FicWad

Chapter 3 - Fraternising with the enemy

The day after the shower incident, as I had come to call it, I was busy setting up the stage when Patrick ambled over, coffee in hand.

"Thought you might need this." Patrick explained as he held the cup out to me.

Brushing my hair back I stood up and took the coffee gratefully.

"Thanks Trick." I said as I stretched my cramped muscles. I'd been working all morning getting the main stage set up for tonight's performances and now at almost 1pm I was knackered. Everyone looked the same though, drawn out and various shades of burnt red from the sun.

"How's it going?" Patrick asked as he leant up against one of the large boxes that my cannons had been stored in.

"Pretty good actually," I replied as I joined him by the boxes, "Everything's right on track."

"Cannon's good?" he asked with a smile.

I grinned and nodded. I'd been watching my cannon's all morning; there was no way Syd was messing with them this time. I don't think Brendon could take another hit with super strength confetti; he nearly had a heart attack last time.

"Yeah cannons are good." I replied taking a sip of coffee and patting the box next to me fondly.

"Right," He said as he stood up straight, "I'm off then, I only came to give you that."

They know me so well.

"Thanks mate." I called after his retreating form. He walked off stage and disappeared back towards the bus park leaving me stood just off stage enjoying my drink. But like I said before, for me tranquillity never lasts.

"Leo?"

I looked around to see Matt, the tour manager striding towards me followed by a small, scared looking tech. There was always one trailing behind him to do his bidding, get coffee, fetch things and generally make him feel more important than he actually was.

"Yeah?" I questioned.

I quickly finished off my drink, burning my tongue in the process but ignored it, determined not to let the precious caffeine go to waste.

Pushing away from the boxes I walked over to Matt and met him halfway across the stage.

"We need to sort out the timing on the lights for the MCR performance." He stated looking at me pointedly.

I looked at him confused.

"The timing should be sorted already; I programmed the settings as standard."

"Well it needs doing again Leo; they've decided to change their set around abit." He replied snippily, "Go and see Syd and get it sorted."

What.

"But..." I began in protest.

"Just get it done Leo." Matt said darkly as he walked away.

After he'd left I stood in the centre of the stage silently fuming. On one hand I could leave Syd to sort it all out and make a right hash of it, thus getting a proper bollocking. Or I could go do it myself and avoid the wrath of Matt.

...

What to do?

Perhaps pissing my tour manager off wouldn't be the greatest of ideas, plus I'm sure someone once told me that he'd been in jail for a while. I could trigger off some sort of long forgotten rage; he might knife me in my sleep...okay...going to see Syd it is.

Jumping down off stage I shoved my sunglasses down over my eyes and headed off towards the sound stage to find Syd. I was pretty sure she'd be there, she's always somewhere nearby showing off and generally being a knob.

As I got closer I grabbed hold of a nearby tech and asked him where Syd was. He muttered a quiet, frightened reply under his breath, pointing shakily towards a small tent to my right. After I let him go he scampered off quickly obviously desperate to escape.

Was Syd having a little temper tantrum? This should be interesting.

Entering the tent I was met with the sound of someone routing around frantically and swearing loudly. Leaning on some boxes I peered over and smiled widely. Syd was sitting on the floor surrounded by wires, her short dark hair stuck up at all angles and her pale face red and blotchy.

"Mother fucker..." she snapped to herself, still oblivious to my presence.

"Having problems?" I asked smirking.

Her head snapped up at my voice and she looked at me in confusion which quickly changed to annoyance.

"What the hell do you want?" She snapped as she tried to untangle herself.

"Believe me when I say that I'm not here of my own free will." I replied lazily as I rested my arms on the sound decks, "Matt wants me to sort out timings for the MCR set."

She stood up and glared at me, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Yeah right," she said sardonically, "Like I'm letting you anywhere near the set up for their set."

O for god's sake. I sighed deeply; I so wasn't in the mood for this. It was hot and humid and I felt sticky and gross. All I wanted to do was get back to the bus and cool off and hopefully locate more coffee.

"Get over yourself Syd, I only doing what Matt told me to do. I have stuff of my own to sort out aswel you know."

I saw her fists clench at her sides and wondered vaguely if I was going to get out of this confrontation alive. It's not that she scares me, but apparently she's got one hell of a temper. One of the tech's told me earlier that she punched the side of MCR's bus in a fit of rage and actually left a dent in it.

Letting out a deep breath she turned, routed around the desk next to me abit and shoved a sheet of paper into my hands with a snarl.

"There's the new list, sort it out and fuck off." She snapped as she turned back to her pile of wires. Was her hand bandaged? Well bugger me that Tech must have been telling the truth, she really did hit the bus.

Trying not to laugh I walked over to the laptop in the corner of the tent and began to reorder all the light effects in accordance to the new set up. Taking off my glasses I put them down next to the laptop.

We spent the next few minutes in complete silence. I certainly wasn't going to strike up a friendly conversation with her and she clearly felt the same way about me. Pointedly ignoring each other we got on with our own tasks.

Shifting uncomfortably in the hard plastic chair I struggled to keep my cool. The change of set had left me with the job of trying to sort out new timings for the lights which would usually be an easy task except that My Chem had of course gone all out with the special effects for their set. Wankers. It didn't help that it must have been like 30 degrees in this god forsaken tent, even the breeze was hot.

Blowing my hair out of my eyes I sat back in the chair and fanned my face, desperate for some cool air.

"Syd? The guys wanted to know if you wanted any..."

I looked up alarmed as Frank entered the tent and stopped sharply upon seeing me there. I felt suddenly closed in at being surrounded by the enemy.

"Ignore her." Syd said gesturing vaguely in my direction. I glared at her and she flipped me off with a smirk. Bitch.

"Err okay..." Said Frank looking backwards and forwards between me and Syd, "I just came to ask if you wanted any lunch?"

I turned back to the laptop and carried on with the sequences. There's really no point in listening in on a conversation about lunch is there? Well unless I decided to put poison in her sandwich, but that's perhaps going abit too far.

Frank and Syd carried on chatting about random shit as I typed away on the laptop determined to get done as soon as possible. After a few minutes I was finished, shutting the laptop, I grabbed my bag and strode out the tent without a backwards glance.

I headed towards the main stage again to make some final checks which would hopefully be my last task until the actual gig started later this evening.

The soft sound of trainers on grass made me slow down and look over my shoulder suspiciously; all the pranking had made me wary of sudden noises and movement. Turns out I had a right to be suspicious; Frank was walking in this direction, his dark eyes focussed on me.

I stopped and watched him as he approached.

When he reached me he was a little out of breathe, his tanned face shinning with sweat, his dark hair falling into his eyes in slowly curling waves.

I stood stiffly waiting for the impending insult. Looking around nervously I tried to see if I was in the middle of an ambush or not. It didn't feel like I was but then again MCR had surprised us on more than one occasion. Frank was standing awkwardly, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dark jeans, his eyes darting from my face to the floor.

Something about Frank always made me...I don't know...uncomfortable I suppose. Maybe I just disliked him because of the amount of time he spent with Syd, I don't know really.

"Am I about to get really wet or covered in piss or something?" I asked with a nervous laugh.

"What?" He said quickly, "No! I mean...I just came to give you these back. You left them behind."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out my sunglasses, holding them out to me. I took them off him in disbelief.

Why was he being nice? Is this some new ploy to lure me into a false sense of security?

"Err...thanks." I stuttered out still bewildered. Frank smiled at me, a real genuine smile and I suddenly understood why all the fan girls swooned over him.

Hang on. What am I thinking?

I felt myself going red. Shit this is bad. Muttering another 'thank you' under my breath I turned and quickly legged it back to the safety of my stage and the comfort of my special effects.

Fraternising with the enemy, I should have known no good would come of it.


X

Absolutely furious at being manhandled and having to make a deal with that scum, I rode on the pegs, weaving on and off road. After catching up and tailing the FOB bus for about ten miles, I looked at the gas gauge. The day gets fucking better; less than a quarter tank and my moneys on the bus. Pulling over by a tree I put the bike on its stand leaving the engine running. It was getting dark and with any luck, Hank would see the light and pull over.

Or a rapist truck driver who will kidnap me and keep me locked in his cab for the rest of my life, using me like a Kleenex before he kills me and move on to the next one.

Sitting down by the tree, I began to feel tired as nightfall broke. Call me strange but the sound of a running engine can be rather calming.

The next morning I woke up in my bunk, still in my clothes thank god. There was a note taped above my head scrawled in Gerard's sloppy 'artistic' scrawl.

Hey Syd,

Gone for nicotine and caffeine fix. Your bike has a full tank. But don't ever go off on one like that again! You could have been picked up by a rapist trucker! You were lucky Hank saw the light. Pepsi max in fridge. Back at ten for sound check.

FYI, stay away from Hank, you dented the bus!

G

I flexed my hand at the memory, wincing at the sudden shooting pain. Oh yay, I see blood. I got out of my bunk, rummaging around for the first aid kit. Turns out, you can't bandage your right hand if you're right handed.

A trip to the first aid trailer, 2 painkillers and 4 cans of Pepsi max later I was sat in the Sound Tent, buried under about 5 miles of cabling. This stupid fucking bandage. Every time I tried to grip a cable it pulled at my torn skin. Apparently I hit some rivets on the bus' sheet metal skin and in my adrenalin fueled ride off into the desert after those assholes, I didn't register the pain so all the grit kicked up stuck in it. But believe me, I was feeling it know.

My anger at last night was slowly returning. They are so going to pay.

"For fucks sake."

I threw the adapter I was trying to plug in across the tent, running my hand through my hair. It's too hot and my hand hurts too much to be doing this. I should have stayed in Jersey. I was pretty low there but at least I wasn't stuck in some pathetic war Fall Out Boy decided to wage and sat in blistering heat in a god damn tent.

I didn't realize touring would be so...lonely. None of the other Techs come near me. I'm pretty proud that my reputation precedes me, but still. Apart from My Chem, I didn't know anyone when I first started. All my family is in Jersey, all my workmates too. I get the occasional message from friends, but only requests for free tickets. I didn't think it was possible to feel isolated surrounded by hundreds of people every day. And this damn heat is not doing anything to improve my bad mood. Even the air conditioning is blowing warm.

Where the fuck did that damn adapter land? I started to pick my way through the cables in search of the adapter I just chucked.

"Fucking hell. Where is that bastard? Shit." This is ridiculous. I saw it land right here. Jamming my hand into a box I caught my hand in a coil of power cables.

"Mother fucker..."

"Having problems?" I jerked my head up to the unmistakable British voice. Leo stood smirking by the door. She can piss of right now.

"What the hell do you want?" I snapped. I am in no mood for pleasantries. I'm in two minds whether to test if the tent poles are strong enough to hang her with the extension flex.

"Believe me when I say that I'm not here of my own free will. Matt wants me to sort out timings for the MCR set." She replied lazily, resting her arms on MY sound deck.

I stood up slowly eying her up. What is she up to?

"Yeah right," I said mockingly, "Like I'm letting you anywhere near the set up for their set."

Does she think I'm stupid?

"Get over yourself Syd; I'm only doing what Matt told me to do. I have stuff of my own to sort out aswel you know."

I balled my fists trying to contain the rage I could feel slowly building up, ignoring the throb form in my hand. I will not dignify her with lashing out. This time.

I knew I left the set list somewhere. Damn it. I need to tidy the desk.

Finally finding the list, I shoved it into her hands despite how much I was trying to control myself.

"There's the new list, sort it out and fuck off."

I swear I saw her laughing at me. She went over to the laptop and started to type in her lighting program. Apart from her incessant typing and huffing, it was silent. Seriously can she not sit still? I sat quietly stewing, changing the fuses on a blown amp stack.

"Syd? The guys wanted to know if you wanted any..."

Frank walked in and upon seeing Leo sat in the corner, looked slightly shocked that we weren't having some sort of bitch fight.

"Ignore her." I said, flipping Leo the bird with a smirk. We had her out numbered, there's no way she could try anything now.

"Err okay...I just came to ask if you wanted any lunch?" Franks gaze kept shifting between me and Leo. He seemed somewhat uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot with his hands jammed in his back pockets. Quite a feat considering they were literally painted on. I know for a fact he's commando in them aswel.

"I have allot to do still. I over slept and still have to check all the circuit breakers before I set up the decks." I replied wearily. I carried on changing fuses, Frank handing me a screwdriver as and when I needed it.

"You have to eat at some point. You missed dinner and I bet you had Pepsi for breakfast." He chastised gently.

"Is sugar free, don't worry." I replied sticking my tongue out slightly in concentration, as I struggled to grip the screw driver.

"Not the point. And where did you go when you took off? Mikey was flipping out. You know how he gets." He took the screwdriver and undid the screw handing it back.

"I just needed time to think, ok?" I gave him a feeble, reassuring smile as he removed the fuses.

"Yes but in the middle of a deserted highway?! Anything could have happened. We were last to leave and if it weren't for Hank you may have been stranded there. You know the bike can't do 120 even on a full tank."

I snatched the plug back from him, getting more than annoyed at being patronised by the guy who wanders around truck stops at fuck o'clock having a smoke.

"LOOK."

I glanced at Leo, who was sat quietly typing, seemingly oblivious to Frank's little lecture. Even so I lowered my voice, just in case.

"Look, Frank. I was angry. I admit it was a mistake and it won't happen again, ok?"

"Ok. Let me help you finish these. The sooner you done the sooner you can eat. Your hand looked a mess when we found you; it must hurt like a bitch."

"I've had worse." I said with a smile, remembering summers spent in the park with my brother Danny, "Once I messed up a kick flip and tore strips out of my arm."

We were both sat on the floor now, happily working away.

"You skateboard too?" Frank asked.

"Yeah. I got fed up of chaperoning Danny to the skate park and dirt track so I though what they hey, might as well give it a go. Poor kid was pissed when I kicked his butt at them both. But I never competed; Danny won a few local trophies at both. But I always beat him at his practices. Taught him not to be a cocky fucker like some of the other local riders and skaters."

After a few moments of silence, I looked up to find Frank clearly checking out Leo. I mean seriously?! Yeah she's no ugly Betty. Quite tan for a limey. Petite with shoulder length naturally curled hair. Not bad dress sense if not a bit mix and match. But this is the enemy we're talking about. Traitor. I swear guys only ever think with their dicks.

"Frank?" He was off in his own little world, "Frank...?"

I threw a screw at him.

"Hey, what was that for!?" He looked up, wide eyed as the screw bounced of the back of his head.

"You're getting drool on my electrical equipment." I stated and carried on working, ignoring his childish whine.

After a few seconds of Frank desperately trying to find a fitting insult all he came back with was "Fuck you."

"You wish." I replied with the typical high school comeback. Classy.

"Oh that's it...." Frank leapt forward, grabbing me by the waist and tickling me. He relentlessly attacked my ribs; an evil laugh telling me he was thoroughly enjoying this torture.

"GET OFF!!" I yelled, trying to shove him away.

And then something happened that had never happened before. Frank got off me quickly and bolted from the tent, grabbing something from my desk as he passed.

"So much for lunch." I yelled after him, going back to my fuses.

A light bulb suddenly came on in my head as I noticed the sudden silence; no annoying typing.

Looking around I realised Leo had also gone.