After that Gerard packs up the suit cases and Bob leads us to where we'll be sleeping tonight. It's an attic full of spiders. Fucking wonderful. Bob gives Gerard the skeleton key to the only door out. Bob leaves. Gerard locks the door and puts the key in his shirt pocket. There's a double bed under a moonlit window, Gerard sets booth suitcases under the bed. He sets his hat on the floor, hangs his trench coat on a nail, and takes his boots off. Then he takes his faded black jeans off so he's in his shorts and dingy white button up rolled up to is elbows. This seems to be a common ritual for him.
He lies down next to me and puts the gun between us.
"You can, you know, get a bit more comfortable.... if you want." he offers. I shake my head. He sighs.
"Please don't make me handcuff you to the bed." I look over to see the truly unpleasant look on his face at the thought of handcuffing me to the bed. Honestly running hadn't even crossed my mind. Fuck.
I take my black 'Paulie's Pizza' baseball cap off and my shoes and pants. We sit in silence for a long time until,
"Gerard?" I ask
"Hmmm?" I think he had been dozing off.
"Why'd you do it? Why'd you do that at your own birthday party? And how'd you know they were gonna do that?" He says nothing. Then,
"They all pity me. Did they really think a fucking surprise party would change anything?" he asks me, he wants an answer.
"Well, no. But you didn't have to scare them like that." he chuckles.
"I'm leaving this world in a hail of bullets. I don't give a damn anymore." I want to ask him what his problem is, but I decide against it.
"How'd you know they we're there? Or do you always carry a machine gun under your coat?"
He laughs, "No, not always..... Cindy isn't too good at keeping secrets. I guess she thought she was being clever and secretive, but it was really obvious...." he smirks. "Stupid motherfuckers." he says sourly.


"Wake up Frankie!" Someone's shaking me. Oh God, did the cops catch up with Gerard? Is there gonna be a shoot out?
"What? What is it?" I jump up.
"It's time to get up silly!" Gerard says cheerfully. I look him in his gleeful eyes. What the fuck? I ask.
"Well good morning sunshine...." he mutters looking down. He starts to dress. I'm done before him, and when he's done he comes to me and stand me up in front of him. He looks me over.
"Okay... Just no. Get that shirt off. Now." he sighs as he rips my hat off. "The black pants are fine but we need to find you a nice trench and some good boots. A cool hat too."
"Why?"
"If you're going to rob a bank you have to look the part!" he snaps.
"I don't want to rob a fucking bank! Don't you get that?" he just smirks at me and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"Well since I didn't account for a hostage, or rather, accomplice, we'll have to make a little pit stop."

Gerard totes me along to a Military surplus store. He keeps a hard grip on my arm but I'm not really afraid of him anymore. It's pretty well established that as long as I don't do anything too stupid that he doesn't even want to hurt me. Like he want to be friends.
As soon as we're in the door he sighs in fond remembrance. He drags me to the trenches first.
"Medium or small, Frankie?"
"Small." I mumble.
Then we're off to the combat boots. I try on a few pairs until I find the ones. I have to say that they are the best thing that I've ever put on my feet. Then to the hats. Most of them were never actually military issued to the soldiers, they're just hats.
"Okay, now you can't pick the same hat as me. It has to be different, alright? That's gonna be our thing."
"Oh my God..." I moan. He laughs. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"That's for another day, Frankie."
I decide on a brown hound's tooth Sherlock Holmes hat.
"Oh good! You're not as incompetent as I thought!" he seems genuinely pleased by my choice of hat.
"Well I don't dress in my pizza boy uniform all the time." We laugh. Fuck! Am I joking around with my kidnapper?
Gerard carelessly grabs a pair of leather gloves for me, and two navy blue bandanas on our way to the checkout. He pays and drags me to the car. He rips my faded red 'Paulie's Pizza' t-shirt off and turns it inside out.
"Wait... No. It'll be your thing." He turns it right side out again. God damn. I put it back on and he kneels down and take my shoes off for me. He puts the boots on for me.
"I can dress myself." I say. He puts the leather gloves and one of the bandanas in the coat pocket, and tosses me the coat and hat. I'm actually glad for the trench. It's still early spring here and it's cold today.
"Alright Frankie. Now it's time to hit the bank." I groan.

Notes

I know this chapter was boring but I'm already writing the next one! And we both know what happens next.... ;) Thank you for reading.