Under Jersey Skies

“New Jersey!!!” Gerard called out as he and the guys took the stage. “How are you?!”
The crowd roared back in response.
“We’re My Chemical Romance.” He spoke. “Tell me, how many of you ever felt like nobody really understood you?”
The crowd erupted once more.
“Well, you’re not alone.” A smirk spread across his face as he said; “Cuz we’re Not-O-Fucking-Kay either!”

The guys dived into the all-to-familiar intro of I’m Not Okay, and as Gerard sang, I mouthed the lyrics along with him from where I watched backstage.

“Well if you wanted honesty, that's all you had to say, I never want to let you down or have you go, it's better off this way, for all the dirty looks, the photographs your boyfriend took,, remember when you broke your foot from jumping out the second floor?”

“I'm not okay, I'm not okay, I'm not okay, you wear me out.”

“What will it take to show you that it's not the life it seems? I've told you time and time again you sing the words but don't know what it means, to be a joke and look, another line without a hook, I held you close as we both shook for the last time take a good hard look!”

“I'm not okay, I'm not okay, I'm not okay, you wear me out.”

“Forget about the dirty looks, the photographs your boyfriend took, you said you read me like a book, but the pages all are torn and frayed.”

“I'm okay, I'm okay!, I'm okay, now, I'm okay, now.”

“But you really need to listen to me, because I'm telling you the truth, I mean this, I'm okay!”
Frank yanked the microphone away from Gerard for a split second to say; “Trust Me!” before handing the mike back to Gerard again.

“I'm not okay, I'm not okay, well, I'm not okay, I'm not o-fucking-kay, I'm not okay, I'm not okay…”

“YOU GUYS ARE FUCKING AMAZING!” A familiar voice screamed from the crowd, and a big grin spread across my face as I realized it had come from Sean Walters.
“Haha, thanks!” Gerard smiled. “You’re pretty awesome yourself, now listen, this next song I wanna dedicate to a very dear friend of mine, who sadly is not with us anymore.” He closed his eyes. “Jessie, this is for you.”

Ray and Frank began plucking away at their guitars, joined a few moments later by Mikey and Bob.

“I never said I'd lie and wait forever, if I died, we'd be together, I can't always just forget her, but she could try…”

Ray and Frank’s guitar playing intensified as they dived into the chorus;

“At the end of the world, or the last thing I see, you are, never coming home, never coming home, could I? should I?, and all the things that you never ever told me, and all the smiles that are ever ever...”

The music quietened down again as they began the second verse;

“Ever... Get the feeling that you're never, all alone and I remember now, at the top of my lungs in my arms she dies, she dies…”

I watched Gerard close his eyes, knowing he was remembering the night Jess had died, before diving into the chorus again;

“At the end of the world, or the last thing I see, you are, never coming home, never coming home, could I? should I?, and all the things that you never ever told me, and all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me, never coming home, never coming home, could I? should I? and all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me, for all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me…”

The music quietened down for a short few moments, and I felt the emotion flow through Gerard’s voice as he sang two short lines before the final chorus;

“If I fall, if I fall, down…”

“At the end of the world, or the last thing I see, you are, never coming home, never coming home, never coming home, never coming home, and all the things that you never ever told me, and all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me, never coming home, never coming home, could I? should I? and all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me, for all the ghosts that are never gonna...”

The crowd erupted into applause as the guys finished; screaming and chanting “M-C-R!” at the top of their lungs. I saw the biggest smile ever spread across Gerard’s face; he was in his prime, in his moment of glory, right at home, onstage, where he truly felt like he belonged in the world. He took a bow, and spoke to the crowd.

“Thank you so much New Jersey.” He smiled, before he and the guys ran offstage.

“Gee!” I squeaked with excitement as he walked towards me.

He picked me up and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he spun me around, before setting me back down on the ground, and kissing me with the same fire he had the very first time he’d ever kissed me.

“I’m so proud of you.” I smiled as we broke apart.
“That, was, incredible.” He exhaled. “I’ve never felt that kind of a high before, it’s so fucking intense.”
“You were amazing.” I turned to look at the others. “All of you.”

“The vocalist of our next band joins us all the way from Winfield, she only moved to Newark a few months ago; give it up for Jackie James, and About A Burning Fire!” Geoff Rickley called out from onstage.

“It’s your time to shine, sugar.” Gerard smiled. “Blow them away.”

I pulled away from him, took a deep breath, and walked out onstage.

This was it…