Here We Go Again! (Sequel To My Next Door Neighbour's A Rockstar...No, Really!), chapter 3
Two days later.
Frank's POV
I woke up to a weird kinda thumping noise. I looked down at Tasha. She was fast asleep, and snoring softly. I smiled and then the noise went again.
I sighed and got up, then pulled on my jeans. I walked into the hallway and opened the door.
"Hey, sup?" Gerard said, trying to walk past me.
"Gee, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked, stifling a yawn.
"No, Frankster, the question is, why are you half naked?" he said.
I looked down. I wasn't wearing a shirt.
Oh.
The crime it was.
I rolled my eyes and looked at him.
"Seriously, Gee, what are you doing here?" I repeated. He shrugged.
"I'm lonely." His voice sounded all weird, like high-pitched.
I glared at him.
"Well, Mister-I-Can-Come-Knocking-On-My-Friends-Door-At-God-Knows-What-Time," I said furiously, "Maybe you should consider other people before yourself for once in your crummy life!"
He was standing there smirking at me. I glared back. It was like that for a while, him smirking, me glaring.
".....So, can I come?"
I slammed the door in his face.
Man, I hate him sometimes. He's so...selfish. Self-centered. He doesn't think that just because he gets up at the crack of dawn doesn't mean we all do.
Maybe I'd been to hard on him...then again, he knows how cranky I am in the morning. I don't like waking up.
It's not nice.
"Hey, who was at the door?" Tasha yawned, coming out of the bedroom.
I walked over to her. "No one special," I smiled, slipping my arms around her waist. I leaned in to kiss her when-
"So I'm no one special then?!"
Gerards voice came blaring through the letter box. Tasha looked over at the door. "Is that Gerard?" she asked.
She walked over to the door and pulled it open.
"Hey, Gee," she said brightly. She opened the door and let him in. He walked in with a smug look on his face. I glared at him.
"You want some coffee?" Tash asked him. He nodded and flopped down onto the couch, picking up the remote. He turned it on and switched it over to Kerrang! and some shitty song came blaring out of the tv set. Gerad laughed.
"I LOVE THIS SONG!" He yelled over the loud music.
Gerard started singing along and turned up the volume even louder.
He was slurring his words as he sang. I eyed him and walked over and switched off the tv. He threw the remote at me and swore.
"What did you do that for?" He asked moodily. I walked over to him and sat beside him.
"Gee, have you been drinking?" I asked him.
"No," he said straight away, not looking me in the eye.
"Gee. Tell me the truth," I said quietly.
"Fucks sake, Frank, I haven't been fucking drinking!"
"Gee, don't lie, okay! You're slurring your words!"
He glared at me. I turned around to face him and looked at his eyes. They were slightly watery and one was going off in the other direction.
"Gee, you are drunk!" I said accusingly.
He said nothing, he just looked down at his nails. He started fiddling with his thumbs.
"Gerard, tell me the truth. Have you been drinking?"
He looked up. There was fire in his eyes. I don't know why he was drinking, or why he was being like this.
"I fucking hate you," he snarled.
He got up and ran over to the door, then pulled it open. I heard him slamming down the front path and driving away.
"Where did he go?"
I looked up. Tasha was standing there with two steaming mugs of coffee.
I sighed and put my head in my hands.
"Tasha....he's gonna do something stupid," I said quietly.
I heard the chinking of the mugs as she put them down on the coffee table.
"What....I don't understand..." She sat down beside me.
"He's been drinking," I sighed. "It's ten o'clock in the fucking morning and he's been drinking."
"But....but didn't he give it up? Like, about two years ago?" Tasha asked.
"Yes. It was ruining his life. And now....now he's done it again. And I'm scared, Tasha, I'm fucking scared."
I felt her hand slip into mine. She squeezed it tightly.
"He'll be fine, Frankie. He's drunk, sure, but he's not stupid.
Tasha's POV
Comforting Frank wasn't really easy- I was too shocked. I mean, Gee gave up drinking years ago, and I knew for a fact that he still went to see a therapist about it sometimes.
"Did he....did he say where he was going?" I asked quietly.
"No. No, he didn't. But he's driving-"
"He's driving?!" I gasped. "But- but he's drunk! You said it yourself! I mean, he could....."
I trailed off. We stayed silent, each of us imagining the awful things that could be happening to Gerard as we spoke.
"We have to go find him," He whispered.
In ten minutes we were both dressed and out of the door.
"Right," Frankie said. "I'll go around to the park, and I'll call Ray and Bob. I'll go round to see Tre after that because his house isn't far from the park. You go to Billie's and then call Mike, and if he has no idea then call Mikey."
I nodded. He started to walk away when I grabbed his hand.
"He'll be okay, Frank," I said. He just looked at me with sad determination.
"I hope so," He whispered. He kissed me on the cheek and walked quickly off down the street.
I walked in the opposite direction, taking out my cell. I decided it would be quicker to call Billie first because Mike's house was closer than his.
I was about to dial the number when my cell started ringing.
"Hello?" I said.
"Tasha? It's Billie. Listen, has Gerard been around there?"
I stopped dead. "Wh-what? Why?"
"He came round about five minutes ago, and seemed a bit out of it. He said how Frank was a bastard and wasn't who he used to be and-"
"Billlie, wait. Where is he now?"
"Thats the thing. I have no idea. But I think he's been drinking, Tasha, I just-"
"Oh, shit, shit, shit," I moaned.
There was a silence on the other end.
"Can you call Mike?" I asked. Billie said of course, and hung up. I walked as quick as I could to Mikey and Gerards flat, which was halfway across town.
"MIKEY!" I yelled, hammering on the door. Two seconds later he opened it, looking tired.
"Whats up?" He yawned.
"Is Gerard there?" I said breathlessly. Mikey opened the door and let me in.
"He's still asleep, I think," Mikey said, following me into his room. It was empty.
"Oh...uh, maybe he went out?" Mikey said, scratching his head.
"Mikey, did he come home last night?" I asked.
"Course he did," Mikey said. Then he paused. "Well, he went out for a walk about eleven or something, and then I went to bed, so I was asleep when he came in but-"
"Mikey, he's been drinking again," I said quietly.
Mikey looked up. "What? No he hasn't. He gave that up. You know he did, he wouldn't-"
"Mikey, he came round to our place and to Billie's, pissed out of his head."
Mikey stared at the ground.
"He...where is he now?"
I sighed. "No one knows exactly, but-"
"You mean he's out there, by himself? Drunk?!" He cried.
"Mikey, calm down, it'll be fine-"
"No! It won't! It won't be fine! We need to find him, for fucks sake!" Mikey yelled.
I looked down. Mikey never yells, and he barely ever swears. I didn't exactly blame him though.
He walked out of the room and I heard him shuffling about. Two minutes later he came back, fully clothed.
"Sorry," He sighed. "I just don't know what to do...."
I linked my fingers into his. "It'll be okay, Mikey. C'mon."
* * *
Twenty minutes after walking around looking for him, we had gotten nowhere. Billie had called to say Mike hadn't seen him at all, and Frankie had been to the park, and to Tre's, and around the mall, and everywhere else he could think of.
We were making our way across town to meet Frankie and Ray and Billie at the mall parking lot when I saw something. A crowd of people, surrounding something. Someone?
I saw Mikeys eyes travel over to the scene. They widened in shock and he grabbed my arm.
"Tasha?" He whispered.
I shook my head slowly.
"I-it's not, Mikey, it's not," I breathed. "It- it can't be...."
Mikey let go of me and ran over. Two meters away, he stopped, and turned to me. I was standing stock still, waiting.
"You- you look, Tasha," He said. "I- I c-c-can't."
I walked over slowly and found a gap between the sea of people. I looked down and screamed.
Gerard's mangled body lay there, blood all over, his neck at a dangerous angle. His eyes were closed.....he wasn't moving.
In seconds Mikey was by my side.
"Gee?" He whispered fearfully. He leant down my his side and started to cry.
I don't know if you've ever watched one of your closest friends cry over a could-be dead body, but if you have, you'll know how I feel. My insides were in a knot and my vision was blurred with tears.
How could this be? Three days ago Gerard was happy. He was fine. He was Gerard.
And now?
Now he....now he wasn't.
You are never coming home, never coming home, tonight.......
And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me,
You are
Never coming home, never coming home.....
Frank's POV
I woke up to a weird kinda thumping noise. I looked down at Tasha. She was fast asleep, and snoring softly. I smiled and then the noise went again.
I sighed and got up, then pulled on my jeans. I walked into the hallway and opened the door.
"Hey, sup?" Gerard said, trying to walk past me.
"Gee, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked, stifling a yawn.
"No, Frankster, the question is, why are you half naked?" he said.
I looked down. I wasn't wearing a shirt.
Oh.
The crime it was.
I rolled my eyes and looked at him.
"Seriously, Gee, what are you doing here?" I repeated. He shrugged.
"I'm lonely." His voice sounded all weird, like high-pitched.
I glared at him.
"Well, Mister-I-Can-Come-Knocking-On-My-Friends-Door-At-God-Knows-What-Time," I said furiously, "Maybe you should consider other people before yourself for once in your crummy life!"
He was standing there smirking at me. I glared back. It was like that for a while, him smirking, me glaring.
".....So, can I come?"
I slammed the door in his face.
Man, I hate him sometimes. He's so...selfish. Self-centered. He doesn't think that just because he gets up at the crack of dawn doesn't mean we all do.
Maybe I'd been to hard on him...then again, he knows how cranky I am in the morning. I don't like waking up.
It's not nice.
"Hey, who was at the door?" Tasha yawned, coming out of the bedroom.
I walked over to her. "No one special," I smiled, slipping my arms around her waist. I leaned in to kiss her when-
"So I'm no one special then?!"
Gerards voice came blaring through the letter box. Tasha looked over at the door. "Is that Gerard?" she asked.
She walked over to the door and pulled it open.
"Hey, Gee," she said brightly. She opened the door and let him in. He walked in with a smug look on his face. I glared at him.
"You want some coffee?" Tash asked him. He nodded and flopped down onto the couch, picking up the remote. He turned it on and switched it over to Kerrang! and some shitty song came blaring out of the tv set. Gerad laughed.
"I LOVE THIS SONG!" He yelled over the loud music.
Gerard started singing along and turned up the volume even louder.
He was slurring his words as he sang. I eyed him and walked over and switched off the tv. He threw the remote at me and swore.
"What did you do that for?" He asked moodily. I walked over to him and sat beside him.
"Gee, have you been drinking?" I asked him.
"No," he said straight away, not looking me in the eye.
"Gee. Tell me the truth," I said quietly.
"Fucks sake, Frank, I haven't been fucking drinking!"
"Gee, don't lie, okay! You're slurring your words!"
He glared at me. I turned around to face him and looked at his eyes. They were slightly watery and one was going off in the other direction.
"Gee, you are drunk!" I said accusingly.
He said nothing, he just looked down at his nails. He started fiddling with his thumbs.
"Gerard, tell me the truth. Have you been drinking?"
He looked up. There was fire in his eyes. I don't know why he was drinking, or why he was being like this.
"I fucking hate you," he snarled.
He got up and ran over to the door, then pulled it open. I heard him slamming down the front path and driving away.
"Where did he go?"
I looked up. Tasha was standing there with two steaming mugs of coffee.
I sighed and put my head in my hands.
"Tasha....he's gonna do something stupid," I said quietly.
I heard the chinking of the mugs as she put them down on the coffee table.
"What....I don't understand..." She sat down beside me.
"He's been drinking," I sighed. "It's ten o'clock in the fucking morning and he's been drinking."
"But....but didn't he give it up? Like, about two years ago?" Tasha asked.
"Yes. It was ruining his life. And now....now he's done it again. And I'm scared, Tasha, I'm fucking scared."
I felt her hand slip into mine. She squeezed it tightly.
"He'll be fine, Frankie. He's drunk, sure, but he's not stupid.
Tasha's POV
Comforting Frank wasn't really easy- I was too shocked. I mean, Gee gave up drinking years ago, and I knew for a fact that he still went to see a therapist about it sometimes.
"Did he....did he say where he was going?" I asked quietly.
"No. No, he didn't. But he's driving-"
"He's driving?!" I gasped. "But- but he's drunk! You said it yourself! I mean, he could....."
I trailed off. We stayed silent, each of us imagining the awful things that could be happening to Gerard as we spoke.
"We have to go find him," He whispered.
In ten minutes we were both dressed and out of the door.
"Right," Frankie said. "I'll go around to the park, and I'll call Ray and Bob. I'll go round to see Tre after that because his house isn't far from the park. You go to Billie's and then call Mike, and if he has no idea then call Mikey."
I nodded. He started to walk away when I grabbed his hand.
"He'll be okay, Frank," I said. He just looked at me with sad determination.
"I hope so," He whispered. He kissed me on the cheek and walked quickly off down the street.
I walked in the opposite direction, taking out my cell. I decided it would be quicker to call Billie first because Mike's house was closer than his.
I was about to dial the number when my cell started ringing.
"Hello?" I said.
"Tasha? It's Billie. Listen, has Gerard been around there?"
I stopped dead. "Wh-what? Why?"
"He came round about five minutes ago, and seemed a bit out of it. He said how Frank was a bastard and wasn't who he used to be and-"
"Billlie, wait. Where is he now?"
"Thats the thing. I have no idea. But I think he's been drinking, Tasha, I just-"
"Oh, shit, shit, shit," I moaned.
There was a silence on the other end.
"Can you call Mike?" I asked. Billie said of course, and hung up. I walked as quick as I could to Mikey and Gerards flat, which was halfway across town.
"MIKEY!" I yelled, hammering on the door. Two seconds later he opened it, looking tired.
"Whats up?" He yawned.
"Is Gerard there?" I said breathlessly. Mikey opened the door and let me in.
"He's still asleep, I think," Mikey said, following me into his room. It was empty.
"Oh...uh, maybe he went out?" Mikey said, scratching his head.
"Mikey, did he come home last night?" I asked.
"Course he did," Mikey said. Then he paused. "Well, he went out for a walk about eleven or something, and then I went to bed, so I was asleep when he came in but-"
"Mikey, he's been drinking again," I said quietly.
Mikey looked up. "What? No he hasn't. He gave that up. You know he did, he wouldn't-"
"Mikey, he came round to our place and to Billie's, pissed out of his head."
Mikey stared at the ground.
"He...where is he now?"
I sighed. "No one knows exactly, but-"
"You mean he's out there, by himself? Drunk?!" He cried.
"Mikey, calm down, it'll be fine-"
"No! It won't! It won't be fine! We need to find him, for fucks sake!" Mikey yelled.
I looked down. Mikey never yells, and he barely ever swears. I didn't exactly blame him though.
He walked out of the room and I heard him shuffling about. Two minutes later he came back, fully clothed.
"Sorry," He sighed. "I just don't know what to do...."
I linked my fingers into his. "It'll be okay, Mikey. C'mon."
* * *
Twenty minutes after walking around looking for him, we had gotten nowhere. Billie had called to say Mike hadn't seen him at all, and Frankie had been to the park, and to Tre's, and around the mall, and everywhere else he could think of.
We were making our way across town to meet Frankie and Ray and Billie at the mall parking lot when I saw something. A crowd of people, surrounding something. Someone?
I saw Mikeys eyes travel over to the scene. They widened in shock and he grabbed my arm.
"Tasha?" He whispered.
I shook my head slowly.
"I-it's not, Mikey, it's not," I breathed. "It- it can't be...."
Mikey let go of me and ran over. Two meters away, he stopped, and turned to me. I was standing stock still, waiting.
"You- you look, Tasha," He said. "I- I c-c-can't."
I walked over slowly and found a gap between the sea of people. I looked down and screamed.
Gerard's mangled body lay there, blood all over, his neck at a dangerous angle. His eyes were closed.....he wasn't moving.
In seconds Mikey was by my side.
"Gee?" He whispered fearfully. He leant down my his side and started to cry.
I don't know if you've ever watched one of your closest friends cry over a could-be dead body, but if you have, you'll know how I feel. My insides were in a knot and my vision was blurred with tears.
How could this be? Three days ago Gerard was happy. He was fine. He was Gerard.
And now?
Now he....now he wasn't.
You are never coming home, never coming home, tonight.......
And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me,
You are
Never coming home, never coming home.....
