It Doesnt Come Easy

Gerard pulled on his blue Armani jeans, looking back at the pretty young blonde who lay fast asleep in her bed; her face possessed an almost childlike innocence in the early morning sun that peered from behind the curtains. Gerard pulled the leopard print sheet over her naked body, being careful not to wake her; If he was going to walk out on someone the next morning, he was at least going to be a gentleman about it. He rushed out of her bedroom and into the living room, grabbing his jacket off the nearby couch as he left her apartment; slamming the door behind him.

He paced to the elevator, repeatedly jamming his finger into the button as he looked over his shoulder; making sure she didn't follow him out. He felt nothing for leaving her there. In fact, he cared very little for any of the women he slept with. It wasn’t personal, they just meant nothing to him. If anything, the only thing he really felt was the rush of panic to escape them the moment the sex was over.

The elevator cracked up to the 5th floor, its silver doors sliding open slightly before it fully reached the floor. Gerard hesitated for a moment, he didn't want to be stuck inside that death trap with his only call to help being the one night stand he had just ditched. A door opened and closed down the hall, his head shot back as he heard footsteps echoed through the corridor, moving closer to him.

Fuck this he thought, jumping inside, slamming the G button as he peered through the closing doors; desperately hoping not to see her again. The doors clanged shut and he breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back against the cold glass of the mirror at the back of the elevator. The elevator creaks going down and he finds himself examining the blue elevator certificate. The certificate makes it clear that the elevator is safe; creaks or no creaks. He frowns, not entirely convinced by the certificate as he turned around to check out his reflection. His short curly hair was all over the place and his navy Ralph Lauren shirt was creased. He groaned in disgust, this was not the way Gerard Way composed himself, image was everything and nothing was ever to be less than perfect. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair, styling it back to its signature quiff before smoothing out his shirt.

“That’ll have to do” he said begrudgingly to himself, straightening his coat. A faint ding rang through the elevation as it came to an uneasy halt. The doors slide open and Gerard stepped out into the Lobby, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as he walked out of the building. Dark clouds filled the sky as the cold air drifted a thin fog through the air. Gerard shuddered, clenching his teeth as he wrapped his arms around his body this is why you don’t agree to go back to their apartment he thought miserably; desperately trying to keep warm.

He took out his phone and searched for her number. Nicole, that’s what her name was he remembered before deleting it. A niggling feeling of isolation began to creep in. Deep down, he knew needed to stop doing this. Every night it was a different bar, a different woman, a different place but as always, the ending was always the same. He would leave them, warm in their beds, before the sun came up and he had to face another minuet, another agonizing moment, with them. Gerard cleared his throat, his mind scrambling to think of anything else to rid himself of that feeling.

He took a deep breath, breathing deeply into the cold autumn air as he walked down the bustling city street, pushing his way past commuting crowds that made their way to work that Tuesday morning. He eyed cars driving up and down the street, the isolating feeling was quickly replaced with a subtle rage. Had his roommate not completely written off his car, he too could have driven to work. Instead, he was forced to walk to work like the rest of the common people. He curled his hands into fists, pushing that feeling deep down inside. He could already tell today was not his day.

As he walked, Gerard passed Philly Coffee; the latest artisan coffee shop to grace the streets of Philadelphia. He paused outside the window, suddenly craving a drink. Of course, there was nothing alcoholic until he got to work, so caffeine would have to suffice until then. he pushed the door open, the warm air wafting out and inviting him in with a welcoming embrace, as he stepped inside.

Damn she’s hot

The words burned in his mind as he shuffled along in Philly Coffee’s que, his eyes clapped on the barista who stood before him. The barista stood five-four and moved with the grace that seemed to be the exclusive domain of all petite women. She offered a soft, kind smile to the customers as she drummed her pale, slender fingers against the till. Her long auburn hair was pulled into a messy bun and her brown uniform was sober yet comforting. Gerard scanned the white named tag on her lapel, Lois, making a mental note of it as he stepped forward towards the till.

The barista asked him a question he hadn’t caught, catching him off guard. That was bad; the last thing he wanted was to be known as the creep who was too busy staring to even hear what she was saying.
“I’m sorry?” His eyes locking with hers.
“What would you like to drink?” she asked politely.
“Cappuccino, soya milk too if you wouldn’t mind” he replied. Gerard smiled, a sly grin, as he leaned against the counter. She nodded, turning away to the coffee machine. The strong smell of freshly ground coffee lingered in the air as the sound clashing mugs chimed through the cafe. Philly Coffee was, what Gerard saw as, a hipsters dream. Edison bulbs hung from the ceiling, illuminating the navy blue walls which complimented the dark oak tables and old leather chairs. It had an air of superiority that most chains lacked nowadays, a feeling Gerard wished his own bar possessed too.

He glanced behind him,the cafe was unusually busy. Clearly nobody has anywhere important to be he thought bitterly, glancing at the silver Rolex watch he proudly wore on his wrist. The time was 8.45am and each table was filled with people, chatting over a coffee or two as they prepared themselves for the day ahead.

As a child began to make a fuss in her pushchair, Gerard turned back to watch the barista pour his beverage, silently judging the mother as she attempted to silence her child. God I hate kids he thought as the child’s screams grew louder, sending a sharp pain through his temples and cutting through any clear thought he had that morning. The barista placed the drink on the counter, smiling as she rang it up.

“That’ll be $2.49” she said, her smile fading as she eyed the screaming child. Gerard quickly glanced back at the mother, rolling his eyes as he reached for his wallet in his black prada trench coat.

“Don’t know how you work with this all day” he joked, smirking as he reached for a ten dollar bill, handing it to the barista. The barista laughed, shaking her head as she placed the money in the register.

“Neither do I sometimes” she replied quietly, her green eyes meeting with his as she handed him his change. Gerard waved her hand away, shaking his head.

“Keep the change, you deserve the tip for having to put up with this all day” he said, gesturing his head to the child. The barista stared for a moment, taken aback by this kind gesture.
“Really? Are you sure?” she questioned, glancing at the money in her hand.

“Sure, have great day Lois” Gerard smiled, winking at her as he picked up his drink, taking a sip before walking out of the coffee shop.

Gerard walked down Spruce Street, a smug look plastered upon his face as he cautiously swilled his cappuccino, his mouth screwing up at its sour taste; nobody could never quite get it right. The skies had finally cleared, a gentle breeze blew through the city of Philadelphia, rustling the autumn leaves of the trees which stood grandly in the nearby park. He strolled down 16th, shoving his hand deep into his pocket as he forced his way through the oncoming crowds.

His mind wandered back to coffee shop, images of the barista dancing through his mind as he began to picture them alone in his bedroom; her long hair hanging in loose curls down her chest as she began to unbutton her shirt. His hands ran down her sides, gripping her waist as he pulled her close, leaning in to press his lips against her. I am definitely getting her number next time he mused, carelessly taking another sip of his coffee and burning the end of his tongue. The pain broke his thoughts, spitting his drink onto the sidewalk as he almost spilt it down his coat. “For fuck sake” he murmured, wiping his mouth with the back of his wrist. He brushed down his coat, huffing with frustration as he checked his coat for damage; spotless.

The phone in his pocket began to ring. He slid it out of his pocket and saw Mikey’s name flash on the screen. He rolled his eyes, quickly cancelled the call, he wasn’t in the mood for dealing with him this morning. As much as Mikey was his friend, he had gained the reputation for being a screw up, and rightly so; according to Gerard. He spent far too much time getting high or breaking god knows what at the bar. Gerard couldn’t help but resent his phone calls. if he was lucky, the call would last a few minutes without any news of him doing something wrong or needing money to fix something. Unfortunately, it being Mikey, the chances of that happening were next to none.

He ignored the call, shoving the phone back inside his coat. He spun on his heels, sharply turned the corner onto the strip, making his way to the Irish pub at the end of the street, his bar; Paddy’s Pub.

While the rest of the strip was a hub for creative bars, great food and an edit of quirky, indie shops, Paddy’s Pub was far less desirable. Nestled in the far corner of the street within stained, decrepit brickwork, the bar presented itself to the world as an almost derelict building, with faded jade green doors and frames and a glitching sign, of which only two lights in the name Paddy’s now lit up. It never attracted many customers and the ones it did usually weren’t the sort you’d keep good company with.

Gerard approached the front door, pausing outside for a moment to quickly down the last of his coffee; tossing the remnants into the neighbouring alley. He glanced at his watch, 8.06, before pushing the door open and walking inside.

Notes

First chapter! Hope you enjoyed it.

I want to build the characters a bit so forgive me if its a little long! Also in this story, Gerard and Mikey are friends, not brothers. Instead, Gerard has a sister. (Hope this clears up any future confusion!