Master of Destruction

Chapter 9

The next week happened without any special event, Lars and you carefully not speaking about the floating moment that had happened between you in front of the hotel doors – luckily, no awkwardness came between you. During the day following their concert in Michigan, a certain respect had installed itself between Axl and Metallica. James had told you it was good from Axl to "have come back on stage after being sick and finish the show", and that "with everything we hear about him usually, he had thought he would have ended the show."

But it hadn't lasted long; everything went as good as it could during the shows and nothing degenerated during the afterparties, but the atmosphere quickly got thicker during the short hours both bands had to spend together before shows.

You don't know if it was tiredness or Axl's dark side showing up, but he was annoying.

Very annoying.

One day, he had decided his request list for what he needed wasn't on point anymore.

Everyone had one; it comported everything one needed for the tour, going from their potential allergies for food to how many bottles of beer – or vodka – they wanted in their changing rooms before and after shows.

After yelling on poor technicians who didn't know what he was talking about and managers, he finally managed to modify it. But it wasn't the end; one day, you were eating in a meeting room, as usual, of the Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh where they were about to perform when he exploded a bottle of water against the wall.

You were alone in the room at that moment, but you quickly heard hurried steps in the corridors, and Slash and Kirk's curly-haired faces passed by the door frame.

Lars arrived three seconds later, letting a breath when he saw you were alright, but frowned when he saw that instead of looking afraid or whatever, you looked pissed. He had thrown the bottle to the other side of the room of where you stood, and a huge humid spot was staining the dark-blue paint. He didn't pay attention to the new arrivals and carried on: "I can't believe it! Who do they think they are? Can't they read? It's so simple!"

He looked at you. You were arms crossed, eyes narrowed; he was basically just angry, but you knew he had lost it when you didn't agree with him and refused to go in his way.

"Axl, you're not serious. It's so childi-"

You sighed and gave up to end your sentence when he stormed out of the room, nearly bumping into his bandmate when he got out. James came at that moment, and Lars threw you an interrogative look. "He had ham in slices instead of cubes..."

You knew earlier that month, everyone would have laughed, finding this ridiculous, even funny. Slash yet drew a little smile, but Kirk and Lars exchanged a look and James sighed. You knew they weren't bitching about it because you were there, but you surely would have preferred them to openly mock him than feel a masked pity towards the band, and mostly towards you.

Due to Axl's general behaviour, you spent less and less time with him and more and more time with the others. You always had a good time with James, Lars and Kirk – and you joyfully noticed they appreciated Slash a lot too. Plus, you weren't even sure Axl noticed it, spending his time outside. To be clear, the only moments you spent together were during the days off and during the very short hours you spent in the hotel.

You hadn't any show on the 27th and 28th of July, and it luckily lightened the mood a bit. Your nights had been extended for some hours and everyone felt it. It was in a rather good atmosphere that you all took the plane to fly to New Jersey for tonight's show at the Giants Stadium. The flight happened peacefully, Axl having apparently forgotten his stories of ham in cubes and Lars' and you's good friendship.