Valentine’s Day, 2004

Gerard is lounging on his stupid couch in his basement with a stupid film playing while everyone around him is celebrating stupid Valentine’s day.   Tears well up in his eyes and Gerard decides that none of this is fucking worth the energy. He presses pause on the film, a shitty horror flick, just about the most unromantic thing he could find.   Gerard pulls out the handle of vodka he’d nicked from the first, and last, party he was invited to. It’s nearly empty by now, due to his habit of spending nights drunk and alone. He doesn’t bother grabbing a glass, and lifts the bottle to his lips.   Before he gets to chance to take a sip, the door to the basement closes and you walk in, wearing a shit-eating grin, carrying what looks like a present.