The Incredible League of Goth Pizza Haters (RH)

Part 66

Author's Note: hello again! I just wanted to let you guys know that these chapters are generally going to be longer because there's a lot of things I want to put in without having this book be a hundred parter. Feel free to like/comment as I always love feedback!

---Ricky---
The lights passing by through the windows almost reminded me of the ones back home. Except those were warmer lights. Yellows and whites that lit everything up and made it look warm, even though they did little to fight the cold. These lights were multi colored. They flashed and beamed in a collage of colors that could only be Las Vegas.

Via was born here.

I kind of hated how she was haunting my thoughts.

"So, we're in Vegas. After the show...." TJ's voice faded out suspiciously, "What're we doing tonight?"

"Party." Angelo said.

"Party!" TJ agreed. They looked at Balz, who nodded, then at Chris and Ryan. Ryan was just waking up from a nap and looked pretty out of it but he agreed along with Chris and I. Of course all of our definitions of 'party' were a bit different. For Ryan, TJ and Angelo it meant drinking their asses off. Chris, Balz and I would have fun in a more sober way. In other words, we were probably going to do the same dumb shit just without an excuse.

I was really glad we all agreed to this. I felt like I needed it to put my mind off things. It felt bad to think that, but what could I do? I was on the opposite side of the country as her. Of course I was worried, but there was nothing I could do. No use in wrecking myself over something that I was helpless to do anything about.

We put on our stage clothes and makeup and after the show we cleaned up and headed out onto the strip.

"Let's go to a bar." TJ chimed and Balz groaned loudly.

"Dude, can we not go somewhere strictly for something half of us don't even do?" he said and Chris agreed.

"Okay, then we split up." Ryan suggested, "Ange, TJ and I go off clubbing or whatever and you, Chris and Rick go do something else." We stewed on it for a moment before agreeing and splitting up. Standing smaller in the lights now, Chris and Balz and I all shared a look.

"Bowling? Golf? We could gamble or go get possibly regrettable tattoos."

"Maybe bowling or golf," Chris said, "As for the regrettable tattoos... I have enough of those. And considering we've eaten nothing but microwave dinners and ice cream I think we should keep the money we have."

"Yeah," I laughed. This was different from what we usually do. It's not that I think we've matured anymore.. I think it just wasn't the time to get arrested.

We settled on bowling, which was awesome because the alley was pretty cool looking. It was lit in blue light with balls in nearly every neon color and size. There was music and people laughing and drinking but not too heavily. It set a carefree vibe and it was cheap too.

The first game ended with me in the lead, Chris in second and Balz backing us up in third. By the end of our second round Balz and I were close to tying while Chris was a whole twenty points behind us.

"It's fucking rigged." he said, plopping down on one of the chairs.

"Nah, you just suck." Balz said, getting to his feet to take his turn. He walked up, lifted the bowling ball and as he swung, his foot slipped on the lane. The ball went airborne as he collapsed to the floor with a thump so loud not even the music could keep people from looking over. Chris and I burst out in laughter as the fluorescent ball collided with the floor before going directly into the gutter. Balz got up and stumbled back over to us, plopping on of the chairs and glaring at us as we continued to crack up. He shoved me before I went up to take my turn. I picked up a bowling ball and approached the lane as the pins restocked.

I tossed the ball and it took out all but one. On my second round I sent it down and watched the final pin fall. Spare. Fuck yeah.

They both shunned me as we watched the last squares on the score chart fill with my second consecutive win of the night. We returned the shoes and set off back onto the Strip. We got some decent food at a restaurant and a few hours after that we skimmed through a few shops, lost forty dollars to a casino game and made friends with a large man in knee high stockings and a crop top.

As we walked back to the tour bus we spotted movement from inside and discovered upon entry it was TJ spinning in circles. Ryan was nowhere to be seen and Angelo was passed out on one of the couches, clear film over a spot on his leg.

"Looks like someone beat us to the regrettable tattoo part of Vegas." I murmured as Balz and Chris looked at Ange's freshly inked leg.

"He lost a bet." TJ laughed and then stopped as his face paled and he hurried to the bathroom.

"Oh come on." Chris grimaced as we heard him retching.

"Where's Ryan?" Balz asked and Angelo jerked up from the couch, a look of pure horror on his face.

"Oh fuck."

"What did you idiots do.." my phone rang and I walked out as Chris quizzed Ange on where our lead guitarist was.

It was Mena. We'd exchanged numbers over twitter and she'd agreed to go check on Via before reporting back to me.

I answered, heart in my throat.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ricky. Um, okay so I went to Via's and used the spare key and all but I don't think she's been there in a while. The cats were hungry and I don't know. I feel like something happened..."

"Was her car there?"

"No. I didn't see it anywhere."

"Are the cats okay?"

"Yeah, I fed them."

"Was there anything that looked like forced entry?" My mind was going a mile a minute.

"No. Why?"

"I don't know... Someone tried to get in the house a few weeks ago. That's all."

The line went silent and then she said "Do you have any idea of where she'd be?"

"...She told me she was going out. That's all..," my head was hurting, ".. I don't know.."

Another silence.

"I think I'm going to call the police."

"I think that's a good idea."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." the line went dead and I heard the door to the tour bus open and peered out to see Ryan stumbling in drunk as Chris patted him on the back.

I felt sick. Sick with worry and myself for not trusting my gut that something was wrong. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Keep calm. The worst thing you can do in a fucked up situation like this is panic.

That is the worst, right?