“Am I supposed to dress up for this thing or not?” I called out from my bedroom where I was trying to figure out what to wear. Reta had let me off at seven this night so the guys could have a date for their weird Christmas Eve whenever party. It was still about a week until Christmas itself but I was going to be working Christmas Eve so the party was being held now. Though if stories were true then this party was traditionally never held on the actual night itself due to someone’s schedule, so I didn't feel all that bad about making it a week early.

“I mean sure, we all start off that way but eventually we all end up in lounging clothes. So wear something nice and then pack some regular clothes to get drunk in. Maybe clothes to sleep in as most people just crash with us. And remember, no Way babies!” Gerard growled from out in my living room.

My apartment was still decorated from when I had everyone over, it just twinkled Christmas to me and I couldn't even bare to turn off the Christmas lights for just one minute lest the feeling vanish. This was the first time I had ever been able to do something like this for the holiday, first time I was ever allowed or able to put my hands in the decorating and everything else. It had always been such a cold lifeless holiday growing up, all sterile with a fashion draped tree and color theme matching house decorations that cost more than most people’s cars. I loved my cheeky grinning snowmen, my ridiculous tree with its miss matched ornaments and different colored lights, I loved the snowflakes hanging haphazardly from my ceiling at different lengths and I really loved my angel sitting why up high. But most of all, most of all I loved the memory of decorating this place, the memory of coming to realize just who my friends really were to me. They were my angels, and I knew somehow that throughout my life to come they, unlike some others I have known, would never let me fall. Angels for sure, if also hellions to boot.

“Gerard!” I huffed as he brought up Way babies again as I felt my face flush a dark red. I swear I was going to kill one of the Way brothers soon, which one was still to be determined.

“Oh get over it. If you didn't want to hear about Way babies you shouldn't have started shpa-doinkaling my brother in the first place!” Gerard called out as his head, followed by the rest of him, popped around my door jam and into my bedroom.

“Gerard!” I screamed out when I saw him standing in front of me, trying to cover myself. He had previously been lounging out in my winter wonderland living room so I had been stressing out over what to wear in my bedroom in nothing but a tank-top and underwear. Not like a bathing suit wouldn't have actually shown more skin but this had the weird feeling of being my underwear!

“Oh shit Jay bird I am SO sorry!” Gerard exclaimed before slapping his hands over his eyes and whipping back out of my bedroom. I heard his back slam onto the other side of the wall next to my open door followed by a deep sigh.

“Don’t worry, mainly you just caught me by surprise is all,” I called out reassuringly as I scrambled and put on a pair of sweats and a flannel shirt. No bra and only panties problem solved I wrapped my knuckles on the wall behind Gerard’s head.

“You can come in now.”

“So which one do you think I should wear tonight? I can’t make up my mind,” I whined as I looked down at the two dresses in front of me. I have never really enjoyed wearing dresses ever, maybe it stemmed from being forced to attend so many stuffing boring parties and gatherings where I had to wear them that did it to me. But whatever the cause it meant I had none when I had set out on my trip before landing in Jersey. And until last night the only one I had owned since arriving in Jersey had been my work uniform. But now, now I owned two courtesy of Sheela and Waste of Breath and I couldn't decide between either. One was black with white trim very much along the lines of a fifties dress, very rockabilly Sheela told me, with a matching black and white bow headband for my hair. The other dress was a bright cherry red number that was going to fit like a second skin if I wore it but the color complimented my fire hair perfectly and there was the cutest of all skull and cross bones in pleather attached to the front bottom corner with studs! I really couldn't decide, so my seeking of Gerard’s opinion really was honest.

“Uh, I uh, don-don’t know?” Gerard stuttered as he gazed down at the two dresses and then at me a couple of times.

“Here, does this help?” I asked as I lifted both dresses and then proceeded to put one in front of me for a moment or two so he could see what it would look like before switching to the other dress and repeating the process.

“Uhhh,” Gerard uttered, his eyes starting to look glassed over.

“Do you want me to try them on for you?” I offered, confused and really needing an opinion about which one to wear.

“No, uh. Uhm, wear the ah, the black one. I gotta ah, gotta go use your bathroom. The black one will be perfect!” Gerard mumbled then shouted as he jogged out of my bedroom with a very painful look on his face.

“Fuck it I’m gonna wear the red one,” I mused aloud to myself as I dug out a pair of black flats to wear with it. It was a Christmas party after all and red was a festive holiday color! Decision made I went about picking out undergarments and regular clothes for later as well, I figured the clothes I had on at the moment would be good enough as sleep over clothes so I called myself done. Using the fact that Gerard was still in my bathroom I slipped into the appropriate undergarments for wearing this dress quick as a bunny. Hopping around on one foot as I tried to wiggle into my nylons I heard my bathroom door creak open.

“Why don’t you go wait outside for me Gerard I’ll be down in like ten minutes tops and then we can head out!” I called out as I straightened the black line running up the back of my nylons before going for my dress.

“No girl can be ready in ten minutes, especially not for a party!” Gerard scoffed from somewhere outside my bedroom.

“I’ll bet you twenty bucks that I can prove you wrong and still look amazing!” I laughed out as I looked down at the skin tight red dress and tried to figure out how I was supposed to put this on without any addition help.

“You’re on! Though you. . .” was all I heard of Gerard’s response.

“What was that?” I called out as I fiddled with the closure to the dress.

“Nothing! Ten minutes starts as soon as I get to the bottom of the stairs! See you in twenty!” Gerard called out as I heard my front door open.

“Ha!” I laughed out at him before lifting the dress above my head and starting to shimmy into it.

Once I had scrambled into the dress and adjusted it so I was covered in all appropriate places I dashed into my bathroom to do my hair and makeup. I grabbed the black bow headband for the other dress and figured it would go with this dress as well since I had no idea how to do my hair still. I slapped on some black eyeliner, some red eyeshadow that matched my dress and brushed my hair as I also brushed my teeth, a true feat of talent if there ever was one. Once my hair was presentable at best I stuck on the bow and ran to grab my shoes and my bag with other clothes along with my purse before dashing to the door. My ten minutes was coming to an end and I still needed my Cure hoodie that Star had given to me what seemed like a lifetime ago and I didn't want to kill myself running down the stairs.

At the bottom of my stairs I readjusted my dress, pulling it down even though I knew everything was covered decently. Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves that had showed up out of nowhere for some reason I collected myself before stepping out into the freezing Jersey winter air, grateful for my hoodie even though I should have worn more for warmth. I made it to Gerard’s car in one piece without slipping and killing myself and knocked on the window so he could unlock the door for me so I could get in before I turned into a popsicle.

“Wow. . .” was all Gerard said as I slipped into the front seat, all of my things bundling themselves awkwardly in my lap so I could shut the door quicker.

“Gerard you can’t even see what I look like!” I scoffed awkwardly as I felt a heat creep into my cheeks that had nothing to do with the hot air pulsing through the car.

“But wow. Um, I mean, the ah, th-the red looks good on you,” Gerard stuttered before looking directly out in front of him.

“Thanks. But I think turning the car on completely and driving to your house is probably a good next step,” I teased as I realized we hadn't started driving yet. Everyone was going to wonder why we were late.

“And by the way,” I offered as Gerard popped his car into gear and started out of my parking lot area. “You still owe me twenty bucks,” I grinned evilly as I looked over at Gerard before turning to watch the snow covered scenery of Jersey pass by my window.


-xXx-

“You’re here! Finally!” Frankie called out once we had made it to the front door of Gerard and Mikey’s house. And Sharon’s as well but as she was still at her families for the holiday and still a touchy subject for Gerard I pushed the idea from my head. This was the holiday season and I didn't need to be bringing up sore subjects when all that should be felt was good cheer.

“Blame it on Gerard! He forgot how to drive!” I chuckled as I came in and dropped my bags on a bench in the front hallway.

“I blame your outfit!” Frankie sang at me with an approving look on his face.

“Oh pffft I’m pretty sure it took me less time to get ready then it took you! Though I must say that you look quite fetching tonight!” I said as I pinched Frankie’s cheek. And it was the truth too, he was wearing some of the most incredibly tight bright cherry red skinny jeans with a white button up shirt and a black tie. It seemed he had gone out on a limb and dyed his hair to match his outfit, half of his head what bleached while the mohawk part of his hair was still black.

“Is that red hair dye I see on the other side?” I squeed momentarily as I shoved Frankie’s head off to the side so I could see the other side.

“Aww did you dye your hair to match your outfit?” I cooed jokingly as I examined the red now adorning half of Frankie’s head.

“No, it just turned out like that,” Frankie mumbled as he looked at his feet. He really was too cute for words.

“Apparently there was a dress code I wasn't informed off but somehow still got,” I mused as Gerard turn from hanging up his winter coat. He was decked out in black skinny jeans, a black button up shirt and bright red tie. As he hung up the black wool scarf that had been wrapped around his neck I took a minute to really take in his appearance. The black outfit with the black of his hair really brought out the perfect porcelain of his white skin without washing him out; in fact it only drew attention to the stark beauty of it. And I only just now realized that the red in his tie was mimicked softly in the eyeshadow around his eyes.

“You’re wearing makeup,” I found myself whispering as my hand went up to brush some of his errant hairs off his face so I could see better. Somehow I had crossed the few feet between us to inspect.

“Yeah, uh, do you like it? It’s something I decided to try out,” Gerard whispered softly almost like he was unsure of his decision.

“I think it’s glorious. It makes your eyes pop out even more. I think you might get Frankie to teach you a trick or two, because I can see eyeliner also being a great addition,” I said with a soft smile as I tucked more of his hair behind his ear. Everything about him was just so soft and yet when he looked at you, I mean really looked at you, his eyes could cut you to the core.

“Time to eat!!!” came a chorus from inside the house.

“So Mr. Way, shall we?” I asked as I offered up my arm for him to take so we could go to dinner.

“As long as never call me Mr. Way again I think we can,” Gerard offered with a smile. A real and true smile, something I didn't get to see very often. It lit his whole face and just for a moment it opened the blinds behind his eyes and let some of his light shine through. I felt my breath catch in my throat just a little before returning his smile with a grin of my own.

“It’s a deal then. To dinner!” I said dramatically as Gerard took my arm and we promenaded into the rest of the house where our friends were waiting for us so we could eat.

“Oh wow,” I gasped out softly as we entered the dining room. And I mean the real dining room. Not the kitchen, not the living room or the den in the garage, but the honest to god dining room! I don’t think we had ever eaten or even been in here the entire time I had known the guys and had been coming over to their house. It looked as beautiful as my family home had but less fake and more warm. The place simply glowed and there was green, red, white and gold everywhere!

Not only did the room twinkle with white Christmas lights but from real candles set all around the room, in the center of the long table and tucked behind green pine boughs with red bows. It smelled like Christmas, it smelled like heaven more to the point. Like roasting food and pine tree, the bite of holiday liquor and the sweet wash of fresh cranberries swimming in a bowl in the middle of the table. And there standing around the long brown table at their spots to sit for dinner, all looking ever so grown up for once, were my friends. There really had been some type of psychic dress code passed around, because we all wore some form of red, white and black. It almost made me chuckle a bit but I was still in so much shock at the beauty of everything to do so.

“Did you guys do this?” I asked in awe as I continued to look around, trusting Gerard to not guide me into anything I could stub a toe or shin on.

“Pretty snazzy huh?” Ray asked with a giant grin from across the table where he stood in his black skinnies, white button up and red tie.

“Snazzy doesn't even begin to cover it!” I answered, bestowing the fro bearing man with my own giant grin.

“You’re sitting next to me beautiful,” I heard whispered in my ear as familiar warm hands encircled my waist to bring me tight to a chest I had come to know well at this point.

“Alright Mikey, take me away,” I giggled slightly as I let the other Way brother steal me away from Gerard’s still outstretched arm.

Notes

Awwwwww!!!!
Hehe hehe he he he hehe he he hehe hehe he he. . .