Here We Go Again! (Sequel To My Next Door Neighbour's A Rockstar...No, Really!), chapter 5

Tasha's POV


He had to be operated on again.


We weren't even allowed to stay in the waiting room, because the doctors said he was going to be in theatre all night.

I didn't want to think about Gerard, or what might be happening to him, so as Frank and I mumbled our goodbyes to the others, I tried to lighten the mood by asking him if he wanted to go for a coffee - it wasn't quite dark yet, after all, and I wanted to cheer him up.

He spun around to look at me as we crossed the road along from the hospital.

"Are you kidding me?!" he cried. "You wanna go for a fucking coffee, when for all we fucking know, Gee could be-"

He broke off.

I knew what he was thinking...

He thought that his best friend was dying. I felt guilty immediatly and looked at my feet. "I-I'm sorry, Frankie, I didn't mean to-"

He laughed bitterly. "You have no fucking idea, Tasha. No. Fucking. Idea."

I looked up at him worriedly. He has tears of anger and misery in his eyes and he was red in the face. "Frankie, I know you're upset but I-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" He screamed, flinging his arms out. People walking past glared at him and muttered under their breaths. He shoved past me and started running across the street, barging into people and knocking them flying.

Before long he was almost out of sight, and all I could see was a tiny pinprick running for his best friends life....


"Tash?"

I turned around slowly, wiping my eyes and sniffing furiously. "Y-yeah?" I choked, looking up.

It was Billie.


* * *


"...I mean, obviously, he's taking it out on you. Gerard'll be fine, though, you know he will. He's strong, Tasha. Real strong."

I nodded slowly, swirling the dregs of my coffee around the mug.

Billie had taken up my coffee offer, and was now telling me why Frank was acting like he was and that Gerard would be perfectly fine.

We was rambling on about some other shit now, and I wasn't really listening. It had been ages since we'd had a proper talk yet I wasn't interested in listening to him.

Billie and I...we'd gone from neighbours, to dad-and-daughter, to lovers, to friends, to best friends, and now, to nothing. Our relationship was delicate and I seemed to be throwing it away.

"Are you even listening to me, Tash?

My eyes snapped up. He was staring at me worriedly with those gorgeous green eyes, waiting for me to say something. "I-I don't...." I sighed, not knowing what to say. Then I noticed someone, in the far corner of the little coffee shop, two people. One of them I recognised, one of them.

Adrienne.

"Uhm, we should- g-go, for a walk!" I burbled, needing to get Billie out of the cafe as soon as possible.

I knew he still had feelings for Adie, and seeing her with another guy who I supposed was Liam wouldn't really make him feel better.

"Uh....okay," he shrugged, getting up and throwing some money down on the table.

But of course, Adie and loverboy had to leave at that exact moment, didn't they? I tried to catch her eye, whilst shoving Billie to the door.

"Tasha, what are you-?" He looked around at the presicely wrong moment.

Adie walked right into him and almost knocked him over. He caught himself and swore loudly.

"Oh, sorry!" she said, looking up apologeticly.

"It's fin-"

Billie stopped, realising who he was talking to.

"H-hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she said, smiling.

"Uh, how are you?"

"Oh, you know...worried, about Gerard...."

"Yeah, I know, he should be fine, though, I was just telling Tasha here, he's a strong guy."

Adie looked up and noticed me for the first time. She smiled warmly. "Hey, how are you?" she asked.

I don't know why we were having these long hey-hi-how are you conversations because we'd all just been at the hospital. "I'm fine, thanks," I lied.

"Hey babe, you ready to go?"

All three of us spun around to see him.

He was tall, thin, but muscular. He had brown hair and dark brown eyes, and had that dreamy boy-band look about him.

"This is Liam," Adrienne smiled.

Billie looked from Adie to Liam to me, then back to Liam.

"Uh, hi," I said awkwardly.

"Hey, nice to meet you. Tasha, isn't it?" he smiled, sticking out his hand.

"Yeah...." I shook it gingerly. He smiled.

I nudged Billie, who was looking anywhere but Adrienne. He glared at Liam and said very flatly, "I'm Billie Joe."

Liam grinned widely and stuck out his hand once again.

"I know - I love your band! And the song you've just done with U2, it's awesome!"

Billie shook his hand, a dead smile on his face. I shrugged apoligeticaly at Adie and sighed.


* * *


"Pass the chocolate."

"You're gonna get fat."

"I already am."

"I'll say."

"Just pass it."

"But think of the calories."

"Tasha."

"I mean, the vanilla isn't as bad, but chocolate?"

"Tasha..."

"Come on, gimme a break."

"Just pass the damn ice cream!"


I smiled and passed him the small tub.

I looked back at the tv and wondered why the hell Loose Women was on at 1 am.

"Frank?"

"Mmm?"

"Why are we watching Loose Women?"

"'Cause I wanna see women complain. Although, I do get enough of that with you...."

I rolled my eyes and spooned strawberry semi-melted ice cream into my mouth.


When Billie had gone of in a sulk about Adie, I walked home and found Frank on the phone to Mikey. He wasn't holding the reciever, it aws on loudspeaker, because he was slumped against the wall, in tears. The conversation went pretty much like this:

Mikey: "Dude, it's me."

Frank: "Hi. Whats up?"

Mikey: "I miss him."

Frank: "I know....so do I."

Mikey: "I don't wanna lose him."

Frank: "Neither do I, Mikey."

(Mikey starts to cry.)

Frank: "Don't cry, Mikey, please."

(Frank starts to cry)

Mikey: "Don't cry, Frankie...."

Frank: "I can't help it."

Mikey: "I know..."

Frank: "I love him, Mikey...."

(Frank looks up and realises I'm there.)


And that's about it.

So, Mikey was over, and he and Frank were eating there feelings in pizza and ice cream, and watching late night tv, trying to cheer up.


I just hoped that Gerard would be okay....