Deanna • Duff McKagan

Chapter Twenty Two • The Events of August 31st

September 14th, 1985

The past few weeks have been nothing but boring. Most venues have been booked solid, so I can't find the band a gig, and half the band isn't speaking to me.

The sad part is, as much drama as kissing Izzy caused, I don't regret it, not one bit. It's not like Duff and I are actually a couple. I know he's still fucking around with other girls. With that being said, maybe I should start making him wear a condom...

The events of that one night two weeks ago play through my head on a continuous loop. Now Izzy won't speak to me, Duff won't speak to me, and Axl will only speak to me strictly about the band. Fun times in West Hollywood, huh?

"Get us a gig yet?" The redhead asks, watching me intently as I flick my cigarette into the ashtray.

"I don't understand why every single venue in Hollywood is completely booked until 1986," I groan, leaning my head back against my headboard.

"Why'd you have to go and kiss Izzy?" Axl practically snarls as he says this, focusing his glare on me.

"First off, I didn't kiss Izzy, he kissed me. Told me he loves me, and now won't speak to me because I went after Duff when he stormed out of the apartment." I roll my eyes, wanting to forget about that night already.

The Events of August 31st, 1985

"Duff, it's not what it looks like!" I exclaim, practically pushing Izzy away from me. The blonde simply shakes his head, turning his back on me and his bandmate and walking away. "Jesus Christ."

I go to enter the apartment, hoping that I could find Duff and knock some sense into him. The usual, it shouldn't matter because we aren't together, or the fact that he's fucking other girls so me kissing Izzy shouldn't matter at all.

"Deanna," Izzy grabs my arm as I go to walk away, turning my attention back to him. "Don't go after Duff, just stay here."

"I have to go after Duff, Izzy. Duff - the five of you - you're my responsibility. I can't allow him to do something stupid." I pull my arm out of his grasp, taking a few steps forward.

"If you go after Duff, Deanna, you and me are done. We can't be friends," it's no secret that Izzy is my best friend in the band, Duff and I simply being fuck buddies. And now Izzy is making me make a huge decision that I only have a few seconds to make.

"I'm not a fan of ultimatum's, Stradlin," is my only response as I enter my apartment, searching for the familiar blonde.

"Where'd he go?" I ask Axl, who glares at me as a response. The lead singer doesn't answer me, just walks away to go sit on my couch.

"He's angry, Deanna," Steven informs me, shaking his head. "Said he won't be back for awhile."

"What does he mean, he won't be back for awhile?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. "What if I get you guys a gig?"

"There's your answer," Axl finally speaks, not bothering to turn and look at me. "You're breaking up the band, Yoko."

Duff didn't return for about a week, and when he finally did return, he smelled of sex and cheap perfume, with track marks down his arms. I thought my drug use was a problem for him...

"You're supposed to be the band manager, not a fucking groupie. Now get us a damn gig," he scoffs, finally leaving my room.

I didn't hate Axl Rose, not at all. But he really did get on my fucking nerves, that's a fact. I give him the benefit of the doubt, ninety percent of the time, but I'm not afraid to knock him the fuck down when he's being an asshole.

"What was that about?" Haley asks, entering my room and sitting cross legged on the foot of my bed. "He seemed angry."

"Axl's always fucking angry over something, hell if I know," I stub out my cigarette, staring at the ceiling for a second. "This band pisses me the fuck off."

"Well, I'm sure you piss them off too," she shrugs. "One day they'll be grateful though, when you make them famous."

"Damn right I'm gonna make them famous," the phone next to me rings, interrupting our conversation. "Hello?" I answer, twisting the phone cord in between my fingers.

"Yo, it's Andrea," the familiar voice answers. "I got your message practically pleading for another gig here," she laughs.

"Well, you know, desperate times call for desperate measures," I laugh along with her, thinking about the message I left her a couple of hours ago. "So can you get them in?"

"We just had a cancellation, hows September twentieth?" I sigh in relief, knowing this gig will get Axl off my ass about finding them a gig.

"They'll take it," I say quickly, jotting down a note about the gig on a legal pad laying across my lap. "Let me know if you get any more cancellations?"

"Of course, you'll be my first call." Fucking finally.

A/N: tell me how it's midnight where I live in NY and I have to be up for work in four hours 😭😭😭 follow me on insta guys, I'll follow back if you let me know you're from Wattpad. My insta is @lindsay.crowe

Also this is a short chapter but I wasn't gonna leave y'all hanging for too long, I have so many ideas for this book and as soon as I finish this one I'm gonna publish my Tommy Lee fanfic. Oh and someone asked how old I am and the answer is 20 lol I'll be 21 on February 25th and I CANT FUCKING WAIT