Like Phantoms Forever

Remind me to never take Frank and Wes to get a Christmas tree ever again. They were a disaster in the tree lot and Frank almost got squished under an avalanche of trees that Mikey caused with those gazelle legs of his.
But now it’s up and decorated, with only a minor issue of getting it into the house.
It’s cold as hell today and we’re supposed to be getting some thunderstorms tonight. I was currently cuddled up on my bed with my laptop, clacking away happily on a scene I’d thought of earlier.
“Emmy?” Ray knocked on the door.
“Come on in.” I said, saving the document. “What’s up Master Fro?” He chuckled, sitting at the foot of my bed.
“I was wondering if maybe my girlfriend could come out for Christmas.” He said, looking at his hands.
“We have plenty of room here the last time I checked.” I grinned. “Of course she can come out Ray!”
“Thanks! I’ll go tell Mikey too.” He scampered out of the room before I could say anything.
Of course Mikey would want Alicia to come out for Christmas too. And I couldn’t even say anything now that I’d said Ray’s girlfriend could come.
Boy am I fucked.
--
“Gerard.” I said, looking up from my morning coffee. “I just realized you have no place to sleep.”
He just looked at me before swearing. “You’re right.” He’d been sharing with Mikey, but now that Alicia and Christa were coming, he was out of a room.
“The windowseat in my room might be big enough for you to fit on.”
“I couldn’t sleep with you?” He gave me big puppy dog eyes.
“Only if you want this huge ass cast on you all night.”
“Mikey and I are gonna go get the girls from the airport.” Ray said, a huge beaming smile on his face.
“We’ll be here.” I smiled, waving goodbye to them.
“You’re not thrilled, don’t even try to pretend.” Gerard said, leaning back in his chair.
“Oh hush up.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
I read my book from the beginning to the part I was writing currently, edited it a little and played with Cupcake in the time it took for Ray and Mikey to get back.
“Em, the girls are here!” Frank yelled up the stairs.
“Be down in a minute!” I called back. It’d probably take me that long to get down the stairs. I eventually made it down the stairs and into the living room, where everyone had congregated.
“Emmy, this is my girlfriend Christa. Christa, Emmy.” Ray said, introducing me to the pretty brunette woman with him.
“It’ s nice to meet you.” She said. She had a really sweet, genuine smile. I liked her already.
“You too.” I gave her a smile in return. Mikey came in just then with a girl who looked like she bled rock and roll. Long black hair, absolutely plastered in tattoos, black leather everywhere.
“Emmy?” She said, looking me over. I peered at her before realization dawned on me.
“Hi Alicia.” It would fucking figure that she’s with Mikey.
“You two know each other?” Mikey said, looking between us.
“We were guitar techs on the same Avenged Sevenfold tour.” Alicia explained, hugging me. “How’ve you been Em?”
“My tattoo finally healed.” I laughed. I’d lost a bet with Jimmy and had to get one of his tattoos. They’d all wanted me to get the naked lady on his back, but I fought until I got the Fiction tattoo.
Mikey looked like he’d seen a ghost. His ex and his current girlfriend not only knew each other but had lived in a cramped van together for almost five months. We had been pretty close friends, being the only women on that tour aside from Matt’s girlfriend Val.
This was going to make it very hard for me to do my job as the jealous ex-girlfriend.
Later that night, after the most awkward, strained dinner I’ve ever been present at, Gerard and I were having a heart to heart on my bed with some apple cider we’d bought from Trader Joe’s the other day.
“So you and Alicia are like, BFFs?” Gerard asked.
“We lived on tour together for a while and we got close, yeah. It doesn’t come close to Wes and me though.” Nothing would ever match the connection I had with Wes. She just got me, you know?
“This is making Mikey so uncomfortable, it’s goddamn hilarious.” I laughed and choked on hot cider.
“Don’t say stuff like that while I’m drinking.”
“Do you still love him?”
“I wish you wouldn’t ask me stuff like that.” I said softly after a long moment of silence.
“Stuff like what?”
“Stuff I don’t want to think about.”
“That pretty much answered my question.” I leaned my head on his shoulder.
“I don’t like the what-if’s, you know? Thinking about what would have happened if I’d stayed.”
“It’s not good to dwell on that stuff.”
“I’ve lived in my head for the past nine years. I’ve dwelled on everything.” I faked a yawn. “I’m kinda sleepy.”
“Goodnight Emmy.” He patted my hand and got on the windowseat, trying to get comfy. I turned out the lights and rolled over so my back was to him.
“Em. Emmy. Emmmmmmmmy.” He said after maybe ten minutes.
“What Gerard.”
“I can’t sleep. Can I sleep with you?”
“No.”
“Pleeeaaaaaase?”
“Will it make you shut up?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. Get in here then.” So he got in the bed and went to sleep.
And that’s how they found us the next morning.