Buttered Popcorn

Chapter 18: June 2, 1987

Jimmie found herself somewhat ignoring everyone. From Steven, to Nikki, to even the tour bus driver.

After her run-in with the tragic reality of alcohol on her night out, she had not only been too embarrassed to show her face, but also doubted anyone's care for her. Hailing a bright yellow taxi and watching the blurred city skyline whiz by, she made herself right at home in the bus and closed off her curtain.

Steven had persistently asked her what he'd done, after asking everyone else, to which they also had no idea. The stuffy bunks of the Guns N' Roses bus eventually and predictably grew too suffocating for her to bear and she had begrudgingly asked sympathy from Mötley to allow her to stay with them.

Tommy was beyond excited about it, as was Vince once he'd found out along with Mick, but Nikki had still seemed to be ignoring her. As much as she wished and wondered, she couldn't find out why. Although, with five people living in a small bus, the bassist found it was quite difficult to avoid her.

They'd traveled for two days straight, then staying at a hotel for four more days and returned back onto the road after two extraordinary shows. Jimmie didn't like to acknowledge the other band, as she was very stubborn, but couldn't deny the inevitable fact that they were incredible when they would perform.

Axl's electrifying energy only enunciated the crowds', and each and every member played till they sweat their heavy eyeliner and sticky leather pants off- literally.

Jimmie had unfortunately caught sight of a swarm of girls returning back to Guns' bus after every single show, and she could only pick a god and pray that they weren't there for Steven.

The Crüe and the girl all sat contently in the squeaky seats of the bus as the sun melted down into the horizon and the deep blues began painting across the clouds. Tommy and Vince were in a heated game of poker, with Mick sitting close-by and sneaking peeks at each of their hands of cards. Jimmie's eyes lazily skidded alongside the speed of the large bus, but even in the great abyss couldn't find something to focus on besides her own issues.

Steven had eventually stopped talking to her and trying to get her attention entirely, which is exactly what she didn't want, and Nikki still hadn't even spared so much as a glance her way. The dark-haired bassist was actually seated right across from Jimmie, yet seemed to look at everything but her. She was beginning to grow very agitated at his childish antics and eventually leaned over with a hushed voice.

"Did I do something?"

Nikki's sage green eyes didn't even flinch as they remained trained on Vince's deck- if he made the right move, he could very easily win the game.

The girl tried to collect her quick-growing frustration with him, but she really had no idea what the issue was.

"Nikki, if I did something could you just tell me?"

Again, his expression remained impassive. She stared with disbelief into his eyes and scoffed.

"God, would you stop acting like a fucking child? You're a grown ass man."

The viscous sting in Jimmie's voice finally made his eyebrows twitch with a furrow, "I'm acting like a child?"

Now, not only was she confused and angry, but the rest of the band's attention had all left the game and shifted onto the steadily-increasing tension in the small bus.

"Yeah, I'd say you are. I've done nothing to you and you're ignoring me like I'm the issue. What did I do?" With a huff, Nikki adjusted his position and moved his entire body to directly face Jimmie's as he leaned in closer.

"I'm not gonna do this with you right now."

His low voice was almost a growl with his leveled tone, yet she couldn't help but feel she was being scolded. And for what? She still didn't know.

"Do what, Nikki? Talk out your feelings like a normal person? Just tell me what the issue is so you can stop being so fucking pissy all the time." Her face flushed with anger and her hands gently shook- she was going to lose her temper very soon.

Instead of responding, he simply got up and shoved right past her. He retreated into the bathroom and ran the sink for a few seconds. Before he could even get a chance to finish up and walk back out, Jimmie bolted up and stomped right over to him with a deep frown, "Why do you do this shit? Act like a man, Nikki, fuck! What's the issue, huh? What's the big fuckin' idea?"

He towered over her in the narrow passage between the bunks with a stone-cold glare, "You don't fucking know me, so don't tell me how the fuck to act. You're on my bus, and you're damn close to getting kicked off."

"Why, Nikki? Why? What the fuck did I do to you? I've done nothing, and you know it, so stop blaming whatever the fuck you have going on in your fucked up head on me, because it's not my fault!" His eyes deepened to a deep olive color and his chest carefully heaved with rage, "Jimmie, don't fucking try me. You are acting like you're so innocent when everyone- everyone!- knows what you did, and he can't even see it for himself!"

"What the fuck are you talking about, Nikki?! Who? Who can't see it for himself?!-"

"Your fucking lover boy! He thinks you're so fucking loyal to him and all that bullshit- what are you, insane?! Everyone knows, Jimmie! Everyone! Their fucking band knows, my band knows, and even he knows but he can't fucking admit it because he's a cracked-out junkie!"

"You're such a fucking hypocrite!"

Her voice cracked with pure rage and her eyelashes brimmed with tears in the deathly silence. The air around them grew deafeningly tense, and the band stared in shock. She couldn't believe that the Nikki she thought she'd once known was now laying into her like she was the problem. With the way he was acting, she started considering if she really was.

"You know it too, you fucking liar. You know what you did and you know you're too fucking guilty to admit it to him." She shook her head, "I'm not guilty of shit, Nikki."

His eyes narrowed with disgust.

"Say it."

"Say what?!"

"That you fucking cheated on him! That you had sex the night that you finally saw him again with his own fucking touring band! You know you liked it, too-"

"Shut the fuck up! I didn't fucking want you then and I don't fucking want you now! You're sick, Nikki! You're fucking insane for thinking I'd ever do that to him! Fuck you! Fuck you!"

Her slender hands hailed upon his chest with weak attempts at punches and hits as the hot tears fell from her eyes. The low hum of the bus and along with her broken, meekly held-back sobs were the only depressing noises that polluted the bus. Nikki stared back at her figure with repulsed boredom- he knew this act and he wouldn't give in.

With his cloudy sage green eyes boring into her own glossed-over ones, he shoved past her yet again and returned back to the seat he sat in before. The wide windows only showed the vast horizon, and no sign of escape any time soon.

Jimmie tucked herself into her bunk, crying, and tried her best to forget everything.

Anything.

Why the fuck did she always have to be the problem?