The night at Taylor’s had been a lot better than I’d expected. We didn’t talk much, and if we did, I tried to keep it light. But of course, the conversation eventually spiralled downwards until we were back to square one.

“I don’t know how I’m going to come out dude. My dad will go crazy. And I don’t really know how Vail’s gonna react…” He trailed off.

It was obvious he cared about his girlfriend, going on about their relationship, how they’d known each other since they were babies, how they’d always been best friends and they’d become a couple in the last year of middle school.

“I haven’t talked to her since school started and she’s getting suspicious…”

I nodded sympathetically.

“I’m not exactly an expert here. I mean, I only came out yesterday.”

“After… uh, Iero?”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

“Um, yeah… He was kind of the reason I came out.”

“So, you two are like, dating, or something?”

“God no!” I exclaimed. “Well… I’m not really sure.”

I shrugged, grabbing the game controller in hopes Taylor would get the message and end the conversation, but he grabbed it from my hand and waved it in front of my face.

“Be sure. Sure that you’re not dating, I mean. Iero is trouble. He’s a douche, and a bully, and just not nice. Not to mention the whole emo thing, but I’m not gonna go there.”

I wouldn't meet his eyes and he sighed again.

“Gerard, if you want any chance of fitting in here, you need to keep away from him. He’s bad news. Everyone hates him, and if you’re with him, everyone will hate you.”

“Believe me, people have tried to be his friend. There was this one girl in sophomore year who tried to start a conversation with him, and he said such horrible things to her that he left her seeing a shrink. Just be careful with him, okay? You’re the only person I can talk to about my problems, and I don’t want you left rocking back and forth in the corner of a psych ward.”

I was kind of taken aback by what Taylor had said. I knew that Frank could be bitter but I didn’t think he was that bad. I‘d seen a totally new side to him yesterday and I wanted my memories of him to stay sweet. I shuddered.

“Thanks Tay. I‘ll try to watch out.”

“No problem, dude.” He said, tossing the controller back into my lap.

We played in silence well into the night, until Taylor’s mom popped her head back in the door and said it was getting late and my mom was probably worried.

I thanked her for her hospitality and gave Taylor a warm hug before leaving their house.

Once on the highway back home, I pushed some Misfits into the sound system and blasted Green Hell until I reached my house. It was late and I didn’t expect to see so many lights on. As I walked up to the front door, I was met by Alicia bursting out and running down our driveway and onto the street. She looked like she’d been crying, and I wanted to run after her but I didn’t feel it was my place. Instead, I stepped inside and closed the door softly, eyebrows drawn in confusion.

I could hear a noise coming from our living room, and so I made my way in. Mikey was sitting on the floor with his back to me, and his whole body was shuddering with sobs.

“Mikey?” I said softly.

“Gerard, go away.” he mumbled, in between snivels.

I knew Mikey, and with him, “go away” always meant “come over here and hug me”. So I walked over to him and pulled him from the ground into a huge warm embrace.

He collapsed into me, and it was lucky that the couch was right behind me or I would have fallen flat on my back. I was thrown on the couch with Mikey in my arms as he bawled aimlessly into my chest, and although I was desperate to know what had happened, I knew it was pointless to ask with Mikey in this state.

We sat like that for hours, with Mikey against me, and me desperately trying to calm him down. When his whimpers stopped, I was about to question him on the night’s events but found he was fast asleep on my shoulder. I pulled a blanket over from the armchair across from us, and together we fell asleep, just like we used to when we were kids.

***

She liked to observe. She saw the brother and his girlfriend enter the house. She saw the boy drive up and walk in after the girlfriend had left. She saw the boy comfort his brother, and later saw them fall asleep together on the couch.

She liked to observe. She was very good at observing. But she was better at killing.

Notes

Title credit: Figure It Out - VersaEmerge