This Moment was Held for Me

The next day at school, Amanda continued to bug me about Frank and our relationship status.
“Just drop it!” I whined at her.
She huffed and folded her arms, “You need to sort this out!”
I looked at her seriously, “Amanda! Please stop it. You’re making me anxious. Frank and I are happy to just hang out with each other and be...or do..whatever we do in the moment.”
Amanda shook her head, “I’m just concerned for you both.”
I nudged her shoulder, “Don’t be.”
She smiled at me and fiddled with the hem of her school skirt for a while before changing the subject, “So,” she began, “Are you going to Gerard’s this afternoon?”
Frank had mentioned that they were having a band practice and he invited me.
“Sure,” I said happily.
“Good. I’m really excited about hearing them again.”
I nodded, “Me too. Speaking of which, how are things with Gerard?” I asked.
Amanda looked at me and sighed girlishly, “So good!” she enthused, “He is the funniest and sweetest guy I’ve met. I really like him.”
I gave her a friendly hug, “That’s great Mandy. Are you guys going to date?” I said cautiously. I didn’t want Amanda to lecture me again. I also felt pretty guilty that I hadn’t asked her about Gerard lately. I had been so caught up in my own little world of being grounded and dealing with Frank.
“He hasn’t asked me,” she smiled and added, “yet.”

After school Amanda and I walked to Gerard’s house.
“We’re in the basement!” we heard a voice call from inside.
I looked at Amanda, shrugged, and shook the doorknob which was unlocked.
Frank was walking up the basement stairs to greet us.
“Hey!” I called out to him.
He jogged over to Amanda and I, “Hey girls. Glad you could come,” he grinned.
Amanda smiled at Frank in response. She then looked at us knowingly and excused herself so that we could greet each other properly.
I felt sort of bad for being distant with Frank yesterday and wanted to show him that I was okay. I pulled him in for a cuddle and surprised him with a kiss. Frank then guided me, whilst holding my hand, downstairs to Gerard’s basement where they held their band practice.
When Gerard saw me walk down the stairs he clapped his hands together and said, “Alright everyone, we can start! The audience is here.”
Amanda and I laughed and took a seat to watch them.
“Audience?” I muttered to Amanda.
She smiled dreamily, “He’s so poetic.”
I rolled my eyes and resisted the temptation to explain that there was a difference between dramatic exaggeration and poetic talent.
Gerard cleared his throat into the microphone, “Thank you everybody for coming,” he smiled down at us and winked at Amanda. He continued, “We’re so glad to have such an audience.”
“Audience?” echoed Mikey with disbelief. Amanda and I giggled at Mikey’s comment which was so similar to ours.
“Shut up Bob!” shrieked Gerard.
“It wasn’t me! It was Mikey!” yelled Bob pointing at Mikey.
“WELL SHUT UP MIKEY!” shrieked Gerard.
“Just play you idiots!” ordered Frank with a grin.
Gerard sighed and resumed his introduction “As I was saying,” he looked around and dramatically glared at everyone, “thank you for being with us here tonight. We are called My Chemical Romance and this song goes out to our number 1 fans, Mia and Amanda. It’s called Headfirst for Halos,” he said.
After they played a few more songs, Gerard spoke to ‘the audience’ again.
He quickly took a peek over his shoulder at Frank’s direction and then turned back to us before saying, “Okay this song is actually a new one. Frank and I have been working on the lyrics together. It’s called Drowning Lessons,” he finished.
“That sounds cheery,” I said sarcastically.
Frank quickly looked up from his guitar and spoke into his microphone whilst he looked at me, “But it could be like a good thing. Like drowning…I’m drowning in you…sort of thing,” he said as he tousled his hair up and balanced his guitar at the same time.
Gerard rolled his eyes and spoke again, “Frankie and I disagreed on the message of the song.”
“Why?” Amanda asked curiously.
Gerard grinned evilly and explained, “Frankie here,” he said as he looked at Frank again, “Wanted it to be more romantic and nice,” Gerard said as he fluttered his eyelashes.
Frank rolled his eyes and spoke into his microphone again, “Yeah but Gerard wanted to fuck it up and make it sad.”
Gerard fake gasped and said, “I resent that!”
Behind Gerard and Frank, Mikey was shaking his head.
“Guys can we just play?” Mikey spoke up.
Ray laughed and added, “Stop having microphone conversations. The song is finished now, let’s just play it.”
Gerard huffed, stamped his foot and began singing it. I listened with interest.
“Without a sound I took her down and dress in red and blue I squeezed imaginary wedding gown, that you can’t wear in front of me. A kiss goodbye. Your twisted shell. As rice grains and roses fall at your feet. Let’s say goodbye. The hundredth time. And then tomorrow we’ll do it again.”
As they continued the song, Amanda and I looked at each other. I could definitely pick up on a battle between romance and a sad story line.
Suddenly I grinned when a certain line was sung by Gerard, “I stared as this moment was held for me.” I remembered that day in Frank’s room when I looked at his lyric book. He had circled that line.
After they finished, everyone went back upstairs to get some food because they all complained that playing made them hungry. Frankie and I stayed downstairs for a moment.
“I heard that line,” I grinned at him as I brushed some hair out of his eyes.
He looked up at me as he set his guitar down, “Yeah,” he smiled, “Would have been nicer in a less depressing song, though.”
I shrugged, “At least it’s there. I’ll always think of you when I hear it.”
He grinned at me in response.
“Why’d you write it?” I asked.
He shrugged, “I sort of already told you. Remember that night when we first kissed at The Cave? I really did feel like that moment was perfect and I wanted it to freeze,” he added nervously, “I always feel like that when I’m with you, actually.”
Without saying anything, I crashed my lips to Frank’s. At first he was surprised, but then he opened his lips which allowed me to explore his warm mouth. Frank’s hands slowly came up from his sides and rested on my hips, like usual. He tightened his grip around me and guided me backwards, as we continued to kiss, so that we slowly were able to sit down on the couch together. We broke the kiss so that Frank could hover over me. He grinned down at me.
“What?” I asked as he stared at me happily.
His hand reached down and caressed my jaw line and he tucked some hair behind my ear, “You’re beautiful,” he murmured.
I rolled my eyes at him playfully, “Come here,” I said as I grabbed his neck so he could kiss me again.
Suddenly Gerard’s voice echoed in the basement. He stood there on the stairs, arms crossed, and looking at us with raised eyebrows, “Are you fucking kidding me?” he said.
Frank snapped his neck up and smirked at Gerard, “What?”
Mikey, Bob, Ray and Amanda now stood behind Gerard. Amanda laughed at Frank and I as I pushed Frank off me and sat up properly and rearranged my skirt.
Gerard continued, “Did you two seriously just forget about us?” he said incredulously, “We’re you two going to fuck right there?” he said and pointed his finger at us, “On my couch!?”
Frank grinned and shrugged.
“You’re sick,” Gerard muttered at us playfully as he finally unblocked the stairwell so the others could walk through.
“Oops. Sorry Gee,” I said with an innocent look.
Everyone cracked open their drinks and strewened themselves over the other couches. Gerard was popping twizzlers in his mouth and laughing with Amanda. I smiled at the scene. Frank came up from behind and hugged me around the waist. He rested his head on my shoulder as he whispered into my ear, “We wouldn’t have actually fucked on his couch, would we?”
I grinned and softly replied, “Nah, I’m just teasing Gerard.”
Frank giggled and nipped my ear with his teeth, “You’re teasing me too, Mia.”