montemoney Blog and Journals

Chasey's P.O.V

FLASHBACK

  When I woke up in Monte's spare room the morning after getting back to Vegas, I had one thing on my mind: that day, I was going shopping.

  It was only after I had showered and dressed (in, who else?, Monte's skinnies and Maiden hoody) that I remembered I had absolutely no money.  I didn't want to ask Monte for any - I already owed him for letting me practically live at his parents place - so I decided to call up someone and ask them for a favour, promising, of course, to pay them back as soon as I found myself a job and started working.

  Back in the bedroom, I took my newly acquired cell phone out of the drawer in the bedside table (in all the confusion monday night, it had been all too easy to slip it out of an unconscious Ronnie's pocket), sat down on the bed and wondered who to call.  It didn't take me long to decide the only one I was certain would be available - i.e. not busy spending his free time with a fiance/wife/girlfriend - was Ronnie...and I had the strangest feeling that he might not be too happy with me for stealing his phone anyway.  Fuck.  I turned the phone on, went to contacts, found Max (Maxyboy) and pressed call.  It rang about three times, then Max picked up.

 "Uhh...hey...who is this?"

 "Who d'you want it to be,"  I replied, trying to keep the smile out of my voice.

 "Chasey?...Wait...holy shit, you stole Ronnie's phone-"  there suddenly came a scuffling sound from the other end of the line, then another voice came on.

 "CHASEY YOU ARE SOOO DEAD!"  Ronnie yelled.  I couldn't hold it any longer; I burst into a fit of giggles.

 "And why's that, Mr Radke, hmm?  Actually, it was you I wanted to speak to anyway."

 "Alr-whoa, wait - me?"  Cue exasperated eye roll.

 "Yes Ronnie, you.  Can you take me shopping today?  And then I'd like to look around, see if I can find a job."

 "Um.  Yeah.  Chase...I'm a guy, remember?  How the fuck d'you expect me to take you shopping?  Can't you ask Max and Saskia or something?"

 "No,"  I said bluntly.  "It has to be you.  Can we meet at Starbucks in, say, twenty minutes time?"

 "Look, Chasey - I don't have any money, and my car is at my mate's place.  If you really want me to take you shopping I'll need to go back to my dad's place and get some money first, okay?  Make it about half an hour.  And I want my fucking cell phone back.  D'you know how to get to Starbucks?"

 "No-oo,"  I replied slyly,  "but Monte does, I hope he won't mind just walking me in."

 "Yeah, yeah, fine.  See ya then darling."  he hung up before I could even get the chance to berate him for using pet names.  But that was Ronnie: hardcore antagonist.

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  "So...let me get this straight.  You stole Ronnie's phone, then called Max, hoping that he would be hanging out with Ronnie, then arranged to meet Ronnie in town to go shopping?"  Monte repeated in disbelief.  (we were on our way to Starbucks by this time, and I'd just told Monte exactly why I'd needed someone to walk me into town).

 "Uh-huh,"  I mumbled into the hoody I was wearing.  "I was hoping he could give me some make up tips, y'know - which eyeliner is the best, etc."  Monte glanced over at me, then smiled.

 "I'm sure he'd love that Chasey - but to be perfectley honest with you, I don't think he pays much attention to shit like which eyeliner brand he picks up...maybe you should have chosen someone a little more femenistic.  Max for example."  I started giggling again.

 "Damn, I never thought of Max.  Actually, fuck that, I lied.  I did think of him, but I also kinda thought he might wanna spend his free time with Saskia or something.  That's why I picked Ronnie."  Monte nodded and changed the subject to music, and that was pretty much how we spent the walk.

  When we got to Starbucks I peered quickly through the glass, but couldn't see any sight of Ronnie, so, guessing he hadn't arrived yet, I decided to just wait outside.

 "Thanks a lot Monte,"  I smiled gratefully, then gave him a hug.  "I'll see if I can get Ronnie to walk me back later."

 "Okay, sure - see you then Chase,"  and with that, Monte turned and walked off leaving me alone.   I smiled slightly and glanced up and down the street, hoping I wouldn't have to wait for hours.

  As it was though, I was only stood outside Starbucks for about five minutes before Ronnie suddenly joined me.

 "RONNIEEE!!!"  I screeched, practically throwing myself at him the moment I saw him.

 "Whoaa, Chasey - calm down, we only said goodbye yesterday,"  he exclaimed as I pulled away and dragged him into the shop.  "Alright, so where d'you wanna go shopping?  I don't do girly shops so I hope you know what you want.  And I don't have much money either."

 "Sit,"  I told him, picking a table placed discreetly in the corner, by the window.  We were kind of sectioned off from the rest of the shop that way.  I sat down opposite Ronnie and picked up a drink menu.  "What d'you want?"

 "Just a coffee,"  he yawned.  "I need to stop fucking sleeping in my clothes, dude."

 "Are you stoned?"  I asked curiously.

 "Nope, just tired.  I'm gonna go get some weed later though."

 "Fair enough,"  I shrugged.  "Will you please go order the coffees already."  

 "Alright, alright, I'm on it!  Don't be such a bitch."  he got up and walked away towards the counter.  I stared after him in confusion.  Ronnie was possibly the weirdest, most tempremental person I'd ever met...one minute he'd been kinda cute and out of it, now I had the feeling I'd pissed him off somehow.  It was really confusing.  Wait, what the fuck?  NO WAY!!!  I did not just call Ronnie "cute".

 "Hello,"  I said when he came back with our coffees,  "sorry if I pissed you off just then."

 "You didn't,"  he replied, sitting down and staring questioningly at me.

 "Ohhh man, I wish you wouldn't be so goddamn confusing!"  I exclaimed.  "Okay, back to the shopping discussion.  First off, I hate wearing girly clothes.  I want lots of skinnies, band tees, converses and shit like that, what you guys wear.  I'd quite like to get a couple of piercings too.  And if you have enough money I want to get my hair streaked some other colour.  Black is so....plain and boring."

 "You'll be lucky to get half of that,"  he regarded me thoughtfully, over his coffee.  "I'm getting a new tattoo done, I was gonna see about getting another car, but I guess I'll have to say fuck that.  I need some new jeans and I want a lip piercing.  And, like I said, I need to get some weed off a mate as well."

 "Fine but my clothes are more important than your drugs,"  I shot back, squaring my shoulders, getting all set for another arguement.

 "Easy for you to say, at least you've got somewhere to live,"  he retorted.  "Although, maybe we don't have to.....You know what, Chasey?"

 "No but I'm sure your going to tell me,"  I replied sarcastically, drinking some off my coffee.

 "Desperate times call for desperate measures.  I changed my mind, I can get you pretty much everything you want."  I stared at him in mingled confusion and disbelief for a few moments, then slammed my now almost empty cup onto the table, and half-shouted:

 "Ronnie Radke, will you PLEASE explain what the hell you're talking about?"

 "Nuh-uh,"  he smirked.  "Don't yell at me please, I was drinking last night and I slept on the pavement outside walmart.  Ready to go?"  I blinked at the sudden change of subject, then nodded and got up, pushing my chair back.

 "Okay, where first?"  I asked as we walked out of Starbucks.

 "Hot topic I guess, thats where you can, like, get all the clothes you want.  I don't think they do piercings but I'll ask when we're there."

 "What tattoo are you gonna get?"  He bit his lip, thinking for a moment.

 "I'm gonna get, like, a bird on my neck...with a knife through it."

 "Awesome.  I want a tattoo,"  I exclaimed, adding quickly as Ronnie gave me a dirty look,  "but not today.  Does it have a story behind it then?  The tattoo idea, I mean."

 "Yeah but I'm not in the mood to tell you right now,"  he grinned.  "Can I have my phone back?  I need to call someone."  I rolled my eyes and handed it to him.

 "I only used it to call Max anyway."

 "Whatever,"  he replied, rolling his eyes.  "When did you steal it anyway?"

 "It wasn't stealing!"  I protested.  "You just...weren't in a position to say yeah when I asked if I could borrow it.  I kinda took it out your pocket when Max and Omar brought you back to the bus after the gig."

 "Of course.  Note to self, do not take drugs when Chasey is around to steal things-"

 "SHUT UP,"  I yelled indignantly, pushing him away.  "You're such an asshole to me sometimes."

 "Yeah, yeah, can you shut up a minute darling?"  he dialled a number and put the phone to his ear.  I gave him a discreet little scowl and moved to the opposite side of the pavement.  

  But even though I was slightly pissed right then, I had a feeling shopping with Ronnie was going to be rather.....unpredictable.