Bert McCracken [I Caught Fire]-01

He looked down flicking the ashes off his cigarette, "I was just curious, cause Jeph can be a
real womanizer." My heart that had been rising up into my throat was now slowly dropping
back down. "Oh." I replied trying ever so hard not to let the tears welling up in my eyes to spill
over. He looked over at me as I turned my head away from him. His warm hand suddenly on mine, "I'd hate to see you get hurt." I looked up into his eyes feeling my heart come to life again
at the sound of his voice saying those words, he cared about me. Bert smiled at me then
stood up dropping his cigaraette then smothered it out with his tattered up converse,
"We better get back in there before Quinn decides to get on the mic." he said with that
same grin I couldn't help but giggle at. He reached his hand out taking mine and pulled me
up off the ground then walked with me into the garage.

Brandon was over rummaging through an old refrigerator in the back when I realized the
sudden dryness in my mouth. "Are there drinks in there?" Bert looked over to where I was looking, "Oh yeah, go help yourself." I started over to Brandon looking back at Bert,
"You want anything?" Bert smiled and shook his head then sat on the couch next to Quinn.
The light from the fridge was dull so I could hardly see what was inside past Brandon.
"Got something to drink in there?"
Brandon turned his head to see who I was. "Oh, hey Jen. Yeah," he looked back into the
fridge, "looks like your choices are bottled water, or beer. Oh and we have, more beer."
I let out a soft chuckle, "um water is ok with me for now." Brandon handed me a bottle of
ice cold water sending a shiver through me at the touch of it.

I twisted the cap off the bottle taking a swig as I walked over and sat on the arm of the
couch beside Quinn. Kristy was sitting beside Jeph on the stage listening to him talk, trying
to hide her flushed cheeks behindher hands by cupping her face. I smiled to myself
shaking my head as I twisted the cap back onto my bottle of water. Brandon headed over
to his drum set and sat down unpatiently tapping a drumstick against one of the cymbals
lightly. Quinn and Bert laughed then got up and walked up onto the stage taking their places. "Alright lovebirds were gonna start practice now if that's okay." Quinn teased. Kristy got
off the stage and took a seat next to me as I slid down off the arm of the couch and onto
one of the plush cushions.

Bert cleared his throat as the guys started playing a song I hadn't heard before. I watched
Bert approach the mic as his hypnotic voice began to fill the run-down garage.

See all those people on the ground
Wasteing time
I try to hold it all inside
But just for tonight
The top of the world
Sitting here wishing
The things I've become
That something is missing
Maybe I...
But what do I know

And now it seems that I have found
Nothing at all
I want to hear your voice out loud
Slow it down
Without it all
I'm choking on nothing
It's clear in my head
And I'm screaming for something
Knowing nothing is better than knowing at all

On my own

I watched Bert as he echoed the last words into the microphone. It never ceased to amaze
me how focused he was when it came to his music. The music slowly faded then came to
a stop. Bert looked up from the floor with a worried look when he heard nothing but silence.
I smiled and nodded "That was amazing." Bert grinned to my response then looked over at Kristy who was nodding in agreement.