The Rock Show
A Body Full of Memories and Battle Scars
Chapter inspiration: Memories and Battle Scars ― New Found Glory
It was in the last remaining hours at the Camden, New Jersey Warped venue that the rain started to pour. Victoria had noticed the sky getting dark an hour before, and asked Vinny if it was predicted to downpour today. He said no, even though she didn’t believe him. They had made a small bet just for shits and giggles, and this was the reason for Victoria shoving the new crisp ten dollar bill in her pocket as she struggled to unhitch the band’s tent. Of course, the “best day ever” had to be ruined by the weather. It almost made Victoria’s heart sink to see the sad faces of the kids who didn’t get to see the last sets of their favorite bands.
“I can’t believe the venue is actually getting rained out.” Vinny scoffed as he helped Victoria pack away the leftover boxes of merch.
Victoria turned back to him to hand him a box. “Don’t worry, I’ll buy us both a value meal from McDonalds with my new ten bucks.” She smirked his way.
“Remind me to never make a bet with you again.”
“No promises,” she chuckled.
The buses had decided to stay in the venue’s lots until the night like usual, despite the flood warnings. Once Victoria and Vinny were sure they had packed everything back from the tent in the bus, they filed into the vehicle with the rest of the band.
Victoria had been thinking about the topic in her head all day. During these past few weeks at Warped, she saw all these girls with tattoos. Victoria had always loved tattoos and wanted some, but her fear of needles hadn’t subsided since high school, no matter how much she hoped it would. But today, she felt different. She wanted to rebel against her fears, so nothing could stop the words running out of her mouth―even though she regretted them as soon as they slipped.
“Guys,” she announced, standing in front of the band with her hands on her hips, “I want to get a tattoo.”
They all stared at her in shock before laughing hysterically. Rian even spit out some of his drink. She rolled her eyes in frustration as she asked, “What’s so funny?”
“Hammy, I know you’ve always liked tattoos,” Jack chuckled, “but what about the time I had to take you to a local hospital on tour to get a shot and you needed a fucking bag because you were hyperventilating.” He was a bit frightened at the glare she gave him, but it just reminded him how pretty she looked when she was angry. Alex was reminded the same way.
“That was different!” She pointed at the skunk-haired guitarist. “I can do it now.”
“Okay,” Alex grinned, standing up from his seat on the couch, “then let’s go.”
She was about to make another retort when he startled her with his statement. “Ex―Excuse me?” She stuttered while raising a brow.
“You’re so sure you can do it, so let’s go right now. I’ll take you.”
She began shaking with nerves. “Um, actually―but―”
“C’mon, I spotted a tattoo studio right up the street from the venue!” He beamed, pulling his pullover over his head and grabbing her hand to walk out of the bus.
She was being dragged out into the rain when she stopped their moving. “Alex, I didn’t mean―”
“C’mon, what are you? A pussy?” He grinned, knowing she’d take the bait.
She only glared at him, crossing his arms over her chest with a frown. “I’m not a pussy.”
“Then let’s get you a tattoo,” he egged on.
“Fine!” She groaned, marching in front of him to walk to the parlor.
---
It only took a few minutes to walk from the venue to the tattoo place Alex saw. Apparently, this was the place he had gotten his second tattoo while on the band’s first Warped, right after high school. The artist had―and quoted by him―“really captured his love of Halloween,” gesturing to his tattoo of a skeleton wearing a skeleton costume. But he said his favorite studio would always be the one where he got his first tattoo, the one for Victoria, making her feel a bit awkward.
The memories of high school and the way they left without a trace sent shivers down her spine, but those went away as soon as they stepped inside the parlor. They were greeted by a heavy-set tattooed man with gauges bigger than Victoria’s eye, and he welcomed them to look around for an idea of what she wanted, seeing as this was a spur of the moment and she had no idea what to get.
They walked around the studio, Victoria clutching Alex’s hand tightly as they looked for something she might like. “Is your hand sweaty?” He asked her with a smile.
She looked down. “Yeah, just a little.”
“Don’t be so nervous. I’ll be right there.” He tried to calm her and she nodded. “What about this one?” He suggested, pointing to one of the designs hanging on the wall.
She threw him an agitated look. “I am not getting tattoo that says, ‘The Devil’s Bitch.’”
“Why?! It’s pretty rad!”
“Shut up, Gaskarth. Try to pick something I might actually like.” She shoved his shoulder.
“Okay, fine.” He continued to look around before turning to her to mutter, “You should get a tramp stamp.”
“I will break you neck.”
He laughed. “Fine, how about―?”
And as soon as he spoke, the idea finally came to her. She could’ve sworn a light bulb went off at the top of her head. “I’ve got it!”
“You do?” He asked, but she was already sprinting away to the artist at the desk to tell him what she wanted.
The artist was already done sketching out the words when Alex walked over with a questionable smile. “You don’t get to see it now.” Victoria grinned mischievously.
“You’re the biggest tease ever.” He groaned.
“Don’t worry,” she said as she guided them the way the artist went to a seat in the back of the parlor, “you’ll catch on to it.”
The artist started cleaning the skin and making sure the design was what Victoria truly wanted before he started. She replied that she was sure and he finally began. The holding of Alex’s hand was loose at first, he noted, and it soon turned tight as the needle pierced her skin. It was almost as if she purposely wanted to cut off the circulation in his hand as the needle danced along her right inner forearm. But the needle didn’t exactly hurt as much as it burned, so Victoria wasn’t hyperventilating and embarrassing herself.
“Calm your shit, Hamilton. It’ll be okay.” He tried to soothe, bringing her free hand up to his lips and kissed it. The gesture made Victoria open her eyes from where they were tightly shut before, allowing Alex to look at her beautiful hazel orbs again.
He started to make out some of the words: “Leave You with” and that was it. He was still dumbfounded to what she was getting.
Victoria tried to concentrate on anything but the needle almost burning through her skin and looked away to Alex staring down at her fondly. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She questioned with a furrowed brow.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged and threw her a small smile.
Victoria took this time to look down a little, spotting something unfamiliar to her. It was a new tattoo on Alex’s arm. She had never seen it before, and he must have gotten it after he left for Cali again with Lisa two years ago because he didn’t have it before then. It was very simple like the tattoo she was getting now, just black lettering on his right arm that said, “The Voice Inside My Head – 8-22-2005.” Those were lyrics from one of their favorite songs, Blink 182’s “I Miss You,” and the date looked a little familiar too, but she couldn’t pinpoint it.
Finally, after what seemed like five hours, the artist was done and he wrapped her arm with the new design. She told Alex to close his eyes and wait until they got outside to see, leaving him to groan in defeat. The burning in her skin didn’t necessarily stop, but her arm felt better after it was wrapped. She left Alex to stand outside under the sign as she paid and complimented the artist.
She walked out moments later to find Alex standing and cupping his hands over his mouth to warm them from the sudden cold air―even though it was July. “Do you want to see it?” She grinned as she pulled up her hood.
“Of course I do, shit-bag!” He ran over as she held out her arm for him to see.
In only big black lettering, she had the lyrics, “Leave You with the Love We Made.” Alex looked up at her with the biggest grin plastered on his face. “Is that―?”
“Just so you know, I did love that song before I met you.” She stated, poking him in the chest as he recognized the lyrics from Jimmy Eat World’s “Night Drive.”
“Sure, sure.” He muttered, hooking his arm around her shoulders as they started to walk back to the tour bus.
They remained silent the whole way, until Victoria finally broke the silence. “Can I ask you a question?”
“No, I won’t have sex with you.”
“Dammit,” she joked and then hit his arm. “I mean, seriously.”
“Fine, shoot.”
She pointed to the new tattoo with the Blink lyrics. “That one right there looks kinda new. Why’d you get it? The date seems kind of familiar.”
They had finally arrived at the bus when he answered, “I’m saving that story for a rainy day.”
She leaned up against the bus with a smirk. “It is a rainy day.”
“You know what I mean.” He laughed softly, leaving them both silent for a moment. “So is this the moment where we kiss in the rain?”
She only let a side of her mouth tug into a smile as she took a step closer to him, leaning into his lips. And just as Alex waited for her mouth to touch his, he heard her breath again his lips: “You wish.”
He opened his eyes to see her already dashing inside the bus. “TEASE!”
It was in the last remaining hours at the Camden, New Jersey Warped venue that the rain started to pour. Victoria had noticed the sky getting dark an hour before, and asked Vinny if it was predicted to downpour today. He said no, even though she didn’t believe him. They had made a small bet just for shits and giggles, and this was the reason for Victoria shoving the new crisp ten dollar bill in her pocket as she struggled to unhitch the band’s tent. Of course, the “best day ever” had to be ruined by the weather. It almost made Victoria’s heart sink to see the sad faces of the kids who didn’t get to see the last sets of their favorite bands.
“I can’t believe the venue is actually getting rained out.” Vinny scoffed as he helped Victoria pack away the leftover boxes of merch.
Victoria turned back to him to hand him a box. “Don’t worry, I’ll buy us both a value meal from McDonalds with my new ten bucks.” She smirked his way.
“Remind me to never make a bet with you again.”
“No promises,” she chuckled.
The buses had decided to stay in the venue’s lots until the night like usual, despite the flood warnings. Once Victoria and Vinny were sure they had packed everything back from the tent in the bus, they filed into the vehicle with the rest of the band.
Victoria had been thinking about the topic in her head all day. During these past few weeks at Warped, she saw all these girls with tattoos. Victoria had always loved tattoos and wanted some, but her fear of needles hadn’t subsided since high school, no matter how much she hoped it would. But today, she felt different. She wanted to rebel against her fears, so nothing could stop the words running out of her mouth―even though she regretted them as soon as they slipped.
“Guys,” she announced, standing in front of the band with her hands on her hips, “I want to get a tattoo.”
They all stared at her in shock before laughing hysterically. Rian even spit out some of his drink. She rolled her eyes in frustration as she asked, “What’s so funny?”
“Hammy, I know you’ve always liked tattoos,” Jack chuckled, “but what about the time I had to take you to a local hospital on tour to get a shot and you needed a fucking bag because you were hyperventilating.” He was a bit frightened at the glare she gave him, but it just reminded him how pretty she looked when she was angry. Alex was reminded the same way.
“That was different!” She pointed at the skunk-haired guitarist. “I can do it now.”
“Okay,” Alex grinned, standing up from his seat on the couch, “then let’s go.”
She was about to make another retort when he startled her with his statement. “Ex―Excuse me?” She stuttered while raising a brow.
“You’re so sure you can do it, so let’s go right now. I’ll take you.”
She began shaking with nerves. “Um, actually―but―”
“C’mon, I spotted a tattoo studio right up the street from the venue!” He beamed, pulling his pullover over his head and grabbing her hand to walk out of the bus.
She was being dragged out into the rain when she stopped their moving. “Alex, I didn’t mean―”
“C’mon, what are you? A pussy?” He grinned, knowing she’d take the bait.
She only glared at him, crossing his arms over her chest with a frown. “I’m not a pussy.”
“Then let’s get you a tattoo,” he egged on.
“Fine!” She groaned, marching in front of him to walk to the parlor.
---
It only took a few minutes to walk from the venue to the tattoo place Alex saw. Apparently, this was the place he had gotten his second tattoo while on the band’s first Warped, right after high school. The artist had―and quoted by him―“really captured his love of Halloween,” gesturing to his tattoo of a skeleton wearing a skeleton costume. But he said his favorite studio would always be the one where he got his first tattoo, the one for Victoria, making her feel a bit awkward.
The memories of high school and the way they left without a trace sent shivers down her spine, but those went away as soon as they stepped inside the parlor. They were greeted by a heavy-set tattooed man with gauges bigger than Victoria’s eye, and he welcomed them to look around for an idea of what she wanted, seeing as this was a spur of the moment and she had no idea what to get.
They walked around the studio, Victoria clutching Alex’s hand tightly as they looked for something she might like. “Is your hand sweaty?” He asked her with a smile.
She looked down. “Yeah, just a little.”
“Don’t be so nervous. I’ll be right there.” He tried to calm her and she nodded. “What about this one?” He suggested, pointing to one of the designs hanging on the wall.
She threw him an agitated look. “I am not getting tattoo that says, ‘The Devil’s Bitch.’”
“Why?! It’s pretty rad!”
“Shut up, Gaskarth. Try to pick something I might actually like.” She shoved his shoulder.
“Okay, fine.” He continued to look around before turning to her to mutter, “You should get a tramp stamp.”
“I will break you neck.”
He laughed. “Fine, how about―?”
And as soon as he spoke, the idea finally came to her. She could’ve sworn a light bulb went off at the top of her head. “I’ve got it!”
“You do?” He asked, but she was already sprinting away to the artist at the desk to tell him what she wanted.
The artist was already done sketching out the words when Alex walked over with a questionable smile. “You don’t get to see it now.” Victoria grinned mischievously.
“You’re the biggest tease ever.” He groaned.
“Don’t worry,” she said as she guided them the way the artist went to a seat in the back of the parlor, “you’ll catch on to it.”
The artist started cleaning the skin and making sure the design was what Victoria truly wanted before he started. She replied that she was sure and he finally began. The holding of Alex’s hand was loose at first, he noted, and it soon turned tight as the needle pierced her skin. It was almost as if she purposely wanted to cut off the circulation in his hand as the needle danced along her right inner forearm. But the needle didn’t exactly hurt as much as it burned, so Victoria wasn’t hyperventilating and embarrassing herself.
“Calm your shit, Hamilton. It’ll be okay.” He tried to soothe, bringing her free hand up to his lips and kissed it. The gesture made Victoria open her eyes from where they were tightly shut before, allowing Alex to look at her beautiful hazel orbs again.
He started to make out some of the words: “Leave You with” and that was it. He was still dumbfounded to what she was getting.
Victoria tried to concentrate on anything but the needle almost burning through her skin and looked away to Alex staring down at her fondly. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She questioned with a furrowed brow.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged and threw her a small smile.
Victoria took this time to look down a little, spotting something unfamiliar to her. It was a new tattoo on Alex’s arm. She had never seen it before, and he must have gotten it after he left for Cali again with Lisa two years ago because he didn’t have it before then. It was very simple like the tattoo she was getting now, just black lettering on his right arm that said, “The Voice Inside My Head – 8-22-2005.” Those were lyrics from one of their favorite songs, Blink 182’s “I Miss You,” and the date looked a little familiar too, but she couldn’t pinpoint it.
Finally, after what seemed like five hours, the artist was done and he wrapped her arm with the new design. She told Alex to close his eyes and wait until they got outside to see, leaving him to groan in defeat. The burning in her skin didn’t necessarily stop, but her arm felt better after it was wrapped. She left Alex to stand outside under the sign as she paid and complimented the artist.
She walked out moments later to find Alex standing and cupping his hands over his mouth to warm them from the sudden cold air―even though it was July. “Do you want to see it?” She grinned as she pulled up her hood.
“Of course I do, shit-bag!” He ran over as she held out her arm for him to see.
In only big black lettering, she had the lyrics, “Leave You with the Love We Made.” Alex looked up at her with the biggest grin plastered on his face. “Is that―?”
“Just so you know, I did love that song before I met you.” She stated, poking him in the chest as he recognized the lyrics from Jimmy Eat World’s “Night Drive.”
“Sure, sure.” He muttered, hooking his arm around her shoulders as they started to walk back to the tour bus.
They remained silent the whole way, until Victoria finally broke the silence. “Can I ask you a question?”
“No, I won’t have sex with you.”
“Dammit,” she joked and then hit his arm. “I mean, seriously.”
“Fine, shoot.”
She pointed to the new tattoo with the Blink lyrics. “That one right there looks kinda new. Why’d you get it? The date seems kind of familiar.”
They had finally arrived at the bus when he answered, “I’m saving that story for a rainy day.”
She leaned up against the bus with a smirk. “It is a rainy day.”
“You know what I mean.” He laughed softly, leaving them both silent for a moment. “So is this the moment where we kiss in the rain?”
She only let a side of her mouth tug into a smile as she took a step closer to him, leaning into his lips. And just as Alex waited for her mouth to touch his, he heard her breath again his lips: “You wish.”
He opened his eyes to see her already dashing inside the bus. “TEASE!”
Notes
I don't know, I really liked writing this chapter ; u ;
By the way, have you guys seen the full "The Fault In Our Stars" trailer???? MY HEART IS BREAKING Dx
Love you guys<3
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Rock on \m/ :D
Everything that Victoria said at the bottom is true. But I am reposting the story. The reposting of it is here.
I am so sorry this happened guys :/
2/6/14