Rise Above This

(Fast forward to start of American tour *Newark Airport*)

Hello America! All big and such. No worries. No ex-wives of Tom’s to deal with. Yeah. He and Lavender got a divorce. We got to keep the house and she’s moved in with her new boyfriend. AKA: the guy she cheated on Tom with.

“Bill! Where are they?” Tom asked as we walked into the terminal.

“I’m not--” was all I got out when I was tackled to the ground. Oh shit. Not a fan girl! We haven’t even been in the US for five minutes!

“Franklin Anthony Thomas Iero Jr. get off that poor boy now! You can’t show your butt!” I heard a voice, I think Ray, shout. I looked to see a slightly embarrassed Frank on me.

He got off and helped me up. “Sorry. Just a little excited. I’m Frank!” he said smiling wide.

“It’s okay,” I said smiling back. I pointed to Tom, Gustav, and Georg. “These are the guys. Tom, Gustav, Georg, this is Frank,” I told them.

He waved. “Hi! The others are being so slow!” he said. He looked behind him and said, “HEY! LAZY MOTHERFUCKERS! HURRY UP!”

“Shut up Frank!” I heard Gerard shout back as he and the rest of the band came into view.

He rolled his eyes and said, “They’ll be here. It may be five years, but they’ll be here.”

“We’re here Frank. You just has five cups of coffee this morning. No more the rest of the day,” Gerard said standing behind Frank.

He looked behind him and said, “But…you let Mikey when he’s like a thousand times more hyper than me! No fair!”

The rest of My Chemical Romance reached us and Gerard looked at us and said, “Well, it’s nice to meet you guys.”

The four of us nodded and Ray said, “I’m sorry about Frank. He had too much coffee.”

“Hey, it’s not as bad as that one time Mikey had like eight cups of coffee! And Gerard let him have more!” Frank said.

Mikey rolled his eyes. “That because Gerard loves me more Frankie. I’m sorry to burst your bubble,” he said.

Frank rolled his eyes and said, “Now, time to get you guys’ luggage and to the buses.”

We nodded and started walking. Tom went to talk to Ray and Frank, Georg and Mikey started talking, Gustav and Bob talked for the first time since we were here, and Gerard and I talked.

“So Bill, have you guys been here before?” Gerard asked.

I nodded. “We did a tour when Scream first came out. We weren’t as big then,” I replied.

“I remember when we first became a band. It was Mikey, Ray, Frank, and I with our old friend Matt as our drummer until we had to kick him out. Bob took his place a few days before we filmed the video for “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and we decided to keep him sometime after that. He’s the “take no shit” guy of the group. That, and the only one not from here. He’s from Chicago.”

“Ah. How long have you guys been a band?”

“I’d say about six, seven years. But thing is, you guys are like nineteen to twenty. I’m freaking 31. So is Ray. We’re old compared to you guys.”

“Wow. We’ve been a band around seven years. Tom and I just turned nineteen, Gustav’s twenty, and Georg’s twenty-one, so he’s the only one out of the band that can legally drink here. Unlike in Germany where the drinking age is 18.”

“Ah. I quit drinking. Too much bad shit happened to me when I drank. I’ve been clean and sober for about three, maybe four years.”

“Ah. Understandable.”

“So, who’s taken out of you guys?”

“None of us actually. Tom just recently got a divorce. His wife was cheating on him. That stupid wench.”

Gerard nodded and said, “Bob’s the only single one. Frank and Ray are married. I’ve got someone and so does Mikey.”

“Cool,” I said as we got our luggage and headed out of the airport to the buses.

We all walked onto one bus and Gerard said, “This is your bus. Everything you need is on here. If you need any of us, our numbers are on the fridge. We have a show here and then we’re heading west.”

We nodded and the MCR guys left our bus when Tom said, “Sweet action. I’m calling my bunk.”

He ran back to the bunks when the bus started moving. I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around to see it was Georg. He looked around before asking, “So, what are you going to do?”

I knew what he meant and shrugged. “I’ll let time decide if it’s right. I’m not ruining something good,” I replied incase Tom walked back in.

Georg nodded before sitting beside Gustav on the couch. I grabbed one of my bags and headed back to the bunks before looking to see that the bunk on the bottom left had it’s curtain closed. I got in the bunk on the bottom right and laid down on my stomach before grabbing my bag and opening it. I rummaged through it before grabbing my notebook and my journal that I ninja-ed from my room at our parents’ house day before we left for here.

I grabbed a pen as well and my book light before closing the curtain and turning on the book light. I opened my notebook to a blank page and clicked opened my pen before I started writing whatever popped into my head. My writing turned into drawing and, by the time I was done, I had drawn a picture of Tom and I holding each other. I signed my name at the bottom and kissed the picture of Tom before closing the notebook and putting it under my pillow. I opened my journal and started writing,

We’re in America now. We met the MCR guys just a bit ago. They’re pretty cool. Frank freaking tackled me to the ground!! I thought he was a fan girl for a minute. Glad he wasn’t. But yeah, I’m in my bunk now. It’s right across from Tom’s. well, I think I’m going to go. We have sound check some time today. Let the tour begin. And hopefully (not crossing my fingers…) something more. If you know what I mean.

I closed my journal and placed it under my pillow before getting out of my bunk and heading to the front of the bus.