All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)

The Show Must Go On

Joe shook Piper, "Where's Candy?"
"Fuck! What am I to you two? Your personal sitter? I don't know" she replied stretching.
After her sight focused she gave him a second glance, noticing his clothes she proceeded to ask, "What did you do this time?"
"Nothing" he replies frowning.
"Right, its not like you would cheat on the best girlfriend you could ask for."
"Don't say stupid shit"
"Don't do stupid things." She walked out of his sight and into the bathroom, he sat on the bed for a bit and then walked out of the room as the other girls began waking up.

"Where was he headed so quick?" asks Mattey
"Dunno" replies Piper while brushing her teeth, she spits "I think he did something"
"What do you mean?" asked Mattey pulling down her pajama pants to take a piss.
"Candy woke me up a while ago asking if I'd seen Joe, then she left. Afterwards he's here wearing the same clothes from last night asking where Candy is."
Mattey washed her hands, "Fuck."
Lily hears this as she goes into the bathroom, "Whats wrong?"
"Joe's a skeeze" Replies Piper as she walks out,
"What?" Lily asks facing Mattey, "Don't listen to her" she says following Piper's trail.

"I'm going out with Mick, I'll be back around 4" she says while changing, then she leaves the room.
"What do you girls usually do when there's time to spare?" asks April
"I don't know, I'm kinda new too" says Lily facing Piper
She shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know, Candy plans these things out"
"Where is she?" asks April
"That's the problem, she disappeared again"
"Again?" asks Lily
"Its a long story, forget it, lets go to the pool!"

They walk out the room in swim suits and towells, someone whistles at them, they turn to find Kosmo, Topper and Paul laughing.
"Whats so funny?" asks Lily
"Your faces when we whistled"
"Ha. Ha. you should be a comedian Paul" replies Piper.
"I might"
"Do you guys wanna join us? We're headed to the pool." Asks April, they agree and the six go for a swim.

***
"The gig's in one hour, you guys are all ready?" asks Kosmo
"We are but the singer's not here" replies Mattey
"What do you mean? Where is she?"
"Ask Joe, that idiot did something"
They face Piper confused
"Paul, where's Joe?" asks Kosmo
"He went out"
"Out? Right before a gig?"
"He was worried about Candy"
"He's still not back?" asks Mick
"Fucking A! How are we gonna run a show without the damn singers?!"
"Chill, they'll be back" says Topper, but everyone felt stressed as the clock ticked and no one stepped in through the door.

50 minutes pass, "Piper you'll have to sing all the songs tonight, same goes for you Mick. The show must go on" they nod agreeing.
Kosmo walks out onto stage to do his nightly introduction, the Angelfucks walk behind him. Suddenly Candy walks in out of nowhere wearing her black laced dress and purple lipstick, her hair tied back and eyes made up in dark glittery eyeshadow, "Sorry I'm late."
"Holy shit where have you been?" asks Piper
"Busy."
"Busy?" asks Mattey
"Yeah, Busy" she nods, "Lets do this shit girls." They go on stage and start their setlist.

Right before ending the last song "Angelfuck," she can see him through the crowd walking into the venue, when he notices her gaze he smiles causing her heart to ache.
Breathless she speaks, "before we close tonight I'd like to perform a song I wrote today"
The three other girls face each other puzzled, Candy continues,
"It's a song about someone very special to me." Joe smiles to himself, somehow knowing she speaks of him.
She faced the others, "just let me do this one alone, or follow along if you'd like." They nodded.
She strum her guitar gently and began singing heartedly, tears built up on the corner of her eyes when she sang the chorus, Mattey followed with soft hitting on the cymbals in a way that matched the song. [Disclaimer: once again this isn't actually my song but pretend it is lol]

Among the lyrics were the lines; "I swore I would be true, but honey so did you. So why were you holding her hand? Is that the way we stand? Were you lying all the time? Was it just a game to you?
But I'm in so deep, you know I'm such a fool for you. You've got me wrapped around your finger."

His own heart sunk hearing the melody, the lights went off, she wiped her tears and the four walked off.
As she was headed backstage she felt a hand hold her arm back, a hand she knew perfectly, but she jerked it off and kept her way.
The Show Must Go On.