Status: Slow Updates

Until We Meet Again

Strangers

July 17th 2000

The silence inside the bookstore made Jordan almost feel at home. It was one of her favorite things about that place, that and the person who worked there.

“Hey Mikey.” Jordan rested her arms on the counter, smiling at the boy on the other side of it.

Mikey smiled back, handing the change to the costumer standing next to Jordan.

“May I help you?” Mikey asked once the costumer walked away, his voice a mocking courtesy.

“Actually, yes.” She took a folded piece of paper from the back pocket of her black jeans, revealing a long list of books.

“Wow, those are a lot of books.”

“And these are just for my Shakespeare core course.” She grinned. “Do you have any of these?”

“Let me check.” He typed the name of the first book on the computer and proceeded to scout the shelves.

“So…” Jordan started, following him around as he went back and forth, placing the books he found on the counter and going back to examine the shelves. “How’s your brother?”

The question made him stop. "I was hoping I could figure that out now that you're back in town." He placed a large book on the counter. "But since our last encounter I've realized that he hasn't been that friendly with you either." Mikey sighed. "I thought you were still good friends."

"So did I." Jordan stood by the counter as he kept on looking for the books on the list. It had been almost two weeks since Gerard had been at her doorstep, apologizing to her, and that had been the last time she'd seen him.

"This is all we have." He placed a fourth book on the pile in front of Jordan.

“That’s fine. I’ll get the rest in London.”

Jordan said goodbye to Mikey and had just started to walk away when she heard him call her name.

"Yes?" She turned around and fixed the weight of the books on her arms.

“The band is getting together tomorrow for practice, would you like to come? Maybe you could give us your opinion on how we sound so far.” He smiled widely.

She looked down at the books, trying to decide what to answer him.

“You’ve already met Ray and Matt.” He added, only trying to make her feel more comfortable about the idea, but that was not the problem.

“Well, Gerard’s going to be there, right? I’m not sure I should go, I don’t want to intrude.”

“You won’t be, and you’re my friend too. Besides it will be cool to play for someone for a change.”

“Okay, then.” Jordan nodded, deciding to force herself not to think about how she would feel once she and Gerard got face to face again.

***


Mikey had given the address to what she had learned now to be a rehearsal studio. She had always imagined them practicing in a garage or a basement, but it looked like they were more professional than that after all.

Jordan smiled as she parked her car. She was excited to hear them play, she really wanted to know how they sounded like, but there this weird sensation on her stomach, almost like as if she wanted to throw up, which she knew it was attributed to the fact of knowing that soon so would Gerard be there. Things were not okay between them and she had made the point of not wanting to fix them either, so know she felt somewhat afraid of what his reaction would be when he saw her.

"Hey there." She heard Mikey and turned around, watching him take his things from his car. He led her inside the studio and into the rehearsal room, where both Ray and Matt already awaited for them.

She greeted the two boys and examined the room for a few seconds. It wasn't big and the fact that with was filled with wires and amplifiers and other music gear she didn't know the name of, almost made it look cramped. The two chairs against the wall offered the only place to sit on that room, so she took a seat in one of them, watching Mikey tune his bass.

"When is Gerard coming?" Matt directed his question to Mikey.

"He told me he would be late, but he should be almost here." His voice was replaced by the sound of Ray's guitar.

The minutes passed, the sound of several instruments being tuned and plucked and occasional chatter between the four of them filling the time. Gerard was now almost half an hour late, and despite the fact of not wanting to, Jordan couldn't help but worry. She was almost certain that his delay was no one else's fault but his, that nothing wrong had happened and that he just wasn't answering to his brother's phone calls because he was behaving like the jerk he had become in the last few months. But still, a part of her really worried about him.

“I think we should start without him.” Matt suggested, and everybody seemed to agree.

***


“So, what do you think?” Mikey asked after they finished playing the second song in a row.

“They’re great!”

“Great?” Mikey frowned.

“Yeah, great.” Jordan shrugged.

“But…?”

“But what?”

“You can’t just say they’re great, that’s not a decent opinion.”

“Yeah, we can handle some constructive criticism,” Ray added and Matt nodded.

“I don’t know…” Jordan thought for a while. “Maybe it’s because it’s because the vocals are missing, but it’s just that… sometimes it sounds like there’s this emptiness. I think it needs more -”

“Depth?” Ray finished for her. “That’s what I’ve been telling them. We should find a second guitarist.”

Mikey gave him a look Jordan couldn’t quite decipher. “It’s much simpler to write songs and jam with just one.”

Matt got up. “Well, maybe. But with more than one guitarist we could be a lot more creative.”

Jordan had to agree with Matt. “Plus, having two guitars sounds so much bigger and badder than just one.” She grinned.

The sound of someone trying to open the door had them all staring at it. From the other side of it Gerard appeared, his face looking like he hadn’t slept in days.

As his hand pushed his hair back, his eyes cautiously averting Jordan’s, he mumbled something similar to an apologize and closed the door behind him. He was surprised to see her there. For a brief moment she had seen it in his eyes, and for an even briefer moment she had seen excitement in them. Jordan smiled.

After that, no more songs were played. Everybody was now focused on discussing the possibility of including another guitarist in the band. Well, everybody except for Gerard. And before she knew it, the two of them where the only ones in the parking lot, with Jordan standing by her car, and Gerard patting his jacket’s pockets in search for his car keys.

Jordan unlocked her car and gave Gerard a glance. “So, how has everything been?”

He seemed to wonder whether to answer or not. “Fine.”

“Just fine?” She could tell that he didn’t want to talk to her, but she ignored it. “Why didn’t you tell me you had lost your job?”

That seemed to make him sick. Surely he didn’t expect her to find out on her own so he knew his brother had told her. Still he chose not to speak.

“He’s just worried about you. And so am I.” Jordan circled her car toward his, where he now stood by, his back facing her. “I’m being honest with you, Gee. I would appreciate if you were honest with me too.”

For a split second, the look on his face transpired his inner struggle. “I’m working on it.”

“Working on what? What happened? Is everything okay?” She took two steps, wanting to close the distance between them, wanting to touch him and make sure he would look at her, but Gerard reacted before she could and opened the driver’s door.

“Do you trust me?”

She blinked at him several times, somewhat confused with his question. “Well, yes. But that’s not the point, I -”

“Then don’t worry about it. I’ll work things out.”

July 23rd 2000

Gerard hadn’t touched a single drop of alcohol for the rest of the whole week, since the last time he had seen Jordan, at the band’s practice.

The truth was that he had been drinking the night before that, with Katherine and some friends, staying out on the street until almost sunrise. When the morning came, he was sound asleep on the living room floor, empty bottles of vodka scattered around him and an equally unconscious Katherine on the sofa.

When the morning gave its way to the afternoon Katherine woke up, took a shower, brushed her teeth, drank a bottle of beer and left the house. Gerard was still lying on the floor.

The loud ringtone coming from his cell phone had been what woke him from his slumber. Getting on his knees, his sight blurry and his mind equally foggy, he had palmed the carpeted floor searching for that infernal device and finding it, only to quickly realize who was calling and why. His brother. The band’s practice.

“Fuck,” he hissed under his breath. He was so fucking late.

But the hammering pain on his head didn’t let him think straight, or walk straight. So what would be the only thing capable of stopping his hangover? Drinking more.

So he downed the stale beer that was resting on the coffee table and finished the last bottle of vodka on his range of sight, finally feeling able to get up and head toward the bathroom.

The drive to the studio had given him enough time to think of an excuse. Earlier that week, he had told Mikey he was probably going to be somewhat late for their rehearsal since he had a job interview. What his brother didn’t know was that he had missed it, so he could always say that it had taken a lot longer than expected.

Gerard was feeling confident when he stepped inside the room, but once his eyes caught sight of the blonde girl sitting and talking to Matt, it had almost felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Four set of eyes turned to him. He knew what to say, his excuse was a convincing one, but now he just couldn’t.

They didn’t stay much longer and Gerard thanked for that. He had been already doing his very best not to puke, let alone being able to sing or have a decent conversation.

It was only after everybody had left that Jordan decided to speak to him. He didn’t expect that. Nor did he expect to feel the guilt seeping through, the pressure of the flood growing against the walls he had put up around himself. He couldn’t help but see, acknowledge and take in the way he had really hurt her.

And he swore to himself never to drink again.
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Here's a longer chapter to make up for the wait. Hope you guys have enjoyed it and feedback is always appreciated! xoxo