ᴀɴᴀꜱᴛᴀꜱɪᴀ ꨄ︎

ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅ ꜱᴛᴏʀᴇ

Anastasia's pov:

The next couple of weeks consisted of me visiting Erin when Axl was at rehearsals with Slash just practicing for the upcoming tour in a week.There was a huge circulation about their wedding and their baby,some people that were at the after party even started to speculate with interviewers that Erin was dead due to all the blood in the bathroom but she was thriving.Id never seen so much change in a person in such a short amount of time and her worries seemed to be lies,Axl was such a devoted dad so far,they were in their honeymoon phase.

Use your illusions was a hit!The November rain music video was becoming a huge production and Guns were gaining so much more recognition.I walked down the strip with my head held high as I wandered into the nearest record store.I filed through each record until I reached 'G' I had to have both albums for myself,it felt surreal as I flipped use your illusion 1 over to see my boyfriend on the back cover,I had a moment of adoration for him and his Les Paul as I picked up the blue use your illusion 2 record too and walked over to the urban cashier,who looked at me skeptically as I stood in line.

"hey this is the album with 'you could be mine' on it right?"The girl in front of me asked the cashier.

"yeah,I guess so you're twenty cents short."The cashier said as I just smiled reminiscing as I snapped back to reality seeing the disappointed look on the girls face as she turned around.As I reached into the pocket of my furry coat.

"hey,here you go."I smiled dropping the twenty cents onto the counter as she thanked me.

"you look familiar?"The girl said as she looked down at the record in my hands. "Hey I love that band too!"She said cluelessly.

"yeah me too."I smiled as she thanked me again before wandering away as I dropped the record on the desk as the cashier totalled me up.

"Stacy McKagan."The cashier said biting his lip as I looked up at him confused.

"stacy?"I said slowly under my breath as I looked up at him confused.My nickname back in Seattle growing up was stacy,I hated it and swore I'd never use it ever again.

"you don't remember me?"The cashier said laughing.

"I'm sorry?I don't."I admitted as I smiled.

"Gilby."He said as I got Deja vu.

"Oh my god!Gilby Clarke!Of course...you look different?"I giggled.

"That kinda happens after four years,you look pretty different too since the last time I saw you."Gilby said referring to when I was a wreck in recovery and withdrawal over my overdose back home in Seattle as the instant regret washed over his face unsure of how I would react to what he just said.

"yeah..I'm clean now...maybe not fully sober but I'm trying."I admitted smiling as I shook my head. "How'd you even recognise me it's been so long?"I said still startled.

"I'd recognise you anywhere Stacy."He said almost in awe as I felt a little uncomfortable.

"It's Ana now..or just Anastasia,I'd like to leave that girl stacy in the past..y'know?"I said nervously chuckling as he nodded.

"I get it."He said

"Anyway..what are you doing here?You leave Seattle?"I said tilting my head.

"I left a long time ago,moved here,like literally above the this record store is my home basically."He blushed.

"you own this place?"I said looking around.

"My friend does but we have a deal going."Gilby shrugged.

"what kinda deal?"I said suspiciously.

"get you're head out of the gutter Anastasia,he owns the club downtown,I play in his club and work here I get to live up there for free."He laughed.

"it feels weird you calling me by my full name,Just call me stacy again"I gulped.

"you sure?"He said.

"yeah why not?We're friends,just don't remind me of how I used to act back home."I laughed again. "Your parents know your here?"I said tilting my head.

"yeah,yours?"Gilby asked.

"Uh kinda,they tried to drag me back home like a month ago but me and Duff don't really speak to them anymore,we're kinda disowned."I said unsure of how to put it to not make me sound like a psycho with a very dysfunctional family but Duff and I grew up with Gilby,he knew all about it.

"Duff?"Gilby asked.

"Oh my brother Michael..he's a rockstar now it's Duff McKagan took me a while to get used to it too."I smiled

"Sounds intense.Is Duff here too?"He asked.

"yeah actually,he's the reason I moved here,he's in a band.."I stuttered awkwardly like a fool as I picked up one of the record holding it up showing duffs face on the back of the album.

"Holy sh*t?"Gilby said taken aback.

"yeah they're called Guns N' Roses.There's
Duff,that's his best friend Izzy,rhythm guitarist,my best friend Steven,he's their drummer,Axl he's the singer kinda front man."I said pointing out each member on the back.

"hey Guns N' Roses are pretty successful,right?Ive heard them on the radio a couple times they're quite successful right?"Gilby asked.

"yeah!They're going on a world tour like next week for these two albums."I said nodding downwards as Gilby looked at them both.

"Two albums at the same is a bit strange?"Gilby said as I brushed his snarky comment off.

"No it's amazing!"I boasted "you should come over some time and see Duff?Well I don't really live with him anymore but he will be happy to see you and-"I rambled on as Gilby cut me short.

"Actually I was hoping me and you could go out sometime?"Gilby suggested as I paused instantly debating on whether I tell him or not.I trusted him of course but I wasn't sure how he'd handle rejection.

"Well,this is Slash."I smiled completing the introduction as I pointed to his face on the back of the record again.

"okay?"Gilby said confused.

"he's kinda like my boyfriend."I blushed.