NO FUN CLUB

1

'You're thirty, man. You need to start getting your shit together.'

Gerard knew that.

And he was trying.

But it wasn't that easy. Not for him.

He threw the empty pizza box at the coffee table, and finished the last of his Coke. He looked around, wondering where his life was going. He felt stuck in a big pile of shit that he'd never got out of. Nothing went right.

He had lost his job a couple months ago, he had no friends – he appreciated Ray a fucking lot, and he would like to think he was a friend, but he knew he only tolerated him because they were roommates and Ray was the nicest person on earth. And Ray had friends, people he actually enjoyed being around instead of staying at home with the annoying guy who was staying in his guest room but couldn't even pay rent.

He was trying to write his own comic, but he knew his chances of ever getting published were very low.

And he tried not to even think about a romantic relationship. He had already given up on that. It was for the best.

'Can you actually pay your part of the rent this month?' Ray asked, bringing him back to reality.

'I'll try,' Gerard answered. He had to. Ray had been so nice the past couple months, not asking for any money since he was fired, but he knew that wouldn't last. And as nice as Ray was, Gerard knew he would get tired eventually.

Now he just needed to get a job.

He had tried everywhere. Not just office jobs or stuff that had to do with his major, but restaurants, comic book shops and even a car repair shop. But he hadn't heard anything from them yet.

He was starting to lose faith and do the only thing he knew how to do – give up.

'I'm guess the job search isn't going well,' Mikey said. He had to call him to ask for money to pay Ray, and Mikey insisted on taking him for lunch. 'Have you eaten anything lately?'

'Two slices of pizza last night.'

'You can't be serious!'

'Ray is being nice enough not to charge me rent for the last two months. I'm not eating the man's food too.'

'Are you sure you don't want to come and work at Barnes and Noble again?'

'I don't think Rosy would hire me again.'

'She's not that bad.'

'I know but she still hated my guts since she caught me asleep on the job and I told that kid Twilight sucked ass.'

'I think I know why you keep getting fired.' He gave him one of those famous Mikey Way looks. Gerard wondered how his little brother managed to have his shit together better than he did.

He was always better at everything – making friends, keeping a job, knowing what to do with his life, having a love life, making their parents proud.

They stopped at the sub shop, and it felt good to eat something that wasn't a couple days old for once, Gerard thought.

Mikey complained about their mom and the girl he was seeing. 'Have you done anything fun? How's your book going?'

Does he not know me? I don't do fun, Gerard thought. 'Not really. And not great. I'm kinda stuck.'

'Stuck?'

'Yeah.' Stuck in a hole of never-ending misery. What's the point of writing a book if you know it will never see the light of day? 'There's this character I haven't figured out yet.'

'Send it to me. Maybe I can help.'

'Would you?'

'Of course.' They soon got back to Gerard's apartment, and Mikey promised to call if he got something for him.

Gerard fed the cat and decided to sleep for the rest of the day. It wasn't like he had anything to do anyway. But he wasn't expecting Mikey to call that soon. 'Hey –,' he started. Gerard was still trying to open his eyes and not fall asleep while his brother talked. 'So, I made a few calls and this friend of mine says they're hiring at his job.'

'Yeah?' Gerard knew that didn't guarantee anything, though, but he appreciated.

'Yeah. I told them you'd be there at nine. They really need a bartender.'

Gerard turned to the digital clock on his night table. It was seven fifty-one. He had an hour to look somehow decent and make it. 'It's almost eight. I don't know if I'll make it, Mikes.'

'I thought you needed a job.'

The No Fun Club was a bar slash concert venue in Newark.

But it was a Tuesday, so it seemed to be a slow day. Gerard walked in and looked around for any staff members. 'Excuse me,' he said in a low voice. He was sure no one heard him, but he was afraid to speak up again.

The girl behind the counter approached him. 'Hey there, what can I get for you?' She seemed nice, he thought.

'Oh, my brother told me to come. He said you guys are hiring.'

'Oh, yeah – let me get you a manager, okay?' She started to walk away. 'Paco! Someone's looking for you!' she yelled.

After a couple minutes of no response, she served Gerard a Coke while the waited for the manager. 'I'm Jamia, by the way.'

'Gerard.'

'He should be here, okay? It's just –'

And just then, he noticed the short guy walking from the corridor. He was trying to pull away from a taller guy who kept pulling him from his shirt and kissing him. 'Stop it, Oliver! I'm working!' the short guy said. He had a mustache, and was wearing a sleeveless black shirt, and his arms were covered in tattoos.

Gerard tried his best not to look, but it was hard. Damn, he thought.

'Over here!' Jamia called and the short, tattooed guy approached. So this is Paco. 'Paco, he's looking for a job.'

'Oh, hey there!' Paco held out a hand and Gerard shook it. 'I'm Frank. But they call me Paco here.'

'I'm Gerard.' Fuck, he was gorgeous, he thought, hoping he wasn't too obvious. 'My brother told me to come. He said you're looking for bartenders.'

'Mikey's your brother?'

Gerard nodded.

'Have you worked as bartender?'

'No.'

'Well, you can learn.' They shook hands again. 'Welcome to the No Fun Club.'