Oh Baby Let Me In

Gerard's P.O.V I sat down, slowly, on my bed. Mikey frowned at me with concern as I lifted my t-shirt to reveal some pretty nasty bruises. Fucking Brendon's done himself proud. "I could have took that for you, ya know." Mikey moaned. "I should have stopped him." Pete snapped. "I can't even protect my best friend and my boyfriend. I'm fucking useless." He dropped onto the bed and put his head in his hands. I sighed as I pulled my shirt back down. "There's no way I was going to let either of you take it for me." I informed them. "I can take it. I have for four years already." Mikey sat down by Pete and hugged him. "You shouldn't have to take it." He pointed out. I thought back to the short punk kid. Such a waste. A hot kid like that hanging around with Brendon fucking Urie and Ray Toro. I mean, Ray's a cool guy. He's just been caught up in Brendon's shit. I wonder what the punk kid's story is. Not that I care. If he's Brendon's friend, he can't be trusted. Ray's different. I've known him a long time. He wouldn't hurt anyone. Even if he doesn't stop Brendon. My laptop buzzes, indicating a Skype call. I know exactly who it is. I look at Mikey and Pete. "Say nothing about Brendon to Jezza." I warned. They both sighed but agreed. I opened the laptop and pressed answer, smiling at my dark haired, bearded friend, Jeremy McKinnon. "Hey, Red." Jeremy greated me by his nickname for me. "How's my weird bro doing today?" I laughed. It hurt my stomach but I tried not to show it. "I am not weird." I protested. "Just a little......strange?" He shook his head and looked at Mikey. "Hey, nerd. How's it going?" Mikey grinned. "I'm not a nerd." He stated. Jeremy frowned at Pete. "You okay, little dude?" He asked with concern. He only knows Pete through Skype, but he cares about him. Pete sighed as he looked at Jeremy. "Just a little stressed." He lied. "I fucking hate school." Jeremy laughed. "I get it." He said. "Too much homework. Unless your Red with music and art of course. Or Mikey with.....everything else." Mikey groaned. "I'm rubbish at gym." Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Okay. Everything but gym. Happy?" Mikey grinned. "That's a start at least. Now to just stop you calling me nerd." Jeremy laughed. "Never gonna happen.....nerd." Mikey groaned as we all laughed. "So when you coming to visit?" I asked after we'd all calmed down. "I really miss you." Jeremy knew I was gay. But he also knew I loved him. But in the same way as Mikey. He was like a brother to me. We'd grown up on the same street. We were constantly together because our parents were best friends. We'd been friends since birth. Same with our parents. But four years ago, the McKinnon's had to move away for work. So we skyped every night after school. "I'm working on it, Red." Jeremy frowned. "I miss you too. I fucking hate living so far away. But I promise I'll move back as soon as I can." I sighed. "I wish it was now." Jeremy smiled, sadly. "Me too, bro. Me too." We talked for over an hour before Mum called us down for food. "We gotta go." I said, sadly, looking at my best friend on the screen. "We got new neighbours and Mum invited them for a welcome meal. Apparently they have a son our age. So in kicks the social anxiety. Yay." Jeremy laughed. "You'll handle it, Red. I believe in you." I smiled. "Thanks, Jezza. You're the best." We all said our goodbyes then headed downstairs. In the dining room sat three extra people. A woman with short blonde hair, a guy with short black, greying hair and a kid with messy black hair. Hot, but not as hot as the short punk kid earlier. What the fuck is wrong with me? I can't get to like a friend of Brendon's. Even if he is hot. Damn it. "Sit down, boys." Mum interrupted my inner battle, thankfully. I sighed as I sat between the kid and Dad. Mikey sat across from me. Pete next to him, across from the kid. The kids Dad sat across from Dad, at the head of the table. His Mum next to him with my Mum across from her, next to Pete. "This is Matthew and Joanne Armstrong." Mum introduced the parents. "And this is their son, Billie Joe. And these are our boys Gerard and Mikey. This is their friend, Pete. Pete's practically one of the family. He's always here. Aren't you, sweetie?" Pete grinned. "Best place to hang out in New Jersey." He stated, proudly. "Best food too. Donna's a whiz in the kitchen. That's why I don't like to leave. Plus the Way family is so awesome. Believe me, you won't want to leave either." Dad laughed. "So all we have to do to get you to leave is quit feeding you and ignore you more?" Pete's grin widened. "Not likely. Your not like that. Besides, I'd still have Gee and Mikes. So I'm not going anywhere." Dad faked sadness. "Great." "Hey." Pete laughed. "You love me really." "I suppose." Dad sighed. Pete frowned. "Well, cheers, Don." Everyone laughed. Of course I had to moan in pain. I tried to cover it with a cough. But it was too late. Dad noticed and looked at me with concern. "You okay, son?" He asked. Everyone looked at me with curiosity. I felt like hiding. "I'm fine, Dad." I said as convincingly as possible. "He's probably been thinking about the ton of homework he has." Mikey piped up. "He was worried about it earlier." He looked at me. "I told you not to worry. I'll help." I gave him a grateful smile as everyone looked at him. "I'll help too." Pete added. I grinned. "Not if I want to pass, you won't." Everyone laughed again. After food, we took Billie Joe down to my basement bedroom. "You sleep in the basement?" He asked, surprised. "That's awesome." We sat on my bed playing cod and talking about school. "You should hang out with someone else." I advised him. "It'd be safer for you." Billie frowned. "Why would it be safer for me?" Mikey paused the game and looked at me. "Show him." I sighed as I lifted my t-shirt. "Fucking hell." Billie cursed, eyes wide. "Who did that?" "A ass hole called Brendon Urie." Pete added as I lowered my top. "He attacks Gerard every fucking day and I can't stop him because I'm a fucking pussy." Mikey pulled him into a hug. "We both can't do anything." He pointed out. "Gerard takes beating after beating. He even takes it for us." Billie looked pissed off. "I hate fucking bullies." He looked back at me. "But I still want to be your friend. So even if I can't stop him, I still wanna hang with you three. But if he goes to hit me, don't protect me. I can handle it." I sighed. "I always protect my friends." I admitted. "Besides, it's me Brendon has the problem with." Mikey's phone buzzed, silencing us all as he answered it. "Hello?" Mikey said. I frowned at him. "Who is it?" I asked. Mikey only got calls from us. Mikey shrugged. "I don't know. No one's talking and it's an unknown number." Pete lost it, grabbing the phone. "Leave my boyfriend alone you prick." He snapped. Then he grinned as he passed the phone back. "They hung up." I shook my head. "You don't even know who it was." I laughed, then groaned. Pete shrugged. "Probably just a pervert who gets off to the sound of young, hot kids." Billie piped up. "What's the number again?" Mikey frowned. "Withheld." Pete shrugged, grinning. 'See?" He said, triumphantly. "That's exactly what a pervert would do." Mikey and Billie laughed. I just smirked as I shook my head. As predicted, the Armstrong's didn't want to go home. But Billie had school in the morning. So with a promise from Billie to meet us tomorrow for school, they went. Of course Pete slept on my bedroom couch. All I could think of as I drifted to sleep was the short hot punk kid and that look he gave me. I still don't know what it meant.

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