Read the memo?
Sure thing!
Part II ~ She Got A Life Of Her Own
Of course, we were just two high school kids back then, falling madly in love with each other, spending every second we could together. But exactly that was the problem.
We were just in high school, only 16 and 15, in school we stood on opposite ends of the hierarchy, hell people didn't even like to see girls being older than their boyfriends - it was a no-no!
We tried anyhow and I blame myself that it didn't work out, I blame myself that I actually let their words sting that bad, I blame myself that I didn't listen to Frank when he told me that to be with me was worth all the shit they put him through, those days even worse than before. I blame myself for everything that happened afterwards.
For my defense: I really thought it would help when I made the decision to leave after half a year the two of us had been a couple. I left everything behind: my parents, my home, my friends (the few that hadn't turned their back on me), my life and most importantly Frank!
I moved to New York, with no money at all and only the help of one old friend whose address I'd found out. This friend of mine I will forever love for what he did for me: helping me find a part-time job, giving me a room for a small rent in his own (small) apartment and most importantly showing me a different kind of life.
Gerard Way, had when still living in NJ been the weird, older boy I'd gotten along with just fine. Now he went to art school in NY and the quiet, artsy boy had developed into... admittedly just the same, still artsy and quiet though sometimes having hyper outbursts.
But Gerard had also found something else in life and dragged me into it without any mercy at all: the music scene!
And I should have known then that I'd see Frank again some day. My sweet boyfriend whom I'd often listened to when he played his guitar. Such, the scene for our second fated meeting seemed to already be set up, two years later when I was nearing my nineteenth birthday.
But I didn't dare think about it back then!
"Oh, motherfuck*ng son of a cheating b*tch!", I growled and pushed back the tears that were threatening to fall while I watched the man leaning over me, eyes showing his deep concentration as he applied the finishing touches to his work: a small bat on the inside of my wrist!
None of the other tattoos had hurt like this b*tch-bite, I swore and in the same breath damned Gerard and his artistic ability to create stuff that I wanted to see on my body! Strange enough the poor guy himself was as afraid of needles as I was of clowns.
"We're done here!", Tommy heaved a sigh before looking at me with a small smile on his wrinkly face.
"Let's bandage this up, shall we?" he asked and turned to fetch some cloth to clean off the blood of my wrist one last time. I saw that his eyes moved towards my other arm from time to time where there still was another bandage of his, covering a week old tattoo.
"We should take that off, too, you know?" he told me and I nodded in apprehension to see how it had turned out.
When I was all wrapped up, Tommy took my other hand into his carefully before starting the unwrapping.
"Feels like opening a present." I grinned up at him and received a smirk in return.
"I'd just wish you would tell me what the hell it means.", he scowled and I simply continued grinning at the old man that had become one of my best friends around here.
Tommy had been nice enough to give me a job and I helped him around his small tattoo and piercing studio until I was offered a better paying job at a club close by.
These days, after two years that seemed to have passed in a blur, I still worked for Vicky, the owner of the "Prussian Blue" and nonetheless (after I played matchmaker) Tommy's girlfriend.
The last layer of the fabric covering my right wrist was slowly and carefully taken off by Tommy and I gasped in delight seeing how well it had turned out.
"Thank you, To!", I used the nickname I'd given Tommy and hugged him tightly as he patted my back awkwardly before directing his voice at me, ignoring that the bell at the door jingled happily.
"You know, Bella, you're like a daughter to me now and I trust that you know what you're doing when you don't want to tell me where you come from,"
"New Jersey, I told you!", I cut in and scowled as I backed away a little but To simply shook his head, "No, I mean what happened to you, the reason why you came here. New York is a hiding place to you, you're hiding from your past and I wish I could help you to cope with it. If you'd only tell me more...", he gestured towards the tattoo that he'd only now uncovered.
Getting up and fetching the leather jacket I'd borrowed from Gerard earlier this day, I wondered if To would understand why I left everything behind. Looking into his sad eyes I sighed in defeat.
"This," I softly touched my wrist with the other hand, caressing it, "is a memory of the man I loved!" I sighed, closing my eyes and trying to believe what I had said.
"I still love him!", I corrected myself and ignored Tommy's voice that told me to stay, turning quickly ignoring the presence of the other customer that I pushed past while putting on a pair of dark sunglasses, ignoring the fact that it was already getting dark outside.
I was already late to meet the guys...
>
About half a year after moving here, I got to know Shawn, Jesse, Dan and Jeremy, four guys desperately in search for something to do with their lives. All four of them had been in a band together earlier but their front man had left a short time after they broke off college to pursue a musical career.
No sold out shows for Shawn, no groupies for Dan, not enough money for Jesse to buy his girlfriend an engagement ring and for Jeremy to finance the operation his sister needed to be able to see again.
And then there was me: runaway prep-girl from a broken home.
I guess they were a little surprised when I voiced my interest of trying out singing (Gerard had persuaded me) but after our first session we all knew that we fit together and since then have been rocking the New York underground parties.
Shawn was having fun even though we played no sold out shows and Dan had by now a girlfriend who was a fan of us, Jesse's girl on the other hand had broken up with him and Jeremy's sister's vision was just dandy after she married her doctor.
That was life for us but all that counted was that we could rock!
All that counted was that I felt perfectly fine when on stage, looking out at all those people who came to see us: "With a Vengeance"!
What truly counted was that I could let all my feelings go and sing my heart out.
Now hurrying along the lighted streets I ignored all people that passed me, my destination clearly visible in the distance: the blue neon lights that spelled "Prussian Blue", our regular place to meet.
Crossing another street I found myself in front of the entrance and winked at Kai, Vicky's younger brother and the club's bouncer.
"Long time no see, hot stuff!" he greeted me and bent down from his tall 6ft 2in height to give me a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek as I jumped into his waiting arms.
"Long time no see, handsome!" I countered and felt myself twirled through the air, as Kai ignored the angered outcries of some passer-bys. When he finally set me down again, he smirked a little waving for me to come even closer and I did only to be presented with a silver band around his left ring finger.
"She's a good girl and you guys make a great couple, I can't wait for the cute babies."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Bella!" Kai scolded, "Just because you're dying to be the godmother doesn't mean we're ready for a step that big yet." but his smile told other wise.
I waved him off as I noted that a group of three guys were heading towards us and Kai would have to do his job of checking ids. Dismissing him joking that he hadn't checked my personal information yet I stepped inside of the club to be hit with smoky air and music.
The live shows had not yet started such the music was not too loud to be talking yet and I quickly went to find my four band-mates in the back corner, chilling with a beer each in front of them.
"Bella, there you are!" the lanky Dan, WaV's bass-guitar player, exclaimed, as he pushed his long dark brown hair out of his face to scowl at me, "What took you so long, girl? We've been waiting for half an hour!"
Planting myself next to the chubbier frame of Jesse, our second guitar, I waved over to Mia, a waitress and co-worker of mine here at the club, to get me a drink. She gave me a thumbs up and continued taking some other orders.
"I was at Tommy's!" I stated and showed them the new bandage, earning myself a groan from Jeremy, our drumming genius, who sported a new hairstyle every week, this time a raging red, wildly sticking from his head.
"What?" I asked innocently and smiled as Mia placed a coke in front of me.
"I'm not one to talk," Shawn spoke up and I grinned while letting my eyes rest on his arms, full of tattoos; hell he even had a small spider on his left temple to cover up a scar, "but I do think what Jerry was indicating is that you're overdoing it, you only got another one last week."
I shrugged and took a sip of my coke before grabbing across the table to fetch Jerry's pack of Lucky Strike, completely oblivious to his pout.
"Thanks!", I threw it back over to him and searched for my lighter, although before I found it heard a snap next to my ear. Turning, I found a man gazing down at me his lighter hold up so I could light my cigarette.
Glancing at him trying to see anything through the shadows covering his face I only noted that he was rather short for a guy, my height or a little taller maybe. Seconds ticked by and then I concluded I could just take him up on his offer.
"What do you want?" Jeremy's biting voice cut through the sudden silence as I dragged a breath from my smoke, still staring at the stranger who was facing me, his stance telling that he was trying to appear calm but wasn't.
"I want a word with Bella here!", I frowned at the smooth voice, but it just couldn't be.
"And who are you to want a word with our b*tch?", Dan's joking voice drifted over to me and I glared at him, "I'm not your fuck*ng b*tch Dan, I'm your lead singer and the only one of you fuck*ng idiots who's able to discuss stuff like payment and so on without bitching at whoever's willing to book us."
During the past years I'd been a bit quicker with retorts than before but the dark chuckle from the stranger made me turn quiet again, anyway. It couldn't be him!
A hand was held out in front of me and I noted that the man's arm was covered in tattoos reminding me of Shawn. Shaking my head in disbelief at what I was doing but sending Dan another glare I took the offered hand, wanting to find out who this guy was.
He dragged me through the club towards the small outside area and we passed a few people who looked strangely at us but I just waved them off telling them everything was fine. Not once did this stranger turn around to let me see his face and such I could only make out the dark short hair that was neatly plastered to his head.
I couldn't be Frank right? What would he be doing here after all?!
I gulped at the feeling of those ever since then forgotten butterflies and gasped a little when cold air hit me the moment we stepped outside.
The stranger let go of my hand but still wouldn't turn around, even walking away a little further. Already missing the warmth that the little skin contact had created I wrapped my arms around myself, thankful for Gee's jacket still covering me.
Watching the guy light a cigarette of his own I remembered the forgotten one that I still held in my hands. The calming effect the smoke had on me finally let me voice the question I'd been burning to ask.
"How have you been?"
He whipped around, eyes flashing dangerously as he stalked back to me and just like that first night, almost three years ago by now, I couldn't help but notice just how handsome he was. His features had hardened a little, he looked more grown up but I guessed, being eighteen now he was grown up, just like me.
I wondered whether I had changed as much as he had though. Well, probably I had, but seeing yourself in a mirror each and every morning you don't really notice the changes.
"How have I been, how have I been, how have I been...", he ranted then, sucking on his cigarette, "That's it, isn't it?", he asked me, "That's all it's ever been to you!".
I shook my head.
"No?" he mocked, raising his eyebrows.
"No!" I firmly answered looking straight into his blazing eyes, smiling in remembrance at how lovingly he used to watch me back then, whenever he could, I felt his eyes on me and I enjoyed it because it made me feeling more safe and wanted and loved.
Hesitating to tell him the truth I hoped that I wasn't still as easy to read to him as back then.
"I was in love with you, Frank!"
He smiled sadly and immediately I felt regret. Maybe it would have been easier to lie, or maybe I should have just told him that I never stopped loving him.
"You were in love with me." he repeated calmly, "So why did you leave me like that, Bella? Did I grow annoying, did you fall in love with some other guy, maybe that old bastard from the tattoo studio you were so cozy with?", he smirked coldly.
"What?", shocked I remembered that there had been another customer coming in just as I was leaving Tommy's.
"That was you! You followed me here?" I asked, numbness taking over my senses.
"Actually, no!", Frank answered, "I thought I'd check out that place, Tommy's or what it's called and saw you there, getting it on with that geezer."
I scoffed before he could continue, "Tommy's like a father to me, he helped me out when I needed a job and he's a good friend, nothing more. And he's no geezer!" but Frank merely glanced at me.
"After you left in a hurry I thought I'd follow you but I lost you somewhere and then came here, there's some pretty cool bands playing live this evening that I wanted to check out." he smirked slyly as if there was something he knew that I didn't... on the other hand, Frank probably had no clue that "With a Vengeance" was part of the line up, too, seeing that by now we had a large fan base Vicky even let us play last such leaving us as much stage time as we wanted.
"Then I saw you sitting there with those," he obviously stumbled to find a word that was not offensive, "idiots!".
Way to go, Frank, I rolled my eyes but knew that it was true.
"They're my band-mates, sadly that doesn't mean they're no idiots."
"Band-mates, huh?" he asked, throwing away what was left of his cig, "You've changed Bella! Or are you telling me that those guys like the Backstreet Boys, too?"
I snorted in amusement watching his gleaming eyes but knowing it was as true as it could be: Bella Brody had been in fuck*ng love with the Backstreet Boys when she had been 16.
"We're more into stuff like Guns'n'Roses actually," I laughed a little before shrugging, "Alice Cooper is our all-time hero and AC/DC we love to death."
Frank's gaze softened, "You've really changed... I thought you'd never give up on this Nick guy or what's his name."
"Oh, I guess that was your influence and when I moved in with Gerard and he was listening to Iron Maiden 24/7 that had to have some effect on me.", chuckling I heard the door opening behind us then, just as Frank was about to say something else.
"Dude, get inside, we need to unpack our stuff if we want to get on stage in time!" a black haired guy poked his head out, looking really nervous.
So that's what he was really doing here, his band was in the line-up, too. Shaking my head, I turned back to Frank who seemed to have grown in size with his smugness and pride.
"Heard of "Pencey Prep" yet?", he asked pushing past me with a smirk, leaving me standing outside here alone.
"No!" I mumbled and lit another cigarette, "But I guess now I'll hear more than enough of it!"
Cocky bastard... *lol* HOT, cocky bastard although!
Riiiiight! Third Part will be up some time during the next three days! :)
Maaaaaybe, you wanna give me a clue as to what you think of this part though:::
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