Through The Eyes Of

No Time for Taking Bets

Duff's POV

Izzy had never come off as jealous before, but he sure seems to be at the fucking moment. He looks like he's fucking ready to punch out a chick, or at least choke her till she taps out. Nikki tries to break the tension by throwing his arm around Izzy's shoulder and joking, "Damn Stradlin, what is it with you and fucking red heads?" But Nikki's plan doesn't work. I watch Izzy's dilated eyes go completely black. I watch sheer madness forming in all that darkness. Izzy's face is actually showing something besides indifference. His arms thrust out and he shoves the girl back into Axl. She has a perplexed look on her face as Axl catches her. He balances her on her feet and steps around her. In that moment a fucking fire ignites in Axl. He lunges toward Izzy. Out of reflex I grab Axl around the waist to stop him.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Nikki yells as he steps in between Axl and Izzy. "You can't start fighting and shit," he looks back and forth between them, "We haven't had the time to place any fucking bets."

Izzy just smirks and glares at Axl. That peculiar look in his eyes said to me that Izzy wanted to go medieval on Axl. Yeah, he was ready to throw down with Axl, stark fucking naked too. I could see that he simply didn't give a fucking shit. In fact, I think it's safe to say that he ran straight through left field and fucking jumped the fence. Who knows, he might actually win. He's certainly fucked up enough to not feel any pain, and coked out enough to take a gunshot wound and still keep coming.

Tommy smacks Izzy on the back with a smile and a dangling cigarette, "I've got a hundred bucks on Izzy!" He shouts.

An evil 'try me' smirk crosses Izzy's lips. He looks so diabolical. Axl's face softeners a bit. Maybe he sees that crazy look in Izzy's eyes too. Maybe he knows he's also out numbered since Nikki and Tommy seemed to be team Izzy and shit. Axl just stands there speechless with a look of disgust as he lightly shakes his head at Izzy.
"What the fuck are you thinking about Izzy?" He asks him.

"Why I gotta be thinking at all?" Izzy asks. "I'm just a fucking piece of shit junkie, remember? This is what they do, right?"

"Izzy..."

"No," Izzy cuts him off, "what I do isn't your concern anymore, remember? You can't be bothered by me, right?"

Axl just sighs.

"Yeah," Izzy smirks, "so why don't you and your bimbo go back to the fucking party."

Erin starts for Izzy turning red, "I'm not a bimbo!"

"Just forget him " Axl says to her as he stops her.

"Yeah, just fucking forget me, just walk away, it's easier, right Axe,?" Izzy nods looking at Axl with a look I couldn't describe if I fucking wanted to. At the core of it all I can see Izzy's pain. He's hurting so bad and that shit scares me. We all know what Izzy does when he hurts. Fuck, were we going to get him out of here alive? Or was he going to drown next,or overdose?

Axl looks at Izzy in silence for a long moment. Then he just takes Erin's hand and walks off quietly as people start to snicker. Izzy's eyes drop to the ground for a moment while people cheer for Axl's departure. In that moment I really don't know which of them I feel worse for. I just wish they were back together. Yeah they had one twisted relationship, but somehow it fucking worked. Them being apart was going to destroy this band before it ever began. And what the five of us have is truly fucking magic. We have what it takes to actually make it in this business. I don't want it ruined. A chance like this may never come again. I've been in dozens of bands, none of them have the chemistry we have. This is a once in a lifetime band.

I'm distracted as Slash shrugs at me and lights a cigarette. He's so cute when he's fucked up. "So," he began as he exhaled, " you three going to stand around naked all night or what?"

I'm wondering that too. I know Izzy isn't shy, but I had no idea he could behave like this. Guess drinking really did turn him into someone else. Normally he wouldn't strut around completely fucking naked. Apparently Tommy and Nikki shared his lack of inhibitions. Then again they were all twisted nine ways to Sunday.

Nikki rolls his eyes at Slash with a sideways smirk, "Like you don't enjoy the fucking view." He motions to their cocks, "Look at all this fucking variety you're getting, small, medium, and large."

Fuck even I have to look at this point. Everyone starts to laugh. They're laughing because it's true. I'm not saying Nikki has a little dick, because it's just fine, but it was smaller than Tommy's and Izzy's. Fuck, I'm staring. I can see Slash point his finger at me, totally busting me. I pull him to me and give him a quick kiss to let him know that while my eyes may be traitorous cheaters, the rest of me never will be.

"I need a drink!" Nikki announces.

Fuck this guy is hardcore. I heard he overdosed then came back to life just to shoot up even more! "Man, You just drowned," I feel the need to remind him since he is pretty fucking fucked up.

He gives me a confused shrug, "I'm alive...and the water sobered me up, so...LET'S FUCKING PARTY!"

Shouts and cheers come from every angle. Nikki pulls the nearest chick to him for a kiss.

Slash leans into me and whispers softly, "You think he's ok?"

I can only shrug. I mean fuck, I had heard he was nuts, so I guess this shit is normal.