AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter is rated M.
Chapter 11
YOUNGBLOOD
Zed looked up from his guitar to find Addison standing there, openly staring at him and biting her bottom lip. He locked eyes with her and smirked. "And it's been a while...since I've seen the way the candles light your face...and it's been a while...but I can still remember just the way you taste..."
Addison shook her head and cracked a smile. "You're an octave too low. Stick to your range," she called out as she walked past him and out the door.
Bonzo bit back a laugh as the door closed. "You weren't kidding."
"Shut up, Bonz..." Zed couldn't help the smile that was spreading across his face.
"Well...What the hell are you waiting for?"
Zed looked over to the door, "I can't just… she probably wouldn't want to… I..."
"You're scared shitless, aren't you?"
He nodded his head. "Yup."
"Look, man, it's up to you, but… the way I see it is that the two of you have a hell of a lot of unresolved shit to work through. We're going to be cooped up on this fucking bus, playing across the country, for the next few months…"
Zed still didn't look convinced.
Bonzo threw his hands up in the air. "Did you ever think it could be fate?"
That caught Zed's attention. With a smirk, Bonzo continued. "We're in Seabrook, Connecticut right now… you guys went to Seabrook High… I'm just saying… maybe it's more than a coincidence… Maybe the universe is finally going to cut you a break."
"I sure as shit could use one..."
"That's for damn sure."
Zed took a deep breath and stood up. "I'll be back…"
Addison sat up and discreetly wiped her eyes when she heard footsteps approaching, already knowing it was going to be him.
"Can I bum one of those from you?"
She nodded her head and passed him the pack of cigarettes, flicking her white bic for him.
"A white lighter?"
She shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "Hoping the curse will claim another in a few years."
"Only you could pull off a joke about joining the 27 club."
"Who said I was joking."
Zed shook his head and smiled. "...I thought you didn't smoke?"
"And I thought you needed a light…" she snapped before quietly adding, "A lot of things can change over five years…"
He bent down and lit his cigarette. "Some things don't, Gorgeous."
"Please don't call me that."
"Still true though."
"Zed….I had no idea you were on this tour...I never would have..." she stopped herself and shook her head. "I'm only here as a favor to Bucky."
He nodded as he stared into the distance, trying to keep his head straight. "I would think you'd be too big of a name by now to be on tour with a couple of struggling rock bands."
"You can't be struggling too much if you managed to drink enough whiskey tonight to have the smell emanating from your pores…"
He shrugged. "What else is one supposed to do when one's ex suddenly shows up out of the blue after five goddamn years?"
Her shoulder sagged like she was carrying the weight of the world. She looked so sad and defeated. It took everything in him not to wrap his arms around her. He settled for sitting down next to her on the bench.
"So...Jacobs?"
"I couldn't use Addison or Donnelly or any combination there of...Get over it...Besides, doesn't seem like you're using it these days. Zed Necrodopolus, my ass… You're not even Greek." She mumbled something that vaguely sounded like "Croatian" under her breath.
"I have my reasons."
"Well so do I."
"You have no idea what I've been through!" Zed nearly growled.
"Neither do you!" she snapped back turning her face to glare at him.
His anger ebbed the moment her eyes locked with his. She could still disarm his with just a single look. "You always were hot when you were angry."
"I'm always hot...it's a genetic curse," she whispered, the fight she had in her suddenly gone.
The air between them charged as they subconsciously leaned in closer, "Addison I'm…."
"Don't… please..." she said fighting back tears. She abruptly stood up, leaving Zed to watch her walk away for the third time that night.
With a heavy sigh, he laid down on the bench, looking up at the stars in the sky.
Addison tossed and turned in her bunk. An all too familiar nightmare running through her head.
ZZZZZZZ
"Nooooo!" she pouted as Mason handed her cup with a clear liquid in it.
"I told you… If I had to drink tequila for your birthday, you were drinking vodka for mine."
"I didn't think you meant it!" she sniffed at her cup and cringed. "Are you sure this isn't rubbing alcohol?"
"It's Tito's, I swear!" Mason laughed.
"You're lucky I love you, Mase..." she pinched her nose and downed the entire cup. "Oh god is that vile! Bad decisions, right there...I swear!"
Zed laughed as he sipped his drink. "Don't worry, Baby, I'll be right by your side all night to make sure you don't get into any trouble."
"Says the man who is literally nicknamed Trouble!" she giggled as Mason handed her another drink.
ZZZZZZZ
"Hey!" she looked up at Zed with a huge grin on her face. "We're in the bathroom!"
"That's right," he chuckled. "We were getting you out of those wet clothes… remember?"
"But I like being all wet." She ran her tongue along her bottom lip and bit down, knowing even in her drunken haze that it would drive him wild.
He ran his hands down her sides. "I like it when you're wet, too… But I prefer to be the one to make you that way… Not the pool…" He bit back a laugh and smiled. "No more vodka for you."
She pouted and looked back up to him.
"Is something wrong, Baby?" he whispered into her ear as he pulled the soaking wet dress up over her body.
"Yes." Somehow her voice had gotten huskier. She wanted him so badly she could taste it.
"What is it? He squeaked out, trying his best to focus on drying her off.
"This is wrong..." she pulled on his hand, making him drop the towel. She placed his hand in between her thighs, pushing his fingers until they were touching her wet flesh. "You aren't in here right now."
His eyes turned nearly black with desire. "We're in the middle of a party..."
"That's never stopped us before..." She pulled his hand away and shoved his fingers into his mouth, making him groan and whimper as he sucked them clean.
"Christ, you taste so fucking good…"
She slid her hands through his dark hair as he kissed her. His lips shifted to her jaw, her neck, her collarbone.
Ripples of pleasure coursed through her body. She reveled in the scrape of his callused fingers against her skin, the heat of his mouth on her breasts.
"Fuck..." He cursed under his breath.
"Yes, please."
He reluctantly pulled away. "No… we can't… I took my wallet and phone out of my pocket before I jumped in after you. They're still up on the roof by the pool."
"Does that mean you don't want to fuck me anymore?"
He let out a humorless laugh. "I always want to fuck you."
"Then do it…"
He looked to the door. "I can be back in here in less than five minutes… don't move!"
She grabbed him and pulled him down to her. "Need you...now..."
"Gorgeous, I'm trying to do the right thing here...I don't want us to regret anything when we sober up."
She jumped up and wrapped her arms and legs around him "Fuck regret!" she panted before crashing her mouth down on his. She could still taste herself on his tongue and it was enough to make her dizzy with need.
Snarling loudly into her mouth, he grabbed her bare ass and ground her into his throbbing erection. He thrust up against her as they devoured each other.
Everything seemed to happen in a blur after that.
He set her down to wrestle his button fly, only to have her beat him to it. With loud panting that was peppered with kisses and lots of fumbling, they both worked to yank his wet jeans down over his hips enough to allow his erection to spring free.
She pulled him down to the rug on the floor. She straddled his waist and gripped him by the base of his cock, positioning the tip at her entrance. They both watched their bodies connect slowly. Once just the very tip was inside, she stopped moving completely, waiting for him to look up at her. When their eyes finally met again, Addison placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned down, kissing him softly before pulling back and watching his expression as she sank down on him in one swift thrust.
It was her favorite part, watching his face. Sure, it felt better than anything she had ever known, but there was nothing like seeing that look of shock and amazement cross over his features. No matter how many times he'd been inside her, he never failed to look simply awestruck at how good she felt.
This time was the best one yet.
His eyes widened and his brow furrowed, and he somehow managed to look scared at how good it felt as if it just wasn't humanly possible for anything on earth to feel so right. "Adds..."
"I know," she whimpered. "So fucking good..." she smiled. Holding his gaze, she began to move on him, using his shoulders for leverage as she bounced up and down. Rocking her hips into him with every upward stroke, it wasn't long before she had built up an amazing rhythm that made them both throw their heads back and moan.
Zed had begun a steady litany of, "Oh God… Oh, God… So good… So good… Yes… Yes… Yes yes yes so fucking good!" and by the time he grabbed her ass to pull her onto him harder so that he could thrust up inside her even faster, he had regressed to nothing more than grunts and snarls.
He sat up, burying his face into her cleavage, kissing and sucking her soft skin. He licked, sucked, and bit each taut nipple repeatedly, unable to focus on only one. His growls and moans were creating the most delicious vibrating feeling around her nipples, which cause Addison to buck her hips sharply into him, setting off a whole new round of snarls. It was a vicious cycle that neither of them wanted to end.
Zed slid his hands up and gripped her hips, lifting her up and down on him as he slammed up into her as hard as possible.
"Fuck!" she yelled at the sudden change, her body beginning to tighten around him.
"Yes, baby… that's it!" he moaned. "Touch yourself for me. We're both so close...I want to feel you come all over me."
She complied quickly, sliding her hand down between their bodies until she was rubbing her tight bundle of nerves furiously in small circles. The added stimulation caused her to fall over the edge, her body squeezing and milking him as she found her release.
She only had enough sanity left at that point to look him in the eye and beg him, "Please! Come in me! I need to feel you!"
"Oh god!" he cried out. "You're so fucking wet...so fucking tight… I can't… I can't get enough of you… Fuck!" And with one final thrust of his hips, he emptied himself inside her, filling her to overflowing.
Addison collapsed against him then, every ounce of energy disappearing with her orgasm, and her jet-lag exhaustion began mixing with her alcohol intake. Zed held her tightly, tucking her head under his chin as he stroked her back.
"I love you, Baby… Forever."
"And after..." she whispered as closed her eyes.
ZZZZZZZ
"Please no...please no...please no…," she whispered to herself on a continuous loop as she paced around her bathroom. When the timer on her phone went off she inhaled sharply and turned back towards the bathroom counter. Hesitantly she walked towards it. She closed her eyes and picked up the small white stick sitting on the counter. "You can do this Addison..." she opened her eyes slowly. Two lines. Pregnant. She dropped down to the ground and hugged her knees. "Damn it," she whispered as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Adds? You in there?"
"I'll be right out!" she called, hoping her voice didn't sound like she had been crying. She tossed the test into the wastebasket and threw some tissues on top to cover it up. She checked her reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath before opening the door.
"Hey!" Zed said as he took in her expression. "Were you crying?"
"I'm fine, really."
He wrapped her up in a tight hug. "Listen to me, Baby. You and me, always. We're going to make this work."
"I know."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Forever."
"And after"
"It'll only be a few weeks. You're still flying out for your birthday, right?"
"Yeah, my brother is picking me up. He even promised he wouldn't put a hit on you for 'defiling his baby sister...'"
Zed swallowed loudly.
"Don't worry, he knows I'd take him out if he, or any member of 'the family', ever tried to hurt you."
"Good to know," he whispered, leaning over to capture her lips in a kiss. "I promise, I'll call you every fucking day. You'll hear from me so much you'll be sick of me and won't have a chance to miss me."
"You better," she said with a sniffle.
He kissed her again. "Come on, Gorgeous… everyone's starting to arrive."
ZZZZZZZ
"Zed! Zed! Zed! Zed!"
"Your adoring fans are calling you back up," Addison smiled up to him before pushing him back towards the stage.
Their friends broke into applause as he hopped up and grabbed the microphone from Owen.
"Zed! Zed! Zed! Zed!"
"Alright, alright… I guess one last song…" He picked up his guitar. "Addison, Baby… This one's for you…
Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe in how
Somewhere in her smile, she knows
That I don't need no other lover
Something in her style that shows me
Don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how
You're asking me will my love grow
I don't know, I don't know
You stick around, now it may show
I don't know, I don't know
Something in the way she knows
And all I have to do is think of her
Something in the things she shows me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe in how…
I love you, Adds."
He jumped off the stage and picked her up, swinging her around and kissing her as their friends hooted and hollered.
"You remembered my favorite Beatles song!"
"I remember everything about you, Gorgeous..."
ZZZZZZZ
"Oh God, it smells terrible in here!" Addison said as she walked into the pool house.
"Sorry," Mason laughed as he let out a loud belch. "Drink?"
"No thanks… Have you seen Z?"
"No… I thought he was with you."
"The last time I saw him he was playing shot-pong," Owen said between burps.
Addison pretended to throw up. "Seriously what is wrong with you two…" She looked over to Bree, "Wanna help me find my probably wasted boyfriend? she laughed.
"Anything to get away from these two," Bree giggled, passing the joint to Mason. "Besides, Hungover Zed is no fun on a flight… remember Aspen?"
"Fucking Tequila!" Mason shouted.
"Don't start with that shit Mase...your little vodka payback fucked me over in more ways than one."
Bree gave her a strange look.
"I'll tell you later," Addison sighed. "Let's just go find him before his mother has to deal with him tomorrow."
ZZZZZZZ
Nothing made sense. It was definitely Zed, he was definitely naked, and the naked girl sleeping on his chest was definitely not her. As the reality of the situation started to sink in, she could feel her heart shatter. She dropped to her knees and started to cry.
"Adds… there's got to be an explanation..."
"I…." she choked back a sob. "I can't do this right now..."
Bree knelt on the ground next to her. "What can I do to help?"
"I need everyone out of here..." she cried into Bree's shoulder. "That includes…." she waved in Zed's general direction.
Bree stroked her hair. "I'll take care of everything… let's get you upstairs… I'm sure everything will be better in the morning."
She nodded her head and sat up straight. "You're right..." she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture. 'Call me when you sober up… We need to talk.'
ZZZZZZZ
"I still haven't heard from him," Addison sniffled as she rolled onto her back on her bed.
"He's probably still asleep… Like I was five seconds ago... He was smashed...didn't even wake up when Mase and Owen picked him up… Just give it some time. It's only nine in the morning," Bree mumbled out in between loud yawns.
"You don't understand. I need to know what I saw last night didn't happen!"
"Relax, girl… I'm sure there's an explanation… That boy loves you way too much to do something that stupid."
"I hope so… not just for me," she whispered.
"What was that?"
"Bree… I fucked up… big time." She wiped at her eyes. "I'm pregnant." The line was silent for a moment. "Please say something..."
"Did I hear that right?"
"Yeah…"
"Does Zed know?"
"No… Not yet."
"Addison, darling… are you awake in there?"
"Oh, shit!" she sat up in bed and dried her eyes. "Bree, I've got to go...my mom is back."
"Shit! Okay, girl...Call me!"
Addison hung up the phone. "I'm up, Mother."
Missy opened the door and walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Addison, darling, you look like hell! Is everything okay?"
"Yeah… I'm just tired… When did you get back in town?"
"Bright and early this morning… I got the strangest phone call last night… apparently, there was a party being thrown at my house… I guess those cameras I had installed finally paid off."
"You installed… cameras? In the yard?" she asked in disbelief."
"Oh, not just in the yard… All throughout the house." Missy grabbed her arm tight. "I always knew you would ruin your life."
"Mom..." she whispered, trying to pull her arm away. "You're hurting me..."
"You stupid girl… I should have sent you away a long time ago."
A chill ran down her spine. Her phone suddenly vibrated and Led Zeppelin's, Whole Lot Of Love started to play. It was Zed's ringtone. She grabbed for her phone with her free hand.
"I don't think so," Missy sneered as she snatched the phone from her and turned it off. "You won't be needing this…. Gentlemen! We're ready!"
Two large men wearing uniforms walked into her room and towards her, pulling her to her feet.
"MOM!"
"Addison, darling. It's for your own good," Missy smiled as she walked up to her. "The Sisters of Quiet Mercy will know exactly how to handle you and your little…situation." She reached out and grabbed the locket hanging from around her neck, pulling it hard and breaking the chain.
Addison fought against the guards, but it was no use. "You can't do this to me! I'm eighteen for Christ sake! I'm your daughter! MOM!"
.
"Casey…" Bucky softly shook her shoulder, trying to wake her up.
"No… Mom… Please..."
"Casey..." She was still asleep. He knew exactly what she was dreaming about. He'd long since lost track of how many times he held her while she had this same nightmare. He was just thankful she wouldn't get to the worst of it now. He looked around before leaning further into her bunk. "Addison…."
Her eyes shot open. "Bucky?..."
"I'm here..."
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, trying to fight off the tears. "It was horrible… like I was back there..."
"I know… but it was just a dream. You're okay. You're never going back to that place. I swear."
She nodded her head against his neck.
"Why didn't you tell me you were still having that nightmare?"
She shrugged. "I haven't had it in months...What time is it?"
"Four."
"PM?"
He nodded his head.
"Fuck...Time change… I'm sorry."
"It's fine. You've got soundcheck in an hour. But we have a band meeting, now. I brought you coffee..." he offered, holding it up for her. "It's just how you like it… black… like that twisted little soul of yours..."
"You say the sweetest things, brother dear..." she whispered as she sat up and grabbed her purse, putting her sunglasses on to cover her bloodshot eyes.
"You ready?"
She nodded her head and followed him to the back of the bus where both bands were gathered.
Zed almost spit his water out when Addison walked into the room. She was all long legs and wild hair with a pair of Ray-Bands covering her eyes. But what really caught him by surprise was the worn-out oversized maroon and white sweatshirt that hung loosely from her small frame. The same sweatshirt that had once belonged to him. He tried to hide the smile on his face but failed miserably.
"Seattle Prep?" Lacey asked in her typical grating voice.
Addison took a sip of coffee. "What?"
"Your sweatshirt… Is that where you went to school?"
Addison looked down, a sudden wave of panic hitting her as she realized what she had fallen asleep in. Not that she didn't sleep in it almost every night, but usually she didn't have to worry about seeing the rightful owner of said sweatshirt. "Um...no… I didn't go there."
"Oh…" Lacey shrugged and turned her attention back to Tracey.
She nervously glanced over towards Zed only to find him biting back a smile. "Nice shirt," he mouthed.
Addison readjusted her coffee cup so that she could subtly flip him off.
"Okay, children..." Bucky called out as he walked into the center of the room. "Now that we're all together, let's get down to business. Acey's, you're opening tonight."
"What?! No!" Lacey yelled. "How is that fucking fair? We opened the last show!"
Bucky rolled his eyes. "You know the deal, Lacey. Whichever band completes the most new songs headlines."
"But… but..."
"No buts, Lacey. You agreed."
"How can I write when I know it's just going to be stolen again!" she glared over towards Zed. "It's not like he's written anything lately!"
"Actually, I finished a new song this morning… tough break," he said with a wide smile. "Enjoy warming up the crowd for us though."
"Fuck you, Necrodopolus!"
"No thanks… it wasn't that good the first time."
Lacey sneered and slammed her hand down onto the table.
Bucky rolled his eyes. "Moving on…"
.
Bucky pulled at the ends of his hair. "You can not wear that!" he whisper yelled to Addison, trying to keep the rest of the Acey's from hearing him.
Addison rolled her eyes and grabbed the bottle of tequila off the dressing room table. "And why the hell not? I'm more covered than Lacey and Stacey! They're practically wearing swimsuits!" she snapped back before uncapping the bottle and taking a large swig.
He took a step closer to her and dropped his voice even lower. "Neither of them are my sister!"
"Maybe you should be a little more supportive and thankful that I'm even doing this shit for you!" she whispered back. They both looked up when they heard the door open up.
"Damn, Princess! You look hot!" Eliza called out as she, Zed and Bonzo walked into the dressing room.
Bucky looked over to Eliza pleadingly. "Don't encourage her."
Zed had stopped dead in his tracks. All coherent thoughts leaving his mind. Thigh-high black leather boots, fishnets, high waist red leather hot pants, and a skin-tight black longsleeved crop top...He licked his bottom lip and pulled it between his teeth.
Addison wasn't faring much better. The members of Zombies were all wearing matching straight jacket inspired bondage jackets with their signature green hair in disarray. But Zed… the addition of leather pants, a fuck-ton of guy-liner, and white contacts...he looked like he stepped straight out of the sexiest horror movie ever. "Holy Hitchcock..." she mumbled to herself. She took another large swig of tequila.
"I think you've had enough," Bucky warned, grabbing the bottle away from her and snapping her back into reality.
"B, I'm not drunk. I'm buzzed. And quite honestly, it's probably for the best!"
Lacey bent over in front of the vanity mirror and readjusted her cleavage in her barely-there top. "It's showtime!"
The stage was dark. She could sense the audience moving below her, but there wasn't much noise. Her knee bounced hard. This was it. Her first time on stage in almost three years. She looked over to the side of the stage to find Bucky giving her an encouraging smile. She closed her eyes tightly, willing her breathing to steady and for her heart to stop beating in her ears.
Stacey cracked off a four-count with her drumsticks. Addison went into autopilot as she and Tracey ripped into the first song. The spotlight fell on her, shocking, blinding. She focused on her fingers, as her heart started to beat in time to the rhythms her bass controlled. Massive, rolling low notes pounding in her ears. Cheers and whistles pierced the smoke-laden club.
.
Claps and whistles took control of the air as The Acey's departed the stage. Addison made a hasty retreat, dumping off her bass and rushing past everyone toward the fire exit.
The moment the cold air hit her face, she started to cry her eyes out. The music high overwhelming her and the emotional turmoil of being back on stage finally catching up with her.
The door opened behind her. "Where the hell are you going Necrodopolus? We're on in 5!"
"Ease the fuck up, E! I've got to piss!" The door slammed shut again.
Addison looked up. There was Zed standing still as a statue staring at her. Her skin registered the cold like an afterthought and she wrapped her arms around herself. She casually brushed away the last tear, hoping he'd just think she had something in her eye.
"Addison..."
"You mean Casey?"
He rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. "What the fuck ever..." He took a step closer to her. "You want to explain what the hell that was on stage? I mean, I'm all for helping the Acey's tank, I just would have liked to have known that was the plan."
"I'm not trying to get them to tank."
"Well, you sure as shit didn't do them any favors."
"I played those songs perfectly."
"Yeah, very precise..." he took another step towards her. "The Addison I know would have owned that fucking crowd with a single goddamn look and would have been a force of nature when she played..." he shook his head in disbelief. "You didn't even look up form your bass...and you looked like you were trying to hide in the curtain..." he reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger just a second too long. "Where the hell was the fire… the passion?"
"Burned out a long time ago."
"Bullshit. You were born to perform."
"That was another lifetime ago."
"I don't buy it… The Addison that I know..."
She cut him off. "You don't fucking know me anymore!" She took a step back, not realizing just how close they had been to one another. "I'm sorry if I didn't live up to your fucking expectations! That was the first time I've been on a goddamn stage in almost three years!"
"What?"
The heavy metal door opened and Bonzo stuck his head out. "Z! We're going on now!"
"I'll be right there." He turned back to Addison, but she was already gone.
.
Zombies was already up and running by the time Addison made her way back into the venue. She leaned against the bar at the back of the crowd. She just wanted to go back to the bus and try to sleep, desperate for the day to be over, but the masochist in her won out. She needed to see him play.
Zed stood to the left, Bonzo on the right, and Eliza sat behind the drums in the middle. Their grungy song sizzled.
Addison's breath caught as she watched Zed. He was a hot piece of rock god ass on that stage. Pure sex, pure soul. He wooed the half-naked women at his feet, flaunting suggestive smiles between screamed lyrics, tossing them guitar picks, and serenading them. And his voice...fuck… if she didn't have a long sordid history with him, she'd be sitting on some guy's shoulders flashing her tits at him right now.
The band was super tight. Every note perfect, every beat spot on, every smile perfectly engineered for maximum crowd reaction. The music rattled the walls, the rafters, the floor, like an audio dragon with breath of deafness. It was metal and leather and tattoos. It was raw sex with a shot of tequila, and satin sheets set afire. And it was all too much for her. She bit down on her trembling bottom lip and turned back towards the exit.
She hated him more than ever. And after that performance, she wanted him so fucking badly. When she finally got back onto the bus she leaned her head back against the inside of the door and let out a loud sob.
Tracey popped his head out from the crawl space above the driver cabin. "Hey, Casey… you okay?"
Addison quickly dried her eyes, thankful that her heavy eyeliner was already smeared. "Yeah… sorry… I didn't realize anyone else was in here yet… Just a long couple days catching up with me."
He jumped down and walked over to her, pulling her in for a hug. "I was attempting to write the bands next song since Lacey refuses to."
"How's it coming?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Eh… I've got the chorus and the bridge, but verses aren't usually my area… I really want to finish this fucking song though… I hate opening."
"Maybe I can help."
"You write?"
"I dabble," she smiled. "Let's hear what you've got."
Tracey climbed up and grabbed his guitar and notepad. He sat on the bench and began to play.
"You're pushing and pushing, I'm pulling away
Pulling away from you
I give, and I give, and I give and you take, give and you take…
Youngblood
Say you want me
Say you want me
Out of your life
Then I'm just a dead man walking tonight
But you need it, yeah you need it
All of the time
Yeah, ooh ooh ohh..."
"Would you mind?" she asked, gesturing towards his notebook.
Tracey handed it to her. "Not at all."
She read it over a few times. "Play what you're thinking for the first verse… I think I've got something that could work." She listened again and jotted down the words in his notepad. "Here...give this a try..."
Tracey started to strum his guitar as he sang the verse she had just written.
"Remember the words you told me?
Love me 'til the day I die
Surrender my everything 'cause you made me believe you're mine.
Yeah, you used to call me baby,
now you're calling me by name
Takes one to know one, yeah
You beat
me at my own damn game..."
He smiled up to her before continuing with what he already had.
"You're pushing and pushing, I'm pulling away
Pulling away from you
I give, and I give, and I give and you take, give and you take…
Youngblood
Say you want me
Say you want me
Out of your life
Then I'm just a dead man walking tonight
But you need it, yeah you need it
All of the time
Yeah, ooh ooh ooh..."
He popped his hand across the guitar strings to silence them and looked over to her.
"That's it!" He leaned over and hugged her. "That was awesome! Thank you, Casey! You're a lifesaver!"
"You're welcome, Tracey."
"We can work out the bass and drums tomorrow while we're driving!" He pulled back and looked at her nervously. "Would you mind keeping this a secret between us? Lacey would flip her shit if she knew I needed help."
"It's not a problem at all. Let me know if you ever get stuck again."
"Thank you, girl," he said hugging her again. "Now come on! We've got to go shmooze with some fans in the green room!"
"Do we have to? I was really hoping to just go to sleep."
"Are you kidding me? It's the best part of this gig!"
She didn't look convinced.
"There's free drinks..."
She let out a heavy sigh. "Fine… But I'm not staying long."
Tracey clapped excitedly as he grabbed her arm and started to pull her towards the door. "Those boys are going to love you… almost as much as I love those Fendi thigh highs! What size shoe do you wear by the way?"
Zed slammed his fist against the dumpster. "Did you see her in there?! Was there a fucking person in the room that she wasn't flirting with?!"
"Z, calm the hell down, man," Bonzo said as he took a deep drag from his cigarette. "She was doing the exact same thing you were doing… interacting with fans… it's almost like it's part of the job."
"Sarcasm… nice..."
Bonzo blew him a kiss. "At least she didn't leave with a groupie on each arm like you usually do."
"One is bad enough!" He punched the dumpster again.
"Says the man that was getting a hummer from one girl and making out with another when she walked in."
"Look… I'm not stupid enough to think that she hasn't been with anyone else since me… she's way too much of a wildcat...but fuck!" he threw another punch.
"Dude! Do not fuck up your hand… We've got another gig tomorrow night."
"I'm fine...I'm fine..." he said trying to keep his anger in check. "It's just the first time I've ever seen her with anyone else."
The metal door opened and Stacey walked out. She eyed him from head to toe and smiled before walking towards the bus.
"Maybe I just need to fuck her out of my system..."
"Because that's been working so well for you over the years," Bonzo sighed.
"Only one way to find out," he smirked. "Hey, Stace...wait up..."
.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, I need Z2 to come out STAT. This writers block has been no joke and I am in desperate need of some fresh inspiration.
SONGS USED IN THIS CHAPTER:
-Something: The Beatles
-Youngblood: 5 Seconds of Summer
And if you want the inspiration for the song the bands played:
-Temple: Tonight Alive (The Acey's)
-Reapers: Muse (Zombies)