My Rocket Ship: Nikki Sixx

Chapter 2: The Magic Touch

The band was done with their sound check at around 5 when they came backstage and started getting ready for the show.

The opening acts had their sound-checks earlier in the day, so they were able to take a break before they had to comeback to the venue.

The show was starting at 7, so the craziness that was going on when I got here got even worse as the show approached.

Everyone was talking a mile a minute and pacing around. I have no idea if its nerves or what.

"Are you crazy?" My dad asks coming up to me.

I was standing near the snack table talking to this guy named Dave who's backstage pass identified him as the "Lightening Operator."

Dude wasn't really a looker, but he was funny as hell. He was talking to me about the time worked with Nirvana before my dad interrupted us.

"What's wrong?" I ask my dad caught off guard.

He groans "Kaia I need to talk to you."

"Fine." I roll my eyes before looking at Dave "you can finish your story later."

He nods "talk to you later Kaia, and always nice to see you Mr. Neil."

My dad ignores him and pulls me into a secluded corner in the room "what's wrong?" I ask him.

"That is what's wrong!" He says pointing to my chest "you can't wear a bra as a shirt."

"It's not a bra, it's a crop top. I covered my ass like you said." I remark.

"Yeah well this is a whole other problem, because now your top half isn't covered."

"Dad it's fashion, it's cute, and no one cares but you." I say.

"Oh yeah?" He asks "Tell that to the sound guy who can't stop looking at you." He gestures to the creepy bald dude in the corner staring at us and playing with some wires. He catches my dad glaring at him and looks away quickly.

I shrug "haven't noticed."

He rubs his face "for the love of god Kaia just stay away from them, and never wear this again."

"Okay no promises on the second part, and dad don't worry nobody here is my type anyway."

...

I had found myself talking to my favorite member of the band Mick Mars when the opening act was on.

Though he looked fragile, his personality was as boastful as ever.

"You used to call me Micky you know?" He says

"I did? God I don't remember that at all!" I say.

"It confused me because I look nothing like Mickey Mouse." He says.

I laugh "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Me neither." He laughs too.

"So how have you been doing? Are you still in a lot of pain on stage?" I ask.

"Some." He says like it's no big deal "but I've been doing better."

"What kinda of things have you been doing to improve it?" I ask.

"Well before all this." He starts "I was letting myself deteriorate, I wasn't going to the doctor, and even let myself get down to 96 pounds."

"Wow." I say in shock "were you alone?"

"Yeah." He says "butbit was my own fault. It took Nikki and Allen forcing themselves into my house, before I did anything about it."

I look over at Nikki who was across the room standing on his phone "he must have been determined."