[12] What I Bought On eBay [MCR]

At one o'clock in the morning, Gerard sat up in his bunk and whacked his head shoved off the covers. Then he swung out of bed and grabbed a pair of Bob's pants and Mikey's favorite shirt. He threw on one of Frank's hoodies and, after snatching a pair of Ray's shoes, he quietly tiptoed off the bus, casting one last glance back at his sleeping bandmates plus Halo.
He slipped out into the cold night air, inhaling deeply and enjoying the sting in his lungs. He leaned against the smooth side of the bus for a moment, then pushed off and made his way into the night, his path lit by the eerie glow of street lamps.
Unerringly, he made his way down the street until he reached the lonely bench by the side of the road. A soft sigh escaped his lips at the sight of the tiny figure perched on it, knees drawn up to her chest and eyes staring unblinkingly at the ground in front of her.
He walked up, kicking a pebble that bounced wildly away from him, and sat down quietly next to Shelly. Neither said anything, and for a full seven minutes, the only sounds were the slight tickle of wind and their own slow, even breathing.
Finally, Gerard said, "You must be hungry."
"I'm always hungry."
"I know."
They fell silent again.
"We missed you," Gerard finally told her.
"Did Halo freak out?" Shelly asked.
"Yup. We all did."
She ignored his repeated use of 'we'. "Heard your show was awful."
"It was," he said mildly. "We missed you."
At this, she finally turned her head toward him. "We?" she echoed.
"Mm-hm," he said complacently.
"Oh..." She shifted awkwardly.
"Bet it's quiet without me," Shelly said soon.
"It is. I mean, we're never really quiet, but it's... less loud."
She nodded noiselessly and turned to staring at the ground again.
Gerard tipped his head back and began to count stars, feeling her shift beside him.
He hadn't felt this calm in a long time.
"How did you know I'd be here?" she finally asked.
He shrugged.
She quieted again.
"You gonna come back?" he inquired after a few minutes.
It was her turn for a shrug.
"Why did you leave?" he said softly.
This time, she quickly turned her face away.
A small grin tugged at Gerard's lips.
"I don't need a reason," she finally said. "Sometimes... you need to get away from all of it... I guess."
"All of what?" he probed gently.
She shrugged, tossing her hair out of her face and scrubbing at her cheeks.
"Were you trying to get away from me?" he asked calmly.
Suddenly, with the agility and speed of a jackrabbit, she leapt into his lap and snuggled into his chest.
"Yup," she answered simply. "But not any more."
With that, her head dropped against his collarbone and she promptly fell asleep.
Gerard quietly pushed open the door to the bus with his toe, careful not to wake the sleeping girl in his arms. He bumped his way inside, and then gently set Shelly down on the couch. Then he lay down beside her and fell into the calmest, most dreamless sleep he'd had in a long time.
"SSSHHHEEELLLLLYYYY!"
Halo launched herself at the couch, with an impact like an atom bomb. Gerard recoiled slightly in a vain attempt to avoid being injured in her exuberant greeting.
"SHELLY!"
"Shelly?"
"Shell-ayyy!"
Mikey, Bob, and Frank raced to the couch, giggling and laughing joyously. Ray staggered out a moment later, and his jaw hit the floor.
Once Shelly had been dragged off the couch and had been hugged by everyone more than once, the pelting of questions began.
"Where were you?"
"Are you okay?"
"Were you kidnapped?"
"Are you hungry?"
"When did you get back?"
"Why did you leave?"
"Did you shrink?"
At this last question, Shelly aimed a kick at Frank's shin. "Be nice!" she admonished.
Gerard, still sprawled on the couch, grinned.
"You must be starving," said Halo dramatically, grabbing her friend by the elbow. "C'mon, let's go shoot up all the 7-11s in the place until they give us all their candy!"
But as she was being yanked toward the door, Shelly squealed, "Wait!"
She wriggled out of their grasps and darted back to the couch, pulling a startled Gerard to his feet.
She laced her fingers in his and tugged. "C'mon," she said brightly.
The entire bus was silent as everyone stared, bewildered, at the pair, eyes darting between the two, then down to their entwined hands.
Gerard grinned, reaching over to rumple her hair. "I'm coming," he assured her. "I'm with you."
"You know what?" said Halo dramatically as she swept the entire shelf of Skittles into their basket.
"What?" Shelly chirped, dashing up behind her and jumping on her back.
Halo was beaming at the sheer normality of it all.
"It's been too long since we got good and sugared up!" she declared, brandishing a pack of Skittles. "We need to get sugar-hiiiiiigh today!"
"YEAH!" cheered Shelly enthusiastically, bounding away to leap on Bob, who was lurking nearby. "GUESS WHAT?" she yelled.
"Owch! What?"
"WE'RE GONNA GET SUGAR-HIGH TODAY!" she said happily.
"NO!" cried Frank and Ray reflexively from their position several aisles down, immediately dashing down and skidding to a stop in front of the girls and Bob.
Halo folded her arms and glared at Frank. "Why not?" she demanded.
Shelly was pouting.
Frank and Ray exchanged a glance.
"We're doomed," whispered Frank.
"On top of old SMO-KEYYYY!"
"All covered with CHEEEEESE!"
Shelly thwacked Halo in mild annoyance, pausing in her bouncing on the back of the couch. "You're mixing 'em up!"
"But they sound the same!"
"That's the point!"
"That's my point!"
"No, it's mine!"
"I want it!"
"I wanted it first!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"It's my point!" shouted Bob.
Everyone fell silent and turned to look at him.
He shrugged.
"New song!" Halo yelled.
"Barneeyyyy!" Shelly squealed, jumping around, waving her arms in the air.
"NO!" shouted her six friends, all faces contorted in horror.
"I love you!"
"Shelly!"
"You love me!"
"I'M GOING TO KIIIILLL YOU!"
"Together we can kill Bar-ney..."
"Make it stop! Make it stop!" squeaked Halo, diving for Frank's ankles and huddling there.
"With a great big push he's on the floor!"
"Shelly, if you want to sleep on the roof, it's fine by us -"
"No more purple di-no-saaauurrr!" she shrieked in the grand finale.
Everyone sagged in relief as the song ended.
"I swear," said Halo, pulling herself up, using Frank's pockets as handholds, "if you ever sing that ever again..."
Suddenly, Mikey leapt at the back of the couch and tackled Shelly.
"EEEEEK!" she squealed.
"Tickle attack!" he cried, and began to tickle her.
Halo eagerly jumped up and joined them, tickling Mikey.
Frank hastened after Halo to tickle her.
Before long, all seven people on the bus were rolling on the floor, shrieking with laughter.
Bob finally pushed himself up on his elbows, panting for breath. "Wow..." he gasped, "that... was..."
The door flew open with a bang!
"Guys!" shouted Brian. "Get out here now!"
Staring at him blankly, My Chemical Romance climbed unsteadily to their feet and followed him off the bus.
Shelly and Halo looked at each other.
"Where did he come from?" wondered Halo.
"I dunno," said Shelly.

make us poster boys for your scene...
K. Feedback, please.