FicWad

"So, who were you talking to last night?" his father spoke as soon as he seated himself at the table for breakfast.

"Donald, please. It's seven o'clock in the morning," Donna spoke placing the food on the table and gave her son a loving glance.

"No, Donna, I'm talking to my son," he stated shooting her a look. "Was it Gerard?"

"Like it matters," she stated sitting adjacent to Mikey. "He's our son and his brother." Dipping out some eggs into her plate, she cleared her throat once her husband began to speak again, "Hush now and eat."

"What does it freaking matter!?" Mikey exclaimed and slammed his palms against the table. "Yes, it was Gerard. I don't give a rat's behind what you think of me for talking to him! You two might have lost your love for him, but he's hell of a lot better of a person than you are! Especially, you dad!" He reached over and hastily grabbed his backpack from the floor, "I'm going to school. I won't be home until late!"

"Mikey, please," Donna pleaded in a low tone as Donald went after the teen. "Donald, set your ass back in the chair."

Donald met his youngest son at the door, "Now, you listen to me. Don't you ever say anything like that, again. Go eat your breakfast and one of us will drive you to school."

"I see why Gerard left," he spat opening the door, only to have it slammed by his father. "Let me leave."

Donald smacked him in the face then said, "You're turning out to be just like your brother."

Gently, he ran his fingers over his stinging cheek and glared at the man standing in front of him. He twisted the chain his brother gave him a few hours ago, "Don't expect me back tonight." He then swung the door open and stormed out of it.

The walk gave him time to think; time to realize that he should have aimed everything towards his father and not his mother. She only tried to make the situation better. Rubbing his cheek, he stopped at the corner of the sidewalk and felt a debate spring into his head. School? Off to find Gerard? Lingering on the thought, he weighed out the pros and cons; cons being on his brother's side. "Where would I find Gerard at seven-thirty in the morning?"

He watched a bus drive by before he started down a street in the opposing direction of school. One day wouldn't hurt, he got picked on by every kid larger than himself, including a couple of girls. He gripped the straps on his backpack in hopes of finding his brother, but he did not know where to begin. Homeless shelter, bar parking lot, an alley, gas station, under a bridge... Where? A bank sign read eighty-thirty before he stopped at the diner he has grown very familiar with. He had a feeling he might run into him again, or maybe he was just growing hungry.

Seating himself at the same booth he sat at every time he came to the diner, he placed his backpack between him and the window as a waitress approached him, "Wow, so you're not just a night owl."

Mikey blushed and noticed it was the waitress that always waits on him, "Don't you go home, ever?"

She laughed, "Yes. I work from five to five. Do you want the usual?"

"Yes please, and those are sucky hours," he replied as she patted his shoulder before walking away. She knew why he was out every night and knew his mother, but she kept his secret safe.

He fidgeted for a moment and commenced thinking of how he would find his brother before they were supposed to meet up at four because he was not going to stay there all day. Maybe I could just walk around, chill out at the library, do the homework I didn't do last night, and come back?

Eventually, she brought him his food and spoke to him for a few minutes before she went back to work. He quickly ate then lied a dollar on the table. Normally he left two dollars, but he's running short on money. His allowance was literally becoming non-existent. He grabbed his backpack and left the diner. His journey to the local library was longer than he had expected it to be. When he stepped up onto the first stair, he noticed a black mess of hair around the corner of the brick wall. He curiously lingered towards it and his search was over and he wondered if he was biting off more than he could chew.

"Gerard?" he muttered kicking a few beer bottles and cans out of the way. "It's Mikey." Examining his brother's sleep place, he saw an empty medicine bottle lying nearby. A gust of wind blew through the small area and the stench of vomit and body odor met his nose. Mikey nudged his sleeping brother with his foot, gaining a groggy groan. "Gerard, I didn't go to school."

Taking in a deep breath, Gerard sat up making his hair fall into his pale face, "What time is it?" He attempted to make his hair look decent before he looked up at his younger sibling, waiting for his answer.

"Almost nine," Mikey responded kneeling down to get a better look at his older brother. He could see some white residue from who-knows-what lining the rim of his nose and what looked like a couple of leaves matted in his locks. He hesitantly reached for them and pulled them out.

"It's early," he stated giving him a weak smile. "I need to find my clean clothes." He looked around and scratched the back of his neck before meeting Mikey's eyes once again, "Have you seen a grocery bag with clothes in it?" Mikey shook his head, making Gerard look around again, "Shit... Alan stole my damn clothes again."

"Who's that?" Mikey asked setting his backpack down next to him. "I have a hoodie in my book bag. I could sneak back home and get you some clothes."

"Some homeless dude that steals my shit every now and again... And I don't want the old man finding you, especially since you apparently didn't go to school today," he stated smiling at his suggestion. "Can I borrow your hoodie? I'll have to find a cheap pair of pants."

Mikey stood up and grabbed his brother's hands then tugged gently, "Why don't you stay at the homeless shelter?"

Gerard gave him a toothy grin, "They don't approve of some things I do."

"Like drink?" Mikey stated referring to the pile of bottles and cans nearby as he dusted him off.

"Yeah," he responded light-heartedly. "Let's make a trip to the dollar store; they sell jeans, don't they?"

Glancing around, Mikey saw the store he was talking about, "I believe they do."

"You'll have to go purchase them..." he reached into his own pocket and dug out some money. "Last time they were about ten bucks. Here's fifteen." He handed his brother the money, "You know what size I wear, right?"

Mikey nodded, "Yeah. Any specific color?"

"Dark," Gerard replied with a smile. "I would go in and buy them, but I'm not too presentable, ya know?"

Mikey took one step before getting the tail of his shirt grabbed, "Hm?"

"Here's five more dollars, get deodorant and maybe a pack of cheap t-shirts," Gerard said with pleading eyes. "I hate having you do this."

"Gerard, I'll do anything to help you out," Mikey stated pocketing the money. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Gerard sat there and waited. He felt guilt settling in the pit of his stomach. The night he left came to his mind. "I don't give a rat's ass what you fucking think of me! You're an asshole! I'm leaving!"

"Fine, never come back! I've always thought you were a waste of our time, anyway!" their father shouted as he slammed the door behind Gerard. "Why can't you be more like your little brother!?"

"Here's your clothes and some deodorant," Mikey stated handing him the plastic bag. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Gerard gazed up at him, since he had sunk back to the ground, "Tell me that I'm not a complete waste of life."

Mikey knelt down in front of him and picked another leaf from his hair, "I don't think you are, bro. No matter what happens, I'll always be on your side."