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"Bob!" Pen breathed, eyes growing wide. "You--you shouldn't have!" She pulled out a braided gold tennis bracelet that shimmered in the light streaming in through the window. Her jaw dropped when she saw how it stood out against her pale skin. She shakily placed it back in the box. "I--I can't--"

"Of course you can, Penelope."

"But...it's too much..."

"Yeah, Bryar!" Frank said, looking over Pen's shoulder. "Makes the rest of our gifts look like shit."

"It does not," she said, still not taking her eyes off the beautiful bracelet. "But--even so...I can't--"

"Yes, you can," Bob urged, pleading with his eyes for her to accept his gift.

"Thank you, so much Bob," she relented, getting up to give him a hug, and then moving on to all the other guys. "Thanks all of you. This is the best Christmas I could have imagined." While she was hugging Gerard, to whom she went last, she murmured, "Do you have anymore?" so that only he could hear.

"Nah, I'm out." he told her. "You'll have to wait until the next show; I'll score some from some druggy."

"When's the next show?" she looked up at him, biting her lip.

"Next week."

"Next week?" she repeated, stomping her foot. The other guys had walked off, leaving them alone. "I can't wait that long. I need it," she told him.

"I don't know what to tell ya," he said, shrugging and gingerly picking up his sketchbook and charcoal. He disappeared into his room, throwing the book and pencils into a corner and opening a drawer in the bedside table. There sat his stash.

He had lied when he told Pen that he didn't have anymore; he just didn't have anymore for her. He liked her and all, but he didn't let himself forget who it was that he was chief of looking out for: himself. Sharing was alright if he was getting laid, but pretty soon Pen wouldn't need him to get her fix anymore, and that would dry up. Best to keep her on a leash, make her think that he was the only one who could get it for her.

Meanwhile, Pen was standing alone, wondering what to do. They were driving again, so she couldn't get off. And even if she could, where would she go? She knew nothing about how to score some coke. For right now, Gerard was her only hope.

She walked back into the room that she was sharing with Mikey. He had been nice enough to take the floor and give her the bed, despite Pen's protests that she was perfectly fine to sleep on the floor. She sat on the bed, noting that her hands seemed to be shaking a little bit, and her fingers twitching of their own accord. She bit her lower lip. How long, exactly, did it take to get addicted? She pushed those thoughts to the back of her head. No, she told herself. She would not think of those things. She was definitely not addicted. She was just...excited. For Christmas. And stuff. She sat on her hands so that she wouldn't have to look at them. Taking a few shaky breaths, she stood up and went to Frank's room, knowing what he would be doing.

"Knock knock," she said, walking in without actually knocking.

He blew a smoke ring out of his mouth and grinned. "Little Red," he said in a high-pitched voice. "I was just trying out your gift." She noted the roach clip and joint in his hand, also the red eyes and glazed expression.

"Mind if I join you?" She walked further into the haze of smoke that filled the room, taking a place next to Frank on the bed. He held out the pot to her, and she leaned forward to take a hit. She coughed a few times, choking on her first time smoking. She tried once more, able to hold a bit more smoke this time. Then another hit. Then another. She was beginning to feel very, very relaxed. She laid back on the bed beside Frank, rolling her shoulders and smiling.

It wasn't amazing, sure. If a cocaine-high made the world blurry and warped, then pot made it somewhat fuzzy. Yes, there was no doubt about that, it didn't hold a match to cocaine, but it would do. For now, at least.

"It's not as good as coke," Frank voiced her thoughts, blowing a line of smoke out of his mouth. "But when I'm out of it, weed's always here for me." he laughed, and so did Pen. Why was this funny? What was funny? She wasn't sure, but she kept laughing because she liked the feeling of it.

Frank then leaned over to kiss her, and she pushed him away. Gerard for the coke was one thing, but kissing Frank for pot? Out of the question. He grabbed her wrists firmly and murmured in her ear, "I have what you need," before continuing to kiss her neck.

Pen froze for a moment. Did he mean coke? "Coke?" she asked.

"Mhmm..."

Her attitude shifted immediately. She slid her hands into his, entwining their fingers and moving her head so that she could kiss Frank's mouth. Frank chuckled

It was in this way that their clothes came off.

It was in this way that Pen let Frank get on top of her and fuck her.

It was in this way that Pen decided she didn't care.

Because, at the end of it all, she got what she needed.

Pen straightened, sniffing and holding back a sneeze. Ohh...Pen closed her eyes and fell back on the bed, spreading her arms out and feeling utterly relaxed, but energetic and full of life at the same time.

"Hey, Pen," Frank drawled, smiling down at her. "Lift up your shirt. I wanna try something."

Pen did as he said and giggled as he poured his half of the coke onto her stomach, separating it into two small lines. He snorted it quickly off her torso. He smiled when he straightened. "I've always wanted to do that," he told her.

"I'm glad I could share this moment with you," she slurred. They both laughed, then forgot what they were laughing about and laughed harder.

Pen pulled down her shirt and walked out of Frank's room. She bumped into Mikey on the way out.

"Mikey!" she exclaimed, jumping up and giving him a hug.

"Hi Pen..." he said, a bit taken off-guard.

"Whatcha doin'?" She drawled, swaying back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"Umm...nothing..." he looked at her face, examining her eyes, the pupils of which were dilated past the point of seeing any green at all. Mikey's stomach plummeted as he realized what was wrong with Pen. "Pen...are you--are you high?" he asked her.

"No!" she said, smiling widely. Mikey gave her a reproachful look. She giggled like a child, caught in the act of lying. "Maybe just a teensy-weensy little bit!" she told him, biting her lower lip before bursting out laughing.

Mikey's heart broke as she confirmed his suspicions. He really felt something for this girl, and he didn't want her to end up messed-up like Gerard and Frank were. He had seen them both delve deeper and deeper into a world of drugs, and he didn't want the same to happen to Pen.

"Pen," he began, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course!" she bounced into his room, and he followed behind, shutting the door so that nobody else could listen in.

"Pen, listen," he took a deep breath, not quite sure what he was planning to say. "I--I like you a lot. More than I should, seeing as how I just met you and now I can't keep my mind off of you. I'd like to...perhaps, to be more than a friend to you."

Pen's face lit up. "I really like you too, Mikey!"

Despite himself, Mikey felt his heart lift inside his chest. She did? "That's...that's great, Pen. But I have to be serious with you now," he told her. The dumb smile dropped from her face, his austere tone sobering her immediately, making the pretty high fade away.

"W--what about?"

"This drug thing."

"I don't have a problem!" she exclaimed, vehement in her denial. She did not have a problem, definitely. She liked to have fun, and loosen up, sure, but it wasn't a--

Mikey interrupted her thoughts. "I know, I know. And that's why I'm trying to talk to you now, before you get a problem. You've gotta believe me, Pen; I know what coke does to people. Look at my brother, look at Frank! You must see how screwed up they are. I love them both, especially Gerard, and it tears me up inside to see him...to watch him kill himself. I couldn't bear to live with myself if I let the same fate befall you, Pen." he exhaled, realizing that he had said that all in one big breath.

Pen was taken aback. She bit her lower lip, feeling as though she were going to cry. Mikey wanted her to give up coke? It wouldn't be hard, she told herself. She wasn't addicted or anything, but still...She didn't want to give it up. But she did like Mikey...

"For you, Mikey," she said, trying to sort her words. "I can give it up."

His face broke into a smile, and he swooped her up in his arms, making her laugh nervously. "That's great, Pen!" he exclaimed, overjoyed. "Does that mean that you...I mean, does it mean you...y'know...?" he trailed off, looking up into her eyes.

As an answer, she pulled his face up into hers, kissing him on the mouth passionately. The kiss lasted for a long time, the pair lost in each other and in themselves. When they finally pulled away, and Mikey set her down, their hands found each other, clasping together.

"Are you sure you can do this, Pen?" Mikey asked, begging her to say yes.

"I won't touch another bit of it, ever, Mikey. Never."

And Pen was wrought with guilt for lying to the one person that cared about her.


Good stuff, good stuff, new chapter. Don’t you just hate me for making Pen so freaking stubborn? Yeah, I know. So, go REVIEW, por favor. Okay, that’s all. OverAndOutxx