Thin Line
Chapter 5
No. It cannot be done. You can not split the people from what they do. Just like at school I’m called Borders girl. They don’t split the profession from the person, and I can’t here. Gerard Way will always be the whiney little singer than I can’t handle. Frank will always be the crappy power chordist/ screamer. Bob will always be the drummer who can only do simple rhythms. And don’t get me started on Ray and Mikey. “And then at the shoot, I got my leg burned.” Bob said, “I almost died.” Meagan looked at him, like he was a supernatural being.
“Fascinating…” She breathed. No. Not fascinating. Annoying. This is all they have been talking about the last half-hour. Their precious Black Parade. If you ask me the Black Parade can go to the Black Parade and DIE! I started to laugh at that moment, and the group of people looked at me.
“Um…” I started, “I just had a funny joke.”
“Well let’s hear it,” Gerard started. It took all my will power not to narrow my eyes at him. This is not turning out how I wanted.
“Um…”I looked down at my food, which I haven’t touched because I’ve been so irritated by the group of people around me, “I’ve got to be getting back to work now.” Meagan looked sad,
“Oh,” She started to get up and I shook my head, “I can walk back alone. Just call me after you are done, and I’ll take you home, kay?” She nodded, excited that she got to spend more time with her idols. I got up and waved to them,
“Good seeing you…again?” I said unsure of myself. Dammit! I let it slip! They all waved and I walked out of the door. I heard someone shuffling behind me; I looked over my shoulder and saw Gerard sucking on a drink of some sort.
“I’ll walk with you, saw some things I wanted.” I inwardly sighed and wanted to bang my head on the nearest wall. All he was going to do is talk about The Black Parade and comic books and all of this stuff we don’t have in common. I turned to him and noticed he was just looking at me.
“Yes?” I questioned. He shook his head, and put a bit of his black hair behind his hear,
“Nothing, I just was thinking.” Wow! You think! The curious cat inside of me scratched at me until I asked,
“What are you thinking about?” He smiled while sucking on his drink. I watched the way the wind moved his hair into his brown eyes and it didn’t move me the slightest,
“You know you were right about Panera.” Gerard said, avoiding the subject. I glared and crossed my arms, “But I was a bit disappointed that you didn’t talk a lot.”
“There was nothing for me to add to the conversation. I don’t know much about you guys.” Lies! I’m lying through my teeth. He laughed and looked up at the sky,
“That’s what you keep telling me.”
“What? You don’t believe me?” He just eyed me and laughed again, putting his sunglasses on. I sighed and rubbed my temple, quickening my step a bit.
“Wait for me!” He cried, and I turned around shrugging.
“I’m gonna be late and David already wants to fire me.”
“For what?” I looked at my watch and stretched a bit,
“Hiding merch,” Rolled off my tongue. I looked at him horrified. He laughed and held his stomach,
“You steal?” He asked. I tried to close my mouth to make sure I didn’t say more, but it came up like word vomit.
“No. I hid certain things from the customers.” Gerard was so easy to talk to, easier than Meagan and Scott put together. I didn’t like this vulnerability I felt when I stood next to him. It made me weak in the knees and butterflies in my stomach. It made me sick.
“Like what?” He questioned, his clear brown eyes looking into my own. At that moment, I could totally relate how those girls where. How Meagan thought he was God reincarnated into man, a second time. But it passed, quickly. Time went by us, and then I looked down at my watch again.
“Dammit!” I swore, and then broke out into a run leaving him there. I jumped over a bunch of things, and ran in the parking lot. I busted through the doors of Borders and tripped, landing on my stomach. David roared with laughter and shook his head,
“Even though you are ten minutes late, that was priceless…so I won’t fire you.” He shook his head and composed himself, “Strike two.” Truthfully, that was strike five, but hey….who’s counting? I sighed and stood up, fighting the urge to give David the finger. I looked around the store to hide myself from the person coming this way. I saw Kat. Again flirting with another customer. She was twirling her bleach blond hair, and batting her over mascara’d eyes. She made me want to gag. She looked over at me, her fake blue eyes shining with lust. Kat is what people would call a whore in today’s society. Or, if they want to be P.C. we just say she ‘just wants to have fun.’ Kat really isn’t a friend; then again she’s not really an enemy either. She’s just…Kat. I walked over to her and tried to strike up a conversation.
“So, how are things?” I asked. It was a simple question. A conversation starter. I didn’t expect to get her whole life story. Her fake blue eyes welled up with tears and she put her head on my shoulder, crying. I blinked. Weren’t you just flirting your eyes out to a customer? Maybe that was the problem. He probably saw right through your whoryness. Or you are bi-polar. They have medication for that.
“I just found out,” she started. Then a small wail came out of her, “My love was in town last night.” My body froze, hoping to God that there wasn’t another MCR lover in my mists, “Frank came to town and didn’t tell me.” Yep. Dammit. I looked at her, “He told me that he would always love me.” Funny, Frank doesn’t seem like the type to hold on to one girl…or guy. Actually, he doesn’t seem like the type to hang around with her type of people either.
“Well, um, Kat…” I started, trying to think of some way to get this girl off of my shirt, “I think that,” I paused because somebody tapped my shoulder. I looked over it, looking at Gerard dressed in sunglasses. Kat looked up and suddenly stopped sulking for herself. She pushed me a bit out of the way,
“Hi! Welcome to Borders. My name is Kat. Do you need any help?” I was happy to get out of that confusion, “You look like someone.” My heart stopped, and I looked at him with horrified eyes, “Like…Gear—”
“Geoff.” I said slowly, “He’s my relative from Kansas. Geoff Keens.” I lied for him. He raised and eyebrow and smirked,
“Nice to meet you, Kat. Mari, I wanna see the comics. Down in Kansas they don’t have a lot of comics.” Gerard said to me. I nodded and walked up the stairs. Kat followed behind closely,
“Oh…well you look a lot like Gerard Way, you know from My Chemical Romance. I’m going out with Frank you know.”
“Oh really?” Gerard asked. My God, how much bleach did they put in that girls hair? Maybe she needed medication.
“Kat, I think there is a really cute guy downstairs.” I said, walking to Comics. Kat perked up and bounded down the stairs. Once we were alone, well really we weren’t along, but once Kat was gone, Gerard laughed so hard. I glared at him and picked up a few things I thought he would like and handed them to him, “Here. Take them.”
“You lied for me.”
“I didn’t lie for you. I lied for my reputation. I can’t be seen with Gerard Way. That would ruin everything.”
“Or make everything better.”
“Nothing is wrong!”
“I never said it was.” He said, looking up at me. I glared harder, if that was even possible, and shook my head.
“You’ve got your comics. Now you and your band can go back to Belleville, New Jersey.” Gerard cracked a huge smile and crossed his arms over his chest,
“What about you and not knowing anything about the band?” I screamed. I screamed and growled my lungs out. Borders grew quiet, as they thought something terrible had happened. I walked down the steps, taking them by twos and walked out of the store. I was going to get fired, but if I had stayed one more second with that man, his fans would wonder what happened to his nose.
“Fascinating…” She breathed. No. Not fascinating. Annoying. This is all they have been talking about the last half-hour. Their precious Black Parade. If you ask me the Black Parade can go to the Black Parade and DIE! I started to laugh at that moment, and the group of people looked at me.
“Um…” I started, “I just had a funny joke.”
“Well let’s hear it,” Gerard started. It took all my will power not to narrow my eyes at him. This is not turning out how I wanted.
“Um…”I looked down at my food, which I haven’t touched because I’ve been so irritated by the group of people around me, “I’ve got to be getting back to work now.” Meagan looked sad,
“Oh,” She started to get up and I shook my head, “I can walk back alone. Just call me after you are done, and I’ll take you home, kay?” She nodded, excited that she got to spend more time with her idols. I got up and waved to them,
“Good seeing you…again?” I said unsure of myself. Dammit! I let it slip! They all waved and I walked out of the door. I heard someone shuffling behind me; I looked over my shoulder and saw Gerard sucking on a drink of some sort.
“I’ll walk with you, saw some things I wanted.” I inwardly sighed and wanted to bang my head on the nearest wall. All he was going to do is talk about The Black Parade and comic books and all of this stuff we don’t have in common. I turned to him and noticed he was just looking at me.
“Yes?” I questioned. He shook his head, and put a bit of his black hair behind his hear,
“Nothing, I just was thinking.” Wow! You think! The curious cat inside of me scratched at me until I asked,
“What are you thinking about?” He smiled while sucking on his drink. I watched the way the wind moved his hair into his brown eyes and it didn’t move me the slightest,
“You know you were right about Panera.” Gerard said, avoiding the subject. I glared and crossed my arms, “But I was a bit disappointed that you didn’t talk a lot.”
“There was nothing for me to add to the conversation. I don’t know much about you guys.” Lies! I’m lying through my teeth. He laughed and looked up at the sky,
“That’s what you keep telling me.”
“What? You don’t believe me?” He just eyed me and laughed again, putting his sunglasses on. I sighed and rubbed my temple, quickening my step a bit.
“Wait for me!” He cried, and I turned around shrugging.
“I’m gonna be late and David already wants to fire me.”
“For what?” I looked at my watch and stretched a bit,
“Hiding merch,” Rolled off my tongue. I looked at him horrified. He laughed and held his stomach,
“You steal?” He asked. I tried to close my mouth to make sure I didn’t say more, but it came up like word vomit.
“No. I hid certain things from the customers.” Gerard was so easy to talk to, easier than Meagan and Scott put together. I didn’t like this vulnerability I felt when I stood next to him. It made me weak in the knees and butterflies in my stomach. It made me sick.
“Like what?” He questioned, his clear brown eyes looking into my own. At that moment, I could totally relate how those girls where. How Meagan thought he was God reincarnated into man, a second time. But it passed, quickly. Time went by us, and then I looked down at my watch again.
“Dammit!” I swore, and then broke out into a run leaving him there. I jumped over a bunch of things, and ran in the parking lot. I busted through the doors of Borders and tripped, landing on my stomach. David roared with laughter and shook his head,
“Even though you are ten minutes late, that was priceless…so I won’t fire you.” He shook his head and composed himself, “Strike two.” Truthfully, that was strike five, but hey….who’s counting? I sighed and stood up, fighting the urge to give David the finger. I looked around the store to hide myself from the person coming this way. I saw Kat. Again flirting with another customer. She was twirling her bleach blond hair, and batting her over mascara’d eyes. She made me want to gag. She looked over at me, her fake blue eyes shining with lust. Kat is what people would call a whore in today’s society. Or, if they want to be P.C. we just say she ‘just wants to have fun.’ Kat really isn’t a friend; then again she’s not really an enemy either. She’s just…Kat. I walked over to her and tried to strike up a conversation.
“So, how are things?” I asked. It was a simple question. A conversation starter. I didn’t expect to get her whole life story. Her fake blue eyes welled up with tears and she put her head on my shoulder, crying. I blinked. Weren’t you just flirting your eyes out to a customer? Maybe that was the problem. He probably saw right through your whoryness. Or you are bi-polar. They have medication for that.
“I just found out,” she started. Then a small wail came out of her, “My love was in town last night.” My body froze, hoping to God that there wasn’t another MCR lover in my mists, “Frank came to town and didn’t tell me.” Yep. Dammit. I looked at her, “He told me that he would always love me.” Funny, Frank doesn’t seem like the type to hold on to one girl…or guy. Actually, he doesn’t seem like the type to hang around with her type of people either.
“Well, um, Kat…” I started, trying to think of some way to get this girl off of my shirt, “I think that,” I paused because somebody tapped my shoulder. I looked over it, looking at Gerard dressed in sunglasses. Kat looked up and suddenly stopped sulking for herself. She pushed me a bit out of the way,
“Hi! Welcome to Borders. My name is Kat. Do you need any help?” I was happy to get out of that confusion, “You look like someone.” My heart stopped, and I looked at him with horrified eyes, “Like…Gear—”
“Geoff.” I said slowly, “He’s my relative from Kansas. Geoff Keens.” I lied for him. He raised and eyebrow and smirked,
“Nice to meet you, Kat. Mari, I wanna see the comics. Down in Kansas they don’t have a lot of comics.” Gerard said to me. I nodded and walked up the stairs. Kat followed behind closely,
“Oh…well you look a lot like Gerard Way, you know from My Chemical Romance. I’m going out with Frank you know.”
“Oh really?” Gerard asked. My God, how much bleach did they put in that girls hair? Maybe she needed medication.
“Kat, I think there is a really cute guy downstairs.” I said, walking to Comics. Kat perked up and bounded down the stairs. Once we were alone, well really we weren’t along, but once Kat was gone, Gerard laughed so hard. I glared at him and picked up a few things I thought he would like and handed them to him, “Here. Take them.”
“You lied for me.”
“I didn’t lie for you. I lied for my reputation. I can’t be seen with Gerard Way. That would ruin everything.”
“Or make everything better.”
“Nothing is wrong!”
“I never said it was.” He said, looking up at me. I glared harder, if that was even possible, and shook my head.
“You’ve got your comics. Now you and your band can go back to Belleville, New Jersey.” Gerard cracked a huge smile and crossed his arms over his chest,
“What about you and not knowing anything about the band?” I screamed. I screamed and growled my lungs out. Borders grew quiet, as they thought something terrible had happened. I walked down the steps, taking them by twos and walked out of the store. I was going to get fired, but if I had stayed one more second with that man, his fans would wonder what happened to his nose.