The World is Ugly

PART 1

You're the best friend a girl can have.

That hurt like hell. When Gerard asked Stacy out, that's what she said. Immediately followed by 'But that's it. I'm sorry.' They'd been friends for years, when he started working as an assistant. She'd laugh at his dumb jokes, and she liked punk music, so they would talk for hours at work. He fell for her right away.

And he thought she liked him too.

Then he quit his job to follow his dream as a comic book artist and finish the project he'd been working in for the past couple years, only to get rejection letter after rejection letter. So now he was back at the comic book store he worked as a teenager. 'It's only for a while until I write something else,' he assured his parents.

He never had a lot of friends, other than his brother Mikey, but he was also working, and he did have friends he'd hang out with. And though Stacy and him would text almost everyday, they rarely saw each other.

And then, he finally got the guts to ask her out. Through text, nonetheless, but now he was grateful for that. It would have hurt a lot more. Hey, I got tickets to see this local band. I was wondering if you wanna come with me.

He waited for twenty minutes, pacing around his room, before he finally saw those three dots. A second later, a text showed up on his screen. Just a simple Hey. Then, nothing.

Another five minutes later, she sent another text. You're the best friend a girl can have. But that's it. I'm sorry.

They hadn't been in touch for the past couple weeks now, and he didn't even try to fix their friendship because it hurt so much.

Yet, there he was. Walking to the record store down the street after his shift was over. He knew she collected records. And he wasn't giving up just yet.

The bell rang when the door opened, and he walked into an empty store. Not even the clerk guy noticed him. He was sitting by the far corner, wearing headphones, reading a book. It wasn't until Gerard was literally in front of him, waving a hand in front of his face, almost yelling, that he finally looked up. 'Shit!' the young man said. And he was young, Gerard thought. He doubted he was past twenty years old. 'You scared me!'

'I'm sorry,' Gerard said. 'I didn't mean to.'

'I thought you were my boss. I can't lose this job!' He took off the headphones, and looked directly at Gerard. He had nice eyes, he thought. 'What do you need?'

'I'm looking for something – for this girl – for a gift –'

'What kind of music does she like?'

'Anything, really,' Gerard said, not really sure. They'd talked about music before, but he couldn't remember for the life of him the bands she mentioned. 'Mainly rock.'

The other guy couldn't help laughing. 'Could you be more specific?'

But he couldn't. So the clerk continued. 'Tell you what – since I'm an expert on this, I'm going to help you.' He got up from his seat, and waved Gerard to follow him to another section in the back of the store. Only then, he noticed how short this guy was. He looked like a little kid, which was funny because he sounded too angry and sarcastic to be an actual kid. The short guy went straight to a stack of albums, and found the one he needed. 'Ah! This!' He handed it to Gerard. Otis Redding's Pain In My Heart. 'This will give you points with any woman. They'll think you're sensitive.'

'Has it worked with you?' Gerard couldn't help himself.

'I don't need to use tricks. They just need to look at me.'

Gee laughed a little. 'Well, thank you a lot! How much is it?'

'You know what? You don't have to pay me right now. Come back and pay me when it works.'

'What if it doesn't?'

'Well, we'll keep trying.'

Why was he helping him? They didn't even know each other. 'Well, thanks, man!'

'I'm bored. Now get out before I regret it.'

Gerard did as he was told, and before he was out the door, he turned around. 'Thank you, again – what's your name?'

'Frank.' Gee could swear he blushed a little.

'Nice to meet you, I'm –'

'Gerard, I know. You're the guy who works at the comic book store, right?'

What the f – why didn't he remember seeing him? Anyway, he needed friends, he guessed. 'Well, I'll be back.'