Danger Days: The True Lives of Ritalin Diamond and the Fabulous Killjoys

I woke up days later in my own bed and I could feel the sun’s ray creep in through my window’s shades. I wasn’t a morning person but I could smell the roasting of coffee through my door and I was yearning it.

I crawled out of bed and attempted to look presentable before heading out. I had an old band tee and black pajama pants but my hair was a mess. I hated how long it has become and I needed a hair cut so bad. I never am comfortable with long hair and right now it was growing past my shoulders which posed a problem to me. I finally just gave up and tied my hair into a ponytail and walked out to the kitchen.

Gerard and Mikey were already in the diner nursing their cup of coffee and I walked by and went to go grab mine. I walked into the kitchen and reached up towards the cabinets for my mug and filled it with the black, life-saving, liquid.

I headed to the diner with a piece of toast and gave Gerard a kiss on the cheek while he was busy reading a newspaper from a new underground movement in Battery City. I was reading some of the headlines for any good news and when I looked down to take a bite out of my toast I noticed half of it gone.

“Gee why the hell did you eat my toast? Go get your own you lazy bum,” I said to him

“Sorry sugar. It looked so inviting. I just couldn’t resist. And did you just call me a lazy bum??!! I resent that,” Gerard said with a small frown in his mouth.

I just smirked at him and went to give him a kiss on the mouth. He immediately smiled and pulled me into his lap.

“Man not at the table. Some people are trying to eat!” I heard Mikey say. I smirked and broke the kiss and took a seat next to Gerard.

I started eating from my left over toast, when Frank and Ray made their way to the table. Ray came over and gave me a hug and Frank pushed him out of the way and sat on my lap and took the rest of my toast.

“Frank get you fat ass off me. And what is it with you people and taking other’s food??” I said.

“Aww you know you love my ass Skye. There’s no denying that look in your eyes when I came near,” Frank said with a smirk of his face.

“Not as much as Gee though Frank,” I said laughingly. I could see my boyfriend’s face redden from the comment and it sent Frank laughing off my lap.

“Aww yeah you know you love this Gee,” Frank said as he shimmied his ass to Gerard.
“Will you two stop it and eat the rest of your breakfast! It was just one time and I thought it was Skye,” Gee tried to explain.

“Sure older brother that’s what they all say,” Mikey responded while drinking his coffee. I spurted some of my coffee when I saw Gerard glare at his younger brother. Frank just laughed at my clumsiness and patted my back while I tried to clean my mess up.

“Alright guys settle down. What’s the news today Gerard?” Ray asked.

I learned from Gerard and the guys that there was a group of rebels staying in Battery City undetected by Korse. They were starting an underground movement from inside the city. Two of the leaders, Mad Gear and Missile Kid, started a newspaper that told fellow killjoys what was happening inside the city and with BLI. The name was Dead Pegasus and Gerard had its logo sewn to his jacket as a symbol to others of his loyalty to the movement.

“Two more killjoys have been found dead on Route Guano and five more have been taken to BL/ind headquarters,” Gerard read from the paper.

“Damn Korse! We need to finish this soon Gerard,” Frank said as he sat next to me.

“I’m getting in touch with Missile Kid through Dr. Death. Her plan is coming along but Mad Gear wants us to go stay with them inside the city for better communication and for a more direct attack on Korse,” Gerard explained.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit of a risk we’re taking? What if Korse finds us? We are going to be on his territory and he has the upper hand by having the whole city on alert. We’ve been put on his extermination list for fuck’s sake,” Ray said.

“I say it’s a risk we have to take but I’m just voicing my opinion here. I may be the leader but I am from no means going to do something no one here agrees with. I already had Skye injured because I didn’t think things through during our last clap with Korse. I am not doing the same mistake again,” Gerard responded.

“I agree with my brother. It will be so much easier to take Korse down from the inside. He won’t suspect any of us to be there in the first place. He still thinks Gerard is under his manipulation so it could really benefit us,” Mikey said.

“I agree. It’s much easier from the inside but I wanna know how we get on the inside. We really need a good plan for this,” Frank said.

“Well I’m in. I want to stop Korse as much as any one of you guys do and Ray you have to believe in us. I don’t believe much in luck but I believe we can destroy this enemy,” I said.

“So do we all have an agreement, guys?” Gerard asked. We all nodded and Ray finally said yes as well.

“Alright I’ll get in touch with Mad Gear and come up with a plan to get in,” Gerard said as he headed for Dr. Death’s studio to make a transmission to them.

I came to find out that Missile Kid was Dr. D’s niece and was only seventeen when her mother died at the beginning of the takeover a year ago.

I gave the rest of my toast to Frank and asked him if he could cut my hair short today. I was getting sick of it and we all needed to disguise ourselves if we were to go in Battery City.

“Uhh sure Skye but I’m not a great stylist so don’t complain to me if it doesn’t work out,” Frankie said.

“It’s just hair, Frank. It’ll grow out,” I commented.

“Okay from now until your hair is cut, you call me Paulo okay missy,” he smirked.

“Yes Monsieur Paulo,” I said laughingly to Frank as he motioned me to his bathroom and pulled a towel over my shoulders.

“So you want zee short ‘air non ma chérie,” Frank said in a really bad French accent.

“Oui Paulo, you do your magic and make miracles happen,” I said teasingly to Frankie.

He chopped off most of my hair and now was trying to add some layers to my violet hair. We talked about Paulo’s life and came up that he was a gay man that had three cats at home and was single at the time. He goes out drinking and partying every night and does drag on the weekends.

I never laughed so much and was glad to have Frank’s company.

“All done mon petit chou,” Frank said.

“Merci beaucoup Paulo. You did an amazing job!” I exclaimed. And Frankie did. My hair was cut really short and he made some fringe cover my left side of my face. I love it and gave him a big hug.

“Thanks Frankie. It looks amazing,” I said.

“Aww thanks sweetie now let’s show Gee and let him admire my masterpiece,” he smirked.

I ran to where Gerard was talking to Ray. I stood behind Gerard and saw Ray stop talking to him and look at me in surprise.

“So what do you think, Gee?” I asked him.

Gerard turned around and his mouth dropped to the floor. Mikey came in and almost dropped the book he was reading.

“Whoa Skye, you look different but g-g-good different,” Mikey stuttered out.

“No you look beautiful, Skye,” Gerard said as he stood up and gave me a hungry kiss right then and there. I could see his eyes full of lust and I guess he got turned on by short haired girls.

I heard a cough from behind me and I stuck out my middle finger to Frank.

“Well excuse me for not wanting to see two fornicate in the living room,” Frank said slightly annoyed.

I just giggled and pushed Gerard off me.

“We’ll finish this later, sugar,” he whispered in my ear and I could feel my cheeks turning red and he just smirked and gathered us into a meeting.

“Alright lady and gentlemen, I just finished planning our entry into Battery City. Mad Gear has a few connections and has managed to find a place where Dracs aren’t on the lookout. We have to move in fast though because after 6 in the morning, the Scarecrows take over and it will be impossible to get in. Mad Gear suggests we leave tonight at midnight and meet him there for him to open the gates and guide us to the hide out. So I suggest we pack now and get ready for tonight,” Gerard said to us. We all nodded and I headed straight to mine to pack up all my shit.

Gerard came in a few minutes later and told me that the guys were waiting outside and ready to head out to Battery City. I nodded. He tried to help me carry my bag out but I refused and told him to help his brother because he looked like he could use some help carrying his bass and luggage. I pulled my bag over my shoulder and headed out into the desert.

I felt the heat and sun glare down at me and I pulled out my sunglasses and bandanna to cover my face from the scorching heat. I shoved my bag into the trunk of the car and headed towards Frank who had the hood up and was working on the car’s engine. He pulled his head up and gave me his adorable smirk with hair falling to his eyes. I smiled at him and we began to talk while waiting for the rest of the guys to make their way over.

I was halfway done with my cigarette when Ray and Mikey came out of the diner and Gerard was pulling up the rear with all his bags. Frank closed the hood and handed Gerard the keys. I called shotgun and climbed into the passenger seat.

The guys decided to use nose-goes and Frank wound up being seated in the middle of Ray and Mikey. Once we were all in the Trans-Am. We waved goodbye to Dr. Death Defying and Gerard started the car and we made our way to Battery City.

It took us a few hours to finally reach Zone 2. We stopped a couple of times to stretch our legs but we manage to reach it close to ten at night. We spotted an old motel and decided to crash there for a couple of hours until we could meet up with Mad Gear and Missile Kid.

We mostly hung out in the lobby and Frank decided to bring out all the instruments and have a little jam session there. They all decided to play some of their old stuff from before the takeover and had a mini concert just for me.

“Alright lady and lady, this is Vampires Will Never Hurt You. Hope you like it,” Gerard said as he stood before me with the guys set up around him. It was a beautiful song and I could feel Gerard’s soul throughout the song. They played a couple more but the last one the guys played was the one I felt my heart go out to.

“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

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

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

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 and lyrics just went so beautifully together and I could feel my eyes water at the end of the set. It was now close to 11:30 and we all went to pack up and head into the gates of Battery City. I was the second to last to head out and I felt Gerard snake his hands around my waist.

I gave him a kiss as we stopped at the doorway.

“That was beautiful love. When this is all over, you need to go back and start singing. You felt so much more alive and happy just singing. I’ll be there to support you and the guys but promise me you will go back singing,” I said to Gerard staring right into his beautiful hazel eyes.

He looked down at me and nodded while hugging me and kissing the top of me head. I felt tears on the top of my head and I went to clear his beautiful pale skin of any watery residue. He smirked and grabbed my hands and we headed out to the car and to Battery City.

It took a couple of minutes but we finally spotted Mad Gear. He looked to be about Gerard’s age and we all went up to meet him. He told us to stay low for a few minutes while he checked for the coast to be clear and he’ll give us the signal to head to the gate. We waited what seemed like hours but we heard his signal and headed into Battery City.

Mad Gear finally told us to stop in front a simple suburban home. It looked to be taken from the 50’s with its’ white picket fence and freshly mowed grass and Mad Gear could see our similarly confused faces because he explained that he needed to keep appearances for BLI and not have them become suspicious of their activities inside.

He led us to the downstairs where it led to another level all below the house upstairs. There were four rooms and Gerard decided to take the couch in the common room. I insisted I could take the couch but he was as stubborn as me and wouldn’t hear any of it. Mad Gear said that Missile Kid was rounding up some fellow killjoys in the neighboring block and should be back in the morning for us to meet her.

I was dead tired and so with a round of good nights, I headed into my room and tossed my bag near the desk that was there. I jumped on the bed and didn’t bother to take off my jacket. I smelled the scent of the detergent and closed my eyes in pure bliss. I must have fallen asleep because I felt hands go around my waist a few minutes later. I turned around and could see Gerard’s sleeping face covered by his bright, fiery hair. I pushed his hair behind his ears and scooted closer to his chest and fell back asleep listening to his slowing heartbeat.