I was woken not by the loud beeping of my alarm, which I hadn't set, but by loud banging on my front door. That actually didn't sound like banging but more like loud kicking. I grumbled and rolled over to get out of bed. Running a hand through my destroyed hair I went to the door and opened it.

"You know you should just give me a key and end this madness in the future," Gerard said as he walked in holding two very large cups of coffee.

"How the hell did you get into the building?" I asked sleepily as I closed the door.

I think I was hungover.

"Reta was doing paper work in the diner and I asked her to let me. And she did," Gerard said as he placed the coffees down on my small table.

"Uh huh," I said as I yawned and rubbed my head.

"And here," he said as he tossed things at me quickly.

I barely caught them.

"Smokes and Advil, you're probably experiencing your first tequila hang over so I came prepared," he said as he handed me the coffee as I popped some of the little pills gratefully.

"So how do we go about this?" I asked as I sipped my coffee and packed the cigarettes before taking two out and handing one to him.

"Once you're awake enough, in like three minutes, we're going out and buying supplies," Gerard said as he sipped his own coffee.

"Like this?" I asked as I looked down at my attire.

I had on green hospital scrubs that were rolled a bit and an old vintage Iron Maiden shirt. I didn't lack all style at least.

"Yup. Though I suggest that you find another shirt to paint in, unless you don't mind getting paint all over Maiden," Gerard said as he pointed at my shirt.

I shrugged my shoulders and took a drag. Switching my hot coffee to my cigarette hand I rubbed my eyes one last time and shuffled over to where my flip flops were located.

"Let's get this disaster on the road then. That way we have longer to paint," I said as I opened my front door, cigarette hanging from my lips and large coffee in hand as I pocketed some cash and my keys in the only back pocket on these pants.

I didn't even care what I looked like, I just wanted to get this started.

"Good then," Gerard said as he threw a random hoodie from the back of my couch at me, having it land on my head as he walked past.
-xXx-
An hour or so later Gerard and I arrived back at my apartment, supplies in hand. We had rollers and paint brushes of all sorts and gallons of all sorts of paint. White, which Gerard had insisted be on one wall, and then other colors like bright yellow, blood red, bright green, royal purple and black for the other walls. Gerard had also picked up some smaller containers of paint which he wouldn't let me look at nor tell me what they were for. He could be awfully frustrating to one only slightly hung over early in the morning. We had also picked up more coffee, even though I had some at the apartment, and snacks for the day. All of which Gerard insisted on paying for.

Back at the apartment we pushed everything and piled it all in the center of the room and covered it in tarp. We laid down drop cloths and taped out our edges, this all taking only half an hour. We were a power team. We decided to do one wall in stripes of yellow and purple and then the rest of the walls in solid colors with funky accents. Hence the odd colors. Room prepared, we got to work.

Five hours later we were finishing the last wall, the white wall. I was exhausted and Gerard looked it too. We had worked straight through, non stop except for snacks. We were covered in paint, as in my pants were stiff with it in parts, it was splattered all over our shirts, in our hair and any exposed skin was liberally covered as well. We may have been quick about it, and done a killer job, but we made one HELL of a mess while doing it.

"I think my hands are permanently cramped in the form of holding a paintbrush and roller," I whined as I sat down onto the floor in a heap as I stared at the white wall we had just finished.

I may be whining but I was happier than I had ever been. The apartment looked like me, it felt like me, like a home. It was spunky, and outrageous, and slightly clashed, which was what I was finding out was me in the core. I really loved it, and it, I don't know, it felt right.

"Ditto, I can't even light my lighter," Gerard said as he pitifully tried to light the lighter in his hands to light the two cigarettes in his mouth.

"You're pathetic sometimes," I said as I reached over and lit the cigarettes.

On the second try. Ouch.

"So says the one that can't move her hands from their cramped position," Gerard said as he passed me one of the lit cancer sticks.

"Mmm, I'll give it to you on that one. Gotta pee, be back," I said as I stood up and made my way to the bathroom.

Business done I came back out to see Gerard shutting his phone and putting it back down.

"Gotta leave?" I asked.

I didn't know if I was bummed or not, but I surely knew that I wanted the glaringly white wall finished so it didn't burn my retinas with it's brightness.

"Nope. But you are," Gerard said as he stood and ashed into our coffee can for such purposes.

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"You are going out. Like now. With Sharon to do stuff while I finish," Gerard said like it should have been obvious that I was the one leaving.

"What? Leave you to finish by yourself? And like now? I can't change? Or shower?" I asked looking down at my liberally paint splatter covered self.

"Yup, you look fine. And yes finish by myself. I have a surprise for you. So throw on your hoodie and grab your bag she's outside waiting," Gerard said as he picked up my Cure hoodie and threw it at me.

I glared at him while I stuck it on. I readjusted my black bandana that I had tied around my head to keep my hair out of my face, though it still showed all over the place, and stuck my silver aviators on as I grabbed my bag.

"How long am I going to be out?" I asked as I tossed my cigarette butt into the can.

"For as long as it takes, probably the rest of the day or so. I'll call Sharon when it's time for her to bring you back. Don't worry, you can trust me," he said, the last part coming out sincere.

I smiled at him a bit.

"I do, thank god. Don't know why, but I trust you. But if I come back here and there are giant bright daisies all over that wall I will kill you and find an ugly replacement lead singer for your band," I warned as I turned and opened my door.

"Oh no! Not that!" Gerard said in mock fright.

I scoffed and made my way outside to the waiting Sharon to have a bonding day while Gerard painted my apartment with out supervision.
-xXx-
"Really? He did the dishes?" Sharon asked in amazement.

We had gone for lunch at a little place that she loved, that she said wouldn't care about my scary appearance. Or that's what I called it, though I didn't really care as I use to walk around like this back in college. We were currently talking over our third cup of coffee since our plates had been cleared and our check been left at the table.

"Yeah, he just grabbed some and went to the kitchen with them. When I came in with some more there he was, his hands almost elbow deep in suds and hot water, scrubbing away. I just didn't think much about it," I said as I blew across the top of my mug.

"Wow, he never does the dishes on a whim. He always has to be shoved in the direction of the kitchen and chained to the sink. You've got a gift girl," Sharon joked as she took a sip.

"Actually I think it was mainly because my apartment was a trash heap and he couldn't stand the sight of sitting in it. Because we cleaned the living room area as well," I laughed before taking a sip of my coffee.

"Wow, cleaned the living room too? I think I will just let the apartment go and see if that motivates him. Though it will more than likely motivate Mikey first," Sharon joked.

"Mikey lives with you guys?" I asked, intrigued.

"Uh huh, those two have always lived together. Except for when Gerard was in school that is. Why, got a thing for the younger Way?" Sharon asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me as she did so.

"Oh no, dear god no," I said as I laughed at the idea.

"I don't have the head space at the moment to like a guy. It would be unfair to start a relationship with someone while I'm trying to find myself. It just wouldn't be right. Ya know?" I asked as I drank down half my coffee.

"I get it, I get it. But you sure about Mikey? He is a cutie, and mad talented, and wears glasses," Sharon listed off.

"Oh he is a cutie that's for sure, but yeah I'm sure. I might put him up for later inspection later on though, when I'm ready for a guy in my life. Who knows. Hell I could end up dating Bob for all I know. Or some random guy off the street, we'll have to wait and see," I said jokingly.

"Or Frankie," Sharon shivered.

"Was that a good shiver or a bad shiver? Because I love Frankie to death," I said questioningly.

"That was a scary shiver. I could never imagine dating Frankie. I mean don't get me wrong he's a great guy, but way too weird. And crazy to boot. Just not my dating type. Besides I have Gerard and that's enough for me," Sharon said with a pleasant smile on her face.
-xXx-
"So you sure Sheela is going to be open today?" Sharon asked.

After another cup of coffee we had finally paid and left. We had gone to the nearby park and just walked around talking, I told her about my past a bit. Giving her more insight into why I was here doing what I was doing. Explaining the things that had driven me to this place in my life. After almost an hour or so I had brought up how she had said she wanted to Waste of Breath, that this was a good a time as any. So we were on our way there. Almost there actually.

"Well if she's not then we'll find something else to do," I said as we turned the corner to where the store was located.

"Wha-La!" I said as we turned to see the store with an open sign in the door.

"I swear she has no life," Sharon said as we made out way into the store.

"Sheela!" I yelled real loud as I didn't see any other customers in the building.

"You can call me Sheels Jay, I think we've past the point of full name at this point," Sheela yelled from somewhere out back.

I shrugged my shoulders as I approached the counter that blocked the public from the back room and storage rooms. Eventually she came out carrying a plate covered in tin foil.

"Brownie?" she asked as she bite the one in her hand and held the plate out to us.

Sharon and I shrugged and grabbed one off the plate.

"Someone get hit by the pregnant fairy?" I asked as I bit into the brownie gone haywire.

It had white swirls, peanut butter swirls, chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, peanut butter chips, white chocolate pieces, and nuts. Like said, these were over the top brownies.

"Nope," Sheela said shrugging her shoulders.

"Someone smoke a lot of pot last night or this morning?" Sharon asked next.

"Nada. I just got hella bored. And when I get hella bored I bake. And then I usually end up having to eat everything I bake. It's a vicious cycle. So what you girlies out doing today?" Sheela asked as she grabbed another almost two inch thick brownie.

"We're out toodling around since Gee kicked Jay out of her apartment so he could finish painting in secret," Sharon explained.

"Uh ha, that would explain the current attire and body accessories," Sheela said smiling as she pointed at me paint covered self.

I crinkled my nose at her.

"So we're here to browse, to shop, to kill time. Sharon had said at the show how she had wanted to come in since it had been forever since the last time she had," I said nonchalantly as Sheela came out from behind the counter.

"Sounds like bunches," Sheela chirped like a bird.

I gave her my best what the fuck look and she shrugged.

"And the best part, Jay got Gee to do the dishes!" Sharon said excitedly.

I had a feeling I wasn't going to hear the end of this for a good long time.

"The DISHES?" Sheela exclaimed.

"Oh yes, and then," Sharon said as we traveled to the racks of clothing.

This was going to be a long shopping trip.
-xXx-
At the end of the two hours we spent in the store Sharon had one paper bag of stuff and a small plastic bag sporting the infamous Waste of Breath logo and colors with jewelry in it. I had a similar small bag in my hands as we stood to leave the store with promises to go out for something the next time Sheela had a day off, or when any of us did.

I had bought a necklace that she had just got in. It was big, enormous actually, and it was perfect for me. It was turquoise and brown, with multiple strands of beads twirled together and a large turquoise piece hanging in the center. I loved it.

"So what now?" I asked Sharon as we walked out the door, waving goodbye to Sheela as she ran for the phone that was ringing.

"Movie?" Sharon suggested.

"Sounds good to me. Wonder what Gerard's doing to my poor apartment," I said as we made our way down the streets back to her car.

"Only god knows, especially since he hasn't called yet," Sharon replied.

She was right. Only god knew.

Notes

Mwuahahahahahhaha!!! Evil secret Gerard is holed up in Jay's apartment unsupervised with paint!!!
Enjoy!