What A Catch.

Chapter 80

Pov Beth

The bus filled with two bands and their crew, trundles through the land between each Australian city. Dust scatters as the bus spins around the corners, slowly approaching a car park, by a village. The bus stops, comes to a halt.

"Hey Beth, sun is setting and its getting cooler, want to sit on the roof?" Pete asks me.

"Sure!" I reply.

I sit next to him on the warm roof looking over the dusty valley. The sun is setting over a muddy hill and some animals are eating from a grassy patch.

"What happens in your head Pete? How do you see this view?" I ask.

"Ill make you a poetic description, shall I?" He laughs

"Thanks."

He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes before surveying the land.

I bite my lip excitedly, watching the magical process happen.

(A/n this isnt written by Pete in real life, I wrote it so sorry. Also, Im kind of taking the piss.)

"The lonely kangaroo,

following along the crusty cracks of the dusty floor.

Residue clouding his vision,

like a vision of the future.

Uncertain wonderers.

Cracks in the perfection that holds us up,

desperate for water,

desperate for nutrition.

A patch of grass,

savior of the hungry,

leans towards the harsh rays.

If not eaten,

this little sprout,

will shrivel,

unwanted, dull, lonely.

Lonely like the vagabond,

under the vitriolic sun,

now supercilious,

as it devours,

the young sprout.

Bitter sweet saviour."

I turn to him and he watches the kangraroo hop over to a new patch of grass.

"You like? I made it up on the spot." He says.

"You must be joking. You made THAT up on the spot?" I reply, dumstruck.

"I could have done better. Im a procrastinating underachiever at heart." He laughs.

"Come on losers, we are moving on!" Gerard shouts from the ground.

I smile at Pete before we climb down and go back inside.

Pov Casey

"A poem? Thats so sweet." I whisper to Beth as we sit on the beanbags upstairs.

"I know, so cute." She replies, grinning.

She leans back in the beanbag, crossing her legs. Patrick, Andy and Gerard come up the stairs and join us on the beanbags.

"Hows it going?" Beth asks.

"Sweet. The rest of them are sleeping though." Andy says.

"How are you guys?" Patrick asks.

"Fab." I say.

"Excited." Beth says.

"Over a hundred concerts together. Get ready for the ride of your fucking life girls." Gerard says whimsically.

I take a stand of hair and twist it between my fingers. Light shines off my white blonde hair, now more tatty and rough than the original sleekness.

"Australia tomorrow and the day after. Then we leave. Quick." Andy says.

"You betcha." Beth says, "or... You BETHcha!"

She earns a groan from Gerard and a chuckle from Mikey.

"How was the concert?" I ask.

"Bad ass," Patrick replies, making quick, electric, eye contact "Gerard almost set the stage on fire."

"How did you do that?" Andy asks.

Gerard taps his nose and winks.

"Right..."

"We are going to be on the road for a while." Beth realises.

"Yeah, a few months. Get ready for sweaty, unwashed, band members." Gerard laughs.

Beth swears under her breath.

-------------------------

Pov Beth

I wait backstage. Its the last concert in Australia, we leave in a few hours. I watch from the side of the stage, watching in awe as Joe slides across the stage with his guitar. I jump when someone wraps their arms around my waist.

"Hello." They whisper, pulling me into a hug.

I try to turn around but I already know, its Gerard.

"Gerard." I say, "I know its you."

He shushes me, forcing me to walk to the changing room.

"Gerard, are you sweaty?" I ask, "Ew, gross!"

He laughs, letting me go. I sit down on the sofa, waiting for him to say something.

"So? Hows it going?" He asks.

"Good? I dunno? How was your concert?" I reply.

"Fabuloso. Frank stole Rays drink, said that Beyoncé was in the audience." He laughs, taking a swig from his water bottle.

"Thats fun."

"Yeah. I havent seen you in a while, thought we could chat, you know? Mcr have half an hour until we need to go on again anyway."

"I guess. How you feeling about touring?"

"I tour often so I dont really care. Its fun I guess. How about you? This is new right?"

"Yeah, first time travelling."

"Good way to start!"

"Its crazy."

"Youre telling me."

Frank, Ray and Mikey stumble in, sitting down around Gerard and I.

"What you doing?" Ray says, wiggling his eyebrows.

"We havent talked for a while so... Just talking!" I testify.

Frank gives me a look before chugging a whole bottle of water, keeping eye contact.

"Frank youre mad." I say.

"Mad is fun." Frank shrugs.

"So is sanity!" Mikey laughs.

Frank shrugs.

Gerard is looking in the mirror, adjusting his eyeliner carefully. Frank adjusts his crosses. Mikey re slicks his hair down and Ray tries to remove his hand from a knot in his hair.

"You guys are like girls," I laugh, "all hair and makeup!"

Gerard gives me a mock offended look and I stick my tongue out at him.

"Beth, youre like a girl too!" Ray says.

"Thank goodness I am actually a girl then!" I reply.