'So Long And Goodnight', chapter 1
For Caz, thanks for the dream lol...
***
"Come on, we'll miss the start of the gig!" I shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Jools came running down the stairs in her knee length striped socks and converse.
We had been waiting for this concert for 5 weeks. Finally the day had come and we would see our friends for the first time in 7 months. We sure did miss them, they had been touring for the whole time so we never got to see them much. But, today we could [hopefully] talk to them again, even just for a little bit. Just to catch up on stuff. So, off we went, and drove into town to the Academy.
About 15 minutes later we were running down the cramped black corridors of the venue. The security guards took our tickets and we managed to get right to the front. We both looked up to the brightly lit stage and saw him. Our friend of 9 years. Frankie. He looked so much different with his new hair cut. The band started playing and Frankie flashed us both a quick smile.
'And if they get me and the sun, goes down into the ground and...'
The crowd sang along to Gerard's powerfull voice.
Time flies. The first set of songs was over and the band went backstage. All but one person.
"Hey, guys, I missed you so much," Frank said hugging us both. We climbed over the gates and ran backstage. Some teenie boppers giving us evil glances of jealousy on the way.
"So, how's life?" he said before sipping some water from a paper cup.
"Ok, Caz got into art school!" Jools said enthusiasticly.
"Oh wow, babe, that's awesome!" He replied hugging me close.
"And how's Screaming Valentines?" he asked, referring to our band.
"We're organising a tour for next year. Might be with Goo Goo Dolls!" I said.
"Awesome, hey, since we've not seen you guys in so long, we got you some presents," Frankie said leading us into a larger room where the others were hanging out. He went into a suitcase and brought out two guitar cases.
"Look inside!" he said smiling. He was one of those people that got a kick out of watching people open presents, y'know. We opened the black cases which revealed a brand new Les Paul Epiphone and a Fender Precision Bass.
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much" Jools said hugging Frankie. We chatted for a while and soon the band had to go back on stage. I went for a little girl to girl chat with Jools.
"Wow, this is so awesome. I want this day to never end!" I said pretending to cry.
"Yeah, it's brilliant," Jools replied smiling. Suddenly, her smile faded.
What the hell? Maybe, she's just a little overwhelmed. Yeah, that'll be it.' I reassured myself. I walked on but Jools stood there frozen. She was holding her neck. She was having an asthma attack.
'Shit!' I didn't remember her having her inhaler in her bag. This could turn nasty.
"Honey, I think you're having an asthma attack, don't worry, you'll be fine," I told her. I was lying to myself, lying to her. She was NOT going to be fine, her skin was going pale and her eyes were lingering towards the back of her eyelids.
I took off my hoodie and put it under her head for comfort and ran to find help. I was running down what semmed to be endless dark corridors and then I saw Gerard.
"Gee, you have to help me out. Jools is having an asthma attack."
"Ok, you go and make sure she doesn't pass out or anything. Just keep her talking. I'll go and get someone that can help her out."
He ran back to the room where the band were getting ready to go back on stage.
"Frank, I think you better go see Jools, she'd want you there."
"What is it? Fuck, what's wrong?!"
"She's had an asthma attack and I think she's in a pretty bad state"
Frank ran out of the room and searched the corridors for his friends.
"Jools?! Caz?! Caz, honey, where are you guys?!"
"Frank, thank god, come here!" I shouted from Jools's side. Frank ran up and kneeled down beside her frail and almost lifeless body.
"Oh my god," Frank whispered nearly crying, "babe, it's ok, you'll be ok." And at that moment her eyes drifted from the light and her eyelids slowly shut. She was gone.
"Fuck, this can't be happening, Caz, this isn't real, it can't be," Frank said gripping Jools' cold hand.
"Frank, she's gone," I said as a cold tear fell from my eye. Soon, Mikey, Gee, Bob and Ray were all standing behind me and Frankie. We were on the floor next to the corpse of our dearest friend. Hugging each other close.
Days passed, the guys canceled the next three shows, much to their fans rage.
We were standing at the cemetery gates. Frank and myself, walking over to the church, hand in hand. Jools lay in a black coffin. With black roses in her hand. We walked over to say our final goodbyes to the body of an angel, now in heaven.
Frank's hang drifted from mine and he leaned over to his lost friend's corpse.
"So long, and goodnight, darling Jools," he said and kissed her cheek. A tear dripped from his eye and onto the perfectly pruned roses.
She was gone.
***
"Come on, we'll miss the start of the gig!" I shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Jools came running down the stairs in her knee length striped socks and converse.
We had been waiting for this concert for 5 weeks. Finally the day had come and we would see our friends for the first time in 7 months. We sure did miss them, they had been touring for the whole time so we never got to see them much. But, today we could [hopefully] talk to them again, even just for a little bit. Just to catch up on stuff. So, off we went, and drove into town to the Academy.
About 15 minutes later we were running down the cramped black corridors of the venue. The security guards took our tickets and we managed to get right to the front. We both looked up to the brightly lit stage and saw him. Our friend of 9 years. Frankie. He looked so much different with his new hair cut. The band started playing and Frankie flashed us both a quick smile.
'And if they get me and the sun, goes down into the ground and...'
The crowd sang along to Gerard's powerfull voice.
Time flies. The first set of songs was over and the band went backstage. All but one person.
"Hey, guys, I missed you so much," Frank said hugging us both. We climbed over the gates and ran backstage. Some teenie boppers giving us evil glances of jealousy on the way.
"So, how's life?" he said before sipping some water from a paper cup.
"Ok, Caz got into art school!" Jools said enthusiasticly.
"Oh wow, babe, that's awesome!" He replied hugging me close.
"And how's Screaming Valentines?" he asked, referring to our band.
"We're organising a tour for next year. Might be with Goo Goo Dolls!" I said.
"Awesome, hey, since we've not seen you guys in so long, we got you some presents," Frankie said leading us into a larger room where the others were hanging out. He went into a suitcase and brought out two guitar cases.
"Look inside!" he said smiling. He was one of those people that got a kick out of watching people open presents, y'know. We opened the black cases which revealed a brand new Les Paul Epiphone and a Fender Precision Bass.
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much" Jools said hugging Frankie. We chatted for a while and soon the band had to go back on stage. I went for a little girl to girl chat with Jools.
"Wow, this is so awesome. I want this day to never end!" I said pretending to cry.
"Yeah, it's brilliant," Jools replied smiling. Suddenly, her smile faded.
What the hell? Maybe, she's just a little overwhelmed. Yeah, that'll be it.' I reassured myself. I walked on but Jools stood there frozen. She was holding her neck. She was having an asthma attack.
'Shit!' I didn't remember her having her inhaler in her bag. This could turn nasty.
"Honey, I think you're having an asthma attack, don't worry, you'll be fine," I told her. I was lying to myself, lying to her. She was NOT going to be fine, her skin was going pale and her eyes were lingering towards the back of her eyelids.
I took off my hoodie and put it under her head for comfort and ran to find help. I was running down what semmed to be endless dark corridors and then I saw Gerard.
"Gee, you have to help me out. Jools is having an asthma attack."
"Ok, you go and make sure she doesn't pass out or anything. Just keep her talking. I'll go and get someone that can help her out."
He ran back to the room where the band were getting ready to go back on stage.
"Frank, I think you better go see Jools, she'd want you there."
"What is it? Fuck, what's wrong?!"
"She's had an asthma attack and I think she's in a pretty bad state"
Frank ran out of the room and searched the corridors for his friends.
"Jools?! Caz?! Caz, honey, where are you guys?!"
"Frank, thank god, come here!" I shouted from Jools's side. Frank ran up and kneeled down beside her frail and almost lifeless body.
"Oh my god," Frank whispered nearly crying, "babe, it's ok, you'll be ok." And at that moment her eyes drifted from the light and her eyelids slowly shut. She was gone.
"Fuck, this can't be happening, Caz, this isn't real, it can't be," Frank said gripping Jools' cold hand.
"Frank, she's gone," I said as a cold tear fell from my eye. Soon, Mikey, Gee, Bob and Ray were all standing behind me and Frankie. We were on the floor next to the corpse of our dearest friend. Hugging each other close.
Days passed, the guys canceled the next three shows, much to their fans rage.
We were standing at the cemetery gates. Frank and myself, walking over to the church, hand in hand. Jools lay in a black coffin. With black roses in her hand. We walked over to say our final goodbyes to the body of an angel, now in heaven.
Frank's hang drifted from mine and he leaned over to his lost friend's corpse.
"So long, and goodnight, darling Jools," he said and kissed her cheek. A tear dripped from his eye and onto the perfectly pruned roses.
She was gone.
