How to avoid falling for a Trohman for dummies

4

Terry

It was an hour before their first show and the guys were in their dressing room. I had checked on Pete, Patrick and Andy. Now was time to check on Joe. The one person I dreaded seeing again.

I knocked on his dressing room door, "Whoever it is, just fuck off!"

I was semi-shocked at his abrupt dismissal so I decided to push the door open slightly. He was lying down on the couch with his face grimacing in pain. I pushed the door open all the way and knelt down beside him. "Joe! Joe, what's wrong?"

He looked at me with a pale, deadpan look. "Well, two months ago I had surgery on my spine and between that my wife divorced me but if you want to know what's wrong right now? My back is killing me."

I dug in my bag for the prescription pain killers I kept for him. "If I give you two will you be alright or do you want me to get you to a hospital?"

"No! I'll take one and once the show's over I'll take two and go straight to bed. No cancelling shows and no hospitals again."

I was, once again, shocked at his reaction and refusal to call the show off. The guitar tech could have easily taken over for him while I took him to a hospital. I shook my head and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Joe, are you sure you're okay to be touring again? This could end up damaging your spine further?"

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, "Why do you care Terry?"

Very quickly, my face turned to stone and I realised that perhaps I had shown a little bit too much concern. So, instead, I got angry. "Well you're right Trohman. I don't care. Here's your pain killer. Take it and get dressed. You guys are up in thirty minutes."

I made my point by slamming the door on the way out and walked off in a huff to Pete's room, my heels clicking angrily as I walked. "Pete, Joe is a dick. Fuck him."

His eyes widened as I lit a cigarette, puffing angrily and pacing his room. "Do I even want to ask?"

I sighed and dropped onto the couch available. "He's in pain from his back and I tried to help him. He snapped at me with a snippy comment and I lost my temper. I think I got mad because I was genuinely
concerned and he was a dick to me so I was just a bitch back."

Pete came and sat next to me and put an arm around me. "I don't think Joe understands how much of an asshole he can be when he's in pain. Let the pain meds kick in and let him finish his performance. He will most likely feel like a dog for snapping at you and apologise. I guess you must really like him."

"Who does Terry like?" Andy walked in looking so oblivious it was almost funny.

I smiled at Andy and got up and hugged him. "No one, my least problematic Fall Out Boy. Have a great show tonight doll. I'm off to check that Patrick has warmed up properly yet."

The guys seemed satisfied with my excuse to avoid the situation and the conversation that would probably ensue and I walked into Patrick's room where he was doing a warm up that sounded like a horses neighing. I couldn't help but giggle at him and he stopped and smiled. "You
know, it sounds like something in a barn but it really does warm up and stretch the vocal chords. I could teach it to you for the next time you get into it with Joe?"

I once again, slumped on a couch. Patrick was a sweet guy. "You heard that? Yeah, I was trying to help him and he snapped at me and I kind of lost it. I was just trying to help."

Patrick snickered and sat next to me. "I'm not going to make excuses for the guy because he has changed since his surgery and divorce. He's been all over the place and we're a little worried about him.
Hopefully things work out soon and we can avoid taking time off. But if we need to, we will. I don't want to push him further than what he can handle. Anyway, I have to get going. We're up soon. Talk later?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Break a leg Patrick."