Categories > Celebrities > Slipknot > On tour with Black Veil Brides
6
"There's nothing we can do. It's nothing to do with us." Muttered Jake after reading the letter, the next day. The day of the show.
"So you'd let this happen, Jake, knowing what we know?"
"It's not our problem." Said Jake, his lips pressed firmly together.
"Wow. Great. Nice feedback."
Jinxx shook his head, "No. You guys are right. We can't sit back and do NOTHING."
"What if it's a attention seeking WHORE? Huh?" Snapped Jake. "We have better, more pressing issues to worry about."
"You don't mean that."
"No. And if it were any other time, then I'd discuss it. But this is an important time in our careers. We need to focus. I'm sorry for whatever guilt you may feel, but we need to put the band first."
"We're not jeprodising anything, Jake." Whispered Andy. "We have the power to try to help."
Jake shook his head, "I'm thinking of US. And if you go through with this plan to find her, it will cost us."
"I can't do shows, after knowing something like this and never trying."
Jake thought for a minute. "If I let you do this.. you promise it's no longer than a 45 minute gap in the show. AND, if this doesn't work, you give up, and continue the shows with a clear mind. Cast the blame on me."
"45 minutes? 5, 000 people are at this show? 5, 000 people in 45 minutes!"
"You can also have the time in which the opening act are on stage. So one hour and fourth five minutes. Take it or don't."
"What happens if we take longer?" Andy glared.
"I will not be the one to tell them that the band they idolise, have paid to come and see, maybe driven miles to come and see is, cares more about one person that they know so little about, than them as an ARMY."
"You know that's not true. C' mon Jake. You have to understand."
Ashley muttered something under his breath. Andy perked up. "What's that, Ash? Say something? Because you haven't since yesterday afternoon. Well, since that MORNING."
Ashley's eyes widened, as if being threatened. "Well. I think you should give the girl some credit."
"Huh?"
"Give her credit that she may be strong enough to pull through!"
"She has tried on numerous occasions before. Maybe credit isn't due."
"Okay. But the point someone brought up earlier was true. What are YOU going to do about it?"
"She has to know someone is here for her."
CC cleared his throat. "If I may.. I called in a friend of mine from high school.."
Andy groaned. "No, CC.. please tell me you didn't."
"Do what?"
"Who?"
"Tell!"
CC looked at the floor, embarrassed. "A therapist."
"A shrink? CC!"
"How could you? How is half an hour during a show going to help!"
"I was stuck, okay! What else do I do? He can help us figure out what to do!"
"I guess.." Ashley considered. "Not a bad move, really."
They all stared, shocked that the first one to jump to anyone's defence, let alone CC's, was Ashley. Ashley!
"Right. Well. Whatever. We'll figure it out there, okay?"
The recited The Plan to each other. The Plan was basically.. to ask every member of the audiences' full names. There could only be one 14 year old Anna Bratchitt, right?
As they prepared, as brushes stroked their cheeks and their eyes were outlined with black, there was a tension filling the room. As the audience began to arrive, Andy turned to face his friends, and band members.
"You all got your cells?" Everyone nodded. "Good."
As they strode out of the dressing rooms and split up, Andy paused to breathe. This was incredibly tense. This girl, they were about to find.. she was giving up. And someone, they had the task of undoing that.
"Shit," Andy muttered. "Just SHIT."
He talked to numerous members of the audience, who cried, froze, and chattered his head off. No Anna Bratchitt. Not even an Anna.
"Too many people to get through," Andy sighed heavily. "How do I fuckin' know I haven't spoken to them already?"
Andy's cellphone flashed. "Jinxx? Ya found her?" Andy felt a pang in his chest. "Um.. No." his heart dropped. "I just wanted to, um, see you did."
"No, J," Andy scoffed in frustration. "You would know if I did."
"Oh. Sorry."
"I need to go. Wasting time."
"Sure. Good luck."
"You too." He pressed Hang Up.
He asked a few more girls what their names were. Even a few boys, in total desperation. Hey, you never knew these days. Women look like men and men can look like women. Confusing, but he had to try.
Hanging his head low, he continued to drag himself up the aisle, before he bumped shoulders with a tall, blonde girl carrying a soda.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Jeez. Really."
"No, it's fine," said Andy warily. "No harm, no foul."
She smiled before turning to walk down to her seat. Andy's initial reaction was to wonder why she didn't scream or faint. Then he remembered.
"Hey wait!" he called. "So, um.. What's your name?"
"Kennedy." She coughed.
"Oh." his shoulders drooped.
"That wasn't the name you were looking for, was it?"
"Got me. Ha. Sorry." He smiled, again, weakly.
"Anything I can do to help?" she looked at him sympathetically.
"I'm looking for an Anna."
"Wow. Sorry. I don't know of any Annas here tonight."
"That's okay."
"I have a sister called Anna." She blurted before clasping her hands over her mouth.
"Really?" Andy was surprised at her reaction, but wanted to find out more about her sister. "If you don't mind me asking, um.. what's your family name?"
"Bratchitt." she pronounced it differently to how they did, but still, Andy's heart skipped a beat.
"Is that spelt B-R-A-T-C-H-I-T-T?"
She nodded. "Why?"
"Your sister Anna, how old was she?"
"Going on fifteen."
Andy knew immediately he had found the sister of the writer of the letter. But he needed to be sure. "What are your parents names?"
Kennedy folded her arms. "What are with these questions?"
"Please."
She frowned, eyebrows crossed. "I'm not sure this is your business."
"Kennedy.. wait." His eyes pleaded with hers.
"I cant. I shouldn't have said anything."
"If this is the Anna I'm thinking of, then she needs HELP."
"What do you know?" Her eyes held terror, and fear, and concern.
"She wrote me a letter."
Her eyelids shut. "Tom and Jill."
Andy forgetting his earlier question, asked "Huh?"
"My parents names."
"Your sister wrote to me. To us." He repeated.
She breathed deeply. "That's nice." She turned to walk away. Andy sensed she knew what he was talking about. How could Anna think she was alone? Her sister was obviously concerned. And she must know what was going on. Anna will be fine.
Trying to convince himself of this theory, Andy pressed speed dial. "Come back stage. Now."
*
After explaining the story, Andy sat down with his head in his hands. "Andy. Please. Tell. Me. That's. Not. True."
"What?!"
"That you just.. walked away?"
"Well, I figured.."
"You need to go back there and find out, everything. You can't be certain!"
Andy who had held his breath, then released before saying, "I'll go back now."
*
"Kennedy!" Andy called down the row. "Kennedy!"
Still no response. "Kennedy Bratchitt?"
He saw the tall girl look up from her phone. She stumbled down the aisle. "Jesus. I'm not even sure why I'm still here. What now?"
"Where's your sister tonight? She's supposed to be here."
"What?"
"That's what she told me. Us." He corrected.
Kennedy glanced over and the stage. "An hour ago, I'd have been screaming at the opportunity to meet you. Now I'm a little weirded out."
"Please, Kennedy."
Her eyes narrowed. "My sister is not your concern."
"My band mates and I.. Our conscience depends on helping this girl. Your sister. Please, Kennedy."
Tears welled in Kennedy's eyes, and she turned her face away.
"I can't."
Andy never considered by the facial expression on Anna Bratchitt's sister what it meant. He kept pushing. "You CAN."
"Don't make me."
"Just tell me if she's okay!"
"Why are you doing this to me?" She whimpered. "Why are you forcing me to tell you something that is personal to me and my family."
"Anna did not think so. She told us everything."
"STOP FORCING ME!" she yelled.
Blood rushed to Andy's cheeks and the realisation hit. This girl was hurting. "I apologise. I'm so, so sorry."
As the tears spilled down Kennedy's face, Andy turned away, feeling defeat.
"Andy.." she whispered. He turned to face her. "My sister is unwell." more tears. "My sister will never be well. My sister was stupid. She thought she would succeed after many failed attempts. And now she is not the same."
Andy frowned. Did this meant she was alive? Why was she so upset? The answer never entered his mind. When she said those words, his spine froze and everything inside him stopped existing.
"My sister, my Anna.. she is brain damaged."
"There's nothing we can do. It's nothing to do with us." Muttered Jake after reading the letter, the next day. The day of the show.
"So you'd let this happen, Jake, knowing what we know?"
"It's not our problem." Said Jake, his lips pressed firmly together.
"Wow. Great. Nice feedback."
Jinxx shook his head, "No. You guys are right. We can't sit back and do NOTHING."
"What if it's a attention seeking WHORE? Huh?" Snapped Jake. "We have better, more pressing issues to worry about."
"You don't mean that."
"No. And if it were any other time, then I'd discuss it. But this is an important time in our careers. We need to focus. I'm sorry for whatever guilt you may feel, but we need to put the band first."
"We're not jeprodising anything, Jake." Whispered Andy. "We have the power to try to help."
Jake shook his head, "I'm thinking of US. And if you go through with this plan to find her, it will cost us."
"I can't do shows, after knowing something like this and never trying."
Jake thought for a minute. "If I let you do this.. you promise it's no longer than a 45 minute gap in the show. AND, if this doesn't work, you give up, and continue the shows with a clear mind. Cast the blame on me."
"45 minutes? 5, 000 people are at this show? 5, 000 people in 45 minutes!"
"You can also have the time in which the opening act are on stage. So one hour and fourth five minutes. Take it or don't."
"What happens if we take longer?" Andy glared.
"I will not be the one to tell them that the band they idolise, have paid to come and see, maybe driven miles to come and see is, cares more about one person that they know so little about, than them as an ARMY."
"You know that's not true. C' mon Jake. You have to understand."
Ashley muttered something under his breath. Andy perked up. "What's that, Ash? Say something? Because you haven't since yesterday afternoon. Well, since that MORNING."
Ashley's eyes widened, as if being threatened. "Well. I think you should give the girl some credit."
"Huh?"
"Give her credit that she may be strong enough to pull through!"
"She has tried on numerous occasions before. Maybe credit isn't due."
"Okay. But the point someone brought up earlier was true. What are YOU going to do about it?"
"She has to know someone is here for her."
CC cleared his throat. "If I may.. I called in a friend of mine from high school.."
Andy groaned. "No, CC.. please tell me you didn't."
"Do what?"
"Who?"
"Tell!"
CC looked at the floor, embarrassed. "A therapist."
"A shrink? CC!"
"How could you? How is half an hour during a show going to help!"
"I was stuck, okay! What else do I do? He can help us figure out what to do!"
"I guess.." Ashley considered. "Not a bad move, really."
They all stared, shocked that the first one to jump to anyone's defence, let alone CC's, was Ashley. Ashley!
"Right. Well. Whatever. We'll figure it out there, okay?"
The recited The Plan to each other. The Plan was basically.. to ask every member of the audiences' full names. There could only be one 14 year old Anna Bratchitt, right?
As they prepared, as brushes stroked their cheeks and their eyes were outlined with black, there was a tension filling the room. As the audience began to arrive, Andy turned to face his friends, and band members.
"You all got your cells?" Everyone nodded. "Good."
As they strode out of the dressing rooms and split up, Andy paused to breathe. This was incredibly tense. This girl, they were about to find.. she was giving up. And someone, they had the task of undoing that.
"Shit," Andy muttered. "Just SHIT."
He talked to numerous members of the audience, who cried, froze, and chattered his head off. No Anna Bratchitt. Not even an Anna.
"Too many people to get through," Andy sighed heavily. "How do I fuckin' know I haven't spoken to them already?"
Andy's cellphone flashed. "Jinxx? Ya found her?" Andy felt a pang in his chest. "Um.. No." his heart dropped. "I just wanted to, um, see you did."
"No, J," Andy scoffed in frustration. "You would know if I did."
"Oh. Sorry."
"I need to go. Wasting time."
"Sure. Good luck."
"You too." He pressed Hang Up.
He asked a few more girls what their names were. Even a few boys, in total desperation. Hey, you never knew these days. Women look like men and men can look like women. Confusing, but he had to try.
Hanging his head low, he continued to drag himself up the aisle, before he bumped shoulders with a tall, blonde girl carrying a soda.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Jeez. Really."
"No, it's fine," said Andy warily. "No harm, no foul."
She smiled before turning to walk down to her seat. Andy's initial reaction was to wonder why she didn't scream or faint. Then he remembered.
"Hey wait!" he called. "So, um.. What's your name?"
"Kennedy." She coughed.
"Oh." his shoulders drooped.
"That wasn't the name you were looking for, was it?"
"Got me. Ha. Sorry." He smiled, again, weakly.
"Anything I can do to help?" she looked at him sympathetically.
"I'm looking for an Anna."
"Wow. Sorry. I don't know of any Annas here tonight."
"That's okay."
"I have a sister called Anna." She blurted before clasping her hands over her mouth.
"Really?" Andy was surprised at her reaction, but wanted to find out more about her sister. "If you don't mind me asking, um.. what's your family name?"
"Bratchitt." she pronounced it differently to how they did, but still, Andy's heart skipped a beat.
"Is that spelt B-R-A-T-C-H-I-T-T?"
She nodded. "Why?"
"Your sister Anna, how old was she?"
"Going on fifteen."
Andy knew immediately he had found the sister of the writer of the letter. But he needed to be sure. "What are your parents names?"
Kennedy folded her arms. "What are with these questions?"
"Please."
She frowned, eyebrows crossed. "I'm not sure this is your business."
"Kennedy.. wait." His eyes pleaded with hers.
"I cant. I shouldn't have said anything."
"If this is the Anna I'm thinking of, then she needs HELP."
"What do you know?" Her eyes held terror, and fear, and concern.
"She wrote me a letter."
Her eyelids shut. "Tom and Jill."
Andy forgetting his earlier question, asked "Huh?"
"My parents names."
"Your sister wrote to me. To us." He repeated.
She breathed deeply. "That's nice." She turned to walk away. Andy sensed she knew what he was talking about. How could Anna think she was alone? Her sister was obviously concerned. And she must know what was going on. Anna will be fine.
Trying to convince himself of this theory, Andy pressed speed dial. "Come back stage. Now."
*
After explaining the story, Andy sat down with his head in his hands. "Andy. Please. Tell. Me. That's. Not. True."
"What?!"
"That you just.. walked away?"
"Well, I figured.."
"You need to go back there and find out, everything. You can't be certain!"
Andy who had held his breath, then released before saying, "I'll go back now."
*
"Kennedy!" Andy called down the row. "Kennedy!"
Still no response. "Kennedy Bratchitt?"
He saw the tall girl look up from her phone. She stumbled down the aisle. "Jesus. I'm not even sure why I'm still here. What now?"
"Where's your sister tonight? She's supposed to be here."
"What?"
"That's what she told me. Us." He corrected.
Kennedy glanced over and the stage. "An hour ago, I'd have been screaming at the opportunity to meet you. Now I'm a little weirded out."
"Please, Kennedy."
Her eyes narrowed. "My sister is not your concern."
"My band mates and I.. Our conscience depends on helping this girl. Your sister. Please, Kennedy."
Tears welled in Kennedy's eyes, and she turned her face away.
"I can't."
Andy never considered by the facial expression on Anna Bratchitt's sister what it meant. He kept pushing. "You CAN."
"Don't make me."
"Just tell me if she's okay!"
"Why are you doing this to me?" She whimpered. "Why are you forcing me to tell you something that is personal to me and my family."
"Anna did not think so. She told us everything."
"STOP FORCING ME!" she yelled.
Blood rushed to Andy's cheeks and the realisation hit. This girl was hurting. "I apologise. I'm so, so sorry."
As the tears spilled down Kennedy's face, Andy turned away, feeling defeat.
"Andy.." she whispered. He turned to face her. "My sister is unwell." more tears. "My sister will never be well. My sister was stupid. She thought she would succeed after many failed attempts. And now she is not the same."
Andy frowned. Did this meant she was alive? Why was she so upset? The answer never entered his mind. When she said those words, his spine froze and everything inside him stopped existing.
"My sister, my Anna.. she is brain damaged."
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