The Boy Next Door

(Gerard’s P.O.V)
I lay in bed watching my brother sleep. He turned towards me cuddling into my shoulder, letting out a sigh of contentment. Ever since dad broke his arm Mikey’s been too scared to sleep in his room which was in the main part of the house, scared dad would get his revenge while he was asleep. My alarm went blasting through the room starling Mikey awake. “Sorry, sorry, sorry!” I said collecting my phone from the bed side table. “What time is it.” Mikey mumbled rubbing at his eyes. “Um, seven am.” I grimaced, feeling bad for waking him this early. I past him his glasses as he sat up, watching him slide them onto his narrow face. “Do you ever sleep?” he asked when he noticed how awake I looked. “No. Why do you think I drink so much coffee?” I asked earning an eye roll. I smirked walking into my bathroom, quickly shutting and locking the door before Mikey knew what I was doing. “No! I really need to go and you take ages in there.” I heard Mikey say from the other side of the door. “Too bad, find a bottle.” I said trying to contain my laughter as Mikey started bashing on the door. I jumped in the shower lathering my hair with shampoo, disgusted with its oily state. Half an hour later I emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist, my eyeliner perfect and my hair nicely blow dried. Mikey glared at me from his place on the floor. He jumped up and pushed me to the side running straight to the toilet. I slipped on my customary black skinny jeans and a black long sleeve shirt, throwing my towel on the floor. My phone buzzed from the bed telling me I had a knew text.
From: Ray
To: Gerard
Dude why where you being so weird yesterday?
From: Gerard
To: Ray
Was I?
My phone started ringing in my hand making me jump. The caller identification told me it was Ray. I rolled my eyes and answered the phone holding it to the side of my face.
“Yes you were, you didn’t talk to anyone but Mikey. You probably made Frank feel awkward and like we didn‘t want him there.” Ray accused me.
“What if I didn’t want him there?” I replied, instantly regretting it.
“Why wouldn’t you? He’s quite but I think we can break him out of that. Just give him a chance, you might actually like him. You know, he’s actually a lot like you.”
“No he’s not.”
“Remember when you first moved here? You where to shy to talk to anyone and wanted more than anything to just make some friends. We welcomed you with open arms. Do you think its fair not to give Frank the same treatment?” Ray tried to guilt me.
“No its just…”
“Just what Gerard?”
“He’s my neighbour.”
“How does that change anything? You two could be great friends.”
“Yeah I guess.” I sighed in defeat.
“Why are you being so weird lately?“ Ray said more to himself than me. “I gotta go, I’ll see ya on Monday.”
The phone started beeping in my ear as Ray hung up. I chucked on the bed and glared at it. Ray doesn’t know anything, he doesn’t have the right to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do. “Why don’t you want Frank to be your friend?” Mikey queried. I jumped not realising he had left the bathroom. “I, um…” To tell you the truth I actually didn’t know why I didn’t want Frank to be my friend. Last time me and Mikey had this conversation we just ended up going in circles. “I think I know the reason.” He paused making sure my attention was on him. “Your scared of him finding out what dad does to us.” I chewed on my lip in contemplation. He was more likely to find out than the rest of my friends seeing as he lives next to me. What if we did become friends, what would he think if I never invited him over. What if he did find out and tell everybody, it would just make my life harder. I groan in agitation rolling onto my back and glaring at the now smirking Mikey. “Why are you always right?” He shrugged as a comfortable silence fell over the room, nothing but our breathing making a sound as we relaxed into thought.
A door slammed and a car accelerated to fast down the street screeching around a corner signalling to us that dad had left the house. We both jumped up and barrelled down the stairs running to the kitchen. We had about half an hour before he got back and we would have to retreat to the safety of my room. Mum walked in smiling and kissing the tops of our heads as we sat around the dinning table stuffing our faces with anything we could get our hands on. She sat in a spare seat, silently watching us. “ I’m so sorry boys.” she took a deep breath trying to keep her tears back. “I tried to sneak up food but he caught me. I’m so sorry. I have to side with your father, trust me I don’t want to.” she looked from me to Mikey a pleading look in her eyes asking for our forgiveness. “If he knows I don’t agree with his decisions he’ll just act worst to you.” she gave up holding her tears back, letting them run her mascara down her face. Mikey jumped up and comforted mum as I sat watching, emotionless. “We understand mum. We aren’t upset at you.” Mikey cooed. He looked up at me as he noted my absence a her side. “Right Gerard.” Mikey looked at me accusingly as mum waited on my answer. I narrowed my eyes at her as I got out of my chair, kicking it out of my way as I walked away from the kitchen and my mothers sobbing. I herd someone righting the chair before they ran after me grabbing my arm and spinning me around to face them. Mikey stood inches from my face glaring daggers at me. “Why would you do that? This isn’t her fault.” Mikey said in a harsh whisper. “You don’t get it do you. This is her fault! She lets him hurt us. She knows, but she sill doesn’t do anything about it. She won’t even stand up for us, her own sons.” I yelled at Mikey not caring if mum heard.
The doorbell rung interrupting our argument. “Mikey can you get the door.” Mums teary voice echoed down the hall. Mikey glared at me a little longer before swiftly turning and leaving me in the empty hallway. I heard the sound of a mysterious ladies voice coming from the kitchen, her words being muffled by the walls. I silently made my way up the hall to the kitchen once again, stopping before the doorway so I could gauge the situation. “So you just moved he with your son. How old is he?” Mums ask the lady. “He’s seventeen.” Replied the women. “Oh, I’ve got a son that age. Mikey can you go get him.” I heard a chare move back from the table followed by the sound of someone coming towards the door. Mikey walked into the hall giving me a strange look before putting his finger to his lips to keep me quite. He waited a few second to make it look like I had been in my room and not listening in on someone’s conversation before entering the room. Franks mum sat at the table with a pot of tea with my mother. They both looked up and smiled at us as we entered, no traces of tears were on my mothers face. “Um, hi.” I said offering a small smile. “Hello, I’m Linda. Come, sit with us.” she said to me and Mikey, gesturing at the vacant seats. I hesitated before sitting down, Linda beamed at me and poured me a tea after Mikey had finished pouring himself one. “So what’s your name.” Linda asked. “Gerard” I answered slowly, a bit uncomfortable with this situation. “You two go to the local school right.” She ask, me and Mikey just nodding. “My son goes there, he started yesterday so he could make some friends then knuckle down on Monday. I don’t think it went that well though, he came home in a bit of a tizz.” She said. She stopped taking a moment to look me up and down. “Hmm” She smiled at me. “Gerard tell me about yourself.” I looked up at her smiling face, she was planning something. “What would you like to know?” I asked trying to control my breathing as my heart started to accelerate. “What do you like to do with your free time?” I said the first thing that came to my mind. “I like to draw and sing a little.” I looked at the ground in embarrassment. “Really that’s great! Frank plays guitar, he’s obsessed with it, I can barely get him to put the damn thing down.” Linda laughed, covering her mouth with her hands as her eyes glowed, making me and everyone else in the room smile. She looked over at my mum “I tell you what we should do, have a barbeque so the boys can get to know each other!” I froze looking straight at Mikey as Linda’s intentions became clear, the same look of fear was plastered on his face. Linda and mum were oblivious to our horror, busy organising a date for the get together.
Linda’s phone started singing from her pocket, making us all fall silent as she flipped it open. “Hello” Pause. “Oh hi sweetie. I’m at the neighbours house.” Pause. “We’re organising a barbeque so you can make some new friends.” She smiled at us as the person spoke. “I’m sorry, I totally forgot! I’ll be home in a second.” She hung up the phone slipping it back in her pocket as she got up to leave. We all walked her to the door and said our goodbyes. “Come and visit us again sometime, we’d love to see you and make sure to bring Frank.” Mum waved as Lind stood on the porch. “Yeah I will, see you on Saturday.” She said to mum before directing her attention on to us. “It was a pleasure meeting you boys, I can’t wait till you get to know Frank. I bet he’ll like you two.” She waved as she left the porch in a rush.
We turned back into the house, my earlier behaviour forgotten. A gasp came from behind me as dad pushed Mikey into the wall, vases shattered on the floor as Mikey fell onto a table. Dad had managed to sneak in without us knowing, wanting to have his sick fun with us before we locked ourselves away. He walked over, wrapping his hand around Mikey’s neck and pinning him to the wall. I grabbed a folding chair from the closet, smashing it against the side of dads head without a second thought. He loosened his grip, letting Mikey make his escape before running at me and smashing his fist into my eye. I dropped to the floor, hissing in pain as his foot collided with my ribs. He kicked me a few more times as mum and Mikey watched on, only stopping once I gave up fighting. He walked away from my hunched figure without another word. Mum and Mikey rushed over trying to help me up, I scowled at Mum hoping she would realise how messed up this whole situation was as Mikey carefully helped me up. Each step caused a searing pain in my side, making me bite my lip so I wouldn’t cry out. My anger from before boiled up again as we hid for our own safety, our mum to much of a gutless coward to stand up to that brute I know as my father.

Notes

Thanks to Enki for helping me face the dark. I'll love you always my baby girl even though your reduced to a pile of ashes, your memory will live on!