𝚂𝚄𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚄𝙽𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚆𝙽 ✩ ɢʀᴜɴɢᴇ

𝚡𝚡𝚟𝚒𝚒𝚒. 𝚜𝚘𝚌𝚔-𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚎𝚜

"Where's Staley? Has anyone seen him?"

"Yo, where's Layne...?"

"Jerry! You seen Layne?"

"No!"

"If you see 'im, tell 'im Dave and the guys are lookin' for 'im!"

"Sure, man."

"Any luck--where is he?"

The show had just ended and Layne knew exactly why Dave and the guys were looking for him. They always got together after shows to drink and smoke and all that other stuff, but it was getting old. He didn't want to make an actual habit of it, especially as he knew how much it upset Charlie...

"Layne, there you are! Come on man, we've been looking for you!"

"Aw, sorry, I just...I gotta..."

"What's wrong? Hurry up, before Dave finishes all the stuff off by himself."

"I--alright, let's go."

He let himself be led up and down several backstage corridors, feeling like his boots were filled with concrete. His heart seemed to speed up with every step and his palms felt clammy. He really didn't fucking feel like doing this anymore.

"Took you long enough to get here," Dave greeted him. "Come on, there's plenty left."

Layne shrugged and was starting to walk toward them when suddenly Charlie's eyes appeared before his, red and full of tears. He hesitated. "You know, I don't think I should..."

One of the roadies the bands were especially chummy with lifted his head after snorting a line and wiped his nose. "Don't be a pussy, man. Here. Have some."

"Thanks and everything, but I don't really feel like it. My girlfriend--"

"She's not your wife though, is she? And even if she was, would you let her tell you what to do?"

"Hey, don't be a dick," Dave interjected. "Let him go."

The guy shrugged and went back to his coke.

"See ya, Layne. Tell the missus I said hi."

Layne nodded and gave a single wave to everyone in the room before turning on his heel and walking away, his feet feeling lighter with every step he took in the opposite direction.

✩✩✩

"California Girls or Back In The U.S.S.R.?"

"Why would you even ask that? You know she's gonna say Back In The U.S.S.R."

"How do you know? I might surprise you."

"Oh, really? Which one, then?"

"Uh...Back In The U.S.S.R. But shut up. Would you choose California Girls?"

"I--this discussion is over."

Alex and Stone rarely played the this-or-that game with music as the subject because they always ended up arguing. On this particular mid-July Monday, she was playing that game with Eddie, but Stone's (unwelcome) commentary turned it into but another argument. Something none of them had the energy to entertain, because they were on their way to the airport and an Alex-Stone argument could last the entire trip if it wasn't killed in its early stages.