

“I never got to see them live.” Becks said with a small pout.

“Aw, man,” Mikey took her drink again, stealing another sip. “That sucks. They were so good.” She just nodded. “Okay, um…how bout…PlayStation or N64?”

“PlayStation. Never had an N64.”

“Fuck really? Geez,” he laid his head against the back of the couch. “You’ve never lived.”

“What, so you’re all about the Nintendo, then?” She retorted.

“I dunno, it’s just, like…classic.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, but Playstation has some classics. Metal Gear Solid, Crash Bandicoot? Come on, now.”

“Fair. I’ll give you that.”

“Okay,” she took her drink out of his hand. “Root beer or Dr. Pepper?”

“Dr. Pepper, totally.” Mikey was about to ask her his next question when her attention was stolen by the rest of the guys came back into the room, and chatting loudly, each happily holding their own energy drink. “New York or New Jersey?” Mikey said, leaning in closer to Becks so she could hear him better.

Becks tore her eyes from the amusing sight of Bob and Ray high-fiving over something to look at Mikey’s beautiful hands as he drummed on his knees. “New York,” she answered, meeting his gaze.

“What are they doing?” She faintly heard Gerard ask Frank behind her.

“I dunno. Playing some stupid game they won’t let me join.” Was the answer he received.

Both hearing that, Becks and Mikey gave each other small, knowing sort of smiles.