Ashes To Ashes (Priest!Gerard Frerard) [SEQUEL]

Seventeen

Seventeen

"We should celebrate, you know" Kellin said to me in music a few days later.

"What, a we-successfully-smuggled-our-friend-to-rehab party?" I rolled my eyes and continued to tune my guitar. Oli was bunking to go to a gig in London with Hannah, so it was just me and Kellin in the practice rooms.

"No need to get so sarcastic, it's not like other people need to know what we're celebrating. Last time I checked people weren't fussed as to why I have parties, just that I have them."

"Go ahead if you want to" I sighed "but I can't say i'm really in the mood at the moment."

"Spoilsport" now it was his turn to roll his eyes "well, your birthdays in like a month so we're definitely having a big party for that. Fancy dress of course, for halloween, but maybe some sort of street-art themed decorations..."

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that side of things."

"How could you forget to plan your 18th birthday party?" he cried "it's like, a rite of passage!"

"I guess I've been so busy thinking of it as the day me and Gerard can finally tell people about us, I hadn't really thought about normal birthday things." We didn't intend to tell people straight away to make it look like it was something that had evolved when I was already eighteen, but from that day onwards I at least knew we were legal.

"Well stop thinking about giving the congregation heart attacks with your secret relationships and start thinking about what sort of cake you want. Seriously, I want to plan this properly."

"Okay, I promise I'll think about it" I chuckled, fishing in my pocket for a guitar pick "now can we actually write some music?"

**

I was headed out of college later on, Kellin already gone to meet Vic in town, when I found myself being approached by Ryan, the kid that worked with Ray in the record store.

"Hey" he smiled, taking me by surprise.

"oh hey, Ryan - isn't it?" I kept walking and he fell into step beside me. 

"Yeah that's right. We met briefly a few weeks ago." 

"I remember, you work with my cousin." 

"Yeah, Ray's great" He nodded "I er, wanted to talk to you actually. About your art. Ray sort of mentioned that you do tagging, and I've seen your stuff around town. Or at least, i'm pretty sure it's yours. It kind of stands out, you know?" 

"Thanks man" I smiled warmly at him. "I'm er, not used to getting recognised for it, what with it being anonymous and all, but it means a lot that you can spot my stuff." 

"Of course, you've got a really distinct style" He slowed his pace then and I slowed mine too, watching him start to rummage around in his backpack "that's why I wanted to give you this, hold on a sec, it's in here somewhere" he eventually pulled out a piece of paper. 

"What's this?" I asked as he handed it to me. 

"A competition of sorts. My uncle, he runs this art gallery up in London and he's looking for fresh talent. Young artists in need of a break, that sort of thing. So he's doing this competition where you enter your artwork and the winner gets to have their art exhibited. I told him about this really cool young street artist I knew and he sounded interested, said I should get you to enter. So here you are." 

I glanced over the flyer, and it all seemed pretty legit. 

"Woah, I don't know what to say. Thanks Ryan. But er, none of my stuff is really on canvas fit for exhibition, you know?"