Chapter 9
"So my parents disappeared." Mikey said causally, almost with boredom. Frank sat up, confused.
"Wait, what do you mean?" He asked
Mikey shrugged. "Well, really just Dad. He just disappeared. He does that sometimes. He's gone for maybe three weeks, more if we're lucky, and then he just returns. No, I don't know where he goes, and neither does Gerard." He added when Frank started to talk. Frank shook his head.
"Wait, I don't understand- what about your mom?"
Mikey shrugged again. "She's never around anyway." He said in an offhand way. "She comes back like twice a week or something. I don't know where she goes either."
"So you and Gerard are all alone? Like, nobody knows your parents are gone?"
"They're never around anyway. They're coming back soon, don't worry."
"But where did they go? I mean, nobody knows they left? How do you even know that they-"
"Frank, I just know- now will you shut up? I wouldn't have told you if I knew were gonna act so fucking stupid about it."
"Jeeze, sorry." Frank muttered. Mikey shook his head.
"Whatever. Point is, they're gone, so you can stay here longer now. You don't have to worry about them coming home or anything."
Fuck. Ever since Frank was there the night Mikey got beaten by his parents, Frank was nervous about being around when his parents were home. He was praying Mikey wouldn't notice.
"Okay." Frank finally said. "Hey, where's Gerard?"
"Right here." Gerard said. Frank jumped, startled. Gerard was sitting on Mikey's dresser.
"How do you DO that?" Frank demanded.
Gerard smirked. "Years of practice, kid."
Mikey lit a cigarette and sat back.
"I was just telling Frank about Mom and Dad." He explained.
"There's nothing to tell." Gerard replied. He turned to Frank.
"They're both fucking insane, they drink, they fight, they leave, and they come back and repeat. That's all there is to it."
"Come on, Gee." Mikey said.
"Well, what else is there?"
"Hey, guys," Frank said quickly. "Do you think I should get my lip pierced?"
"That could be cool. Can't really see it though." Mikey said.
"You wouldn't get the ones with those stupid chains attached to them, would you?" Gerard asked. Frank paused and shook his head uncertainly.
"Oh, God, imagine if someone yanked that out." Mikey commented.
"That can't happen, can it?" Frank asked.
"Gerard is living proof that it can happen." Mikey said proudly.
"Wait, you had a LIP RING?" Frank exclaimed.
Gerard laughed. "Not me. Some other guy. He and I were in this fight and in the middle of it, I tried to get up and wound up grabbing the chain. Ripped it clean off- God, there was blood everywhere."
Frank widened his eyes and Mikey laughed. "But I'm sure getting a regular one can't rip off, could it?" Frank managed to say. Gerard laughed. "I'm sure that it won't."
Just then, they heard someone running up the stairs, screaming "Gerard!"
"Frances." Gerard explained. The girl from the other day, Frances, ran in screaming "Gerard, my parents are fucking insane!"
"This'll be good." Gerard commented. He stood. Frances stopped to catch her breathe and, running her hands through her untamed hair, she said "My parents are freaks. And I'm RELATED to those people!"
"Hi!" Mikey called. He stood up quickly.
"What happened?" Gerard asked. There was a tone of amusement in his voice.
Frances paused and then leaned closer towards Gerard, whispering in his ear. Frank noticed then just how close they were standing to each other. Gerard widened his eyes in shock.
"You're kidding." Gerard said. When the look on her face proved just the opposite he pretended to clutch his stomach in horror, crying "oh, it's okay, it's okay." Dramatically, he swept her into his arms, rocking her slightly in a tight hug and, with exaggerated movements, he stroked her hair. "It's okay, baby, it's okay," he cooed. Laughingly, she pushed him off of her.
"That's not funny!"
"I made you smile, though." They both leveled their gaze on each other for a moment and then burst out laughing.
"God, I'm scarred for life, though. Promise me I won't wind up being like that." She begged. Dramatically she got down on her knees, bowing her head and said "Promise me that, Master God Cult Leader."
Solemnly, Gerard reached down and placed a hand on her head, and then tilted her chin up.
"I promise I won't let you grow up to do... That." Gerard said.
Frank looked up in time to see Gerard take her hands and help her stand up. They both were smiling. Frank felt strange. He felt... jealous...? No, it can't be jealous he thought.
"You know what could help?" Mikey began again.
"Let's get drunk." Frances suddenly said.
"My bed is over here, you know." Mikey tried. Frances blinked.
"What?"
"What?"
"Are you serious?" Gerard asked her. She nodded, a solemn look on her face.
"I need you to be a friend right now and let me pay for us to get drunk. Really drunk. Like, passed out and forget everything drunk."
"I'm in." They both ran out of the room.
"Hey, can we come?" Mikey called.
Their laughter bouncing through the halls, Gerard shouted "NO!"
Mikey sighed in defeat and sat down next to Frank.
"Goddammit." He said.
"Are you sure they're not, like, dating or anything?" Frank asked.
Mikey shook his head dramatically. "Don't get your hopes up- Gerard said she's a lesbian."
Frank felt himself sigh in relief. Then he paused, confused. Why did he care so much? Just as Mikey began to notice, he quickly said "Wait, why did you try to get her to sleep with you, then?"
Mikey shrugged. "I'm pretty enough."
"I don't think that's how it works, Mikey."
"Well, clearly it didn't. Whatever, lets to somewhere. It's boring here."
"Yeah, lets go." Anything to get Franks mind off of what had just happened.

Notes

Yeah, I literally just wrote this chapter last night, after I finished nearly the entire story. The story is probably gonna be about 6 more chapters, maybe less. But I really hope you guys like it!
(The entire conversation about Gerard yanking out someone's lip ring was based on a real story, by the way. My sisters boyfriend did that once to some other guy in a fight. So, take that as a warning if anyone is considering getting a lip ring with those chains attached to it. *the more you know*)