INFINITE (Eminem Fan Fiction)

Chapter 36: Shit Can Happen

Chapter 36: Shit Can Happen

The Tour somehow had fallen into an unspoken routine. Riley couldn’t believe how fast paced the work was. Before she knew what happened she’d performed everywhere from New York, to Illinois to Missouri to Toronto, Canada. And the days just flew by. Usually they’d catch a flight not long after the end of the concert to the next city, crash in hotels and then, if they had a free day, they’d go sightseeing or hang around the hotel until they had to do on-site sound checks on the day of the concert.

She’d met so many new people and the tour had really brought them all together. She wasn’t sure if it was because they were all exhausted most of the time or whether it was the fact that they spent nearly every waking minute around each other. Whatever it was, she was glad to have met new and exciting people. She’d even gotten used to Sky and Barbie’s constant bickering and D12’s pranks.

She was so glad Mark had come with her for the first few shows, but by the time she got to the shows in Canada, she had the pre-performance nerves on hand and coped pretty well. Once she pushed away her anxiety, the thrill of performing live was absolutely addicting, even if it did take all her energy. Being so busy, some days the only time she spent with Marshall was onstage. But they both made an effort to sit next to each other on flights and try and sightsee together.

It was good to spend so much time with him but she couldn’t help but miss the laidback lifestyle that they’d experienced together only a few months back. But being on a mad-rush tour with him, showed her a side of him that she’d never seen: the reckless and crazy nature of slim shady that seemed to pop out every time he set foot on stage. It was astonishing the difference in personality he had on and off stage. Even the way he spoke and his body language. Seeing him around his daughter, he was always gentle and kind. Even with her… but out on stage he was about as nurturing as a cactus, prickly to the touch. But the wild side of him only made her that much more crazy for him, especially as she sneaked in a glance across the stage at him, rapping away to the crowd, absorbing the spotlight like a true star.

Shifting in the plain wooden chair, she noticed that the stage here in Denver, was smaller than the other shows, or perhaps the stage hands had placed the set too close to the edge. She felt like she could reach out and touch the crowd’s hands if she pleased. Looking up, she noticed the lights shine on her as Dre had appeared onstage and the skit began.

It was almost habit by now and before she knew it, the skit was drawing to a close as Marshall lifted up the fake gun and squeezed the trigger. The explosion of fake blood was immediate from the edge of the desk and it never surprised her the force it gave. Throwing herself back, as if the shot had really hit her, she was careful to concentrate on how she landed, keeping her head up so she didn’t hit it on the stage, meaning to absorb the blow with her upper back.

However, the stage never came and all too quickly she felt herself falling further than she was meant to go. She only had a second to realize that she’d fallen off the stage before she fell on her side onto the concrete floor below. She heard a sickening crunch as her body made contact, intense pain flaring up the side. She didn’t hear the music stop, or Marshall stop rapping but she saw about ten of the security guards race at her, the crowd gawping at the scene.

She tried to draw in a breath, unable to ignore the flaring pain in her side. Letting out a groan, she felt like she couldn’t breathe, the pain on her side compressing her. Clutching her ribs, she let out a groan of pain as she prayed that it would go away. Gritting her teeth she had to fight back the tears in her eyes. The security guards crowded her, asking if she was okay and telling her to stay there.

Determined, Riley pulled her body upwards, grimacing in pain as she did. Struggling, one of the guards helped her to her feet. She spotted Marshall on the edge of the stage, rapping but staring at her with a very concerned look. She gave him a thumbs up, even though she wasn’t sure if she was okay. He seemed relieved that she’d gotten up and she knew he couldn’t just stop the show due to her clumsiness. God, she’d ruined everything. She must have looked ridiculous falling off the stage.