My One-Sided Romance

Gerard’s POV:

“Guys, don’t forget, we have a gig tonight.” I said, reminding the band over breakfast about the coming soon performance.

“Mikey, please pass the cereal.” Frankie asked as Mikey gave him the box.

“You dudes listening to me?” I said, taking a sip of my coffee.

“Yeah Gee, we heard you, don’t worry, it’s not like we’d forget when we’re going to perform.” Ray said, also drinking some coffee while reading something on the newspaper. Bob had already finished eating and is now just watching something on TV.

“… I only have one photo in my hands.” came the voice of Tyra Banks, all three of us raised our eyebrows at this.

“Bob, why are you watching America’s Next Top Model?” Mikey asked.

“There’s nothing else to watch man.” Bob responded.

“… Michelle, congratulations, you are still in the running of America’s Next Top Model.”

“NO! NOT ANCHAL!” Bob shouted, we laugh at this, things can get really random when one of us is bored.

Night came and it was nearing time for the gig, we were readying ourselves in the bus. Putting on make-up, tuning guitars and all that other crap. I notice Frankie trying to reach out to something that had fallen and rolled under the bed. After finishing off my eye-liner I went up to him and watched him for a moment before crouching down.

“What’re you trying to do Frankie?” I asked.

“My red eyeliner rolled under the bed… I can see it but I can’t reach it…” he answered, I decided to help him and got down on the floor on my front. I grabbed it with ease and both Frankie and I stood back up from the ground.

“Sucks being short.” Frankie said jokingly, I chuckled a little at this and gave him his eyeliner. He looked up to me and smiled, his eyes having that cheerful and hyper glow it always had. “Thanks Gee.” he said.

“Yeah, sure.” I said, I didn’t seem to want to look away from those hazel orbs, and for some reason Frankie didn’t look away either.

“Hey Gee! Frankie! What the hell are you guys doing over there?!” we heard Ray shout in our direction, making us both look away. “We’re going to leave without you guys!” Ray threatened.

“Bob! Stop poking me with your drumsticks!” Mikey said.

“Pokes.” Bob said, doing so.

“I haven’t finished putting up red eyeliner yet!” Frankie protested.

“Do that backstage, there’s a mirror there.” Ray said. Frankie looked up to me and I just shrugged, he sighed and we both made out way out the bus to leave with the other guys, Frank having unfinished red eyeliner around his eyes.

We reached the place where the gig was taking place and passes through the backstage door, which was still over-crowded with screaming fans and security guards holding them back so they don’t just suddenly pounce on us. We made it through the door and went inside, only to be met my several crew people fussing over the sound system and Brian’s back to us.

Another interesting thing was he was talking to this group of 4 girls, all of them looking nervous for some reason. They were all wearing uniform black tank tops but they also had their own style going on, and they all had black hair too, how coincidental.

Okay, now let me start with the girl in the middle left, she was the second to the shortest with her black hair forming somewhat of a fringe covering her right eye as the rest of her hair was tied into one long braid. She was wearing black and white stripped arm warmers, a plaid black and dark blue skirt with black leggings that reached above the knee.

The girl next to her who was on the far middle right, next to the first girl, had to be the tallest amongst them, even though she could actually just be as tall as Frankie. Her hair was tied in two low pigtails that weren’t that long and weren’t that short either. She wore a white collared shirt under her tank top, letting the collar and sleeves stick out. She had black cargo pants on with different colored patches, to add an artistic taste.

The girl on the far right left sitting next on the other side of the first girl I mentioned was about the same height as the first girl. Except she let her hair down and I noticed that it was layered. She was also wearing a white shirt but no collar, the sleeves were also sticking out, well, she was in a tank top after all. She was also wearing black skinny jeans, kinda like the ones we wear.

The last one who was sitting at the far left, now she was the shortest, she had straight hair that was kinda layered but not as much as the other girl. There was a bit of sleeves sticking out of her tank top, cut-sleeves I think. She also had black cuffs on both her wrists and like the other girl was wearing black skinny jeans too.

“Where’s the mirror?” I heard Frankie say next to me, he saw the girls but then his short attention span seemed to have focused back on finding a mirror to finish putting on his red eyeliner. I exchanged glances with the other guys and cleared my throat, getting Brian’s expression.

“It’s the guys; I’ll talk to them okay?” I heard him tell the girls before leaving them and going up to us.

“Brian, who’re they?” I asked.

“Don’t tell me those are fangirls who won backstage passes again.” Mikey said.

“If they were fangirls who won backstage passes don’t you think they’d go crazy and squeal over you guys by now?” Brian said, he had a point.

“Then who are they?” I asked again.

“One of these girls are my friends and they’re a new band, they need a good start and performing as an opening for you guys is a good start, am I right or am I wrong?” Brian said.

“Uh… yeah… but then… you know what happens to new bands who are doing opening acts for some other more famous band right?” Ray said.

“Oh please, don’t give me that bottling shit, Natalie’s been going on about it and it’s driving me nuts.”

“Natalie?” Bob said.

“One of the girls, come, I’ll let you meet them, hey wait, where’s Frankie?” Brian asked.

“Guys! I’m finally done with my eyeliner!” Frankie announced energetically when he approached us, bouncing up and down like the hyper kid he is.

“Okay then… come on guys.” Brian said, we exchanged looks but we followed them to where the girls were seated. “Girls.” he said, making them look up, the look of nervousness had vanished temporarily as they smiled brightly at us. “Of course you already know the guys, Gerard, Frankie, Mikey, Ray and Bob.” Brian said, we smiled and waved at them.

“Hey.” they said shyly.

“Guys, these are Michelle, Alysse, Natalie and Ashlee.” Brian said, saying their names in a left to right order. “Now socialize, don’t make me have to decide for you guys what to talk about coz I have to check on the sound, girls you’re on in 10 minutes.” he said and left, we were all really quiet for a while until Frankie spoke.

“Does my eyeliner look okay?” he asked any random person, Mikey hit him playfully on the arm and the girls’ smiles widen.

“You’re eyeliner looks fine Frankie…” Natalie, the girl in pigtails said.

“So, what’s the name of your band?” I asked, interested in what they’re band name is.

“M.A.N.A.” Alysse, the girl with a fringe said.

“Or Mana… yeah just call us Mana…” Michelle, the shortest girl said.

“Mana?” I repeated.

“Put the first letter of our names together and then you have Mana, very coincidental actually.” Ashlee, the girl with layered hair said.

“Very coincidental.” Mikey said.

“How do you girls know Brian?” Ray asked.

“Natalie’s actually a close friend of his, wait, did you two ever went on a date?” Alysse asked, only to be elbowed by Natalie.

“You dated Brian?” Bob asked.

“No, we’re just really close friends, we never really considered dating.” she said.

“Or did you?” Michelle said in a mysterious voice.

“Damn, for a second there I thought you’d stay behaved and silent for the rest of the night.” Ashlee said.

“I’m getting hyper now, when are we going on?” Michelle asked and Ashlee looked at her watch.

“Uh… wait… my stupid watch is acting funny again…” she said, taking off her watch and hitting it on her chair, shocking us a bit.

“Um… if you do that a lot it’ll only brake the watch more.” Frankie said.

“… meh.” she said and just placed it back on.

“Ashlee doesn’t really give a fuck about anything she thinks is not important…” Alysse said.

“Naaaaaaaaaaaaat… when do we go on? Ashlee’s dysfunctional watch doesn’t help much.” Michelle said.

“Duh, it’s dysfunctional, of course it doesn’t help much.” Ashlee said, Natalie looked at her watch.

“Uh… 5 minutes from now I think?” she said.

“Girls the crowds getting a little restless, forget the extra 5 minutes, get out there, now.” Brian said, the girls exchanged glances and got up as they grabbed their instruments, well, Natalie with her drumsticks. Ashlee and Michelle grabbed their electric guitars and tuned them a bit, Alysse got the bass guitar.

“Uh… who sings?” Ray asked.

“Alysse does.” Ashlee answered.

“Girls! You can socialize with the guys more later! Now get out there before people start rioting!” Brian said, practically having to push them onstage. I saw them make the sign of the cross before stepping foot onstage.

“I hope they’ll be all right…” I heard Mikey say.

“People don’t really accept newbies that easily…” Frankie said.

“They’ll be fine.” Ray said optimistically.

“How sure are you?” Bob asked.

“Even we got bottled Ray… I hope the crowd goes easy on them…” I said.