WE HAD A FEW FREE DAYS IN NEW YORK around that gig at the Garden and they passed like a dream. My aunt tried to call me once, but once I heard her voice in the speaker, I slammed it back on the table and waited for her to give up and stop ringing. She didn't try to contact me again, perhaps realizing I needed some time. I was just as bad-tempered and touchy as my mom, her sister, and she knew it.

I went out with my friends once, but I realized that even talking to them about how unfair everything was didn't make me feel better. Lydia called me to go get coffee, but I lied to her that I was awfully busy and had things to fix for the short time I was spending home. I knew it was mean, but I couldn't stand being around anyone who would remind me of the terrible embarrassment I had suffered in that dressing room.

However, no matter if I liked it or not, I still had work to do and before I knew it, I was packing my stuff again. The shirts were thrown over my back and into the case one after another as I didn't even bother to fold them. I need a bigger suitcase, I thought as I turned around and sighed, looking at the mess I had done. I'll have to fold all of these after all.

I crossed my arms across my chest and stared angrily at my luggage, like all my problems were its fault. In fact, one of my biggest problems was laying on the kitchen table, thrown on it the moment I had found it lying in front of my door the other day.

I walked to the other room to pour myself a glass of water and once I gulped it in one breath, I turned around and looked at the object that had been bothering me for hours.

On the table was yesterday's newspaper, looking simply innocent, just some brownish piece of paper that I never even bothered to read. The huge black letters of the front page article, however, claimed otherwise. 'IS SATAN IN YOUR SCHOOLYARD?' it asked, and underneath was a big black and white picture of my dear friend Gene Simmons, his tongue out and his usually black irises rolled up, so the only thing you could see was the white of his eyes. The headline was circled with a red marker and thrown in front of my door.

What's greater than being called a whore by your family? That's right, being harassed by your neighbors.

I grabbed the paper from the table and threw it straight into the rubbish bin. Should have started with this in the first place.

✵✵✵

"Psst, hey, move a little, " I heard someone whisper and I opened my eyes, sighing unhappily. I had just started to doze off. Gene slipped on the seat next to me, reaching his legs out and putting his hands behind his neck.

"It's 1 am, what do you want?"

"It's around afternoon where we're about to land, so don't be a bitch about it, " he countered, a wide content smile gracing his features once I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not living on Japanese time until we land in Japan."

"If you say so."

I grabbed the pillow that was resting between the window and my face from underneath my cheek and hit him with it. My reaction made him startle, but once he recovered from the shock he just reached out and took it from my hands, placing it underneath his head and leaned back. I tried to pull it out, but he was pressing it tight between his neck and the seat.

"You suck, " I declared, falling back on my own place, crossing my arms and pouting my lip. "You and Ace both keep bullying me, if it wasn't for Peter and Paul I would have hit the road, honestly."

Gene groaned and threw the pillow back at me. "Fine, " he gritted out, looking away. "Drama queen, " he added quietly to himself, but making sure I heard him. I raised my shoulders with a small teasing smile. I might have played it offended, but this was the Gene I loved being around. I was afraid I had messed our friendship up once I had asked him about that favor (the one that happened to turn around and bite me in the ass), but I was glad to know things were the same again.

After a few moments of silence, the bassist opened his mouth again. "How are you? I mean... how are you after... you know?"

I sighed. Here we go again. "Honestly, I don't know. I haven't talked to them since."

Gene shook his head. I decided not to say anything about that newspaper I got. I didn't need the Demon to be the quiet listener of all my problems, and neither did he.

"That sucks. I shouldn't have joked with him about, you know, you and us. I didn't expect things to end like that," he snorted, looking around the plane with a semi-disgusted look on his face. "He seemed like one of those old douchebags that call us faggots on the streets and I —"

"He did call you fags, of you don't remember."

Gene glared at me. "I don't apologize a lot, why do you need interupt me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you were apologizing? I should wake everyone up, or else no one would believe me!"

Gene's unamused look made me smile and shake my head. "Don't worry," I promised, tapping his shoulder reasuringly, "I won't tell anyone. You can keep being the cold-hearted big macho guy around them."

He looked like he was about to reach out and strangle me at this point, so I decided to leave him alone. "I don't think you need to apologize. He came here with his own presumptions. He was just waiting for the right moment to speak. It wasn't anyone's fault," I explained, looking out of the window. No matter if a part of me haf ended up trusting Gene after all these months, this conversation was too hurtful for me to have right now. I still remembered the way Paul's body had tensed next to me. No matter friend or not, the accusation my uncle had made was probably just as offensive to him as it was to me. It still sounded ridiculous in my head.

Like they don't fuck enough groupies, they take it on the next level with the awkwardly introverted assistant. These demonic sons of bitches!

"Still." I saw a small smile cross Gene's face and it made me focus back on him than the words in my head. "You have no idea what I had in mind for him. The kiss good night was the most innocent thing in my sleeve. I was just warming up."

I slapped his shoulder. "Okay, I take that back. You do need to apologize."

Gene shook his head and stood up, freeing the space next to me. "Get some sleep, it's late," he said, pushing himself up on his feet.

"Really, I thought it was around afternoon in Japan."

"Smartass, " he shot back, giving me a wink and returning back to his own seat.

"Night, Mr Nice Guy, " I called out quietly after him, but loud enough for him to hear. He turned around to give me a wink and sat down with his back to me a few seats away. From my place, I could see his curly head move as he got himself ready.

After a few minutes of silence, the rythmic sounds of the wind outside finally lured me to sleep.

✵✵✵

"This place is so different and we're like... still in the airport, " Paul remarked excitedly from under his scarf once he walked out of the plane. I walked behind him, using my hand as a sunshade to hide my squinted eyes from the bright light. Someone didn't have that problem with his sunglasses.

"Absolutely. Super cool. Keep moving, " I commanded, making him laugh quietly as I gently pushed him down to the entrance of Tokyo Airport.

"C'mon, I thought you were excited about visiting Japan, " he defended himself once we were inside. I couldn't see his face, but I was convinced he was pouting his lips.

"I am. I would be twice more excited if I owned a pair of glasses like yours, " I mumbled. Who would think that the sun would be so strong during late February?

"After we do our makeup, they're all yours," he promised, tapping the black frames with his finger.

"Thanks, but Ace already said he would give me his, " I answered, looking back at the guitarist who was walking with the rest a few feet away from me and Paul. He could hardly hear our conversation, but when he saw me looking at him he gave me thumbs up.

"Oh, " Paul muttered quicly, looking back to Ace and then to his feet. It took me a moment to wonder what was wrong, until I felt someone's hand on my shoulder.

"L, " Lydia called, hearing the familiar nickname she and her husband used to address me made me turn around and look at her. "You wanna look around with me while the boys do their makeup for the fans outside?"

"Sure, " I answered, looking back only to see that the rest had caught up with us. I noticed a few guys from the road crew pushing big black chests that probably contained the guys' outfits. They had to get in full costume and makeup for their first ever appearance in Japan. We looked like a traveling circus.

"Can I go with you? I'll just appear in jeans in front if the kids, " Ace joked, earning himself a push from Lydia and a playful kick in the butt from me. He tried to douge them but failed, almost falling over Paul, but still knocking his glasses off. The singer held his bandmate up on his feet with an unamused look in his eyes and reached out to grab his shades from the floor and put them back on top of his nose.

"C'mon, jeans guy, we need to get this done quick, it's full of people outside, " Bill urged, a small document folder in his hands. He approached the guys with the chest and pointed to some room down the corridor, commanding them to get it there as fast as they could.

"And what are you four still doing here?! Down the hall, second door left, hurry up! " He ordered, patting them with the folder to get them moving.

"Sir, yes, sir, " Ace saluted, grabbing his backpack and almost sprinting down the hall so his manager couldn't scold him. The rest followed him, getting inside as fast as their heeled shoes could take them. Once they were no longer in our sight, Lydia turned to me and gripped my palm.

"Girl time?" She asked, shaking my hand gently. Someone is in a great mood today. A small grin appeared in my face.

"Girl time."