Chapter 46
“I kept my distance from ever after talking to jeff and jerry. I was determined to get sober. I didn’t want to hurt Frank like this anymore. He could make his decision when I really was sober whether he would stay with me or not, that was up to him. And if he chose to leave me then so be it,” Gerard brushed his red hair out of his eyes.
“Well thank you Gerard, we really appreciate your openness about the subject,” the interviewer nodded.
“Yeah, well it’s not easy,” Gerard stood brushing off his tight black jeans. That’s when Frank entered the room taking the chair where Gerard sat before.
“So you found out Gerard cheated on you with Bert,” the man infront of Frank looked back at him notes, “kicked him out, correct?”
“yes,” Frank nodes smacking his lips together, “yes I did, I was very angry, very upset, but of course we all shared a bus so he joined us again that later that night. I even kicked him in the balls at one point over that,” Frank chuckled shaking his head, “ignorant bastard, he was just like, ‘what did I do?’ he knew but he was still pretty confused.”
“And when did you find out Gerard had talked about killing himself?”
“Not until months later, I didn’t find out until we had seen Jeff after getting off tour. Gerard likes to make me think he’s stronger than he is; therefore he in no way wanted me to know. I think he was worried about me babying him too he didn’t want me to stay out of pity.”
“I was really proud of him for trying, and really making progress. But I wasn’t exactly sure if he’d keep it up. We had been trying to get him sober for years and nothing ever worked, mattered, or fazed him, so I wasn’t sure what had changed and made the difference then. I had been threatening to leave him for at least six months, and I guess he finally realized I was serious.”
“Now, Gerard did get sober though didn’t he?” The interviewer scribbled notes on his clipboard.
“Sure did, he was clean within 17 days,” Frank nodded affirmatively, “we were all really proud of him, especially Mikey.”
“Well in that case would you mind calling him in for me?”
“Not a problem,” Frank left into the lobby and immediately Mikey entered.
“So, Mikey,” the man began as the bassist entered, “how did you feel about Gerard getting sober?”
“Well… ya know Gerard’s addictions were something he had dealt with since high school, and he was what twenty five when he got sober? His life had been withering away for years. When he finally hit rock bottom it was about a week of rockbottomness before he finally took the initiative to turn things around. I was very supportive of him and so were the guys. Frank made sure Gerard knew how much he wanted him to do this, but he didn’t exactly have the same faith in him the rest of us did. Which makes sense; I mean Frank had been hurt by Gerard’s addictions. I had known him my whole life; I knew we would always be brothers where as Frank began to feel that Gerard loved the drugs more than him. I can only imagine what that would do to me if it had been that way with Alicia.” Mikey shrugged, telling this stranger the story.
“Now Alicia is your wife presently correct?” the man took notes.
“correct, we got married in the break between The Black Parade and Danger Days.”
“Well congratulations,” the man nodded.
“Thanks we are really happy together,” Mikey scratched at the flaming heart tattoo on his wrist that read ‘forever’.
Meanwhile, Frank and Gerard sat in the lobby while Mikey was busy inside the room and Ray was getting himself some lunch.
“So how ya doing in there?” Frank began; he knew this was harder for Gerard than it was for himself.
“okay I guess, I mean I’m keeping my cool, not keeping any secrets,” Gerard sighed, those last few days have been really tough.”
“We really are proud of you Gerard, for doing this, we know it’s sort of an uncomfortable subject for you, but the past is the past right?” Frank spoke trying to calm Gerard’s nerves.
“Yeah, so then why do we have to talk about it all the damn time? It’s the past right? So why won’t people just let it go?!” Gerard put his head in hands irritated.
“On the other hand,” Frank attempted to reason with him. “the past happened, it all happened and it’s all very real. Why teach history in school? Almost all of history is incredibly ugly and sad, but it happened,” Frank reached out and tipped Gerard’s chin up forcing him to make eye contact, “but people need to know the truth, it’s where we came from.”
“I guess, but why do they care? It’s our personal lives, not theirs, I would love to just forget about those years of my life where I did such stupid things and move on! It would be easy; everything’s fuzzy from the drugs! It would be even fuzzier if I wasn’t forced to remember it all the time.”
“That may just be the most naïve thing I have every heard you say,” Frank shook his head, “we are an international band now Gerard, there is no ‘personal’ life, especially if it comes on the road with you. Anything we do on the road, on the bus, or on the stage is in no way ‘persona’,” Frank used air quotes accordingly.
“I just hate what I did to you,” Gerard shook his head running his fingers through his bright hair leaning back in his chair.
“I know you do Gee,” Frank moved to the couch that Gerard sat on to sit next to him, “I do too.

Notes

So ya.... here it is! Hope it doesn't confuse you all too much, confused a few friends at school.... if it does ask questions!
Comments accepted!