Chapter 6: February Stars (Foo Fighters)
A/N: So this is a basic straightforward chapter. No flashbacks. I just thought that I needed a chapter that was lighter in tone, with some laughter. And I kinda deviated from the basic story, what I mean is that nothing really of interest happens in the chapter. No big revelations happens, expect for maybe the question of who Sean is with but I mean, he loves her so it any big surprise that I wrote it as such. But I still fell that it fits right into place with everything else. Craig needs a laugh; I have always viewed Craig as a character that is trapped between his Past & His Future. I get the feeling that some characters are always written as "Bad Boys" and that they are always serious and never have any fun. I hope you guys like this chapter, hell I hope you guys like the story so far.
As Craig pulls up the club, he gets out of his Dodge Charger. Pulls his guitar out of the trunk and sighs a bit as he walks through the door
He turned around and looked outside the window. It was dark and cloudy. The weather person said rain was expected for the next week or so. This meant that it would rain during the show. He was glad it was in an inside venue. He wanted to meet his Fans, so he could get to know them, and they could get to know him. So straps on his guitar plays a song that always reminded him of better times.
I'm hanging on
Here until I'm gone
I'm right where I belong
Just hanging on
Even though I watched you come and go
How was I to know?
You'd steal the show?
One day I'll have enough to gamble
I'll wait to hear your final call
And bet it all
I'm hanging on
Here until I'm gone
Right where I belong
Just hanging on
He stops and thinks to himself that he wanted them to hear his new song, he was so proud of them like they were his children, which made him of think of little Joey, and how happy he was because of his son, how he would grow up and be happy and loved. Eventually find him a wife and have a family.
"Dude why are you smiling, did you get lucky last night" Craig looks all over and finds the "Jerk" that made that comment.
"Cameron please why do you always have to kill such a happy and tender moment" Craig says as he gets up and goes to give Sean a hug.
"What im just saying you had that look on his face" Sean says this with the biggest grin on his face
"If you must know, I was thinking about my Son, speaking of which how's the little woman" says Craig as he motions to the bartender to get him two waters.
"Why do you think im here, Ellie god bless her is driving me crazy, I mean just because you're Seven months Pregnant doesn't give the right to be so demanding" Sean says this with a puzzled look on his face
"I mean wasn't she the same way when she was pregnant with Scotty. I mean she was a complete mess, bossing everyone around, and always hungry, oh wait she's always like that" Craig says while chuckling to himself
"Yea I would completely agree with you but since she found out she was having twins, it's like she into supernova mode. Don't tell this to anyone but im a little scare of her" Sean says this with a terrified look on his face
"Yea me too" says Craig as he pounds his fists against Sean
"Here you go Mr. Manning" the bartender says as he hands over two bottles of water
"Its cool man, just call me Craig. I'm not old enough to be called Mr. Manning". Craig then gives the bartender a smile.
"Well alright Craig, I gotta tell you that I love your music, I have all your albums, your kind of the reason I learn to play the guitar so that I could sing your songs to my wife. Hell the misses & me had our first dance to your song "As Lovers Go"; she'll go crazy when I tell her I met you, THE CRAIG MANNING. Look man can I get an autograph" says the bartender as he hands Craig a napkin and a Sharpie.
Craig looks at the Napkin and then turns his head to the stage and smiles "Hey man I got a better idea". He runs over to the Stage and grabs his guitar. "Look what's your name man" he asks and gets ready to start writing.
"My name is Ryan and my wife's name is Leslye," says the smiling bartender
"Look Ryan. I got this guitar in at a vintage shop in Berlin. The shop keeper said that Cat Stevens gave this to him as a token of appreciation to letting him stay with him and family one night in the late 60's and while I don't know that's true or not, this guitar has always brought me good luck and I hope that your wife will be happy as you sing to her. Okay here you go, good luck and I hope you two are together forever," Craig says as he hands over the guitar
The bartender looks down and reads the inscription it says "To Ryan and Leslye. I hope you cherish each other for the rest of your lives. For you have a love that they write about in fairly tales. Love Craig Manning" "Cool man thank you so much" says the bartender as he shakes Craig's hand
He begins to wake away and you could see him talking on his cell phone. "Hey Babe, you'll never believe who I just met". Then all you hear is a women screaming on the other end "OH MY GOD, YOU TALKED TO HIM. HOW IS HE, IS HE NICE, CAUSE I HEARD THAT HE IS." "He is such a cool guy, I'll talk to you later"
Craig & Sean look at each other & start laughing hard. "Craig, does that always happen?" says Sean as he wipes tears from his face.
"Yea, it does. But man do I love it sometimes. It's one of the reasons why I do it, why keep going, why I keep writing. The Fans and little Joey" Craig says this with a smile on his face.
"Oh I thought that Ashley was the reason you kept on going, or am I mistaken," says Sean as he looks forward and smiles
"Shut up, you pompous prick, you're just like Marco. He kept on giving me crap about Ash. I mean we haven't been together since we were 19, which was like 12 years ago. I mean I haven't talked or seen her in a decade. We both moved on. We lead very different lives. I mean I'm doing this and Ashley doing the whole Civil Rights Lawyer thing here in Toronto. I mean I'm doing great, she's doing great, why go down that road, when we don't have to" Craig says this with a smile that doesn't really fit what he feels.
"Well if the both of you moved on how come you know what kind of Lawyer she is, and where she opened her practice" Sean now looking at Craig
"Well Ellie told me, I mean didn't you know" Craig says this in defeated tone knowing that Sean caught him in a lie.
"Well of course I knew. But Ellie told me not to tell you so that you didn't have to think about her" Sean now giving Craig an evil smile
"Damn, why do I have to open my mouth?" says Craig as he begin to chuckle
"See Bro, you will always love that girl, the same way I will always love Ellie. Every girl you have ever been with or ever will be with will be compared to her. Remember Syd always had Nancy. She will be that girl that you write about; she will be your "muse". Please don't lie to me, I know she hurt you but that doesn't mean she's in your heart. And by the way maybe you should listen to Marco, that guy is smarter than the two of us combined"
"Yea Whatever man, so many years later and you guys still bring it up" says Craig as he scrubs his eyes
"Well, we bring it up because whether you want to admit it or not, you still think about, remember what happened a few weeks after you got released from the hospital" says Sean who know looking at Craig
"You sure you want to do this, I mean this is forever, Craig are you listening to me. You're not even with her anymore." Says Sean as he tries to stop Craig from doing something that he knows he'll always regret.
"I know what I'm doing Sean. Don't tell Ellie this but I feel empty, and you can call me co-dependant but without Ash I feel I'm a just a shell, and she is the only person that can fill it. I know you understand this, this why I'm doing this, so at least a symbol of what she means to me will always be with me" says Craig as he gets ready.
"Alright man, but this might hurt" says Sean as he shakes his head.
45 minutes later
"So did it hurt?" says Sean as he looks at the aftermath of what just happened.
Craig gets up and says, "Nah it's just a little sore, nothing major"
"And how" says Craig as he & Sean tap their bottle against each other. "Are you & Ellie coming to the show? I need people I know to be there," says a nervous Craig
"Dude do you have a little stage fright. Yea of course we'll come. But make sure you have Roast beef sandwiches and Starburst on hand. And oh yea and Nesquik too. Ellie has strange cravings" Sean shrugs and continues to drink his water.
"Eww, I really didn't want to know that dude. Yea I'll talk to the station and hook something up with the catering crew," Craig says with a weird look on his face, some where between laughing and about to vomit.
"Are you and Joseph going to come over for dinner tomorrow, im sure Ellie would love to see you guys, and im sure Scotty would love to hang out with little Joey" Sean looks at him waiting for an answer
"Yea of course, you guys are family. And by the way I trust Ellie cooking more than those catering people. I remember seeing Caitlin doing some report on Catering services and how people are getting sick from the food" says Craig who continues to shake his head and laugh at the same time.
This causes Sean to join in the laughter and Craig thinks to himself "I'm glad Ellie has found someone great" and that he along with Marco have become like brothers to him over the years.
"Yea man, hey where's little Joey, is he is the back somewhere. That kid is gonna be a lady-killer when he gets older, must take after the old man" says Sean who tries to hold back the laughter.
"Says the guy that's only a year younger than me. No I dropped Joseph off at Marco's house, Marco said that Joseph should have a new outfit for the show and that he would drop him off around 6, just in time for dinner" Craig says as he tunes he backup guitar
Sean gets up and says "Alright man I'll see you later, look remember what I told you, You & Ashley will always go back to each other, you will always love each other" as he pats him on his as he starts to walk away
Craig thinks about what Sean just said, and thinks to he "I hate when he's right", then he goes back to strumming the guitar.