Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Stockholm Syndrome
The building that the odd couple approached was very large, very grand, and had a very long, complicated name that Paulina wasn’t certain how to pronounce. She had never seen a place like this in her hometown.
Gerard was wearing a well-fitted suit and tie, and Paulina was in her dress, yet she still almost got the feeling that they were underdressed. They entered through a set of double-doors, the place quiet even though it was filled with people. Even when Gerard stepped up to talk to the hostess, Paulina was standing right by him and didn’t catch a word that was said.
“Come along, mon cher.” Gerard tugged Paulina’s arm to get her moving, and she followed him through a maze of cream-colored table-cloths, long, elegant gowns, and the sound of crystal glasses clanking against each other in merriment. When they got to their table, there were already a man and woman seated there.
“Gerard!” exclaimed the woman, standing. The man with her followed suit, and they both stepped forward. The man grasped Gerard’s hand firmly, shaking it a few times, before stepping aside and allowing his wife to hug what was obviously an old friend. The couple were very young, not much older than Gerard, if they were older at all.
“Hello, Nancy; John.” The look on Gerard’s face was one Paulina wasn’t quite familiar with; he looked easy-going and content. His eyes were alight with excitement, genuine excitement; the maniacal gleam that usually occupied his irises.
“Gerard!” the man scolded in a joking tone. “Where are your manners? Aren’t you going to introduce us to your lovely date?” The man stepped forward, taking hold of Paulina’s hand and leaning forward to kiss it. “Hello, I’m John. And you are…?” It made Paulina uncomfortable.
The sparkle in Gerard’s eyes was lost, and he stepped back to Paulina, sliding his arm around her waist to rest his hand on the small of her back. “This is Victoria, the love of my life.” Paulina just managed not to grimace at these words, knowing that if John or Nancy noticed and remarked on it, she would be paying dearly. Instead, she turned her head, smiling gently at Gerard, stomach churning at what she was about to do.
“I love you, too, darling,” she said, leaning in and catching his surprised lips in a kiss. He returned it gently, not the harsh attack that the man’s kisses usually were. She even had a small smile on her face when she pulled away.
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” said Nancy. “I’m Nancy,” she added, turning to Paulina and holding out her hand for a light shake. “I absolutely adore your shoes; where did you get them?”
Paulina faltered. “Umm…Oh, these? I--I don’t remember. I’ve had them for so long, you know. You just begin to forget where things come from. After a while, it seems like everything you own has just…always been there.” She was babbling, she knew. She wished Gerard would cut her off, step on her foot, smack her in the face, something to stop her from speaking. He seemed to be reading her mind.
“Tell them what you do for a living, dearest.” He guided her to the table, and the whole party took their seats once more.
“I…” Paulina was eighteen. She was still, technically, in high school; she hadn’t even thought about her future, career-wise. “I’m an artist.” It was flaky, she knew, and she glanced at Gerard to see what he thought of this. He simply smiled and nodded, holding up the façade of a boyfriend in love very well. “I…I paint. And I sculpt. And…I sketch.” Paulina did not have an artistic bone in her body, certainly not one for sculpting, painting, and drawing. This was a flat-out lie, but it was probably believable.
“Ahh, that makes sense,” Nancy said knowingly. “Gerard is quite the artist, himself. Aren’t you, Gerard?”
“I suppose,” the man beside Paulina mused, pretending to be examining his menu very carefully. If he was acting, he was a very good actor, Paulina thought to herself. His cheeks were turning pink.
“Oh, your boyfriend is just being humble, Victoria,” John assured, patting her hand gently. Paulina slowly slid her hand off the table and set it in her lap. “He’s been commissioned by all sorts to do a bunch of different things. And he writes his little comics on the side.” Paulina glanced at Gerard to gauge his reaction to this praise. He was just turning redder, trying to ignore the conversation around him. Paulina also decided to examine her menu to get away from having to talk to these people that she, for some reason, already didn’t like.
“So…” Nancy began, sensing the tension. “How long have you two been dating?”
“Almost a year, now,” Gerard said, closing his menu.
“Wow, that long and you haven’t popped the question?” John said.
Paulina snorted and choked into her water glass, which she set down with a heavy thump. She felt a gentle hand patting her back as she coughed for a moment, having swallowed the wrong way.
“Are you alright, dear?”
“Yes, Gerard,” she said, breathing deeply and concentrating on not having another asthma attack. The feeling passed, and she dabbed at her eyes with her napkin.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” John said, looking concerned.
“It’s fine,” Gerard said. “It’s just not a subject we’re used to.”
“I guess.” John raised an eyebrow, examining the couple across the table. Luckily, they were saved by the waiter approaching the table and asking if anyone would like some wine. “I think that’s exactly what we could all use.”
“None for us, thanks,” Gerard said before the waiter poured. “Victoria doesn’t drink, and neither do I, really.” John muttered an inaudible something that sounded suspiciously like “whipped.” Gerard cocked a warning brow. “Sorry?” he said. “Didn’t catch that.”
“Oh, nothing.” John picked up his glass and sipped at it, examining his friend over the crystal rim.
It didn’t take Paulina too long to figure out why they weren’t drinking. Alcohol got people drunk, and drunk people told the truth. The truth was exactly something that Gerard didn’t want told.
Upon closer inspection of her date, Paulina noticed that a vein in Gerard’s jaw was pulsing, and his eyes were hard-set. He seemed to be grinding his teeth slightly, and it almost frightened her how agitated he looked. But, for once, his animosity was not directed at Paulina; it was directed at the man sitting across from him. Paulina wondered why they’d come out with people that Gerard obviously had no tolerance for. Apparently, he was also pondering the answer to this.
“You know,” he said suddenly, standing. “Victoria is looking ill to me. Are you feeling alright, honey?”
Paulina’s eyes widened, and she nodded briefly. He continued to stare her down. “Oh…actually…no. I’ve been feeling feverish all day, but I didn’t want to ruin our outing with your friends.”
“Nonsense. Anyone can see that you’re looking pale. I’m sure John and Nancy won’t mind if we take you home.” He raised an eyebrow at his “friends,” daring them to contradict him.
“No, no, go ahead,” John finally said, running a hand through his hair. “We understand. It was nice seeing you, Gerard. And nice to meet you, Victoria.”
Both nodded, leaving once Paulina had stood, allowing Gerard to guide her out of the restaurant by her elbow.
I'm so sorry this took so long to get up. I've been loaded down with more and more work, and I can't get rid of it. As soon as I finish one thing, I'm assigned something else, or I have something to go to for Drama, or I have a Student Slavery Abolition group meeting, or just anything that keeps me from getting on the computer to write for recreation. Ah, I'm sorry. I'll do my best to update sooner next time, but I can't make any promises. Please keep reading, go comment and subscribe, and stay tuned for the next chapter. OverAndOutxx
PS: The next chapter may or may not be sexually explicit. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with that. So be warned.
Gerard was wearing a well-fitted suit and tie, and Paulina was in her dress, yet she still almost got the feeling that they were underdressed. They entered through a set of double-doors, the place quiet even though it was filled with people. Even when Gerard stepped up to talk to the hostess, Paulina was standing right by him and didn’t catch a word that was said.
“Come along, mon cher.” Gerard tugged Paulina’s arm to get her moving, and she followed him through a maze of cream-colored table-cloths, long, elegant gowns, and the sound of crystal glasses clanking against each other in merriment. When they got to their table, there were already a man and woman seated there.
“Gerard!” exclaimed the woman, standing. The man with her followed suit, and they both stepped forward. The man grasped Gerard’s hand firmly, shaking it a few times, before stepping aside and allowing his wife to hug what was obviously an old friend. The couple were very young, not much older than Gerard, if they were older at all.
“Hello, Nancy; John.” The look on Gerard’s face was one Paulina wasn’t quite familiar with; he looked easy-going and content. His eyes were alight with excitement, genuine excitement; the maniacal gleam that usually occupied his irises.
“Gerard!” the man scolded in a joking tone. “Where are your manners? Aren’t you going to introduce us to your lovely date?” The man stepped forward, taking hold of Paulina’s hand and leaning forward to kiss it. “Hello, I’m John. And you are…?” It made Paulina uncomfortable.
The sparkle in Gerard’s eyes was lost, and he stepped back to Paulina, sliding his arm around her waist to rest his hand on the small of her back. “This is Victoria, the love of my life.” Paulina just managed not to grimace at these words, knowing that if John or Nancy noticed and remarked on it, she would be paying dearly. Instead, she turned her head, smiling gently at Gerard, stomach churning at what she was about to do.
“I love you, too, darling,” she said, leaning in and catching his surprised lips in a kiss. He returned it gently, not the harsh attack that the man’s kisses usually were. She even had a small smile on her face when she pulled away.
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” said Nancy. “I’m Nancy,” she added, turning to Paulina and holding out her hand for a light shake. “I absolutely adore your shoes; where did you get them?”
Paulina faltered. “Umm…Oh, these? I--I don’t remember. I’ve had them for so long, you know. You just begin to forget where things come from. After a while, it seems like everything you own has just…always been there.” She was babbling, she knew. She wished Gerard would cut her off, step on her foot, smack her in the face, something to stop her from speaking. He seemed to be reading her mind.
“Tell them what you do for a living, dearest.” He guided her to the table, and the whole party took their seats once more.
“I…” Paulina was eighteen. She was still, technically, in high school; she hadn’t even thought about her future, career-wise. “I’m an artist.” It was flaky, she knew, and she glanced at Gerard to see what he thought of this. He simply smiled and nodded, holding up the façade of a boyfriend in love very well. “I…I paint. And I sculpt. And…I sketch.” Paulina did not have an artistic bone in her body, certainly not one for sculpting, painting, and drawing. This was a flat-out lie, but it was probably believable.
“Ahh, that makes sense,” Nancy said knowingly. “Gerard is quite the artist, himself. Aren’t you, Gerard?”
“I suppose,” the man beside Paulina mused, pretending to be examining his menu very carefully. If he was acting, he was a very good actor, Paulina thought to herself. His cheeks were turning pink.
“Oh, your boyfriend is just being humble, Victoria,” John assured, patting her hand gently. Paulina slowly slid her hand off the table and set it in her lap. “He’s been commissioned by all sorts to do a bunch of different things. And he writes his little comics on the side.” Paulina glanced at Gerard to gauge his reaction to this praise. He was just turning redder, trying to ignore the conversation around him. Paulina also decided to examine her menu to get away from having to talk to these people that she, for some reason, already didn’t like.
“So…” Nancy began, sensing the tension. “How long have you two been dating?”
“Almost a year, now,” Gerard said, closing his menu.
“Wow, that long and you haven’t popped the question?” John said.
Paulina snorted and choked into her water glass, which she set down with a heavy thump. She felt a gentle hand patting her back as she coughed for a moment, having swallowed the wrong way.
“Are you alright, dear?”
“Yes, Gerard,” she said, breathing deeply and concentrating on not having another asthma attack. The feeling passed, and she dabbed at her eyes with her napkin.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” John said, looking concerned.
“It’s fine,” Gerard said. “It’s just not a subject we’re used to.”
“I guess.” John raised an eyebrow, examining the couple across the table. Luckily, they were saved by the waiter approaching the table and asking if anyone would like some wine. “I think that’s exactly what we could all use.”
“None for us, thanks,” Gerard said before the waiter poured. “Victoria doesn’t drink, and neither do I, really.” John muttered an inaudible something that sounded suspiciously like “whipped.” Gerard cocked a warning brow. “Sorry?” he said. “Didn’t catch that.”
“Oh, nothing.” John picked up his glass and sipped at it, examining his friend over the crystal rim.
It didn’t take Paulina too long to figure out why they weren’t drinking. Alcohol got people drunk, and drunk people told the truth. The truth was exactly something that Gerard didn’t want told.
Upon closer inspection of her date, Paulina noticed that a vein in Gerard’s jaw was pulsing, and his eyes were hard-set. He seemed to be grinding his teeth slightly, and it almost frightened her how agitated he looked. But, for once, his animosity was not directed at Paulina; it was directed at the man sitting across from him. Paulina wondered why they’d come out with people that Gerard obviously had no tolerance for. Apparently, he was also pondering the answer to this.
“You know,” he said suddenly, standing. “Victoria is looking ill to me. Are you feeling alright, honey?”
Paulina’s eyes widened, and she nodded briefly. He continued to stare her down. “Oh…actually…no. I’ve been feeling feverish all day, but I didn’t want to ruin our outing with your friends.”
“Nonsense. Anyone can see that you’re looking pale. I’m sure John and Nancy won’t mind if we take you home.” He raised an eyebrow at his “friends,” daring them to contradict him.
“No, no, go ahead,” John finally said, running a hand through his hair. “We understand. It was nice seeing you, Gerard. And nice to meet you, Victoria.”
Both nodded, leaving once Paulina had stood, allowing Gerard to guide her out of the restaurant by her elbow.
I'm so sorry this took so long to get up. I've been loaded down with more and more work, and I can't get rid of it. As soon as I finish one thing, I'm assigned something else, or I have something to go to for Drama, or I have a Student Slavery Abolition group meeting, or just anything that keeps me from getting on the computer to write for recreation. Ah, I'm sorry. I'll do my best to update sooner next time, but I can't make any promises. Please keep reading, go comment and subscribe, and stay tuned for the next chapter. OverAndOutxx
PS: The next chapter may or may not be sexually explicit. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with that. So be warned.
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