Gerard's POV
"Oh, fuck!" A feminine voice groans from behind me, and I feel her shudder against my bare back.
"Hangover headache caught you already, huh?" I mutter, turning over to face my girlfriend.
She's still stunningly beautiful, but she looks rough. What I probably look like after each of my binge drinking sessions, I guess. Even though she had a face scrunched up in pain a second ago, Beam's expression softens when she sees me.
"Oh, honey. This has to stop, y'know." She whispers.
"I know. I..I'm so sorry, Beam. I'm so sorry I drink. I'm so sorry I got you drinking -"
She puts a finger to my lips, then snuggles closer towards me. "It's okay. I made the decision to drink. I should've stopped you, stopped myself. But I didn't. And for that, I'm an idiot."
I start shaking my head, but she stops me with a kiss. When we pullapart, I put my forehead onto hers.
"I promise you this. No more drinking. No more smoking. And definitely no drugs."
"You mean it?" Beam smiled softly, hope clear on her face.
"I mean it."
"I'm sorry, you must feel really limited. I don't want to force you to do shit you don't wanna do. I just care about you so much that I don't want you harming your beautiful body."
"Wow. You care about me that much?"
"Moreso, even."
I kiss her temple, breathing in her warm, flowery scent. "Nobody's ever told me that they cared about me to that extent. Well, apart from my mom and my grandma."
"What about Mikey?"
"Nah, he doesn't care. At least not any more, anyway."
"Of course he does! You're his idol!" Beam insists, moving closer to me.
"Nah. Especially not after Ember. All he does is sit in his room all day, in a deep depression, refusing to speak to anyone -"
I see the expression on Beam's face and raise an eyebrow.
"Sound like anybody familiar?" She says jokily, receiving a playful punch from me.
"Seriously, though. I'm worried about the kid. He won't even come out of his room when I tempt him with his favourite things - video games, comic books, unicorns, cookies. Nothing! Mikey just doesn't want to hang out with me anymore. He just doesn't...like me."
"It's just a phase, honey. I promise. I know for a fact that Mikey adores you. You're his hero, like I said! Why don't we go have a little talk with him now, prove my point, hmm?" Realisation hits her features though, and her nose scrunches up in a cute way. "Oh wait. We have school. It's Tuesday, right?"
"Right. And it's also 11am." I mutter, glancing up at the Misfits clock Mikey got me for Christmas.
"Oh no! I'm meant to be in Gym right now. If I turn up late, Mrs Turner'll lose her shit with me - I envisage 100 press-ups." Beam whispers, shuddering again.
"Then we just won't go to school, will we, beautiful?"
"Skip school? I don't know..."
Sunny's POV
I've never skipped school. I'm pretty sure Gee hasn't either. There just hasn't been much point, has there? I mean, we're not bad kids. We don't have any desire to be bad kids. Besides, all the bad kids are either Jocks, Cheerleaders or Rebels...and we're none of those. Still, couldn't hurt to skip just one lesson, could it?
Or maybe two. Or three. Or maybe four.
I mean, come on. Gym. Geometry. Double Chem class. Not exactly fun, is it? Apart from Chem, I dislike today's lessons. So it seems only fair that I don't go to class. Teachers don't want a ratty, hungover pupil, do they?
..I feel better about it when I think like that.
"Well, alright then." I say, persuaded by my own thoughts.
"Alrighty then! I'll call in for us." Geebear smiles, and I touch one of his dimples softly.
"Call in for us?" I ask, curious, but still focusing on Geebear's cheek dimple.
Gerard's POV
I have an idea. A pretty good one if I do say so myself.
When Beam and I are showered and dressed (I let her borrow a large Bowie shirt, some of my skinnies and a pair of my All-Stars) we head downstairs, me going first to check the coast is clear. No sign of Mom. Mikey's probably still in bed.
Okay. Here goes.
I pick up my cell, looking over at Beam with a smile.
She smiles back, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Hello?" I put on the fanciest voice I can.
"Westmoor Highschool, how may I help you today?"
"My name's Donna Way, I'm just calling to say that my sons Gerard and Mikey won't be in school today, and nor will my friend's daughter Sunshine Roberts."
"Oh..I see. Why is that?" The receptionist asks kindly, kinda making me feel bad.
"They've all got a rare type of flu. Uhm....Ieroitis."
"Ieroitis?"
"Yes." I improvise. "Ieroitis. And Sunshine's mother is ill with it also, that's why I'm calling in."
"Oh, well, that's a shame. I hope they get better soon -"
"Okay, thanks, bye!" I yell, and hang up.
Beam is almost pissing herself with laughter.
"Since...when...is...your...mom...posh..?" She gasps between laughs.
"Hey! I thought it was a pretty good accent, actually!" I glare, but I can't stop smiling myself.
Suddenly, we go silent as Desolation Row by Bob Dylan fills the room.
"Oh, sorry. Lemme just get that, sugar." I kiss her cheek, then grab my ringing cell.
"Holy shit!"
Now calling: Ember.
