"CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE ON IT! CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE ON IT!"
The last chord of the screeching guitar is played and as soon as it is, everyone cheers loudly, jumping up and down, their bodies pressed against others that they don't even know. You're among them, bouncing wildly, waving your arms in the air like a maniac, Gerard right beside you.
It's a Friday night and you, Gerard, Mikey, Ray, Christa, and Brian are at one of the best underground new-music clubs around, At the Top of My Lungs. Every Friday night it's free cover for the ladies, and it's an all ages club, with ID needed to drink alcohol. Shows by local and new bands are played all week long, but the best are always on the weekend, and Gerard and you decided that since you hadn't been to the club in a long time, that tonight seemed like a good night to go.
But getting out of the house wasn't so easy. Your father is away at a convention for interior designers in New York, and your mother was reluctant to let anyone go anywhere without his consent. But under the conditions that you go to the "movies" and Brian tags along, you were allowed to go. You have to be home by midnight though, and already it is close to eleven.
"Good evening ladies and gents, we are Firebrand and we're here to rock your fucking socks!" the lead singer of the aforementioned band shrieks into the mic, earning himself whoops from the audience.
At the Top of My Lungs rests on the outskirts of Belleville and is a favorite hangout of much of the teens in your area. A place to let loose, to be yourself, to have fun, to listen to the kind of music you truly love deep down inside of you. It's large, concrete room with a stage and a wide open floor. There's a bar in the back and some bathrooms...somewhere... Not that you would venture to the back anyway to find them. The lighting is low and the room gets hots quickly, but you love every minute of it.
"All right! This next song is called Go Fuck Yourself!" This is met with agreement from the crowd, including your's and Gerard's. Over the course of the night, you had lost everyone else except Brian, who is watching you closely from the sidelines. He doesn't like this place, but he'll be here if it makes you happy.
The song starts to play and you and Gerard begin to jump again, screaming along with the rest of the teens, though you have no idea what the words to the song are. Gerard's and your hands are latched together tightly, for fear of loss, and you haven't left each other's sides all night.
You're changed out of the school uniform, now sporting a Black Sabbath t-shirt and a pair of black jeans, along with your black New Balance shoes. Your hair is thrown up wildly in a short ponytail but you could care less how you look; you're having too much fun. Gerard wears a similar outfit, except his shirt is a The Clash one, and his hair hangs sweatily around his round head in thick locks.
He's been drinking ever since you arrived. He has close connections with the bar tender, who knows Malakai, and somehow always gets free alcoholic beverages when he comes to At The Top of My Lungs. He's not drunk yet because his drinking has been slow, but you know he will be by the time you leave. That's why you're not drinking. You're enjoying your ice cold water just as much as the next girl, even if it does taste a little funny.
"ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME?"
"WHAT?"
"ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME?!"
"AM I A FLYING DIME?"
You lean closer to your best friend, your hand attached to Gerard's swinging wildly as he leaps to the music. "Are you having a good time?!"
You pull back from Ray just enough to see him smile and lean towards your ear to respond loudly over the pounding music, "Yeah. Are you?"
You nod at Ray as Gerard begins to shout along with the music, this being a local band that he particularly likes; they're called Downpour. You glance at him and then back at Ray, rolling your eyes with a smile on your face.
"Where's Christa?"
"She went to the bathroom or something."
"You let her go alone?!"
"Why not?"
"Ray!" you exclaim, hitting his arm lightly. "Those bathrooms are disgusting! And you know people hang out in those hallways! I can't believe you!"
Ray rolls his eyes and stands from his barstool, setting down his Heineken. "Jesus if it'll make you feel better..."
Ray disappears into the crowd not a second later, and you immediately turn back to Gerard, who is still shrieking along with the piercing lyrics of the singer which are ringing throughout the airtight, packed room.
You feel great. Your body feels light, any withdrawal symptoms you one had from the heroin are gone; for good, you don't know, but you don't really care now either. Your head is spinning a bit, but nothing that you can't handle, and you have been in a good mood since you started drinking the water here. For some reason, it's really good.
Smirking, you jerk Gerard's arm, immediately capturing his attention. He looks at you with a furrowed brow and opens his mouth to ask what you want, when suddenly you lurch forward and your lips collide with his in an open-mouthed kiss.
He immediately responds, grabbing you tightly around the waist and crushing your body against his, his tongue delving into your mouth hungrily. You feed back, clinging to him as you continue to smirk, ignoring the jostles you get from the crowd around you.
That is, until you feel a hand on your shoulder. A gentle hand, that feels so out of place in an atmosphere like this. Out of curiosity, you spin around, still clutching onto Gerard, and come face to face with your brother.
"Are you okay?" he shouts over the roar of the audience and the wailing music.
You slant your head to the side in confusion and frown a bit, asking your brother, "Yeah, why?"
A simper slowly crawls it's way onto Brian's face. "It looked like you couldn't breathe."
Instantly your eyes narrow and you punch your brother in the shoulder he laughs, and the action only causes him to laugh harder. Gerard doesn't hear the laughter over the music and only continues to sway to it as you talk with your brother.
"Having fun?"
"Do I have a gun?"
"Having fun?" you yell, leaning into your brother a bit.
He shrugs, looking indifferent. "I guess. As long as you are, I'm cool with it."
"Aww." you smile and nudge your brother with a mockingly bashful look on your face, inducing him to roll his eyes and you to laugh.
"But keep in mind we have to be home by midnight, and it's almost eleven thirty now."
You pout and Brian holds up his hands defensively. "Hey, they aren't my rules. You don't want to get in trouble again, do you?"
Instead of trying to shout over the screeching guitars, which is becoming almost impossible, you simply shake your head and Brian nods in understanding.
"Well, I think I'm going to go anyway. These bathrooms are nauseating and Stevie told me to come over because he has my jersey and I need it."
"You're going to Stevie's at eleven thirty at night?" You raise an eyebrow.
Brian shrugs. "You know how his parents are. They don't care."
You let out an unheard sigh. "Fine. Just be careful. Don't tell mom. Gerard will bring me home or I might spend the night over there."
Brian doesn't say anything, but the look on his face is enough to bring everyone in this room to a halt; that is, if they were paying attention to you.
"I'm not really going to. I'll sneak in later. Just cover for me before then." you reassure your brother.
Brian's look softens, but doesn't disappear entirely. Eventually, he sighs and leans in to kiss your forehead. "Be careful." he whispers, so you barely hear it.
You smile and give your brother a slap on the shoulder as he turns to leave, looking back at you constantly, only to find your attention on Gerard again, your arms around his neck in another passionate, mind-blowing kiss.
Jesus fucking Christ I am finally out of that club! Brian thinks, walking briskly to his car, his head tucked down to keep the cold from biting his neck. His arms are tightly encircling his torso and he does his best to keep out the cold as his car comes into view, only a few feet away. But no matter what he does, he cannot stop his ears from ringing with that god awful music.
I dont know how Angie does it. Or Gerard. Brian thinks, shaking his head as he extracts his car keys from his pocket and unlocks his car door with trembling hands.
What am I doing? He thinks suddenly, sitting slowly into his car. I can't just leave Angie in there...
A hand on the steering wheel, one leg resting out the open door, Brian frowns at the black asphalt, the thumping music from inside pounding in his ears ten times louder than it was before.
What am I thinking? I can trust Ang, and it's not like she was drinking. She said she wanted to quit anyway. Brian thinks, getting completely into his car and slamming the door shut behind him.
....
Oh no...
*chews lip*
Another short one, I know. But hey, you know the deal with the results... <3
"Hurry Angie hurry!"
You roll your eyes, but smile, allowing Gerard to drag you through the narrow, winding halls that is the basement of At The Top of My Lungs. This is where the bands prepare for shows and mellow out afterwards. No one is permitted downstairs, but of course that didn't stop Gerard from sneaking downstairs to meet his all-time favorite local band, Downpour.
"Gerard slow down! They're not going anywhere!" you tell him as you two pass a group of vivid looking punks, all sporting a neon hair color.
"Just hurry up!"
You smile wider, now running with Gerard, dodging the bodies lining the walls in the brightly lit, graffiti-covered hallway. Gerard is more than tipsy but you're having too much fun to mind; besides, you felt slightly giddy yourself.
Finally, finally, you come to a door with a piece of lined, ripped paper on it with only one word scribbled on it.
Downpour
Gerard bounces on his heels, squeezing your hand tightly as he looks at you with a wide smile, his sweaty hair matted to his head.
And he continues to stand in front of the door, smiling widely at you as you look at him questioningly, a small smile on your face.
"Are you going to knock?"
Gerard seems to snap out of his excited-haze temporarily. "Oh yeah!" He turns to the door as you laugh and lifts his free hand to knock a few times, beginning to spring again in anxiousness.
You watch as the door opens slowly, and immediately, the first thing you smell is weed. The guy who opens the door is who you recognize as the lead singer for Downpour, and his brown, glazed eyes first sweep over you before turning to Gerard.
"Yeah?"
Gerard introduces himself, and the twenty-something steps from the dressing room, opening the door a bit more to reveal the inhabitants inside. It is the rest of the band, all sharing a single, smoking blunt. You frown at the disgrace the room is left in; beer cans everywhere, clothes discarded to the floor carelessly, the walls signed and marked with crude things and signatures. It disgusts you, yet you have to force yourself away from the sight and to the lead singer, who's name is Sirius, who Gerard is currently presenting you to.
"...girlfriend Angie."
You smile up at the man, who looks to be about twenty-two, maybe twenty-three. He has dark brown, tussled sweaty hair streaked with blond on the top, and narrowed, brown eyes, that seem to stare deeply within you. It doesn't bother you though, the way he stares at you. And it doesn't seem to faze Gerard either. Sirius wears nothing but a pair of ripped jeans, and he looks exhausted, though you know for a fact that he's high off his ass.
"Nice to meet ya babe." Sirius sticks out his hand and you shake it for a second before breaking it away and returning it to your side, discreetly wiping it down your jeans.
"Hey you kids wanna go get some drinks? They're on us." Sirius offers, waving to his bandmates to get up and get ready to go back upstairs.
"Yeah! That would be fucking awesome!" Gerard almost squeals, literally bouncing up and down on his heels.
Sirius laughs and takes the shirt his friend hands him, throwing it over his head and stumbling slightly out of his room, his friends in tow, as you and Gerard move out of the way.
"All right then kiddos, let's go."
Time: 2:34 AM.
And no, you are not home.
You stumble from At the Top of My Lungs, laughing hysterically for no apparent reason, with Gerard hanging off your right arm, doing the same exact thing. Ray and Christa almost collapse out of the door next, Ray red in the face and Christa clutching her stomach as she wails with laughter. Mikey is the last to follow, not laughing in the slightest. If anything, he looks sick and pale, maybe even afraid.
"Race ya!" Gerard screams suddenly, overtop the loud music still throbbing from the underground club. At that moment he breaks from you and sprints to his Escort only a few paces ahead.
"Hey!" you yell, smiling broadly. "No fair!"
You sprint after Gerard, feeling giddy and lightheaded. That water at the club was really good.
You crash into the back of Gerard's Escort after him, laughing wildly as he grins up at you, lifting himself from the trunk. Ray and Christa laugh at you from behind but Mikey still makes not a sound.
Suddenly, Gerard throws himself onto you, his arms tightly around your neck as he sloppily kisses your face, not necessarily your lips. You kiss back, mixing your tongue with his as Ray and Christa cheer from behind, almost upon the car.
Gerard breaks from you suddenly and licks the side of your face, giggling madly afterwards. He's drunk, and you know it. And you're drunk too, but you don't know it.
"Hmm...You taste good." Gerard says, diving into your face again to capture your lips with his own. You kiss from but a moment, your breathing heavy as his hands caress you roughly. "I love you."
You smile and then push Gerard away and he slams into the car parked next to his, giggling once more. You run around to your side of the car and open the door before Gerard can get to you. You flop into the passenger's seat and Gerard flies around to the driver's where he hops in and lunges at you from over the armrest, but you back away tauntingly as the others enter the car.
Gerard pouts over dramatically, his sweaty hair matted to his head, as you as you smirk at him, licking your lips. "Skank."
"And you love me for it." you say playfully as Gerard starts the car, Mikey the last to close his door.
Gerard simpers wickedly, reversing wildly from his parking space, causing Christa to squeal and Ray to laugh loudly.
"I know."
The car ride to Ray's house is loud, fast, and terrifying, though only to Mikey. He made an offer to drive, but he doesn't even have his permit yet and Gerard insisted on driving, even though it meant driving drunk. Mikey pleaded, but everyone merely yelled at him to quit being a whiner and shut up, you among them. You're having too much fun.
Gerard takes the long way to Ray's house. The one on the back roads of Belleville. He pushes his tiny Nissan to the limit speed-wise, taking turns at top speeds. Mikey sits ashen faced in the backseat, his seatbelt strapped over his chest tightly. He's the only one who wears one, too.
"DARLING YOU GOTTA LET ME KNOW!"
"SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?"
"DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN!"
You, Gerard, and Christa burst into laughter as Ray adds his solo, the place where the guitar should be after you all scream the first lines of the song.
"That was fuckin' great!" Gerard shrieks, turning back to look at his friend, his eyes hazy with drunkenness.
You shake your head, still trembling with laughter, and then look ahead when a flash of bright lights suddenly catches your attention.
"Gerard look out!"
