Zodiac

“Where are you going?” Gerard turned and found Mikey in the doorway of the kitchen, his hair messed up and still in his nightwear. Gerard blinked at his younger brother before answering, “The record store,” through a mouthful of toast. Mikey raised an eyebrow in surprise and almost looked like he was about to protest before deciding otherwise and rolling his eyes and turning back to his bedroom. Gerard shrugged before grabbing the car keys and heading out the door.
Gerard had gone to the record store every day for a week to see Frank. He needed to see his aura again. It was the first he’s certain he’s ever seen, he’s not letting it go that easily. Fuck all the weird looks Mikey was giving him. So what if he was walking in there and looking like a dumbass for half an hour everyday while he pretended to go through stacks and stacks of records and tried not to stare too directly at Frank. This was important to him.

“Gee, you good?” Ray’s question cut through Gerard’s thoughts and he looked up at his friend in surprise. Ray was staring at Gerard seemingly curious. “I-I’m fine.” He answered. “Why?” Ray smiled at him kindly before shaking his head, his brown curls moving with him. “Nothin’ really,” he answered. “You just looked really spaced out and you’re really focused and excited about something, so I thought something must of happened.” Gerard blushed and dropped his gaze down to the ramen bowl in front of him.
He’d had to cut his visit to the record store short that day because he’d completely forgotten he’d made plans with Ray to hang out at the same time. He felt like an asshole when Ray had called him to ask when he’d be getting to the restaurant and he almost wanted to cancel on him because god Frank’s aura was shining more brightly today than normal. It was almost sparkling and blinding, even from far away and Gerard couldn’t draw his gaze away no matter how many times Frank noticed.
“There’s nothing going on” Gerard said quietly after a minute. “Don’t worry, everything’s good.” Over the din of the restaurant, Gerard could hear his friend huff out a snicker and he knew Ray knew he was lying.

Gerard grumbled in annoyance as he reached for his eraser and scrubbed out details on his drawing of Frank yet again. By that point Gerard had been able to get everything else down right, the shape of his aura, his body and facial features his hair, but he just couldn’t get the tattoos right. It certainly didn’t help that Frank had started wearing more short sleeve shirts as the weather got warmer revealing more of the artwork up and down both of his arms. Frank just got more and more interesting by the day.
Unfortunately, the grainy image Gerard had managed to sneak with his shitty flip phone wasn’t helping either. He stared at it for so long, as if the more he looked at it the clearer it would get and tried to mix it with his memory but all it was doing was disorienting him and weirding him out from looking at Frank without his aura for so long.
Pictures and videos obviously couldn’t pick up auras and Gerard didn’t seem to be one of the few aura readers who could seem them through technology which really kind of sucked because it was really weird seeing Frank like this even if it was just a grainy image on a shitty flip phone. Without that light blue light surrounding him, Frank seemed less bright and almost cold and lonely. It made Gerard sad to look at.
Gerard gritted his teeth and picked up his pencil again. He was going to get this right.

Gerard was about half way to the record store when he looked in his rearview mirror and noticed a misty figure in the backseat and nearly had a heart attack in the middle of the highway. When Gerard was able to catch his breath and make sure the car was still under control he glared at the misty figure through the rearview mirror.
“Pete, what the fuck are you doing in my car?” Gerard heard Pete’s distorted voice mumble out a curse before his form shimmered a little and was suddenly much clearer. Still translucent but easier to see.
“Mikey asked me to follow you today to make sure you weren’t doing anything to get yourself hurt.” Pete explained very quickly, his voice still a little distorted and hard to understand. Gerard rolled his eyes and huffed out an annoyed sigh as he pulled off the highway. “Mikey needs to fuck off and stay the fuck out of my business.” Gerard mumbled. Pete was silent for a moment and Gerard sighed again knowing Pete was telling Mikey what he’d just said.
“He’s worried about you, Gerard” Pete said, basically repeating what Gerard knew Mikey was telling him on the other side of Pete’s bilocation connection. “We all are” he continued. “This fixation’s getting out of hand.” Gerard rolled his eyes yet again. “Ray said it’s getting it’s getting to the point of obsession. We’re worried he’s gonna think you’re stalking him and call the cops or something.”
Gerard turned around and glared back at Pete. By then he’d arrived and parked in the parking lot of the small record store. “It’s not an obsession and he’s not gonna think I’m stalking him.” Gerard stated, “Can you guys lay off? I’m fine.”
Pete rolled his eyes this time. “Do you even know anything about this guy? Have you ever even spoke to him?” Gerard sighed. “His name is Frank, and he has a lot of tattoos, and he likes Black Flag, and his aura is blue and shaped like a sheet ghost.” Gerard rattled off the basic knowledge he’d collected from his time watching Frank. Pete raised an eyebrow expectantly, but Gerard didn’t have anything else to say. He didn’t bother with telling Pete that, yes, he had spoken to Frank because he knew Mikey would just tell him it was the about one sentence, he said to Frank the first time he came to the record store.
Instead, Gerard quickly turned around and turned the car off. “Look can you just get out of my car and leave me alone?” he asked Pete as nicely as he could considering how irritated he was at that moment. “Please?” he heard Pete’s distorted sigh from the back seat before there was a flash and Pete was gone.
Gerard groaned and rubbed his hands over his eyes before getting out of the car and heading toward the entrance of the record store.

About a week after the incident with Pete, Gerard figured that his brother’s boyfriend was right, at least a little bit, and some things needed to change.
In the month that Gerard had been frequenting the record store, Frank had definitely taken notice to Gerard’s constant staring and he had to at the very least be confused. Frank deserved to know what was going on.
So, Gerard made a plan. He knew talking to Frank was something he’d have to psych himself up for and prepare for ahead of time. This was a common occurrence for him but with Frank, he felt much more anxious.
Regardless, he’d been eyeing an Iggy Pop record he’d found in the Britpop section for the past few weeks. He’d managed to save enough money to pay his part of the rent and then some thanks to the attention he’d received due to a rather popular small company commissioning him about three weeks back. He figured that buying the album and putting himself in front of Frank, one of them was bound to start up a conversation and the topic of Gerard coming to the store every day. Gerard could explain himself then.
The plan seemed fool proof until Gerard got to the thankfully empty record store as close to closing time as he felt was appropriate and found that the Iggy Pop record was gone from the shelf. He started to panic as he flipped through the records frantically. Where the fuck did it go? How was he supposed to talk to Frank now? Maybe he could ask Frank where it went? No, that was too desperate…
“Someone bought it earlier.” Gerard’s head shot up as Frank’s voice rang out from the other side of the shop. He was leaning over on the counter on his forearms and staring at Gerard intently. Gerard stared back for a moment before swallowing the lump in his throat and responding.
“What?” Frank smirked and chuckled a little. “The Iggy Pop record,” He explained. “Someone bought it earlier today.” Gerard’s face immediately fell. He really did want that Iggy Pop record. Frank chuckled again. “Don’t worry, I have another one or two coming in my next shipment. I’ll make sure to save one for you.”
Gerard’s mind was still reeling from wondering how the hell Frank knew he was looking for that specific record and now, what? Frank was going to save the record for him when he got another one? For Gerard? The weird guy who had came into Frank’s shop every day for a solid month without ever trying to buy anything until now and stared at him too much? The weird guy who hadn’t started showering regularly until about two weeks ago? What?
Frank had now moved in front of the counter and was beckoning Gerard over. His aura was shining and sparkling again like it was the day he’d left to go see Ray. Gerard hesitantly padded over toward Frank, stopping a few feet in front of him. “It’s no big deal, don’t worry about it.” Frank was saying.
“I’m Frank, by the way. I don’t think I ever properly introduced myself.” The man held out a hand and Gerard slowly reached out and took it, giving it a quick shake. “’M Gerard” he mumbled as he let go. “What’s your sign?” Frank asked tilting his head to the side in curiosity. Well… if this was how they were going to have this conversation, then so be it. “Aries.” Gerard answered quietly. Frank’s eyes lit up. “So, you can see auras?” he asked excitedly “What’s mine look like?”
Normally, Gerard would be annoyed and frustrated. He used to get this question all the time and he was never able to give them an answer, always having to embarrass himself by explaining his basic lacking his powers. But, for once, he was excited, finally able to answer that question.
“Well, it looks like one of those sheet ghosts,” he started. Frank nodded enthusiastically, a fond looking smile on his face. “And it’s light blue like um…” Gerard waved his hands around, wanting to show Frank exactly what his aura looked like, feeling as though his description wasn’t doing it justice. Unfortunately, he didn’t have anything to draw or paint with, so he was left fumbling around like a dumbass, yet again.
“Don’t worry, I think I get the idea.” Frank said after letting out a small high-pitched giggle. Gerard blushed. “Wh-what about you?” He asked trying to shift the focus off of himself for a moment. “What’s your sign?”
The smile fell from Frank’s face and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “See, about that-“ Before Frank could continue, the door to the record store opened and a voice called out, “Everyone get on the floor!”
Gerard’s eyes widened, and he fell to his knees immediately. Of course, it was just his luck that someone would try to rob the record store while he was finally having a proper conversation with Frank.
Speaking of which, Gerard looked up to find Frank still standing in front of the counter, staring at the robbers with an almost bored expression on his face. Gerard heard footsteps approaching them and watched as someone walked past him and stood in between him and Frank. Gerard felt like his heart was beating out of his chest.
“You the owner of this place?” He asked Frank with a very thick Jersey accent. Frank silently nodded. “All right look, I know you got at least two hundred dollars and shit load of rare vinyls in your backroom so cough ‘em up and we’ll go without anyone getting hurt.” The guy said.
Frank scoffed and smirked at the guy. “You really think I’m gonna give up my shit that easy?” He asked as if he thought the whole thing was funny, as if Gerard wasn’t sitting on the ground a few feet away shaking like a leaf. “I’m gonna give you one chance to take your friend over there and get the hell out of my shop before I call the cops.” The guy full blown laughed at that before taking a few steps closer to Frank, getting in his face.
“I’m gonna give you one chance,” he said, his voice dropping and sounding very threatening, “to give me the shit I asked for, or my friend over there is gonna make that guy’s head explode.” He motioned to Gerard and suddenly Gerard felt a rather large hand clamp onto the top of his head.
He could feel the head radiating through the guy’s skin, burning the top of his scalp, and he knew that the friend they kept talking about was an energy manipulator and he one hundred percent could in fact make Gerard’s head explode if he wanted. Gerard began to panic again. He was gonna die, these guys were going to kill him.
He looked up at Frank silently pleading him to just give these guys what they wanted. He noticed Frank’s aura was flickering and darkening in hue before Frank looked down at him, his eyes sad and apologetic. Frank… Frank wouldn’t just let Gerard die, would he? He looked back to the guy in front of him.
“Go stand in the corner.” Frank told him.
Oh. He would.
Except, the guy was backing away from Frank and walking toward the nearest corner in the shop and pressing his nose into it. “Hey,” the guy who was currently squeezing Gerard’s skull exclaimed. “What the hell-“ “You too.” Frank cut him off. “Get your hands off of him and go stand in the corner with your friend.” The hand left Gerard’s head and he watched as the energy manipulator dazedly stumbled over to the corner and stood next to his friend.
Before Gerard knew it, Frank was helping him to his feet and placing his hands on either side of Gerard’s face. “Gerard are you okay?” he was asking rather urgently. All Gerard could do was nodded. He was confused. How had Frank done that, made both of the robbers follow his ridiculous orders so easily?
“Gerard, I need you to listen to me, okay?” Frank was still holding his face in his hands, so Gerard had to look right into his eyes. He nodded again. “I need you to go home, okay?” Frank started rattling off. “When you get home forget about the robbery. It just didn’t happen, alright? Eat dinner, drink some water and go to bed. Come back here tomorrow before closing time like you did today. We can talk more then? Do you understand?” No, Gerard didn’t understand. He was scared and confused, and he wanted to go home. Regardless, he nodded again, and Frank let go of him. His forehead was beaded with sweat and he was staring at Gerard with a strange expression Gerard couldn’t decipher
“Now go.” Frank said, and Gerard’s feet started to move on their own accord, padding toward the door of the record shop. He could already hear Frank telling the two attempted robbers that Gerard was leaving when they came in and didn’t see anything.
By the time Gerard got home all the feelings of fear and dread had passed and were now replaced with confusion. Why was he afraid in the first place? He couldn’t remember. Was it from the prospect of having a conversation with him? At least that had gone well.
Mikey was just setting out bowls of stew that he and Pete had cooked when he entered the apartment. Gerard smiled. He loved stew. “Hey Gee,” Pete called out. “How’d it go?”
“It was fine.” He answered taking his seat at the table. “Did you tell him what was going on? Was he cool with it?” Mikey asked sitting down in his own seat. Gerard blinked at him in surprise. He hadn’t brought up the whole “hey your aura is the first one I’ve ever seen” thing with Frank which was weird considering it was his entire goal in going to the record store that day. “Um no. I um… we talked a little bit since the record I was looking for had been bought by someone else, but he made me leave before I could explain because the store was closing.”
The explanation didn’t sound right to Gerard. He didn’t think that was how he remembered it. They were introducing themselves, then Gerard was telling Frank what his aura looked like and Gerard was asking Frank what his sign was and then… Is that when Frank made him leave? He couldn’t even remember what Frank had said his zodiac sign was.
“Gerard, are you okay?” Mikey asked, his eyebrows knotted together in worry. Gerard nodded, not wanting to worry his brother. “Just got a headache” he said before taking a bite of his stew. “Probably gonna go to bed after this.” Pete and Mikey both nodded.
Soon the trio finished their dinner. Gerard placed his bowl in the sink while Pete and Mikey put away the remaining stew and cleaned the dishes. Gerard’s throat felt dry suddenly, so he grabbed a glass and filled it with water and took it to his room with him, calling out a goodnight over his shoulder. He climbed into bed and gulped down the water before setting the glass down on his bedside table.
He was very tired, and he wasn’t really sure why, but he figured he might as well go to bed even though it was only seven. He laid his head down on the pillow and fell into a deep sleep.

Notes

Henlo! It took me forever to write this chapter as I'm sure you can tell due to how long it took for me to update this. I hope you guys like it!

Song of the Moment (yes we're doing this again): Lunacy Fringe- The Used

- Josh