Same Strange
Everything You're Feeling Is Common, Even Though You've Never Felt So Alone
-Bert's POV-
"Bert, dude. Get," shake, "the fuck," shake, "UP. UGH," Quinn whined, shaking my shoulders while I glared at him. It wasn't that I didn't want to hang out with Jepha and Quinn. I did, they're my fucking best friends. Its just that right now I was having a night where I just wanted to get shitfaced in our apartment, not at the fucking club. And it wasn't that I didn't like the club, I fucking loved the club. It wasn't some shitty strobe lights and neon rave shit, it was this cool ass punk club that was the perfect size with a big stage for up-and-coming punk bands. A few underage kids got in every night but they were the kids everyone knew, cool kids, real ass kids. Not some little shits who wanted to get in just to say they did. Dan was a laid back dude, but he didn't like serving to kids because the club was his life, dude put his everything into it and didn't want it taken away.
Nah, none of that shit was why I didn't want to go. I was just feeling particularly pathetic as fuck that night. But I let my friends drag me along with them after they gave me their best puppy eyes (and promised me good weed).
The club looked the same as always. The spray painted sign above then entrance read "Shitface," the blood red, capitalized A with a circle around it standing out from the other black letters. There was a bit of smoke billowing out of the partially opened door (cigarette smoke or pot smoke, take your pick), and you could just barely smell the accumulation of the smoke and booze before you opened the door all the way and it hit you in the face.
I nodded to my friends who were making their way over to a small group of chicks and make my usual beeline to the bar. Dan looked over to me and gave me a big smile which I returned. "Bert, dude! How ya been? What'll it be?" he asked in his mumbled voice. It was weird, Dan mumbled but you could hear him over the music and the people. "I've been great, man. Jack?"
Dan made a face. "Sorry, man, just got rid of the last bit I had behind the bar. But if you don't mind, you can head through the doors to the backstage area and there should be a few more bottles in the third room off to the left hallway. Be careful not to pop into a dressing room," Dan joked. "Band hasn't come out yet, still getting pumped or whatever." I gave him a nod and went straight for the backstage door.
It'd been awhile since I'd been back here and I couldn't remember exactly what Dan said, so I took off the left hallway, into the third room and-
Oh, fuck. "U-uh, oh shit, um," I stuttered out, my face going completely fucking red.
"Oh... hey, Bert."
What? Motherfucking..... GERARD? GERARD GODDAMN WAY. I knew I should have fucking stayed home. He was looking at me with his stupid fucking grin and his goddamn hair falling in his face and I wanted to blow chunks right on him.
"Fuck this," I mumbled, shaking my head and turning to leave. "And fuck yo-" His hand grabbed my arm and I stopped short, growling under my breath. "C'mon, Bert. Stay. Hear my band play, yeah?" he asked so fucking sickly sweet, leaning closer to me. I could feel myself shaking.
I broke away and stumbled off to find Jepha and Quinn, which took what I'm sure was at least ten minutes because there were a lot of fucking people at Shitface tonight. When I finally found them I tried to act nonchalant, as if I hadn't just seen the worst fucking thing possible. "Hey, guys, I really feel like shit. Can we... c-can we go?"
Jepha just looked at me like I was crazy. "No way, man. You're going back into a slump, you're fucking staying here. Plus this band is apparently pretty good, look at all these people! Oh, man! They're going on!"
I looked to the stage and saw none other than a dimly-lit Gerard.
"Hey, Shitface! We are My Chemical fucking Romance, and this fuckin' jingle is called Vampires Will Never Hurt You."
Great. Fuckin' great.
"Bert, dude. Get," shake, "the fuck," shake, "UP. UGH," Quinn whined, shaking my shoulders while I glared at him. It wasn't that I didn't want to hang out with Jepha and Quinn. I did, they're my fucking best friends. Its just that right now I was having a night where I just wanted to get shitfaced in our apartment, not at the fucking club. And it wasn't that I didn't like the club, I fucking loved the club. It wasn't some shitty strobe lights and neon rave shit, it was this cool ass punk club that was the perfect size with a big stage for up-and-coming punk bands. A few underage kids got in every night but they were the kids everyone knew, cool kids, real ass kids. Not some little shits who wanted to get in just to say they did. Dan was a laid back dude, but he didn't like serving to kids because the club was his life, dude put his everything into it and didn't want it taken away.
Nah, none of that shit was why I didn't want to go. I was just feeling particularly pathetic as fuck that night. But I let my friends drag me along with them after they gave me their best puppy eyes (and promised me good weed).
The club looked the same as always. The spray painted sign above then entrance read "Shitface," the blood red, capitalized A with a circle around it standing out from the other black letters. There was a bit of smoke billowing out of the partially opened door (cigarette smoke or pot smoke, take your pick), and you could just barely smell the accumulation of the smoke and booze before you opened the door all the way and it hit you in the face.
I nodded to my friends who were making their way over to a small group of chicks and make my usual beeline to the bar. Dan looked over to me and gave me a big smile which I returned. "Bert, dude! How ya been? What'll it be?" he asked in his mumbled voice. It was weird, Dan mumbled but you could hear him over the music and the people. "I've been great, man. Jack?"
Dan made a face. "Sorry, man, just got rid of the last bit I had behind the bar. But if you don't mind, you can head through the doors to the backstage area and there should be a few more bottles in the third room off to the left hallway. Be careful not to pop into a dressing room," Dan joked. "Band hasn't come out yet, still getting pumped or whatever." I gave him a nod and went straight for the backstage door.
It'd been awhile since I'd been back here and I couldn't remember exactly what Dan said, so I took off the left hallway, into the third room and-
Oh, fuck. "U-uh, oh shit, um," I stuttered out, my face going completely fucking red.
"Oh... hey, Bert."
What? Motherfucking..... GERARD? GERARD GODDAMN WAY. I knew I should have fucking stayed home. He was looking at me with his stupid fucking grin and his goddamn hair falling in his face and I wanted to blow chunks right on him.
"Fuck this," I mumbled, shaking my head and turning to leave. "And fuck yo-" His hand grabbed my arm and I stopped short, growling under my breath. "C'mon, Bert. Stay. Hear my band play, yeah?" he asked so fucking sickly sweet, leaning closer to me. I could feel myself shaking.
I broke away and stumbled off to find Jepha and Quinn, which took what I'm sure was at least ten minutes because there were a lot of fucking people at Shitface tonight. When I finally found them I tried to act nonchalant, as if I hadn't just seen the worst fucking thing possible. "Hey, guys, I really feel like shit. Can we... c-can we go?"
Jepha just looked at me like I was crazy. "No way, man. You're going back into a slump, you're fucking staying here. Plus this band is apparently pretty good, look at all these people! Oh, man! They're going on!"
I looked to the stage and saw none other than a dimly-lit Gerard.
"Hey, Shitface! We are My Chemical fucking Romance, and this fuckin' jingle is called Vampires Will Never Hurt You."
Great. Fuckin' great.
Notes
CHAPTER TITLE CREDIT TO: Rhode Island - The Front BottomsI highly suggest you listen if you haven't already. They're really great and I'm possibly seeing then in June!
Anyway, yeah cool yes alright alright alrightalrightalright first chapter. Thanks to @fangoria for MOTIVATION.
Comment, tell me what you think blahblahblah. <3
@pixiewayro
I AM SO SORRY. I DIDNT LOG ON FOR A LONG TIME.
There will be more, yes! I didn't write anything for a really long time because I wasn't in a place where I felt like I could write decently except for mini fics and stuff. I'm going to start updating this hopefully by January, if not sooner!!
10/20/14