Another Memory

Alison’s P.O.V.:

In my room at my dresser I sat, powdering my nose like a Broadway star with the fairy lights placed around my mirror being my source of light. My dress was hanging on the hook against the back of my bedroom door just begging to be worn, the sequins about the waist shimmering with excitement as they caught the light. Some colour on my eyelids and a touch of mascara later, and I finally felt beautiful. I put on the pretty dress and slipped into a pair of heels I'd borrowed from my mother's wardrobe before picking up my purse and bag from beside my bed and heading to the front door. I'd told Gerard not to be late, and he'd told me he knew better than to dare.

“Where are you – ohh honey! You look gorgeous, darling!”

“Thanks mum.” She put down her book and made her way over to me, smiling as she saw her shoes on my feet.

“Where are you going?” she asked, spinning me around to get a better look. The doorbell rang and so I had to stop her to open it, assuming it could only be Gerard. He was actually early, something I certainly wasn't expecting.

“I'm going to prom, mum, and this is my date.” The door opened to someone who couldn't possibly be Gerard.

“Hi.” He had on a black suit, with matching black shoes, and as he extended his hand towards my mum I saw no paint beneath his nails. They shook hands and my mother smiled, probably impressed that I'd found a date at all.

“Well, have fun honey. Make sure you go to only the best after party and that you make him wear a rubber.” She winked and pushed us both out the door, its gentle clink sounding from behind us.

“Well, your mum seems...nice,” Gerard spoke, rubbing the back of his neck.

“She's alright.” I spotted Mikey and Frank in Gerard's car as we walked, smiling like maniacs as they spotted me in return.

“She just told you to get drunk and have sex, right?”

“She knows I'm responsible.”

“She shouldn't tell you things like that. She should have grounded you for not having told her you were going out with a bunch of guys she doesn't know in the slightest to a hotel she's never heard of...”

“Well she still doesn't know that part.”

“You didn't think to ask her permission?”

“Why?”

“For Christ's sake. Because she's your mum!?” I didn't understand what the big deal was.

“Look Gerard. She doesn't care all that much, okay? She'll just be happy to have me out the house so she can get drunk and invite one of her guy friends around.”

“She should care for you more than that,” Gerard said softly.

“Well after…you know, she lost all that care for anyone, herself included. I don't blame her, really. How could I?”

“I'm sorry,” Gerard sighed. “I didn't think - I mean I didn't understand, that's all.” He left it there as he got in the driver's side and I got in the back, almost tripping over an empty can of booze. There were several cans littered about the back seat, and no one else seemed to notice.

After Christie and Lisa crammed into the back of the car with Frank and I, we were finally ready to go. Lisa got a fake tan done and I tried not to smile as I saw that it was very uneven, whilst Christie looked actually quite pretty. Mikey couldn't stop staring back at her with a huge grin plastered across his face, which I guess was kinda cute.

It didn't take long to get there, and took even less time for Gerard and I to lose the others. We sat at a table chatting about Gerard's first time at prom as we picked at the food and watched people dance, before Gerard cleared his throat.

“So, I know you didn't get me to teach you to dance for nothing,” he said softly, getting up from his seat and extending his hand. The nerves suddenly hit me and I couldn't find the words to say that yes, Gerard Way, I'd love to dance with you, but he could somehow tell. He grabbed my hand from my lap and twirled me around once before taking me to the middle of the dance floor where an ecstatic Frank stood dancing with his girl. I waved their way, but he didn't see me. His eyes were focused entirely on her and as Gerard pulled me closer, I could totally understand why. His hands were on my waist as we danced about with the rest of the moving bodies, yet I couldn't recall there being anyone else in the room. I couldn't remember my location, my name - not even simply the colour of my dress. His head dropped to rest against mine and we stayed that way for the better part of the night.

“...and then she said I was the hottest guy in the room!”

“I did not! Stop lying, Frank!” Lisa playfully punched him in the shoulder, which provoked the world’s largest tickle attack in a car. I think even Gerard copped it at some point, because I distinctly heard him giggle. The wheels skidded against the road and everyone calmed down, only just remembering they were in a moving vehicle.

“Right, we're here,” Gerard finally announced, a quizzical look forming across his face as we turned the corner. Only half of the neon lights spelling out the name of the hotel were working but once we were inside, it wasn't actually all that bad. Gerard and I's room was between the couples', which would be just damn perfect, I though. I didn't want to hear what I knew they'd be up to, because what else would they have wanted to book a place for afterwards? I sighed as Gerard closed and latched the door to our room, throwing the bag I'd packed earlier on the single double bed the room had within it. Great, I thought. I wasn't exactly dying to be so close beside him tonight, with what we'd be hearing from all sides being the main reason for it. It'd be awkward.

“Well, I'm beat,” I announced, rummaging through my bag for my toothbrush and pyjamas. I made my way to the tiny bathroom and changed, figuring Gerard would do the same once I was done. My dress unzipped far easier than it did up, much to my relief, and then I hung it up on the shower curtail rail to keep it from creasing. I was done and so I made my way to bed, to find that Gerard had not been. He stood in the middle of the room with a blush on his face as he struggled with the buttons on his shirt, his pants already having found the floor. I tried not to stare as I passed him to sit on the bed and found myself buried beneath the covers by my own will. He was so cute when he blushed, I thought, smiling to myself in secret.

“I'm done now,” Gerard announced, and so I crawled back out from under the covers for air. “And, you didn't have to stare.”

“I'm sorry but you were standing practically half naked in the middle of the room. It was a passing glance, nothing more.” He shrugged and moved my bag to the floor before turning out the lights to leave us in relative darkness.

“Fuck, I'll never sleep in this light,” Gerard complained, slipping beneath the covers.

“It's not a basement in here, sure, but it's pretty goddamn dark,” I replied, turning to face the other way as I got comfortable. It took Gerard ages to get comfortable, and then it started. It was soft at first, and I tried to pass it off as there being rats in the walls, but there was no mistaking your best friend's name being moaned from the room beside your own. Gerard giggled and turned again, still unable to contain it.

“How is that funny?” I said, though my own lips were beginning to form a curve.

“Because... It's Mikey. I mean just look at him. She's gonna eat him alive.” We both had a giggle at that.