Twisted Vines, chapter 2
We were sitting in a restaurant, Gerard and I seated next to each other, Mikey next to Gerard and Ray next to Mikey; three wooden and empty seats sat directly across from us.
"How long are they going to take?" I heard Ray say from the end of the table "I'm starving."
I didn't quite know what to think when I met Ray before; he was the sweetest guy on earth and I was seriously confused why he wasn't a husband with a load of kids, I mean really, If you were his wife wouldn't you be willing to give your life away to children made by him?
I hadn't met the other members of Gerard's band yet, I didn't quite know why, but I was dreading it when it came.
I unfolded the napkin I was frantically folding and unfolding timidly. I had never remembered the time I had been so nervous, but why?
It wasn't the fact that most people about to meet the three geniuses of Green Day would be star struck, because I wasn't. But something inside of me lurched terribly as Gerard whispered in my ear; "Gods one, two and three are here"
I finally looked up; there stood Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, all staring down at us.
"Sorry we were late" Mike said shooting the comment straight at Ray, who had a pissed look on his face as he practically drooled on the menu he was reading "We had an uh... accident... "
I moved my feet of the chair that Tre was about to pull out and sit on before he sat on my feet and moved a little closer to Gerard for comfort.
"It's ok" Mikey began "just sit down"
"Hey, Gerard, you gonna introduce us to your girlfriend" Tre asked Gerard, eyeing me suspiciously and winking.
Gerard leaned back, I knew he was enjoying this "She's not my girlfriend, Billie, Mike, Tre, meet Cameron, my best friend from back in New Jersey I was telling you about Billie"
Billie smirked and I could tell the looks exchanged between him and Gerard were the 'hot girl' looks.
"Hi" Mike said leaning over and shaking my hand.
"Hello" I said, in barely a squeak as I turned back to Tre who was right in front of me and shook his hand.
"So Gerard tells me you're a massive Green Day fan" Billie said turning to me half way through our meals and pointing a fork at me.
"Uh... well, used to, I kind of lost interest in music when I turned twenty three or four, had to work more... " I replied poking my salad "But I still love you guys... in a non-stalker-ish manner"
Billie laughed and nodded "yeah, I guess we'll have to rekindle your love for Green Day then, I got a feeling we'll be seeing more of you."
I looked at Gerard and he blushed, staring down at his food and smirking.
The rest of the day went pretty smoothly except for everyone's annoying remarks about Gerard and me.
I seemed to be falling in love with him all over again, like the first time I had met him.
"How do you like them?" Gerard asked me; as he parked his car in my driveway and propped himself forward to look at me.
"They were nice... Tre wasn't like I imagined him to be" I added, watching his eyes grow dark.
"Yeah, he's pretty cool. Why?" he paused to contemplate what he was saying "Do you like him?"
Tre and I had flirted all night, I hadn't meant it to be so open, and I didn't quite realize what I was doing, anyway, I had been drinking.
That's it Cam, blame it on the alcohol.
"No... " I protested, this was not what I had wanted our day together to end like.
"Ok... " Gerard said, trailing off and staring at the garage in front of us.
"Gee, I'm... sorry... about last night... " I began, but before I could finish Gerard's lips were pressed against mine.
After a few seconds of no protesting from my end of the car he pulled away.
"Shit" he muttered, touching his lips and staring into his lap.
"What?" I answered back, knowing he was going to tell me something stupid like he loved me again, or that he hadn't worn lip gloss tonight and he'll be right back.
"That... was our first kiss together... " He began, his eyes expanding as he pieced together his words "You... me... I... don't know... do you even like me? I mean it's been years Cam... " He trailed off again swearing quietly to himself.
I touched his hand and smiled soothingly as he looked up.
"See you later Gee... " I said, getting out of the car and grinning to myself.
Gerard wound down the window and stared at me, not believing what I had just done.
"Uh... Cam... ?" He asked sticking his head out the window and tapping his fingers on the dashboard.
"Yeah?" I asked, taking a step through the cold toward the car.
"I still love you..."
The male of the species...how stupid they can be.
He looked so innocent I wanted to melt. But instead I just weakly smiled and ran into my house, unlocking the door with difficulty and slamming the door behind me I slid down to the floor, staring before me into the darkness.
* * *
I was confused, battling in fight I didn't want to win, yet I didn't want to lose either.
I was at work, sorting through papers on my desk when the thought struck me; He likes me; he really does like me.
I had been losing consciousness over him for years, every time I heard his voice on the radio, every time I saw his face on television, every time I read about him and his band in the paper.
Yet I still didn't know how I felt about him.
I mean; this was Gerard Way, my best friend I used to go walking around New Jersey with. Smoking in dark alleyways, throwing fries at seagulls at the beach, trashing our parents houses, pulling pranks on Mikey, applying more makeup on him than me; I missed all that.
I never once thought of him as the famous lead singer of My Chemical Romance.
I looked up from my train of thought so see my secretary Mandy poking her head through the door of my office.
"Miss Sutton-Clarke?" She asked shyly, pulling a strand of hair from her eyes and blushing madly.
"What is it Mandy?" I asked her; surveying her face, she looked very flushed and out of breath.
"Uh... " She began, fidgeting with her manicured nails and looked nervously at me.
"Tre Cool from Green Day's standing just outside your office Miss Sutton-Clarke."
"Shit"
That's all I thought.
That's all that was running through my mind as Mandy opened the door even more and turned the colour of a turnip.
"Shall I let him in Miss?" Mandy asked.
Poor girl; probably traumatized about the fact that her favorite rock star was standing waiting to see her boss.
Mandy was a sweet girl, she worked hard and hardly stopped talking about Green Day; ever.
I mean sometimes I snapped at her because she wouldn't stop talking to my clients about Billie Joe's newest hair colour. Not that I didn't want to hear about it; but as if business men and women want to know about some punk rocker's hair colour.
About 2% want to listen.
"Umm... yeah... let... him... in... " I said, still in a state of shock from what she had just told me.
A few seconds later Tre Cool was sliding through my door and politely thanking Mandy who by now looked as if she was going to permanently turn into a tomato.
"Hey... " He said, shutting my door and staring at me.
"Hello... Tre... " I said, getting up and smiling at him; offering for him to sit down and concentrating hard on my family screensaver on my laptop.
"What can I do for you?" I asked nervously, watching as he took a seat on the other side of my desk.
"Just coming to regenerate your love for music" He grinned merrily and put his feet up onto my desk.
"You don't mind... " he stated rather than questioned. I shook my head anyway.
"Well... I'm working... " I said, staring at him as if he was insignificant little beetle.
Grammy or no Grammy; I wasn't going to let him get to me.
"You can't just come in here and say your going to 'regenerate' my love for music when I have snobby bullshit artists waiting... with an appointment... which brings me to my next point, how the fuck did you get in here?" He looked stunned as I finished my bitching and let his feet drop from my desk.
"I pulled a few moves on your secretary" He practically mumbled.
"You what?" I asked, raising my eyebrows "No freakin' wonder that she looked absolutely scarred when she came in here... "
"No... not like that... " he began "I just wanted to get in here and see you so I could get you away for a few hours... approved by your lovely boss"
I must have looked like my world came crashing down before me because he added "... well thank you Tre from getting me out of work for a few hours and loving me dearly"
I blinked.
"I hardly know you Tre... " I started, but before I could finish he was grabbing my wrist and pushing me out the door of my office lightly.
I sat huffily in the back seat of Tre's car where he had put child lock on the doors so I didn't get out as he drove up the roads of New York.
"Where are we going anyway?" I asked moodily; eyeing the mirror where I saw the top of his spiked raven hair.
"We... are going to a recording studio... " He stated firmly, pulling the car into a warehouse looking place and parking it.
"What... ?"
"A recording studio sweetheart, you know, places where the people with the 'bling-bling' go and make music for civilians like yourself to buy"
I frowned, wondering why he was getting me to come here.
"For one... it's a beginning to your music reawakening, two, it's a good place to go to hear some good shit, and for three, Gee's here with the guys."
My stomach gave an enormous lurch when I heard that.
"You ok?" Tre asked, concerned.
"Uh... yeah... sort of... " I said, staring into those blue eyes of his, they were magnificently transparent; and I was suddenly realizing how handsome he was.
"What is it... ?" He asked, turning in his seat more so he was facing me.
"I... uh... " I started
"It's Gerard isn't it?"
"No"
"Then what is it?"
"Gerard"
"I knew it" he put his hand on mine and I felt a slight tingle as he touched me.
"I don't know... " I said, turning away, not willing to look into his eyes anymore, I had already told him enough.
"He's your boyfriend, I'm sure you love him and you'll work it out"
I stared at Tre in disbelief; my eyes had probably expanded at least twice their normal size making them look like golf balls.
"What?"
"Gerard... you are... with him... aren't you?"
"No!" I exclaimed Tre now looked quite worried, as if I was going to hit him or something.
"Then why were you guys... " I interrupted him with; "We haven't seen each other in years... " I took a breath "We're not together but... I..."
Right there I broke; I felt tears falling from my eyes as Tre sat there in the car with me looking completely helpless.
"That's not what he told us" Tre stated, I looked up from my lap and stared at him.
"What?"
"How long are they going to take?" I heard Ray say from the end of the table "I'm starving."
I didn't quite know what to think when I met Ray before; he was the sweetest guy on earth and I was seriously confused why he wasn't a husband with a load of kids, I mean really, If you were his wife wouldn't you be willing to give your life away to children made by him?
I hadn't met the other members of Gerard's band yet, I didn't quite know why, but I was dreading it when it came.
I unfolded the napkin I was frantically folding and unfolding timidly. I had never remembered the time I had been so nervous, but why?
It wasn't the fact that most people about to meet the three geniuses of Green Day would be star struck, because I wasn't. But something inside of me lurched terribly as Gerard whispered in my ear; "Gods one, two and three are here"
I finally looked up; there stood Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, all staring down at us.
"Sorry we were late" Mike said shooting the comment straight at Ray, who had a pissed look on his face as he practically drooled on the menu he was reading "We had an uh... accident... "
I moved my feet of the chair that Tre was about to pull out and sit on before he sat on my feet and moved a little closer to Gerard for comfort.
"It's ok" Mikey began "just sit down"
"Hey, Gerard, you gonna introduce us to your girlfriend" Tre asked Gerard, eyeing me suspiciously and winking.
Gerard leaned back, I knew he was enjoying this "She's not my girlfriend, Billie, Mike, Tre, meet Cameron, my best friend from back in New Jersey I was telling you about Billie"
Billie smirked and I could tell the looks exchanged between him and Gerard were the 'hot girl' looks.
"Hi" Mike said leaning over and shaking my hand.
"Hello" I said, in barely a squeak as I turned back to Tre who was right in front of me and shook his hand.
"So Gerard tells me you're a massive Green Day fan" Billie said turning to me half way through our meals and pointing a fork at me.
"Uh... well, used to, I kind of lost interest in music when I turned twenty three or four, had to work more... " I replied poking my salad "But I still love you guys... in a non-stalker-ish manner"
Billie laughed and nodded "yeah, I guess we'll have to rekindle your love for Green Day then, I got a feeling we'll be seeing more of you."
I looked at Gerard and he blushed, staring down at his food and smirking.
The rest of the day went pretty smoothly except for everyone's annoying remarks about Gerard and me.
I seemed to be falling in love with him all over again, like the first time I had met him.
"How do you like them?" Gerard asked me; as he parked his car in my driveway and propped himself forward to look at me.
"They were nice... Tre wasn't like I imagined him to be" I added, watching his eyes grow dark.
"Yeah, he's pretty cool. Why?" he paused to contemplate what he was saying "Do you like him?"
Tre and I had flirted all night, I hadn't meant it to be so open, and I didn't quite realize what I was doing, anyway, I had been drinking.
That's it Cam, blame it on the alcohol.
"No... " I protested, this was not what I had wanted our day together to end like.
"Ok... " Gerard said, trailing off and staring at the garage in front of us.
"Gee, I'm... sorry... about last night... " I began, but before I could finish Gerard's lips were pressed against mine.
After a few seconds of no protesting from my end of the car he pulled away.
"Shit" he muttered, touching his lips and staring into his lap.
"What?" I answered back, knowing he was going to tell me something stupid like he loved me again, or that he hadn't worn lip gloss tonight and he'll be right back.
"That... was our first kiss together... " He began, his eyes expanding as he pieced together his words "You... me... I... don't know... do you even like me? I mean it's been years Cam... " He trailed off again swearing quietly to himself.
I touched his hand and smiled soothingly as he looked up.
"See you later Gee... " I said, getting out of the car and grinning to myself.
Gerard wound down the window and stared at me, not believing what I had just done.
"Uh... Cam... ?" He asked sticking his head out the window and tapping his fingers on the dashboard.
"Yeah?" I asked, taking a step through the cold toward the car.
"I still love you..."
The male of the species...how stupid they can be.
He looked so innocent I wanted to melt. But instead I just weakly smiled and ran into my house, unlocking the door with difficulty and slamming the door behind me I slid down to the floor, staring before me into the darkness.
* * *
I was confused, battling in fight I didn't want to win, yet I didn't want to lose either.
I was at work, sorting through papers on my desk when the thought struck me; He likes me; he really does like me.
I had been losing consciousness over him for years, every time I heard his voice on the radio, every time I saw his face on television, every time I read about him and his band in the paper.
Yet I still didn't know how I felt about him.
I mean; this was Gerard Way, my best friend I used to go walking around New Jersey with. Smoking in dark alleyways, throwing fries at seagulls at the beach, trashing our parents houses, pulling pranks on Mikey, applying more makeup on him than me; I missed all that.
I never once thought of him as the famous lead singer of My Chemical Romance.
I looked up from my train of thought so see my secretary Mandy poking her head through the door of my office.
"Miss Sutton-Clarke?" She asked shyly, pulling a strand of hair from her eyes and blushing madly.
"What is it Mandy?" I asked her; surveying her face, she looked very flushed and out of breath.
"Uh... " She began, fidgeting with her manicured nails and looked nervously at me.
"Tre Cool from Green Day's standing just outside your office Miss Sutton-Clarke."
"Shit"
That's all I thought.
That's all that was running through my mind as Mandy opened the door even more and turned the colour of a turnip.
"Shall I let him in Miss?" Mandy asked.
Poor girl; probably traumatized about the fact that her favorite rock star was standing waiting to see her boss.
Mandy was a sweet girl, she worked hard and hardly stopped talking about Green Day; ever.
I mean sometimes I snapped at her because she wouldn't stop talking to my clients about Billie Joe's newest hair colour. Not that I didn't want to hear about it; but as if business men and women want to know about some punk rocker's hair colour.
About 2% want to listen.
"Umm... yeah... let... him... in... " I said, still in a state of shock from what she had just told me.
A few seconds later Tre Cool was sliding through my door and politely thanking Mandy who by now looked as if she was going to permanently turn into a tomato.
"Hey... " He said, shutting my door and staring at me.
"Hello... Tre... " I said, getting up and smiling at him; offering for him to sit down and concentrating hard on my family screensaver on my laptop.
"What can I do for you?" I asked nervously, watching as he took a seat on the other side of my desk.
"Just coming to regenerate your love for music" He grinned merrily and put his feet up onto my desk.
"You don't mind... " he stated rather than questioned. I shook my head anyway.
"Well... I'm working... " I said, staring at him as if he was insignificant little beetle.
Grammy or no Grammy; I wasn't going to let him get to me.
"You can't just come in here and say your going to 'regenerate' my love for music when I have snobby bullshit artists waiting... with an appointment... which brings me to my next point, how the fuck did you get in here?" He looked stunned as I finished my bitching and let his feet drop from my desk.
"I pulled a few moves on your secretary" He practically mumbled.
"You what?" I asked, raising my eyebrows "No freakin' wonder that she looked absolutely scarred when she came in here... "
"No... not like that... " he began "I just wanted to get in here and see you so I could get you away for a few hours... approved by your lovely boss"
I must have looked like my world came crashing down before me because he added "... well thank you Tre from getting me out of work for a few hours and loving me dearly"
I blinked.
"I hardly know you Tre... " I started, but before I could finish he was grabbing my wrist and pushing me out the door of my office lightly.
I sat huffily in the back seat of Tre's car where he had put child lock on the doors so I didn't get out as he drove up the roads of New York.
"Where are we going anyway?" I asked moodily; eyeing the mirror where I saw the top of his spiked raven hair.
"We... are going to a recording studio... " He stated firmly, pulling the car into a warehouse looking place and parking it.
"What... ?"
"A recording studio sweetheart, you know, places where the people with the 'bling-bling' go and make music for civilians like yourself to buy"
I frowned, wondering why he was getting me to come here.
"For one... it's a beginning to your music reawakening, two, it's a good place to go to hear some good shit, and for three, Gee's here with the guys."
My stomach gave an enormous lurch when I heard that.
"You ok?" Tre asked, concerned.
"Uh... yeah... sort of... " I said, staring into those blue eyes of his, they were magnificently transparent; and I was suddenly realizing how handsome he was.
"What is it... ?" He asked, turning in his seat more so he was facing me.
"I... uh... " I started
"It's Gerard isn't it?"
"No"
"Then what is it?"
"Gerard"
"I knew it" he put his hand on mine and I felt a slight tingle as he touched me.
"I don't know... " I said, turning away, not willing to look into his eyes anymore, I had already told him enough.
"He's your boyfriend, I'm sure you love him and you'll work it out"
I stared at Tre in disbelief; my eyes had probably expanded at least twice their normal size making them look like golf balls.
"What?"
"Gerard... you are... with him... aren't you?"
"No!" I exclaimed Tre now looked quite worried, as if I was going to hit him or something.
"Then why were you guys... " I interrupted him with; "We haven't seen each other in years... " I took a breath "We're not together but... I..."
Right there I broke; I felt tears falling from my eyes as Tre sat there in the car with me looking completely helpless.
"That's not what he told us" Tre stated, I looked up from my lap and stared at him.
"What?"
