FicWad

Nine

I was woken at 2 a.m. by my phone ringing insistently. I answered it and mumbled something that vaguely resembled a greeting. It felt like my eyes were glued shut and my tongue had swollen to twice its normal size. I don't think I'm that cute when I sleep.

“Hi, this is Ray,” said an annoyingly peppy voice. I ran a hand through my tangled hair and realized I’d fallen asleep hugging my guitar.

“What, does Mikey think I’m a call girl or something?”

He paused to consider it, completely missing the point. “I don’t think so. You don’t really give off that vibe. Why?”

“He’s been giving out my number to everyone,” I explained, earning a giggle in response.

“Ohh, I see.”

I lowered my voice to avoid waking up my mom in the next room. “Not that I mind, but why are you calling me so late at night?”

“I figured you’d be up. I guess I was wrong,” he laughed, “’cause you sound like a zombie, Frankie. But I have something serious to tell you. Jason Bateman is most assuredly not happy. He’s got three weeks of detention and they’re making him pay for everything that was stolen.”

“Crap. That’s really unfair.” I hated the guy, but I wasn’t about to let him pay for our candy orgy. That would just be wrong.

“His dad’s some kind of soulless corporate executive; he commutes to Wall Street every morning in his BMW. A little candy isn’t going to put them out on the streets.” Ray couldn’t hide the bitterness in his voice. I wanted to tell him it was okay, I understood how he felt, but I was half-asleep and didn’t know if he would take it the right way.

“But scrubbing out toilets isn’t going to endear us to him, either. I mean, I’d be out for blood.” I bit my lip. “Ray, what are we gonna do?”

“I don’t know,” he said helplessly. “Get him a really nice fruit basket?”

“I don’t wanna get brained with a pomegranate, do you?”

He shuddered. “We’ll put it on your headstone: ‘Here lies Frank Iero, victim of a fruit-induced coma; He was a grape kid, may he rest in peach.’ I see what you mean. We’ll work out a plan tomorrow. I just called Gee and he’s holding a war council at lunch.”

“Oh, good,” I drawled. “The first army general to wear skinny jeans.”

He laughed. “See you in six hours, man.”

“’Night, Toro.”

I hung up and stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to wash over me again. I’d almost gotten used to the gnawing fear in the pit of my stomach, the sick feeling that we weren’t safe in this place, that someone I loved was going to get hurt. Just as I was drifting off, I wondered whether I should invest in some brass knuckles for peace of mind.

~*~

Mikey walked into English on Wednesday morning with a vibrant black eye. I almost spat out my coffee when I saw him—that was how bad it was. He grinned as he sat down in the desk next to mine. I offered him a sip from my thermos, which he gratefully accepted.

“That’s quite a shiner you’ve got there,” I said as he drank. He made a noise and held up a finger, the universal gesture for hold on a sec, I’m chugging coffee. I waited patiently.

“I got it last night, while I was over at Casey’s,” he said, keeping his voice low because class had started. I took out my book, not bothering to open it, and leaned in closer.

“Did you bang her too hard and fall off the bed?”

He choked and spat coffee into the aisle between our desks. “What!? No. Nothing like that. Just the opposite, actually.”

“Oh,” I said in realization. “Domestic abuse is serious, Mikey.” I put my hand on his and did my best to sound sincere. “Just know that I’m here for you, buddy. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

He laughed. “It wasn’t Casey. She’s...she’s great.”

I rolled my eyes. “Good, ‘cause she didn’t look that tough when I saw her. And it’s embarrassing to get your ass whupped by a girl. So what really happened? I want all the filthy pornographic details.”

“Well...” He stared down at his hands. “When I asked her out, I didn’t know her last name was Bateman.”

My jaw dropped. “She’s Jason’s sister?”

He nodded.

“Holy shit. Well, that kinda puts a damper on the romance.”

“Tell me about it.” He made a face. “Everything was going great until he came home after dinner. Casey asked how Gerard was doing, and he must’ve figured out we were brothers. As soon as she left the room, he punched me right in the face. Told me to ask whether Gee got the message. I didn’t see it coming, Frank, not at all. I mean, he attacked me in his own kitchen.”

I touched his arm. “I’m sorry, man. What’d you tell Casey?”

“That I tripped over her cat and hit my head on the fridge.”

I burst out laughing.

“What?” he said indignantly. “I had to think fast.”

“Yeah, but you made yourself sound like a total spaz!”

“There’s no smooth explanation. There just isn’t.” He sighed.

“But other than that, things went all right? You kissed her, didn't you?”

He blushed. “Yeah.”

I punched him in the arm. “All right! Mikey the chick magnet, chasing tail and taking names!”

He raised his eyebrows at me. “Like you don’t do the same.”

“If Gerard could be considered a chick, then yes. Don’t worry,” I said as he made a face, “I won’t reveal the sordid details of what I do with your brother. That would just be gratuitous.”

The teacher came walking down the aisle, and we hurriedly turned to our books. I was quiet for a few minutes after the coast was clear. Early mornings didn't sit well with me, and I was busy watching some kids shooting spitballs.

Mikey sighed. His forehead was all scrunched up. “Frankie, something’s been worrying me.” He took a deep breath. I waited for him to continue. “I don’t think I could stand it if you and Gee started fighting. If you ever hurt each other. Please don’t,” he said softly, almost pleadingly. I was taken aback. Mikey barely knew me, but it seemed like he cared just as much about me as about Gerard. “You guys are all I’ve got. I don’t ever wanna be torn between you.”

“I understand,” I whispered. “But Mikey, I would never hurt him, and I would never hurt you. We’re gonna be okay, you’ll see. No matter how pissed Jason gets, we’ll get through this and always be together.”

“All right.” He smiled.

“Does it hurt?” I asked, pointing to his eye.

“Not anymore. Besides, I think it makes me look tough.”

I squinted. “You’re such a badass, Mikey Way. The aura of your awesomeness is just blinding. Hey, does Gerard know about your...accident?”

He shook his head, suddenly fearful. “I haven’t seen him since yesterday. He’s been cooking up some scheme in that head of his, something that’s gonna rescue us all. I can’t tell him, Frankie, I just can’t. He tries so hard to keep me safe, and then as soon as his back is turned, I go off and get hurt. He’ll be disappointed in me.”

“No, he’s not like that,” I started, but he cut me off.

“He’ll feel guilty, then. You know he will. I love him to death, but he can be a little...overprotective.”

I sighed. That was more like the Gerard I knew, the one who spoke with such conviction about how he had to protect his little brother while he still could, how the world was cruel and unfair. That was something he carried with him always. And I knew that he felt like it was his job to take care of us, all of us, even though Ray and Bob and I weren’t his brothers.

“I know.” I was quiet for a minute. “Mikey, there’s something I’m not telling him, too.”

He looked over at me. “What is it, Frank?”

“Someone followed me home last night. They left me a letter.”

His eyes were concerned. “What did it say?”

I sighed. “It said ‘we’ll break your pretty neck’.”

“Oh.” He looked down and carefully curled his fingers around the edge of the desk, one by one. I let him think because I had no idea what to do either, and Mikey was so smart. “Frank,” he said in a small voice, like he was about to voice something he knew I didn’t want to hear. “I really think you should tell Gee about this.” It took him a few seconds before he could look at me. “If you tell him, I’ll tell him, too.”

“Okay.”

He held out his hand with the little finger extended. “Pinky promise me, Frankie.”

I cracked a smile. “Are you five, Mikes?”

His eyebrows pulled together into a deep frown. He spoke in a scary whisper. “Do it.”

“Christ,” I muttered. “Fine, fine.”

He locked his slim finger around mine. Behind the glasses, his eyes were bright.

“You first.”

~*~

I clenched my hands into fists as we stood there in the quad. It was raining slightly, just a light mist, but it had driven all the other kids inside. Gerard cocked an eyebrow. Tiny droplets of water clung to his eyelashes. He grinned as I continued to fumble for words I didn’t want to say.

“Cat got your tongue, O magnificent one?”

I nodded, feeling like such an idiot. He slid his arms around me, holding me close to his warm body. I felt his lips press against my shoulder.

“Poor Frankie,” he murmured with a wicked smile. “Is your jaw sore from last night?”

Gerard was massively well-endowed, it was true, but I just shrugged, too worried to smile. “Nah, I’ve had lots of practice.”

“What is it, then?”

“I was followed home last night,” I whispered before my courage could fail me. “And someone left a letter on my doorstep.”

He pulled away and stared at me, wide-eyed. “What? Why didn’t you tell me when I came over?”

“I...I convinced myself it was nothing. I didn’t want to worry you.”

He raised his eyes to the sky, looking for patience. “Well, I’m worried now. It must be one of Jason’s guys. Unless you have a stalker I don’t know about. Besides me, I mean,” he added with a smile.

“Oh, but I want you to stalk me. This is different.”

He looked over his shoulder. Ray and Liza were sitting on the grass, far from our usual spot. She was wearing a bright orange raincoat. Bob and Mikey were walking across the grass toward them.

“Time for the war council,” he said, eyes sparkling. I kissed his cheek. In the soft gray light, he looked like he was glowing from the inside. He held still for a second, then turned his head and kissed me for real. The heat of his lips took my breath away. He bit down on my bottom lip, then let me go. We joined the others, curled up in various positions on the damp green grass. Gee sat and folded his legs neatly under him. The smile slid off his face as he took in Mikey’s black eye.

“Little brother,” he said, and his voice was dangerously quiet. “Who did this to you?”

Mikey swallowed hard. “Jason says to tell you that this means war.”

His black-haired brother sat perfectly still, not moving a muscle. “I guess it is war, then.”

Ray smiled at Mikey in an effort to break the tension. “You look like shit,” he said pleasantly. Bob let out a forced laugh. Gerard seemed to snap out of it and turned his attention back to the little group.

“Let’s come up with a diabolical plan.”

“Gang warfare?” Liza suggested brightly. The rain was making her hair all curly like Ray’s. I didn’t know all the much about her—she seemed shy, or at least she never talked much around me—but I decided I liked her.

“We can’t let him win, that’s for sure.” That came from Mikey. He looked at us and rolled his eyes. “Come on, guys. A homophobic thug who follows people home and beats up on kids. If we wrecked his face, we’d be doing the world a favor.”

Gerard pulled his lunch out of his bookbag and munched thoughtfully on a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich.

“Mikey’s right,” he said with his mouth full. “If we lose this, we’re fucked. Not only will our asses get kicked, but we’ll have missed out on a perfect opportunity to show people around here that we’re not losers. Not that I care,” he amended hastily, “but it would make life easier if my boyfriend wasn’t getting anonymous hate mail and my brother wasn’t getting socked in the face all the time.”

Bob looked at me. “Hate mail?”

I nodded. “Let’s just say that I walked around my house late last night carrying a baseball bat.”

“Shit. That’s scary, man.”

Gee slung his arm around me. “Nah, Frankie’s much too brave for that. So brave, in fact, that he forgot to tell me until this morning, even though I was at his place last night.”

Mikey grimaced and set down his juicebox. “You were at his house last night? You told me you stayed home, made dinner, and watched Mean Girls for the twelfth time.”

Gerard gave him a big, shit-eating grin. “I lied.”

Bob guffawed as Gee pulled me closer and kissed my neck, leaving a big smear of peanut butter that he wiped off apologetically.

Ray laughed until something dawned on him, and the color drained from his face. “Wait, ew. What were you guys doing?”

I blushed. “The same thing you and Liza do—”

“—you played video games together?” he said, aghast.

Gerard looked at him. “Really? What do you think we were doing, you dumb fu—”

“You play video games, Liza?” Mikey asked, trying to salvage the conversation.

She nodded. “Yep. Every time we play Halo, Ray gets his ass handed to him on a platter.”

“What can I say? I’m more of a Guitar Hero kind of guy.”

“Well,” Gerard grinned, “this is absolutely fascinating. Shall we get back to the point?”

We dutifully started talking about Jason Bateman again.

“We can’t beat him up,” I mused, “because I for one don’t want to get my hands dirty. That would be sinking to his level.”

“What about some serious psychological trauma?” Bob suggested.

“Like, horror movie stuff?” Ray grinned. “Now that, I could go for.”

“We’re not gonna be able to scare him straight,” Gerard murmured. “That isn’t how guys like him operate. We need to go in with guns blazing.”

Mikey shot him a look. “Not actual guns.”

“We’ll see.” Gerard bit his lip to hide a smile. “Okay, here’s what I propose. Don’t make contact, and keep your heads down. Don’t give him a reason to follow you home. If we strike first, we’ll have the advantage of surprise. Think of passive resistance, you know? Passive resistance, with a few punches thrown in. In the meantime, Frankie and I will cook up some sweet, sweet revenge.”

“And what will this revenge be, exactly?” I asked nervously. He winked.

“You’ll see,” he said, radiating confidence. I looked around me at all my friends. Ray and Liza were stared intently at each other, their hair tangling together in the breeze. Mikey was sitting cross-legged and trying to shield himself from the rain with an empty binder. Bob was crunching on a stick of celery.

A guy after my own heart, or at least the wussy vegetarian side.

Gerard pulled me into his lap and rested his cheek against my head, nuzzling my hair. It was weird, but even with everything that was happening, I felt...happy.

“So we’re really doing this?” Mikey asked.

“I guess so. Remember your ninja skills, young grasshopper.” Gerard leaned around me and held out an admonitory finger. “Always be ready for something to happen. When you walk into a room, don’t assume it’s safe. I don’t care how much coffee you have to drink, you need to be constantly aware.”

“That seems kind of paranoid, Gee,” Ray pointed out.

“I don’t want any of us to get hurt.” From the way his voice got softer, I knew he was thinking about the first time we’d met.

Why couldn’t I have walked up to him like a normal person, stuck out my hand and said Hi?

I sighed. Things worked out like that sometimes. He snuggled closer, shivering in the rain. For the rest of our lunch break, we just goofed off because we were alone and we could. There was no one there to look at us and mutter ‘freak’. Mikey and I went puddle jumping and got drenched. We chased Bob and Gerard all over the quad as they screamed in horror.

“Save me from the black-eyed monster!” Bob cried while Gerard doubled over, clutching his sides and laughing so hard he nearly choked. I caught up to him and jumped on his back. The world blurred while he twirled me around, and I locked my arms around his neck so I wouldn’t fall off. The air was crisp and perfectly clear. I buried my face in his soft hair and breathed in his scent.

“You’ll see, baby,” he said. “Everything’s gonna be all right. Shit, I’m so dizzy.” He stopped and tried to regain his balance. I kissed the back of his neck, leaving a purple mark on the soft skin.

~*~

Three o’clock rolled around. I was halfway home before Gerard caught up to me, shaking his soaking hair out of his eyes. “Frankenstein!” he hollered from across the street, “slow the fuck down!”

I grinned because I’d know his voice anywhere. He darted across the road, narrowly missing a speeding van, and walked next to me. I hooked my fingers into his belt loops.

“Sorry I wasn’t there to meet you,” he said. “My last-period class ran a little late. Anyway, Mikey’s gonna be over at—” he dropped down to a dramatic whisper “—the Batemans’. Also known as the Axis of Evil.”

“The plot thickens. Did you give him a flaming bag of dog shit to hide under Jason’s pillow?”

“Nope.” He smirked. “I went with the old dried-fish-in-the-sneakers trick.”

“God, as if he didn’t reek already.”

“Now we can smell Mr. Friday-the-Thirteenth coming. But the point is, I’m gonna be home alone while my little brother’s off sleeping with the enemy.”

“I thought Jason was the enemy.”

“Ewww.” He pretended to gag. “The kid’s got better taste than that.”

“Mikey dips vegetables in ketchup.”

“This is true.” He laughed. We came to a crosswalk and waited for the light to change as cars sped by, kicking up fountains of water. He pulled me back as a wave splashed onto the sidewalk.

“It rains a lot here, huh?”

He glanced upwards. “New Jersey has a climate all its own.”

“Gee,” I said on impulse, “can I stay with you tonight? I don’t really wanna sit there waiting for my mom to get home. It gives me the chills. Do you mind?”

“Frankie, I love having you over. Anytime.” He gave me that easy, beaming smile. “I’ll cook you something and we can watch a movie and not do our homework. Does that sound all right?”

“It sounds fabulous.” I kissed him gently. His hands were cold as they slid over my back, but I didn’t mind. The shivers were the good kind this time. We held each other close as we walked to his familiar gray house. His teeth were chattering, but he laughed the whole way there.

~*~

Chicas! Oh my effing god, I nearly died at the reviews! I love you sweethearts so much :)...thanks to all the people who rated, told me I write good (haha), and stuck it out from the very beginning. I had an idea last night at 2 a.m. while I was writing an English paper...what about starting a recommended-listening section? Because TheSoundNA was so right, the last chapter needs “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap playing in the background (and Gerard definitely has a sweet disposition). I could just post whatever I was listening to at the time, or you guys could put something if you review...I love music so much, I’m always eager to hear what other people are listening to ;) What do you think? Too pretentious? Should I just shut up and write? Let me know. I’m officially off school now, so expect a few longer (and hopefully better) updates. Xo, b_b