My Real Birthday Surprise A La Jessica

“Gerard?!” I screamed as I walked through the front door.

No answer, though I knew he was home because his old red station wagon was parked in the driveway. I walked into the kitchen and got myself a snack of chocolate chip cookies and vanilla soy milk.

I heard the front door close loudly while I sat and ate my food. Gerard walked into the kitchen looking quite dishelved. His hair was standing up at all angles and his cheeks were a shade of red you only got from physical activity or sex. I looked at him with a quizzical face.

“Oh, hi sis…” He said and his cheeks grew even redder.

“Hey… Where’ve you been?”

“No where! Uhm, I have lots of homework, see you later.” He left the room and I heard his feet pound quickly up the stairs.

That was weird. Since when did Gerard have “lots of homework”? Oh well. I had plans this afternoon anyway.

I picked up my cell phone and dialed my bestfriend’s number.

“Taylor!” Came an excited voice after just a few rings.

“Jessica! When are you coming to get me?”

“I’m almost to your house!”

“YAY! I’m gunna go get dressed! I’ll see you in a minute!”

I ran the stairs and banged on Gerard’s door.

He opened it, “Wha?”

“I’m leaving soon with Jessica, just wanted to let you know.”

“Oh…really, uh, okay. Just tell me when you leave.”

“Okay, sure thing,” I smiled at him.

He smile back and shut the door.

I changed from my icky school uniform into a black skirt and batman t-shirt. I was looking for my bright purple suspenders when I heard the front door open bellow me. It must be Jessica, she never knocked anymore; she was much too close to my family to bother with such inconsequential actions. I found the suspenders I was looking for and hooked them to the front of my skirt. Jessica walked in as I was struggling to fasten them in the back.

“Help me please?!” I asked as soon as she was in the room.

She chuckled and took the straps from my hands and clipped them easily to my skirt.

“Why thank you!” I said as I pulled her into a hug.

When I let go of her, I noticed that the pony tails her hair was pulled into were out of place and messy, nearly falling out of their elastics, a very uncommon thing for my bestfriend.

“Uh, Jessica, what happened to your hair?” I asked.

“Hu?” She turned around to face my full length mirror, “Oh, I… uh, had the windows down in the car, yeah that’s it!” She pulled the pigtails out and redid them until they sat just right on her head.

I could tell the window thing was an excuse, she had never been good at lying, but I didn’t care right now.

“We should go,” I told her as I looked at the clock. It was almost four thirty.

“Shit, you’re right! We gotta be there by five if we want to be close!”

Jessica was taking me to see The Used, my favorite band and all time inspiration, tonight as a 16th birthday present. My birthday was tomorrow, Saturday, but I got to celebrate early with her.

“THAT CONCERT WAS AMAZING.” I shouted at the top of my excited lungs as we walked back out to the lobby area after the show.

“Mhm!” Jessica said. She looked like she was hiding something.

“I will never forget this night!” I said.

Jessica didn’t answer and walked over to the stage door on the far right side of the room. She knocked her fist on the door.

“Jess, what are you doing?” I asked as I caught up to her side.

A big man opened the door and Jessica held two cards out to him. The man stepped aside and Jessica grabbed my hand as she walked through the door.

My heart was beating fast as I realized what was happening. I could feel tears coming to my eyes.

“Jessica! Jessica! Oh my FUCK Jessica?!”

“Shh! You’ll scare the rockstars!” She smiled at me, laughing when she saw my face. I didn’t really know what she saw there, but I bet it was a mix between excitement, shock, and teary inspiration.

We walked into a room where the band was sitting around a table full of junk food. The floor was cluttered and the air had the sticky sweet smell of weed. The man that must have been the tour manager motioned to the guys that we had entered.

“DUDES!” Bert McCracken yelled from across the small room, “Our only Arizona VIP’s!”

I couldn’t even speak and I could feel the tears running down my cheeks.

Jessica poked my side.

“Hi, I’m Jessica and this is Taylor,” Jessica said.

“What’s wrong with her?” Jepha asked, walking up and waving a hand in front of my face.

“I’m fine!” I said suddenly finding my voice.

“Can we get some pictures?” Jessica asked.

“Dudes! Yes!” Bert said loudly. I had a feeling he was high, but that didn’t matter right now.

Jessica handed the camera to the manager and showed him how to work it.

We took many pictures; most of them retarded and messed up because of all the excitement going on. We talked with the band for a while, but then we had to go because they needed to get on the road to the next town. I got at least one hug from everyone and when Jessica and I got home I was absolutely swimming in delight and disbelief at what I’d just experienced.

“Oh my god. Jessica. Thank you so much.” I said when we were back at my house, sitting on my bedroom floor.

“Happy birthday,” She said and gave me a hug around the waist.

“Do you want to spend the night?” I asked her.

“Sure! That would be awesome!” She said.

“YAY! I don’t even know if I’ll be able to sleep!” I told her.

She giggled at me and stood up to get a pair of my pj pants. She put on a pair of pink ones with a big flower on the hip. They were baggy on her small hips and threatened to fall off at any second.

“Hahaha! You look funny!” I laughed at her.

“Hey! Be nice! I just gave you the bestestest birthday present EVER!” She scolded sarcastically.

I woke up in the middle of the night not remembering going to sleep in the first place. So much for not sleeping. I started walking to the bathroom and then realized that Jessica was no longer on my floor where she had been sleeping next to me. Weird. Maybe she was in the bathroom.

I walked into the hallway to see that the bathroom was empty and dark. I went pee and then went downstairs to see if Jessica was there. She wasn’t in the kitchen or living room. Back upstairs, my parents were sleeping soundly in their bed and I heard the sound of snores from Gerard’s room. I walked over to his door which was open a crack and looked inside.

There in Gerard’s bed was not only Gerard, but Jessica cuddled up next to him. Was I imagining the back and forth movement between them? I saw the pants and shirt Jessica had been wearing on the floor along with her bra and underwear and a pile of clothes that had to be Gerard’s.

I shoved my fist in my mouth to keep from screaming in shock. I closed the door and sat right down on the cold hallway floor.

“Fuck!” I hissed under my breath multiple times. Once I realized that sitting here freezing to death wasn’t going to explain anything, I got up and went back into my room. I got in my bed this time, curling up under my comforter. I grabbed my cellphone from my bedside table and pressed speed dial number four.

“What the fuck do you want?” Came Megan’s annoyed and sleepy voice.

“I just witnessed something and I am completely traumatized! TRAUMATIZED I TELL YOU! I WILL NEVER GET OVER THIS!” I whisper-screamed at her through the phone.

Megan gave an intake of breath and could hear her adjusting herself on her bed. “What’s wrong? What have you witnessed that was so traumatizing?” Her tone was slightly mocking but I could tell she was doing her best to sound like she really cared.

“…Uhm… I don’t even know if I can say it… Okay… So… Jessica kinda spent the night... And…” I struggled how to phrase what I had just seen, “Igotupandshewasn’tonmyfloorandIcouldn’tfindherandIlookedinGerard’sroomandshewasTHERE! IN BED! WITH GERARD! AND I THINK SOMETHING WAS GOING ON!”

“Awh, fuck.” Megan said.

“WHAT?!”

“Jessica is a retard, that’s what! You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“Really?! Cuz I totally thought she wanted me to see her having sex with my brother!” I took a moment to breathe and then something struck me, “Did you know about this?”

“About what exactly?”

“This whole thing!”

She sighed, “Yes. I knew about Jessica and Gerard. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’m gunna go now, bye.”

“Night.” The line went dead.

I lay in my bed, thinking of what I had just experienced. I fell asleep after a while of pondering and thankfully I was too exhausted to have any dreams.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Taylor!” Jessica’s voice and the weight of her body laying on mine awoke me in the morning.

I shoved my hand sleepily into her face and rolled over so she fell onto the bed next to me.

“Good morning, birthday girl!” She said.

“Mhmm,” I groaned. My mind was struggling to recall something, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Did you sleep well?”

Sleep! That was it! Jessica. Gerard. Sleep. TOGETHER. IN GERARD’S BED!

My eyes shot open and I glared at Jessica with eyes of cold steel.

She didn’t seem to understand my sudden anger.

“Uh… bad dream?” She asked.

I shook my head, “Why didn’t you tell me?!” My voice was hard and cold.

Her face was puzzled.

“Tell you what?”

“YOU KNOW WHAT!” I startled myself by roaring at her.

Her face went pale with understanding.

“You got up last night didn’t you?” She asked, rolling onto her back to look at the ceiling.

I propped myself onto my elbow so I could look at her better.

Her eyes darted sideways when I didn’t answer.

She sighed.

“Jessica! What the hell?!”
She thought for a moment, “We just hadn’t gotten around to it..” She said.

“Thank you Captain Obvious! How long?! How long has this been going on behind my back?! Long enough for you two to be in bed together?! NAKED?! What the fuck Jessica?!”

She sat up, “I’m sorry! We didn’t know how to tell you or whether to tell you! I wanted to tell you, but Gerard thought you would freak out on us!” She said, “I guess he was right! I wish you hadn’t found out.” She started to get up from the bed and I saw little tears starting to well in her eyes.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the bed.

“I am only freaking out because you didn’t tell me! I tell you everything! Everything! And you decided to keep something this monumental from me?! And Gerard! I am going to shoot him! I tell him almost as much as I tell you! He’s my brother! AND he can’t keep a secret to save his life! How has he been keeping one from his whole family?!”

Jessica gave me a look.

“No. I am NOT the only one who didn’t know am I?! You told my parents, but not me?!” Now the tears were in my eyes as I realized how much this hurt. That the two people I had counted on my whole life for everything and anything had kept something like this from me for so long.

“It’s only been two months. We were going to tell you soon despite Gerard’s negative feelings about your reaction.”

I didn’t know what to say. I got up and walked to the bathroom. Jessica tried to fallow, but I slammed the door in her puppy-dog face.

Four Years Later

“We are gathered here today in the presence of God and these witnesses to join these two people in holy matrimony.” The Rabbi started the ceremony.

Standing there looking at the two most important people in my life, I was truly happy. My brother and my bestfriend. They had been planning and waiting for months for this special day and it was finally here.

Now, I was standing as their bridesmaid. Yes, both of theirs. No best man. Just me.

Jessica had had the most beautiful dresses made for her and I. They went together perfectly and Gerard’s tuxedo just completed the whole equation. Jessica’s dress was a classic strapless white number with a beautiful deep red lace over the white of the torso. Mine matched the color of Jessica’s lace with thick straps and a tutu type skirt with glitter. Gerard’s tie was the same color as my dress.

I listened to them perform their home written vows and slide rings onto each other’s fingers and clapped the hardest when they kissed.

I would never regret the night I found them together.

It was obviously meant to be.