Work Text:
Gerard hated being bitter on Valentine's day. He hated feeling sorry for himself and whining about being alone on that day. This year he decided if he was going to be alone, he was going to have fun with it.
So now Gerard sat at his desk in his basement with his dad's old stereo system, a cassette tape and a giant stack of CDs. Gerard was going to make the best, the most perfect, anti-valentine's day mixtape known to man. He sat for a few hours, stopping the system every few minutes to add the next song, but he was finally finished.
After finishing with the tape, and giving his dad back the stereo system and putting back his CDs, he went upstairs to his room and took out his markers and the case for the cassette. Every great mixtape needed an awesome track list and amazing cover art. Gerard thought it might be a bit difficult to draw something on such a small scale, but he felt his cassette would be incomplete without it.
Another hour later an Gerard was putting together his mixtape, sliding in the track list on one side of the case and the cover art on the other before placing the cassette inside. He let out a breath as he held the cassette case, like with most of his projects he was proud of it. He was also excited that he'd get to play it tomorrow, maybe feeing a bit sorry for himself but still listen to awesome music.
***
Gerard's alarm decided not to go off the next morning. He got dressed as fast as he could, grabbing a random shirt and sweater from the many piles of clothes on his bedroom floor while his mom was yelling at him to hurry up from downstairs.
"I'm almost done!" He yelled back as he grabbed his backpack, opening the zipper of the small pocket on the front and throwing in his headphones and cassette player along with awesome cassette. He ran downstairs where his mom and his brother Mikey were waiting.
"You're going to be late!" His mother nagged as they walked out of the house.
"Sorry, I woke up late." Gerard said.
"That's what happens when you stay up late." His mom said as they stepped into the car.
"What were you doing up late anyways?" Mikey asked. It wasn't not normal for Gerard to stay up late but Mikey could hear Gerard groaning followed by paper crumbling.
"I was working on something." Gerard replied as hi mom pulled out of he driveway and onto the road.
"I figured." Mikey said. "On what?"
"Something awesome." Gerard smiled. "I'll show you later."
***
"Shit, shit!" Gerard sprinted down the hallway. He was so fucking late. Mikey didn't seem to mind, then again Mikey didn't have Ms. fucking Lopez for first period, who had a strict 'no tardy' policy.
Gerard had to grab onto the handle of his locker so he wouldn't trip and fall on his face. He quickly unlocked his locker and grabbed his Spanish textbook and his small pocket dictionary, opening his backpack and throwing in his textbook in the large pocket and the dictionary in the small one. As he sprinted to class he heard a crack noise from behind him, but right now he really didn't have time to look back and see what it was.
***
"Remember Gerard, el tiempo es valioso." Ms. Lopez said as Gerard walked over to his seat. A few students laughing and snickering as Ms. Lopez finally finished her lecture on how Gerard shouldn't be late.
"Sorry, Mr. Lopez." Gerard mumbled before Ms. Lopez went back to the assignment.
"Today is Valentine's day," she said as she grabbed one of the markers and starting writing a few words on the board. "So today I would like you to write a poem using at least three of these words." She wrote a list of words such as 'amor' and 'hermoso'. It should be easy, Gerard thought. With his new mixtape, he should be a bit inspired to write a decent poem.
Gerard reached into his backpack, taking our his textbook and his notebook. He opened the small pocket from his backpack, taking out a pencil and headphones. Ms. Lopez may be strict with time, but thankfully she allowed her students to play their own music. He took out his cassette player, connecting the headphones to it and reached in to grab his cassette tape..that was..oh shit.
***
Frank's favorite color was red. Red was the color of pain and passion. On Valentine's day, however, Frank thought the color was a bit annoying. Everywhere he turned he saw red, literally. The walls of his classroom were covered in red hearts and silhouettes of cupids with arrows. There was at least one person in class holding red balloons or a bouquet of red roses. It was inevitable, Valentine's day had taken over Frank's favorite color.
Frank also hated the fact that he was yet again spending Valentine's day single. He wondered if he found the right girl or guy he might actually enjoy Valentine's day, but for now he was going to stay at home and watch the Star Wars trilogy whole binging on ice cream and diet coke.
Frank walked through the hallways of one of the many school buildings, ditching his algebra class, rolling his eyes at the valentine decorations on the classroom doors. As he continued walking down the hall, he noticed something on the floor.
He bent down and picked up the small box. It was a cassette case, he noticed, with what looked like a hand drawn cover and handwritten track list. Frank looked it over one more time before stuffing it into his pocket and continued to walk outside of the building.
***
"Wait, what exactly did you lose?" Mikey asked before taking another sip of his coke. Gerard pushed his hair out of his face.
"My mixtape." He said. "My fucking awesome mixtape that I was working on last night."
"Oh, so that's what you were working on." Mikey said. "Where'd you lose it?"
"If I knew where I lost it I would have gotten it." Gerard groaned.
"Why don't you just make another one?" Mikey said. "I'm pretty sure dad has some more blank cassettes."
"I know." Gerard sighed. "But it won't be the same." Mikey rolled his eyes.
"You're so dramatic sometimes."
***
Frank took another drag from his cigarette as he looked over at the cassette.
"My Bloody Valentine." He read aloud to himself. The words were drawn in red with a think black outline, next to it was a woman and man looking at each other and covered in blood. He turned it over and read over the track list. Some of Frank's favorite songs were on it, some he had planned to listen to but never got the chance to. He wanted to listen to it, but he unfortunately didn't have a cassette player on him, because seriously who the fuck uses cassettes these days?
***
The day seemed to drag on, Gerard thought. He can't believe he had lost his mixtape,. The best anti-valentine mixtape known to man, gone.
Gerard worked on his worksheet, trying to ignore the group of girls who were gushing over their 'big plans' with their boyfriends. He wanted nothing more than to go home and wallow up in self pity like most single people do on Valentine's day.
***
It took Frank about an hour to find his mom's cassette player, but it was worth it.
He lied in bed, staring at the ceiling as he listened to the cassette tape. He grabbed the case and looked over at the track list again.
Die, Die My Darling- Misfits
Cherry Bomb- The Runaways
Salute Your Solution- The Raconteurs
Bullet With Butterfly Wings- The Smashing Pumpkins
Cupid De Locke- The Smashing Pumpkins
Rebel Rebel- David Bowie
Just Like Heaven- The Cure
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now- The Smiths
Darklands- The Jesus and Mary Chain
Snakedriver- The Jesus and Mary Chain
It was such a random choice of songs but they still worked somehow. Frank was really impressed with the cassette. He looked over at the case again and wondered how long it took to make. He wondered if this was a gift for someone, but the blood splatters didn't really seem like a romantic gesture. Whoever made it had awesome music taste.
***
Gerard was still a bit disappointed that he had lost his mixtape. Instead if making a new one like Mikey had suggested, he moped in bed when he got home. He thought about how losing his mixtape was a sign from the universe that he was destined to be alone.
Gerard was grateful that most of the Valentine's day decorations were mostly taken down the next day. He got a B on his poem, only making a few misspelled words and misplaced accent marks, and the cafeteria was serving vegetarian lasagna.
Maybe the universe wasn't so bad after all.
***
Frank decided to ditch Chemistry, because who the hell wants to listen to another lecture on mole units?
He sat at the corner of the empty tennis court, a cigarette in one hand and the cassette case in the other as he leaned against the fence. Frank had to have listened to it at least fifty times in the past day, it was an awesome mixtape. And Frank was admiring the cover art more as well. The blood splatters on the letters and on the man and woman restored Frank's love of red, it looked awesome. Whoever had drawn the cover had some major skill.
***
Gerard hated using the bathroom at the east building. It was outside in the corner near the tennis court, and he almost got hit by the balls a few times. Fortunately, though, the court was empty for that period. Except for some kid who was smoking, and..had his mixtape?
Gerard was eighty percent sure that that was the cover he spent an hour drawing and coloring. Without thinking, Gerard walked into the tennis court and over the boy who was bobbing his head to the song. Gerard stood in front of him, rubbing at his arm awkwardly before coughing loudly. The boy took out his ear buds, setting down the cassette case next to him before look up at Gerard.
"Can I help you?" The boy asked as he out his cigarette on the concrete floor.
"Um, that's mine." Gerard said pointing to the cassette case.
"What?" The boy looked at his cassette player confused before looking back up at Gerard.
"That cassette tape is mine." Gerard repeated. "I've been looking for it actually."
"Really?" The boy said. "How many songs are on it?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest.
"What?" Now Gerard was confused.
"How many songs are on the cassette tape?" The boy asked again. "And name at least one song that's on it."
"I don't know? Ten, maybe?" Gerard guessed as he scratched his head. "Um, Rebel Rebel by Bowie is on it. And Snakedriver, and Cherry Bomb, and-"
"Okay, okay I get it." The boy said as he opened his cassette player and took out the tape. He placed it back into the case before handing it to Gerard. "I just wanted to make sure it was really yours. Its an awesome mixtape."
"Oh, thanks." Was all Gerard could say as he took the cassette back.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" The boy asked before Gerard had a chance to leave.
"Sure?"
"Was that a gift for someone or something?" He asked.
"What?" Gerard said and looked at the cassette. "Oh, no. Its just something I made for myself." He said.
"What do you mean?" The boy asked as he took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. He offered the pack to Gerard who took one. The boy patted at the empty spot next to him. Gerard should probably head back to class, but fuck it he thought and sat down next to the boy.
"Well," Gerard said as the boy handed him his lighter. "Its an anti-valentine mixtape." He said before lighting his cigarette and taking a drag, handing the boy back his lighter.
"Nice." The boy commented. "It makes sense now. The songs I mean."
"Thanks, I guess." Gerard said.
"I'm Frank, by the way." The boy said holding his hand out to Gerard.
"I'm Gerard." Gerard said as he shook his hand.
"So, you were single on Valentine's day too?" Frank asked.
"Yeah." Gerard admitted. "I chose some of the songs to be a bit 'empowering' or something, I don't know."
"I kind of got that." Frank chuckled and tapped off some of the ash of his cigarette. "The Runaways are pretty much the definition of empowerment."
"Yeah, they're awesome." Gerard said taking another drag. "And I added a few slow songs just to get in the mood. Get all sappy and shit."
"What for?" Frank asked and Gerard shrugged his shoulders.
"I mean, I don't have anyone to celebrate Valentine's day with but I don't want to be all sad you know?" And Frank did know, and now he finally understood the mixtape and the random songs and the cover art.
"You're pretty good with mixtapes." Frank said.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean I didn't really get the choice of songs at first, it just seemed so random but they somehow worked together. And the cover art's pretty awesome, how long did it take you to do that?" Frank asked and Gerard smiled. He'd never seen anyone like our appreciate his projects, except for Mikey.
"Almost two hours." He replied. "It was hard to come up with a design on such a small scale."
"Well, you did an awesome job." Frank said and stubbed out his cigarette on the concrete. Gerard smiled again and looked at the cassette.
Gerard was really proud of it, especially hearing someone else say they liked it.
"Um," Gerard turned over to Frank. "Do you wanna keep it?" He asked holding the cassette out to him.
"What? No, I couldn't." Frank said and Gerard rolled his eyes.
"Just take it." He said and placed the cassette on Frank's lap. "I'll just make another one."
"Thanks." Frank said and held the cassette. "So how do you even make one of these?"
"My dad has an old stereo system, and I have a lot of CDs." Gerard said. "Its pretty easy but a bit time consuming."
"That's cool." Frank smiled. Gerard put out his cigarette and stood from the floor, dusting off his pants.
"I gotta get back to class, but I'll see you around?" He said and Frank's smile grew wider.
"Yeah, okay."
"We could hang out and I'll show you how to make one." Gerard said pointing at the cassette.
"That would be awesome." Frank said.
"Okay, I'll see you later." Gerard said and started walking away.
"Hey, Gerard?" Frank called out and Gerard turned to him. "Does this count as a Valentine's gift?" Frank laughed. Gerard laughed with him.
"Sure." Gerard said and started walking again. Wait, so did that count as Gerard having a Valentine this year?