On With The Show

23

"You bought it on your own, didn't you?" John said in a stern voice, coming out of the bathroom. "Mick, what have I told you a hundred times? you drink as much booze and eat as many painkillers as you do, and you'll end up dead. Why can't you fucking listen to me? I told you I'd buy them for you at the end of the day."

Mick looked at his boyfriend uninterested. "Okay," He said, lying down on their couch. John was a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company - why he remained with Mick was a mystery to him. He looked over at his boyfriend, the evident exasperation on his face making him feel a twinge of guilt. He quickly brushed it off - John never understood. How could he? He didn't face what Mick did. He'd never feel the way he did. Mick inhaled deeply. "Man, Corabi, you've got to get off my back about this. You know how it feels, I've told you. Why do you insist on asking me to quit the painkillers every god damn time, hm?"

He didn't mean to snap. He never did - it was just something that happened. John put up with it - bless his soul - not a word of protest. It wasn't that Mick didn't try - of course he did. He just needed to be alone.

At least, that's what he told himself.

*

Nikki had his notebook clutched close to himself. Tommy knew not to disturb him - it looked like he was drawing, but the way Nikki held a pen... He could be drawing, or writing, or scratching ancient demon summoning runes onto the paper for all he could tell. He waited patiently, just clearing up the apartment.

"Tom?"

His head snapped up. That meant Nikki wasn't working! His face split into a grin. "Yeah?"

"We've got ten songs down, right?" He said, "Covers included. That makes it a set."

His heart fluttered. "What are you implying, man?"

A soft smirk appeared on Nikki's face as well. "You know those flyers you designed? I think we finally have a use for them."

It was as if the sun shone directly out of Tommy's eyes. His face lit up with a sort of glee that Nikki had only ever seen on him - pure, genuine, and honest. He wore his heart on his sleeve, to some that was a weakness. Tommy made it his strength.

Rehearsal after rehearsal followed, to Nikki, it seemed almost surreal. The band wasn't a collection of people anymore, when they played their hearts almost beat as one. He took in a deep breath, "Tomorrow. That's the day, the day the world meets Motley Crue."