Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > To The End Of The World
Part Two: Helena. Chapter Five
0 reviewsGerard tells Frank about Helena. Frank and Bob get to know each other a little bit.
0Unrated
Chapter Five - So Long, Not Goodnight
“Put it down.” I whispered.
“Helena was the one who encouraged me to draw.” Gerard said absently, staring at the opposite wall.
“Gerard, put down the razor.” I said, my voice shaking.
“In April of my Junior year, she went into the hospital after having some kind of attack, seizure thing. It turned out that it was because she had a tumor on her brain.”
I froze. No one had ever told me any of this.
“They removed it, no problem, but every so often, it came back. It wasn’t cancerous, it was just dangerous, since it was her brain. She moved back in with us after the surgery, because it took her a while to recover, and she couldn’t do it on her own. I didn’t have time to draw after that. I would get home from school, and make a snack for us and Mikey. She taught me to sing again. I hadn’t sung in years, and I didn’t want to, but we needed something to do, and it was important to her.”
Gerard put his head in the hand that wasn’t clenched around the blade.
“What’s so dangerous now…” He whispered. “Is that the tumor came back a few months ago, but it was cancerous this time, and now, because of the wreck, she’s in a coma. It’s looking like she’s not gonna make it…”
He was sobbing now, and I noticed blood dripping from his hand fisted around the razor. I grabbed his hand in mine, and unclenched his fingers. The razor, covered in blood, dropped onto the bed between us. I looked at the deep cut in Gerard’s palm, which was still bleeding. I put gentle pressure on it to stop the bleeding.
“Is Ray staying in here with you?” I asked.
Gerard nodded.
“Good.” I whispered, making a mental note to tell Ray what had happened, so he could keep an eye on Gerard tonight.
Gerard blinked, looked at me, then down at his hand.
“I didn’t mean to.” He whispered.
*
Everyone was somber in the Way household that night. At dinner, we all joined hands and recited the Lord’s Prayer. I was surprised that I remembered it, even though I went to Catholic school. I hadn’t recited prayers in years.
“It’s like riding a bicycle.” One of the nuns had once told me. I hadn’t believed her, but I’d cracked up picturing the nun in full dress riding a bicycle. She slapped my hands with a wooden cane for being disrespectful, and sent me on my way.
After dinner, Bob suggested taking a walk. Gerard and Mikey looked at each other, and cracked up.
“This is Belleville, honey.” Mrs. Way said. “It’s dangerous to be out walking around in daylight, let alone at night. If you need some fresh air, you can step outside on the back porch. But stay close to the house.”
I accompanied Bob outside, and we both lit up.
“It’s like a fucking funeral in there.” Bob sighed. “I mean, it’s not like there’s no hope for their Grandma, right? I mean, she could make it. But earlier, I saw Donald looking at caskets online.”
“I was talking to Gerard earlier,” I said. “And he said it’s looking pretty grim for her.”
“That sucks.” Bob said, kicking at a clump of dirt on the concrete slab. “I hope they don’t drag it out; that wouldn’t be fair to her.”
“How do you mean?” I asked, taking another drag off my cigarette.
“Well, when my Mom’s Gramma was dying, they kept her on life support for a month, trying to keep this woman alive. And yeah, I miss her like hell, but it wasn’t fair to keep her around like that. I think people should just let nature take it’s course, especially when the person is as old as my Nana was.” Bob said.
“Yeah… that’s uncool.” I murmured, throwing my cigarette on the ground and grinding it out under my heel.
“I agree.” He said, stamping out his smoke as well. “But nobody listened to me when I pointed out that it was about her, not us, and she was obviously ready to move on.”
“You’re a pretty deep guy.” I said, looking up at him.
“Thanks?” He said, unsure of what the proper response was.
“It’s just, up until now, you’d always been really quiet.”
“Only cause I’m never heard.” He held the door into the house open for me, and I stepped in.
*
A couple hours later, Mikey and I went up to bed. I’m ashamed to say this, but I was feeling a little bitter towards Mikey and Gerard. When me and Bob had come back in from smoking, Donald was sitting in the living room with Gerard and Mikey, teaching them blackjack strategy. Donna was watching, telling them about how they shouldn’t gamble.
My dad had walked out on me and my mom when I was really little. The clearest memory I have of him, is the one where he was walking out the front door for the last time.
Every year on my birthday and Christmas, I would get a card from him. Sometimes there would be some cash in it. Sometimes it was signed. But I never saw him after that. He didn’t want me, or my mom. And he never even tried to hide it.
“Baby?” Mikey said.
“Hmm?” I turned around.
“Are you okay? You’ve been really quiet.”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Mikey.” I said, attempting to smile.
“No, you’re not.” He said. He walked across the room and wrapped his arms around me. “What’s going on?” He asked.
“I just… I wish that I could’ve had a dad. Like, a real dad who was there and cared about me and stuff.” I said.
“I’m sorry.” Mikey whispered, kissing my hair.
“Watching you and Gee with your dad made me jealous. Like I hadn’t realized what I’d missed out on until now.” I said.
“Someday, your dad will realize how wrong he was.” Mikey said. “And until then, you know that you’re like a son to my parents.”
“Thanks, Mikey.” I whispered, smiling up at him.
“You’re welcome, baby.” He said, smiling. He kissed me lightly, then we crawled into bed. He reached over me to turn off the light on the bedside table, then we snuggled up under the comforter, and fell asleep nearly instantly.
*
When I woke up the next morning, Mikey was gone. The sheets were cold, so I knew he must’ve gotten up awhile ago. I stood up, stretched, and got dressed quickly, before heading down the stairs. All the Way’s and Ray were sitting at the kitchen table in silence. When Ray saw me, he stood up, and pulled me outside with him.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
“It’s Helena. She passed last night.”
A/N: Pleeeeeease review? Pretty pretty please? Let me know what you think of it! Rate's are cool, too. :)
xxAnna
“Put it down.” I whispered.
“Helena was the one who encouraged me to draw.” Gerard said absently, staring at the opposite wall.
“Gerard, put down the razor.” I said, my voice shaking.
“In April of my Junior year, she went into the hospital after having some kind of attack, seizure thing. It turned out that it was because she had a tumor on her brain.”
I froze. No one had ever told me any of this.
“They removed it, no problem, but every so often, it came back. It wasn’t cancerous, it was just dangerous, since it was her brain. She moved back in with us after the surgery, because it took her a while to recover, and she couldn’t do it on her own. I didn’t have time to draw after that. I would get home from school, and make a snack for us and Mikey. She taught me to sing again. I hadn’t sung in years, and I didn’t want to, but we needed something to do, and it was important to her.”
Gerard put his head in the hand that wasn’t clenched around the blade.
“What’s so dangerous now…” He whispered. “Is that the tumor came back a few months ago, but it was cancerous this time, and now, because of the wreck, she’s in a coma. It’s looking like she’s not gonna make it…”
He was sobbing now, and I noticed blood dripping from his hand fisted around the razor. I grabbed his hand in mine, and unclenched his fingers. The razor, covered in blood, dropped onto the bed between us. I looked at the deep cut in Gerard’s palm, which was still bleeding. I put gentle pressure on it to stop the bleeding.
“Is Ray staying in here with you?” I asked.
Gerard nodded.
“Good.” I whispered, making a mental note to tell Ray what had happened, so he could keep an eye on Gerard tonight.
Gerard blinked, looked at me, then down at his hand.
“I didn’t mean to.” He whispered.
*
Everyone was somber in the Way household that night. At dinner, we all joined hands and recited the Lord’s Prayer. I was surprised that I remembered it, even though I went to Catholic school. I hadn’t recited prayers in years.
“It’s like riding a bicycle.” One of the nuns had once told me. I hadn’t believed her, but I’d cracked up picturing the nun in full dress riding a bicycle. She slapped my hands with a wooden cane for being disrespectful, and sent me on my way.
After dinner, Bob suggested taking a walk. Gerard and Mikey looked at each other, and cracked up.
“This is Belleville, honey.” Mrs. Way said. “It’s dangerous to be out walking around in daylight, let alone at night. If you need some fresh air, you can step outside on the back porch. But stay close to the house.”
I accompanied Bob outside, and we both lit up.
“It’s like a fucking funeral in there.” Bob sighed. “I mean, it’s not like there’s no hope for their Grandma, right? I mean, she could make it. But earlier, I saw Donald looking at caskets online.”
“I was talking to Gerard earlier,” I said. “And he said it’s looking pretty grim for her.”
“That sucks.” Bob said, kicking at a clump of dirt on the concrete slab. “I hope they don’t drag it out; that wouldn’t be fair to her.”
“How do you mean?” I asked, taking another drag off my cigarette.
“Well, when my Mom’s Gramma was dying, they kept her on life support for a month, trying to keep this woman alive. And yeah, I miss her like hell, but it wasn’t fair to keep her around like that. I think people should just let nature take it’s course, especially when the person is as old as my Nana was.” Bob said.
“Yeah… that’s uncool.” I murmured, throwing my cigarette on the ground and grinding it out under my heel.
“I agree.” He said, stamping out his smoke as well. “But nobody listened to me when I pointed out that it was about her, not us, and she was obviously ready to move on.”
“You’re a pretty deep guy.” I said, looking up at him.
“Thanks?” He said, unsure of what the proper response was.
“It’s just, up until now, you’d always been really quiet.”
“Only cause I’m never heard.” He held the door into the house open for me, and I stepped in.
*
A couple hours later, Mikey and I went up to bed. I’m ashamed to say this, but I was feeling a little bitter towards Mikey and Gerard. When me and Bob had come back in from smoking, Donald was sitting in the living room with Gerard and Mikey, teaching them blackjack strategy. Donna was watching, telling them about how they shouldn’t gamble.
My dad had walked out on me and my mom when I was really little. The clearest memory I have of him, is the one where he was walking out the front door for the last time.
Every year on my birthday and Christmas, I would get a card from him. Sometimes there would be some cash in it. Sometimes it was signed. But I never saw him after that. He didn’t want me, or my mom. And he never even tried to hide it.
“Baby?” Mikey said.
“Hmm?” I turned around.
“Are you okay? You’ve been really quiet.”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Mikey.” I said, attempting to smile.
“No, you’re not.” He said. He walked across the room and wrapped his arms around me. “What’s going on?” He asked.
“I just… I wish that I could’ve had a dad. Like, a real dad who was there and cared about me and stuff.” I said.
“I’m sorry.” Mikey whispered, kissing my hair.
“Watching you and Gee with your dad made me jealous. Like I hadn’t realized what I’d missed out on until now.” I said.
“Someday, your dad will realize how wrong he was.” Mikey said. “And until then, you know that you’re like a son to my parents.”
“Thanks, Mikey.” I whispered, smiling up at him.
“You’re welcome, baby.” He said, smiling. He kissed me lightly, then we crawled into bed. He reached over me to turn off the light on the bedside table, then we snuggled up under the comforter, and fell asleep nearly instantly.
*
When I woke up the next morning, Mikey was gone. The sheets were cold, so I knew he must’ve gotten up awhile ago. I stood up, stretched, and got dressed quickly, before heading down the stairs. All the Way’s and Ray were sitting at the kitchen table in silence. When Ray saw me, he stood up, and pulled me outside with him.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
“It’s Helena. She passed last night.”
A/N: Pleeeeeease review? Pretty pretty please? Let me know what you think of it! Rate's are cool, too. :)
xxAnna
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