Another Hospital Stay
Chapter 40
"Hey, McCracken, how's it going," Gerard asks when he answers his phone. The seven of us, meaning:: Frank, Ray, Bob, Mikey, Gerard, Ana and I, went out to eat at the Applebee's that was down the street from the theater they were scheduled to play at later that night. "What do you want?"
I felt someone staring at me and slowly turn. "Alexia? Are you all right?" Ray whispers into my ear.
"I'm fine. I just thought I saw someone I know," I reply, looking at him and smiling.
"You sure? I mean, you're really pale now," he asks, looking concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," I assure him. I turn when I hear Gerard say something.
"Wait, where are you?" Gerard asks. "Dude, you're just around the corner from where we're at. Just come on over." A few seconds later, Gerard hung up and announced, "Bert's on his way."
"Really? We didn't notice. We thought you were talking to mom," Mikey says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Shut up, four-eyes," Gerard retorts, smacking him upside the head.
"Leave me alone," Mikey said, crossing his arms over his chest and slouching against the chair.
"Don't make us separate you two. Behave now, children," Frank warned, grinning.
"Shut up, Frodo," Bob said, getting into the argument.
"Can't you come up with something better? I mean, Frodo is so five hours ago," Frank retaliated.
"It's not my fault you're so short, people can't even see you over the table," Bob retorted.
"You know, just talking to you is making my IQ go down like ten points for every word that comes out of your mouth," Frank announced.
"Well, that's not a surprise, your IQ wasn't even high enough to begin with," Bob said. "Guess it's to go along with your height."
"Hey, I'm not fucking short, I'm just height challenged."
By this time, Ana, Gerard, Mikey, Ray and I were literally on the floor, laughing our asses off. "Guys, you seriously need to stop it now. I can't breath," I manage to say, gasping for air.
"Hey guys, what's going on," I hear someone ask from behind me. Turning, I slowly look up and come face to face with a guy with long black hair and a huge grin on his face.
"Nothing, Bert. It's Bob just being Bob and making fun of Frank's shortness," Gerard replied, getting up and shaking Bert's hand. "Where are the rest of the guys?"
"Jeph, Branden and Quinn decided to stay at the hotel. They were tired from the flight. I, on the other hand, decided to come and see what's going on. I see that froman there's got a girlfriend from the looks of it," Bert replies, looking pointedly at me. "I didn't know that Ray could even attract someone from the opposite sex."
I look away, blushing and Ray reaches under the table for my hand. "Bert, I don't see you with anyone. Or is it still the same as before with your hand being your best friend," Ray asks politely, gently squeezing my hand.
"Fuck you," Bert replied, giving him the finger.
"Sorry, buddy, I don't do favors," Ray replied with a smirk.
"Oh, homeboy here's got jokes," Bert says, grinning.
"And since when did you go gangster, homez," Ray answered, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer.
"A few minutes ago. I met a few gangsters standing outside and I decided to use their language, ese," Bert says with a wink.
"Bert, are you all right? Have you smoked or drank anything within the past few hours," Gerard asks, finally speaking up.
"Nah, I'm good. It's just fun messing with 'The Fro,'" Bert replied, looking down at Gerard.
"Doesn't everyone," Ray mutters under his breath.
I lean over and whisper into his ear. "I don't. Well, sometimes," I say, grinning before kissing his cheek.
"Aww, how cute. I'm Bert, by the way," Bert says, holding out his hand. I take it, smiling.
"Alexia, nice to meet you," I reply, letting go of his hand.
"So, Alexia, how'd you meet fro-man here," Bert asks, taking a seat next to Gerard.
"He ran over me at an airport," I say simply, grinning.
"So, that's how you caught her attention. Running her over. I see it worked," Bert says, slowly turning to look at Ray, who was turning a slight red color.
"I didn't run over her. I ran into her. There's a difference. I wasn't watching where I was going," Ray says defensively.
I felt someone staring at me and slowly turn. "Alexia? Are you all right?" Ray whispers into my ear.
"I'm fine. I just thought I saw someone I know," I reply, looking at him and smiling.
"You sure? I mean, you're really pale now," he asks, looking concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," I assure him. I turn when I hear Gerard say something.
"Wait, where are you?" Gerard asks. "Dude, you're just around the corner from where we're at. Just come on over." A few seconds later, Gerard hung up and announced, "Bert's on his way."
"Really? We didn't notice. We thought you were talking to mom," Mikey says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Shut up, four-eyes," Gerard retorts, smacking him upside the head.
"Leave me alone," Mikey said, crossing his arms over his chest and slouching against the chair.
"Don't make us separate you two. Behave now, children," Frank warned, grinning.
"Shut up, Frodo," Bob said, getting into the argument.
"Can't you come up with something better? I mean, Frodo is so five hours ago," Frank retaliated.
"It's not my fault you're so short, people can't even see you over the table," Bob retorted.
"You know, just talking to you is making my IQ go down like ten points for every word that comes out of your mouth," Frank announced.
"Well, that's not a surprise, your IQ wasn't even high enough to begin with," Bob said. "Guess it's to go along with your height."
"Hey, I'm not fucking short, I'm just height challenged."
By this time, Ana, Gerard, Mikey, Ray and I were literally on the floor, laughing our asses off. "Guys, you seriously need to stop it now. I can't breath," I manage to say, gasping for air.
"Hey guys, what's going on," I hear someone ask from behind me. Turning, I slowly look up and come face to face with a guy with long black hair and a huge grin on his face.
"Nothing, Bert. It's Bob just being Bob and making fun of Frank's shortness," Gerard replied, getting up and shaking Bert's hand. "Where are the rest of the guys?"
"Jeph, Branden and Quinn decided to stay at the hotel. They were tired from the flight. I, on the other hand, decided to come and see what's going on. I see that froman there's got a girlfriend from the looks of it," Bert replies, looking pointedly at me. "I didn't know that Ray could even attract someone from the opposite sex."
I look away, blushing and Ray reaches under the table for my hand. "Bert, I don't see you with anyone. Or is it still the same as before with your hand being your best friend," Ray asks politely, gently squeezing my hand.
"Fuck you," Bert replied, giving him the finger.
"Sorry, buddy, I don't do favors," Ray replied with a smirk.
"Oh, homeboy here's got jokes," Bert says, grinning.
"And since when did you go gangster, homez," Ray answered, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer.
"A few minutes ago. I met a few gangsters standing outside and I decided to use their language, ese," Bert says with a wink.
"Bert, are you all right? Have you smoked or drank anything within the past few hours," Gerard asks, finally speaking up.
"Nah, I'm good. It's just fun messing with 'The Fro,'" Bert replied, looking down at Gerard.
"Doesn't everyone," Ray mutters under his breath.
I lean over and whisper into his ear. "I don't. Well, sometimes," I say, grinning before kissing his cheek.
"Aww, how cute. I'm Bert, by the way," Bert says, holding out his hand. I take it, smiling.
"Alexia, nice to meet you," I reply, letting go of his hand.
"So, Alexia, how'd you meet fro-man here," Bert asks, taking a seat next to Gerard.
"He ran over me at an airport," I say simply, grinning.
"So, that's how you caught her attention. Running her over. I see it worked," Bert says, slowly turning to look at Ray, who was turning a slight red color.
"I didn't run over her. I ran into her. There's a difference. I wasn't watching where I was going," Ray says defensively.