DIET MOUNTAIN DEW. dave grohl (1)

018

"she's not gonna get it the way of that...."

OLYMPIA WASHINGTON
1990

-

"Are you ready to rock and fucking roll?!" I heard a voice shout from behind the entry door. I was backstage at another concert of Dave's. Shelli was beside me reading a magazine and the boys were sitting on the couch across from us.

Kurt perked up immediately with an apologetic look and raced to the door ready to face whoever's annoying ass voice it belonged to. Shelli grabbed my wrist cooly, and forced me to make eye contact.

"Brace yourself, Dani. That's Courtney. She's been dating Kurt for like a year and well, she's a bit loose up in the head." She muttered softly to me. Shit, there's no one I can't handle. If she's a bitch she's a bitch. Ya dig? Kurt came back hand in hand with Courtney who had a bottle of wine in her hand.

"Hey, Court." Dave said with a forced smile. I could tell he didn't like her too much either. But, she couldn't be that bad, right? When her eyes drifted to me and Shelli, the look she gave me went cold. It made my knuckles go white.

"Oh, you must be, Dani." Her voice was strained and fake, "I've heard all about you." She finished giving my a smile of pettiness. Shelli was right, she is a bit loose in the head huh? Fucking hell..... I detest her already.

"Hi." I said softly pulling a cigarette from my back pocket and lighting it. Courtney gasped and held her hand out right in front of my face.

"Can I bum one?" She cautiously asked. I obviously didn't want to give her one, but since everyone was looking at us and I didn't want to be a bitch. I handed her one and tossed her the lighter.

"Thanks."

I looked to Shelli who wasn't engaging in any contact with Courtney at all. I then looked to Dave who had the same unamused look across his face. Even Krist seemed like he wasn't too happy she was here. No one seemed happy she was here. And that was alright with me.

"Alright, gang. Let's set up." Kurt clapped his hands together talking breathlessly. Before they went to do whatever "setting up" meant Dave came over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out. They left me with Shelli and Courtney. Lord have Mercy.

"So, Danielle. Kurt tells me that your only 20. Still young, I remember those days." Courtney sighed stroking her hair softly. I furrowed my eyebrows together. Is she high? Well.... she probably is.

"Your like 25...." I mumbled taking a drag of my cigarette. She scoffed and put the topic aside as the music started playing. Shelli didn't say a word to Courtney. I guess they weren't on speaking terms, I can't blame her.

"So, is Dave good to you? I mean he doesn't like fight with you?" Courtney asked making me a bit nervous. What was that supposed to mean?

"No. He's lovely." I said softly, with the slightest bit of confusion in my tone. Courtney looked off to the side before continuing her point.

"It's nothing. I just heard his last relationship was a bit rocky, well Kurt said so." She continued. Now, in the moment I was oblivious to the fact that she'd couldn't have known about any of Dave's past relationships because she didn't know him at that time. But, I was scared. Scared to my core.

"What do you mean?" I asked shakily.

"Well, he basically just treated her like shit. I heard he smacked her clear across the face one time. I'd be careful." Courtney admired her nails from afar. I gulped in fear, Dave wouldn't do that. Would he?

"Daves not like that." I sternly said not wanting to believe the shit Courtney was making up.

"Oh he is, Dani. Don't say I didn't warn you." She said before standing up and leaving the backstage area. Who knows where she's going? And I hoped to god this stuff about Dave was fake. There's no way Dave would lay a hand on a girl. Especially, me, for that matter. At least I think he wouldn't.

"Don't listen to her. She's trying to get under your skin, Dani." Shelli said. Her words rang in my ears, but I never thought them through. I just thought about Dave. He's not like that.... right?

-

"Hey, Dani." Dave said coming backstage again after the concert. Shelli and Courtney were long gone, and I sat by myself biting my nails with worry. Dave wasn't who I thought he was, or was he?

I didn't answer because I could barely hear him over the constant sound of Courtney's words repeating in my head. Dave sat next to me placing a hand on my back.

"You okay, babe?" Dave asked using a new nickname. It made it sound like we were married, or something. I snapped out of my daze quickly and looked to him. His beautiful brown eyes filled my vision, and I wanted to cry.

"Yes, sorry." I muttered grabbing his hand coldly and holding it in mine. Dave nodded not wanting to push the topic anymore. Instead, he lead me to the car and drove us both back to the hotel. The whole care ride was awkward and I don't think Dave knew exactly why I was acting like this. But, I was just scared. Scared to death. Over something that I didn't even know...

"Hey, what's going on? Why did you become so quiet? There something you wanna talk about?" Dave asked sitting next to me on the bed. I couldn't tell him what Courtney said. Because what if she was right? And what if he wasn't who I thought he was. But what if Courtney was wrong?

"No..... well, Courtney said some things and....." I stuttered on my words, straining to keep looking into his eyes.

"Dani. Whatever she said, she's lying. She's just a little different than the rest. She's jealous of you." Dave placed his hands on my shoulders. I quivered my lip looking at him and turned away.

"She said that you..... well, I don't know how'd she know but, she said you— your last relationship wasn't the greatest." I mumbled not remembering the exact words of Courtney. Dave sighed a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples. He must've been getting a head ache.

"She's always had it out for me. She's lying to get some revenge or some shit. My last relationship was in high school, Dani. And I didn't even know her back then. She couldn't have known. What exactly did she say?" Dave asked placing both hands on both sides of my face.

"She just said that you— hit this girl she knew and shit like that. I don't really know....." I trailed off feeling the terror drift out of me a bit. Like this weight was lifted off my shoulders. Courtney's just fucked up, I swear.

"What? I'd never do that. Especially, not to you. So if that's what your scared of, you can't be. I'd never ever in my life do that. Courtney doesn't know shit, and you know it." Dave pressed his lips to my forehead. I smiled a bit as I tucked myself under his arm and snuggled up next to him.

"I'm sorry." I muttered to him as he dimmed the lights. Dave snuggled closer and rested his head on top of mine softly.

"Don't be. And don't ever listen to a thing Courtney says, okay? I love you, and she's not gonna get it the way of that. Now, come on. Let's go to bed, we've got a flight to catch." Dave mumbled before I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.