Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Commit This to Memory
I Need More Oxygen
Riley, Topher, and Braelyn got out of the car a few minutes later at the company’s building. Mikey decided to go back to the apartment because he thought it would be important for Braelyn to be on her own with Topher for the meeting. Mikey being in the room could make her appear weak, like she couldn’t stand up for herself or that it wasn’t really her idea.
Inside, they waited outside of the executive’s office. When Braelyn was called in, Topher followed her and Riley stayed in the chair she was seated in doing something on her phone.
“Thomas,” Braelyn said, surprising herself by keeping a tremor out of her voice. “There is no way I’m wearing whatever that sketch was.”
“Ahh,” the older man behind the desk said. “I thought that may be an issue. Sit down and let’s talk about it.”
Mikey and Topher had been right. Once Braelyn pointed out specific reasons why she didn’t want that kind of image and provided rational solutions, the meeting went smoothly. Thomas agreed with her about the outfit and the direction of her career. in general. The reason, he said, that they had that particular idea put together was to try to get a strong, consistent image. If that look wasn’t what Braelyn wanted, as long as she was willing to participate in some sort of ‘branding,’ that was fine. By the end of the meeting, Braelyn had gotten mostly what she wanted. Thomas brought a stylist hired by the record company, Benji, and together they went over what choices Braelyn would now make with what she would wear. Her style stayed mostly the same, simple and cute, but the stylist urged her to add a vintage flair and stressed the importance that the pieces in her wardrobe were tailored and looked expensive, even if they weren’t.
By the time she emerged from Thomas’ office, Riley had lunch waiting for them in one of the meeting rooms downstairs. After they finished eating, instead of going to the fittings that were on her schedule, Benji took her shopping. Topher opted to not accompany them, but Riley was all about it. They three of them spent the afternoon spending some of the money that Thomas had allocated for Braelyn’s new wardrobe. Her favorite purchase was a piece that she would wear the next night at her performance. Benji had managed to find a super cute plaid pea coat that was black, gray, and the same blue as the mittens and scarf that Elaine made her for Christmas. It came in fitted to her waist, then belled out a little bit, ending just below her butt. Benji also made her buy new jeans in a bunch of different washes and lengths, insisting that she had the right pant length for heels, boots, and flats. It was exhausting. They finally finished around four. Riley and Braelyn said goodbye to Benji who promised to see them the next night to get Braelyn ready for her show. The girls hopped in a cab and went back to the apartment.
Braelyn was pleasantly surprised to smell something delicious as she walked into the apartment. She hung her coat and was pulling off her scarf as she shouted, “What smells so good?!”
“Dinner,” a variety of voices answered her.
Braelyn tugged off her boots as she walked toward the kitchen. When she saw Quinn with an apron on stirring something on the stove, she grinned “Well, I figured it had to be you. None of these morons could make my kitchen smell so good.”
“Hey! That’s not nice!” Frankie protested, but he picked her up in a hug.
Braelyn kissed Chelsea’s cheek who was sitting on a barstool across the island from Quinn. Then she hugged Quinn hard. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hey, Brae. I thought I’d make you dinner.”
“You might be my favorite.” Braelyn looked around conspiratorially, “Don’t tell my boyfriend.”
“Don’t tell me what?” Mikey said coming into the room.
“It’s not important.” Braelyn gave him a coy look before coming over to kiss him.
“Should I be worried?” Mikey asked the others over Braelyn’s head.
“Nah,” Frankie replied. “Braelyn just likes Quinn better than the rest of us.”
“I like Quinn better than the rest of you,” Mikey answered back. “Have you smelled whatever it is she’s cooking?”
Everyone laughed and began to chat. Quinn was telling everyone about the antics of her younger brother, Trip, who was a freshmen at St. John’s. Then she shooed them to the table, everyone laden with food. They were about halfway through the meal when the buzzer rang. Braelyn ran to answer. She came back a few moments later looking concerned.
“What’s up?” Stacy asked.
“Gerard’s at the door...” Braelyn looked at Quinn anxiously.
The rest of the table quieted and all tried to stare at something other than Quinn.
After a couple of seconds of thought, Quinn sighed. “Let him up. There’s plenty of food.”
“Are you sure?” Mikey asked.
“Absolutely. Besides, this would happen eventually. I’m still friends with you guys and he’s your brother and friend. Odds are we’d probably run into each other tomorrow night, anyway.”
“I’ll get another plate,” Riley put in. “We’ll set him down here, so you don’t have to sit right next to him.”
Quinn nodded. Braelyn went to let Gerard in. Chelsea and Riley were valiantly trying to keep the conversation going when Gerard came in the room and they were succeeding for the most part, even managing to draw Quinn into it. Gerard threw out a generic hello and the table greeted him. To his credit, he sat down and participated in the conversation while he ate. Braelyn had half expected him to sit silently and stare at Quinn the way he did when he thought he ‘loved’ Braelyn.
When everyone was finished, Mikey, Gerard, and Frankie volunteered to do the dishes and the girls took them up on it. Riley collapsed in one of the cushy armchairs in the living room, Chelsea taking the other. Quinn and Braelyn made themselves comfortable on the couch.
“See. This wasn’t so bad,” Quinn said.
“It really wasn’t as awkward as I was expecting,” Braelyn answered.
They gabbed for a while before the boys joined them. Soon after Quinn stood to leave. “I’ve gotta go to bed,” she stated, “I switched with prep so I could come see you show tomorrow, so I have to be in the kitchen at 9.” Braelyn got up to hug her goodbye followed by Chelsea and Riley. The boys, including Gerard, waved. “Oh,” Quinn said, “That reminds me. You had mentioned that you have an extra ticket for tomorrow?”
Braelyn looked at Riley who consulted her phone before nodding. Braelyn answered, “Sure do. Got someone in mind?”
“Ya. Mind if I bring a date?”
Braelyn looked at her questioningly, but replied without hesitation, “Sure. Sounds great.”
“Ok!” Quinn had a big smile on her face. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow night.”
“Bye, Quinn!” The group chorused.
As soon as she was out the door, Gerard’s voice filled the air. “Fuck.”
A/N: IZZY AND TAYLOR I'M SO GLAD YOU TWO ARE STILL READING!!!!!!!!! So I'm toying with the idea of working on our other plot lines in the story and focusing on other characters than Braelyn and Mikey for a while. I mean, they'll still be part of the story, OBVI, but I'm at this place where it's getting kind of boring with just the two of them. Thoughts? Hope you like this chapter. Hearts, Corri
Riley, Topher, and Braelyn got out of the car a few minutes later at the company’s building. Mikey decided to go back to the apartment because he thought it would be important for Braelyn to be on her own with Topher for the meeting. Mikey being in the room could make her appear weak, like she couldn’t stand up for herself or that it wasn’t really her idea.
Inside, they waited outside of the executive’s office. When Braelyn was called in, Topher followed her and Riley stayed in the chair she was seated in doing something on her phone.
“Thomas,” Braelyn said, surprising herself by keeping a tremor out of her voice. “There is no way I’m wearing whatever that sketch was.”
“Ahh,” the older man behind the desk said. “I thought that may be an issue. Sit down and let’s talk about it.”
Mikey and Topher had been right. Once Braelyn pointed out specific reasons why she didn’t want that kind of image and provided rational solutions, the meeting went smoothly. Thomas agreed with her about the outfit and the direction of her career. in general. The reason, he said, that they had that particular idea put together was to try to get a strong, consistent image. If that look wasn’t what Braelyn wanted, as long as she was willing to participate in some sort of ‘branding,’ that was fine. By the end of the meeting, Braelyn had gotten mostly what she wanted. Thomas brought a stylist hired by the record company, Benji, and together they went over what choices Braelyn would now make with what she would wear. Her style stayed mostly the same, simple and cute, but the stylist urged her to add a vintage flair and stressed the importance that the pieces in her wardrobe were tailored and looked expensive, even if they weren’t.
By the time she emerged from Thomas’ office, Riley had lunch waiting for them in one of the meeting rooms downstairs. After they finished eating, instead of going to the fittings that were on her schedule, Benji took her shopping. Topher opted to not accompany them, but Riley was all about it. They three of them spent the afternoon spending some of the money that Thomas had allocated for Braelyn’s new wardrobe. Her favorite purchase was a piece that she would wear the next night at her performance. Benji had managed to find a super cute plaid pea coat that was black, gray, and the same blue as the mittens and scarf that Elaine made her for Christmas. It came in fitted to her waist, then belled out a little bit, ending just below her butt. Benji also made her buy new jeans in a bunch of different washes and lengths, insisting that she had the right pant length for heels, boots, and flats. It was exhausting. They finally finished around four. Riley and Braelyn said goodbye to Benji who promised to see them the next night to get Braelyn ready for her show. The girls hopped in a cab and went back to the apartment.
Braelyn was pleasantly surprised to smell something delicious as she walked into the apartment. She hung her coat and was pulling off her scarf as she shouted, “What smells so good?!”
“Dinner,” a variety of voices answered her.
Braelyn tugged off her boots as she walked toward the kitchen. When she saw Quinn with an apron on stirring something on the stove, she grinned “Well, I figured it had to be you. None of these morons could make my kitchen smell so good.”
“Hey! That’s not nice!” Frankie protested, but he picked her up in a hug.
Braelyn kissed Chelsea’s cheek who was sitting on a barstool across the island from Quinn. Then she hugged Quinn hard. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hey, Brae. I thought I’d make you dinner.”
“You might be my favorite.” Braelyn looked around conspiratorially, “Don’t tell my boyfriend.”
“Don’t tell me what?” Mikey said coming into the room.
“It’s not important.” Braelyn gave him a coy look before coming over to kiss him.
“Should I be worried?” Mikey asked the others over Braelyn’s head.
“Nah,” Frankie replied. “Braelyn just likes Quinn better than the rest of us.”
“I like Quinn better than the rest of you,” Mikey answered back. “Have you smelled whatever it is she’s cooking?”
Everyone laughed and began to chat. Quinn was telling everyone about the antics of her younger brother, Trip, who was a freshmen at St. John’s. Then she shooed them to the table, everyone laden with food. They were about halfway through the meal when the buzzer rang. Braelyn ran to answer. She came back a few moments later looking concerned.
“What’s up?” Stacy asked.
“Gerard’s at the door...” Braelyn looked at Quinn anxiously.
The rest of the table quieted and all tried to stare at something other than Quinn.
After a couple of seconds of thought, Quinn sighed. “Let him up. There’s plenty of food.”
“Are you sure?” Mikey asked.
“Absolutely. Besides, this would happen eventually. I’m still friends with you guys and he’s your brother and friend. Odds are we’d probably run into each other tomorrow night, anyway.”
“I’ll get another plate,” Riley put in. “We’ll set him down here, so you don’t have to sit right next to him.”
Quinn nodded. Braelyn went to let Gerard in. Chelsea and Riley were valiantly trying to keep the conversation going when Gerard came in the room and they were succeeding for the most part, even managing to draw Quinn into it. Gerard threw out a generic hello and the table greeted him. To his credit, he sat down and participated in the conversation while he ate. Braelyn had half expected him to sit silently and stare at Quinn the way he did when he thought he ‘loved’ Braelyn.
When everyone was finished, Mikey, Gerard, and Frankie volunteered to do the dishes and the girls took them up on it. Riley collapsed in one of the cushy armchairs in the living room, Chelsea taking the other. Quinn and Braelyn made themselves comfortable on the couch.
“See. This wasn’t so bad,” Quinn said.
“It really wasn’t as awkward as I was expecting,” Braelyn answered.
They gabbed for a while before the boys joined them. Soon after Quinn stood to leave. “I’ve gotta go to bed,” she stated, “I switched with prep so I could come see you show tomorrow, so I have to be in the kitchen at 9.” Braelyn got up to hug her goodbye followed by Chelsea and Riley. The boys, including Gerard, waved. “Oh,” Quinn said, “That reminds me. You had mentioned that you have an extra ticket for tomorrow?”
Braelyn looked at Riley who consulted her phone before nodding. Braelyn answered, “Sure do. Got someone in mind?”
“Ya. Mind if I bring a date?”
Braelyn looked at her questioningly, but replied without hesitation, “Sure. Sounds great.”
“Ok!” Quinn had a big smile on her face. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow night.”
“Bye, Quinn!” The group chorused.
As soon as she was out the door, Gerard’s voice filled the air. “Fuck.”
A/N: IZZY AND TAYLOR I'M SO GLAD YOU TWO ARE STILL READING!!!!!!!!! So I'm toying with the idea of working on our other plot lines in the story and focusing on other characters than Braelyn and Mikey for a while. I mean, they'll still be part of the story, OBVI, but I'm at this place where it's getting kind of boring with just the two of them. Thoughts? Hope you like this chapter. Hearts, Corri
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