Bookworms Anonymous

The scene of serenity was set and moulded into the hard back novels and creaky old arm chairs. The biggest heatwave of the year hit New York and pushed everyone out of the city seeking the seaside and non-industrialised views as they peaked over their designer sunglasses and squinted at the sun. New York City was dead and the sun glowed through its decimated streets and unpopulated alleys as it loomed over the silent city which was oh so different from yesterday and tomorrow. The scene inside the bookstore seemed to mimic the desolate streets as the hot and dusty place usually dark and dull was filled to the brim with light from the bay windows at the front. The double doors were being kept open by a complete works of Shakespeare and a Oxford dictionary and the cool breeze swept into the little shop making papers flicker and hair sway, but that went unnoticed by the three who had been in the same position for around three hours. They hadn't had one customer today. Not a shadow of a person. No nothing.

She was lying across a patch on unreserved green carpet clicking away on her phone mindlessly as she kicked her big boots off and stretched feeling the coolness of the air conditioning tickle the bottom of her feet slightly. Wearing denim shorts and fully ready for the heatwave she sunbathed in a patch of sunlight casting through the window her rounded sunglasses sitting on her nose. He was perched on one of the old arm chairs strumming his acoustic scribbling down notes and writing lyrics. He was wearing ripped skinny jeans and a White T-shirt which was slightly stained from perspiration. He played the occasional cover after she had pipped in muttering 'do you do requests' sarcastically. That was forty minutes ago and the last time someone spoke. The other silent one was laying on his stomach across the wooden desk and till scribbling in his sketchbook trying desperately to finish his plans for his final assignment. He chewed his pencil as he got distracted by his companion playing the guitar. He smiled back at him making him blush and stare back at his sketch book.

'Could you two stop please.' Lindsey spoke quickly not looking away from her phone but causing the others to look up at her. Gerard scrunched up his eyebrows and frowned slightly at her, but didn't question her.

'What exactly do you want us to stop?' Gerard looked over at Frank as he spoke and as it turns out Frank was illustrating the exact same facial expression that Gerard was.

'Your little looks and him blushing and that little giggle you do to yourself when he looks all embarrassed. You both are actually making me sick.' She muttered passively as the other two giggled at her. She quickly sat up and stretched her arms her back cracking and she groaned slightly. 'I'm hungry. Anyone else starved?' She whipped off her sunglasses and squinted as she stared at the two of them smiling.

'Eh, yeah! I can go to the sandwich shop across the street and get us something!' Gerard piped up needing to get out off the dusty place. They all gave him his order and he quickly vacated the little shop, but not before Frank pressed a small peck to his lips making the older man blush.

'I saw that.' Lindsey muttered from behind the desk flicking through Gerard's sketchbook and not looking up at them. Gerard giggled slightly leaving the two of them behind. Frank wondered through the piles of books and displays to look over Lindsey shoulder at Gerard's art. She quickly shut the book causing a gust of air to blew some papers off the desk.

'Why won't he let me see it?' Frank whined picking up the fallen papers and staring up at Lindsey.

'Because it's a surprise. You'll see it when it's done! Instead of seeing the rough drafts and little plans you get to see it once displayed proudly at the end of the year!' She sighed gleefully. Frank huffed accepting his fate and tidying up the messy papers. Suddenly the two were joined by a figure in the door way but it was only when the man awkwardly coughed that the two looked up. 'Oh, hey!' Lindsey said moving over to the man whom Frank didn't recognise. He was tall and skinny and a bit older than them. He had crazy pink hair styled into a bad attempt at a Mohawk and was smiling goofily down at Lindsey. They talked for a moment and Frank tried not to listen in. Lindsey turned towards him and muttered 'Woman troubles' before pushing the guy into a chair at the far corner of the room and talking in hushed tones. Frank smiled and decided to take a moment to tidy up a little before the sun settled and people started to rush back into the city. About five minutes later the phone behind the desk began to ring. Frank answered.

'Hello?' Frank muttered into the phone mindlessly when he was suddenly hit by a speech of harsh monologue.

'Oh, darling!' The women huffed down the line. 'I've been phoning your home phone and your mobile and I couldn't get a hold of you! You had me worried G!' Frank was about to interrupt when she continued to talk more. 'Anyway, I don't have long! I'm meeting Barbra for Pilates and I just wanted to make sure you were still okay for coming over to New Jersey next weekend? Oh of course you are, you'd never miss it! You still bringing Lindsey? It'll be good to see her again. You two won't mind sleeping in separate beds?' She laughed at Frank felt his stomach drop and his head fizz over. 'I'm joking of course! You're both adults! But not under my roof Gerard Way!' Frank gasped slightly looking over at Lindsey and feeling his eyes fill with tears. Of course. It was too good to be true.

'Frankie?' Gerard was back and leaning against the door frame smiling over at him. 'Who's on the phone!' He called still grinning brightly. Frank felt sick. Lindsey and the other guy were looking at him as well and Mrs Way was still bubbling down the phone about God knows what and Frank was stuck. He could feel the pressure filling up inside him. Gerard's eyes grew more concerned as the franks panic rose and stained his face and his breathing became reckless.

He dropped the phone and ran out of the shop before he could think about it. He shoved Gerard out if his way and ran down the sweltering street as the summer heat pounded against his skin like his feet against the pavement. He couldn't hear anything but his own irregular heart beat and his ragged breathing. He didn't hear Gerard shout after him or try to catch up with him. He didn't hear Lindsey call his name or pick up the phone.

'Hello?' She said down the phone panic stricken and shakily.

'Lindsey!' Mrs Way sighed happily.

'Donna? What did you say?' She muttered looking over at Gerard who as beginning to run after Frank.

'What do you mean, sweetie?' She began calmly. 'Where is he?' Lindsey groaned shaking her head.

'He's upset, he...what did you say to him?' Lindsey was starting to loose her temper as the older women didn't seemed phased.

'Gerard's upset?' Lindsey was confused at first but before she could say anything in return Donna was talking again. 'Was because of the joke I made?'

'What joke, what did you sa...' Lindsey was cut off again by Mrs Ways ramblings.

'Because I was joking, he gets so uptight and he thinks I don't know what is going on between you two...' Lindsey's mouth dropped and she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

'You fucking idiot!' She groaned and didn't stay on the phone long enough to hear Mrs Ways gasps of shock and her lecture. Lindsey quickly typed a message to Gerard hoping that he could explain to Frank that it wasn't his mother or she was insane or both.

Gerard scanned his phone quickly before trying to speed up and catch Frank.

Notes

This was written in like 20 minutes and it's unedited. But Idgaf! I kinda just wanna wrap up this fic in the next chapter even though I've got another 10 planned, get Aftermath finished and then not upload my new fic or the lonely hearts club sequel because I don't get any enjoyment out of this anymore. If I really could I just delete it all and pretend I never started, but I hate not finishing things. I had this new fic planned and I really love the idea, but I honestly don't want to write it. I love writing and I love creating the stories, but I hate the pressure of uploading them and having people read them and I liked it when I started I liked sharing my love for frerard and other ships and being able to have conversations with people about it, but now I have zero confidence and have lost all enthusiasm. Sorry, I would've normally express this, but I guess it's a warning. If this account randomly just fucking disappears you know what happened.

does anyone ever read my notes anyway? Probably not. Till next time

-C