Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Love Knows No Age
Gerard answered on the first ring. “Tell me what happened? Is she okay?
“Gee, calm down. Kelly is okay.” Monica said. She was worried enough about Kelly without having to worry about him too.
“Well, what happened? Did he hit her? I swear to God if that fucker hurt her..”
Monica interrupted “Gee, really. Take a deep breath. I know you’re upset but you need to calm down, Honey.”
He did as she said and took a deep breath, “Okay, now tell me.”
“She said that Mike got sick on the way home so since it was just a few blocks to the house she decided to drive the rest of the way.”
“But she doesn’t have a license. Why didn’t she just call you?”
“That’s what I asked.” Monica told him tiredly.
“But I thought you told me the police said he was drunk?”
“That’s what they said. She told me he only had one beer.”
Gerard snorted, “Yeah, right. That’s what I always told people too.” He stopped pacing and sat down on the bed. “What else did she say?”
“Kelly says that when they spotted the DWI check point Mike wanted her to turn around. That he couldn’t get caught drinking cause he’d be thrown off the football team. I guess he’s also been offered a scholarship for football and was afraid he’d lose that.”
“So how did her eye get hurt?’
Monica sighed, “She says that when he tried to get her to turn around his head bumped into hers. She says it was an accident.”
Gerard lit a cigarette, “You don’t believe her, do you?” He asked softly.
“No, I don’t believe her.” She rubbed her forehead trying to lessen the headache that was now making it hard to think. “I don’t believe her story on a lot of different points.”
“Fuck” Gerard said. He thought a moment, “I need to talk to her. Does she know you’ve told me about this?”
“She didn’t want me to. She’s afraid you’ll be mad at her.”
“To a certain degree, I am. I really thought when she and I talked that she understood how serious his drinking problem could be. She promised me never to get into a car with him if he’d been drinking.”
“Gee, I don’t think Kelly has ever lied to me before. It just upsets me so much that she doesn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth.”
“Monica, come on. You’re her Mom. You can’t really fault the kid for not telling you everything. I’m really not surprised she isn’t telling you the whole story. What I’m worried about is that she’s covering for him.” He sat for a moment lost in thought, “Do you think he hit her?”
“I don’t know what to think. Her story about Mike bumping into her is lame. She couldn’t even look me in the eye when she told it to me.”
“Honey, there’s nothing else we can do tonight. I know it’s pretty late for you. You need to try to get some sleep.”
“I was sort of waiting up to see if she tells Kara anything.”
“Kara’s there? I thought she was staying at Jamia’s tonight.”
“She came home as soon as Bob told her about Kelly. They’re upstairs talking right now.”
He took another drag then spoke, “Monica, don’t hold out too much hope finding out anything else. At least not right now. If Kelly tells Kara what really happened I don’t think Kara will tell you.”
“Why not? This is serious. Kara has to understand that.”
“I’m sure she does but I’m also sure Kelly will tell her that what she says is in strictest confidence. She won’t be able to tell you.”
“Shit” Monica stood up and started turning off all the lights. “This sucks, Gee. I never had to deal with anything like this with Kara.”
He laughed, “I’m sure Kara was no angel when she was Kelly’s age. She just didn’t get caught. Look, try to get some sleep. I’ll call Kelly in the morning. Maybe she’ll tell me something.”
Monica couldn’t help but feel a little jealous that Gee seemed to have a better relationship with Kelly then she did. “You think she’ll talk to you about this? You think she’ll tell you things she won’t tell me?’
He understood how she was feeling; “Only because she might think I understand a little bit better. Monica, I understand about drinking. I’m a recovering alcoholic. Kelly has talked to me before about Mike and his drinking. That’s why I’m kinda surprised she’s covering for him. She knows he drinks too much. He must have somehow convinced her that she’s helping him by not telling the truth.” He paused, “But I swear that if that kid hit her, there’s gonna be hell to pay.”
“Gee, try to get some sleep. I’m sorry about all the drama.” Monica started up the stairs. She was bone weary.
“Monica, I’m just sorry I’m not there. I hate that you have to handle this alone. I’m sorry that you have to handle the mess with Liv alone.”
“It’s okay, Gee. I need to learn how to handle shit like this.”
He snuffed out his cigarette, “I just fucking wish I was with you.” He said in a near whisper.
‘That’s what I wish too. I love you.” She could still hear Kara and Kelly talking but their voices were muffled.
“Love you. I’ll call you in the morning. I’ll talk to Kelly then. She’ll be there, right?”
Monica walked into her bedroom with Frank following on her heels, “We have to go to the police station in the morning and talk to them. They were very nice. One of the officers told me he has three teens so he understood how I felt. But other than that we’ll be here. As far as I’m concerned Kelly is grounded until further notice.”
Kara took Kelly to her room and sat her in the rocking chair. “Stay there. I’m gonna put on my P.J.’s. I’ll be right back.”
Kelly just nodded and slowly rocked in the chair. She didn’t even look up when as Kara re-entered the room a few minutes later. “Here Piglet. Put this on your eye.”
Kelly looked up to see Kara holding out an ice pack. She gave a weak smile and took it, leaning back in the chair. She put the pack on her eye wincing at the pain even that light pressure caused.
“Now, tell me what the hell happened tonight.” Kara sat on a footstool at the foot of the rocking chair.
“Nothing happened. It’s just all a big misunderstanding. Mike got sick and I drove home. That’s all.”
Kara sat up sharply, “Knock it off. Don’t give me the version you sanitized for Mom’s consumption. Tell me what really happened. You went to Mitch’s party, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, and his parents weren’t home. The whole team was there. I don’t know. I didn’t even want to go but it was so important to Mike.” She took the ice pack off laying in on her lap. “I don’t know why he even wanted me to go. He ran off with the guys as soon as we got there.”
“He was drinking, wasn’t he?”
Kelly just nodded.
“I’m not surprised. It’s all over school about him and the rest of the whole damn football team.”
Kelly said in a small voice, “I know.”
“Why’d you drive the car? You had to know you’d get nailed.”
“Dylan was supposed to drive but he was drunk too. He got mad and stormed off. Then Mike decided he was gonna drive but he was so wasted.” Kelly was sobbing now. “I just wanted to go home. You know Mom would make a big stink about it if she’d had to pick us up. Mike would have gotten into trouble. He was so mad anyway. I don’t know. Nothing I do is right anymore.”
“Speaking of mad, what happened to your eye?”
Kelly didn’t answer.
Kara reached up and brushed the hair away from it, wincing at how angry and red it now was.
“Did Mike do it?”
Kelly closed her good eye and nodded.
“What happened?”
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have slapped him. I knew he was mad.”
“Why’d you hit him? Why was he mad?”
“Instead of going straight home, he drove over to Willow Road. It was so late. I just wanted to go home but he wanted to park. We’d been there a few times before, but this time he didn’t want to take no for an answer. I just wanted to go home.”
Kara interrupted her, “Wait a minute. I thought you were driving?”
“When we left there I talked him into letting me drive.”
“Are you two having sex?”
“No. He wants to. He wanted to tonight but I didn’t. He hurt me and I hit him. I just wanted him off of me. I wasn’t even thinking. That’s when he punched me. But I hit him first.”
“How’d he hurt you?”
“It was nothing. He just got carried away.”
“Really. Suppose you tell me what he did.”
Instead Kelly opened her robe and unbuttoned her top, pulling it aside to reveal a huge bite mark on her right breast. Kara was horrified.
“He did that?”
“It was my fault. He says I’m a tease. I guess I am. I like the kissing and stuff but I don’t want to have sex. He didn’t mean it. He’s just under a lot of stress lately. Thinking about college and all.”
“Scoot over, Piglet.” Kara moved to sit in the rocking chair, cradling Kelly as she rocked it gently.
“Has he hurt you before?”
Kelly nodded against Kara’s shoulder.
“How many times?”
“Only a couple.”
Kara could barely keep her anger in check.
“He just doesn’t know his own strength. I make him mad a lot. It was an accident.”
Kara’s temper flared. “Only an accident? Like tonight was an accident? Like all the 'accidents' Mom had?”
“He was really sorry after it happened.”
“I bet he was.” Kara’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Kara, you can’t tell anybody what really happened, especially Mom. I just want this to be over.” Kelly sounded so young and lost. Kara’s anger dissipated.
“I just want to go to sleep.” Kelly whispered.
“I know Piglet. Just close you eyes. Go to sleep. We’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry about it.” Kara continued to talk and stroke Kelly’s hair as she fell asleep unconsciously re-enacting a scene the two sisters had played too many times growing up. Kara keeping watch over her baby sister, keeping the Boogie Man at bay.
“Gee, calm down. Kelly is okay.” Monica said. She was worried enough about Kelly without having to worry about him too.
“Well, what happened? Did he hit her? I swear to God if that fucker hurt her..”
Monica interrupted “Gee, really. Take a deep breath. I know you’re upset but you need to calm down, Honey.”
He did as she said and took a deep breath, “Okay, now tell me.”
“She said that Mike got sick on the way home so since it was just a few blocks to the house she decided to drive the rest of the way.”
“But she doesn’t have a license. Why didn’t she just call you?”
“That’s what I asked.” Monica told him tiredly.
“But I thought you told me the police said he was drunk?”
“That’s what they said. She told me he only had one beer.”
Gerard snorted, “Yeah, right. That’s what I always told people too.” He stopped pacing and sat down on the bed. “What else did she say?”
“Kelly says that when they spotted the DWI check point Mike wanted her to turn around. That he couldn’t get caught drinking cause he’d be thrown off the football team. I guess he’s also been offered a scholarship for football and was afraid he’d lose that.”
“So how did her eye get hurt?’
Monica sighed, “She says that when he tried to get her to turn around his head bumped into hers. She says it was an accident.”
Gerard lit a cigarette, “You don’t believe her, do you?” He asked softly.
“No, I don’t believe her.” She rubbed her forehead trying to lessen the headache that was now making it hard to think. “I don’t believe her story on a lot of different points.”
“Fuck” Gerard said. He thought a moment, “I need to talk to her. Does she know you’ve told me about this?”
“She didn’t want me to. She’s afraid you’ll be mad at her.”
“To a certain degree, I am. I really thought when she and I talked that she understood how serious his drinking problem could be. She promised me never to get into a car with him if he’d been drinking.”
“Gee, I don’t think Kelly has ever lied to me before. It just upsets me so much that she doesn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth.”
“Monica, come on. You’re her Mom. You can’t really fault the kid for not telling you everything. I’m really not surprised she isn’t telling you the whole story. What I’m worried about is that she’s covering for him.” He sat for a moment lost in thought, “Do you think he hit her?”
“I don’t know what to think. Her story about Mike bumping into her is lame. She couldn’t even look me in the eye when she told it to me.”
“Honey, there’s nothing else we can do tonight. I know it’s pretty late for you. You need to try to get some sleep.”
“I was sort of waiting up to see if she tells Kara anything.”
“Kara’s there? I thought she was staying at Jamia’s tonight.”
“She came home as soon as Bob told her about Kelly. They’re upstairs talking right now.”
He took another drag then spoke, “Monica, don’t hold out too much hope finding out anything else. At least not right now. If Kelly tells Kara what really happened I don’t think Kara will tell you.”
“Why not? This is serious. Kara has to understand that.”
“I’m sure she does but I’m also sure Kelly will tell her that what she says is in strictest confidence. She won’t be able to tell you.”
“Shit” Monica stood up and started turning off all the lights. “This sucks, Gee. I never had to deal with anything like this with Kara.”
He laughed, “I’m sure Kara was no angel when she was Kelly’s age. She just didn’t get caught. Look, try to get some sleep. I’ll call Kelly in the morning. Maybe she’ll tell me something.”
Monica couldn’t help but feel a little jealous that Gee seemed to have a better relationship with Kelly then she did. “You think she’ll talk to you about this? You think she’ll tell you things she won’t tell me?’
He understood how she was feeling; “Only because she might think I understand a little bit better. Monica, I understand about drinking. I’m a recovering alcoholic. Kelly has talked to me before about Mike and his drinking. That’s why I’m kinda surprised she’s covering for him. She knows he drinks too much. He must have somehow convinced her that she’s helping him by not telling the truth.” He paused, “But I swear that if that kid hit her, there’s gonna be hell to pay.”
“Gee, try to get some sleep. I’m sorry about all the drama.” Monica started up the stairs. She was bone weary.
“Monica, I’m just sorry I’m not there. I hate that you have to handle this alone. I’m sorry that you have to handle the mess with Liv alone.”
“It’s okay, Gee. I need to learn how to handle shit like this.”
He snuffed out his cigarette, “I just fucking wish I was with you.” He said in a near whisper.
‘That’s what I wish too. I love you.” She could still hear Kara and Kelly talking but their voices were muffled.
“Love you. I’ll call you in the morning. I’ll talk to Kelly then. She’ll be there, right?”
Monica walked into her bedroom with Frank following on her heels, “We have to go to the police station in the morning and talk to them. They were very nice. One of the officers told me he has three teens so he understood how I felt. But other than that we’ll be here. As far as I’m concerned Kelly is grounded until further notice.”
Kara took Kelly to her room and sat her in the rocking chair. “Stay there. I’m gonna put on my P.J.’s. I’ll be right back.”
Kelly just nodded and slowly rocked in the chair. She didn’t even look up when as Kara re-entered the room a few minutes later. “Here Piglet. Put this on your eye.”
Kelly looked up to see Kara holding out an ice pack. She gave a weak smile and took it, leaning back in the chair. She put the pack on her eye wincing at the pain even that light pressure caused.
“Now, tell me what the hell happened tonight.” Kara sat on a footstool at the foot of the rocking chair.
“Nothing happened. It’s just all a big misunderstanding. Mike got sick and I drove home. That’s all.”
Kara sat up sharply, “Knock it off. Don’t give me the version you sanitized for Mom’s consumption. Tell me what really happened. You went to Mitch’s party, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, and his parents weren’t home. The whole team was there. I don’t know. I didn’t even want to go but it was so important to Mike.” She took the ice pack off laying in on her lap. “I don’t know why he even wanted me to go. He ran off with the guys as soon as we got there.”
“He was drinking, wasn’t he?”
Kelly just nodded.
“I’m not surprised. It’s all over school about him and the rest of the whole damn football team.”
Kelly said in a small voice, “I know.”
“Why’d you drive the car? You had to know you’d get nailed.”
“Dylan was supposed to drive but he was drunk too. He got mad and stormed off. Then Mike decided he was gonna drive but he was so wasted.” Kelly was sobbing now. “I just wanted to go home. You know Mom would make a big stink about it if she’d had to pick us up. Mike would have gotten into trouble. He was so mad anyway. I don’t know. Nothing I do is right anymore.”
“Speaking of mad, what happened to your eye?”
Kelly didn’t answer.
Kara reached up and brushed the hair away from it, wincing at how angry and red it now was.
“Did Mike do it?”
Kelly closed her good eye and nodded.
“What happened?”
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have slapped him. I knew he was mad.”
“Why’d you hit him? Why was he mad?”
“Instead of going straight home, he drove over to Willow Road. It was so late. I just wanted to go home but he wanted to park. We’d been there a few times before, but this time he didn’t want to take no for an answer. I just wanted to go home.”
Kara interrupted her, “Wait a minute. I thought you were driving?”
“When we left there I talked him into letting me drive.”
“Are you two having sex?”
“No. He wants to. He wanted to tonight but I didn’t. He hurt me and I hit him. I just wanted him off of me. I wasn’t even thinking. That’s when he punched me. But I hit him first.”
“How’d he hurt you?”
“It was nothing. He just got carried away.”
“Really. Suppose you tell me what he did.”
Instead Kelly opened her robe and unbuttoned her top, pulling it aside to reveal a huge bite mark on her right breast. Kara was horrified.
“He did that?”
“It was my fault. He says I’m a tease. I guess I am. I like the kissing and stuff but I don’t want to have sex. He didn’t mean it. He’s just under a lot of stress lately. Thinking about college and all.”
“Scoot over, Piglet.” Kara moved to sit in the rocking chair, cradling Kelly as she rocked it gently.
“Has he hurt you before?”
Kelly nodded against Kara’s shoulder.
“How many times?”
“Only a couple.”
Kara could barely keep her anger in check.
“He just doesn’t know his own strength. I make him mad a lot. It was an accident.”
Kara’s temper flared. “Only an accident? Like tonight was an accident? Like all the 'accidents' Mom had?”
“He was really sorry after it happened.”
“I bet he was.” Kara’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Kara, you can’t tell anybody what really happened, especially Mom. I just want this to be over.” Kelly sounded so young and lost. Kara’s anger dissipated.
“I just want to go to sleep.” Kelly whispered.
“I know Piglet. Just close you eyes. Go to sleep. We’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry about it.” Kara continued to talk and stroke Kelly’s hair as she fell asleep unconsciously re-enacting a scene the two sisters had played too many times growing up. Kara keeping watch over her baby sister, keeping the Boogie Man at bay.
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