Chapter 2.
Kristen slid happily into the seat. “Where are the rest of the guys?” she asked curiously. Gerard smirked. Kristen looked at him expectantly. “I made Ray go with Mikey and Frank. I told them that I had to pick something up.”
“Oh, okay.” She stifled a laugh. “You really should’ve invested in bigger cars. I mean, seriously!” She was quiet for a moment, before adding, “Frank isn’t going to happy.”
“How come?” Gerard asked with a frown. She shrugged.
“He doesn’t like me,” she answered simply.
“Frank’s… Frank’s, well, an awesome guy. He isn’t usually…” Gerard trailed off, trying to figure out a way to explain it.
“Untrusting and cautious? Don’t worry about it, I understand why. It’s not like I gave him a reason to be anyway else. Any guy that cares about animals as much as he does, is fine by me.”
“So what time is your train at,” Gerard swiftly changed subjects.
Kristen thought about it for a few minutes. “I could get either the 6 a.m. one or the one at 10.30.”
“Wait. So what were you planning to do ‘till then?”
“Keep walking until I get there and maybe grab a quick nap or a cup of coffee,” she answered as if it wasn’t a big deal. Gerard looked at her in surprise.
“What time do you want us to drop you off?” She gave him a small smile.
“I’m good, Gerard. Thanks anyway though.” Gerard regarded her with confusion.
“You don’t want a ride?” She shook her head and turned to look out the window. She watched as the rain pelted against the window, obscuring the view of the blurred trees as they drove past. She exhaled deeply.
Gerard looked at her with concern. She seemed kind of unhappy. He could understand that she was a pretty private person, but he could recall a time when he’d kept everything in and it hurt the people he cared about. He saw the need for privacy, but he wondered what she was hiding. He turned his attention back to the road.
It wasn’t long before they were back outside the hotel. Gerard had to shake Kristen’s shoulder because she had dozed off. She reared back suddenly when she woke up, hitting her head hard against the window. Gerard quickly pulled his hand away as she rubbed her head. “We’re here,” Gerard mumbled quietly. She nodded her head and climbed out of the car. Gerard led her back up to the apartment and opened the door. They were greeted by a tired looking Mikey who instantly brightened up when he spotted Kristen.
“Hey Kristen!” he grinned. Kristen nodded her head at him and covered her mouth as she yawned. Ray was slumped on the couch and Frank was nowhere in sight. “Want something to drink?”
“Really strong, black coffee if you have it.”
“Just let me get a fresh pot.”
“Are you guys having some?” Gerard and Mikey shook their heads. “Then forget it. I’ll just have whatever’s left in the pot.” Mikey wrinkled his nose but went and got her a cup of cold coffee. She gulped it down quickly. “Thanks. Erm, where do I leave my cup?” Mikey took it from her and left it with the others.
“Is Ray asleep?” she asked with a chuckle.
“Nope,” Ray answered in a sleepy voice. Gerard went over and plonked himself down beside him.
