I dropped onto my bed, kicking my shoes off, my eyes on Mikey as he paced my room. Since we came back from the store, he hasn't stopped, his feet wearing ruts into my carpet. "What's bothering you?" I asked him for the fifth time.
"Nothing." He replied, just like always.
"Seriously dude, what's wrong?"
"Look Gee, I can't tell you if I don't really know. I just feel kinda funny, like something...I dunno...Like something was happening between you and that dude." He explained, finally stopping pacing so he could look me in the face, his eyebrows furrowed as he studied my face.
"And what exactly to you mean?" I questioned.
"Well, the way he looked at you and you looked at him, but...I think something was there." Mikey shrugged, exhaling heavily as he dropped to the floor, his legs crossed in front of him.
"It was him Mikes." I whispered.
"Who?"
"The guy from my dream." I muttered, looking over towards the sketches I had done of the eyes I could always see.
"How the...What...Why??" Mikey asked, completely unable to finish a sentence.
"Eyes. It was the eyes." I shrugged and lay down, resting my head on my hands. "They were such a unique color, stunning, just...uh..." Mikey shook his head and climbed to his feet.
"Whatever, just get your stuff ready for school 'cuz I can bet anything that you won't have time to get it sorted in the morning." I nodded as Mikey left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

"I'm going for a walk." I called as I tugged on my jacket, patting down my pockets until I found the location of my keys. "Call me if ya need me."
"Have fun and be careful!" My mom called, poking her head around the kitchen door.
"Sure, I always am." I smiled and turned around, tugging the door open.

---

I sat on the swings, kicking my feet backwards and forwards through the bark chips. My headphones were in my ears, my phone blaring out The Misfits. My mind wandered over things, Ben in particular. I wondered if he really liked me, or if he was just playing me for his own gain. Nothing mattered. Not anymore, not when I wanted it all to end.

My eyes roamed around the park, coming to a stop on the floor in front of my, my brain focusing on the dirty white toes of my converse. Words were sung into my ear as I released a sigh, jumping half a foot when black toes pressed against mine. I raised my head, prepared to tell someone to fuck of, my face softening when I looked at Frank. "Hey dude." I muttered as I tugged out my headphones, hanging the cord around my neck.
"Heya, you mind if I swing?" He asked, pointing at the swing next to me. "I used to do this all the time back home, just sit on the swings, listening to music, watching nature." He sighed, his eyes on the tree line.
"You mean your home isn't here?" I asked, turning slightly on the swing.
"Nahh, I live with the Carmichael's. Moved in today actually." Frank sighed and scuffed his toes through the bark.
"Where were you before then?" I asked, hesitating before opening my mouth again. "Sorry if I'm too nosy, just tell me to shut up if you don't want to answer."
"You're alright. People never really talk to me, it's nice to have someone to talk to." He climbed to his feet. "Walk?" I nodded and climbed to my feet. "I was having a tough time and for three years before I turned fourteen, I kept running away. My parents got bored of it and put me in a care home. Been there ever since."
"Man, that must have been hard." I muttered, reaching out to pull a leaf off of a bush next to me.
"Not really. It made my life slightly easier ya know? I didn't have to worry about hurting my little brother if I didn't come back. I could just stay away if I really wanted to, nothing was making me come back."

I pushed the button at the cross walk, tapping my toes as I waited for the lights to turn. "What do you do then?" Frank asked, his eyes on me.
"Uh, nothing much really. Drawing, uh, reading comic books. I don't really do much to be honest." I sighed as we crossed the street. "Dude, I gotta head home real quick, grab some meds. You wanna come or...?" I paused, not wanting to finish the sentence.
"Uhh, I should probably be getting back. James is probably wondering where I disappeared to. See ya another time though?" I nodded and waved goodbye as Frank headed down the street, his footsteps growing quieter as he walked away.

---

I ran down the corridor, following the echoing screams. My footsteps rebounded off the walls, following me as I searched for the victim. I ran past an open door, not bothering to look inside, the screams echoing from further away. My feet stopped, my heels digging into the floor as my mind processed what it managed to glimpse through the open door.

"Shit." I muttered as I backtracked, leaning on the door frame as I attempted to catch my breath. My eyes landed on a figure on the floor, his hazel eyes staring at me through the shadows. A silhouette stood above him, a manic cackle leaving it's lips as it lowers its pants.
"Mine." He laughed as he forced the figures head back, pushing his hips against his face.
"Get off him!" I yelled, not sure what possessed me to say him. "Please." I pleaded.
"You're next!" He cackled as the figure on the floor went limp, all the fight leaving him in one moment.

The shadowy figure reached out to me, his claw-like fingers missing my throat by an inch as I ducked below his outstretched hand, sliding my body along the floor to the limp figure.

I sat upright, sweat dripping down my back, my breath coming in pants. "Fuck. Shit. Twat. Bollocks. Ouch." I muttered, the obscenities increasing in frequency when I saw the time.

3:40am.

Far too long until I needed to be up for school, yet I was.

A sigh escaped my lips as I threw my duvet back and climbed to my feet, my footsteps practically silent as I padded to the bathroom. The downstairs light was on, a shadow moving around in the kitchen. After I had relieved myself, I tiptoed down the stairs, standing in the kitchen doorways as I watched my dad shuffle about, his hands shaking as he held the glass close to his chest.

"Dad." I muttered as I stepped close, my hands outstretched. "Dad, put the glass down."
"No." He slurred.
"Come on dad, it's late, you need to go to bed, you have work later." I protested, reaching out to take the glass from his hands.
"Don't. I need it. Please..." He muttered.
"Come on, let's get you to bed." I sighed as I wrapped my arm around his waist and tugged him towards the stairs.
"Don't want to... just want to drink."
"No dad!" I snapped, finally hitting breaking point. "You are going to bed and that is the end of the story."
"NO!" My dad yelled, the palm of his hand connecting with the side of my face.

I stepped back, shocked. "What the fuck?" I muttered, my eyes squinted as my dads lower lip trembled. He stepped closer, his hands outstretched towards me.
"I'm so sorry son." He whispered, his voice shaking. "Please, Gerard, I didn't mean it."
"I don't care." I hissed, my eyes narrowed as I observed the tears streaking down my dad's face.
"Please, I didn't mean it, just...please?" My dad muttered.

"No dad. I've tried so many times to help you. I've lied, I've told mom that you don't drink stupid amounts, that the bruises come from things other than your hands. I can't keep going dad. You've hit me one too many times." I explained, my voice shaking as I sagged against the wall.
"Gerard, son, please? I can't risk losing you all, not after everything we've been through together."
"Tough dad, you should have thought of that before you hit me. I told you if you hit me one more time I was going to tell mom, that I wouldn't back out this time. I'm fed up of protecting you and getting nothing in return."
"Gerard, please, you don't..." My dad began.

"Donald?" My mom muttered as she walked in, Mikey hot on her heels with the grocery bags. "What's going on here?" She asked as she took in the distance between us, my freshly split lip and the hand print across my cheek.
"I'm sorry Donna... I didn't mean to... I just... I don't..." My dad stuttered, unable to form a complete sentence.
"It was you? All this time it was you?" My mom whispered, her voice hoarse. "You were the one giving our son these bruises?"
"Mom, please... Just leave it?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"No!" She shouted, turning to face me. "I cannot believe you didn't tell me about this! Why were you protecting him? Tell me!" She demanded.
"Because I was trying to help all of us!" I yelled, my fists shaking beside me. "If I told you then it would rip this family apart, trust me. You would want to leave dad, me and Mikey would be caught in the middle of it!"

"Gerard, please? I can't lose you all again." He muttered. I turned on my heels and began walking up the stairs, my dads pleading voice stopping me in my tracks. "Please, I will do anything for you, just don't tell your mom. I can't lose any of you. If I lose you, that's it, I'll kill myself."

Notes

sooo uhh, a bit of insight into the home life of the Way's.


Let me know what you think?? <3

~Elise-Iero~