Early Sunsets over Monroeville

You know when you learn a new word and then suddenly you hear it everywhere. Well that’s kind of what happened with Frank, I saw him in Walmart once and then suddenly he’s there every single time. We just make it a thing after the third time that we walk together. Sometimes he only needs a bottle of champagne or bread and I need a week’s supply of instant noodles and coffee, other times we both need a full cart of food. Frank introduced me to the wonders of grass fed mince beef and I show him Nutella.
Two weeks after our first random encounter I’m putting the finishing touches to Mikey’s painting. It looks really fucking cool, I know that sounds boastful but it really does. Mikey, my brother, and I decide to go out to a bar that isn’t Bob’s to celebrate the fact that that I’ll have made sixty thousand dollars from three paintings.
Mikey chose the bar because all I know really is Bob’s. We park in the parking lot across the road and jog through the unmoving traffic to the small bar.
“So I think I’ll break up with her,” Mikey says as I push open the bar door.
“You’re way too flippant about relationships bro,” I say.
“What?”
“I think it means you don’t care as much.” I take a bar stool and Mikey takes the one next to me.
“You should stop using words if you’re not sure what they mean.”
“I’m pretty sure of what it means. Anyway stop changing the subject-”
“Gerard?”
“Okay this is getting fucking weird,” I say as I turn around. Sure enough Frank is sitting there, with Mikey Chapman. This is becoming worse than the time I learned what vertigo was and not only started hearing it everywhere, but found out I had it. “Hi guys.”
“Are you following me or something,” Frank grins. I think I see his neck flush but bar lighting is weird.
“I’d ask you the same thing only this is my first time here,” I grin. “Oh, um, Mikey my brother, this is Mikey who I’m doing the painting for. Mikey my commissioner, this is my brother, Mikey.”
Both Mikey’s smile somewhat awkwardly. “Em, do you want to sit with us?” Frank asks.
Conversation is difficult to make flow at all at first. It usually is Frank and his Mikey talking about things in the presence of my Mikey and I, and vice versa.
Eventually we reach the common ground of music. “No way!” one Mikey says to the other, “No way are the Foo Fighters better than Queens of the Stone Age!”
The best thing about this bar is they have a juke box. At about ten o’clock I race Frank to it to put on some music of our choice. “Look you can put on five songs for every two dollars,” I grin.
“I’ll put in the money so you get two songs and I get three,” Frank says diplomatically.
“Fiiiine,” I say and we grin at each other as the machine verifies Frank’s money. “I’m choosing Bohemian Rhapsody,” I state as Frank skirts through the limited Misfits.
“You’ll get your turn in a minute,” he hiccups gracelessly. “First I’m choosing Halloween by the Misfits because my birthday is Halloween.”
“That’s honestly such a cool birthday,” I say.
“I know. Though I like it less the older I get.”
“How did you ever get with your wife?”
“That’s a random thing to ask,” Frank says as he pauses over two Guns and Roses songs. “We did law together. She’s younger than me though because I refused to go to Uni for a year, convinced my old band would get off the ground.”
“You were in a band?”
“Yea, that’s where most of my tattoos came from. I got the scorpion to try and make sure that no one ever hired me.” I laugh even though Frank doesn’t. “They did though. Parents pulling strings and shit.”
“So what you married her before you were even out of college?”
“Yea, kinda trying to prove my straightness to my parents so they wouldn’t disinherit me. Also because I loved her.”
“Loved?”
“Loved. Your turn,” he steps aside as the Bruno Mars song currently playing finishes and Halloween begins. I’m not sure what Frank means by loved. Wouldn’t he, shouldn’t he use the present tense. Am I thinking way too into this?
Probably. “Okay Bohemian Rhapsody and some fucking Bowie I think.” I scroll through the collection of Bowie, none jumping out at me. “Or maybe Ziggy Stardust time.”
When we get back to our seats the Mikey’s are in deep conversation and the next round of drinks is on the table. “So my electrician is cheating me by not tightening the screws on the box?”
“Not fully tightening. It’s an old trick, when you replace the fuse and don’t fully retighten the box it’ll trip again and again.”
“Bastard. How do I fix it?”
“Um you should not do it yourself. Next time it trips and you call your electrician out and tell him to fully screw it back in.”
“Maybe I should change Electrician Company.”
“My brother makes sales not friends,” I grin.
“Shut the fuck up Gee, I have more friends than you,” my brother grins. It’s sad but very true. I have two friends and a brother.
“Whatever,” I grin.
Mikey writes down his company’s number on a beer mat and passes it to the other Mikey. “Just ask for Mikey and I won’t fuck you over I promise.”
“I’m going to the bathroom,” I announce for no real reason.
“Don’t!” Mikey Chapman protests.
“What, why the fuck not?”
“You don’t want to break the chain.”
“What?”
“You know, break the chain? If you piss once, you’ll need to go again and again the whole night.”
I lasted another eight minutes before I broke the chain. Just like he said though I was up and down to the mens room every few minutes thereafter.
As the rounds pass Mikey Chapman drinks us all under the table. “Congratulations on being the most heavyweight,” I slur. “You have to call the taxi.”
“Waaaaait,” Frank protests, “Call like three.”
“Oh yea we’re all going different places,” I say searching my pockets for my keys.
“Frank, your car is in mine so come back with me anyway,” Mikey Chapman says handing Frank his coat.
“Oh yeaaa.”
“We’ll take a different because we’re going that-a-way,” I say throwing my arm out in the general direction of my house.
Outside Mikey and I sway together as the ginger Mikey waves us down a cab. “Oh, I never said, I’m bringing your painting to the framers tomorrow,” I tell Mikey as I collapse into the cab.
“Okay, that’s great Gerard, see you soon!”

Mikey and I awkwardly carry the canvas into Ray’s the next morning in silence. The hangovers leaving us silent and wincing as the light reflects off the glass doors. “Hi Gerard, hi Mikey.” Ray says as I back my way into the frame filled room.
“Hey Ray,” we say in unison and we carry the painting into the backroom. There are a lot more paintings in here than last time. At least Ray is getting more business.
I’d already chosen the frame for this piece, a dark brown double level one that matches the colour of the rest of the room, according to my memory.
“I’ll be with you in one second Gerard,” Ray smiles before ducking into the backroom. He reemerges after a minute or so, holding up a forefinger. He walks over to his shop phone and starts dialing a number. “Hello, Adam? Yes, there are only eight pieces here as I’ve said before. If you drop me in the other two you think you need done I’ll do you up a new deal, okay? Bye now, bye.”
Mikey is poking around the small photo frames behind us. “These have names on ‘em,” he muses looking at silver ones. “None say Mikey.”
“They’re usually for babies but I can get Mikey written on one if you want,” Ray says from behind the counter.
“It’s okay, actually.”
“So Gerard, another big commission,” Ray says as I feel around my jeans pockets for the money.
“Yep. Don’t worry I’ll still buy frames here if I become super famous,” I grin at him, finally finding the scrunched up green notes.
“Yea, you better. It’s been a long time since we hung out, want to come over for dinner next week?”
“I would love to,” I smile. Ray hands me my change and says I can collect it tomorrow at midday.
“That’d be great. And Wednesday yea?”
“Yes, if you can.”
“I’ll check my schedule,” I laugh, it’s been practically empty since my mom stopped organising it. “See ya Ray.”
“Bye guys.

Notes

Heyo
Do you ever listen to a song you never really paid that much attention to and realise suddenly that it is incredibly underrated, by you. Idk i just did it with three songs (I never told you what I did for a living (MCR obviously), Blue and Yellow (the used) and Kill Me (the Pretty Reckless)).
I just felt i had to share this revelation, sorry XD anyway here is yet another chapter for you to either enjoy or deeply judge me for, thanks for reading and let me know what you think :D