Wasted

Gerard let his mind and his fingers do the talking as he sat in his desk at his job. Lucky for him he had a small break in his paid internship for the moment to draw up what had been racking his mind lately.

"That's really good," Stacy, the other intern at Cartoon network spoke up behind him. Her hands grasped a coffee mug and she brought it up to her lips to take a small drink.

Gerard glanced up at her over his shoulder, surprised at the voice behind him. "Oh. Thanks."
He didn’t expect to see Stacy anywhere near him during their lunch break. The only time they ever talked was when they would awkwardly brush against each and mumble a small ‘excuse me.’

She nodded and leaned against the wall next to his desk. Her brown eyes scanned his drawing. Her lips tweaked up into a smile.

"I'm surprised you haven't gotten a concrete job as an animator here.”

He smiled back and shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it’s not in the cards."

Her eyebrows shot up and she smirked. "You're in that band right? You guys played at Pete's like last Saturday?"

Gerard's eyes widened up and he nodded. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"I like going to shows. You guys are My Chemical...um..." She smiled sheepishly, forgetting the last word.

"Romance," he smiled back. "My Chemical Romance."

"Got it," she grinned and put her coffee mug down. "So do you want to grab a bite at lunch?" Gerard's eyes widened slightly. He knew enough to know that they were on flirting grounds. Autumn and he weren't official or even exclusive. They had only established their feelings and gotten to know each other. He thought about it for a second and thought fuck it.

"Sure, let me just wrap this up." Gerard smiled back at her warmly, sensing the nerves she was radiating. She nodded and stood up to go back to her cubicle.

Gerard put his drawing and pencils away and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. Stacy stood at the elevator waiting.

"So what do you think about Falafels?" Stacy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sounds good to me."

-

"How’s your band doing?" Stacy asked as they sat on a bench in the nearby park.

Gerard's smile grew. He loved talking about the music he was creating with his band and what was in store for them.

"We're actually going to start recording soon. We just added a new guitarist so now the band actually feels complete."

It felt kind of strange telling this to Stacy who he had barely talked to in the short few months they worked together. He had noticed her for being a woman but didn't really look at her until now. She had dark brown hair that hung low to her shoulders and chocolate brown eyes rimmed with makeup under a pair of glasses. She was taller than Autumn who just stood at a mere 5'4 and here was Stacy standing tall at 5'7 without a pair of heels. She was attractive and a good sight to look at.

“I would have never pinned you for a lead singer.” She smirked and moved a spoon around her yogurt.

Gerard scoffed playfully and narrowed his eyes. "What? Do I look like the bassist?"

"Nah," Stacy shook her head and clicked her tongue, "More like the guy on the tambourine."

Gerard giggled softly making Stacy's eyes widened and her own giggle escaped from her lips. Gerard was shocked at how easy it was talking to her. In the real world if they were to ever pass each other on their street their eyes would never even meet. But it was nice talking to another human being that wasn't his usual set of friends. And it didn't hurt that she was attractive and being flirtatious.

"I'll sing right to you at our next show if you show up, just watch." He smirked and pulled his box of cigarettes out of his coat pocket. He offered one and she happily accepted the free nicotine.

"What makes you think I'll actually show up?" She cocked an eyebrow at him and inhaled the savory smoke.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. Will you?" He turned his hazel eyes to her and her face softened up. She replied with a sheepish shrug and looked ahead while smoking the rest of her cigarette.

"I think fall is my favorite season," Stacy murmured a few seconds later as they both watched the red and orange leaves fall from the trees.

The word fall clicked in his head and he felt a small fuzziness in his stomach as he thought of Autumn. The season reflected in her looks with her brown hair that had an auburn tint and the yellow color her hazel eyes glowered with. "Yeah, it's beautiful." Gerard mumbled quietly to himself, thinking of Autumn and letting the fuzziness take over his stomach.
-
Autumn rested her head against the booth of the pizza parlor she agreed to meet Frank in. Days had passed since Pencey Prep disintegrated and were no more. Frank had been down in the dumps emotionally and physically for the past few days. He rarely ever left the house and if he did it was to go grab a drink with the guys. Autumn had spent the free time she had being a shoulder to lean on at his house.

But just a few hours ago he had called her screaming about the greatest news he had gotten in so long. She could barely even register what he was saying. But shouted and rushed her to get to the pizza parlor a few minutes from his house as soon as she was off of work.

She tapped her foot impatiently, expecting him to get here as soon as possible if not before her. She checked the time on her phone but her head shot up when she heard the front door ding open and Frank’s loud footsteps thumping against the linoleum floor.
“Autumn!” He exasperated and plopped down across from her with a big thump.
She raised an eyebrow and sent him a questioning look. “Hi.”

He grinned widely and clasped his hands together, his face beaming and his leg shaking excitedly.
“So what’s the big news?” She asked, raising her eyebrows and leaning in closer in interest.

“I’m a part of a new band now!” He shouted loudly, causing people around the parlor to send them glares asking them to hush down. Frank snorted out a giggle. Autumn rolled her eyes.

It was kind of soon for him to be in a new band. She wondered how he even got asked to be a part of it. He hadn’t even showered in a week before today and all he did was pig out on the couch while watching old 80’s films.

“That’s rad. Is it a local band?” She twirled her straw around her glass of soda. Frank nodded his head happily.

“You’ll never guess who.”

Autumn cocked an eyebrow. “Are you going to tell me or are you going to make me guess?”

His bright smile flashed her face and he laughed lightly. “I’m My Chemical Romance’s new rhythm guitarist.”
Autumn’s eyes widened and her heart did a small leap. This was tremendous news and kind of ironic. Frank had always been My Chemical Romance’s number one fan. Giving them all of their gigs and supporting them at all of their shows with his girlish screams; Autumn even teased him for it.

“Oh my god!” Autumn exclaimed and jumped a bit in her seat. She leaned across the table and pulled him into a quick embrace. “That’s fucking great Frankie!”

He hugged her back and laughed along. “I’m in a band with my good friends, it’s pretty fucking gnarly.”

She sat back and ran a small hand through her hair. “So no more hard feelings towards Pencey?” Frank’s eyes faltered for a second but he shrugged carelessly and shook his head. “Nah, things happen for a reason. Now I get to share a stage with Gerard and his over dramatic antics up there.” He rolled his eyes and grinned.

Autumn bit her lip when Gerard flashed her mind. It still wasn’t safe or secure enough to tell anyone that Gerard and she had mutual feelings for each other. But at least now that Frank was in a better mood she hoped she could confide in him sooner or later.