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Ray looked up when he heard the door to the bus open to see Frank, Riley and Bob walk in. Ray's eyes got wide when he saw Riley's face. He stood up and ran over to her.

"Riley! What happened?"

Frank looked down with a guilty look. Riley tried to smile but her bloody lip got in the way

"Im fine. Don't worry about it. Where's Mikey?"

She looked at Ray trying to change the subject. Ray ignored her question and pressed the issue. He looked at Frank

"Frank what happened?"

Frank looked over at Riley and frowned "Her mom didn't take to lightly to the prank."

He looked away knowing her current state was his fault. Riley walked over to Frank

"Hey, I told you! Its cool!"

She looked at Ray and smiled "Im fine. Its over and Im out of the house. Let it go"

Ray looked at her with his mouth open about to say something but she stopped him

"Im fine"

She looked back at Frank and smiled. "Its all good!"

Frank half smiled at her. "Thanks"

She nodded and looked back at Ray "Mikey in with Gerard I assume?"

Ray sighed and nodded. "Yeah. He woke up about a half an hour ago and Mikey hasn't left the room since."

Just as Ray said that, there was a groan that came from the hallway. They all looked up to see Gerard standing up, leaning against the wall for support. Mikey had his arm around him so he wouldn't fall. Suddenly all Riley wanted to do was run. Something about Gerard scared her. Maybe it was the glare he gave her when he saw her standing there. Like he knew she had interrupted his high. Mikey helped him walk over to the couch and he sat down. He didn't look at any of his bandmates and they tried not to look at him. Bob grabbed a soda and walked into his bunk and Ray soon did the same. Frank grabbed hold of Riley and gave her a supportive hug. She swallowed and didn't know what to say. Mikey looked at her, then over to his brother, somehow knowing what both of them were thinking. He half smiled at Riley and then left the room.

Gerard spoke, never taking his eyes off the window "I never got your name"

She could tell he had a headache by they way he spoke. Like it hurt him to use his voice.

"Riley"

Gerard nodded and then sighed "Im sorry"

She looked up, shocked. That was not what she had expected him to say. "For what?"

He finally turned his head to stare at her with his beautiful brown eyes. He was taken aback by the injuries on her face. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell

"Oh my god....Did I? Did I....do that?"

Riley tiled her head before coming to the realization that because he was high, he didn't remember anything.

"No! No....Someone else did."

She paused but said something else when she saw his look of worry had not faded from his face.

"Its a long story, don't worry about it"

She hesitantly walked over and sat next to him. She looked up at Frank and he got the message.

He smiled "Im guna go smoke. Maybe walk to the 711 up the street. Want anything? Coffee Gee?"

Gerard smiled "Sure. Put whatever in it."

Frank nodded and walked off the bus. Once Frank was gone Gerard looked at Riley, studding her face. She shifted, feeling as if he was looking right through her.

"When you stayed, did you know who I was? Or was it a random act of kindness?"

Riley looked at him, thinking about her answer.

"To be honest, it was both. I knew something was wrong but I didn't know what until I saw your eyes. It took a second to register who you were. Part of me said to leave. The other part said that I needed to say."

Gerard looked at her with intense eyes. "Why did you stay?"

Riley looked up at him, noticing how his raven black hair fell over his left eye. His mouth was tight and stern. He didn't have that smile she always saw on TV.

"Kurt Cobain I guess"

Gerard's face fell. "Was it that bad?"

Riley could only nod. "Yeah. Famous or not, I couldn't leave anyone in the state you were in. I got you to talk about the art on the studio walls and soon you passed out."

He just nodded and leaned back against the couch. "Thank you. Your right. Suicide did occur in my thought process."

Riley smiled and reached her arm around his shoulders to give him a hug. "Its ok."

He smiled and leaned his head against her shoulder. Suddenly she started laughing. Gerard looked up clearly confused.

"You know, Its ironic. For years I have looked to you for support. For hope. You gave me a shoulder to lean on.....Now Im doing that for you."

Gerard started laughing too. "I guess your right....Im sorry, I have to ask. Have you ever seen us live?"

Riley frowned "No. I wish. Circumstances never allowed it."

His face lit up, like he suddenly had an amazing idea. "We're on break now but we have a show next month....You should come!"

Riley smiled. "No money, no tickets, no concert"

Gerard gave her this look that made her laugh. "Your sitting on our bus, hugging the damn singer. I don't think tickets will be an issue. Just stay backstage with us."

He paused and thought for a moment. "Beside...I think Frank likes you."

Riley laughed. "What makes you think that?"

She didn't believe him.

"He's clingy. He stands closer than needed to you and he is a total flirt."

"But thats just Frank. Have you seen how he clings to Bob?"

Gerard laughed "Very true....Bob puts up with so much shit. Im serious though!"

Gerard was suddenly using that childish voice she had seen in interviews. This made her smile.

"hahah I know right? Poor Bob....But there is no way Frank would like me. Im mean look at me!"

She motioned to her plain black hair and her old as crap Anthrax t-shirt.

"Im boring, plain and totally socially awkward!"

"Thats prolly what attracts him. When you live the life we do, boring and plain is what you miss the most. Plus being socially awkward gives him something to make fun of you for, which, although he's like 24, is how he flirts."

Riley laughed at Gerard's description of Frank. Before she could say anything back, Frank burst through the door trying to hold too much stuff in his hands. He had 3 cups of coffee in his left hand, two bags of food under his arm, a muffin in his mouth and the keys to the bus in his right hand. He turned to Gerard and Riley who were sitting on the couch, trying not to laugh.

"Helfff"

Riley lost all composer. She stood up laughing so hard tears fell from her eyes and walked over, taking the coffee from him. She was still laughing when she handed a cup to Gerard, who was now on the floor laughing. When Frank had set down the bags and had thrown the keys on the counter he turned to Gerard and pouted.

"Im glad you think my struggles are funny"

Gerard sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes "No, just the way you handle them."

Riley smiled and shook her head "Frank....what would we do without you?"




PS: To those who don't know, Kurt Cobain was the singer of Nirvana. He was high and killed himself.(I don't know all the details so don't bash me please!)