Brennan POV

Mikey started looking for a hardware store right away. After just a few hours of teamwork under his direction, the locks were changed, video cameras were set up in the front, side and backyard, and pressure sensitive sensors were attached to every window. He is a pretty cool kid.

"I'm really impressed, Mikey." I went over to him and put arm over his shoulder. He just look down with an embarrassed smile shaking his head slightly.

"Nah, it was such a small thing. You guys did all the heavy lifting. I just picked out a few components and matched them up. Simple really. They all have instructions."

I was pretty sure this wasn't false modesty but someone who felt very uncomfortable talking about his talents. He couldn't possibly really believe orchestrating this afternoon was nothing, could he? After reading the instructions, he ended up tossing them out and doing something completely different.

"Well, that's our Mikey. Never wants to brag about how smart he is. He's the most humble genius you'll ever meet." his brother said, ruffling up his hair good - naturedly. Mikey, clearly irritated, left the room for the kitchen, but not before calling over his shoulder, " if you will excuse me." Huh. He's even polite when he walks away irritated. He is the most unusual boy I have ever met. After he walked in the kitchen, I turned to Gee.

"Is he really a genius?"

"Oh probably. It's not like he took an intelligence test that I know of. If he did, he'd never tell anyone. If my parents could afford it, I'm sure they'd want to put him in a special school. And he'd probably fight to stay in a regular school because he's Mikey. He doesn't want to be looked at as different, even though it is obvious he is. Doesn't realize that being different means he's talented and amazing. I'd kill to be half as smart as him. He skipped two grades. We're both in the same grade even though he's two years younger." Gerard stops and looks down. The sad look that flashes across his face when he looks up is brief but speaks volumes. "At least he can help me with my homework. Right?" he laughs quietly but it's a fake laugh.

"Must be hard for both of you" he just nods his response to me. "Is Mikey going to be alright in there? he nods again. I start to head to the kitchen to check on him when I realize it's been just the two of us for quite some time. Ray and Frankie must have gone in to Mikey already. But when I go in the kitchen, Mikes is alone. She's probably just resting or chatting with Ray somewhere. It is her house after all.

"Hey Mikes. How are you?" I began hesitantly. He is sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar. He looks up smiling.

"I'm fine. Just needed a moment so I didn't go into panic attack mode. Being the center of attention or the subject a lot of flattery makes me very nervous."

"Oh ok. I'm sorry."

"For what?" He laughed softly, tilting his head to the side.

"I feel responsible for starting that whole conversation. You know, I started the compliments and flattery. But I do think you are talented and amazing. The end. No pressure. I'll move on. I don't know anything about you other then you can orchestrate a small group of people to setting up an alarm system. What else do you like do? ' Cuz you seem like a cool guy to be friends with. " About halfway through my 'speech' Mikey started getting a strange look on his face. His eyes got bigger and I think the expression was confusion mixed with amusement but I couldn't be sure. To be fair I really couldn't blame him. "Are you a musician? What kind of music do you like? Are you into art? Do you secretly take ballet lessons? I want to know it all. Okay now I'm just being silly." When I was done, he started laughing really hard.

"Oh we definitely need to be friends. You are so awesomely weird. You will fit right in with Gee and I." He was still trying to get his composure, but little laughing fits would still pop up every now and then. "Well, I'm learning to play bass guitar and keyboard a little. I like The Misfits, Joy Division, The Smiths, Black Flag, Depeche Mode, oh just so many! I love music so much. I'm not really that good at art but my brother.... he kicks ass at anything having to do with art. He can draw in every medium I can think of, paint, sculpt. You should see some of his work. It's amazing. Talk about a genius. He can even do some basic movie makeup. Like for horror movies, monsters and stuff. He learned from a friend he has that used to live next door to us. Anthony Iero. Such a great guy. He moved to LA to work in the movie industry as a makeup artist and he's finding work. He's only 19 and he's getting work as an assistant to some really big names. I know Gee misses him a lot though. How about you?"

"I sing, play piano, and played trumpet in the school band all throughout junior high and high school. I'm wanting to learn a lot of other instruments such as drum, guitar, BASS... its pretty handy that I know someone playing bass. You said you were just learning keyboard? I've been playing so I was 7 years old. I'd be happy to teach you in exchange bass guitar lessons? You know I would teach you either way right?"

He nodded shyly. "Sounds great, as soon as I get to know you I won't feel so shy and uncomfortable."

"Yeah, there's no reason to feel shy around me. I'm just a huge dork. If you haven't seen it by now, you will shortly. Later we can play get to know you drinking games, and then you'll know for sure." Mikey's eyes widen like silver dollars. "Or not, you don't have to play. You can just watch the rest of us make fools of ourselves. But, I was telling you about myself …. I talk a LOT.”

“So I've noticed.”

“Ha ha. We both share the sarcasm gene. I like that. I am a huge, HUGE Frank Sinatra fan. Now that I'm 18, I'm going to get a tattoo of Frank's face right here on my arm. Along with a piano keyboard and possibly a floral design...." I'm motioning all over my forearm and getting more and more excited.

"That's cool. Maybe I'll come with you. I know I have a few years to wait, but I can start planning. You'll have to play some Sinatra for me. I don't know that much about him."

"Really?! Cuz if I could actually get someone else excited about his music and talk to them about it, it...uh, it would just be so awesome! You just don't even know."

"No, actually I think I do. It's hard to have an interest and you feel like nobody else gets it. It's very isolating. It's just hard in general to be isolated by things that you feel are out of your control."

"Yeah. Guess it would be a similar thing with you and me."

"How is that?"

"Promise not to get mad at your brother?" He nodded. "I mean it, do you really promise because he only was trying to help me understand you." He nodded again a little more vigorously. "He told me you skipped two grades. He told me that you were in his grade."

"Did he also tell you that I'm in every single one of his classes? It's for my safety. That's because I'm in the top of the senior class at 16 and a walking target. My GPA is .10 higher then everyone else and I'm the first person to ever complete high school in 2 years. Gee is struggling not to flunk at least half of his classes and so I tutor him in most subjects. I know it makes him feel stupid having his younger brother help him with his homework. I can only imagine what the kids say about both of us behind our backs, or to him when I'm not around. But what they say to my face alone or both of us together is pretty bad. Ray and Gee are my only friends. Everyone there hates me. Before you go telling me not to be so hard on myself, or that I'm just being dramatic, people tell me to my face that they hate me. Every day. They usually wait until Gee isn't around. I guess I make everyone feel stupid just by my very existence. After summer break is over we go back for 2 weeks worth of exams. Then we graduate. I get to stand up there on the podium as Valedictorian, and give a speech to a bunch of people who hate me and their families who probably hate me too. By that time, all the newspapers will have published their articles about me. The wunderkind teen who sailed through high school and then had just about every major Ivy League college fighting over him with full scholarships. Mikey's future is looking so bright, he's practically blinded. Blah blah blah. I wouldn't be surprised if people came to the graduation with ripe tomatoes and rotten fruit. Personally I think that the whole thing is pointless." Um, wow. Didn't expect all that. Well maybe his experiences aren't the same.”

"Mikey.... so sorry. I truly didn't expect all that, so I'm not sure how to reply exactly.”

“Which is just one reason I never tell anyone. I'm not a charity case and I don't need anyones' pity. Besides, it is almost over.”

“Well, I don't know if this will make you feel better or not. But ….” Mikey nodded for me to continue. ”I have always loved music. It's in my heart, it's in my soul. It's my everything. Frankie family has always been my family. Her father treated me like a son. I never had ulterior motives for becoming a best friend to Frankie. We were just little kids who hit it off on the playground and we've been inseparable ever since. It turned out to be an unbelievable opportunity later down the road in many ways, but I never knew it when we were 7. Frank taught me so much about music. He was a genius. I had access to so many instruments that I never would have otherwise because my family didn't have a lot of many. He paid for my trumpet so that I could play in the school band and because of Frank, I was at an accelerated level. I played in the high school band while at with still in junior high. So I do understand about feeling out of place, and no, I wasn't accepted either. Everyone spread the rumor that I was just a talented 'show off' who was just using Frank to get ahead. Soon, every hated me at my own Junior High as well. Frankie was my only friend, but we didn't have a lot of the same classes she was a lot smarter than me. Of course we were both an accelerated band which saved me my sanity a little. Of course, when it came down to Frank's love and attention, I was always in Frankie shadow. I know that was how it was supposed to be and he treated me great but that was still hard. My own father was always too busy at work for me and my mother wasn't very affectionate or interested in me. When Frank died, everyone understood why Frankie was so devastated but people never understood the extent of my grief. I had lost a father as well. And here we are today just like always, Frankie and I against the world with our music. That's why we are so protective of each other. We're so used to having the shit kicked out of us. Once we started high school for real, a lot of guys would come on to her, and of course that's not surprising because look at her. But then they would just use her for her money, or because they thought that her would help them with connections to the music industry. I started becoming guard dog checking in to these guys almost to the point where I was acting like a private investigator. I knew I was acting crazy too, but I would always find something terrible. I'm sorry to say I was always right. But you guys have been friends with Ray for a long time and Gee seems like a great guy.”

“He is. The last thing he would do is use someone. That's exactly what his last girlfriend did to him. It was awful.”

“I just worry about her making stupid decisions at a very vulnerable time. I know I sound like a big brother but she was always very specific about her boundaries." he nodded, knowing what I meant. She has been very clear that she was not ready for sex. I didn't want her making a snap decision because she was upset... it's not like she was going to wait until marriage but she wanted to make sure that she was in love and that the person was right and she had been love with him for a while and it was a stable relationship.

“Well, I'm pretty sure that's one thing you don't have to worry about with Gee. He has been very specific about not being ready myself. The horrible girlfriend pressured him for a year and he always fought her off. If you knew what he went through. Actually I probably don't know all of it. But it should be him telling you that story. You know neither of us had any idea of who she was and that doesn't change our feelings about her whatsoever. She still seems like a cool person to hang with. But I can tell by the look on his face but Gee's definitely got it bad."

"Yeah her too." We started to hear a noise coming from the living room, first very faintly then and gradually got louder. Soon it was shouting. It was Gerard and he definitely was not talking to anyone in this house.

"You have got to be out of your ever loving mind!" Gerard was looking down at his feet as he paced back and forth, so I almost ran into him in my haste to run into the living room. When he saw us, he jerked his head up glanced at us for a moment and then continued pacing in a spot a little further away. Then he held up his finger telling us to wait. His cell phone was at his ear with his hair partially covering it. "NO I don't. I don't, ah... why would I? What would I possibly miss? Oh, do you mean the unwanted pressuring...? constant asking for shit...? Oh, I remember what I miss. You're right. It's the lying and cheating. I miss the cheating the most. Closely followed by the delicate way in which you told me on our anniversary what a scum sucking, disgusting, lying selfish whore you are. I'm hanging up now. Ha well then its a good thing you don't know where I am right now. You do not. "WHAT?!" Your bluffing. Oh, so you're a stalker now? Goodbye." Gerard flopped on the couch tossing his phone on the floor beside him. he let out a little growl of frustration.

"So that happened. I think you can guess who that was. The bitch wants me to take her back. Evidently, she's a recently had a concussion or other head trauma of some kind because she thinks that even a pushover like me that's stupid. Guy # 10 or I guess its #11 if you count me, didn't work out so well for her, big shock, turns out he doesn't want to buy her everything she wants. Boo freakin hoo. she claims that she put a tracking device on the truck and already pulled up where we are, because she is a freaky stalker evidently. I don't believe it. But if it is true at least we have a better security system now right?"

" Well we can actually search the truck, for peace of mind. Did she say where?"

"Left side rear wheel well. Thanks Mikes. You don't think she really did it, do you?"

"Well, I'm sorry but it's better to know the truth than to be surprised when she shows up.” I put my hand on his shoulder for a second. “C'mon Mikey, let's look. He needs a moment.”

Notes

Hello!

I wanted to update sooner, but as it turns out I've been crazy inspired on both my stories. So I've been outlining and writing rough drafts of several chapters at a time. Believe me, it's better to wait a few days so I can give you the 3rd draft. But the next few updates will be quicker since I've been working on things as a whole - esp Hesitant Alien .... ;)

B