I'll be Home for Christmas (A Frerard Story)

Chapter One: Gerard's Morning

December 24th, 2004

When I woke up at first, I didn't remember anything about it being Christmas eve. I mean, I thought it was just a regular morning until I glanced at my calendar. Christmas eve isn't even a real holiday. There's nothing special about it, it's just the day before Christmas. Okay, it is a holiday for little kids who put out cookies and go to bed expecting Santa to come while they sleep, but it wasn't when you were a grown adult. Especially when you were a singer.

Christmas, in the eyes of record companies, was one big opportunity to suck all the money out of bands and their listeners and say "It's for the kids." We already recorded our version of All I want Christmas is You and had multiple Christmas concerts. The main one hadn't gone down very well though. Most of the people who showed up weren't actual fans but just music lovers who wanted something to do for the holidays instead of sit around, get drunk, and listen to shitty covers of the classics. We gave them just that. I mean, I wasn't really giving them my best performance, but it was still better than what most other bands put out.

Nobody was actually cheering for us until Bert showed up and kind of stole the show for a few minutes. Right when I was in the middle of trying to get the crowd up on their feet, he decided to yell "Happy Holidays, Gerard!" like a drunken uncle showing up at a family reunion.

I got out of bed and looked at my clock. The time read 10:48 AM. I managed to sleep in yet still wasn't quite awake yet. I walked into the bathroom to splash some water in my face. I looked like shit, my hair was a black greasy mess, and I was in boxer shorts and an old Star Wars t-shirt. Sexy.

********

When I got out of the shower, my phone was ringing. It was on the verge of dying since I hadn't charged it in two days but I flipped it open and took the call. It was from Frank.

"Hey man." I said.

"Morning."

"Why you callin' me this early? It's Christmas Eve."

He chuckled a little in a sober yet drunk way.

"What, you not in the holiday spirit?"

I sat down on my bed and leaned back.

"Well, considering I'm naked right now and at my place alone instead of with you guys, a girl, or my family, no."

"Ooh, send me over some photos, why don'tcha."

I couldn't help but laugh. Before I could think of a response, my phone beeped and there was another call. This time from Mikey.

"Hold on, I gotta take this."

"Hey there brotha." I said, trying to sound animated.

"Hi."

Mikey and his strange, quiet nature.

"I thought you'd be here already."

"Wait, where exactly is here?" I asked, trying to hear him over the static.

"You said you wanted to be able to make it to mom's this Christmas."

"I did?"

"Well you might've been a little high when you said that."

"Wait, so you're at mom's right now?"

"No but I'm about to start heading over there."