The Paper Kingdom

Chapter One
It was the four of us, sitting in a small circle in Helene Morris’s basement. I did not make comments about the clutter on her floor or the shattered photograph frames everywhere. I did not make comments about the lack of chairs, meaning I had to sit cross legged on the floor.

The four of us consisted of:

Helene Morris. Helene was 45, a housewife, and a failed therapist. After the disappearance, Helene’s husband left her, and her life fell apart. She gained a lot of weight and dyed her naturally brown hair an ugly shade of blonde.

Victor Lewis. Victor was in his late forties, just guessing. He worked for a newspaper here in New Jersey and had a wife named Marianne and another son named Joe. He was a balding, large man with light blue eyes.

Gerard Way. Gerard was about 37, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at him. He had bleach blond shaggy hair covering his eyes, these intense hazel eyes, and you couldn’t figure it out but there was something youthful about him.

And me. Juliet Finn. Just turned 18. I suppose I didn’t quite fit in with our little club but I was here for the same reason. I was here because of my brother. And they were here for their children.

“First, me and Victor will say our prayer.” She said, her eyes judging Gerard and I for not wanting to pray to a non-existent god. I was young, I was traumatized, and I couldn’t deal with Helene Morris right now. I started to stand up, preparing emotionally to leave. Gerard grabbed my hand.

“Stay.” He whispered, so quietly I was unsure of it being real. “For Jamie.” And I was back, sitting cross legged on my butt.

“Our lord and saviour, please protect our children for one more day as we pray that one day our youth will complete their fight and return to us. Amen.” Helene chanted.

“Amen.” Victor said in his low, scruffy voice.

“So, I think we should talk about what we miss the most of our children.” Helene said, and then looking to me. “Or our siblings. Anyone have anything to share?”

“Dean was my youngest son. He was 5. He played sports. He was a tough kid, tougher than Joe was at his age. I miss him, throwing his temper tantrums and causing his own sweet ruckus. I guess she has to deal with it now.” Victor said, trying to add humor to a not funny situation.No one laughed, no one even chuckled.

“Gerard, Juliet?” Helene offered us the floor.

“You go first.” Gerard said to Helene, offering the most fake of all fake smiles ever portrayed by human. He hated her just as much as I did. But she was trying to help.

“Of course, Gerard. I miss my Emma so much. She was only 6. She was such a darling.” Helene started crying then, Victor comforting her. “She’s-she can do this.” She blurted out and then proceeded to start bawling again, everyone silently comforting her for a small eternity.

“Yes. My Bandit…” I felt a sharp pain in my hand, and realized Gerard was still holding it and was squeezing it rather tightly. I offered him the smallest genuine smile I could offer and he bit his lip before continuing to talk. “She’s the strongest. She can fight. She could do it all on her own, and better the I could. She’s the protagonist to this story. She’s the protagonist to my story.” That was all he could stay. My hand looked a bit bruised but the nerves of knowing I was next to speak.

“I can’t.” Is all I said, my faded British accent coming out of my mouth unnaturally. I haven’t spoken in a while. I tried to stay silent, seeing as I genuinely had little to say.

“Yes you can.” Helene urged.

“We want to hear about him, so we know all the good things when we meet him.” Gerard smiled at me softly.

“So Dean, Dean is the fighter, the yeller, the strength. Emma is the kind heart, the gentle soul. Bandit is the independent, the protagonist. My little brother, my Jamie, is the killer. He doesn’t talk, he’s never talked. And he isn’t going to do much to help them but he’s going to the the only one who can kill her.”

Jamie wasn’t violent. Jamie couldn’t kill a fly. What was I saying? Why did I need so badly to fit into their story?

Because I missed Jamie. And if he was here fictionally, that was second to him being here literally. And if that meant sitting in a basement with three psychotically depressed parents, I could do that. Jamie, baby, I can do that for you. I can do that so you’re here. You are the quiet hero that kills the witch. I wish you knew that I said that. Maybe you do.

“I think this is a good start. Victor is staying for dinner, so Gerard, Juliet, the invitation is open to you two as well.” Helene urged. She wanted us to stay.

Gerard shook his head. “Another time.” I nodded. Helene lead us to the front door and we left together. It was pouring rain.

“How did you get here Juliet?” He asked me, noting there were two cars in front of Helene’s house. One was an SUV, presumably belonging to Victor, and the other was a mini cooper, belonging to Helene.

“I walked.” I answered slowly. He nodded, as if to silently say he had done the same.

Gerard looked down at his wrist and muttered “shit” very quietly.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“7:45.” Gerard says.

“We were in that basement a long time.”

“Helene was crying a long time.”

“She’s a cunt.” I mutter, unashamed.

“She misses her daughter. But don’t worry. Emma and Dean, useless. Bandit and Jamie have it all sorted out. They are strong. They will make it through, and then we won’t feel the need to sit in this dingy basement ever again.” Gerard comforted me. “Come on, we can walk together.”

“I don’t like the rain.” I told him, before we stepped out into the rain.

“No worries because I love it.” He said, and there was something dark in his eyes as he said it. Something angry. He draped his black trench coat over my shoulders and I placed it over my shoulders.

“Thank you.” He didn’t answer but maybe that was his “you’re welcome”.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, the rain just getting stronger and stronger. The worst was when the first bout of thunder hit, I screamed out in nerves. I hated rain, I couldn’t stand lightning, and thunder was my nightmare. Loud, unpredictable, and threatening.

“Do you not like rain, or are you scared of rain?” Gerard looked at me, dead stop, after my scream.

My eyes were wide as I spoke shakily. “The latter.”

“Let’s get inside, darling.” He said, ushering me into a Japanese restaurant, not giving me enough time to process that Gerard Way of almost 20 years my senior, had just called me darling.

We were in the dry, Gerard’s grey tee shirt drenched, along with his grey jeans. There was something muted about us. Apart from the trench coat and my black tights, we were in all grey with muted hair (his being almost white and mine being black).

The waitress looked at us, as we looked like messes.

“Table for two?” She asks.

We nod and she walks us to a table near the window, the sheet of glass protecting me from the chaos outside. It was a fancier restaurant then I was dressed for. I was in a long knit grey sweater, black tights, and Gerard’s trench coat sitting on the back of my chair. The tables looked fancy and it had a menu written in Japanese with little English subtitles.

“Take a look at the menu.” The waitress said. I noticed how pretty she was, she was taller than me, with a chest and a butt and these arms that were dainty but not skeletal. Her black dress was just really flattering and I just wanted to look like her.

“You don’t need to buy me dinner, Gerard.” I said, quietly. He wasn’t looking at me, he was flipping through the menu. His eyes contacted with mine a few moments later as he thought up a response.

“We’re friends.” Gerard said, staring at me. “Plus, it’s much nicer inside. Don’t you agree?” It seems that the storm had yet accelerated, making me start to get nervous about being this close to the window. My hand that was rested on the table started to shake.

I closed my eyes. Something warmer covered my palm. My eyes blinked open and Gerard’s hand rested on mine.

“Nothing is going to go wrong. The window’s protecting you.” I gulped, hearing a blast of thunder and grabbing Gerard’s hand tightly. His smile was genuine but he looked sad. He looked scared of me.

No that wasn’t it.

He looked scared for me.

Notes

so chapter one, huh?

gerard's a bit crazy in this story but that's just the way it's got to be

but i guess juliet is too...

they're all just sad...

gee, this is depressing already

xxx annie xxxx