Getting Surreal

Becks stood behind the bar, grabbing a glass from the giant stack in front of her before setting it back behind her. She’d been polishing glasses for the last ten minutes, but she didn’t really mind. She kind of liked the monotony of it and let her thoughts wander as she worked.

It was a week or so into January, and she’d been working at the bar that she and Frank would frequent for just shy of a month. She really enjoyed bartending, and the fact that this bar had shows three nights a week made the job even better.

She was making money, and - more importantly to her - she was being kept busy while all her friends were away.

Sighing as she grabbed another glass, she thought back to her tearful goodbye. The way each of the boys gave her a firm and loving hug.

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The way Ray slipped her a piece of paper with some phone numbers on it and whispered to her as they hugged that they were some musician friends of his that might be interested in starting up a band.

The way Frank kept begging her to come with them.

“You’re not that big, I’m sure we could sneak you in in my suitcase….”

The way Gerard gave her the biggest hug ever and a sweet kiss on the cheek, promising they’d be back soon.

The way Mikey didn’t speak at all to anybody the whole day, but held her hand tight and wouldn’t leave her side until Gerard pulled him into the car.

The way he wrenched free from his brother at the last moment and ran the few steps back up to Becks and kissed her hard before holding her face still and staring her in the eye, muttering a quiet but firm “I love you” before finally getting in the vehicle and leaving Becks alone, stood at the end of Frank’s driveway, doing all she could to not cry.

---

“You okay?”

Becks jumped a little and looked to her right to see one of her coworkers, Vince, leaning against the bar, rag in his hand and grabbing one of the glasses to help her polish. When Becks just stared at him blankly, trying to process his sudden appearance, he continued.

“You seemed pretty lost there for a minute,” he said, “a little sad. Everything okay?”

“Uh…oh.” Becks stuttered, finally grasping what was going on.

“No, I’m good, thanks.” She gave him a lopsided little smile.

“You sure? You look a little…sad.” He glanced up at her from the glass he’d been inspecting closely and Becks bit back an incredulous laugh.

Vince was a total pothead. Nothing wrong with that, to each his own. But, as usual with the territory, he was a little (a lot) spacey; never quite aware of what was going on around him, and always a little distracted when it came to being present in anything. And yet, he had an incredible knack for seeing straight through people and reading their emotions. It blew Becks’ mind.

Usually, she was incredibly good at masking her emotions (Frank had told her a few times that the only person that could beat her poker face was Mikey), but it was like Vince could see right through her, always asking questions that hit the mark exactly.

“Uh…well….” Becks didn’t really know how to respond, unsure of whether she’d like to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself, or if it would be good for her to confide in someone.

“Missin’ your boyfriend?”

This one really threw Becks for a loop. Wracking her brain quickly, she couldn’t think of one time she’d mentioned Mikey to anybody at the bar. She leaned back against the bartop and cocked her head, giving Vince a measured look, she decided to play coy.

“What do you know about my boyfriend?” She asked. Vince just wheezed out a laugh and quirked an eyebrow at her, completely incredulous.

“You kidding me?” When Becks didn’t respond and just kept staring at him he shook his head and continued. “You used to come here all the time, remember? Workers see things.” He set the glass he’d finished polishing behind Becks and grabbed another. “Like how you only ever came here with that one guy – the guitar player.”

Becks furrowed her brow, staring at her feet. She couldn’t remember ever coming to this bar with Mikey. But Vince just continued on casually like he didn’t notice her confusion.

“I always thought he was a little short for you and that you would like taller guys, I mean, most girls do. But, to each his own, right? Or…to each her own.” He wiggled his brows at Becks in amusement at his own joke but she ignored it.

“I do like taller guys – are you sure it’s me you saw?”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely you.”

“But – “ And then it hit her. “Wait. This guy. How tall was he?”

“Oh, uh…I dunno. Like, here?” Vince raised his hand to indicate.

“Lip ring?”

“And nose ring. Fuck, you need help remembering your own boyfriend?”

And then Becks was laughing. She was laughing hard for the first time since the MCR boys had left.

“Frank?” She asked once she’d stop laughing long enough to get some air back in her lungs.

“Uh, I think that’s his name?” Vince shrugged, a little confused by Becks’ reaction.

“Oh my God. You’re talking about Frank.” She sighed out the last of her chuckles, her hand on her chest. Then she shook her head and looked at her coworker. “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just a friend.”

“You sure? You guys looked tight.”

“Yeah,” Becks said, reaching for another glass to polish. “I’m sure. Just friends.”

“Oh. Well….Where’s he been? He move away or something? That why you’re sad?”

And there he was, hitting the nail on the head again.

Becks shook her head once more. “No. They’re just, uh…. Away for a little while. But yeah, I-I guess that’s why I’m sad.”

“Whaddya mean by ‘they’?”

“Oh.” It hadn’t occurred to her, especially after all the publicity and everybody knowing and recognizing all the guys on Warped Tour, that everybody around town didn’t know exactly what she was talking about. “Um…. He’s in a band. They’re away to record their new album.”

“Oh, cool.” Vince was nodding somewhat absentmindedly as he spoke. “Pencey Prep?”

Becks bit back her snort. How the hell could this guys know so much sometimes and so little at others?

“No,” she said, playing off her chuckle as if she were clearing her throat. “Um, My Chemical Romance?”

Vince froze on the spot, glass and rag in hand and stared straight ahead at the empty bar and Becks braced herself for him to freak out on her (it wouldn’t be the first time that it had happened to her), all excited that she knew the band. The seconds ticked by, though, and she started to get more confused than nervous. Finally, Vince gave a nonchalant shrug and kept on working on his glass as if he hadn’t stopped.

“Guess I’ve heard a song or two. Never thought they’d get big enough to do an album.”

Becks froze, now. It was all she could do to not express some kind of emotion. What she was feeling, she wasn’t entirely sure. She was completely incredulous and wanted to laugh. But she also just wanted to pick his brain on how in the fucking hell he could think they sucked. Or how he missed out on MCR being practically the biggest growing band in the States at the moment.
She was baffled and just stared at her coworker, trying to process what he’d said.

“Anyways….” Vince said, drawing her out of her stupor.

“They gonna be gone long? I think you’re a lot prettier when you’re happy. It’s not cool to see you sad.”

She was once again left speechless. Those were very sweet and unexpected words coming from someone she would never have thought. She was staring at him, opening and closing her mouth as she tried (and failed) to think of what she could possibly say to this. Luckily, though, their manager, Scarlett, walked up to the bar around the third time Becks took a breath and tried to speak.

“Yo, Becks! You’re meeting with those guys about the band tonight, right?” She asked, grabbing Becks’ attention, but Vince just kept on polishing glasses.

“Uh, yeah, I am,” Becks replied, extremely grateful to abandon her other conversation.

“That’s awesome.” Scarlett smiled and leaned forward, her elbows on the bartop. “You nervous?”

“A little. Not as much as I thought I’d be. I’m ready to play again – haven’t touched my guitar in a while.”

“You play guitar?” Vince asked suddenly, looking up from his work.

“Vince, could you go check on the stock in the back for me?” Scarlett asked him, diverting attention from Becks (for which, the girl in question was very thankful). Vince looked between the two girls then set his rag and glass on the bar.

“Yeah, okay.” He said, leaving towards the store room.

“Anyways,” Scarlett continued, looking at Becks now. “I’m sure you’re gonna kill it. I can’t wait to see you jamming up on the stage.”

Becks smiled, both appreciative for Scarlett’s kind words, and feeling bolstered in her own talents. Scarlett, though her manager, was also the closest thing to a friend she had while the guys were away, and she was the only person Becks had ever really confided in about her crazy year….and the fact that she’d given the guys on the piece of paper Ray had given her a call about maybe playing guitar with them.

She wasn’t going to call them at first, but Scarlett gave her the little push she needed, telling her it would be good for her to get out and start working on something, especially something she loved so much. So she contacted them three days ago, and they seemed really interested, asking to have her audition, and she was more excited than anything.

“Thanks, Scarlett. For everything.” Becks said with a genuine smile that was returned immediately.

“No problem. Gotta stick up for my girls and my workers!” Scarlett retorted, looking around the room. “When is it?”

“Uh, six tonight, I think. They’re just gonna meet me here – John’s letting us use the green room.”

“Nice. Well,” the manager looked down at her watch. “Your shift’s over in a half hour. Why don’t you get outta here and go home to get ready or something. I’m really rooting for you to make it.”

Becks let out a small laugh. “You sure? I can stick around?”

“Nah, we’ve got it covered. You go practice or whatever it is you do before auditions.”

“Thanks, Scarlett.” Becks said, setting her stuff down and moving to leave the barback. “I’ll see you later?”

“See ya, girl!”