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I had no idea what time it was when I woke up, but looking at the light that was coming into my room it must have been morning or the late afternoon,
"I fucking need to get a clock" I groaned sitting up from the bed.
Looking around it was too quiet 'I wonder if Dave's still sleepin too?' I thought before getting up from the bed.

Opening my door I looked out in the living room and saw no one just a bunch of empty beer cans and garbage everywhere, closing my door again I plopped back onto my bed rolling over so I was on my back staring at the ceiling.

'It's too fucking quiet...'

Feeling around in the blankets and sheets to hopefully find what I was looking for,

"where the fuck is it?!" partly sitting up looking under the pillows I found it.
My walkman that's been through hell and back all dinged up with scratches with the fast forward button broken off. I slipped on the headphones and pressed rewind till it stopped, I had no idea what was in there but I didn't care. Lying on my back again I pressed play and let the music take me away.

---------------

"Hey!...."

Somebody shook my shoulder of course my reflexive instincts took over which were curse at who ever was trying to wake me and scare them off.

"Fuck off!" I turned over so I was on my stomach,

"Come on Kurt, you've slept like a bear in hibernation all day you can get up for a minute."

I rolled over seeing Krist standing by the edge of the bed with a big smile plastered on his face,

"yeah?...what is it?" I sat up pulling away what ever was wrapped around my neck 'fuckin headphones', tossing the walkman at the end of the bed.

I noticed that Krist had his arms behind his back and was still grinning like crazy,

"what are you hidin?" I asked letting a smile spread across my face.

"Well I saw this and I thought you'd like it..."

before I knew it something was placed into my arms, half asleep still it took me a second to realize it was a guitar.

My eyes grew wide seeing it was a Mustang,

"I figured since you wrecked you're other one at our last gig you could use another one.." he said.

The colors were so vibrant on it sonic blue body, with a brownish red pickboard, it was exactly like my other one except this was a right handed guitar unlike my other one.

I got up from the bed holding the guitar by the neck and pulling Krist into a side ways hug,

"thanks man!" I couldn't help but smile sitting back down on the bed I was about loosen the strings to restring them for a lefty, but then noticed they were already done.
I looked over at krist who was grinning shrugged his shoulders,

"I just did it so then you could play it right away..." he scratched the back of his head looking away.

"well thanks again" I laughed, feeling around again through the covers finding a pick I began to start tuning it.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw krist move out of the room,

"Hey! Where you goin?" I asked and he automatically stopped.

"Oh I was just...umm"

"you can stay if you want" I went back to what I was doing, seeing him stand by the door for a moment probably thinking on what to do. Pretending to look like I was focusing on the guitar which was already in tune, I watched him outta the corner of my eye.

He moved away from the door seeing he finally made a decision, he sat beside me. I strummed mindlessly I didn't know what the fuck I was playing, I never know what I'm playing till someone says 'oh that's great! What is it?'.

"I like it" I heard him say then shifting the bed I looked over and he was lying on his back with his hands behind his head smiling.

"hmm..." I continued to play, playing out things that I came up with days ago but didn't have a guitar to use it on till now.

I stopped playing feeling around in my pockets I pulled out my pack a cigs lighting up, I took a drag before looking over at krist who was asleep.

'I wonder how long I've been playing' taking another drag,

looking at krist I started to feel tired again letting out a yawn.

I set aside the fender and layed on the other side of the bed.

-----------------

"Morning love birds!"

I let out a groan, 'why do people always fuckin bother me when I'm sleepin?!'

looking by the door dave was standing there grinning ear to ear, with his bonham hat on.

I sat up looking to see I must have moved around in my sleep, I was pretty close to krist.

"I was cold" I said

Dave laughed

all the commotion seemed to stir the giant,

"Hmmm...shelli give me five more minutes..." krist turning on his side facing away from them.

I looked at Dave who was trying to hold back his laughter, I sat up completely sitting on my knees I hovered over krist trying my best not to laugh.

I cleared my throat as quietly as I could

"Oh krist you need to get up what will I do without you?" I talked in a high pitched voice knudging krist on the shoulder.

I could hear dave practically losing it behind me,

"you'll move on and find somebody else" krist mumbled though being half asleep could tell what was up now.

"No! I can't Krist I can't think of the children!" I piped up shaking Krist shoulder frantically, the bed bounced a bit looking over I seen Dave on the other side of the bed near krist's head.

"Daddy you can't leave! Who's gonna teach me to play catch and give me allowance?!" Dave said also talking in a high pitched voice.

Both of us let out a small laugh,

"you're new daddy will and he'll take you to carnival's and to Cedar Point and go to PTA meeting's" krist answered with his eyes closed.

"But dad!" Dave pretended to have a temper tantrem bouncing on the bed that moved all of us around.

I couldn't help but laugh now, Krist finally sat up looking at both of us

"you guy's seriously need to chill out" rubbing at his eyes.

"But we are chill aren't we Dave?" I said looking over at him, he grinned

"I think this is the chillest we've ever been"

Krist just rolled his eyes.



I was having such a nice dream till a loud ringing filled my ears and I jerked awake
"Why the fuck does the phone have to be next to the fucking couch?!" I yelled.

Sitting up I grabbed the phone wanting to rip it right from the socket so we wouldn't ever get any calls again, instead I picked up the receiver and yelled into the phone and hanged up.

"That'll teach you fucks not to call again" putting the phone back on the nightstand, lying back on the couch till I was comfortable again. Then as I was about to doze off again the phone rang,
"THAT'S IT!" I grabbed the phone again,

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?! IF YOU'RE A TELEMARKETER I'M GONNA TRACK YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU."

there was a silence then finally the person on the other end spoke up

'hey dave you should really not yell into the phone man I'm probably half deaf now'

I recognized the voice

"oh...sorry" I never felt more stupid only in the band for a few months and I already threatened to kill Krist smooth Dave real smooth.

'It's alright' he laughed

"so...hi..?" I wasn't sure how to ask 'what do you want?' after yelling at him but thankfully he answered.

'Is Kurt still sleepin?' he asked,

Thank god the apartment wasn't that big I could easily go over to kurt's room while still holding the phone the cord was actually pretty long too the coils all streched out.

I carefully opened the door incase he was still sleeping, by the looks of it he still was.

The blankets wrapped around him like cacoon with his head peeking out, closing the door I moved away from the room.

"Yeah still out man" I laughed,

'well in that case would you like to hang out?'

It kinda felt a little unnerving when he asked that since kurt was sleeping was I just a replacement when he wasn't available?

"Yeah sure"

'well I'll stop by in a few then bye'

"bye"

I hanged up the phone

'Nah he's too nice to be like that...' I thought.

I looked down at my clothes and sniffed my shirt

"whoa...I reek.."

lifting up some of the trash that was on the floor looking for some type clean shirt.

I found one it looked mostly clean and smelled like beer,

"it'll have to do" I took off the shirt and put on the sort of clean one, I felt a little bit better.

I picked up a cd that was on the floor using the backside as a mirror, my hair was fucking greasy as hell.

"hmmm...." looking around on the floor I itched the back of my head hopefully to find what I was looking for.

"Ah ha!" finding my bonzo hat I put it on, it covering most of my nasty hair.

A knock came from the door, I almost tripped on some clothes before answering

"shit..."

kicking off the shirt that was clinging to my foot I opened the door.

"Hey!" I said, with krist answering the same.

He was about to step in but I stopped him,

"let's go outside man it's nice out" I said

"yeah that's cool it is really nice out" he smiled.

I'm glad he agreed on that though this wasn't my apartment but kurt's I kinda felt a bit embarressed about the state it was in aka 'unclean', though he never cleans and neither do I it all just kinda builds up. I closed the door behind me.

Getting outside it was sunny as hell, I actually had to squint my eyes a bit even with my hat on.

Walking along with Krist I tried to stay a bit behind him when we walked having him be so tall he was conveinant shade from the sun.

"Any choice of direction?" Krist asked turning his head facing me,

"Oh man it really doesn't matter it would be cool to get out of this sun though". Trying to fix my hat a to block out more of the sun.

"hmmm...well..Oh! I know let's go to Happy's!" He said with excitement,

"maybe they got some new single's in I haven't been there in a few days" I said still following along with Krist to the shop.

-----------

Stepping inside the record store was all too relaxing it was still a bit warm just like outside but it wasn't so bad when you don't have the sun barring on you're back.

The musky smell of old vinyls automatically hit me, when you live close to record store you never want to leave you practically live there. Learning all the in's and out's, no matter if it's you're taste in music or not you know everything.

"Hey Bill!" I said, I seemed to catch the old man off guard almost dropping some of the singles he held in his arms.

"Hey yourself" he said back,

that's another thing that makes you never want to leave a place like this is the people sure you'll get the occasional douchebag, but just about everyone that's here comes for the same reason one thing we can all agree on is music.

I seen Krist scitter off to the other side of the shop where a lot of the new arrival's were at, I stayed close to up front.

With Bill being behind the counter writing things down on a pad for ordering more of singles I decided to bug him a bit.

"Get anything good?" I asked

"Well you could always look yah know" his eyes not leaving the note pad still writing things down.

He was such a cool guy middled aged looking like an old hippie he really brought the whole place together.

"I could but...I don't feel like it it's too hot" I groaned taking off my hat to use it as a fan.

"Well I'm sure Krist can find you something" he laughed looking up for a moment staring at Krist who stuck out like a sore thumb, I had to laugh too at this.

"Hey Krist find me something good!" I called out to him, he didn't even turn around though he held out his arm to know he got the message and continued to flip through the 45's.

"Well I've got new stuff though not really new persay but just what a buddy of mine couldn't sell" after finishing writing slipping the pencil behind his ear he ducked down behind the counter.

"I'm not really sure what's in here but appreantly it's all kids you're age" he still talked below the counter, I could hear the tear of the box cutter ripping apart the tape.

Seeing his face appear again he set the box on the counter,

"well go nuts" he laughed leaving the counter and putting away the 45's.

I pulled the box closer peering inside pulling out record one by one, I soon realized they were all different each by a different artist. Some I recognized and a few I didn't.

But one that really caught my attention was one I knew all too well, seeing a figure on the cover it reminded me alot of Franz but I couldn't tell really.

Scream was almost like a distant memory now of course I missed it playing with those guys, but when you're away from them for months each day that goes by it get's alittle bit easier to move on.

"Looks like you found somethin you like"

I flinched hearing the voice coming from behind me.

I looked up seeing Krist peering over my shoulder he almost gave me a fucking heart attack.

"Well no not really" I said setting the records back in the box, he just shrugged his shoulders.

That's something I really respected Krist for he would never pry and be nosey about any one's buisiness, though I could say the same thing about Kurt as well they were both the same really.

I think that's something that was really necessary about their band they've had so many drummers it was crazy, I was thier 5th god only knows how long I'd be around till I got kicked out or just wanted to leave.

"Well if you didn't find anything let's go" I said, Krist just shrugged his shoulders

"okay".



We walked down the side walk together side by side, it was a lot less sunny and bright out with the sun behind some clouds it was more comfortable to be walking around now.

Still going the opposite way we came, we just walked around it was really nice.

Krist started up the conversation when it was getting to quiet,

"so did you hear they raised taxes in Russia? That's not really a smart move to be doing there's gonna be some trouble on that"

"Oh...no I didn't hear about that.." I tried to sound as interested as I could, I was never one for politics and other things going on in the world.

With all the things that Krist knew it made me wonder why on earth he was in a band and not running for govenor or something, I laughed at the thought. When I did it automatically got his attention,

"What's so funny?" he asked laughing along.

"Oh it's nothing man" I assured him, though the thought of him being dressed in a suit addressing fellow citizens was too funny.

"Really man what's so funny?"

I told him my own thoughts, and he laughed right along with me.

"There's no way in hell I'll ever be that, I'm not crooked enough" he laughed,

"are you sure? You're spine looks pretty crooked to me!" I lifted up the back of his shirt still laughing.

"Hey! My back is straight like a pole and smooth like a babies butt!" he huffed pulling down his shirt.

"Oh yeah it's smooth alright" I teased,

Krist's face grew a little bit red he was embarressed I could tell so I knocked it off a bit.

Though his embarrassment didn't last long something else caught his attention and left my side,

"what is it?" I asked looking at him with his face pressed against the window pane.

"Look!" he said having his finger pressed against the glass pointing at a guitar,

"yeah?..." I wasn't really sure what point he was trying to get across with it but before I could ask he ran inside.

By the time I got in there he was already asking the clerk about the guitar,

"how much is that guitar?" he pointed towards the window.

"Oh that hmmm...$80" the clerk said,

"Whoa really?!" Krist sounded so excited like a kid on christmas.

"Don't get you're hopes up so high kid" the clerk went over to the window, and took down the guitar bringing it over.

"This is a knock off guitar if you thought it was a fender you're wrong son this is a jap made look a like" he said and continued on, "it doesn't have the fender logo on either the head or the plate" pointing out the two places.

"Then when I took a look at it some of the electronics were taken out this is a part's guitar pretty much now" he set the guitar on the counter.

After a moment Krist spoke up
"can I look at it?"

"sure"

Krist lifted it up in his arms holding it and slightly inspecting while doing so, then out of now where he swung it over his shoulder like he was about to smash it against the floor but he stopped before it even touched the ground.
"Hey!" the clerk yelled,

"I'll take it!" krist cheered handing me the guitar while he took out his wallet and handing the clerk the money.

I think both me and the clerk were a bit confused on what the hell was going on but he gladly took the money in making a sale.

The clerk handed back Krist his change,

"thanks!" he said before taking back the guitar from me.

We left the store and me looking at Krist he was all too excited,

"so what's up with you and that guitar man?" I asked him.

"Oh well don't you recognize it?" he then asked me, I shook my head I mean it did look a bit familiar but I had no idea.

"It's just like Kurt's Mustang he had before the thing got wrecked last weekend" he said,

"Oooh!" now I know where I seen it thinking back to last Sunday playing at the Magic Bag club, I briefly remember Kurt smashing a guitar to bits.

"Do you mind if we head back to my place?" He asked me,

"Yeah...sure"

"well I just want to see what the exact damage is on this baby" he said holding up the guitar and continued on "if it isn't too bad I can have this fixed up in no time" he cheered.

"okay"

----------------------------

It was wasn't long before we got to Krist's apartment with him fumbling around with the key's trying to unlock the door with one hand I laughed.

When he finally managed to get the door open he stepped aside

"after you" he said

"oh why thank you" I said coyly.

I've never actually been inside his apartment before I knew where it was but never actually being in there, after he closed the door he looked around a bit. It was a lot cleaner that Kurt's pretty much spotless, though if you live with a woman it's bound to stay clean.

"Oh thank god she didn't come home yet" he sighed with relief.

"Who Shelli?" I asked

"yeah if she knew I bought another guitar to fix she'll flip" he laughed.

"You do this a lot?" I was actually pretty curious on this now,

"well if I find a good cheap guitar for Kurt yeah he hasn't been wrecking them as much as he use to though when we had Chad for a drummer I think that's when it escalated"

Krist walking over to a room and opening the door to what looked like a walk in closet pulling out a tool box, and going over to the couch.

He set the guitar on the coffee table laying it on it's front, I kind of just stood there not really sure what to do. Seeing he was busy with the guitar I went over to the couch and sat next him though it seemed he didn't even notice my presence now.

I watched him on screw the back plate pulling out some of the wires while doing so,

"well shit.." he mumbled.

"Is it bad?" I asked

"No not at all really the part that was taken out I've got a spare peice for it" he said while pulling out a few other things from the tool box.

"Hey can you plug this in over there?" he asked me handing over the cord to a burning pen.

"Umm..where's the outlet?" I asked

"It's right beside you'" he said.

I looked over on my side the outlet was partly hidden behind the couch, I reached over and plugged it in.

I could see Krist rustling around in the tool box looking for something, after a minute he left my side going back over to the closet I could hear him move things around.

"Ah ha!" I heard him yell

'I guess he found it then' I thought.

He held a little chunk of metal in his hand I really had no idea what it was for I had pretty much zero knowledge of workings of a guitar though sure I could play but when in comes to inner workings I got nothing.

I think Krist could tell I was curious on the peice that he was replacing

"this is for the switch since who ever had this before decided to take it out I don't know why they would though" he mused.

He set the peice inside and took the burning pen smouldering wires together, I couldn't really see all to clearly what he was doing from the angle I was sitting. But I could tell he was fixing out the wires seeing little whisps of gray smoke in the air.

As interesting as it was to watch Krist fix a guitar this really getting boring real quick, a thought came to my head that I thought seemed like a bad idea but god know's how long he's gonna be working on the guitar for. All the arguing in my head I came up with the solution and spoke up,

"Hey man I think I'm gonna go I forgot I have to do something.." I said before getting up from the couch.

By the looks of it Krist seemed to be cool with it to my relief

"Yeah okay I'll see you later then or whenever" he said looking up from the guitar and waved to me as I made my way to the door.

When I finally got out of the apartment building I felt a little bit better streching a bit
"now what am I supposed to do" thinking out loud. I just wandered around town with no sense of direction.

--------------------------

It felt like I was walking around for hours I looked down at my watch and I was right, my legs started to ache a little bit.

"I should probably head home now" seeing it was starting to get dark out and the street lights were about to turn on any minute now.

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Getting home didn't take far to long when I messed around with my keys opening the door it was a little dim in the apartment and still quiet,

'is he still fuckin sleeping?!' I thought.

I went over to Kurt's to see if he was still here or if maybe he left while I was away or something, I opened again carefully as how I did earlier when checking on him.

I was surprised to see Krist lying there on his back on the bed with Kurt closely against his side, I felt my stomach go in knots a little bit. I just stood there taking it all in for a moment it's probably nothing I told myself there's probably a good explanation...or something hopefully.

I cleared my throat

"Good morning love birds".



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