#1 – The Dare
Gerard sat silently, forehead pressed against the cold glass of the small tourbus window. He had been watching the sun slowly sink below the grey bowl of the horizon, and darkness was descending fast. The last grey light of dusk seemed to press close to the glass as the tourbus sped along silent roads.
Gerard watched the trees and tarmac flash by slower and slower, until the tourbus ground to a halt. Only now did he raise his head and turn to look at his bandmates.
Ray had evidently just woken up, blinking as he stretched and looked around him with an expression of vague confusion. Frank looked simply concerned. Looking for his younger brother, Gerard remembered that Mikey had gone through to the bunk area a couple of hours ago, but just as he was completing that thought Mikey himself appeared.
"What's going on?" Mikey asked, leaning against the doorframe as he adjusted his glasses.
Frank shook his head. "I'm not sure, I'm going to go ask the driver." With that, Frank headed off towards the front of the bus.
Mikey moved over and sat next to Ray on the couch as Ray spoke;
"Any idea where we are?"
"Not a clue." Gerard replied. "Looks like we stopped in the middle of nowhere." He nodded at the glass, which he noticed still had a mark on it from where he'd rested his head.
Right on cue Frank re-entered the room. "That's because we are in the middle of nowhere. GPS looks like it's down and the driver's out for the count. Don't worry"; he continued, seeing Ray's expression, "He looks fine, just dead beat. I moved him over to the passenger side."
There was a few seconds' pause until Gerard spoke. "Looks like we're gonna be stuck here for a while then."
There were murmured agreements. Mikey got up.
"I'm going to call Brian. This shouldn't put us behind schedule, but…." He shrugged and moved back to the bunk area to retrieve his cell phone.
The remaining three of them sat in silence for a little while. Ray looked deep in thought, and Gerard watched as Frank idly picked at his sneaker. Suddenly Frank grinned and sat up straight.
Aw crap was Gerard's first thought. When Frank grinned like that for no apparent reason, it was usually a sign that you should probably run for the motherfucking hills.
"Hey guys, why don't we play Truth or Dare to pass the time?" Frank suggested, grin still in place and eyes sparkling.
Ray glanced warily at Gerard, evidently sharing the feeling that this was a Bad Idea.
Tired and resigned to the fact that they might be stuck for hours, Gerard sighed, then turned his head to nod at Frank, who if possible beamed even wider and sat down on the floor, much in the same way that an over-excited 5-year-old might.
Gerard heaved himself out of his seat and onto the floor. Both he and Frank glared at Ray until he too sighed and sat down.
"Okay okay me first!" rushed Frank. "Ray, truth or dare?"
"Um…. Truth."
"Haveyoueverwornathong?" Frank looked at Ray expectantly.
"I have no idea what you just said."
"Have you ever worn a thong?" Frank repeated, now staring intently at Ray.
Ray's cheeks flushed slightly. "Yes."
Frank bounced up and down on the spot, clapping his hands, triumphant grin plastered across his face. "Knew it!"
Gerard rolled his eyes. Frankie was such a child sometimes.
"Okay, my turn." Said Ray, glaring oh-so-slightly at Frank. "Gerard, I dare you to make out with Frank onstage at out next show." Ray kept right on glaring at Frank as he spoke, and now Ray was grinning as Frank abruptly stopped bouncing up and down and sobered up.
"What?" he asked, sounding rather befuddled as he tried to figure out Ray's motives.
Gerard paled. He knew exactly what Ray was doing, and it was a very well-constructed trap.
Several weeks ago, Gerard had made a little… confession to Ray. Yesterday, Gerard had beaten Ray at HALO. And Ray took competition very, very seriously when it came to gaming. This… this was revenge, via blackmail.
"Hang on; you didn't give Gee a choice!" Frank realised.
Ray raised an eyebrow at Gerard. 'Oh crap oh crap oh crap' was all that flashed through Gerard's mind. No way could he pick truth now – all Ray had to do was ask the killer question. He also couldn't keep the dare without it seeming as it he wanted to make out with Frank in front of hundreds of screaming fans. Damnit Frank, why did you have to open your mouth…? Swallowing, Gerard kept right on looking at Ray as he said; "I'll take the dare."
Gerard didn't need to have a third eye to know that Frank was looking freshly bewildered and switching his gaze between himself and Ray. Ray smiled sweetly.
"Right." Gerard forced out through gritted teeth. He turned to the excitable midget on his left. "Frank, truth or dare?"
Frank blinked once. "Truth."
Gerard turned and mirrored Ray's sickly sweet smile, whose own began to fade. Still smiling away, he ordered Frank; "Tell Ray all about that dream you had. You know, the one concerning his hair?"
Silence followed, as Ray's expression grew more and more worried by the second. Gerard turned to face Frankie, whose face was brick red.
"No?" Turning back to Ray, he practically purred as he told him. "Frank had a verrry interesting dream last night. Getting funky with the 'fro." Just in case Ray had missed his meaning, Gerard winked and grabbed his crotch on the word 'funky'.
Ray's eyes widened in terror as his head snapped around to look at Frank.
"Brian said that he…" Mikey's voice trailed off as he took in the scene before him, having just emerged from the bunk area. "What did I miss?"
"Nothing!" sang Gerard. "What did Brian say?"
"Well apparently there's a crappy motel about five miles down the road. If we wake the driver up he could get us there; then crash in a proper bed."
Ray nodded. "On it." He clambered up, and strode to the front of the bus.
Okay so I'm fully aware that yes, this is my first chapter of my first ever fanfiction, and yes, it may suck. Just a bit. Sooo, I would be very much obliged if anyone reading this (pah, readers?) just drops a line or so in a review, just to be nice. Oh, and PLEASE point out any errors, improvements, etc. You all know the drill.
Much love and hope,
BlackxForever
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