You're My Nicotine

After pulling out of the Armstrong residence, Frank turned to October in the passenger seat next to him. "Gee just called and the band are having a little session, so we're gonna go over to the studio, that okay?" he asked her, looking back to the road.

"Sounds wonderful," she grinned widely at him and watched as he scratched his tattooed arm with his free hand, the other lightly gripping the steering wheel. It was good to see him at her father's birthday barbeque, the past few days she had kind of missed him.

Frank caught her stare and smirked, "What?"

"Nothing," she sang.

He glanced at her dazed smile, "Man, how many of those pills did you take?"

October shrugged, "A few."

Frank shook his head gently and then asked, "How'd you leave things with your dad? He didn't exactly look very happy."

She shrugged again, "He apologised and said we should just forget the fight and I'll do well in school... whatever, I don't care." She started giggling quietly, all the while wondering what the hell was so funny. The pills were seriously kicking in now and she could deffinately feel it.

"What's so funny?" asked Frank.

"I have no idea," October laughed, feeling silly.

Frank stole another glance from the giggling teenager and smiled to himself. She looked so happy and free, her dark hair falling around her face playfully, the half smudged eyeliner making her emeralds glow, and the ring in her nose gleaming, the silver dancing in the afternoon light. She was grinning without a care in the world. Frank could understand how she could think the pills made her feel better.

It certainly made her look it.

October took a quick scan around before complimenting, "Nice wheels."

"Thanks," Frank replied, "They came with the car."

Smirking, October asked, "You have any good CDs?"

"Uh, there's Black Flag in the player?"

"I love Black Flag," she gasped.

"Really?" Frank questionned, "I thought you'd be too young to know them..."

"You can never be too young to know decent music," she replied and turned on the radio, switching to CD.

They had to stop off at a gas station for Frank to fill up, and as he went inside to pay, 'I Love You' started blasting softly out of the speakers and October felt the need to turn up the volume.

"I can't talk, I can't think, my feelings burn inside of me..." she sang loudly to one of her favourite songs. She started to get really into it, singing and dancing. Her eyes blinked open during her air guitar playing and she looked over to see Frank leaning inside the car through the driver's window, smiling. Of course she immediately stopped. Out of humilition and pure shock she went to turn down the volume.

"Oh please, don't stop on my account," he smirked.

"No, it's okay, I don't want to deafen you with my terrible singing."

Frank got back in the car and looked at the younger girl in amazement, "You're nuts."

October smiled, "Thank you." He laughed and pulled back into the road.

When they reached the studio building, Frank grabbed his guitar from the trunk and led the way to the locked door.

"Yo," Mikey greeted as he opened it.

"Hey, dude, glad to see you alive again," complimented Frank and let October go in first, she feeling like she was walking on air from light headedness.

When Mikey's eyes landed on the teenager, he gasped, "October? That can't be you..."

"Unfortunately it is," she replied, smiling up at the youngest of the Way brothers. He looked different without the glasses and his hair was shorter than she remembered.

"Wow, look at you, you pretty little thing," he grinned and closed the door behind Frank. "I'm glad you're here, I felt bad about not attending your dad's birthday."

October gave him a lop sided smile and said, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Much, thank you," he nodded and then said to Frank, "Dude, I can't believe how great she looks." He looked back to October. "If only you were a few years older," he winked at her jokingly.

"Mike, don't scare the poor girl," Gerard called from the bottom of the hallway.

"It was a joke," Mikey called back to his older brother.

Gerard rolled his hazel eyes and said, "Come in, guys."

The three made their way down into the living area, where Ray came out from the recording room.

"Hey," he said, "Hey, October."

"Hi, Ray," October smiled to the taller man with the afro. She remembered chatting with him a few days ago with Bob, and the other two of course.

"I didn't know you guys hung out," Ray directed to her and Frank.

"Well, October's going through some shit and I just said I'd be here for her, you know?" Frank explained. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly the whole truth either.

"Sure," Ray shrugged, "We all will... we've all been through shit at some point."

"Yeah, we're all here for ya, doll," Gerard agreed.

"Thanks," October smiled again, "That means a lot."

Soon the last of the band arrived and the members started setting up their instruments. October was sat on the ground, busy fumbling with the bass pedal of Bob's drum kit.

"Thanks for helping, kiddo," said the blonde haired, blue eyed drummer with a lip ring. "Do you even know anything about drums?"

"Yeah, I play a little," she replied, "Tre taught me some stuff."

"That's cool," Bob nodded and folded away the kit map, now that it was basically set up. "Why don't you make sure it feels right for me?"

"Sure."

Once the two had put the kit in generally the right spot, October sat down at it and tried to make sure it felt right. She found a pair of sticks in one of the accessory bags and began to play small rhythms just to make sure everything was decent for the jamming session that was about to happen.

"You play?" Frank asked as he stood in front of the kit, his white guitar hanging against his lower stomach and his arms crossed.

"Only a little," she replied and admitted, "I'm better at guitar."

"Toro, step away from the playstation!" Bob yelled to Ray through the doorway to the living area.

"I'm coming, I'm coming..." his mumbled voice replied.

October looked through the plastic window at Ray in front of the TV, staring at the screen. "Is that 'Dead Or Alive'?" she asked.

"Yeah," Frank replied, "You any good at it?"

"Very good, actually," she said nonchantly.

"Huh, you may have to prove it later," he told her with a friendly smirk.

"Come on, guys," Gerard called out, twisting the lid of his water bottle closed.

Once Ray had peeled himself away from the television and Bob had taken October's place on the drums and everyone was set to go, Gerard gripped onto his microphone stand.

"You're about to see something very special," he winked to October. His eyes gleamed and seemed even brighter as they contrasted with the smeared eyeliner and jet black hair that sat messily above them. "1, 2, 3, 4..."

The band started with 'Headfirst For Halos' just to get warmed up, before starting on some new demos for the next album. October, feeling way too relaxed from pills, sat back and left the rockers to it, except when they asked for a little advice from her now and again. She was glad she was there, she loved watching them, it sure took her mind off things.

October was entrigued by the way this band worked, especially Frank. She was so engrossed in the way he played. He looked so perfect, like that was where he was meant to be, banging his head to the beat and kicking out a couple times. He certainly put his heart and soul into everything he was doing. She sighed and found herself becoming very entranced in the rippling of Frank's toned arm muscles as he strummed on his guitar.

After four straight hours of jamming, My Chemical Romance had decided to take a break for a while, and Gerard and Frank had just gone out the back door for a cigarette, as the entire studio was a non-smoking residence.

October followed suit and grabbed her purse before heading out the back. Mikey was stood with an awaiting cigarette between his lips. He didn't normally smoke, but after his hard work he was needing the nicotine. Gerard gave Frank his lighter after lighting up, and seeing that Mikey was waiting for it also, October handed him her own lighter.

"Thanks," he said and lit the cigarette as she rumaged through her purse, pulling out one from her own packet.

Mikey handed her back the lighter and watched as October lit up, letting the delicious smoke fill her lungs.

"Do your parents know you smoke?" asked Gerard.

"Uh huh," she nodded, "It's only an occasional habit."

"Wait, is that..?" Frank mumbled and lifted up October's hoody sleeve to just above her wrist on her right arm, revealing a tattoo on the inside of her wrist. "I thought it was," he smirked, "I never noticed that before."

"What do the 'rents think about that?" Mikey asked, smoke escaping his lips.

"They wanted me to wait 'til I was eighteen," October replied.

"And the smoking?" Mikey asked again.

"They disaprove, but..." She shrugged, "Who gives a shit?"

"Hey, rebellious daughter," said Frank, "Why don't you show off your rebellion skills at 'Dead or Alive', see if you can whip my ass?"

"I bet I could," October said.

"Mmm, I'm not too sure, Frank's pretty good at that game," Mikey laughed lightly.

"Don't worry," October told the bass player, "I'll whip his ass all the way back to New Jersey."

Frank smirked, "A little over-confident, are we?"

"Bring it on, shorty," she replied with a cheeky smile.

"Niiice," Gerard grinned as Mikey let out a giggle.

"Hey, you're no taller than me!" Frank argued.

Soon enough, they were all sat down on the leather sofa back in the living area.

"Move it, you ass munch! Punch!" the punk-rock kid that was Frank shouted to the TV.

"What's the matter, Frank? Afraid to be beaten by a girl?" October sniggered.

"I will beat you, there's no doubt about that," he replied.

The two of them were both pressing down buttons on a playstation controller each and eyes glued to their characters on the screen as they fought each other.

"K.O," said the TV as Frank's weird looking character fell to the ground.

"No," he gasped.

Cheering came from Ray, on the sofa, aswell as Gerard who was sat on the arm of the sofa.

"I think maybe you're a better gamer when it comes to... 'Mario Kart'," October told Frank. She looked at him, laughing at his evil glare and 'what-the-fuck' face. "I'm better at stuff like, um, Hitman."

"Oh, come on then, Miss I'm-the-best-at-everything," Frank mocked as he stood and walked over to the playstation, "Let's see what you can do."

"Fine, I will show you my incredibility," she replied with a grin.

"It's true, Frankie," said Bob, "She is pretty kick ass at Hitman, I remember her showing us four years ago."

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Frank said.

Bob held his hands up in mock surrender, "I'm just saying, man."

After changing games from 'Dead Or Alive 4' to 'Hitman 2', Frank sat back on the sofa beside October and waited for the game to begin.

"We're out of coffee," Mikey whined, walking into the room with a pout.

"And who's fault is that, huh?" Gerard replied to his younger brother, "You feel you have to drink a whole coffee shop a day, and this isn't a coffee shop, what do you expect?"

"I'm sorry," Mikey said quietly like a child who had been caught doing something he shouldn't.

With a smirk, Gerard kicked Mikey playfully and he kicked his older brother back before slumping down on the opposite sofa arm to Gerard, next to October, resting his elbow on her shoulder.

While the game was busy loading, Frank asked, "You know what the best thing about 'Hitman 2' is?"

"What's the best thing about 'Hitman 2'?" said October.

"It's that there's, like, all these stories, I mean, all these sub stories."

"They're called sub plots," she cut in.

Frank just looked at her with an unamused expression as another smirk broke across her face. He suddenly went to lunge at her as she flew to the side of the couch. Frank sat on her and falsely punched her playfully as she burst out laughing.

"Grr," he said as he sat back in his place.

"See, this is what long loading time leads to," said Ray as October sat up again, "Shenanigans."

After the two hour playstation marathon, Frank decided he didn't want to piss off Billie Joe and Adrienne, and took October back home.

"Thank you for tonight," October said in the parked car outside her house.

"No, thank you," Frank said, "You made it a lot more fun than it usually is."

She smiled and nodded, "Six hours and no pills, it really helped." Although this was true, she had never felt her body craving so badly. She knew she was going to be dying to make up for it once she was no longer with Frank.

"I bet it did, I mean, you showed me up in front of the guys at 'Dead Or Alive', I'm the master at that game!"

October giggled at his exaggeration, "I'm sorry."

"You better be," he replied and grinned. "Come on, we don't want your parents thinking I kidnapped you," he said after looking at the 10:32 digits on the clock, and opened the door.

October opened the passenger side door and stepped out, Frank pushing it shut behind her. The two made their way up the front path and October fished out her keys from her purse. She shoved a key in the lock, twisted it, and walked inside.

"Hey," Billie Joe called as he came down the hall, "Everything okay?"

"Everything's great," October grinned.

"Yeah? Where'd you guys end up going?" he directed at Frank.

"I brought her along to some band jamming at the studio," Frank replied, glad to see a smile on the older man's face.

"Oh awesome," Billie nodded. "Hey, October, I think your mom needs your help in the kitchen."

"Okay, um, thanks again, Frank," she said, "I just hope I wasn't intruding..."

"Come on, of course you weren't," he laughed lightly, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

October nodded and flashed him her gorgeous smile before hurrying off to the kitchen.

"Listen, Frank," Billie Joe started, making Frank grow nervous at what the overprotective father had to say. "I'm sorry if I seemed weird before, I was just, you know, confused, but Adie filled me in and what you're doing is a nice gesture, thanks."

"Oh, don't worry about it, it's no problem," said Frank, relieved, "I just don't like seeing her down."

"None of us do," Billie replied, "At least someone's getting into that head of hers." He smirked and Frank returned it. "Are you heading back to the studio now?"

"Yeah, we're gonna work some more before calling it a night, I think."

"Alright, I'll let you get back, see you later."

"See ya," said Frank.

Billie Joe closed the door and went to the kitchen, where October was helping her mother put away clean dishes.

"So it was good, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, I had fun," October grinned, closing a cupboard.

"That's great, sweetie," Adrienne said, glad to see the smile on her daughter's face that she adored.

"I'm gonna head for bed," she told them, "Goodnight, mom, dad."

"Night, sweetheart," both parents replied in unison.

October started up the stairs, but stopped half way and leaned over the side. "Oh, and dad? I'm gonna do better at school, I promise."

Adrienne raised her eyebrows at her husband as October carried on up, "What did I say?"

Billie Joe smiled, his wife was right. Maybe Frank was good for their daughter.