[b]Chapter 1 – MIKEYS POV[/b]

I hate the sunlight.
When the housekeeper, Mrs Reeves, walked into my bedroom at eight am and opened my curtains I hoped for the small patch of darkness that was the shadow of my large desk to swallow me up.
“Up you get, Michael. Your brother will be home today. Then you have the party to look forward too.”
I groaned and rolled over under my sheets, twisting myself even further than I thought possible. After Mrs Reeves had left I attempted to untangle myself but just ended up rolling onto the floor with a loud ‘UMPH’ as the wind was knocked from me.
“Ow...” I croaked, staring at the contents under my bed. I managed to free one arm and reach for one of the more colourful comics I owned. I started crawling further under my queen size bed, stretching, until I finally grasped the comic I was aiming for.
“Yes- OW!”
I cracked my head on the bottom of my bed. I sighed and rolled back onto the floor still in my tangle of sheets.
Maybe this is a sign that I shouldn’t get up today... even if it means missing out on my brother’s massive homecoming graduation party. He’d just finished his senior year at Wilderness prep; a prestigious boarding school in the next town. I would also be seeing his school friends... I was sure one of them looked like he could kill without blinking... Billie, I think he was called.
I pulled myself out of the tangle of sheets and made my way into the kitchen. Mrs Reeves was cooking up eggs and I shoved a few on my plate before returning to my room. I sat at my desk eating my breakfast and wondering whether Gerard would look any different when he got home this time. He always looked different. There was always a different air to him every time he came home. I always managed to stay the same old Mikey; carefully straightened hair, knit cap and glasses. I never changed and I never expected it either... Change and I were barely acquaintances.
I spent the rest of the day playing video games until a car horn sounded from below my window at 4pm. I jumped and stared out the window down to the massive welcome drive below. Four sleek looking black Mercedes pulled to a halt outside the front door. I held my breath as I saw the car doors being opened by the Chauffeurs, Mrs Reeves at the side. Out of the first car stepped my parents. My mother, Donna, had tanned olive skin covered by a pink and white floral chiffon summer dress that sat high on her long slender legs and a pair of white high heeled leather sandals. Her complexion was set off by dark curly hair that went to the middle of her back. Her designer sunglasses hid her olive green eyes and her long slender fingers were topped with perfectly manicured dark purple fingernails.
Holding her hand as she stepped out of the car was my father, Donald. He wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and it hanging loose over the waistband of his a pair of light washed jeans and polished leather dress shoes. His dark curly hair was always slicked back over his head just as he always had a pair of dark sunglasses covering his face during the day.
Jumping out of the next car was Gerard and his friend Ray Toro. Gerard’s shoulder length black hair looked messier than usual as it framed the Ray bans that covered the eyes I knew would be thickly lined with red eyeliner, a thinner line of black closer to the corner of his eye. He wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the bottom untucked, much like Dads. A blood red waistcoat clung tightly to his torso and a pair of tight black skinny jeans ran down to a pair of polished black dress shoes. His crisp black school blazer still hung over his arms.
Ray was in the same get up but his shirt still remained tucked in and he still wore his school blazer. Ray had hair that was just slightly shorter than Gerard’s. It was so thick and curly that it could only be described as a fro.
I turned away from my brother and his best friend and took note of the people in the next car. The two people in this car were more of Gerard’s school friends: Bob Bryar and Billie Joe Armstrong. Bob Bryar had to be one of the most indrawn people I knew. He got angry if people he didn’t know asked him anything about his personal life and you would consider yourself very lucky if you managed to get him in a picture. All in all, he was very wary and disliked strangers but once you were his friend that all changed. He had blonde hair that sat in a diagonal fringe over his eyes. Thick stubble littered his chin and he had a ring in his lip and nose. He too wore the Wilderness prep uniform but had flung a casual black hoodie over the top of his.
Billie Joe’s face was surrounded by a puff of smoke as he sat on the edge of the seat, his black skinny jean and biker boot clad legs sticking out of the car as he lit up a cigarette. He emerged on shaky legs and straightened up his short sleeved black dress shirt and straightened up his red bow tie. He was obviously already tipsy. I was not surprised. As he and Bob headed up towards the house, Billie blew a puff of smoke into Bob’s face and in return was knocked to the ground with a sharp punch to the shoulder. Billie was helped to his feet by one of the two people that exited the last car.
Lindsey Bellato had long straight black that she almost always wore in loose pigtails. Her white dress shirt was short sleeved and her red waist coast was missing all but two buttons. She wore a tartan mini skirt that I knew from the many times I’d seen her perform her famous backbend at drunken parties, hid small black boy shorts underneath. She always seemed to be helping Billie back to his feet. And when she wasn’t carefully guiding Billie back to his feet and pulling ingenious pranks she was always, always, trying to jump my brother.
Fast approaching Ray was his girlfriend Christa McIntire. Her long brown wavy hair hung to the middle of her back and she wore a modest length tartan skirt, a crisp white dress shirt and her red waistcoat was buttoned in perfect precision. She was essentially the goody two shoes of the group. While they were off pulling pranks she was distracting the teacher or planning contingency plans in case they got caught. Gerard had once told me that Christa could talk her way out of anything.
I sat there debating whether or not to go down and greet them or just stay up in my room until Gerard came and fetched me. I knew Mrs Reeves would scold me on my lack of manners if I stayed in my room but I really wasn’t up for dealing with my brother’s hectic friends. This wasn’t like every other summer return. Gerard would be completely distracted by his friends and the time we usually spent together would be even further cut down.
For most of my life, when Gerard returned from school for the summer, we would spend every last second that we could together. But as soon as Gerard hit seventeen he seemed to grow distant from me. The distance would grow with every return. It upset me a lot but I knew it was just the natural course of Gerard growing up. He couldn’t always be there to spend time with and entertain his little brother. He couldn’t always be there to look after me.
I lay back on my bed and continued to read my comic, while also subtly listening to the sounds that were now echoing throughout the manor. I hear Mrs Reeves welcoming voice echo down this very corridor as she showed Gerard’s friends to their rooms. I knew it would only be a matter of time before someone knocked on my door but I really hope they wouldn’t-
“HONEY, I’M HOME,” The door to my bedroom burst open and there stood Lindsey, a huge grin on her face and her arms in the air as if she was a magician’s assistant who’d just watched her master pulled off a daring trick.
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“It’s called knocking, Lindsey.”
“Aww, but it’s so good to see my Wayward boy again,” She replied, grinning and winking at me.
“You’ve got the wrong room. My brother’s room is next door. Oh, and Lindsey? Keep the squeaking bed and banging against the wall to a minimum.”
Lindsey raised her eyebrows at me before turning and leaving the room without a word.
I heard whispered conversation just outside my door before a knocking sounded.
“Enter,” I called.
The door opened just a crack and I watched as Gerard’s head peeped around it.
“How’s it been, little bro?”
I shrugged.
“Ok,” I replied, “How was grad?”
“It was... interesting.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes, unable to keep a small smile from crossing my face. Hey, as much as Gerard had been neglecting to spend any time with me over the past two years I was still glad to see him.
“What prank did Lindsey pull this time?”
“Stink bomb under the principal’s chair,” Gerard replied.
I heard a muffled yell from the other side of the wall.
“IT WASN’T MY IDEA!”
I cracked a smile.
“So why were you such a little bitch to Lindsey just then,” Gerard questioned.
“Sorry, I just...” I really couldn’t tell him it was because I was missing our old brotherhood. It would sound so bad to say I was taking out my anger and frustration on her. She truly didn’t deserve it.
“Ah, it’s alright. She can be annoying anyway.”
I grinned a little.
“So you guys aren’t all lovey-dovey then?”
Gee paused.
“I... well... I don’t know,” he confessed.
I grinned and raised an eyebrow. Not even bothering to comment.
Gerard opened the door wider and walked over to sit on my bed.
“Planning on coming down to the party later?”
“What’s the point, I can see it now. Billie will be stoned, the rest of you drunk and Mum’s favourite vase broken,” I replied.
Gee paused for a second, taking in my reply before replying himself with a grin.
“You’re right, except, I broke Mum’s favourite vase years ago.”
I grinned in reply, laughing internally at the memory.
Gerard opened his arm and quoted ‘Drake and Josh’, “HUG ME BROTHA!”
I laughed and returned the hug.
Gerard sat for a few more moments before I decided for him to leave.
“So are you going to leave so I can get ready for your lame-ass party,” I joked.
Gerard stood up and turned towards the door, “See you down there.”
And suddenly I was left alone.
I rather unwillingly put my comic down, careful to mark the page, before I climbed off the bed. I’ve never bothered to change out of the tee and sweats I’d slept in. I walked over to my wardrobe, pulled the doors open and stood there staring at my clothes for a whole minute. The amount of shirts I had to choose from was ridiculous but I still always had trouble choosing something to wear. It took me about one minute to chuck on a pair of dark green skinnies and a Smashing Pumpkins ‘Zero’ Tee. I quickly gelled my fringe into place and pulled a grey knitted cap over my hair. I took a deep breath before exiting my room and making my way downstairs. I reached the landing and looked down upon the scene before me, the main function room already flowing with people and alcohol.
“Let’s see how fucked up tonight gets,” I said out loud before finally entering the fray and making my way over to the drinks table. I grabbed a coke, popped it open and made my way to the corner nearest the door to nurse it. I didn’t know whether any of my friends would show tonight but I hoped they would. I’d hate to be stuck in a room all night with nothing to entertain me but the drunken dancing of Lindsey and Billie. I watched as Lindsey slipped and fell flat on her back on the table she’ been dancing on. Gerard appeared out of the fray to help her off the table.
The doorbell signalled the entrance of three of my friends. Ashley and Pete Kensworth were fraternal twins though you would never pick it. And Ashley... well... she was beautiful. Her hair was straight, shortish and had the most beautiful combination of blonde and copper highlights I’d ever come across. Her slender body was covered in shorts and a top with see through gauze covering her stomach. I could help but stare at the lyrics tattooed on her rib cage, ‘I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone’. Her hair was in an up do, revealing the small treble clef tattoo behind her right ear. Pete had a matching one. Finally, her feet clad in gladiator sandals revealing the words on her left foot; ‘Never Give IN, Never Back Down’.
I don’t know whether I held my breath as she approached or not. All I know was the she hugged me and her ocean spray perfume lingered around my nostrils tantalisingly even after she’d pulled away.
Pete and I did our special handshake
“Gerard’s parties never disappoint,” Ashley noted, “So, all set for our big birthday party in two days?”
I shrugged.
“Should be fun,” I replied. At least I knew it wouldn’t turn into a drunken mess…. Unless Gerard brought along Billie and Lindsey.
“It couldn’t hurt to show some enthusiasm, you know,” said Pete, clicking open a can of coke.
“Yeah, I know. Hey, do you know if Frank is going to pick up the rest of the guys?”
I shrugged before scanning over the crowd to see Frank talking to Gerard. Gerard had a smirk on his face, whatever he was saying, he was obviously teasing Frank. I called out to Frank and he looked somewhat relieved to have an excuse to leave the conversation.
As Frank approached, Ashley weaved her way through the crowd towards my brother.
“Hey, man,” Frank said, holding out his fists. I punched them.
“Hey, are you picking up Josh and Emma for the big birthday bash?”
Frank nodded.
“Yeah, I’ve been assigned chauffeur duty as Josh just got his car impounded.”
I held back a snigger.
“I don’t even want to kno-”
Ashley’s voice sounded over the crowd, calling her twin to her side. Frank disappeared amongst the crowd as my gaze fixed upon her. We’d been friends since early elementary school and I’d wanted to ask her out since Junior High. I just never had the courage to do so. She’d then dated a guy through most of High School and I’d just backed away then. She’d broken up with him recently and I didn’t dare try to make a move so recently. I figured it would be a bit insensitive.
I watched her as she talked to my brother for a while before I glanced over and met Gerard’s gaze. He saw me watching her and for a moment I saw a flicker of something in his eyes… concern?
I grew bored so I called Ashley and Pete over to me. As they approached I saw a heavily tipsy Lindsey grab Gerard’s hand and drag him towards the stairs.
“Pete met Gerard,” Ashley said happily, “He’s such a shy thing.”
Pete blushed and Ashley swiftly turned around and shoved his shoulder roughly for seemingly no reason.
“You two,” I laughed, taking another sip of coke.
Ok so maybe this party wouldn’t be that lame ass with them here.

Notes

[b]Author's Notes:[i] Jay and Ash[/b][/i]
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