I Never Told You What I Did for a Living
The Weekend
As usual, Mikey went out to see some local bands that night. The odd part was that Gerard and I joined him. Apparently, there was something that I just had to see.
When we arrived at a small, dingy club, I felt a little panicked.
"What if they ask me for ID?" I hissed as Gerard linked his arm in mine and led me toward the building.
"Don't worry, they're not strict at this place. They only ID you at the bar."
He was right, they didn't look twice at me when I entered. Mikey disppeared as soon as we got past the entrance, but I didn't bother looking for him. I didn't want to spend the whole night worrying about him, I wanted to have fun. Gerard pulled me into the crowd, holding me close as people shoved past us from all directions.
The music was loud, and I liked the feeling that shot through me whenever I heard live music. I couldn't make out the words in the song over the noise of the crowd, but it didn't bother me.
Gerard nudged me and motioned for me to look up. When I did, I gasped.
Frank was on the stage, screaming into a microphone and playing his guitar. I couldn't believe how good he was. For some reason, I couldn't forget the sweet, fun guy who had left cute messages on my voice mail. Somehow this guy on stage was the same person.
"Pencey Prep," Gerard practically yelled so I could hear him.
"What?"
"That's the name of Frank's band," he explained.
"That's so cool!" I smiled and we began to move farther into the crowd.
As we got closer to the stage, we reunited with Mikey. It wasn't long before Frank noticed us, and at a break between songs he bent down to talk to us.
"Lily! Haven't seen you in forever!"
"Frank, you guys are so good! I'm impressed."
He smirked. "Thanks. Meet you at your house later?" he asked Gerard, who simply nodded his response. Frank returned to the center of the stage to play the next song.
We returned to the apartment after only a couple of hours. I flopped down on the couch, exhausted. It seemed like weeks earlier that I'd met Angela and her group, as opposed to earlier that day.
"Don't get too comfy," Gerard sat on the chair as he spoke.
"Why?"
"Frank's coming, remember? He'll pass out there. Looks like you're stuck in my room again."
"Damn," I said sarcastically. "You mean I've got to spend time with you?"
"You think you've got it bad? Rumor has it, girls have cooties."
I laughed. Frank came in a few minutes later, still sweaty from his performance.
"Let's get drunk," he proposed as he sat on the couch next to me. "You up for it, Lily?"
I looked at Gerard, who smiled, giving in. "Hell yeah!" I grinned.
The night flew by, and soon enough Frank was passed out, just as Gerard had predicted. He led me to his room and put me under the blankets. This time, I still had some of my wits about me. I didn't try to come on to him.
The next morning, I was up early and made breakfast. Gerard kissed my neck as he came up behind me as I stood at the stove.
"Aw sick," Mikey whined as he stumbled out of his bedroom. "I don't want to see that when I first wake up!"
"Grow up, Mikey," Gerard commanded. "I don't complain when you have girls here."
"Mikey brings girls here?" I couldn't hide my shock.
"Not often," Mikey shot back defensively. "And it's never like a one night stand, if that's what you're getting at. I'm always in a relationship with them."
"Good. I'd hate to have to think of you as a player," I teased, and he gave me a fake smile in return.
"Something smells good!" Frank bounded into the room cheerfully. "What is it?"
I turned off the burner and took a platter of omelettes to the table. Frank eyed them suspiciously.
"What's in it?"
"Umm... this one's just cheese, this one's ham and cheese, this one's got some bacon, and this one's...mine!"
"Not fair! What's in yours?"
"Cheese, ham, and green onions."
"Okay, fine," he took the cheese omelette as Gerard and Mikey sat down.
Breakfast was quiet, mostly because nobody wanted to speak when their mouth was full of eggs. It was very cozy, and I knew that I was going to miss it when I left the next day.
I pushed that thought from my head as I began to clean the dishes. The rest of the day was spent watching random movies and TV shows on Gerard's couch. He cuddled up next to me and I felt wanted for the first time in awhile.
I was actually sad to see the sun set and the day end. Even though Frank wasn't spending the night again, I stayed in Gerard's room again. When I fell asleep next to him, I felt a pang of sadness as I realised that the next day I had to leave.
When we arrived at a small, dingy club, I felt a little panicked.
"What if they ask me for ID?" I hissed as Gerard linked his arm in mine and led me toward the building.
"Don't worry, they're not strict at this place. They only ID you at the bar."
He was right, they didn't look twice at me when I entered. Mikey disppeared as soon as we got past the entrance, but I didn't bother looking for him. I didn't want to spend the whole night worrying about him, I wanted to have fun. Gerard pulled me into the crowd, holding me close as people shoved past us from all directions.
The music was loud, and I liked the feeling that shot through me whenever I heard live music. I couldn't make out the words in the song over the noise of the crowd, but it didn't bother me.
Gerard nudged me and motioned for me to look up. When I did, I gasped.
Frank was on the stage, screaming into a microphone and playing his guitar. I couldn't believe how good he was. For some reason, I couldn't forget the sweet, fun guy who had left cute messages on my voice mail. Somehow this guy on stage was the same person.
"Pencey Prep," Gerard practically yelled so I could hear him.
"What?"
"That's the name of Frank's band," he explained.
"That's so cool!" I smiled and we began to move farther into the crowd.
As we got closer to the stage, we reunited with Mikey. It wasn't long before Frank noticed us, and at a break between songs he bent down to talk to us.
"Lily! Haven't seen you in forever!"
"Frank, you guys are so good! I'm impressed."
He smirked. "Thanks. Meet you at your house later?" he asked Gerard, who simply nodded his response. Frank returned to the center of the stage to play the next song.
We returned to the apartment after only a couple of hours. I flopped down on the couch, exhausted. It seemed like weeks earlier that I'd met Angela and her group, as opposed to earlier that day.
"Don't get too comfy," Gerard sat on the chair as he spoke.
"Why?"
"Frank's coming, remember? He'll pass out there. Looks like you're stuck in my room again."
"Damn," I said sarcastically. "You mean I've got to spend time with you?"
"You think you've got it bad? Rumor has it, girls have cooties."
I laughed. Frank came in a few minutes later, still sweaty from his performance.
"Let's get drunk," he proposed as he sat on the couch next to me. "You up for it, Lily?"
I looked at Gerard, who smiled, giving in. "Hell yeah!" I grinned.
The night flew by, and soon enough Frank was passed out, just as Gerard had predicted. He led me to his room and put me under the blankets. This time, I still had some of my wits about me. I didn't try to come on to him.
The next morning, I was up early and made breakfast. Gerard kissed my neck as he came up behind me as I stood at the stove.
"Aw sick," Mikey whined as he stumbled out of his bedroom. "I don't want to see that when I first wake up!"
"Grow up, Mikey," Gerard commanded. "I don't complain when you have girls here."
"Mikey brings girls here?" I couldn't hide my shock.
"Not often," Mikey shot back defensively. "And it's never like a one night stand, if that's what you're getting at. I'm always in a relationship with them."
"Good. I'd hate to have to think of you as a player," I teased, and he gave me a fake smile in return.
"Something smells good!" Frank bounded into the room cheerfully. "What is it?"
I turned off the burner and took a platter of omelettes to the table. Frank eyed them suspiciously.
"What's in it?"
"Umm... this one's just cheese, this one's ham and cheese, this one's got some bacon, and this one's...mine!"
"Not fair! What's in yours?"
"Cheese, ham, and green onions."
"Okay, fine," he took the cheese omelette as Gerard and Mikey sat down.
Breakfast was quiet, mostly because nobody wanted to speak when their mouth was full of eggs. It was very cozy, and I knew that I was going to miss it when I left the next day.
I pushed that thought from my head as I began to clean the dishes. The rest of the day was spent watching random movies and TV shows on Gerard's couch. He cuddled up next to me and I felt wanted for the first time in awhile.
I was actually sad to see the sun set and the day end. Even though Frank wasn't spending the night again, I stayed in Gerard's room again. When I fell asleep next to him, I felt a pang of sadness as I realised that the next day I had to leave.