You Had Me At Hello

“I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” I said as Mikey slipped his shoes on. “I mean, it’s been almost three months. I get it. I just don’t know whether or not a Halloween party is a wise decision.” I felt arms wrap around my shoulders. Gerard rested his chin on my head.

“Why do you say that?” He asked, pulling me closer to him. I tilted my head back and he kissed my forehead.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I don’t trust others to respect your decisions and your limits. I know that you have done so well, and I just don’t want to see you slip up because some asshole has a bet placed on how many shots you can take.” He chuckled for a second.

“I don’t really think you know how that works. I get what you’re saying though. If you don’t want us to go, then we don’t have to. I just thought it would be nice to get out. Plus, I just figured Mikey didn’t want to go alone, in case Frankie bails on him again. I assumed that’s why he asked if we wanted to go.”

“Exactly,” Mikey piped up. “Frankie is constantly inviting me to shit, and then he just bails on me. If he even shows up that is. I really want to go, because I’m hoping to see someone there tonight, but I don’t want to go alone.” I glared at him before sighing.

“I guess,” I accepted reluctantly. “Just going on record to say that I think this isn’t a good plan. If my opinion counts for anything…” Gerard turned me around to face him.

“Sugar, your opinion is everything to me. If you don’t want to go, or if you specifically don’t want me to go, just tell me. I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to.” I looked into his eyes. I could see how much he wanted to go. I also saw how afraid he was of disappointing me.

“Please,” Mikey pleaded. “Don’t make me go by myself.” I turned to look at him. “Look, if you must know, there’s a girl that I’m hoping to see. I met her at one of the parties I went to, and I never got her name, but we really clicked. I’ve been trying to reconnect with her since.” You dick. You had to play the missed connection card.

“By the code of the wing-person, if there is a missed connection…” I started reciting our pact. His eyes lit up and he smiled at me.

“The wing-person in question must give their all to aid the friend in need.” Gerard looked at us like we were insane.

“I guess we’ll go, but Mikey? You better find this girl,” I warned. He nodded. I stepped out of his room and went down the hall to Gerard’s. I opened his closet and began searching.

“What are you looking for exactly?” He asked as I pulled out one of his shirts. I held it up to him.

“I needed some clothes, and I don’t want to have to go all the way home just to find a shirt,” I explained as I pulled my shirt off. I slipped his on, and I caught him staring at me. “What’s so amusing?”

“I just love that you help yourself to my clothes. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I just never thought I’d be in a relationship like this,” he said as he stepped towards me. I wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against him.

“I can hear your heart.” I listened to the calming rhythm.

“You wanna know something?” I nodded. “You’re the reason it’s still beating. If you hadn’t come into my life when you did, I highly doubt that I would be standing here today.” I felt a catch in my throat. “Thank you for giving me a purpose… For giving me a will to live…” Tears threatened to spill. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head gently. About that time, Mikey came bouncing into the room.

“You ready to go?” He asked. I nodded, and Gerard grabbed my hand. We followed Mikey out the front door and were greeted by a guy I only barely recognized. “Guys, this is Frankie. Frankie, this is my brother, Gerard. This is my best friend and his girlfriend, Taylor.” He gave us a two finger salute and headed back down the sidewalk to a relatively beat up, dark grey Camry. Gerard and I climbed into the backseat as Mikey jumped in the passenger seat.

“So, where exactly is this party?” Gerard asked Frankie once he was in the car.

“It’s only a few miles from here, at a buddy of mine’s house.” Gerard nodded, as if that answered all of his questions. I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Frankie staring back at me. “Don’t worry,” he said with a smile. “They are pretty good people. You’ll be safe. I guarantee it.” I just shrugged and watched the passing scenery as we drove through unfamiliar areas. After about fifteen minutes, we pulled up in front of a huge house. Cars lined the street. I got an uneasy feeling as I got out of the car.

“You okay, sugar?” Gerard asked, noting my timid disposition. I nodded, but I knew he could tell something was off. He held my hand as we walked towards the house. Frankie and Mikey were in the middle of an argument over something stupid. With each step, the feeling worsened. We approached the front door, and Frankie knocked loudly. The door swung open, revealing a guy wearing a black bandit mask.

“Hey man,” he greeted Frankie. They exchanged a high five before he stepped aside to let us in. Inside the house, the scent of alcohol, cigarettes, weed, and cheap cologne overwhelmed my sense of smell. I stood around as the guys socialized. It amazed me to see Gerard actually talking to people. He seemed like a completely different person. After a couple hours, he headed to the bathroom. Mikey had found the girl he was looking for, and Frankie had gone to talk to various people. I stood alone in the corner, drinking whatever Gerard had gotten for me. I waited alone for almost half an hour before I got frustrated and headed outside to smoke. It was much quieter outside, and the air was breathable. I pulled out a cigarette and lit it. I went over to sit on the swing at the end of the porch. I was looking down at the ground when I saw someone walking towards me in my peripheral.

“This seat taken?” I looked up and saw Frankie. I shook my head, and he sat down next to me. “So, you having any fun?” I blew a puff a smoke at the ground and shrugged.

“Gerard disappeared a while ago, and Mikey found the girl he came after. So, I’ve just been hanging off to the side.”

“Oh,” he said quietly. “If I had known that, I would’ve come back to you. I know how it feels, being in an unfamiliar setting without someone you know.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” I said as I flicked my cigarette of the porch. I stood up. “I should probably go find Gerard.” He nodded.

“Well, if you can’t find him, let me know. I don’t mind hanging out with you,” he offered. I smiled at him and turned to head back in the house. As I made my way through the horde of people, I felt my stomach begin to turn. I checked all of the rooms on the bottom floor before heading upstairs. I came to the third door on the left and heard his voice. I pushed the door open slightly. He was accompanied by three guys that I didn’t recognize. He turned to look at me.

“Hey,” he exclaimed. “I wondered where you went off to.” Something was unsettling about the situation. He walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulders. “This is my dearest angel. These are… Wait… What are your names? Did I even ask?” He cackled. I felt my heart sink. He’s high. Or really, really drunk. I pushed him away and turned to leave the room. Before I even got through the doorway, he grabbed my wrist forcefully. “Hey, no no no… Don’t go…” He whined.

“Please, let me go,” I asked as calmly as I could manage. His grip tightened. “You are hurting me.” I felt the tears stinging my eyes. He pulled me to him aggressively. I looked into his eyes, but they were different. They were empty and soulless.

“Don’t. Leave. Me,” he growled in my ear. I felt my heart start racing. “You don’t want to cause a scene, do you?” The intimidation caused panic as I realized that he was not the Gerard that I had come to love. I tried to keep the tears from falling but failed miserably. He scoffed and pushed me away angrily. “Forget it. You want to leave? Then, go.” I turned and ran from the room. I didn’t stop until I had made it outside and down the sidewalk. I heard the sound of footsteps hitting the pavement.

“Hey, wait up!” I stopped and turned to see Frankie running after me. I wiped my eyes and looked down at the ground. “What’s going on?” I just shook my head. “Well, where are you going?”

“I’m going home,” I choked. He tilted my chin up with his finger. His eyes were soft.

“What happened? Why are you crying?” He seemed genuinely upset by my demeanor. I felt the tears fall. He wiped them away and pulled me into his arms. “Hey, shhh…” He held me as I cried. I finally managed to get myself under control, and he let me go. “Okay, well… Let me take you home then. It’s not safe to walk in these parts after dark.” I nodded and followed him back to his car. He opened the passenger door for me, and I got in. He got in the driver’s side and started the car.

“Thank you,” I said quietly. He looked over at me, and I could see the concern on his face.

“No problem,” he said as he maneuvered through the cars. We drove in silence until he asked where I wanted to go. I gave him the directions to my house. When we got there, he walked me to my door. “Okay, so… Now that you’ve had some time to calm down, can you please tell me what happened? At the very least so I can tell Mikey why I took you home.”

“Well, I went in to try and find Gerard… And, I did find him… But… He was either high, or really, really drunk… I couldn’t tell which… Anyway, it doesn’t matter…” I said, brushing a piece of hair from my face. He grabbed my arm and gently ran his fingers over my wrist. I hadn’t even noticed the dark bruise that had formed. I winced as he touched it.

“Did… Did he do that?” I nodded slowly. He let go of my arm, and I saw him tighten his fists as he sucked his teeth.

“Please, don’t worry about it. He wasn’t himself. This is the first time this has ever happened,” I pleaded. His anger settled slightly, but I could tell it was still there. He looked into my eyes.

“Yeah, I heard that a lot growing up,” he said bitterly.

“I’m sorry. Um, did you want to come in?” I asked as I unlocked the door. I stepped inside, and he followed behind me.

“Nah, I’m not gonna stay. I think I’m just gonna go home,” he stated. “If I were to go back over there, I might beat his ass.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your night…” He shook his head.

“You didn’t. It was getting pretty lame anyway. Anyways, if you’re going to be okay… I’m gonna head home.” I nodded, and he turned back towards the door. He stopped and looked back at me. He grabbed a pen and a piece of paper on the table and scribbled something. He walked over and handed it to me. “Here’s my number. Feel free to call me any time.”

“Thanks, Frankie. For everything,” I said with a half-hearted smile. He nodded and smiled back.

“What are friends for?”