FicWad

I bit my lip as I walked past the heroin addicts, lying on the dusty floor with needle marks in their arms. I’d never exactly been rich but my parents had always protected me from shit like this. It really was the worst. I looked up to see a big block of apartments-many of which had their windows boarded up. The smell made me sick, it was like a mixture of body odour and shit. Wrinkling my nose up slightly I started walking up the health and safety neglected staircase towards my destination of the 39th floor.
By the time I had gotten to the top I was so out of breath, I was wheezing.
I knocked on the dulled red door and waited for a response. All I heard was the bark of a dog so it was much to my surprise when someone answered. A guy was standing there with a wife beater on and a cigarette in his mouth. He had long black hair and a chubby face with blue eyes almost as piercing as Alexis. He grinned showing a set of straight yellow teeth.
“What the fuck do you want Goth boy?” He said in a rather croaky, gruff voice.
“I…I was wondering if you knew an Alexis Bryar.”
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated by this guy.
“Depends who’s asking.”
“It’s okay Bert, let him in.” I heard a voice that I immediately recognised. I walked in to find Alexis standing there with nothing but a skimpy dress on-her bump was only just beginning to show. “It’s Gerard, the baby’s father.”
The man let out a surprisingly shrill laugh. “Oh sorry dude, I thought you were the cops or something. Come in.” He moved out of the way, allowing me to step in in front of him. “I’m Bert by the way-Bert McCracken.”
“Oh hey Bert.” I said as I shook the hand he was holding out. “I’m Gerard.”
I gave myself a mental kick in the balls as I realised he already knew that. “Sup Gerard?” He laughed.

Once I had been shown to a comfy arm chair and offered a drink (of which they only had alcohol drinks and tap water.) we began to talk about the important subject here-the baby.
“And of course I’d be willing to help look after the baby. I could also ask my grandma for some money to help you guys out.”
Alex and Bert looked thoroughly offended. “Dude, we don’t need your financial help.” Said Bert, giving me a death glare. There was an awkward pause.
“We went for our 12 week scan last week.” said Alex. “Would you like to see the baby?”
I nodded and Bert got up out of his chair and grabbed what I thought was just a photo off the table.
I know it sounds all cliché and shit but when I saw the scan, my heart skipped a beat and my stomach jumped a little. It was kind of a blob but you could see a head and a body-the head was way larger than the body. I laughed slightly as I felt my eyes well up.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Bert said. He honestly surprised me by being this soppy.
“Yeah it really is. Do you know the sex yet?” I had to know.
“No, I don’t want to find out until the baby is born Gee-do you?” Alex asked.
“No, I’m fine with not knowing.” I said truthfully.

After I had finished my drink off, I was well on my way back home. I passed a 7-11. I stood there for a while, deciding whether to go in. I really needed a drink after the day I’d had. I went in and got a bottle of Jack Daniels. The clerk looked at me funny before obviously deciding I looked old enough and selling me the alcohol.
I stood outside and took a large sip, then another one, then another one. A woman with a kid attached to her hand walked past and eyes me up and down suspiciously-as if she was expecting me to jump out at any minute and attacked her. I ignored her and took another sip from my bottle. Suddenly, the world was becoming a much better place. Maybe I’d walk home slowly and try and finish a bit more of this bottle.

Crystal’s point of view

I heard the sound of some keys turning and jumped up quickly. I knew it couldn’t be Mikey because he had gone over to Frank’s for a bit, saying they were having a ‘major jamming sesh.’
I smirked to myself as I realized it was probably Gerard but that smirk soon disappeared when I remembered our big fight.
I waited for him to come through the door and God he took a long time. Eventually though, the door opened and Gerard stumbled through, mumbling something to himself.
“Gerard?” I moved towards him to get a closer look. He was standing up but only just and his eyes were all red and blood-shot. “Have you been drinking?” I put my arms around his waist and helped him over to the couch.
“Sh. Don’t tell Mikey.” He said, putting one finger to his lips as if he were shushing me.
“Oh Gee.” Is all I said, that’s all I really could say. Mikey told me how Gerard went through a ‘stage’ of getting drunk all the time-sometimes worst.
“I feel sick.” He whined like a little boy.
I put my arm around his waist again and hoisted him, my tiny body struggling under is dead weight.
Somehow, I managed to get him all the way down the stairs to his basement where I knew he had an en-suite bathroom. I was just in time as the minute we entered, Gerard heaved up a load of orange puke down the toilet. He sat there, pathetically with his head in the toilet whilst I held his hair back. I could hardly look at him, the state he was in. He looked like he was on deaths fucking doorstep.
“I love you Gerard.” I said truthfully. It was too late, he was already passed out. I half carried-half dragged him into his bed and took his hoodie off. I pulled the sheets up on him and gently stroked a few stray hairs out of his eyes and kissing him on the forehead.
I just sat there for a little while, watching him sleep with his chest slowly moving up and down. I wished I could get in there with him and give him a hug but I was so tired I just knew I’d fall asleep and Mikey would find him in bed with his brother.
Just as my thoughts turned to Mikey, the front door slammed and I heard Mikey yell Gerard’s name.
“Hang on a minute.” I shouted, panicking slightly. I ran upstairs and greeted Mikey with a hug, he squeezed me back slightly- obviously surprised.
“Crystal? What are you doing here?”
“I know where your spare key is remember?” I stroked Mikeys face gently and kissed him on the lips.
“Where’s Gerard?” He asked. My stomach jumped.
“He’s downstairs. He came home drunk.” I said in a soft voice as though that was going to help lessen the blow. I decided I’d neglect to mention about Alex getting pregnant, maybe it was best for Gerard to tell Mikey on his own.
Mikey looked upset. I had the urge to hug him so tight but resisted, deciding that maybe that was just too much affection for Mikey to handle.
“I’m so sorry Mikey.” I settled for squeezing his hand.
“It’s fine, it isn’t your fault is it? I guess I should be used to it by now.”
I gave in and pulled Mikey in for a cuddle. “Y’know, I could stay the night with you if you want?”
“That would be nice.” He said, kissing the top of my head.
As Mikey and I went upstairs, my mind kept racing back to what he had said only a moment ago. it isn’t ‘your fault is it?’.
Maybe it wasn’t but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I was to blame off my shoulders.
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