We Are Broken
part one
It was the year 2005, My Chemical Romance had just exploded into fame, I was 12 and living at an orphanage, where I have been since the day I was born. I didn't know my parents, much like most of the other children, in fact, the only thing I knew of my parents were that they were incredibly young when they had me, and because of that, there was no way that they could keep me. It does sadden me to know that they might have wanted me but that I was a mistake, but then I imagine being adopted by people who really do want me.
The day, was October 30, my birthday, when I was called down to the front hall of the orphanage, the front hall that I knew oh so well. I didn’t know what was in store for me as I turned the corner and saw a group of men standing around the owner of the building. I knew something was up when they all fell silent and waited for me to come to a stop next to Mr. Eric.
“Maura,” Mr. Eric said, “I want you to meet Gerard Way, his brother Mikey, and their friends, Frank Iero, Ray Toro, Bob Bryar, and Brian Schechter.”
“Hello,” I said shyly.
Oh my gosh, My Chemical Romance was standing in the front hall of my orphanage, and I was the only one, besides Mr. Eric, who knew about it!
“Maura, Mr. Way,” cue point at Gerard, “Is looking to adopt you.”
“What?”
“He claims to be your father.”
“What?”
It couldn’t be true I couldn’t be Gerard Way’s daughter. No. I’m nothing like him. I don’t look like him, I don’t do anything that he does, and… basically we’re complete opposites!
“Maura,” Gerard said, “12 years ago, my girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl, but gave it up at birth. She never told me about it, telling me that the baby had died. A few months later she committed suicide, and her parents told me about the baby. I was so set on finding her, my daughter, that I’ve spent all of my free time searching the child care net, looking… for that small innocent child, the one I could call my own.
“But I’ve found you, Maura…. I’m sure. I got a call from an agent saying that a 12 year old girl lived at this orphanage, who was given up at birth one the date of October 30, 1993, she was born in Newark Central Hospital, and the parents were too young to take care of her.”
Tears had formed in my eyes as I listened to his story. The story if his effort to find me, while I just sat there, not finding him. I really wanted his story to be true, I really wanted to be his, and only his.
“Gerard, the papers are filled, and everything is okay, you can take her if you want,” Mr. Eric said, a knowing smile on his face. It wasn’t the kind that said, ‘finally the bitch is leaving’ it was the true genuine kind that said, ‘I know you’ll be a great father, and I know you’ll be happy.’
“What about my things,” I asked.
“Everything is packed and ready.”
I nodded, and Gerard was handed a suitcase, that held all of my things.
“Are you ready,” he asked, holding out his hand.
I nodded, still shy from the mere fact that it was Gerard Way, and I took his hand, letting him lead me out of the place I’ve called home for the past 12 years. Outside, a black hummer was waiting for us, it was kind of a stretch, but kind of not in some weird way. Frank, Ray, Mikey, and Bob all climbed in, and Gerard waited off to the side for me to climb in. Inside, it was very spacious. I sat myself nervously next to Frank, as Gerard – I mean my father – climbed into the car after me.
“Hey, Maura, I’m Frank.”
“H-Hello,” I said nervously.
“Don’t be so shy,” he replied, nudging me softly.
I gave a shy smile, and blushed at the looseness he had around me. The other guys, including Gerard, all watched my reactions to everything, some giggling at my blush.
“So you’re twelve,” asked Mikey.
I nodded.
“Sweet.”
“What are you into,” Frank asked.
“Um…. Music, I can sing pretty well, or so I’m told.”
“Sing eh?”
“Yeah,” I replied, nodding.
“Could you sing for us now?”
Everyone in the car watched me, and I shook my head ‘no.’
“I’m not very comfortable right now,” I said, “I-I don’t know you all that well yet.”
“Well we’re going to have to change that then, aren’t we,” Gerard said, everyone laughed, I blushed.
“So those two suitcases, is that all you have,” Frank asked, “Not that I mean anything against you.”
“The black one has my clothing, the red on my trinkets.”
“One suitcase of clothing!” Frank was in shock.
I nodded, ashamed.
“We’re totally going to have to fix that,” he said, leaning back in his seat.
“You don’t have to, I mean I don’t mine,” I said.
“I do,” Frank said, Gerard gave him a stern look, “Sorry Gee.”
“Are you hungry,” he asked.
“No,” I lied, my stomach protested, giving me away.
“We’re stopping at a Dairy Queen before we go home, we’ll eat something there.”
“You don’t have to, I’m not that hungry.”
Cue stomach growling again.
“We’re stopping.”
The car ride was silent for a while, until we stopped and everyone got out. Walking in, the building was somewhat empty, there were a group of kids in the back who all looked up when we entered, their jaws opened.
“What do you want,” Gerard asked.
“I can pay for it,” I offered.
“Nonsense,” he exclaimed, “You’re my daughter, I should be able to buy you food.”
I felt bad after he said that, and he noticed it, and wrapped an arm around me.
“What do you want?”
I ordered a crispy chicken flamethrower, no tomato, a medium french-fry, and a medium root beer, the other guys read the order and were shocked.
“I’ve never seen a girl order that much food,” Bob said, amazed.
“I know,” agreed Mikey.
The kids in the back were watching us, guessing who I was, and trying to find ways to come over and say ‘hi.’ Mikey lead me to a booth, pretty close to the kids, and sat me down, sitting next to me, with Frank on the outside, Gerard, Ray, and Bob would be on the other side.
“So, what are you guys doing now,” I asked.
“We’re off tour, if that’s what you mean,” Ray said.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“You’re really shy aren’t you,” Mikey said a smile on his face.
“Sorry,” I repeated.
“It’s okay!”
“Foods here,” Gerard called.
Ray and Bob scooted down, and the food and drinks were passed around.
“Hey, aren’t you My Chemical Romance?"
The day, was October 30, my birthday, when I was called down to the front hall of the orphanage, the front hall that I knew oh so well. I didn’t know what was in store for me as I turned the corner and saw a group of men standing around the owner of the building. I knew something was up when they all fell silent and waited for me to come to a stop next to Mr. Eric.
“Maura,” Mr. Eric said, “I want you to meet Gerard Way, his brother Mikey, and their friends, Frank Iero, Ray Toro, Bob Bryar, and Brian Schechter.”
“Hello,” I said shyly.
Oh my gosh, My Chemical Romance was standing in the front hall of my orphanage, and I was the only one, besides Mr. Eric, who knew about it!
“Maura, Mr. Way,” cue point at Gerard, “Is looking to adopt you.”
“What?”
“He claims to be your father.”
“What?”
It couldn’t be true I couldn’t be Gerard Way’s daughter. No. I’m nothing like him. I don’t look like him, I don’t do anything that he does, and… basically we’re complete opposites!
“Maura,” Gerard said, “12 years ago, my girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl, but gave it up at birth. She never told me about it, telling me that the baby had died. A few months later she committed suicide, and her parents told me about the baby. I was so set on finding her, my daughter, that I’ve spent all of my free time searching the child care net, looking… for that small innocent child, the one I could call my own.
“But I’ve found you, Maura…. I’m sure. I got a call from an agent saying that a 12 year old girl lived at this orphanage, who was given up at birth one the date of October 30, 1993, she was born in Newark Central Hospital, and the parents were too young to take care of her.”
Tears had formed in my eyes as I listened to his story. The story if his effort to find me, while I just sat there, not finding him. I really wanted his story to be true, I really wanted to be his, and only his.
“Gerard, the papers are filled, and everything is okay, you can take her if you want,” Mr. Eric said, a knowing smile on his face. It wasn’t the kind that said, ‘finally the bitch is leaving’ it was the true genuine kind that said, ‘I know you’ll be a great father, and I know you’ll be happy.’
“What about my things,” I asked.
“Everything is packed and ready.”
I nodded, and Gerard was handed a suitcase, that held all of my things.
“Are you ready,” he asked, holding out his hand.
I nodded, still shy from the mere fact that it was Gerard Way, and I took his hand, letting him lead me out of the place I’ve called home for the past 12 years. Outside, a black hummer was waiting for us, it was kind of a stretch, but kind of not in some weird way. Frank, Ray, Mikey, and Bob all climbed in, and Gerard waited off to the side for me to climb in. Inside, it was very spacious. I sat myself nervously next to Frank, as Gerard – I mean my father – climbed into the car after me.
“Hey, Maura, I’m Frank.”
“H-Hello,” I said nervously.
“Don’t be so shy,” he replied, nudging me softly.
I gave a shy smile, and blushed at the looseness he had around me. The other guys, including Gerard, all watched my reactions to everything, some giggling at my blush.
“So you’re twelve,” asked Mikey.
I nodded.
“Sweet.”
“What are you into,” Frank asked.
“Um…. Music, I can sing pretty well, or so I’m told.”
“Sing eh?”
“Yeah,” I replied, nodding.
“Could you sing for us now?”
Everyone in the car watched me, and I shook my head ‘no.’
“I’m not very comfortable right now,” I said, “I-I don’t know you all that well yet.”
“Well we’re going to have to change that then, aren’t we,” Gerard said, everyone laughed, I blushed.
“So those two suitcases, is that all you have,” Frank asked, “Not that I mean anything against you.”
“The black one has my clothing, the red on my trinkets.”
“One suitcase of clothing!” Frank was in shock.
I nodded, ashamed.
“We’re totally going to have to fix that,” he said, leaning back in his seat.
“You don’t have to, I mean I don’t mine,” I said.
“I do,” Frank said, Gerard gave him a stern look, “Sorry Gee.”
“Are you hungry,” he asked.
“No,” I lied, my stomach protested, giving me away.
“We’re stopping at a Dairy Queen before we go home, we’ll eat something there.”
“You don’t have to, I’m not that hungry.”
Cue stomach growling again.
“We’re stopping.”
The car ride was silent for a while, until we stopped and everyone got out. Walking in, the building was somewhat empty, there were a group of kids in the back who all looked up when we entered, their jaws opened.
“What do you want,” Gerard asked.
“I can pay for it,” I offered.
“Nonsense,” he exclaimed, “You’re my daughter, I should be able to buy you food.”
I felt bad after he said that, and he noticed it, and wrapped an arm around me.
“What do you want?”
I ordered a crispy chicken flamethrower, no tomato, a medium french-fry, and a medium root beer, the other guys read the order and were shocked.
“I’ve never seen a girl order that much food,” Bob said, amazed.
“I know,” agreed Mikey.
The kids in the back were watching us, guessing who I was, and trying to find ways to come over and say ‘hi.’ Mikey lead me to a booth, pretty close to the kids, and sat me down, sitting next to me, with Frank on the outside, Gerard, Ray, and Bob would be on the other side.
“So, what are you guys doing now,” I asked.
“We’re off tour, if that’s what you mean,” Ray said.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“You’re really shy aren’t you,” Mikey said a smile on his face.
“Sorry,” I repeated.
“It’s okay!”
“Foods here,” Gerard called.
Ray and Bob scooted down, and the food and drinks were passed around.
“Hey, aren’t you My Chemical Romance?"
10/6/13