*Gerard's Point of View*

That damn alarm clock was blaring in my ear once again, signaling it was time to go to that satan pit most insisted on calling "high school". Not like I did anything, just stayed in the back, trying to go as unnoticed as possible. It's been working so far.

Lazily, I forced myself to roll out of bed, feet landing with a thud on one of the few clean spots on my floor. The remainder of the carpet was covered in mountains of more-than-slightly worn and sketches strewn everywhere. I nudged one of the clothing piles with a foot, judging if it was clean enough to wear, or if it would bite back. I wiggled my toes, noticing all five were still there. The clothing still had give, it wasn't stiff yet. This would have to suffice.

After dressing and running my fingers through my messy black hair, I figured I looked presentable enough to be out in public. Maybe I wouldn't scare the shit out of some poor, unsuspecting child. Reluctantly, I made my way upstairs, out of my cave - I mean basement - to eat before I had to leave.

It smelled like mother had made waffles before she headed off to work this morning. At least I didn't have to result to a handful of dry cereal shoved in my mouth, followed by a swig of milk straight from the carton. What can I say, I'm a teenage boy. The only things I put effort into are comics and video games.

Mikey was already seated at the kitchen table, his usual blank expression replaced by confusion...fear? Torment? Yeah, that's it.

"What's got your boxers in a bunch?" I laughed, throwing a few waffles on a plate, and dousing them in syrup. He mumbled his reply into his plate, eyes staring at the table through the glasses perched on the end of his nose.

"What was that?" I prodded, taking my seat across from my younger brother.

"I said, 'I have a girl coming over later.' We were assigned a project together for biology," Mikey huffed, annoyed with my inability to decipher his mumbling.

"Is that why you look like you just saw Grandma Elena naked?"

"Dude! I did not need that image in my head!" He shrieked, throwing his syrupy napkin at my head, pegging me between the eyes. "But seriously, if you knew my lab partner, you'd be terrified too."

"So, who is this girl?" I asked through a mouthful of waffle.

"Elizabeth Miles."

"That name sounds vaguely familiar. What would I know her from?"

"She's the girl that tripped and accidentally dumped a half-dissected frog down my shirt," Mikes dead panned, obviously irked that he had to remember the incident.

“Really? You got paired up with Frog Girl?” It was all I could do not laugh at my brother’s misfortune. I was more concerned about choking on my waffles than his state of embarrassment.

"Will you just shut up and eat your waffles and take us to school?" he whined, throwing his plate into the sink.

"Yeah, yeah..."

---

I sat in my car out in the parking lot, waiting for Mikey to meander his way out of the school. That kid has no sense of urgency. It wasn't easy to spot him among the crowd of heads steadily drifting from the front entrance. I was so happy I didn't have to fight through that, eighth period flex was a blessing. Eventually, he appeared, lagging near the back. He was accompanied by a girl who seemed to be talking his ear off. I could see the metal glinting off her teeth and the glasses on her face all the way from here. She had a bounce in her step, one that was uncommon in Jersey. Her hair hung haphazardly around her face, and her clothing was accompanied by various rips and tears. Mikey's expression was that of discontent, most likely brought on by the girl. I liked her already.

The trunk of my car was thrown open and I felt the entire vehicle shift as the weight of high school backpacks were thrown in. Mikey situated himself in the passenger seat, while the girl clambered into the back.

"Gee, this is Elizabeth Miles. Elizabeth, this is my older brother, Gerard. He's a senior," Mikey mumbled, flipping through my CD book, looking for something to play.

"I have told you Mikey, call me 'Eliza'. Only my parents call me 'Elizabeth'. Anyways, it's nice to meet you Gerard. That explains why I haven't seen you around school," Eliza smiled, showing off her black and turquoise braces. She snaked a hand between the front seats, offering me a handshake. I kindly reciprocated the gesture.

"Same to you," I smirked back. Mikey just rolled his eyes and shoved an Iron Maiden CD into the player.

"Ooh! I love this song!" Eliza and I chimed in together, earning a slight chuckle from the both of us.

"Can we just go home already? I don't know about Eliza, but I'm ready to knock this project out. I've had about enough of freshman year I can take."

"Oh, quit being such a pussy, Mikey!" Eliza piped from the back seat. Yup, she seems okay, even for a freshman.

"Yeah, quit being such a pussy, Mikey!" I mimed, earning a cringe-worthy death glare from my brother.

"Just drive already!"

"God, what has his panties in a wad? He must be on his period or something," I heard Eliza murmur as we pulled out of the parking lot, earning a series of laughs from me. Mikey just grumbled and sunk further down into the seat.

---

"Eliza, will you please stop fidgeting?" Mikey fussed, trying to wrap the blood pressure cuff around his lab partner's arm, cutting through the sound of David Bowie drifting through the living room.

"I can't help it! Your brother has really good taste in music!" Apparently, they decided their project would be over music and the effects on the human body. Right now was blood pressure , and up next was hand-eye coordination. Thankfully, my turn as guinea pig was already up.

"If you don't stop, I'll have Gerard hold you down. We need to get an accurate reading!" Whoa there, buddy. Don't be dragging me back into this!

"And that's a bad thing, why?" Eliza asked, wiggling her eyebrows in my direction, causing me to choke on my drink. Mikey just stared at her, taken aback and slightly terrified.

"Gee, relax Mikey. I was just kidding. I don't allow that type of stuff until after the third date," she added jokingly, though I'm not sure Mikey took it that way, before settling back down into the recliner, relaxing to the words of the Goblin King.

Mikey just shot me a look, as if to say, 'Is she really serious?' I just shrugged in response, picking up my newest comic book.

It wasn't before long they had finally finished whatever the hell they were doing and Mikey announced he was going to get something to eat.

"You losers want anything?" he asked before wandering off.

"I'm good."

"I think I'll just chill here with your brother," Eliza replied, digging around in her backpack for something. Mikey eyes us suspiciously before heading toward the refrigerator.
Having retrieved what she was looking for, Eliza joined me on the couch.

"You know, I really was just kidding about what I said earlier. I just like watching your brother squirm. He's just so awkward," she smirked, beginning to doodle in what seemed to be her sketchbook.

"That makes two of us," I laughed, throwing my now read comic onto the coffee table. She giggled a bit, continuing to scribble.

"So, you're an artist?"

"I have to escape the world somehow," Eliza smirked. "Do you draw?"

"I dabble here and there. I'm actually attending SVA in New York after this year. You?"

"God, I wish. My parents want me to go into business like my older brothers. One works at the World Trade Center, and the other for Donald Trump. I just want to draw comics."

"Can I see your sketchbook?" I asked, earning a condescending glance from the younger girl. "Oh, come on. One artist to another?"

"Only if I get to see yours," she smiled, handing it over.

"Maybe someday," I returned with a wink.

"Asshole."

"Bitch."

"Where's your bathroom?"

"Down the hall, second door on the left."

"Thanks. I need to go change clothes before I go home. If my parents saw me wearing this, they'd kick me out."

Geez, no wonder she wanted to escape. I flipped open the cover of her sketchbook and was instantly amazed by what I saw. Her style, it was definitely comic, but there was a certain touch of macabre to it all. It perplexed me. Every picture improved as I continued through the pages, each one never failing to catch my attention. The girl had talent, that was for sure.

"You like what you see?" Eliza said from behind me, causing me to jump. Her blonde hair had now been pulled back into a neat ponytail. Skinny jeans and band shirt were now replaced by a tennis skirt and polo, converse ditched for flats. It was like she was completely different person.

"Yeah, you're not half bad. I think you should pursue it," I admitted, standing up and handing her sketchbook back.

"If only," she halfheartedly smiled, sticking the book back into her bag.

"Do you need a ride home?" I offered, scratching the back of my neck.

"Thanks, but no. I actually live only a few houses down across of the street."

"Oh, okay."

"Well, it was nice meeting you Gerard. Tell Mikey I said 'bye' and I'll probably come chill at your place until we get this damn project done. I'll talk to you later," Eliza smiled sweetly, pulling me into a quick sideways hug before she walked out the front door.

Yup. This girl was okay in my book.

...and I probably should have put in clean clothes this morning.

Notes

Hello my darling readers! Thanks for sticking with me through the first chapter. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.I'm going to try to update as much as possible, but I don't know how often (due to all of my advanced classes). Well, that's all for now! Talk to you soon!

-SS