The Technicolor Daydreamer; Folie A Deux.

The morning after the party, I rode with Frank and the guys. Sandwiched the same way as I had been the first time,not that I was complaining..

It was insane, to say the least.
They'd truly taken the "tomorrow" comment to heart.
There were voices overlapping, filling the car with a huge, angry roar. Even Mikey was getting in on the action. Quiet, mousy, mumbling Mikey, who would probably stay as silent and calm as the grave even if he'd managed to catch his eyelashes on fire in a freak lab accident-- Mikey, who was now practically rabid as he verbally laid into his big brother.

That kid should seriously consider debate club.

Volume aside, everyone was at Gerard's throat except Frank.

You know,
I don't do too well with noise or arguments, especially when my side of things isn't being heard.

The guys found that out the hard way.

"EVERYBODY SHUT THE HELL UP!"

I forgot I had that kind of lung capacity when I was angry.
teehee.

Anyway, the car fell silent. The boys' faces ranged from startled to pouting angrily. Except for Frank's which was a mix of amusement and fear.Hm. They listened to me...

"Now..." my voice was controlled. Even. I'd made myself the mediator.

"Bob, how do you feel about last night's events?"
"Well, I'm royally pissed. Gee should've told us, I hate that I had to find out from Wentz and Stump and their gang, and...and my wrist kills, too..." He was cradling his right hand, eyes fiery enough to roast Gerard where he sat.
"And Ray?"

He scratched lightly at a bandage over his eyebrow. "Ticked, as well. And most of all, just wondering why Gee was there in the first place."

"Mikey? Anything to add?"

"I plead the fifth." His jaw was clenched tight, glasses on the end of his nose as he pursed his split bottom lip.

"Frank?"
"I, uh, I understand why he did it. Just wish he didn't have to. And may I take this time to say you're a wonderful mediator--"

I leaned forward and pecked him on the lips.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," I snickered, while he smirked through the well-sized bruise on his cheek. And the wicked shiner that had to have given his mom a scare this morning.

"I know you guys can't understand right now, but I'm doing what I'm doing for a good reason."

"--and the reason is?" Mikey snorted, looking at him from under his glasses.

"...something I can't exactly get into..."
"Why can't you?" Bob, this time.

"I just...can't for your safety and mine."
"If we find out something shady, we'll be on you like white on rice..." Ray warned.

"I know."

It was quiet then, the tension in the air wrapping its large, weighty hands around my throat, one finger at a time.

"Anyone else?" I offered uncertainly. "No?"

"Guess not," Frank shrugged as the car pulled into the parking lot.

As everyone was getting out, I casually looked up...and froze like a deer in crosshairs.

Three parking spaces away, Bert was leaned up against his car.
He didn't look too happy, either, especially with three of his right fingers in a brace.
Quinn was on his left, looking uninterested and mumbling something into the ill-gotten cell phone at his ear, a limp in his walk as he paced back and forth a small distance.

But worst of all was unmoving, unblinking Jepha. Heph was on Bert's right, his eyes locked with mine. Well, one eye. The other had been swollen shut, with the thick, red gash I'd caused pulling the corner of his mouth into a permanent grimace.

My eyes flitted over for a second to Zacky, who laid on the hood of Bert's car and blew a kiss at me despite his busted, swollen bottom lip. "Did you have fun last night, sugar?" He taunted with a laugh, the first one to speak out of all of us.

Frank's fingers tightened their grip on my shoulder.

Bert cackled for a second, then put one finger up in a "come here" gesture.

Nobody moved, but I saw Bob tense beside me.

Bert did it again, with the slightest tilt of his head, and Gerard haltingly stepped forward.

Frank followed Gerard with a brief backwards glance; I followed Frank, Bob followed me, Mikey followed Bob, and Ray followed Mikey.

We were a package deal, I guess.

"Some interesting events last night, hm?" The swine pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

Jepha's hangover-reddened eyes were still glaring, still blazing. Still glazed.

I scowled back. Douchebag.

Gerard stood there, blank.

"The cops just mysteriously showed up on the day I invite you to my place, Way. That's mighty coincidental[/c]..." his stiff fingers, a uniform lump, tapped against his chapped bottom lip. Limp, sweaty hair hung in his eyes, not unlike a Kurt Cobain sort of look. But grungy in a bad way, of course.

"I had nothing to do with it," Gerard's tone was brisk.

"For your sake, I hope you didn't," he grinned, exhaling smoke. "And yours, squirt." his gaze was aimed at Frank this time. "Your girlfriend's no exception, either." He held his stare for a moment.

"My name's Frank." he was fuming. "And leave her out of this."

He shrugged. "Makes no difference to me. Now, Way, I have a job for you tonight-- a bit different from what you're used to," Bert leered, watching Gerard's eyes narrow. Bert blew out more smoke. "You'll get more details later." Quinn here will pick you up at 5:00."

"But you don't have my--"

"Don't assume. I know this city inside out. I know where you live. I know where you hang out. I know where your friends live. I know a lot more about your sad little life than you think I do..." he cackled again, along with Quinn and Zacky snickering in the background.

Gerard's lip twitched.

In the midst of all this, I couldn't help but let my mind float off for a brief moment and notice the way the sun kicked off the surface of the pavement, almost blinding. Typical August morning in Texas-- felt like noon from the moment sunrise hit. Onlookers passed with curious gazes, anticipating a fight or something equally entertaining, but quickly put distance between themselves and all of us when they saw Bert was front and center.

"Bring a friend tonight, if you want. Or two. Could always use a little...assistance, in more ways than one." he grinned, taking one last puff of his cancer stick and grinding it under the heel of his mangled sneaker, watching it spark as he did. He deliberately made eye contact with me, then a smug glance at Frank. Bob took a step closer, prepared to hold us back.Hmph. Stupid Incredible Hulk strength...we'd have been able to take him on.

Jepha broke into a full-on grin at Bert's last comment, piling into the crappy automobile with the rest of his motley crew-- but not before Zacky made a 'V' with his fingers
and flicked his tongue in between.

Bob put a hand on my shoulder.
With no need to mention what he was suggesting,
I'll just say the car sped off after that.

I think this is one of those days where it seems like you should have just hit snooze. Multiple times.