A Surprise Party?
Chapter Eleven
"I... Um... well, before Gerard here decided to shoot up his own birthday party I was a pizza boy. " I don't know what else to say.
"I know, they said on the news." Joseph says serenely.
"Aw, what?!? They said that?" I cringe. Gerard sniggers.
"At least I get to be some cool 'Nam vet that went psycho, you're a pizza boy." He giggles some more. Even Joseph smirks.
I sigh.
"So that's all?" he asks.
"Yeah, I guess." I say shrugging. God, he's judging me, I just know it.
"Well, I was in the first World War, as I said before. Shortly after I came back my grandfather died and left me this house here." he informs me. "And I've lived a life of leisure ever since." he says like he's the king of some great palace. Gerard snorts. Joseph smirks. He's got a very distinctive smirk. One of his little fangs stick out just a tiny bit and it's pretty funny.
I nod. I don't know if I like Joseph or not. I think I do. I mean, he's an asshole, but one of those assholes you just have to like. He seems overjoyed to have company, even if company is a couple of bank robbers and their hostage on the run.
Joseph and Gerard chat for awhile longer. I even add to the conversation a bit this time.
I glance at the clock, 12:47 it reads. Fuck. Gerard, Joseph and I have been engaging in quite a nice little game of cards, laughing and joking and just talking. I like Joseph, he's crazy smart.
So is Gerard. I've never really had a chance to see it. But the things he and Joseph talk about! No wonder I've never had the chance to see it! I don't even know what some of these things are, or at least, I don't sit around and talk about them over a game of poker. And I don't consider myself too stupid.
"Oh, yeah. Definitely." Gerard says to Joseph in agreement that Mutiverse is, in fact, bullshit.
"So, uh, can you show us to our rooms?" Gerard asks as we wrap up the last game. Ray's been sulking on the couch the entire time. Wonder why.
"Oh, yeah." Joseph says, nodding. He seems a tiny bit disappointed at the idea of us going to bed already. Joseph leads us up a two flights of stairs, (he slows us down a bit) he leads us down a hall and shows ray to the room at the end. Before he can enter Gerard mutters something in is ear that that I couldn't quite make out, but I managed to catch something that sounds suspiciously like kill everyone, and Ray nods soberly. Gerard walks in and scopes out the room, but decides it's okay to give Ray a little alone time. We're on the third floor, so it's not like he'll jump, and he'll have to walk right past Gerard's room to get down he stairs. Gerard would hear him. I don't know if Gerard actually sleeps at night.
Joseph shows me to the next room. It's like the rest of the house, parched and faded. Then it hits me, I'm going to sleep without Gerard. What? How? I can't do this.
"Go on in Frankie," Gerard says. "the monsters aren't going to get ya." I do go in. I sit on the bed and Joseph shuts the door. I hear two pairs of shoes walk down both flights of stairs. I sigh. I undress and lie down for a bit, staring up at the ceiling. I feel uneasy.
I get up and look out the window. I can see a small barn that Joseph must use as a garage.
The light's on and I see two figures walking around, one's wearing a long trench coat, and one with a limp. Then they go out of my sight for a long time and I get sick of standing there. I go back to my bed and sit on it. I'm not even tired, I don't know why Gerard asked to go to bed, because clearly he isn't either. Maybe just to get a private word in with Joseph.
After much hesitation I decide to go talk to Ray.
I knock on the maple door. No response. I knock again.
"Huh?" I hear muffled and faint.
"It's Frank." I say. I've grown so accustomed to Gerard calling me Frankie, that it sounds weird to hear just Frank.
"Oh, come in." I hear a little clearer. I do.
I come into Ray lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling like a dead body on an autopsy table.
"So... uh.... What's up?" I ask.
"You tell me." Ray says, not moving an inch.
"Just... you know." Ray doesn't know. What Ray does know is Gerard is the one in control, Gerard calls the shots. Gerard, though he can be quite feminine at times, wears the pants.
"When are you guys going to let me go?" he asks. I don't know. "When is Gerard gonna let you go?"
"Gerard doesn't need to let me go. " I say defensively.
"You're a hostage too, Frank."
"What? No I'm not." I say firmly. Ray lets it drop. I sigh.
"Look dude, when Gerard first took me I was too happy. But he gave me an option, I could go out on my own terms, or I could die in a puddle of piss in some nursing home. Which one do you think I chose? Which one are you going to choose?" And with that I'm out door.
I'm so proud of myself I almost walk right past my room. I stop abruptly, the hall is dark now. I can see a crack of light under Gerard's door.
"Frankie, come in here." I hear him call in a sleepy voice. I do.
I open Gerard's door to reveal him lying on his side hugging a pillow close to his chest. He's got his face just poked over the edge. The bedside lamp is weak and lets out a very golden light, illuminating his face.
"Come sleep by me." he says softly with his stupid grin on his face. I return a stupid grin. Gerard flips around so he's facing inward. I walk to the foot of the foot of the bed and crawl to where my pillow should be. Gerard seems to take no notice.
"Uh, can I have that pillow back?" I ask, pointing to the one wrapped under Gerard's arms.
"Just take the one under my head." he says.
"Oh." I say sarcastically. Gerard laughs softly. I take the pillow and put it under my head instead. Gerard just grins at me all sleepy.
"I could tell it was you by the sound of the way you walk." he mumbles.
"Oh yeah?" I ask.
"Yeah. Everyone's got a different walk."
"How does Ray walk?" I ask, we don't actually mutually know anyone.
"He walks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo." he informs me. I laugh quietly.
"He does." I say when I really think about it.
"Speaking of Ray," I say. "What do you think about him?"
"Hmmm...." Gerard hums. "I think..."
"I think he doesn't wanna be here." I interject. Gerard sighs. "And I don't think he ever will." I add. Gerard nods, hugging the pillow closer to him and yawning. "And, do we really wanna let him in on the thing we got going on here?" Gerard laughs.
"The thing?" he asks. I laugh too.
"Yeah, the thing. Like, where's he gonna sleep and shit?" Gerard nods but sighs.
"I don't know Frankie, we need him." he says softly. "Oh!" he seems to liven up a bit. "Can we just talk about how fucking badass you were today? Seriously, Frankie, that was amazing." I smile.
"For real dude, that was fucking great." he settles himself back into the pillow.
"What were you and Joseph doing in the barn?" I pry curiously. Gerard grins at me.
"He was showing me something." he says.
"What something?" I ask.
"I'll show you tomorrow." Ugh. There could be anything in that barn.
"I'm damn sick of you and your surprises." I pout. Gerard smiles up at me.
"But really Gerard, what about Ray? How come he doesn't wanna be this?" I can't seem to get him off my mind. Gerard thinks about this for a long time.
"Some people go to extreme lengths to rebel against themselves." he tells me.
"Ray! Breakfast is ready!" Gerard bursts into Rays room cheerfully. I tried to get him to hold up, and maybe, you know knock, but Gerard wasn't having it.
We arrive to see the bed peeled apart and the window wide open. The curtains blow in the breeze and the sun bathes the light colored room. The bottom drawers of the dresser are pulled back to show the few left bed sheets.
Ray had made a rope out of tied together bed sheets and climbed down the side of the house.
I peer over the edge of the window. There's not even any blood or crushed grass, he made a perfect landing!
"What?!? How?" I say, exasperated. Gerard leans over the edge too.
"I didn't think he had the balls to do it."
"I know, they said on the news." Joseph says serenely.
"Aw, what?!? They said that?" I cringe. Gerard sniggers.
"At least I get to be some cool 'Nam vet that went psycho, you're a pizza boy." He giggles some more. Even Joseph smirks.
I sigh.
"So that's all?" he asks.
"Yeah, I guess." I say shrugging. God, he's judging me, I just know it.
"Well, I was in the first World War, as I said before. Shortly after I came back my grandfather died and left me this house here." he informs me. "And I've lived a life of leisure ever since." he says like he's the king of some great palace. Gerard snorts. Joseph smirks. He's got a very distinctive smirk. One of his little fangs stick out just a tiny bit and it's pretty funny.
I nod. I don't know if I like Joseph or not. I think I do. I mean, he's an asshole, but one of those assholes you just have to like. He seems overjoyed to have company, even if company is a couple of bank robbers and their hostage on the run.
Joseph and Gerard chat for awhile longer. I even add to the conversation a bit this time.
I glance at the clock, 12:47 it reads. Fuck. Gerard, Joseph and I have been engaging in quite a nice little game of cards, laughing and joking and just talking. I like Joseph, he's crazy smart.
So is Gerard. I've never really had a chance to see it. But the things he and Joseph talk about! No wonder I've never had the chance to see it! I don't even know what some of these things are, or at least, I don't sit around and talk about them over a game of poker. And I don't consider myself too stupid.
"Oh, yeah. Definitely." Gerard says to Joseph in agreement that Mutiverse is, in fact, bullshit.
"So, uh, can you show us to our rooms?" Gerard asks as we wrap up the last game. Ray's been sulking on the couch the entire time. Wonder why.
"Oh, yeah." Joseph says, nodding. He seems a tiny bit disappointed at the idea of us going to bed already. Joseph leads us up a two flights of stairs, (he slows us down a bit) he leads us down a hall and shows ray to the room at the end. Before he can enter Gerard mutters something in is ear that that I couldn't quite make out, but I managed to catch something that sounds suspiciously like kill everyone, and Ray nods soberly. Gerard walks in and scopes out the room, but decides it's okay to give Ray a little alone time. We're on the third floor, so it's not like he'll jump, and he'll have to walk right past Gerard's room to get down he stairs. Gerard would hear him. I don't know if Gerard actually sleeps at night.
Joseph shows me to the next room. It's like the rest of the house, parched and faded. Then it hits me, I'm going to sleep without Gerard. What? How? I can't do this.
"Go on in Frankie," Gerard says. "the monsters aren't going to get ya." I do go in. I sit on the bed and Joseph shuts the door. I hear two pairs of shoes walk down both flights of stairs. I sigh. I undress and lie down for a bit, staring up at the ceiling. I feel uneasy.
I get up and look out the window. I can see a small barn that Joseph must use as a garage.
The light's on and I see two figures walking around, one's wearing a long trench coat, and one with a limp. Then they go out of my sight for a long time and I get sick of standing there. I go back to my bed and sit on it. I'm not even tired, I don't know why Gerard asked to go to bed, because clearly he isn't either. Maybe just to get a private word in with Joseph.
After much hesitation I decide to go talk to Ray.
I knock on the maple door. No response. I knock again.
"Huh?" I hear muffled and faint.
"It's Frank." I say. I've grown so accustomed to Gerard calling me Frankie, that it sounds weird to hear just Frank.
"Oh, come in." I hear a little clearer. I do.
I come into Ray lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling like a dead body on an autopsy table.
"So... uh.... What's up?" I ask.
"You tell me." Ray says, not moving an inch.
"Just... you know." Ray doesn't know. What Ray does know is Gerard is the one in control, Gerard calls the shots. Gerard, though he can be quite feminine at times, wears the pants.
"When are you guys going to let me go?" he asks. I don't know. "When is Gerard gonna let you go?"
"Gerard doesn't need to let me go. " I say defensively.
"You're a hostage too, Frank."
"What? No I'm not." I say firmly. Ray lets it drop. I sigh.
"Look dude, when Gerard first took me I was too happy. But he gave me an option, I could go out on my own terms, or I could die in a puddle of piss in some nursing home. Which one do you think I chose? Which one are you going to choose?" And with that I'm out door.
I'm so proud of myself I almost walk right past my room. I stop abruptly, the hall is dark now. I can see a crack of light under Gerard's door.
"Frankie, come in here." I hear him call in a sleepy voice. I do.
I open Gerard's door to reveal him lying on his side hugging a pillow close to his chest. He's got his face just poked over the edge. The bedside lamp is weak and lets out a very golden light, illuminating his face.
"Come sleep by me." he says softly with his stupid grin on his face. I return a stupid grin. Gerard flips around so he's facing inward. I walk to the foot of the foot of the bed and crawl to where my pillow should be. Gerard seems to take no notice.
"Uh, can I have that pillow back?" I ask, pointing to the one wrapped under Gerard's arms.
"Just take the one under my head." he says.
"Oh." I say sarcastically. Gerard laughs softly. I take the pillow and put it under my head instead. Gerard just grins at me all sleepy.
"I could tell it was you by the sound of the way you walk." he mumbles.
"Oh yeah?" I ask.
"Yeah. Everyone's got a different walk."
"How does Ray walk?" I ask, we don't actually mutually know anyone.
"He walks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo." he informs me. I laugh quietly.
"He does." I say when I really think about it.
"Speaking of Ray," I say. "What do you think about him?"
"Hmmm...." Gerard hums. "I think..."
"I think he doesn't wanna be here." I interject. Gerard sighs. "And I don't think he ever will." I add. Gerard nods, hugging the pillow closer to him and yawning. "And, do we really wanna let him in on the thing we got going on here?" Gerard laughs.
"The thing?" he asks. I laugh too.
"Yeah, the thing. Like, where's he gonna sleep and shit?" Gerard nods but sighs.
"I don't know Frankie, we need him." he says softly. "Oh!" he seems to liven up a bit. "Can we just talk about how fucking badass you were today? Seriously, Frankie, that was amazing." I smile.
"For real dude, that was fucking great." he settles himself back into the pillow.
"What were you and Joseph doing in the barn?" I pry curiously. Gerard grins at me.
"He was showing me something." he says.
"What something?" I ask.
"I'll show you tomorrow." Ugh. There could be anything in that barn.
"I'm damn sick of you and your surprises." I pout. Gerard smiles up at me.
"But really Gerard, what about Ray? How come he doesn't wanna be this?" I can't seem to get him off my mind. Gerard thinks about this for a long time.
"Some people go to extreme lengths to rebel against themselves." he tells me.
"Ray! Breakfast is ready!" Gerard bursts into Rays room cheerfully. I tried to get him to hold up, and maybe, you know knock, but Gerard wasn't having it.
We arrive to see the bed peeled apart and the window wide open. The curtains blow in the breeze and the sun bathes the light colored room. The bottom drawers of the dresser are pulled back to show the few left bed sheets.
Ray had made a rope out of tied together bed sheets and climbed down the side of the house.
I peer over the edge of the window. There's not even any blood or crushed grass, he made a perfect landing!
"What?!? How?" I say, exasperated. Gerard leans over the edge too.
"I didn't think he had the balls to do it."
I stayed up till 4 am reading this and I have absolutely no regrets <3
10/29/15