The Latest Plague [Chap. 20-29]

[decay;;]

Twenty.

"Welcome home," Ray whispered, flicking on the hallway light. I squinted in the sudden brightness, eager to relax. Gerard was stood next to me, his arm balanced on my shoulder, watching his friend intently as he rushed around his house, moving cushions and rugs around into a circle on the floor. Once his work was complete he beckoned us in, motioning to the arrangement of seats. I settled in between Gerard and Frank.

"So what are we going to play?" I enquired, looking at Mikey, who had his arm wrapped around Zoe's neck.
"TRUTH OR DARE!" He screamed, "TRUTH OR FUCKING DARE, PLEASE!"
I flinched, casting Gerard a glance. His eyes were wide, watching Mikey pull a bottle from under the sofa and throwing it into the center of the group, sloshing alcohol all over Frank's knees.

Was he thinking what I was thinking? Was he also seeing a harmless, drunken game as an excuse to take things further? Because I was. But I didn't even understand why. I had sworn to myself, from the moment we met, that I wouldn't fall in love with him. He was dead. It was bound to be trouble from the start, promises or no promises.
But yet, I had.

Stretching out a hand, Mikey flicked the bottle. It span, each of us leaning forward anticipating, or maybe dreading, the outcome. Slowly but surely, it swung to a stop at Mikey's feet.
"MIKEY!" Frank squealed, "Truth or dare?"
"DARE!" Mikey giggled, clapping his hands together. Frank raised a finger to his chin in mock thought, looking from the eager Mikey to Zoe, and back again. Finally he came to a decision, and smirked the cheekiest smirk I had seen all night.

"Mikey, I dare you to have a three-kiss with Zoe... and Ray." He said slowly. Zoe looked up and laughed, leaning forward to face Mikey; Ray, however, remained motionless.
"What's up Ray? Too chicken?" Frank teased. Ray shot him a death glare.
"You're a sick, twisted child, Frankie," He said, looking back at Mikey and Zoe, who had already begun the dare without him, "Couldn't you just let them kiss eachother?"
"But that's just too boring!" Frank whined. "They look like they're having a good time," Ray replied, as Mikey giggled happily as he kissed Zoe. We all looked on as they continued, Allie jumping in to separate them once Mikey's shirt had been removed.

"Right..." Zoe said, wiping her mouth, "Gerard, truth or dare?"
I looked at him out of the corner of my eye once again. He laid back against the sofa and smiled. Before he had a chance to answer, Frank yelled dare. I slapped his arm and turned back to Gerard.
"Yeah, go with that. Dare." He grinned. Zoe deviously looked at Allie for help, who leaned over and whispered something into her ear. Zoe's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest, but Allie gave her a look of pure puppy dog eyes and they both grinned at Gerard.

"I don't like those faces..." Gerard whispered to me. I laughed and nodded, fearing myself what was going on in their minds. When Allie and Zoe come up with an idea, it often means a disaster in the making.
"Gerard, we... or rather, Allie... dare you to put your hand down Frank's pants and make him smile."
"What the fuck?" Gerard and Frank said simultaneously, "Allie, however could you come up with such a thing. You haven't had a drop to drink!" Frank added.
"She has this effect on me," Allie answered matter-of-factly, pointing at Zoe. She stuck her tongue out and crawled back into Mikey's arms.

Gerard sighed dramatically and looked over at Frank wide-eyed. Frank smiled and beckoned him over.
"He's smiling!" Gerard whined, "Does that count? Can I drop this dare now?"
"No, you can't," smirked Zoe, "Stick your hands down his pants and make him smile godamnit! Now, boy!"
Gerard and Frank once again exchanged a look; this time, Gerard's eyes were pleading. As though he knew what he was thinking, after a few moments Frank nodded and waved a hand to dismiss him. Gerard crawled back over to my left.

"We can pass, right?" He asked Mikey.
"I... err..."
"Yeah, of course you can," Ray said, looking at Gerard with concern, "not really like you to pass up on another crazy dare bordering the brink of homosexuality though, Gee."
"Ah well, not really comfortable with it..." Gerard stated. Ray nodded, catching Frank's eye. I looked at the three of them.
What did they know that I didn't? Had something happened... something I should know about?

Then I remembered it probably wasn't my business, what had happened between Frank and Gerard. I wasn't close enough to either of them to be told things like this. Though admittedly, I wasn't as close to Gerard as I wanted to be. But I was going to admit that to myself. I had to keep things as a friendship... I knew it wouldn't work. Yet, I still found myself hoping...

"Well if you're going to pass, then I shall have to give you another dare because you're a pussy," Mikey grinned. Gerard rolled his eyes.
"Hit me."
"I will not resort to violence. I have to be drunk for that."
"Oh, so you're not?"
"No. I am merry." Mikey answered defensively, but not in a very believable way. Gerard rolled his eyes again - something he seemed to do whenever Mikey spoke.
"So merry that you're completely fucked then, I see," He grinned, "just give me a dare, my brother."

"Okay," Mikey grinned, looking suddenly shifty, "I dare you to make out with Yazz."
Oh, shit.

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

Haha, I love how you ended that with "oh shit."
Sounds exactly like something I would say!
Ohhh what are you hinting at with that line which I'm not gonna repeat... again ><
You know when Gerard says "just give me a dare, my brother"?
Yeah?
He sounds like something outta star wars xD
And I'm rather worried about Zoe, she shouldn't be doing that type of stuff with people who aren't her species...
I mean, geez, he's a fortune teller. TRANSVESTITE.

More, yeah?
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE.
**SxPxF** Xoxoxox

[decay;;]

Twenty-one.
Gerard's POV

Once again, I found myself cursing my parents ever deciding to give me a brother.
He knew that I couldn't do that. He knew damn fine that it was too risky, that we didn't know if I was cured or not, that getting to close could spread this plague that killed me.
I don't want it to kill her, too.

Of course, there was no way of finding out. I didn't know if I would live a normal life again. Was I immortal now? Was I some kind of superhero? Or was I something different. Could just one bite change everything? Not knowing was tearing me apart. But there was no way I could find out...

No way, I'm not doing it. I didn't realise I had said this out loud until Mikey started laughing again.
"Come on, Gerard. Don't keep pretty Yazzy waiting!" he leered, leaning towards Yazz, who shuffled away carefully. Zoe pulled him back.

I looked at her, and she looked back at me with a faint smile.
I wanted to. I really wanted to. I confess; I liked her a whole fucking lot. But I didn't want to take chances.
Couldn't she just stop smiling at me?
It was so tempting... Yazz, stop it...

Before my mind could totally register it, I was leaning towards her, our noses touching, lips just inches away. She shut her eyes slowly as the others erupted into 'oohs' and 'aahs'. I gulped, weighing out the odds in desperation as she got closer. She wanted this too, I could tell. I wanted to make her happy. But I didn't want making her happy to include a deathwish...

At the last moment, I turned my face away, looking at the floor. Her lips brushed my cheek and she pulled back suddenly, looking reproachfully at me. She was hurt. So was I.
But it was better off this way.

"I'm going to bed." I announced in a monotone, getting up. Frank was watching me with wide-eyes, as though he could read my thoughts. They remained silent until I was in the bedroom, when they one by one began to discuss what had just happened. I blocked their voices out, leaning against the wood of the door, a tear trying in vain to escape my right eye.

Oh, shit.

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

Ohmygod.
That's just... I KNEW it.
I KNEW Gerard was a vampire.
He IS a vampire, is he not?

Haha, I know what Gerard means by wishing his parents hadn't decided to give him a brother.
I mean, look at mine ><

Oh so all of this is my fault now.
Fine. Be that way.

RAWWR, I know theres a song reference in there.
I know where it is too.
I just forgotted what song it is,, dammit.
><

MORE. Please?
I have updates for you =]
Just get on fucking line.

Xoxoxox **SxPxF**

Okay, I know what song it is now!!
I Never Told You What I Do For A Living =]
So, what's so "Oh, shit" then?
Anything to do with him bein g a VAMPIRE?
Update, loserkid. =P
Xoxoxox

And now, children, I've also found the early sunsets.
The just one bite bit, yeah?
=P
UPDATE. Now. Xoxoxox

[decay;;]

Twenty-two

Daybreak fell across the living room, illuminating the sleeping figures of my friends. Only Ray and Allie were awake, and as I sat up rubbing my weary eyes they turned back from the door to the bedroom to look at me.

"You good Yazz?" Allie asked, "You were out of it for a while." Ray nodded.
"I... err... I'm okay, killer headache. Where's Gerard?" I noticed he was missing from the hung-over group passed out on the floor.
"Well, he's in there," Ray said, "but we can't get him to come out. I think he's asleep."
"Why's he in there?" I asked. Allie and Ray looked at eachother very briefly, choosing their words carefully.

"He's a little... confused, at the moment."

Gerard's POV

Confused? Confused? I was more than confused. I was completely and utterly lost. Why me? Why should I be burdened with this plague? Why should I be so careful about what I say to people, what I do to people, what I feel for people?

I had a fucking killer hangover though, that I was certain about. I must of slept there on the carpet for hours, and if it hadn't been for the slamming of Ray's fists on the door, I probably would of stayed that way for a little while longer. There was just so much I didn't understand. I didn't understand this plague. I didn't understand how it worked. I knew that it spread through depression, but there had to be more to it than that. What if it was contagious?

That was why I wouldn't touch Frank. And that was why I wouldn't... Yazz. How did she feel about this. I must of hurt her terribly, turning her down like that... what if she was...

"Gerard, for the last time," I heard Allie's voice call through the door. I dropped all my thoughts and listened intently to the scuffles and bangs outside.
"If you don't open the door, we're leaving without you." Ray said. There was another voice talking quietly, but I couldn't make it out.

"Gerard..." Ray said again, hitting the door. I decided the joke had ran on long enough and dragged myself off the carpet, feeling the imprints of the fibres on my skin, and weakly pulled open the door. Ray, Allie and Yazz were stood on the threshold looking me over worriedly.

"Headache?" Yazz asked quietly. I nodded, avoiding her eye, and tried to push past Ray. He stopped me.
"What do you want Gee?" He asked. I slurred the word 'coffee' and tried to make a break for the kitchen again. Once again, he stopped me.

"Nah, Mikey has kindly donated money towards all of us going to a café downtown this morning-" Allie waved my brothers wallet at me, "-and you are coming with us, hangover or not. Frank's waking up now, so once Zoe's up we can leave." Ray finished, smiling smugly, and let me go past him.

I trudged over to the living room, smiling at my snoring brother leaning against the sofa with his mouth open, and at Zoe, cuddled up in his arms. Frank was lying spread-eagled on the floor, face down, a bottle in one hand and the other cushioned beneath his head. I grinned to myself, debating whether to take a picture or not, finally deciding to do so. I leant down and carefully extracted his cell phone from the back pocket of his dark jeans, opening the menu and finding the camera. I took the photo and was just putting it back where it belonged when he suddenly sprang up to a sitting position and looked at me in surprise.

"My oh my, Mr Way, a little friskier than yesterday are we?" he grinned. I removed my hand from his pocket quickly, making sure the phone was inside.
"I was checking the time on your phone."
"Yeah, yeah. My head fucking canes."
"Same, but we're going out for coffee soon." I smiled. His tired eyes lit up.
"COFFEE!" Mikey yelled from the corner. Zoe sat up, blinking in bewilderment. "Coffee?" She repeated. Ray knocked Mikey's head back and dragged Zoe off the floor.

"Let's go." Allie said, swinging Ray's keys on her finger.
"Can I come?" asked Mikey.
"Fuck off."

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

HAHA.
Aww poor Mikey =]
Brotherly love.
What are you hinting at when you say Gerard won't touch Frank.
If we go in that direction again I think I might just cryogenically freeze myself.
I can't even spell cryogenically =]

Update yeah?? =]
I wanna know if Gerard gets a bike and side car to transport him to the coffee shop =]
Instead of a girly man car =]

Xoxoxox *SxPxF*

[decay;;]

Twenty-three.
Allie's POV

"You're driving," Ray said to me. We'd driven to Mikey's place at 6am that morning to pick up Yazz's car and bring it back. I sighed and turned to Yazz.
"Keys, please." I said, holding out my hand.
"Why?" she questioned in protest, "Ray's car is right there."
"Out of gas," I said impatiently. She reluctantly dropped the keys into my palm and I jumped in the front seat of her corvette, Frank getting in next to me before the others could. He grinned at me and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a small bag.
"What's in here?" he said innocently, unzipping it and pulling out a serrated knife and a scalpel.
"Autopsy instruments," Yazz said absent-mindedly. Frank cringed and replaced the bag, snapping the glove compartment shut and fiddling with the radio instead.

I started the ignition and pulled out of the driveway of Ray's lush house, driving off. The others, crammed into the back seat, were having a debate about music.
"David Bowie!" exclaimed Gerard, waving at the CD collection Yazz had retrieved from the trunk.
"Maiden! Ironnnn Maiiiideeeennn!" came Ray's voice.
"BLACK FLAG!" Frank screamed, "BLACK FUCKING FLAG!"
Without argument, Yazz handed him the disc. He shoved it in the car stereo excitedly and turned the volume way the fuck up.

"IT'S NOT MY IMAGINATION I'VE GOT A GUN ON MY BACK!"
I laughed as he turned to grin at me.

---

I pulled up onto the sidewalk and parked the car, allowing everyone to get out. Frank lingered a while, taking out the CD and waiting for me to park right. Once we were out of the car, the others had already raced into Starbucks. We followed them and found Gerard at the counter, placing about sixteen orders, the majority for himself. Yazz, Zoe and Ray had found a secluded table in the corner. We joined them, pulling up plush chairs.

"Awwight guys?" grinned Frank, pulled the menu towards him, "Did you ask for oreos?"
"Dunno, ask Gee." Ray replied. Frank leapt out of his chair and raced over to the counter. I watched him leave and turned back to the others. They were all smirking at me.
"What." I said in what I hoped was uninterest, picking up the menu Frank had left lying on the table.
"You dig him, don't you." Zoe grinned, leaning over the table to poke me in the rib. I winced, trying hard not to smile.
"I... errr...." I stuttered, cursing myself for not coming up with a witty reply.

This seemed to satisfy the three of them, who leant back in their chairs smugly. Minutes later, Gerard returned with a two trays of steaming cups, Frank following at his heels. Gerard dealt them out to their respective owners, tossing a packet of oreos to Frank as he sat down next to me, and horded about seven cups to himself. Yazz looked at him and laughed over the lid of her frescato.

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

BUT YOU CAN'T DIG FRANK WITHOUT A SHOVEL!
Haha.
Wee, frescato =]
I haven't had one of those for decades.
Haha, Gerard has about seven cups of coffee?
He's SERIOUSLY gunna need a tictac after that.

Updateeee!

Xoxoxox *SxPxF*

[decay;;]

Twenty-four.

I laughed at Gerard, just like usual, but somewhere in the back of my mind the confusion about last night kept trying to fight to the top of my thoughts. I'd been pretty drunk, yeah, but I remembered him turning down two dares, one of which involved kissing me. Didn't he like me? Had he just not been in the mood?

Whatever his reasons, I was confused. Not about that, but also about myself. On the one hand, I really, really liked him. But on the other, I knew that this guy was dead. You can't fall in love with dead people, surely?
But then again... I snuck a look at him and he caught me eye and grinned, the straw of his coffee still in his mouth. I grinned back.
If only there wasn't such a risk...

"So what are we gunna do today?" Gerard asked interestedly, checking his watch. He already seemed to be recovering from his hangover.
"Well, first we need to get a few things straight," Ray said firmly, "I want you to tell us everything."

Gerard's content smile slipped away like butter in heat.
"What do you want to know?" he asked, maintaining eye contact with Ray.
"I want to know why you weren't yourself last night. What's wrong?"
He sighed, putting his coffee down and pushing the cups to one side so he could look at his hands on the table. I watched them. His palms were sweating and his fingers twitched every few moments as he prepared to talk.

"It's the plague..." he said quietly, "I-I don't know how it works. I don't want to risk anything."
"What do you know about it?" asked Zoe. Gerard raised his head to look at her.
"I know it spreads by depression, because that's how I got it..." he replied, "But... I think there's something else... I have this gut instinct that it's almost... vamprific..."

I cast a glance around the table. Everyone held the same solemn expression. Frank gulped and grabbed another oreo, tossing it down his throat and throwing back more coffee.
"Vamprific? Why?" Ray whispered, looking around the café. All the customers were deep in conversation with one another, but still, such a talk required secrecy.
"I don't know..." Gerard began, looking at his pale hands again, tracing the veins in his wrist with a finger, "it's just, when I got the plague, some things came over me... wierd feelings, strange cravings... when the plague killed me, it came in the form of these things... I dunno, but something tells me that interacting physically with people might spread it... we need to stop it someway. Any way we can."

I put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing his back in a circle. He smiled gratefully, his head still bowed. So that's why...
"H-how long did you have the... plague for?" Frank asked suddenly. Gerard looked up at him, their eyes boring holes into one anothers.
"I was depressed for about a month before I died," he answered eventually, "and those three days I was missing... I died. I guess it takes a month to die or something."

Frank nodded, drinking more of his coffee. He still didn't seem satisfied with this answer, but remained quiet for the rest of our time in the coffee shop. We all drank in silence, thinking. Thinking about what we were going to do.

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

OHHHH.
Something makes me think Gerard and Frankie were doing "naughty things" behind the local Starbucks in their free time.
In the month before Gerard died.

SO!
Whats the plan ehh?
I wanna know when we can kick some ass.
With like, bike and side car!
And totally TRASH my corvette.
And Mikey can shoot lasers out of his eyes =]

Xoxoxox *SxPxF*

[decay;;]

Twenty-five.
Frank's POV

[glow=white,2,300]FLASHBACK.[/glow]
The stereo was blaring that night as I sat on the floor of my bedroom, the phone next to me. I was waiting for a call. A sign. Anything that could tell me where he was.

It had been two days. He would disappear often; but never for that long. As soon as Mikey had told me, I'd felt my world crash around my feet. How could he cope? Where would he have gone? None of us had any answers...

The CD ended. I waited a few moments, desperate for the phone to ring. When it didn't, I stood up and pulled the disc out, tossing it onto my bed and searching blindly for a new one in my desk. Finally I felt my grip close on a CD and pulled it out, slipping 'Dookie' onto the tray and pushing it back in. 'Burnout' began to play and although I loved the song, it did nothing to improve my mood. I slammed a fist against the wall, my mind racing with how I could get Gerard back. Where he would be. Why he would of gone.

I felt a draft creep into the room. I pulled my head away from the wall, looking towards the door. It was still shut. Instead I turned to the window. The curtains were engulfing a figure climbing into the room silently. Shocked, I reached for my guitar, tiptoeing forwards with it suspended above my head. Trembling, I reached out a hand and peeled the curtains back. I felt the guitar drop from my hands onto the magazine-covered floor.

"Gerard?" I stuttered, looking him over. He was wet and shaking, looking at me with the most confused expression ever.
"Gee, are you okay? Where the fuck have you been? Mikey's been worried sick - hell, we all have!"
"I don't know," he stammered, moving off the windowsill and standing in front of me, "Frankie, what's happening to me?"

"I-I dunno," I whined, "how am I supposed to know? Is it the pills? Did someone-"
"Frankie... can I have a blanket or something?"
I nodded, pulling open my wardrobe and tossing a spare blanket to him, "Warm up. I'll turn the heating up."
"It's okay. A blanket will do fine."
Unconvinced, I turned the knob on the wall up a few degrees.

"Where have you been?" I asked again, closing the window. He stayed silent, "Gerard..."
"I told you I don't know!" He snapped. I backed off.
"Gee, seriously, are you-"
"Shut the fuck up Frank! No I'm not okay! Do I look o-fucking-kay? I don't know what's happening to me!"
"Well, it's not my fault." I said quietly, shocked at his outbursts, "what's happening to you?"
"I don't know, okay?" he said plainly.
"Okay." I said, still not sure what to do. There was definitely something wrong with my best friend.

"You should probably call Mikey."
"I don't want to go home," Gerard said, pulling the blankets tighter around him, "if I do... it might happen again..."
"What will happen again?" I asked. He looked up at me, his green eyes blazing.
"I don't know!"
"I... but... what?" I stammered. He wasn't even making sense anymore, "Gee, do you need anything?"
"Yeah, I'll tell you what I need," he stood up to face me, " I need you to get the fuck away from me!"

"But-" I whispered in protest, intimidated. Before I could say another word, he flew at me and knocked me to the floor, my head going numb momentarily as it smacked into the desk. His face was inches above mine, contorted in anger, his teeth bared in rage. What had I-

Slam. His fist collided with my stomach, winding me completely. I struggled for breath.
"Gee, please..." I gasped, his weight crushing my lungs, "get off me. I'll help-"
Another punch to the stomach. "I don't need your help!" He screamed at me, and grabbed my neck. My head slammed into the desk again and I shut my eyes as a searing pain twinged on my throat. I stopped struggling, overwhelmed from the pain that was penetrating my whole body. Finally, I managed to carefully open my eyes.

Gerard was stood over me, shocked and confused. He looked at me for a few moments longer and then turned quickly, clambering out of the window and out into the darkness. I was unable to move and just lay where he had left me, the room spinning as I closed my eyes again...

[glow=white,2,300]END FLASHBACK.[/glow]

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

GERARD HOW COULD YOU.
Biting Frank like that when he was only trying to help.
But.
This means Franks gunna die at some point =[
Does it not?
I don't want Frank to die Allie =[
Not after Gerard died too.
That would just be too weird,
Having TWO dead MCR members sauntering around like they've just come back from a nice holiday.

Update?
=]

Xoxoxox *SxPxF*

[decay;;]

Twenty-six.

Finally, Gerard broke the silence in the group.
"Ray, do you still play guitar?" he asked. Ray nodded slowly, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"When I was a kid, certain music would stop me being depressed," he began, looking around the table with a smile playing on his lips, "and the plague spreads through depression..."
"I see where this is going..." I grinned. He looked over at me
and nodded, his green eyes lit up.

"So you're saying that if we started a band, we could save lives?" Ray asked incredulously. Gerard nodded quickly, grabbing his coffee and drinking some more. He had three cups left now.
"That' what I'm saying alright," he said, "if we can make music that cheers people up, and inspires them, maybe, just maybe, we can wipe it out."

Ray was smiling now, "You could write the lyrics..."
"Mikey could play bass..." Gee added excitedly, "and I could give old Bob a ring, I met him at a David Bowie gig a few years back, he could drum..."
"Hey Frank, what about you? You play guitar don't you?" Ray grinned, poking his shorter friend in the shoulder. Frank didn't reply.

"Frank..."
"I'm learning." he mumbled into his coffee. Ray caught Gerard's eye.
"Doesn't matter, as long as we can play mus-"
"I can't."
Gerard was clearly shocked by this. The Frank he knew would always be up for something like this. He looked at me again. I shrugged.
"But..." Ray started, but before he could finish his sentence, Frank had stood up, knocking the table in his haste.
"I gotta get going," he said quietly, "uhh, grandparents are coming over."

Without a second word, he had left, the chime of the door announcing his exit. We sat in silence once more, casting one another questioning looks.

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

Not Frank!!
Franks a-coming down with the plague Allie!!
NOTTTT FRANKKKK!!!
God.
He's gunna have to get his red handbag out soon.

MORREEE.

Xoxoxox *SxPxF*

[decay;;]

SUPER UPDATE POWER MOTHERFUCKERS!

Twenty-seven.

“Well, I’m off,” Ray announced once we’d returned to Mikey’s flat, “I’ll go get some gas, pick up Mikey, and grab some pizza.”
“Don’t let him choose toppings,” Gerard warned from beside me, “he might get artichokes on it for revenge or something.”
We all cringed momentarily.
“I like artichokes…” Zoe said quietly. Gerard turned to her.
“That’s his point.” he winked.

Once Ray had left, swinging his keys on a finger as he closed the door of the flat, our group was two short. Frank’s sudden departure from the coffee shop had concerned everyone, Gerard in particular, but now we had more pressing matters to pursue.
Keeping the world away from the throws of depression that had captured Gerard before.

“So Zoe…” Allie was saying from her position on the arm of the chair her best friend was sat in, “got your eyes on Mikey?”
“Mikey?” Zoe laughed in embarrassment, her green eyes quickly flitting to Gerard and back, “no way.”
“Oh, come off it,” continued Allie, the thin smirk on her lips growing wider by the second, “me and Ray saw you two the other night.”
“Wh-what?” she stuttered.
“When you were all smashed, saying things you wouldn’t say sober…”
“What did I say?” Zoe was really nervous now; although a blush was creeping up her cheeks.
“Ah, it wasn’t what you said, my friend, but what you did.”

“Allie, leave her alone,” I grinned. Allie returned the grin.
“But you do like my brother, don’t you…” Gerard added. Zoe dropped her eyes to the floor.
“I… errm…”

The door flew open and Mikey ran in, lunging for Gerard and dragging him off the sofa onto the carpet.
“I wanted coffee you son of a bitch!” Mikey screamed, wrestling his brother to the floor as Ray walked in the door.
“Sorry Gee,” he apologised, “I forgot to bring his leash. Allow me.”
He bent down and pulled the withering Mikey onto the sofa next to me. The second Ray had let go of his shoulders, he leapt up to sit on Zoe’s lap on the chair. Allie slid off the arm onto the floor at their feet.

“Hey Allie,” I asked suddenly, “why haven’t you been at work recently?”
It was true; she was with us all the time, even though her hours disagreed. She only left to return to her own house, and even then she had been staying the night all week.
“Oh, erm, I kinda quit.” She shrugged matter-of-factly.
“What!?” I exclaimed, “You quit? Why the fuck?”
“It wasn’t the same without you about,” Allie smiled, “and besides, I got into an argument with Stemptson.”
“Stemptson?! You picked a fight with the boss?”
“He told me that if I was going to take a necrophilliac’s side in matters, I could kiss my job goodbye. I just spared him the trouble of firing me.”
“Oh, don’t tell me they haven’t dropped that yet.” I sighed. Allie shook her head.
“It’s a high profile case, apparently. The mortuary is getting fistfuls of cash for all the news features. If only they could find you, that is.” She grinned.

I leant back, my head falling onto Gerard’s shoulder without my noticing. I’d almost forgotten I was still on the run from the law for a crime I didn’t commit. I would have to be far more careful if I was going to go gallivanting around New Jersey with a corpse, his friends, his brother, and an ex-employee.
“So Mikey,” Gerard said, his voice jolting me from my thoughts, “who you got the hots for?”
Two faces blushed in the room.

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND SAY MIKEY HAS A LEASH.
Oh god, I'm getting really bad mental images now =/
Amusing though.
And Stemptson... of all the names in the world, why Stemptson?
Haha, we could all go in army camoflouge.
They'd never see us gallivanting across New Jersey then ^_^

Does Zoe actually like artichokes =/
I mean, I know I like sardines... but artichokes??? =/
Ahh well.
At least it wasn't... PRUNES.
Now theres a lovely thought.
Prune Pizza.

UPDATEEEE.

Xoxoxo *SxPxF*

[decay;;]

Twenty-eight.
Frank’s POV.

I threw another CD at the wall, watching the plastic disc splinter and break into pieces upon impact. My head was leaning back on my pillows, my guitar lying across my lap. As I reached for another CD, I gripped the bottle by my side and took another deep drink, feeling my mind become a little more clouded as the minutes passed.

I’d been there for hours, up in my room, sprawled across the bed from the second I’d come home from the coffee shop. I’d had to leave right then, I couldn’t take the thought any longer. Dying… I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to accept that Gerard had killed me. And so there I was, just drowning out all thoughts, all ideas, all the stupid solutions I was trying to come up with to escape my fate.

I threw the CD, not realising until the shards flew to my feet that it was my only Black Flag album. It reminded me of that morning, driving in Yazz’s corvette with Allie, Gerard and Ray, the wind in our hair as we anticipated the rush of caffeine. It had been an amazing feeling. Such freedom, not a care in the world. And now, I wanted that ten-minute drive back.

I wasn’t even sure what to think. Gerard had said a month, but he’d bitten me only a week or so ago. It felt like years back, but the memory was still strong in my mind. And already, I had convinced myself I could feel myself just… dying. I wanted more than anything to make music to save the world with them, but how could I if the experience would only last a month before I died.

“What the…” I whispered to myself, feeling a rush of cold air hit my face. I was sure I’d closed the window before robbing the cellar for the last bottles of booze I could find…

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

Ohhhhh!
If Frank makes music to stop him being depressed then it'll stop him dyingg.
Silly boy.
If only he would put down the alcohol and think rationally =P
I think Franks been attacked with anticip-ip-ip-ipation.
As have I.

MOORE.

Xoxox *SxPxF*

[decay;;]

Twenty-nine.
Frank’s POV

The moment seemed to pass in slow motion. Sighing, I turned round to close the window, reminded horribly of the moment when Gerard had come to me that infamous evening – and froze.

The curtains were billowing, the black fabric swirling around as a wailing, gradually growing high in pitch, broke through the rhythm of the stereo, which fell silent almost immediately. Turning towards it, I could see the disc still spinning, the word PLAY still written in green on the tiny screen.

“Hello?” I called out, my voice shaky and broken. Only the wailing served as my answer, as a thin smoke began to filter into the room. I took a step back, dreading it. Was this… the plague? Already? The room was full of smoke now. In my fear, I could almost see figures in it’s mists. Tall, shadowy beings, all staring at me, all screaming at me, hands outstretched.

I backed into the desk, outstretching my hands to protect my face.
No… it couldn’t be now… I wasn’t ready to die… he said a month…
He said… Gerard said…

Before I knew it, I was desperately running through the smoke. Fingers clawing at my clothes, gripping my throat, pulling me into the depths. I rushed on, feeling the air leaving my lungs – I felt the curtains wrapping around me, as though they were helping the darkness to capture me. I felt the dew on the windowsill beneath me bare feet, the tiny droplets dripping between my toes. I felt the fresh air on my face, the pressure on my head as I fell from two storeys, the wind rushing through my ears. I closed my eyes slowly, waiting for the impact.

Pain.

Lying on the pavement, hurried footsteps growing closer and closer as yells and screams pierced the night, I winced as I looked up to the window so high above me. The smoke was disappearing into the night, fading to black. I cringed as I smiled, the sensation of bleeding on my lip growing stronger as my whole body went numb. I was safe. I’d escaped.

I was…

[ricegrains&rosesxo.]

NOOO =[
Don't let Frank be dead.
Frank always dies in your stories.
Have you ever noticed that before?
And in all but one, he gets magically ressurected.
As Frank has to live in this.
Or there's gunna be no MCR ='[.

Haha, you know that bit where Franks on the windowsill and the rain drops are going between his toes?
Reminds me of Waves Goodbye - From First To Last =P

UPDATEEE.
After your shower.
Which thankfully won't have robbie williams in it.

Xoxoxox *SxPxF*