Heaven Help Us

"So you're actually going?" Mikey asked holding the letter in his hands.
"Yeah,"
He smiled,"I'm so proud of you Gee,"
I felt proud of myself. Especially knowing my little brother was proud of me.
"Have you told mom yet?"
I sighed, "No, she'd probably freak out."
"Yeah, but you're almost a free man. It's your decision." He said handing it to me.
I shrugged and tossed the paper on the desk, "It's not even like I'm in yet, I still have an interview to do."
"Well are you going?"
I sighed, "I don't know."
"Well," Mikey said looking at his watch," I gotta go, I need to get to work before Mandy flips her shit again."
"Alright, well I'll be here when you get back."
"Aren't you always?"
I gave him a face and he left.
{Eliza}
"I don't think I wanna go out today." I said looking at the clouds outside.
"Come on," Frank said flopping down on the bed," we could see what Mikey's doing."
I shook my head and Frank sighed, "Well /I'm/ going out, you can stay here and mope if you want to."
"Whatever."
The door slammed shut and I sighed loudly. Goddamn Jersey and it's fucking boring as fuckness. I hated it. I missed The Bronx. I missed the smells. I missed the people...I just missed it. So I sulked. And sulked. and cried. Until my phone rang.
"Hello?" I sniffed.
"Hey," It was Gerard,"Can you come over? I could pick you up."
"What?"
"I just really need to see you, it's important."
"Didn't you just kick me out a few days ago,"
"I'm sorry, but please."
I sighed," Fine."
"Great, I'll be by in ten minutes."
Without saying good-bye he hung up.
I got up and ran to the mirror, I made sure my hair was nice and my makeup was lightly done. I wondered why Gerard wanted to talk to me all of a sudden, but it was better than him not wanting to talk to me at all.
"Liza, Gerard's here!" My mom shouted from the living room.
I opened my bedroom door to see him standing there with an envelope in his hand.
"What's that?"
He handed it to me and and sat on the bed. I opened the envelope and began reading.
"Dear Mr. Way, we are excited to inform you that you have been accepted into the School of Visual Arts! Gerard this is amazing!"
"I know," He said running his fingers through his hair.
"Well for someone who just got his ticket out of here you don't sound too excited." I said sitting next to him.
"I am it's just," he sighed, "I don't know if I'm gonna go."
"Why not?"
"I just can't keep thinking 'what if I'm not good enough'. What if I get there and everyone is super talented, what if I can't cut it? what if-"
"What if you get there and they see how amazing of an artist you are?"
He looked up at me with those beautiful hazel eyes and sighed again, "I can't expect you to understand, you're perfect."
I laughed, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met, I'm Eliza Toro, the girl who can barely walk down the street without falling down. I also spill coffee on myself from time to time."
He smiled, "I just-"
"Go." I sad plainly.
"I don't know, I still got a meeting in a week."
"In New York?" I asked.
He nodded.
"Take me with you." I said excitedly.
"You have school."
"C'mon Gee," I whined,"it'll be fun, we can make a day of it."
"I don't think-"
"Pleeeease."
He sighed, "Fine, but if we get caught I'm not taking the fall for it."
"Don't worry, if anything happens I'll take the fall for everything."
I got excited and hugged him tightly," It's gonna be so much fun!"
****
"Come on I don't wanna be late."
"Gerard chill we have plenty of time," I said fixing my hair and applying a thin coat of lipstick.
"Eliza..."
I busted through the door and stood in front of him, "Geez, we have more than enough time,"
"Well I thought we could stop and get breakfast, but if you don't wanna-"
"Good because I'm starving!" I said grabbing my jacket and walking out the door.
[Gerard]
"So, Gerard, how long have you been an artist?" The guy in the gray suit said sitting at his desk.
"Ever since I could remember, I first picked up a brush in kindergarten and I've been doing it ever since."
"You're work isn't amazing, but I see something there, I see a creative potential." He said looking at the portfolio.
"That's why I wanna go here, I wanna learn everything I possibly can."
He looked up at me, "Tell me, what do you plan on doing with your degree?"
I paused, slightly embarrassed about what I was about to say.
"I know a lot of people want to change the world or something, but I just wanna work on cartoons and comic books, maybe my own stuff. I just wanna make the world a little better by giving kids who have childhood's like mine a place to escape."
He looked at me, smiled and extended his hand, "Welcome to SVA."
[Eliza]
Gerard walked out of the room looking towards the floor and holding his portfolio.
"Awe," I said walking over to him, "Gerard I'm so sorry,"
"I'm not,"
I looked at him,"Because I got in!" He exclaimed.
I was so excited! I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug.
[Gerard]
We decided to celebrate by getting pizza at a place that she told me had the best in New York.
"This is really good."
"Tastes like home." She said taking another large bite.
I smiled and wiped sauce from the corner of her mouth.
"Eliza?" A voice said from behind me.
Her eyes widened and she dropped her pizza.
"What are you doing here!" The guy said sitting next to her. He was considerably older than her with slick black hair and a five o'clock shadow. The black leather jacket he wore smelled like cigarettes and his pants were covered in spots.
"We were just leaving." She said trying to ease out of the booth.
I followed her out of the restaurant.
"What was that? Who was that guy?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Well, I can try my best to..."
"It's nothing. Really Gerard."
I looked and saw how upset she was, so I decided not to press the idea and we spent the rest of the day hanging out and touring New York.
***
"I'm so proud of you Gerard," She said before we reached her doorway.
"I know, you've been telling me all day." I chuckled.
"But really, you're so talented and I'm glad that you finally got noticed for it."
"Thanks."
We stood there in an awkward silence before I decided to leave,
"Well, goodnight."
"Goodnight."
I stood there a moment longer before she leaned in and kissed my cheek. She looked at me and I felt that feeling again. That tug on my emotions and something told me to kiss her, so I did. Only this time I didn't pull away, neither did she.
"I better get going," I said breaking the kiss.
She called after me, but I just got in my car and drove away wondering how I could do something like that again.

Notes

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