(Mis)fortune (Frerard, Petekey)

Chapter 21

Gerard couldn't remember how he'd gotten into this mess, not entirely at least. Actually, the whole past week was some kind of a collage of blurry pictures. He could recall alcohol and his new friend Dewees - that was how it'd all started. But then the drugs got added to the mixture and after that, it could all be summed up in one word -

"Shit." He mumbled, fearing his head was going to explode from how hard it was pounding. He rested it against the cold wall next to him and let his eyes fall shut. Not for long, though, because a couple minutes later he could hear his name being called.

"You're allowed one call. Make it quick." Charlie, as he had learned the man was called, spat at him and unlocked the cell. Probably not Gerard's biggest fan. Gerard heaved himself up from the metallic bench and shuffled out and over to the beat-up telephone that hung on the wall.

There was only a few phone numbers he could call in his current state and situation, and even fewer he knew by memory. To be precise, there was only three of them; his number, his mom's number and Brendon's flat number. And well, calling his phone would have been an utter waste of the one call he had and calling his mom would have gotten him killed. So Brendon it was.

He punched the numbers on the machine and listened as it rung in his ears. It only took two rings for Brendon to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Brendon, hi, it's Gerard." The man said and leaned against the wall next to the phone, looking down at the ground to avoid the stares from the people around him. There was a moment of silence on the other side of the phone and then the hell broke loose.

"Gerard, what the actual fuck do you think you're doing? Where the hell are you, motherfucker? A whole fucking week, man, what the fuck? Do you even realize how much has everyone been freaking out here? And Frank, oh my god, don't even get me started-"

As much as Gerard enjoyed being yelled at, he could already see Charlie's impatient look threatening him so he had to cut Brendon off. "Brendon, listen to me, I got arrested and I need you to get Frank or anyone, really, to come pick me up, but God forbid, not my parents." Gerard told him where he was and then another silence followed until his friend hung up on him.

He'd known he was fucked from the second the police officer approached him a couple hours prior in some local park, but that happened when he was high and drunk off his ass. It was only now, after the alcohol and drugs had worn off, and his mind was slowly coming back to itself, when he realized he was even more fucked. And he just couldn't help but wish it was Brendon rather than Frank who'd come and bail him out. Because if his friend was angry at him that much, what would Frank do when he found out what kind of shit had Gerard gotten himself into?

With that, he unstuck himself from the wall and let himself be escorted back to the cell where he waited until a familiar figure appeared in the room, looking more disappointed than Gerard had ever seen them before.

*****

Frank's week was considerably less eventful than Gerard's but definitely fuller of freaking out and crying and anxiety. Overall, it had been fucking awful. He even got a day off the morning after Gerard's disappearance when he hobbled in with swollen eyes and in no state to be working. He told Ray about what had happened and the doctor let him go home and stay there for as long as he needed. Eventually, he remained home for three days until he was able to do other stuff than just fear for Gerard's health.