Drums Of The City Rain
Chapter 1
TW// abuse, bruising.
Gerard p.o.v
…hey ho let’s go shoot em in the back now… my earphones shut me in my own little world as I sat on my bed revising for my a levels. I say revising. I mean as I stared blankly at a page I had accidentally turned into a biro comic book while slipping in and out of a Ramones based trance
Smash! Noise from downstairs soon snapped me back to reality. “MICHEAL!!” my mother screeched. Mother. Ha. "Mum I’m so sorry I’m sorry it was an accident I’m sorry I’m sorry" I heard my brother gabble. “YOU STUPID BOY! YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO STUPID BOYS WHO DROP THINGS?” “what” “THEY GET PUNISHED. YOUR BROTHER MAY HAVE GROWN TOO TALL FOR THIS BUT YOU’RE STILL 13, I’M GOING TO TEACH YOU YOUR LESSON THE GOOD WAY". Mikey’s pleading was silenced with an audible thump. I shuddered and tried to block out the noise. …I don’t wanna be buried in a pet cemetery… Shouting. Thump. Whimpering. "…NOW GO TO YOUR ROOM AND DONT EXPECT ANY DINNER TOMORROW EITHER!". I sighed, clearing a spot next to me, mentally preparing myself to make everything seem okay for my brother, repeating the same old routine. Sure enough, light footsteps raced up the stairs and in seconds Mikey had thrown himself into my arms. His glasses jabbed into my shoulder as I could feel my tee became soaked through with his sobs, giving me a second hand lump in my throat. I wrapped my arms as far around him as physics would allow and clutched him close to my chest until his rocking back and forth slowed.
After what felt like an age he relaxed slightly and my throat felt a little less choked. “It’s gonna be okay” I whispered “what did she do this time?”. Mikey mumbled and gestured to his face. I gently cupped his chin and with a gulp took a look at him, a forced smile on my face for his comfort. His eyes were red and teary and already I could see the yellow and brown shades of a bruise raising their ugly head on his pale skin; gathering next to the bridge of his nose, his eyelid and all underneath. I hugged him tight before taking his hand, leading him to the bathroom and sitting him down on the toilet lid. Unsure of what to do I wet a piece of toilet roll with cold water, carefully took Mikey’s glasses off and gently pressed it onto his bruise. I hoped maybe the cold or the slight pressure would reduce the swelling or something but i had no idea. He didn’t say anything but I felt him wince as he sat snivelling.
A few minutes later I dared to take another peek and now purples hues were joining their pals and I had to blink back tears. I noticed Mikey was fiddling with some of my makeup. I like to dress up sometimes. Not like in drag. But I like to turn myself into a vampire or a superhero or a rock star sometimes. “Can you do my makeup?” Mikey asked timidly. “Sure” I replied. Although surprised he’d asked, I was a little bit delighted, I always love to do other people’s makeup and never get a chance. Right, how was I to cover up the bruise? Replicating it on the other eye wouldn't work, it’d just make it stand out. I reached for some black gel eyeliner and with a random brush I had found, probably designed for eye-shadow, I began applying it all over Mikey’s eyelid and underneath. Gently I moved onto the bruised eye, I felt my brother tense slightly as I brushed against his tender skin. I squeezed his hand and he seemed okay so I continued. Once both eyes were well and truly surrounded by black I stepped back to take a proper look at him. The poor dude looked like a panda and shades of purple were now creeping onto his nose. I sighed and thought for a moment. I remembered a comic I had read earlier and thought back to the masks the hero had. I know! I had tried this look out on myself a couple of times and it had looked awesome. I began painting the black right up to Mikey’s eyebrow, across his nose joining the black on the other eye, forming a stripe. Although I had used up practically all the pot by this point I managed to extend the makeup across Mikey’s temples and neaten up the edges. I stepped back once again and looked at my handiwork, gently putting his glasses back on him. He stared back at me with a new jet black horizontal stripe stretching right across his eyes and nose, if it wasn’t for his quivering lip he’d look almost badass, plus not one hint of the bruising or swelling was visible.
“Wanna see how awesome you’re looking, bro?” I asked with slight false enthusiasm. Mikey nodded. “stay there” I said as I dashed back to my room. I found an old cracked mirror under my bed I normally used for makeup. A cracked mirror is meant to bring you 7 years bad luck isn’t it? Sounds about right, I must have smashed fuckin thousands in a past life. I took a moment and let a tear escape from my eye and thoughts come rushing back in. “…Gerard” I heard Mikey call cautiously. Come on Gerard, pull yourself together. “Just coming!” I replied, trying to sound reassuring. Forcing my lips upwards at the corners, I went back into the bathroom.
I held the mirror up to my brothers face and his features immediately lit up with a flicker of a smile. “Thanks gee!!” he said while examining his new look. I couldn’t help but grin myself, and this time it wasn’t forced. A yell of my name from downstairs soon interrupted the moment though “Dinners ready!”. I darted back into my room and chucked Mikey my mp3 player. “Listen to that” I whispered. I squeezed him and planted a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”
Gerard p.o.v
…hey ho let’s go shoot em in the back now… my earphones shut me in my own little world as I sat on my bed revising for my a levels. I say revising. I mean as I stared blankly at a page I had accidentally turned into a biro comic book while slipping in and out of a Ramones based trance
Smash! Noise from downstairs soon snapped me back to reality. “MICHEAL!!” my mother screeched. Mother. Ha. "Mum I’m so sorry I’m sorry it was an accident I’m sorry I’m sorry" I heard my brother gabble. “YOU STUPID BOY! YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO STUPID BOYS WHO DROP THINGS?” “what” “THEY GET PUNISHED. YOUR BROTHER MAY HAVE GROWN TOO TALL FOR THIS BUT YOU’RE STILL 13, I’M GOING TO TEACH YOU YOUR LESSON THE GOOD WAY". Mikey’s pleading was silenced with an audible thump. I shuddered and tried to block out the noise. …I don’t wanna be buried in a pet cemetery… Shouting. Thump. Whimpering. "…NOW GO TO YOUR ROOM AND DONT EXPECT ANY DINNER TOMORROW EITHER!". I sighed, clearing a spot next to me, mentally preparing myself to make everything seem okay for my brother, repeating the same old routine. Sure enough, light footsteps raced up the stairs and in seconds Mikey had thrown himself into my arms. His glasses jabbed into my shoulder as I could feel my tee became soaked through with his sobs, giving me a second hand lump in my throat. I wrapped my arms as far around him as physics would allow and clutched him close to my chest until his rocking back and forth slowed.
After what felt like an age he relaxed slightly and my throat felt a little less choked. “It’s gonna be okay” I whispered “what did she do this time?”. Mikey mumbled and gestured to his face. I gently cupped his chin and with a gulp took a look at him, a forced smile on my face for his comfort. His eyes were red and teary and already I could see the yellow and brown shades of a bruise raising their ugly head on his pale skin; gathering next to the bridge of his nose, his eyelid and all underneath. I hugged him tight before taking his hand, leading him to the bathroom and sitting him down on the toilet lid. Unsure of what to do I wet a piece of toilet roll with cold water, carefully took Mikey’s glasses off and gently pressed it onto his bruise. I hoped maybe the cold or the slight pressure would reduce the swelling or something but i had no idea. He didn’t say anything but I felt him wince as he sat snivelling.
A few minutes later I dared to take another peek and now purples hues were joining their pals and I had to blink back tears. I noticed Mikey was fiddling with some of my makeup. I like to dress up sometimes. Not like in drag. But I like to turn myself into a vampire or a superhero or a rock star sometimes. “Can you do my makeup?” Mikey asked timidly. “Sure” I replied. Although surprised he’d asked, I was a little bit delighted, I always love to do other people’s makeup and never get a chance. Right, how was I to cover up the bruise? Replicating it on the other eye wouldn't work, it’d just make it stand out. I reached for some black gel eyeliner and with a random brush I had found, probably designed for eye-shadow, I began applying it all over Mikey’s eyelid and underneath. Gently I moved onto the bruised eye, I felt my brother tense slightly as I brushed against his tender skin. I squeezed his hand and he seemed okay so I continued. Once both eyes were well and truly surrounded by black I stepped back to take a proper look at him. The poor dude looked like a panda and shades of purple were now creeping onto his nose. I sighed and thought for a moment. I remembered a comic I had read earlier and thought back to the masks the hero had. I know! I had tried this look out on myself a couple of times and it had looked awesome. I began painting the black right up to Mikey’s eyebrow, across his nose joining the black on the other eye, forming a stripe. Although I had used up practically all the pot by this point I managed to extend the makeup across Mikey’s temples and neaten up the edges. I stepped back once again and looked at my handiwork, gently putting his glasses back on him. He stared back at me with a new jet black horizontal stripe stretching right across his eyes and nose, if it wasn’t for his quivering lip he’d look almost badass, plus not one hint of the bruising or swelling was visible.
“Wanna see how awesome you’re looking, bro?” I asked with slight false enthusiasm. Mikey nodded. “stay there” I said as I dashed back to my room. I found an old cracked mirror under my bed I normally used for makeup. A cracked mirror is meant to bring you 7 years bad luck isn’t it? Sounds about right, I must have smashed fuckin thousands in a past life. I took a moment and let a tear escape from my eye and thoughts come rushing back in. “…Gerard” I heard Mikey call cautiously. Come on Gerard, pull yourself together. “Just coming!” I replied, trying to sound reassuring. Forcing my lips upwards at the corners, I went back into the bathroom.
I held the mirror up to my brothers face and his features immediately lit up with a flicker of a smile. “Thanks gee!!” he said while examining his new look. I couldn’t help but grin myself, and this time it wasn’t forced. A yell of my name from downstairs soon interrupted the moment though “Dinners ready!”. I darted back into my room and chucked Mikey my mp3 player. “Listen to that” I whispered. I squeezed him and planted a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”
Notes
Hey :)
This is my first ever fic so plz leave some feedback. Also my writing skills are kinda crappy like i think good at storylines n vocab but my grammar tends to be a little bit off. The next chapter is gonna be so much happier overall so hang in here.
Megan x
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Please come back to this
2/19/16