"What are you doing on Saturday night?" Annabelle asked me. We were sitting picking unenthusiastically at our lunch on a dull Wednesday lunch time.
"She's going to a gig," Frank answered for me, grinning widely with complete and utter glee.
"I am?" I asked, completely nonplussed,
"Yes, you are," Ray confirmed, and Mikey nodded enthusiastically, draping an arm around Annabelle's shoulder.
"Ok, since when did you guys start planning my social life?" I asked, and Matt shot me a knowing grin.
"What?" I demanded,
"Yeah, what's all this about?" added Annabelle.
"I can't hold it in any longer!" squealed Frank, "I have some news!"
"You're gay?" I suggested uninterestedly, spearing a piece of lettuce on my fork,
"I resent that!" replied Frank in a high pitched voice, "I am just choosy,"
I looked at him with an amused smirk on my face, "yeah," I said, "choosy about the men you sleep with,"
His mouth fell open, "No!" he said, "about-"
"Ok, this could go on for a really long time," Ray jumped in,
"Right," Frank brought himself back to the topic in question, "my news is that we got a gig!"
"What?" asked Annabelle incredulously, "a gig doing what?"
"Playing, obviously,"
"Don't you have to be in a band to get a gig?" I asked, now ignoring my lunch,
"We are, stupid," said Frank.
"Since when?" Annabelle asked, sounding interested,
"Since the club downtown needed a band to fill their 730 Saturday slot," Ray answered smugly, "we'd always wanted to start a band, and now we have a reason to!"
"Ok," I said slowly, "what on earth are you going to play? Have you even rehearsed?"
"Chill," laughed Frank, "we'll work all that at our first rehearsal tomorrow,
"Who's going to sing?" I asked. I knew that both Frank and Ray played the guitar, that Matt played the drums, and that Mikey played the bass. I had always assumed that the reason why they never formed a band before was due to the fact that none of them could sing.
"I can do it," said Frank confidently, and everyone quickly averted their eyes,
"Gerard has a really nice voice," Mikey piped up, "we could convince him to do it,"
My stomach flipped upon hearing his name. I considered his messy black hair and intense eyes. Yes, lead singer was the only thing that Gerard could be in a band. I could imagine him having a voice to die for.
Now I was getting quite enthusiastic about the idea of seeing this gig.
"It sounds like it could be quite good!" I said with a grin, ignoring Annabelle's raised eyebrows in my direction.
"Quite?" asked Frank, is usual arrogant swagger in place, "its going to be fucking IMMENSE,"
"Sure it is," Annabelle chuckled.
**
Saturday, 7.24pm
The club was completely packed, and Annabelle were slightly shunted so that we were sitting on stools by the battered and dirty bar.
"Do you want a drink?" asked Annabelle,
"Do you think we should risk it? This doesn't seem like the cleanest place," I said with distaste on my face.
"True," she answered, wrinkling her nose. "I'm so looking forward to seeing Mikey play!" she enthused, a huge, loving grin illuminating all of her features as she spoke.
"Mm," I agreed dreamily, trying to keep the excitement at hearing Gerard sing in check.
"And you're desperate to hear Gerard sing!" she said, nudging me cheekily.
I don't know why I kept denying my feelings for Gerard. Maybe I felt stupid being so head over hills for someone so soon after meeting them; maybe I didn't want to give Annabelle the satisfaction of knowing that she was right in thinking that I would like Gerard; maybe I just simply felt like if I didn't say it, I wouldn't have to confront it any more.
"No!" I said in a high voice, "I'm just interested to see what a band formed in under a week can do!"
"Hey," said a male voice from just behind us, and for a split second I thought that it might be Gerard. I was wrong though, it was a guy with floppy light brown hair and spring green eyes. He was quite good looking, but he was no Gerard, and there was something weak about his face.
"Do we know you?" asked Annabelle rudely.
He rolled his eyes at Annabelle and smiled widely at me. "Are you here for Midnight Vision at 9?" he asked,
"No, I'm here for My Chemical Romance at...just about now, actually," I answered,
He frowned, "I've never heard of them," he said,
"They're pretty new," I answered coolly.
"What's your name?" he asked, and Annabelle gave me a warning look.
"Connie," I responded in a bored voice, flicking my eyes over to the stage briefly,
"Mine's Jason," he said,
I was going to say something generic like 'that's nice' but instead I gasped because my four best friends and my crush love of my life had just walked on the stage.
Annabelle jumped up and started screaming loudly, and I joined her shamelessly.
Gerard looked purely amazing; his jeans were black and skin tight, and he was wearing a black shirt with a red tie.
"Boyfriend?" asked a voice to my left, and I turned to see that 'Jason' was still there.
"No," I answered, immediately turning back to the guys. As soon as I heard the first chord blast out, I knew it was going to be good.
And I was right. They played a set made up entirely of covers, which Gerard hastily explained to the receptive audience. Annabelle and I were going completely crazy, screaming and dancing around. Pride was emanating from her as she surveyed Mikey. I felt proud too, watching Frank move to the music. 'Music sure does run in our family' I thought.
I wasn't proud of Gerard; he just took my breath away. When he sang, I felt like he was putting me under a spell and I had submitted totally to his will. If he sent me away, I would go. If he asked anything of me, I would do it.
All too soon, the set ended, and I could tell from the exhilarated smiles of everyone around me that My Chemical Romance were set to be a permanent fixture from now on...
