Ray swore.
Of course, this wasn't an unnatural occurrence - Ray Toro was in the habit of swearing on a regular basis, thanks to the guys he hung out with. Swearing was kind of like second nature, a throwaway word that meant nothing - but he really put his heart and soul into this word.
"Fuck."
He stared at his phone. No signal, no credit, and almost out of battery life. He was going to kill Gerard. For about the fourth time that month, Ray was left on the side of the road, fro and shades in place, bags by his side, chewing gum steadily, with no Frank, Gerard, and Mikey - no fucking van. They ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS left him behind... and it wasn't even his fault. Not really... Just because he took an hour longer to get ready in the mornings didn't give them cause to just forget him. Usually, this wasn't much of a problem. He'd call Gerard, he'd be all apologetic, and they'd rush back to get him. Apparently, buying him a coffee was great compensation for forgetting their lead guitarist behind. Ray grinned, as this was actually kind of true, but the smile slipped off his face as his phone completely died.
"God dammit, I am going to kill Gerard..." He sighed, and stuffed it in his back pocket. "Shit."
He glanced back at the hellish hotel, which he definitely did not want to go back to. He sighed, hitched up his backpack, adjusted his shades, and began to walk along the road. Maybe, with a bit of luck, the boys wouldn't need reminding of Ray Toro. Then he laughed.
He'd bet his damn guitar they'd just carry on driving, drinking coffee and smoking and laughing and probably not driving at all, actually...
Frank's snoring is totally not as cute as his giggle, Mikey thought lazily, sitting slumped in the back of the van with his arms and legs curled around his bass and his blond head lulling against the back of the seats. It was Gee's turn to drive the van - God save us all, Mikey thought - but Gee had insisted it had not been. Mikey tried to figure it out in his head... last time, it was Frank, and before that, it was Mikey himself - so it was Gee's turn, right...? Comprehension dawned on Mikey's pale, sleepy face. "Oh, fucking hell."
Frank opened one eye. "Huhwha?" he drooled attractively.
"Not fucking again... you're right, Gee," Mikey sat up and called through to the front, "it's not your turn..."
"I KNEW it! Mikey, to the wheel, you idiot..." Gerard sounded really, really irritated. In all fairness, they had run out of coffee this morning.
Mikey shook his head. "No, it's not me, it's - "
"Oh, nuh uh, Mikey Way, you are NOT pushing this on me –" Frank tried valiantly to sit up and act like a human. The result was disappointing.
"It's not you either, Frank..." Mikey sighed. "I do believe we're missing something beginning with 'R' and ending in 'Ay Toro'..."
"Oh, for the love of coffee." Frank slumped back in his seat with his hands over his eyes. "GEE!"
Gerard winced, looking just as guilty as the other two. "Okay, I'm heading back... okay?"
"He's gonna be so pissed off with you, man," Mikey shook his head.
"Seriously, what is this, like... the seventeenth time?"
"Oh, shut up." Gerard swerved around in the middle of the empty motorway, and began the way back.
