Lady of Sorrows? I Think Not! (New Version)

Gerard groaned as the alarm next to his bed went off; his head already felt like it had church bells banging around inside of it! He thumped his fist on the switch and rolled over to try go back to sleep. Gerard was startled awake as he was met with the sweet resistance of warm flesh. As he shoved himself away from the source of the delicious heat, his hand slipped off the edge of his bed, and dumped him flat onto his back on the floor. Winded, he lay still for a moment, gasping cold air into his tortured lungs. He sat up and shook his head sharply to get rid of the damn ringing. He had gotten as much of a fright from falling as he had from waking up to Vic.

Vic grumbled softly in his sleep and rolled over, wrapping himself more tightly in Gerard’s blankets. Gerard sat on the floor where he had landed, taking deep calming breathes. Once his heart rate had slowed, he tried to think back to how Vic had ended up in his bed. The whole night was completely blank after they reached that club! Clutching his pounding head, Gerard stood up and stumbled to the door, walking out into the passageway. He gazed around blearily; something about the house felt different. He felt almost as if making so much as a noise would shatter a special, even sacred, silence. But that was crazy! This was his house, not the catholic cathedral he used to go to with his grandparents. He could make as much noise as he wanted! But he resigned to do it later, when the church bells inside his brain stopped sounding.

Stumbling down the softly creaking stairs, Gerard hesitated. He didn’t remember that small squeak of wood rubbing on wood as he slowly put his weight on it. Pushing it out of his mind, Gerard continued on in the general direction of the kitchen. On his way past the lounge, he glanced up. The first thing he saw was Pete, half naked on the leather couch with an empty bottle of tequila clutched to his chest as he snored softly. Gerard couldn’t help but laugh out loud; the sight was one he had seen many a time, but not one you ever got used to.

Gerard walked through to the kitchen to put on some coffee, taking out a mug for himself and each of his housemates. He waited for the coffee with quiet patience, yawning softly as his brain slowly woke up to catch up to his body. He checked the time on his phone as he poured coffee for himself and his friends. Vic would have to leave at the same time as Gerard to get to his newest professor’s lecture in time; luckily he had Gee to wake him up or he would have slept all day! Gerard carried through a steaming hot cup of joe and placed it in the end table near Pete’s head. He shook his friend gently and so started the long process of waking the Sleeping Pete. Taking the two remaining cups up to his room, Gerard put one next to Vic and took the other into the bathroom with him. Leaving it on the counter, he turned on the hot water in his shower and returned to his room to lay his uniform out in top of his desk, opposite his bed, so he wouldn’t have to look for it later. Gerard walked around to the side of the bed on which Vic had ended up, and shook him gently. He didn’t want his friend to have the same rude awakening that he himself had had.

“Vic. Vic, come one. Wake up or you’ll be late.” Gerard shook him a little harder, but still gently, and sighed when his friend only grumbled. Gerard straightened up and rested his fists on his hips as he chewed his bottom lip in thought. Pulling the blankets off would be horrible, but it would probably work. Feeling the need to warn his friend of the impending cruelty, Gerard walked slowly to the end of the bed. “Last chance.” Gerard gave it a second. Having not sensed any form of surrender from sleeping beauty, he grabbed fistfuls of the soft, fleecy blankets and yanked, dumping them on the floor so that Vic couldn’t just pull them back.

“Noo…” Vic groaned and turned over, only to find that the blankets were gone and not just with someone else. He blinked blearily up at Gerard, who was trying hard not to laugh at the look on his friend’s face.

“Good morning, sunshine. Coffee is by the bed, no idea how you ended up in here, and an hour before you need to leave. You’re welcome.” Gerard walked into his now steamy bathroom and closed the door on Vic’s heartfelt thank you. Gerard stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower, sighing happily at the feel of the hot water. He wasn’t in there long; he didn’t have enough time to enjoy it. He dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist in case Vic was still in bed. Finding his room empty, Gerard finished his coffee, and got dressed for work.

His uniform was pretty standard; a white, collared shirt, a black waistcoat, a black and white tie, and plain black slacks. He didn’t mind it. At least the main colour was black. When he was dressed, Gerard grabbed his backpack from the floor next to his desk. He hadn’t unpacked it yesterday, so all his things were still in there. He had his sketch book for when he got bored, his pencil sets, his ID, wallet, and phone charger. All those things he might need but wasn’t sure of. He closed his door softly as always and crossed the hall to knock on Vic’s door.

“Come in!” Vic’s voice was muffled, like there was more than one door in between them. Gerard opened the door slowly, in case Vic wasn’t completely dressed yet; giving him a chance to cover up if necessary.

“Are you feeling okay? Was rough last night from what I can remember.” Gerard said just a little oud so Vic could hear him from his bathroom.

“Yeah, it was rad. Hey, do you remember how I ended up in your room?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.” They laughed, both shrugging it off. They had woken up completely clothed so neither of them were worried. “Okay, well, I’m off to work. See you at four.”

“Cheers!” Vic called as Gerard walked out of his room. Gerard walked into the lounge to complete the task of Waking Pete. His friend was at least sitting now; the bottle from the tequila still in his hand and a half asleep expression painted in his post-plastered face. He was also half way through the coffee in his other hand. Gerard just shook his head and smiled. Pete partied hard, and he always felt it the next day.

“Hey Pete, how you doing?” Gerard couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice. Pete just flipped him off and lay back down on the couch with a pillow clutched over his face. Gerard shook his head again and walked over to the kitchen door, that lead to the garage, but the little key rack hanging beside it was empty! Gerard frowned, biting his lip out of habit and frustration. He couldn’t remember what he had done with his keys the night before. He walked slowly back into the lounge, trying to force his memory to work. “Pete, do you know what I did with my keys?”

Pete sat up and glared at his friend. It wasn’t malicious, only tired. “You pu them in the fridge.”

Gerard just stared at him. “I… What?”

“Drunk you is an asshole. You hid your keys in the fridge.”

Gerard sighed, telling himself that this time he really should stop drinking.

“Thanks Pete.” After retrieving his keys from their cold, food cave, Gerard got into his car and left home for another Saturday spent at work. When he pulled up, the place was still locked up tight. Clearly he was meant to take this shift alone. The manager was probably on another holiday. Great. He fetched the spare keys from his hiding place and let himself in. He disarmed the alarm and set about getting the café ready for its busiest day of the week.

TONIGHT I WANT TO GIVE IT ALL TO YOU
IN THE DARKNESS
THERE’S SO MUCH I WANT TO DO
AND TONIGHT I WANT TO LAY AT YOUR FEET
CAUSE I WAS MADE FOR LOVING YOU
AND YOU WERE MADE FOR LOVING ME!

Gerard jumped in fright, knocking over the chairs behind him as the music suddenly blared out of the wall mounted speakers surrounding the room. Cursing profusely he ran through the maze of tables, his hands clutched over his ears. The music was only getting louder, as if someone was turning the dial with every step he took. When he finally reached the stereo behind the counter, the windows were rattling in their frames. Gerard slammed his hand onto the power button and sighed in relief as blissful silence once again filled the small space. The chimes from his phone seemed loud and violent in the new quiet. Gerard yanked his phone out of his pocket and froze in surprise when he saw the caller ID. Mikey’s number and photo flashed at him, his ringtone tinkling at him before he slid his thumb across the smooth glass of his screen and brought it to his ear.

“Mikey! Hey, nice surprise this early on a Saturday. How are you doing?” Gerard’s little brother was well known for his ability to throw the best parties on campus. He could have lived with Gerard but he chose to live on campus in a dorm to have better access to all the happenings that came up.

“No jokes there!” Laughed Mikey. “I’m great and you bro? Can I come see you at work?” Mikey used to come visit Gerard every weekend but when he got more involved in campus activity, his visits became more and more infrequent. Now, Gerard took what he could get with Mikez.

“Of course you can, Mikey. I’ll be here until four, so you can stop by whenever.”

“Thanks Gee, see you later.” Mikey hung up, leaving Gerard to get back to work. He reset all the chairs that he had displaced when running for the stereo, uncovered the couches, put on all the pillows, and turned on all the lights. Finished for the time being, Gerard sat on his bar-stool behind the counter and took out his sketchbook. He was remaking the image he had lost the day before when the bell above the café door rang cheerily to let him know that someone was there. Gerard looked up through his glossy black hair, his professional smile in place, ready for the first customer of the day, only to find and empty room. Gerard shivered; he didn’t feel as if he was alone. It was like someone was watching him, but the room was clearly empty except for him. Unsettled, he turned his attention back to his art. A soft whisper, a lovers caress in the form of words, distant as though the speaker was a mile away, crept slowly across the room to him.

“I’ll love you forever…”Gerard sat bolt upright, shock and fear warring for his scattered attention. Convinced he must have imagined it, Gerard ignored the feeling of intense, crushing anticipation that suddenly flooded the café.

The man behind him tried so hard to contain himself. Laughing now would only ruin everything. But he was so happy! He reached out a shaking hand. Awe and adoration made his strong features flush with a glowing pink. His head swam from the heady, delicious scent of coffee and something indescribable. His mind only told him that this being before him was his Perfection. His fingers began shaking more violently, his breathing hitched as his fingertips came within millimetres of Gerard’s soft, white neck.

Notes

{).{) Nooo!! Seriously with this horribly written creep! And Gee has bearly noticed him yet. Guys, is Mikey going to get there in time/
Feel free to comment, vote, or subscribe. I do love me some feedback!

Keep it ugly, and Rock 'n Roll, my pretty Pansies!