The Summer Of Belleville Park

Lindsey examined the bottom of her shoe; tender grass stuck to the bottom while watery mud seeped through the soles. "Ugh! Gerard! Why did we go this way? Now my shoes are covered in sludge!"

Gerard ran his hand through his greasy red hair, only to have it stick up everywhere. Exhausting a frustrated huff, he snapped, "You said you wanted to talk, so talk."

Lindsey sighed, and carefully examined the base of a nearby tree. Once she deemed it clean, she hesitantly leaned against it. Pressing her hands together, she searched for the right words. "Gee... I know our breakup has been hard on you..."

He snorted, "Please, Lyn. I couldn't care less!"

"Just hear me out," Lindsey pleaded softly. Gerard wasn't facing her, but she saw his head lower. Where he was standing, she noticed that he was gripping the pencil in his hand to the point where it was close to breaking, and that she could trace the outlines of his back easily. "I know I broke up with you..."

He didn't move, but he replied hotly, "Which you still have yet to explain."

Feeling the rough texture of the bark beneath her fingers, she continued slowly, "I wanted to ask you a favor."

Gerard laughed. Wiping a sarcastic tear from his eye, he met Lindsey's glare with one of his own. "And why would I help you?" he asked tauntingly.

Her delicate hands balled into angry fists, but she took a calming breath and was able to continue. "I want you to help me get rid of a park, in order for this new restaurant, Belleville Bistro, to open," she said.
This had Gerard's attention.

"Belleville Bistro, huh? And what makes this place so special?"

Ignoring his question, she pressed on, "It was going to happen, a done deal! Before. But now there's this group that's protesting it! And if they raise 3000 dollars by the end of summer, they get to keep their precious, Belleville Park!"

Gerard's lower lip trembled; his voice rang out coldly, "Belleville Park, you say?" He walked a little ways in no particular direction. He looked down, then away, then straight at Lindsey with his penetrating hazel eyes. "Yeah. I'll help you," he said coldly.

Lindsey flinched at the dark tone he had taken. Yes, she knew why he hated Belleville Park, but he didn't know that. There was so much he didn't know... But she couldn't tell him now. Forcing a smile, Lindsey extended a hand and chirped, "That's great!"

He hesitated for a moment, but figured, What the hell? Their hands locked together. Gerard and Lindsey were going to destroy Belleville Park.

---

"Lemonade! Get your lemonade here!" Frank shouted to the apparently lemonade-less world. Although Hayley had vetoed the lemonade stand idea, no one else had thought of any better ideas and an entire week passed. Finally, Hayley consented, and it became the official beginning to the Belleville Park Preservation Society's fundraising.

Brendon was busy squeezing lemons, and Patrick was carefully measuring out sugar for the pitchers.

Hayley wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand before finally getting up and holding Frank's waving arms down to his sides. "Frank! I don't think anyone wants to buy lemonade from us. We've been out here for four hours, and no one has even glanced at us!"

"That's quitter talk!" Frank protested feebly; his voice had grown hoarse after the third hour. Hayley let go of Frank's arms, and the two plopped down on the ground, unsettling dust from the dirty street road.

Ryan looked up from his his place behind the stand and asked dryly, "So, are we done?"

A car honked as it whizzed by, startling Patrick who then displaced an entire pitcher of their refreshing drink all over the sidewalk.

"Yep, we're done." Frank sighed.

As the gang was about to pack up, a strange pair approached them. The girl was tall and thin, wearing a plaid vest and black boots. The sun made her bright red lips stand out, and her sharp brown eyes surveyed their pitiful stand, making her look like a fierce hawk that was picking out its lunch. The guy was her companion; he was slightly tall and angular, and his entire look screamed 'pretentious asshole'. His bright red hair was also very eye-catching, to say the least.

"What is this? Who authorized this?" the girl's shrill voice pierced Frank's eardrums.

Frank stood up defensively and said, "This is a lemonade stand, if you couldn't tell! And we have permission from the town board."

The girl sneered, "I doubt that. You're that group that's trying to save Belleville Park, aren't you?"

Hayley stepped in and replied, "Yeah, and who are you?"

"I'm Lindsey, and this is Gerard. We're the leaders of your opposition. You guys better back down now, because I don't plan on loosing."

Ryan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Our 'opposition'? You mean you're trying to get rid of Belleville Park?"

The guy, now known as Gerard, finally spoke up. "That's right, dork. And while you losers are sitting around playing with lemonade, we're actually accomplishing something." He handed Hayley a flyer.

Her eyes squinted, then widened in horror. "A rock concert? You're hosting a rock concert?"

Gerard's contempt was obvious as he sneered "That's right, honey. And it miiight just draw in a little more dough than this.. thing you have going on here. Better luck next time." The pair sauntered off in the direction they had been heading, but Frank wasn't about to let them walk away that easily.

"Very intimidating! A spoiled snob and her loyal watchdog? I'm shaking in my boots!" Frank shouted after them.

Gerard just smirked, "See you around, Sunshine!" Lindsey pulled him along, irritated, until they were out of sight.

Frank furiously turned to his equally pissed friends. "Fuck that guy," he snapped, "We're crashing that concert."

Notes

second chapter! whoo! do you guys like it? hate it? what do you guys think? :))

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xoxo addictwithapen

also Gerard is an asshole tbh lmao