"Frankie, Hitler was Austrian, not German." Gerard informs me from the driver's seat. We've been bickering over stupid shit since we left the motel in the periwinkle morning light. Gerard usually ends up wining.
"No, 'cause-"
"He was born in Austria, Frankie." Gerard gently reminds me.
"Well- well- How do you even know?" I sputter. Gerard laughs.
"I'm actually a Nazi acting as a batshit crazy 'Nam vet. My secret ploy is to infect as many people as I can with the Nazi." Gerard tells me.
"The Nazi?" I ask. He nods, grinning.


"Frankie, wake up. You really need to stop falling asleep on me." Gerard whines as nod off.


"When are we gonna do another bank? I thought you said we were going to go on a frenzy?" I complain when we pull into a deserted gas station.
"It's Sunday, Frankie." Gerard says as he pumps gas.
"Oh yeah." I mumble.


"So what's up with tits anyway?" Gerard asks me over evening coffee at a diner. He lights up another after-dinner cigarette. I can't help but laugh.
"What?" I manage over the sniggers.
"Tits." Gerard repeats like nothings up.
"What about them?"
"You tell me!"


"We need to do something tonight." Gerard says as we cruise down the main street of Hilliar. The stars are burning bright in the black sky, and Hilliar seems to have had some kind of festival earlier in the day. They have yet to take down the streams of yellowing twinkle lights lining each brick building. Up above the main intersection each strand meets to creates a grand tent up above. The bars are packed, the street is filled with loiterers, everyone having a good time. Everything shines in dim festive excitement.
For once I agree with Gerard, we need to do something. I want to feel excited too.
"Okay." I say. He pulls off to a side road to park.
"Take your trench off." Gerard tells me as we climb out, though I would have anyway. It's pretty warm. "Your hat too." I take my Sherlock Holmes hat off too, I'm so used to it I don't even notice I have it on half the time. Gerard gets to leave his hat on though.
We wander the street for a bit, soaking up the happy-happy shit. There's a different song just audible from each bar, people laugh, people holler, the twinkle lights illuminate everything in soft light.
"I need a drink." Gerard informs me. He leads me into a bar and orders a glass of strait up whiskey.
"I don't know how you can drink that shit..." I say.
"You seemed to like it quite a lot a few nights ago." he says back, smirking.
"Just shut up." I mutter, Gerard laughs.
We stroll the street, and Gerard sipping from his flimsy plastic cup. I look around and I can't help but feel excited. Everything is so now. I know what'll happen tomorrow, I know we could both possiblydie. I know we could get caught. I know all that. And it's okay. I trust my fate, and I trust Gerard. Whatever happens, it's okay. Whatever happens, I want it. I want whatever life will give me. Nothing scares me tonight.


"Frankie, wake up! Frankie I've got it!" Gerard shakes me awake. I awake to a dark motel room.
"Huh?" I mumble, still half asleep.
"I know what we have to do with the money! God, how did I not think of this?" He bounces.
"Just spit it out, will ya?" I flop back down to the mattress.
"Well, it's pretty apparent we aren't going to spend it, I mean, c'mon. So we need to make a statement." he informs me, like that really answers my question.
"And what is that statement?" I ask.
"We need to burn it!"
"Burn it?" I ask again.
"Of course, Frankie! Burn it! If we did it right, do you know what a statement that would make? I don't know how it's taken me this long!"
"Uh... Okay." I think about it little, it would make quite a controversy.
"Ugh! But where?!?" He says exasperated as he flops back down to the bed.

After an unusually alert morning we are heading to Hilliar's city bank.
"God, a bank robbery right after a festival. How fucking terrible." Gerard mumbles laughing. I crack a smirk.
"Alright, so I went out while you were still sleeping and-" Gerard starts.
"What? You left while I was sleeping?" I say a little offended.
"You look like you needed the sleep." he says, shrugging. "Anyway, so I found that if you take this road," he points a deserted side road, "that it leads right to the highway. Now, how we're going to do this is we'll hold up the place, have our fun, then I'll run out to get the car. You have to stay in the bank and make sure they don't try anything. I'll pull up and you have to book it to the car. Then we'll be on our merry way."
"Alright, sounds good." I nod.

"Alright everyone. You know the routine...." Gerard drawls as he pulls his gun out lazily. I can't help but smirk.
"Get on the ground." I chime in. Gerard points his gun at the bank teller.
"And don't try anything either, I'm sure you know what'll happen-" Gerard starts, and suddenly I can feel the hysteria flood the arteries in my neck.
"Don't anyone try and play the fucking hero!" I interrupt. "You people never seem to learn. Jesus ain't gonna fly down on a purple dragon to save your sorry ass. Ricky Nixon ain't gonna save the world, and communism ain't gonna end it!" I exclaim. Gerard gives me an approving look, and strolls over to the bank teller.
"I'd like to take out 40,000." he jokes. It's doesn't look like she's too amused, and he casually waves his gun around. Quickly she turns to take get the money. While she does he sits down in one of the hard chairs.
"There's nothing left..." he mumbles to himself. I don't understand, but I also don't ask. Soon our money is ready, like an order at a fast food restaurant, and Gerard runs out to get the car, and I feel like we left our business unfinished here. I walk over to the bank teller.
"Where's the phone?" I ask. No answer. "Where is it?" I repeat, sharper now. She points back behind her. I aim at it pull the trigger. Fucking Christ. I've never actually shot this thing before. It's insane.
"Is that the only one?" No answer. "Where's the other one?" I conclude. But then I hear Gerard laying on the horn. I book it out, still feeling that it was unfinished, still ecstatic nonetheless. Gerard flies down the side street, And soon we're on the highway.
I don't even hear the sirens this time.



I understand now what Gerard meant that day, while he sat down in that bank. And I understand why it was left feeling unfinished.

Notes

I AM SO SORRY. I'm sorry for the long wait, it's just I had some other shit going on, and I felt disconnected from the story for a bit. I'm back now though! Yay!
Comments are nice.... ;)
Thank you for reading, and thank you for sticking with me :)