Wasted

Autumn let out a muffled groan under the covers and covered her ears. She could hear the faint sound of music downstairs, making her hangover worse. She wanted nothing more than to sink farther into the bed.

Footsteps were bounding up the stairs, causing her to wince and making her head throb more with each passing second.

The door to Frank's room flew open, shedding more light into the room that was visible under the covers.

"Get up!" Frank exclaimed and running over to grab her ankles under the covers.

"No." Autumn groaned and grabbed the end of the mattress. But that wasn't enough to keep her on the bed. Frank swiftly pulled her to the floor, causing her head to bump against the carpet.

"Ow you fucking dick!"

"You have to help me clean," Frank helped her off the floor while she wobbled, getting used to standing up with her hang over and flattening out her dress from last night.

"I always have too," she grumbled.

Frank shot her an annoyed look, "You passed out early on my birthday."

She tried to hide her sheepish smile but she ended up laughing lightly, "I'm sorry. Okay, I'll help clean. Where's Riley though?"

They walked down the stairs, Autumn's eyes widening at the mess on the floor. "She took a cab last night."

There were beer cans and red cups from countless games of beer pong strewn across the floor, the smell of weed and alcohol still pungent throughout the air. Autumn scrunched up her nose, "This has got to be the messiest party you've had."

"Its my 21st. And we're going to the bar tonight, so you're going." Frank began picking things up off the floor. Autumn sighed and opened up a window to let the smell out.

"I'm going to need some febreeze, bleach and the whole dumpster of New Jersey if you plan to make it out of here."

-

By the time Frank and Autumn had cleaned the place up the boys had shown up to Frank's with cheerful attitudes ready to drink again.

Autumn had showered and dressed in some stray clothes she kept in the trunk of her car. She smiled when she heard the guys walked in but was completely oblivious to the stories they were telling about last night. Gerard was the last to walk in, glancing around amazed that the place was so clean.

"Holy fuck dude, how did you do it?" He asked Frank.

Frank spoke up just as Autumn walked down the stairs, "Autumn and I literally cleaned it up all day. So you guys can buy us drinks." He winked and nudged Mikey in the stomach.

They let out snorts of laughter.

"Hey Autumn," Mikey smiled towards her. Soon the rest of the guys, except for Gerard greeted her. Gerard kept his eyes away from her, remembering what she had said and done last night. She noticed his off standish body language and rolled her eyes at him.

She expected him to be annoying and a prick as he had been the past few times they saw each other. And she remembered him telling her to leave him alone and that's exactly what she was going to do. Except she didn't remember what had happened the night before, Gerard didn't know that she had been drunk to oblivion.

"So you guys plan to get drunk like teenagers again?" Autumn spoke up, a small knowing smile on her lips.

"You too, we gotta celebrate Frankie's 21st!" Ray exclaimed, sending her a grin.

She rolled her eyes playfully and followed them out of the door.

"Maybe we should take a cab..." Autumn spoke slowly, realizing they would all be drinking.

"I'm not drinking." Gerard spoke up, unlocking his car.

Autumn's eyes shot towards him and she stared him down like a hawk. "How convenient," she muttered under her breath but headed to her car.

"Where are you going?" Frank asked.

"I'll just follow you guys, we don't all fit in Gerard's..." she eyed the car skeptically, just to annoy him, "car...or whatever that it."

His eyes narrowed and he scowled at her. "Fuck you."

Autumn smirked and slammed her car door shut after she got in.

"Asshole," she muttered and waited for him to start driving to follow.

She turned her radio on, letting the music echo throughout the car. Throughout the entire ride to the bar, Gerard would slam on the breaks purposely to make Autumn's car screech to a halt. Her knuckles were turning white from clutching the steering wheel so tightly. She was fuming by this point, slamming the car door as soon as she got out and shoving past Gerard when she passed him.

"You do something?" Frank asked skeptically to Gerard.

Gerard just sent him a small shrug.

Autumn knew she couldn't drink because she would be driving home later tonight so she sat in a booth while the rest of the guys except for Gerard drank the night away, laughing at stories and memories spoken around the table.

She stood up, mumbling the words cigarette and heading outside. She shivered as she walked out, feeling a cold ripple of wind go through her spine. The door shut behind her a few minutes later, another body joining her.

She looked up and saw Gerard standing against the wall, cigarette dangling from his lips. It smelled like cigarettes and Autumn's perfume as the breeze picked up, filling up Gerard's lungs.

He glanced over, noticing her looking ahead at nothing. He was getting annoyed with her just being there without saying a word. That's all they ever felt when near each other. They pressed each others buttons because that's all the tension would let them do.

"So," he started, "you get Darren's number?"

Autumn turned around, confused expression on her face, "What are you talking about now? I thought you told me to leave you alone."

He shrugged, "Just wondering if he actually got to you."

She raised an eyebrow, her mouth turned up in a small scowl, "The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

She shook her head and stepped on her cigarette bud, "I really can't fucking believe you." She stood up to him. "What is with you? Every time I see you, you change around me lately! What happened to the Gerard at the book store or the one showing me Skylines and Turnstiles?" Her eyes were watering from frustration. "What's going on with you?"

Gerard's eyes widened, his cigarette fading away with each inhale. He didn't realize she had paid such close attention to him and the way he acted towards her.

"Yeah well what about the Autumn that was drunk off her ass last night?" He spat back.

Autumn's eyebrows furrowed and her stance wobbled. "What?"

"What, you don't remember flirting with Danny and then shoving my words in my face?" He was getting frustrated on his own, his adams apple bobbing up and down each time his voice rose.

Autumn tried to remember but she couldn't place it in her head. It wasn't making sense.

"No. I don't."

Gerard let out a dry laugh and threw his head back, "Right. Well you did. So I don't know what you want me to tell you."

"What does me flirting with Danny have anything to do with this?"

Gerard's lips felt sealed, he glanced around, not knowing what to say. Autumn noticed his change in attitude and scoffed.

"Jealousy really isn't a good look on you Gerard."

His eyes narrowed down at her and his cheeks turned pink.

"Fucking hell Autumn," he moved away from her and ran a hand through his hair.

"You told me to leave you alone and yet you're still bothering me." She shurgged.

He whipped around, "Maybe its because you're so god damn annoying all the time!"

Her eyes widened and her jaw slacked. "I'm annoying? I'm not the one...ugh!" She groaned out loud and threw her hands up, "For fucks sake, to think I believed you liked me!" She turned on her heel towards the door.

"What?" Gerard shouted, his own jaw slacking.

Autumn turned around, realizing what she said and her shoulders slumped.
"You heard me."

Gerard looked at her like she grew a third head. "You seriously thought I liked you?" His snappy attitude was pissing her off even more. She rushed over and snapped back at him, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Why would you think that?" He asked, his voice lowering.

He was cornering her to let out her real reasons, his chest rising higher with nerves and frustration.

She looked down at her feet and shrugged, "I don't know. Because you're always around. You shared your song with me..." Her own cheeks had turned pink with nerves.

He looked over, his eyes resting on hers. "I can't like you like that Autumn," he mumbled but she caught it.

Her head shot up. "Why? Because of Frank?"

He coursed a hand through his hair.

"Yes. And because we just don't go together."

She felt a sharp sting in the pit of her stomach, like he had punctured a needle through. "What?"

"You're Autumn Iero, you've got a future and you've got boys clinging to you wherever you go." He looked down at himself. "Me? I can't give you what you need."

"Who says you can't? What if I like you? What if I've got feelings way too deep for you?" Her voice rose, her vulnerability peeked through and he could see it. She was telling him the facts now, letting him know she wanted him.

He looked down at her with a shake of the head, "You shouldn't like a guy like me."

She bit her lip and shrugged, "I like you. At this point, there's nothing you can do about it."

He scoffed, "Look at this, look at how we're already fighting!"
"I don't care."

His eyes bored into hers, his own stomach feeling fuzzy and warm. He couldn't just take her here and wish for the best. But it's all he wanted to do.

"You have got to be one of the craziest girls I know if you'd settle for me." He mumbled and lit another cigarette.

She smiled and took the cigarette from him, taking in the nicotine through her lungs. "I'll take that title then."