Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Des Hommes Comme Nous
Gerard's POV
I knew I was going to be late to the job interview as soon as I woke up this morning. The angry red of the digits of the clock read 8:15 am. Not good. New Jersey State Prison was 30 minutes away and I still had to shower and tidy myself up; the smell of stale booze and barf would not give me an advantage with the big boss. I jumped out of bed, making myself extremely dizzy in the process. Grabbing hold of my spinning head, I stumbled to the en suite adjoined to my bedroom. I took off my clothes quickly and wasted no time in showering, scrubbing and rinsing like my life depended on it.
I brushed my teeth and fixed my hair; if this is the only way of securing my place in Mikey's house for a while longer, I am giving it my all. Since the alcohol I have been consuming has ensured that I remain underweight, I am virtually the same size as Mikey; he is only a bit taller than me. I borrowed one of Mikey's custom made black suits and ran out of the front door. I never thought I would say this, but coffee can wait until after I am employed. I scrambled into my beat-up blue Volkswagen Beetle, thrust the keys into the igniton and throttled out of the driveway. The second-hand car can barely manage 70 miles an hour, so I had no problem staying within the legal speed limit for the drive. The narrow streets of my home town soon made way to the crowded highway as I drove with the manic speed suited to wheelchair racing.
The imposing electrified fences of New Jersey Prison welcomed me as I rounded the corner. The building was grey and desolate, oddly matching its surroundings. The prison was situated far from the busy life of nearby New Jersey towns, on a field 50 miles away from the shore. There were no trees or greenery around the prison, only brown decaying grass. The isolation and lack of cover made it hard for prisoners to escape and get very far. I glanced at the expensive watch now residing on my wrist, that was once on Mikey's bedside table and sighed in relief. I was ten minutes early. How the hell is that even possible?
I loosened my foot on the accelerator and slowed down to crawling speed. The guarded main gate loomed ever closer and I could feel my previous excitement and easiness fading. I was really nervous now. I stopped the car at the booth on the left side of the car.
"Can I help you?" The uniformed man inside the enclosed booth glared at me. It was kind of obvious that I don't really belong here.
"Is Butch here?" I said gingerly, gripping the steering wheel tightly; the man's intimidating aura was getting to me.
"I am Butch." He raised an eyebrow at me.
"Um... I'm Mikey Way's brother, Gerard?" He showed no sign of recognition. "He said he got me a job interview here?" I was panicking now. For Mikey's sake, he better not have lied to me. Butch stared at me like I was crazy. I squirmed under his strong glare and nearly had a heart attack when the big man began laughing. The deep, throaty sound filled the small space inside my car and sent me on another bout of panic.
"I'm just fuckin' with you, kid. Mikey said it'd be easy to do that." Stupid Mikey. How did he end up being the smart sibling?
"Just go on up ahead, the rest of the guys know you're coming so they'll take you to the Warden's office. Good luck with the interview!" I smiled uneasily at the weird man and drove forward when the gate buzzed open.
"Tell Mikey he owes me!" Butch called after me.
"Yeah, sure!" I stuck my head out of the window and replied. I parked the car in the small parking section right in front of the main building and got out of my car. The sound of me banging the car door closed echoed through the prison grounds. Why is it so quiet? Aren't there supposed to be evil men fighting in the yards or planning other crimes in here? I pondered the silence when I heard the crunch of feet on gravel of two other guards approaching me. Both were duplicates of each other; tall and muscular, tanned and had perfectly styled hair. I feel like I'm on a badass version of Jersey Shore; Jersey Prison. I giggled at the thought of a male Snooki (not that the female version was very far off), making the two guys standing by my side look at me like I had several mental issues.
"You Gerard Way?" The paler of the two questioned. I nodded sternly and the other guard motioned for me to follow him. We walked in silence through the empty corridors. The cells were all the same; tiny, cramped and inmate-less.
"Where are all the convicts? I thought this was a pretty over populated prison." They looked at me again in a condensating manner, making me wonder if I really even want this fucking job.
"If you get the job, you got a lot to learn, kid. They're in the mess hall or in the back, workin' out."
"Why does everyone keep calling me 'kid'?... I'm 30 years old for fucks sake." I huffed, puffing out my chest to show off my manliness. The two guards escorting me to the Warden burst out into hysterical laughter.
"It's 'cause you look like a freaking teenage kid. 30 you say? Damn, what's your secret? You gotta tell my wife, man. I'm Andy MacLeaf by the way, and that's Matt Jones."
Andy looked as if he was expecting me to actually tell him why I look young. Oh god. What am I getting myself in to?I began laughing along with them.
"Shit loads of booze." I admitted truthfully. You'd think the alchohol would age me horribly, but it only added to my youthfulness, and it wasn't like I actually wanted that. Not much was said in the following minutes, all three of us falling into an uncomfortable silence that was broken once we reached the ornate office of Warden Granger. The office contrasted greatly with the rest of the prison. The walls were a warm burgundy covered in shelves upon shelves of thick books. The floor was carpeted in a rich red. This man had taste. In the middle of the room stood a majestic desk, with papers and office stationary strewn all over. Behind the desk, on a chair of expensive leather, sat a man. He was aged, with thick greying hair on his head. He also wore a lavish black suit, much like the one I was wearing at the moment.
"Mr. Way? Welcome to New Jersey State Prison. I am Warden Granger, but you may call me Stephen if you wish. Your brother has told me so much about you." Stephen smiled kindly. This man was the head of a highest security prison in the state? He seemed nicer than my own grandfather.
"Happy to be here sir." I replied enthusiastically; maybe it's not gonna be so bad here.
"So shall we get on with business? Leave us, gentlemen." The two guards exited the room silently. Warden Granger sat back in his chair and continued smiling at me. "So, Mr. Way. May I call you Gerard?" I nodded without hesitation. I love this guy already. Not a lot of people address me as 'Mr Way'.
"We are slightly under-staffed at the moment, so the requirements for this job have dropped recently. I expect you are quiet physically fit?" I don't know how to answer that. I get out of breath walking up the stairs, I don't think I could chase down a convict if he began heading for the exit.
"Yeah. You could say that." I faked a smile to the best of my abilities.
The Warden chuckled. "Never mind if you aren't. You'll have to carry a stun gun at all times for the more... rowdy... prisoners. We don't want our guards ending up with a prison shank in their back, now do we?" He chortled again. This conversation was making me slightly uneasy. Prison shanks? Stun guns? This episode of Jersey Prison seems to be turning into CSI: New Jersey.
"I think I can take care of myself. So...err... do I have the job then?" I inquired. The Warden's brown eyes studied me briefly.
"Can you use a gun?" I nodded.
"Are you good with following instructions?" I nodded again.
"Do you think you'll be happy with $2000 a month to start with?" My eyes bugged out of my skull. That's more than what I was paid for all my previous jobs combined!
"Hell yeah!" I screeched eagerly. Stephen rose out of his chair and shook my hand.
"You'll start tomorrow, so I can see how you get on. Be here at 7 in the morning. I'll have your uniform ready for you in the main office by the front door. Once again, welcome to New Jersey Prison Gerard... or should I say Officer Way?" The amount of self-pride I felt at that moment would be enough to last my whole life. I got the job. In one go. I didn't even have to try or beg or plead! This prison is not gonna know what hit it once Officer Gerard Way is in town. I thanked Warden Granger profusely and made my way out of his office. Officers Macleaf and Jones were standing close to the door, seeming eager to know if I'll be joining their ranks soon.
"So, did you get the job?" Macleaf asked me. Even his moustache twitched in anticipation. Why is everyone in this prison so interested in me? Where was this attention in highschool, when I actually needed it?
"Yep. It was easier than I thought. I start tomorrow." I said quiet unenthusiastically. Officer Jones put his arm on my shoulder and gave it a reasurring squeeze.
"Congrats kid." He smiled at me. I reciprocated and tried to subtly show that I wanted to leave now, by slowly starting to make my way down the barren hallway. They got the message since we immediately started to retrace our steps back to the front gate. The walk back was surprisingly silent; both of my escorts were on alert, as I could see some inmates start to go back into their cells. Some tried to grab my attention with whispered cat calls and rushed insults.
"Ignore them. You'll show them who's boss when you show up in the uniform tomorrow." Officer Jones said. He was starting to become my favourite of the two; Macleaf seemed too violent. The swift vigilante justice he used on these prisoners was overwhelming.
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I was in my Beetle again, driving home. One thing from the whole experience at New Jersey Prison stuck in my mind. Before we had reached the main door, a guard taking a hand-cuffed prisoner waltzed past us. The prisoner was short and thin; I thought he was a kid until I saw his face. It was contorted in a look of anger and pride, and it terrified me. The guy had greasy brown hair and bright hazel eyes that lit up when they landed on my face. He winked at me with a smirk on his face and was quickly taken away by the guard that escorted him.
I'll admit it. That guy was fucking hot; what I mean is, I would totally fuck his brains out if we had met under different circumstances. I gathered that the guy was serious trouble since Jones and Macleaf wasted no time in telling me to 'stay the fuck away from him'.
I was brought out of my daydream when my phone rang. I know I'm not supposed to use my phone while driving, but who knows? Maybe I'll end up sharing a cell with that sex god with the hazel eyes and we'll fuck all night long.
"Hello?" I murmured into the phone, trying not to crash the car and die unnecessarily.
"Did you get it?" Mikey's coarse whisper rung through my ears.
"Yes. I did. I start tomorrow at 7. Are you proud of me mommy?" I said sarcastically while rolling my eyes at how direct Mikey was; not even a 'hello'.
"Mommy's very proud of you Gee. So is Mikey! I got some beer, we'll celebrate when you get back." I could almost hear the smile in his voice. I think he heard the smile in mine when I said I couldn't wait. This will be good.
I knew I was going to be late to the job interview as soon as I woke up this morning. The angry red of the digits of the clock read 8:15 am. Not good. New Jersey State Prison was 30 minutes away and I still had to shower and tidy myself up; the smell of stale booze and barf would not give me an advantage with the big boss. I jumped out of bed, making myself extremely dizzy in the process. Grabbing hold of my spinning head, I stumbled to the en suite adjoined to my bedroom. I took off my clothes quickly and wasted no time in showering, scrubbing and rinsing like my life depended on it.
I brushed my teeth and fixed my hair; if this is the only way of securing my place in Mikey's house for a while longer, I am giving it my all. Since the alcohol I have been consuming has ensured that I remain underweight, I am virtually the same size as Mikey; he is only a bit taller than me. I borrowed one of Mikey's custom made black suits and ran out of the front door. I never thought I would say this, but coffee can wait until after I am employed. I scrambled into my beat-up blue Volkswagen Beetle, thrust the keys into the igniton and throttled out of the driveway. The second-hand car can barely manage 70 miles an hour, so I had no problem staying within the legal speed limit for the drive. The narrow streets of my home town soon made way to the crowded highway as I drove with the manic speed suited to wheelchair racing.
The imposing electrified fences of New Jersey Prison welcomed me as I rounded the corner. The building was grey and desolate, oddly matching its surroundings. The prison was situated far from the busy life of nearby New Jersey towns, on a field 50 miles away from the shore. There were no trees or greenery around the prison, only brown decaying grass. The isolation and lack of cover made it hard for prisoners to escape and get very far. I glanced at the expensive watch now residing on my wrist, that was once on Mikey's bedside table and sighed in relief. I was ten minutes early. How the hell is that even possible?
I loosened my foot on the accelerator and slowed down to crawling speed. The guarded main gate loomed ever closer and I could feel my previous excitement and easiness fading. I was really nervous now. I stopped the car at the booth on the left side of the car.
"Can I help you?" The uniformed man inside the enclosed booth glared at me. It was kind of obvious that I don't really belong here.
"Is Butch here?" I said gingerly, gripping the steering wheel tightly; the man's intimidating aura was getting to me.
"I am Butch." He raised an eyebrow at me.
"Um... I'm Mikey Way's brother, Gerard?" He showed no sign of recognition. "He said he got me a job interview here?" I was panicking now. For Mikey's sake, he better not have lied to me. Butch stared at me like I was crazy. I squirmed under his strong glare and nearly had a heart attack when the big man began laughing. The deep, throaty sound filled the small space inside my car and sent me on another bout of panic.
"I'm just fuckin' with you, kid. Mikey said it'd be easy to do that." Stupid Mikey. How did he end up being the smart sibling?
"Just go on up ahead, the rest of the guys know you're coming so they'll take you to the Warden's office. Good luck with the interview!" I smiled uneasily at the weird man and drove forward when the gate buzzed open.
"Tell Mikey he owes me!" Butch called after me.
"Yeah, sure!" I stuck my head out of the window and replied. I parked the car in the small parking section right in front of the main building and got out of my car. The sound of me banging the car door closed echoed through the prison grounds. Why is it so quiet? Aren't there supposed to be evil men fighting in the yards or planning other crimes in here? I pondered the silence when I heard the crunch of feet on gravel of two other guards approaching me. Both were duplicates of each other; tall and muscular, tanned and had perfectly styled hair. I feel like I'm on a badass version of Jersey Shore; Jersey Prison. I giggled at the thought of a male Snooki (not that the female version was very far off), making the two guys standing by my side look at me like I had several mental issues.
"You Gerard Way?" The paler of the two questioned. I nodded sternly and the other guard motioned for me to follow him. We walked in silence through the empty corridors. The cells were all the same; tiny, cramped and inmate-less.
"Where are all the convicts? I thought this was a pretty over populated prison." They looked at me again in a condensating manner, making me wonder if I really even want this fucking job.
"If you get the job, you got a lot to learn, kid. They're in the mess hall or in the back, workin' out."
"Why does everyone keep calling me 'kid'?... I'm 30 years old for fucks sake." I huffed, puffing out my chest to show off my manliness. The two guards escorting me to the Warden burst out into hysterical laughter.
"It's 'cause you look like a freaking teenage kid. 30 you say? Damn, what's your secret? You gotta tell my wife, man. I'm Andy MacLeaf by the way, and that's Matt Jones."
Andy looked as if he was expecting me to actually tell him why I look young. Oh god. What am I getting myself in to?I began laughing along with them.
"Shit loads of booze." I admitted truthfully. You'd think the alchohol would age me horribly, but it only added to my youthfulness, and it wasn't like I actually wanted that. Not much was said in the following minutes, all three of us falling into an uncomfortable silence that was broken once we reached the ornate office of Warden Granger. The office contrasted greatly with the rest of the prison. The walls were a warm burgundy covered in shelves upon shelves of thick books. The floor was carpeted in a rich red. This man had taste. In the middle of the room stood a majestic desk, with papers and office stationary strewn all over. Behind the desk, on a chair of expensive leather, sat a man. He was aged, with thick greying hair on his head. He also wore a lavish black suit, much like the one I was wearing at the moment.
"Mr. Way? Welcome to New Jersey State Prison. I am Warden Granger, but you may call me Stephen if you wish. Your brother has told me so much about you." Stephen smiled kindly. This man was the head of a highest security prison in the state? He seemed nicer than my own grandfather.
"Happy to be here sir." I replied enthusiastically; maybe it's not gonna be so bad here.
"So shall we get on with business? Leave us, gentlemen." The two guards exited the room silently. Warden Granger sat back in his chair and continued smiling at me. "So, Mr. Way. May I call you Gerard?" I nodded without hesitation. I love this guy already. Not a lot of people address me as 'Mr Way'.
"We are slightly under-staffed at the moment, so the requirements for this job have dropped recently. I expect you are quiet physically fit?" I don't know how to answer that. I get out of breath walking up the stairs, I don't think I could chase down a convict if he began heading for the exit.
"Yeah. You could say that." I faked a smile to the best of my abilities.
The Warden chuckled. "Never mind if you aren't. You'll have to carry a stun gun at all times for the more... rowdy... prisoners. We don't want our guards ending up with a prison shank in their back, now do we?" He chortled again. This conversation was making me slightly uneasy. Prison shanks? Stun guns? This episode of Jersey Prison seems to be turning into CSI: New Jersey.
"I think I can take care of myself. So...err... do I have the job then?" I inquired. The Warden's brown eyes studied me briefly.
"Can you use a gun?" I nodded.
"Are you good with following instructions?" I nodded again.
"Do you think you'll be happy with $2000 a month to start with?" My eyes bugged out of my skull. That's more than what I was paid for all my previous jobs combined!
"Hell yeah!" I screeched eagerly. Stephen rose out of his chair and shook my hand.
"You'll start tomorrow, so I can see how you get on. Be here at 7 in the morning. I'll have your uniform ready for you in the main office by the front door. Once again, welcome to New Jersey Prison Gerard... or should I say Officer Way?" The amount of self-pride I felt at that moment would be enough to last my whole life. I got the job. In one go. I didn't even have to try or beg or plead! This prison is not gonna know what hit it once Officer Gerard Way is in town. I thanked Warden Granger profusely and made my way out of his office. Officers Macleaf and Jones were standing close to the door, seeming eager to know if I'll be joining their ranks soon.
"So, did you get the job?" Macleaf asked me. Even his moustache twitched in anticipation. Why is everyone in this prison so interested in me? Where was this attention in highschool, when I actually needed it?
"Yep. It was easier than I thought. I start tomorrow." I said quiet unenthusiastically. Officer Jones put his arm on my shoulder and gave it a reasurring squeeze.
"Congrats kid." He smiled at me. I reciprocated and tried to subtly show that I wanted to leave now, by slowly starting to make my way down the barren hallway. They got the message since we immediately started to retrace our steps back to the front gate. The walk back was surprisingly silent; both of my escorts were on alert, as I could see some inmates start to go back into their cells. Some tried to grab my attention with whispered cat calls and rushed insults.
"Ignore them. You'll show them who's boss when you show up in the uniform tomorrow." Officer Jones said. He was starting to become my favourite of the two; Macleaf seemed too violent. The swift vigilante justice he used on these prisoners was overwhelming.
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I was in my Beetle again, driving home. One thing from the whole experience at New Jersey Prison stuck in my mind. Before we had reached the main door, a guard taking a hand-cuffed prisoner waltzed past us. The prisoner was short and thin; I thought he was a kid until I saw his face. It was contorted in a look of anger and pride, and it terrified me. The guy had greasy brown hair and bright hazel eyes that lit up when they landed on my face. He winked at me with a smirk on his face and was quickly taken away by the guard that escorted him.
I'll admit it. That guy was fucking hot; what I mean is, I would totally fuck his brains out if we had met under different circumstances. I gathered that the guy was serious trouble since Jones and Macleaf wasted no time in telling me to 'stay the fuck away from him'.
I was brought out of my daydream when my phone rang. I know I'm not supposed to use my phone while driving, but who knows? Maybe I'll end up sharing a cell with that sex god with the hazel eyes and we'll fuck all night long.
"Hello?" I murmured into the phone, trying not to crash the car and die unnecessarily.
"Did you get it?" Mikey's coarse whisper rung through my ears.
"Yes. I did. I start tomorrow at 7. Are you proud of me mommy?" I said sarcastically while rolling my eyes at how direct Mikey was; not even a 'hello'.
"Mommy's very proud of you Gee. So is Mikey! I got some beer, we'll celebrate when you get back." I could almost hear the smile in his voice. I think he heard the smile in mine when I said I couldn't wait. This will be good.
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