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Description
"Everything's going to be okay" I try to reassure myself backstage, pacing around the room, the light reflecting off my silver bass and on to the walls.

My heart is running a hundred miles an hour and I can barely breathe.

What if I mess up? What if I-I play the w-wrong riff? What if I fall over?
W-what if I mess up, play the wrong riff AND fall over in front of 20,000 people?!

My stomach continues to churn at the thought.

I can't do this. I can't do this...
"Gee, I can't do this..." I mutter, lifting the bass over my head and placing it carefully on the table, my hands shaking.
"Oh Mikes," Gerard breathes, taking my hand and walking me over to the stage door.
"I know it's scary... It's scary every time. I'm scared too Mikes, we all are. The thing is, on stage, it's different. You're different on stage. It'll pass, like it always does, and you-" He smiled, "-You, Mikey, will be utterly brilliant."

He turned to open the door, and screams burst into the room.
"Mikes, these people, all these people are here...for you." He grinned, pushing my dyed-blonde hair behind my ears. "Believe me, Mikey, you'll go out there, and given, it's pretty damn terrifying, but as soon as you start playing, you'll feel alive; you'll be on top of the world, Mikey, and you'll fuckin' love it." He said, guiding me back to the others.

How could he stay so calm about this? I appreciate what he said, believe me, but it didn't get rid of the nausea in my gut.
I pulled Gerard away from Frank, turning him around to face me.

"G-Gee, how could you be so s-sure?" I asked, knees shaking, the fear almost paralysing my speech.
"Well, Mikey-" He started,
"-Everybody get ready, we're going on now!" The stage manager shouted from the hallway behind us, interjecting Gerard.
Gerard turned to me and sighed with a smile. "We're about to find out," He said, kissing my forehead as everyone stood up with their guitars. I picked up my glittery bass and made my way over to the door, heart pounding loudly in my ears with every step I take.

The door swings open and a wave of screams filled our senses.

I take a deep breath and walk out behind Gerard, who is holding my hand the whole time, as we walked onto the stage.

He releases my hand as he sees the microphone and walks over, the coloured spotlights shining brightly over us all in the humid arena.

I plugged in my bass and gulped, glancing over the screaming crowd, spotting numerous signs sporadically placed in the darkness.

My heart raced at a sign in the crowd saying, "MIKEY FUCKIN' WAY, FOR THE FUCKIN' WIN!"

Someone likes me... somebody out there actually likes me!
Even if that person was the only one, i'd give my everything tonight to show them that they made the right decision.

I couldn't help but grin widely before continuing to look over at our audience, and I noticed hundreds of people wearing my shirt.

My 'Mikey Fuckin' Way' shirt!

I laughed at how nervous I was earlier, as my brother began to talk in the microphone, the crowd growing silent to listen.
"Hello!" He shouted, walking up and down the stage, waving to the crowd, making everyone go wild.
"Thank you guys, so much! You don't know how much we love you all!" He continued.

"I heard, that you guys sold us out tonight!" He screamed, grinning, "SOLD-FUCKING-OUT?! You all are truly amazing! Thank you all so, so much for this!"

Gerard walked back towards me, mouthing 'Are you okay?', and I nodded in response. He smiled gratefully.

"You ready for this, motherfuckers?!" He grinned at the crowd.
I was shaking, but this time with excitement.

"We're gonna kick off tonight with my hero, my rock. The guy that has been with me through EVERYTHING, and pretty much made all of this happen!"

I stood, waiting to see who Gerard was talking about. I was kinda curious actually.

"He's a little nervous tonight, but guys? I wan't you all to give it up, to my little brother. Mikey Fuckin' Way!"

What?
I stood there, dumbstruck. I mean that much to Gerard?
The crowd suddenly roared, louder than ever... for me?

As if to answer my thoughts, Gerard said into the mic, "This is for you, Mikey," He gestured to the crowd and the band, who nodded and smiled in agreement.
"You're loved more than you'll ever know!"

"Now...for the first song of the night? Well, it's time to Give Em Hell, Kid!" He smirked at me. Haha, I see what he did. Very clever.

I smiled and my heart pumped fast, a wave of excitement rushing through my body.

I plucked at the bass strings, and closed my eyes at the sound, grinning widely at the screaming crowd who sounded like they were, quite frankly, loving it.

I had the world at my feet, I felt like we had everyone under our hold.
They were here for us!
They were all screaming... for me!

Ray came in next, Michael and Frank followed shortly after at the same time, playing effortlessly alongside me. 1. 2. 3-

"Oh baby, here comes the sound!"

I continue to play the same riff, heart still racing and legs still shaky.
But it's not because i'm scared, frightened, or nervous anymore.

Gerard was right.

And I feel fuckin' alive.

Description
"Everything's going to be okay" I try to reassure myself backstage, pacing around the room, the light reflecting off my silver bass and on to the walls.

My heart is running a hundred miles an hour and I can barely breathe.

What if I mess up? What if I-I play the w-wrong riff? What if I fall over?
W-what if I mess up, play the wrong riff AND fall over in front of 20,000 people?!

My stomach continues to churn at the thought.

I can't do this. I can't do this...
"Gee, I can't do this..." I mutter, lifting the bass over my head and placing it carefully on the table, my hands shaking.
"Oh Mikes," Gerard breathes, taking my hand and walking me over to the stage door.
"I know it's scary... It's scary every time. I'm scared too Mikes, we all are. The thing is, on stage, it's different. You're different on stage. It'll pass, like it always does, and you-" He smiled, "-You, Mikey, will be utterly brilliant."

He turned to open the door, and screams burst into the room.
"Mikes, these people, all these people are here...for you." He grinned, pushing my dyed-blonde hair behind my ears. "Believe me, Mikey, you'll go out there, and given, it's pretty damn terrifying, but as soon as you start playing, you'll feel alive; you'll be on top of the world, Mikey, and you'll fuckin' love it." He said, guiding me back to the others.

How could he stay so calm about this? I appreciate what he said, believe me, but it didn't get rid of the nausea in my gut.
I pulled Gerard away from Frank, turning him around to face me.

"G-Gee, how could you be so s-sure?" I asked, knees shaking, the fear almost paralysing my speech.
"Well, Mikey-" He started,
"-Everybody get ready, we're going on now!" The stage manager shouted from the hallway behind us, interjecting Gerard.
Gerard turned to me and sighed with a smile. "We're about to find out," He said, kissing my forehead as everyone stood up with their guitars. I picked up my glittery bass and made my way over to the door, heart pounding loudly in my ears with every step I take.

The door swings open and a wave of screams filled our senses.

I take a deep breath and walk out behind Gerard, who is holding my hand the whole time, as we walked onto the stage.

He releases my hand as he sees the microphone and walks over, the coloured spotlights shining brightly over us all in the humid arena.

I plugged in my bass and gulped, glancing over the screaming crowd, spotting numerous signs sporadically placed in the darkness.

My heart raced at a sign in the crowd saying, "MIKEY FUCKIN' WAY, FOR THE FUCKIN' WIN!"

Someone likes me... somebody out there actually likes me!
Even if that person was the only one, i'd give my everything tonight to show them that they made the right decision.

I couldn't help but grin widely before continuing to look over at our audience, and I noticed hundreds of people wearing my shirt.

My 'Mikey Fuckin' Way' shirt!

I laughed at how nervous I was earlier, as my brother began to talk in the microphone, the crowd growing silent to listen.
"Hello!" He shouted, walking up and down the stage, waving to the crowd, making everyone go wild.
"Thank you guys, so much! You don't know how much we love you all!" He continued.

"I heard, that you guys sold us out tonight!" He screamed, grinning, "SOLD-FUCKING-OUT?! You all are truly amazing! Thank you all so, so much for this!"

Gerard walked back towards me, mouthing 'Are you okay?', and I nodded in response. He smiled gratefully.

"You ready for this, motherfuckers?!" He grinned at the crowd.
I was shaking, but this time with excitement.

"We're gonna kick off tonight with my hero, my rock. The guy that has been with me through EVERYTHING, and pretty much made all of this happen!"

I stood, waiting to see who Gerard was talking about. I was kinda curious actually.

"He's a little nervous tonight, but guys? I wan't you all to give it up, to my little brother. Mikey Fuckin' Way!"

What?
I stood there, dumbstruck. I mean that much to Gerard?
The crowd suddenly roared, louder than ever... for me?

As if to answer my thoughts, Gerard said into the mic, "This is for you, Mikey," He gestured to the crowd and the band, who nodded and smiled in agreement.
"You're loved more than you'll ever know!"

"Now...for the first song of the night? Well, it's time to Give Em Hell, Kid!" He smirked at me. Haha, I see what he did. Very clever.

I smiled and my heart pumped fast, a wave of excitement rushing through my body.

I plucked at the bass strings, and closed my eyes at the sound, grinning widely at the screaming crowd who sounded like they were, quite frankly, loving it.

I had the world at my feet, I felt like we had everyone under our hold.
They were here for us!
They were all screaming... for me!

Ray came in next, Michael and Frank followed shortly after at the same time, playing effortlessly alongside me. 1. 2. 3-

"Oh baby, here comes the sound!"

I continue to play the same riff, heart still racing and legs still shaky.
But it's not because i'm scared, frightened, or nervous anymore.

Gerard was right.

And I feel fuckin' alive.