FicWad

I glanced from the window to the lady standing next to me. She wasn’t exactly mean, but she wasn’t very nice either. Being a naive thirteen-year-old, I assumed that she was just having a bad day. She didn’t speak much, but neither did I. I only asked the same two questions when I absolutely couldn’t stand it.

“Why can’t I go outside?” I would ask.
“Because, Brendon” she would reply simply.
“When are Gerard and Mikey coming to pick me up?”
“Soon, Brendon” was always the answer.

I had been listening to my iPod for what felt like hours and I was getting bored. The lady wouldn’t have lied to me, right? She didn’t look like the lying type, but then again...

“No.” I muttered to myself.
“What was that, Brendon?”
“Nothing, Ma’am.” I blushed, surprised that she’d heard me.

She looked down at me sternly, but my expression remained blank. I was not about to give in. Finally giving up, the lady looked away and rubbed her temples. She obviously had enough of me. My eyes drifted back to the window, not expecting anything different than before. To my surprise, a familiar black mustang was speeding up to the building. Gerard and Mikey were here! I jumped up and pressed my face up against the window, trying to get a better view.

“That’s not possible!” I heard the lady gasp, but I really didn’t care.

I was bored out of my mind and I just wanted to go home.

Suddenly, lights started flashing and alarms started blaring. I sank to my knees and covered my ears. It was too much for my mind to take in at once. The lady tugged at my arm, urging me to get up and follow her. I complied with my hands over my ears, not knowing what else to do. We hurried down the hall, that is until the lady stopped in mid-step.

BANG!

Her eyes went wide and her grasp on my arm slackened. Her unmoving body collapsed onto the floor. It took me a moment to realize that she was dead. I looked down the hall, unsure of what killed her. Gerard looked back at me, red hair glowing like a halo behind him, determination on his face and gun in hand. He aimed the gun at me, not recognizing who I was.

“Gerard! It’s me!” I yelled frantically.

His arm dropped to his side and relief flooded into his hazel eyes. If Gerard were the emotional type, he would’ve been tearing up. Luckily, he wasn’t completely mushy like that. Instead, he ran to me and hugged me tightly.

“Don’t ever leave us again!” Gerard screamed over the blaring alarm.

Not waiting for a reply, he grabbed my hand and we continued down the hall, trying desperately to find the exit. A door finally appeared with an “exit” sign on it. I pushed open the door, ready to run, but Gerard wasn’t with me. I whipped around to see him pushed up against the wall with the Doctor holding a gun under his chin.

“Will you ever quit?” the Doctor’s deep voice rattled my bones. Gerard glared daggers at him silently. “The boy has incredible talent, Gerard. That talent should be used to the fullest, and I can help him achieve that. But you, you don’t understand the importance of his talent and spoil his mind with your emo crap.” Gerard held his tongue. I knew he hated when people called him emo. “You’re one of my failed prodigies. You and your brother, Michael. Neither of you understood true music, so this will be goodbye.”

I couldn’t bare to see Gerard look so helpless like that. It was so strange to see someone overpower him. Without thinking, I snatched his gun from where it lay on the floor and pointed it at the Doctor’s back. I closed my eyes and squeezed the trigger.

BANG!

I opened my eyes to find the Doctor lying on the floor and Gerard gawking at me, the thirteen-year-old who just killed a man.

“Let’s get out of here before someone else sees us,” Gerard helped me onto his back. I laced my fingers together around his neck and we made a break for it.

Mikey was waiting in the car when we came sprinting out. I jumped into the backseat quickly. The engine roared to life and we were off. As scenery zipped past us, my thoughts were spinning around in my mind like a kaleidoscope.

I had just killed a man. How could I kill someone? Was he actually dead? Who was I anymore?

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I almost missed the tap on my shoulder. I turned to the side to find Spencer sitting next to me. Seeing his familiar face made me sigh with relief.

“Are you okay, Bren?” he whispered, not wanting to interrupt a murmured conversation in the front seat between the two brothers.

“I’m fine, Spence. It’s not like they kidnapped me or something. I mean, the lady told me...” I trailed off, realizing how stupid I had been.

“Come back with us and your friends will pick you up soon”. Why had I trusted them? I slammed my head against the car door and instantly regretted it.

“There’s no point in hurting yourself,” I looked up to see Gerard addressing me with concern-filled eyes. “You screwed up, but now you’re with us again and that’s where you’re going to stay.”

I nodded and rubbed my forehead ruefully. I was definitely not doing that again.

We sat in silence for the rest of the ride home, only the sound of our breathing to be heard.