I Never Wanted This Lifestyle for Her

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Frank’s --- POV

At about three in the morning, I was still up, sitting on the couch watching random shows.
Gerard fell asleep long ago, as I went through another one of my insomnia stints.
At first I thought I was dreaming when I saw JJ run out of her room to the bathroom.
I stood up and walked in on her puking up everything she had eaten.
She started crying as she leaned over the toilet.
I went over and helped her pull hair back as she kept on puking.
As she washed her mouth and face, she broke down over the sink.

“Why is this happening to me?” She sobbed as I held her close to me.
“I’m sorry I should have known that you’re supposed to start out slow.” I blamed myself as her shoulders shook.
“I just want to get better, that’s all damn it.” She murmured.
“I know, I know.” I sighed to myself as I just stood there rubbing her back and wiping away her tears.

Gerard’s --- POV

I woke up at exactly 9:03 A.M. not by just my body alarm clock, but by the sound of music from downstairs.
I heard laughter, and stretched, readying myself to get out of bed.
I rolled over to not find Frank, and recalled that he still wasn’t in bed at 4 A.M.
All-nighter.
I got up, rubbed my face, and crawled downstairs to find Frank making pancakes for Quinn and JJ.
I smiled to myself as Rise Against played in our surround speakers.

“Good morning Gerard.” Quinn greeted me as I said good morning.
“No sleep?” I questioned Frank as I ran my hand across his stomach.
“Nope.” He smiled as he pecked my lips and continued to flip pancakes and scramble some eggs.
“Did we wake you up daddy?” JJ asked as I poured myself some coffee.
“Not really. I have a body alarm clock after all these years of touring.” I shrugged as she smiled.
“Are you guys gonna work on your songs some more?” I asked them as I poured some creamer and sugar into my coffee cup.
“Hopefully finish running through all of them and choose which list we want.” JJ explained as nodded.

I noticed that she grabbed the smallest pancakes, and a small amount of eggs, compared to dinner last night.

“You feel okay?” I asked her quietly as Quinn left to the bathroom.
“Her stomach just isn’t able to keep all her food down, so we’re starting with smaller amounts first.” Frank answered as I now understood.
“Yeah.” JJ smiled shyly as Quinn came back.

JJ sat there quietly, short after, waiting for Quinn.

“Sorry, you’re waiting for me.” Quinn said as he tried to shove a whole pancake into his mouth.

JJ laughed and told him to slow down before he choked.
I smiled at the interaction between them both.
JJ’s phone started ringing with Say Anything before she answered it and took the call in a different room.

“You going to that Fall Out Boy concert next week?” I asked Quinn as he just shook his head.
“I wish.” He said as he finished his breakfast and I took the plate from him.
“Well you can go with JJ if you want.” I told him as his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
“Would it be okay with her?” He asked hesitantly as I nodded.
“I’m sure she’d love for you to go with her.” I assured him as he nodded.
“I’ll see.” He said finally as he stood up and went off to JJ’s room.

JJ’s---POV

“Well I’ll see you next week then…I love you too.” I smiled as I turned to my door and saw Quinn standing there.
“Are you ready?” I asked him, trying to push pass the subject I knew that was going to come up.
“Yep.” He smiled as I sat down on my floor and set up my laptop yet again with chords and lyrics.
“Let’s get through this, shall we?” Quinn announced as he took a seat next to me.

4 hours later

“You guys have been working for four hours straight, come on.” Frank tried to get us to come out and eat lunch.
“We have two more songs dad.” I announced as I held a pick in my mouth and fixed my hair up in a pony tail.
“You can finish it after lunch, then you can go downstairs and record, but you have to eat, NOW.” Frank pressed as Quinn gave up refusing and put the guitar on the stand.

We were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as we lazed around watching T.V.

“Dad set up that trampoline finally, by the way.” Frank mentioned as I shot up.
“Let’s go!” I squealed as Quinn almost dropped his sandwich as I grabbed his wrist and pulled him outside.

I shoved the rest of the sandwich in my mouth and climbed on the trampoline.

“You’re like a child.” Quinn laughed as he stood on the side eating his sandwich.
“So what?” I laughed as I got a feel around the trampoline.

Despite the freezing cold air, I jumped as high as I could, screaming in the process.

“Get on here.” I commanded Quinn as he finished his sandwich.

He smirked and climbed on.

“Let’s see who can jump the highest.” I grinned as we both bounced around.

We both put all our energy into trying to bounce higher than one another and in the end we knocked heads and landed in a heap of JJ and Quinn.
When we were finished with our fits of laughter, we finally noticed the awkward position between us, and we scrambled off each other.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled quietly, running a hand through his hair.
“It’s fine.” I smiled at him as we now sat on opposite ends of the trampoline.
“So…How are you?” Quinn asked quietly as I ran my hands over my knees, liking the feeling of my hands rubbing across denim.
“I’m fine. Getting better, if that’s what you were wondering…How is yourself?” She asked as a gust of wind blew her bangs into her face.
“Good. I’m glad you’re getting better…If you ever need to talk to anyone I just want to let you know that I’m here. I don’t judge, whatsoever and anything you tell me is and always will be kept a secret.” Quinn told me as I smiled at him.
“Thanks.” Was all I could muster up to tell him.

I wasn’t much on good words, or great sayings everyone remembered like my parents.
I was simpler when it came to kind hearted words.

“I think we should finish up that last song, and then start recording…Don’t you think?” JJ asked as Quinn agreed, but brought up something.
“Uh, so last night I was really thinking our lists over, and I totally thought of a whole…different one, if you don’t mind. I just thought this new list flowed so well, and I stayed up for a while going through it myself, and I think you’ll like it too.” Quinn said as he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to me.

1) Swing Life Away by Rise Against.
2) Smother Me by The Used.
3) Mr. Brightside by The Killers.
4) I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie.
5) A Walk Through Hell by Say Anything.
6) My Heart by Paramore.
7) Umbrella by Scott Simons.
8) All Around Me by Flyleaf.
9) Mad World by Gary Jules.
10) Moshi Moshi by Brand New.

I smiled widely at most if not all my favorite songs ever.

“Let’s do it. Fuck my list…This one is just perfect.” I grinned at him as we headed into my room to put the new list together.
“I’m glad you think so.” He smiled.

---

“You guys ready?” Gerard asked as Quinn and I sat on the other side of glass with headphones on testing our acoustic guitars.
“Yeah.” I nodded as I gave my guitar one more strum, and the red light that told me we were recording now flashed.

We went through Swing Life Away, alternating through singing together, as he played lead guitar and I played rhythm.
Once we finished, we went through and listened to it, noticing little things we should fix, and re-recorded some of those parts till we called that song officially done.

“Ya know…You should take the vocals on this one.” I told Quinn as I really thought about it.
“Are you sure? We can just sing it alternately…”
“No, no…Your voice is perfect for it.” I smiled at him as he set his guitar down.
“Fine, but you have to play guitar. I don’t want to be in here all by myself.” Quinn said as I laughed.
“Deal.”

With that, we went through Smother Me with his voice distracted me half the time.
It was so strong, and it had so much emotion in it that it almost brought tears to my eyes, considering the lyrics.

With our work ethic, we spent most of the day, and most of the night going through Mr. Brightside, I Will Follow You Into The Dark, and A Walk Through Hell before we both called it a night, and his mom came to pick him up yet again.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow at school?” Quinn asked as he gave me a hug.
“Of course.” I smiled as I returned the hug and we said our goodbyes.

I was content for once, all weekend.
With not only myself, but with having an actual friend for once, and not just a boyfriend.
It’s different for me, and I think I’m beginning to enjoy it.