I Fell in Love With a Dead Boy

The days before the party hurried past in a tousled blur. Green Day was doing lots of promotion in the fours days before Frank’s birthday and the last show in America. The good thing about promotion is that I don’t have to do that much as the majority of the people working either on the television show or magazine do all the fussing and running around. The bad thing is that I hadn’t seen any of the tour crew, including Gerard. His glossy black eyes and greasy hair would continue to sweep across my brain every time I would sit comatose and just think. I had to get the bottom of what was currently bothering Gerard, it was a niggling little mystery at the back of my head that needed to be solved. I neither had the courage nor opportunity to ask Billie about it, not until the night of the party.

I had changed into my super girl outfit, currently watching the sky fall to an orange dust through the tour bus window. I was glad to be back, despite the dull concrete car park around me, the tour bus felt like home, it suddenly dawned on me, amongst the reddening clouds in the sky, that in a month this whole tour would be over and I’ll be back in the Bay, sitting at my desk in the Adeline office. I never thought that coming out here I would meet so many lovely people and lest of all, be crushing on the lead singer of the support band. No wonder Billie loved touring, it was like a small bubble of constant parties and amazing music.
“You look super” Billie smirked, emerging from the bathroom in his batman costume.
“You look batty brilliant” I giggled, my uncle standing with his hands on hips in true superhero pose.
“Come on then Fia, we best get our asses backstage, Jamia has Frank blindfolded in his dressing room.”
I chuckled, Jamia, Frank’s girlfriend had come out to see him on his birthday; Billie had persuaded her to keep Frank amused before we all surprised him. I say persuaded, he literally smiled at her and she melted at his feet.

“HAHAHAHA MY arch nemesis Batman! RAWR! And…wow, a damn hot super girl, hey Fia” Tre cackled before stopping his performance to glance at my outfit.
“Tre! Hello! Fia is my niece can we remember that?” Billie waved his bat-gloved hand in his drummer’s face. I giggled and blushed.
“Nice Joker outfit Tre, you certainly fit the title.”
“Nice panties Fia they certainly fit very snugly…OW!” Tre groaned as Billie whacked him over the head.
“Come on we have to go, Frank’s surprise is due…”
Chuckling I followed Tre and Billie out of the tour bus to be met with Mike, Ronnie and Bob.
Mike, who was The Punisher, Ronnie, Spiderman and Bob, Wolverine, turned to see us hop off the steps to the bus.
Ronnie wolf whistled as I waved at them, “Check out Super Girl” he cackled as I blushed again, hiding behind my hair.
“Oi! Can we put our eyes back in at my niece please?” Billie barked at them. I cringed, this was embarrassing, why did I even suggest this theme?

We all hushed as we approached the dressing room put aside especially for Frank’s surprise. Everyone was already in there, Billie, being last as usual darted into the room, swinging his cape as he went. The larger dressing room was filled with balloons and posters a table at the back creaked under the weight of alcohol it held.
“Fia!” I turned to see Alicia pounding over to me.
“Cat woman!” I gasped at the tight fitting costume Alicia was zipped into; Rigger Dan’s eyes looked like they would pop from his skull.
“You look awesome!” She giggled
“So do you, Jesus I bet Mikey is chuffed” She shrugged off my compliment, “I’m not, he’s decided to come as Doctor Death!”
I tunred to see Mikey chatting to a sound guy, complete with White Doctor’s coat, drawn on goatee and manacle attached to his eye.
I burst out laughing at Alicia’s face, “I mean, he gets out of wearing tights, I’m gutted.”
I giggled.
“When’s Frank getting here?”
“In about 5 minu…”
“OI SHUSH EVERYONE! FRANK!” Mike yelled through the door.
I turned to Alicia whose eyes were popping from her skull at Mike in lycra.
“Holy Shit, hot ass Mike Dirnt says now then.” She giggled.
The lights went off and everyone turned silent in a hushed chuckle as the dressing room door opened to show Frank stumbling into the room, Jamia’s hands plastered over his eyes.
“Jay, what the hell?”

Suddenly the lights ignited and Jamia’s hands left her boyfriend’s eyes to reveal all of us yelling,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Frank’s smile widened, “I thought you guys had forgotten! Wow you’re all super heros! Ha, ha, that’s great, aww thanks you guys.”
Frank giggled as someone handed him a drink and Billie presented him with a bag from the costume store down the street from the arena.
“You have to wear this Frank…” he winked at the guitarist.
Frank opened the bag cautiously and pulled out a Robin costume.
“NO FUCKING WAY!” He cackled, “What?”
“I’m Batman and you’re my bitch for the night. Happy Birthday” Billie chuckled as we all clapped.
Frank became overpowered with people giving him presents; I had bought him the Evil Dead box set. It wasn’t a match to the presents of a Wii from Mikey and Gerard or a new cell phone from Bob, but he seemed to appreciate it all the same.
“Thanks Fia” he grinned enveloping me in a hug, Robin costume clinging to his body, “you look awesome by the way” he giggled down my ear. I blushed and wished him a happy birthday in return.

I hadn’t spotted Gerard yet, the room became very stuffy very quickly, all the costumed bodies and constant flow of alcohol made the walls sweat. Soon MCR were due on stage, all of them looking a bit blurry eyed. Ray or The Hulk for tonight gave me a kiss on the cheek before departing to the stage, almost forgetting his guitar.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Gerard appeared, he brushed past me, in a red outfit and black eyes mask, billowing red cape flowing behind him, the edges flicking my arm as he went.
I froze as he jumped on the stage, the clinging tights enveloping the muscles on his legs; my heart skipped a beat as he grabbed the microphone and a tirade of screaming erupted as the curtain fell to “You don’t know what they do to guys like us in Prison”.

“HAPPY FUCKING BIRTHDAY FRANK!” Gerard yelled down the mic to a whirlwind of girl’s screaming, no different from any other MCR show then.

Green Day decided to go on to the Batman theme tune, Firstly, Tre ran on stage laughing hysterically scaring a few kids at the front when Billie ran on and pretend to knock him out. I shook my head at them, watching side stage with Ray and Bob. It was pretty impressive really, the only difference being that I severely doubt the Joker and Batman ever literally kissed and made up.
“Don’t we look Goddamn sexy Vegas?” Billie yelled to the audience, revolving his grey hips as he went. A blast of air screamed back at him and he chuckled down the microphone.
“What about Punisher Mike though? He looks like he could give you all a good fuckin punishing!”
The crowd screamed again and Mike turned to chuckle at his friend. Billie was right though, I think this has been one of the few gigs that Mike was getting more eye attention than my uncle.

After a pounding set everyone ended up backstage hanging around the bar and dancing to music that seemed to float out of thin air. Mike was busy gushing from all the compliments about his costume while Tre was pretending to have a fight with Frank aka Robin in slow motion.
Billie was currently sat next to me, sipping on a beer and smelling slightly of onions.
“It was a bad idea to wear your costume for the show” I wrinkled my nose at him.
“Hey, less of the costume, show some respect, it’s the bat suit.”
I shook my head.
“Has Gerard buggered off again?” Billie asked, craning his neck around the room. I swallowed; this was a perfect opportunity to be nosy.
“Billie…”
He turned to look at me, “What Fia?”
“Is Gerard okay? I mean, what was he talking to you about?”
Billie shrugged, “He’s okay, he’s just a bit insecure at the moment, and he’s dealing with a lot of shit. Just…”
“Billie! Woo!”
We both turned to see a group of the tour crew hollering over at my Uncle. It was like a cookie being taken away from a chocoholic’s mouth, I was so close to Billie spilling…

“Just keep an eye on him Fia…” He patted my leg as he got up to join the group of drunkards. I sighed and turned around, deciding I may as well get myself a drink, I wasn’t finding anything out today.
Walking to the bar I spotted a flash of red outside through the window. Gerard.
I took my beer and headed for the exit door, the cold air slapped me in the face as I steeped out into the night sky.

The moon was full, its white rays flooding the car park, a cloud of mystery and surrealism hovering and highlighting the tangles of smoke illuminating from Gerard’s cigarette.
I advanced closer to him, the sound of my heels on the tarmac ushering him to turn around. A smile grew on his face when he saw me and the fluttering in my stomach ignited in a flurry of want.
“Hey” he smiled at me.
“You look awesome Fia, really…wow” he gasped taking in my costume and taking one last pull of his cigarette.
“So do you…er…” I began, wishing I hadn’t.
“I’m Jimmy Olsen’s Flame bird” he snickered.
“Okay I’ll just pretend I know who that is Gerard.”
He cackled, his masked eyes revolving to meet mine. The black fabric framing his green eyes emphasised the perfect colour of emerald that shone from them.
“Frank seems to be having a great time” I nodded my head to the party behind me.
“Yeah he loves it. It’s all down to your great idea” Gerard turned from me, looking at the buses not too far away, the black paint tinted by the moon’s rays.
“Are you having a good time?” I asked

“It’s not about me, it’s about Frank” he answered calmly yet quickly.
“I bet Flame boy…”
“Flame bird”
“Flame bird” I corrected, “would be a right storm at a party.”
Gerard chuckled, “Probably not, I don’t think he was the social type.”
“That’s why Super girl has come outside because she cares for him lots” I whispered, the silence around us exaggerated by the low hum of the party inside.
“Well, Flame bird is a bit lame, I mean, he hasn’t got the courage to take up Super girl’s offer.” Gerard smirked at the floor, shifting in his yellow super boots.
“I’m sure Flame bird has a lot of tricks up his sleeve to impress Super Girl.” I giggled, loving this little game.
“He doesn’t now whether he can cope with Super Girl’s amazing outfit, those knee high boots, the tiny, tiny shorts and the red cape.”
“Yes but Flame bird's mask is very dashing”
Gerard chuckled and in a nervous gesture, touched the sides of the elastic disguise clamped to his face.
“Flame bird has too many problems; he’s an ass at the minute. He doesn’t want to drag Super Girl in on it.”
“What kind of problems does he have?” I asked, shifting on my feet and realizing how close we were standing to each other.
“Well one big one is that, he, well, he sets things on fire, you know whatever…whatever he touches.”
Gerard’s voice had become a low husky whisper, his nose practically touching mine. I opened my mouth, the feeling of his hot breath igniting every pore on my skin with a rich ecstasy. I desired nothing more than him to lean in and devour my aching mouth with his own.

“Well…” I began, my voice also low, tremors of husky lust puffing from my lips in small fragments.
“…he is dealing with Super Girl here and she isn’t called Super for nothing…”
“That is very true” he smiled crookedly, I slowly reached up to his face, lifting the mask from his eyes and over his head… I leaned in.
Our mouths crashed together in a fury of star –crossed want. Lips fitting together perfectly, the combined taste of nicotine and a tang of pure Gerard filling my mouth, it was better than I could ever have imagined in my head.
His hands danced all over my body as I clutched at his hair, forcing his mouth deeper into my own.
Suddenly we pulled apart, gasping for breath and staring at each other in a strange mix of disbelief and awe. Gerard opened his mouth to say something when the door crashed open behind us and a conga line of drunken super heroes began to roll out of it in fits of laughter and screaming. We both looked at each other, chests still rising as the air caught up in our lungs. A small smile crept on Gerard’s face, his eyes going dark in an emotion I couldn’t pin point.
Before we knew it we were grabbed, I by Mike and Gerard by Bob, the rest of the morning filled with small glances at one another before we both departed for bed.
I couldn’t believe he had kissed me back; it was too surreal to have actually happened. The bigger problem now was… where do we go from here?