The Other Half Of Me

Mikey watched his brother's pain every day. The teachers all thought he had stomach problems, but both he and David knew better. It must be where their father was hitting Gee. There would be no visible bruises. He could keep the secret.

"Don't worry Davy, I am sure that we will get to visit for Christmas. It's only a few weeks away."

Mikey held his older brother as he sobbed, feeling his twin brother's pain miles away.

(time passes)

It took a lot of doing and a little heavy handed action, but Gerard was finally behaving the way Don expected him too.

After he shipped the other boys off to military school, he had his own little intervention with the son that was left. He went through his room and got rid of everything that was unbecoming a man. He could not believe the boy had women's clothing! A sound punishment made sure that the boy learned the error of his ways in that one.

Don got rid of the make up and anything sweet smelling that a girl would use in the bathroom. He let the boy keep those ridiculous skinny jeans, only because he was not going to waste good money buying him new clothes. He dropped the boy off and picked him up from school so that none of his fag friends could get to him. He was pretty sure that Gerard was not talking to any of them in school anymore either. He caught him a handful of times talking to the boy that started it all. He stopped that shit real quick.
He may have gone a little too far on that one. The boy was pissing blood for a week, but it taught him the right lesson. He also stopped anyone from calling him Gee. The nickname sounded like a girl and that was not acceptable anymore.

"Tell me again why David and Michael can't come home for Christmas Don?"

"Hon, we just shipped them off less than two months ago. It would not improve their behavior and they would negatively influence Gerard again."

"I don't know dear. Gerard seems even more withdrawn with them gone. He is eating less and spending more time in his room."

"Don't worry hon, I will have a talk with him."

After their little talk Gerard was seen more in the family room watching TV and taking a second helping at dinner. Donna was happy and satisfied again. A few times he thought he heard the boy throwing up, but it was winter so he must have caught a bug.

(time passes)

"Come on Don, it's their birthday."

"Alright, if Gerard continues to behave, they can come for a birthday visit, but not all day."

"Did you hear that Gerard? David and Michael can come home for your birthday."

It sickened Don how happy it made the boy. Perhaps tonight he needed another lesson on how to school his emotions more becoming of a man.

(time passes)

"We can't wait to see you Gee! Davy has been so worried about you!"

"I miss you guys so much."

Gee said quietly down the phone.
His head was hung low as he sat curled up on the sofa with the cellphone pressed to his right ear. Their mum had somehow persuaded Don to let him speak to his brothers for a couple of minutes every Sunday, and he practically lived for those calls.
Don was sat across from him, listening to every word he said.

"It's not the same here without you."

He was trying not to cry, but being so far away from his brothers...David especially, Gee was becoming more depressed by the day.
Someone had told him it was called "separation anxiety", or something. Gee didn't care what the technical name for how he felt was, he just knew that some days, it was all he could do to get out of bed in the morning.

"We'll be home soon. Only five more days, then we get to stay for two whole days!"

Donna had convinced Don to let the boys come home on Friday and stay till Sunday.

Gee smiled slightly, though no one saw.

"I can't wait."

His fingers pulled at his long hair...Gee was surprised their dad hadn't taken the kitchen scissors to it yet.

"I won't be able to concentrate all day Friday til I see you."

"Ehem"

Don cleared his throat loudly indicating that it was Gerard's time up on the phone. Mikey heard it.

"Alright Gee, We'll see you Friday. Love you."

"I love you both too..."

Gee was cut off from saying more as Don ripped the cell from his fingers and ended the call.

"What did I tell you about that kind of behavior Gerard?"

Gee looked down, squeezing his eyes shut to hold back his tears.

"S-sorry s-sir."

He stuttered quietly.

"I guess you need a lesson in that again."

Gee whimpered as he felt Don's hand roughly grab his upper arm and drag him to his feet.

"You have to be quiet, your mom is sleeping."

He dragged him down to the basement and shut the door behind them.

(time passes)

Don was relaxing after a few beers Thursday night. He was looking forward to a quiet weekend with maybe a few lessons for the boy in between. His buzz was broke by singing. It was not bad singing, but it was the wrong song for a boy to be enjoying. Not to mention the voice was too high for a boy.

"Guess it's time for another lesson."

Don finished his fifth beer and then cracked his knuckles making his way up the stairs.

Gee was sat on his bed with his earbuds in while he worked on a picture of him and his brothers...it was to be a birthday present for David, and he was nearly finished. He had his back to the bedroom door, and didn't hear it opening.

"Didn't I tell you not to listen to that shit anymore?"

Gee didn't hear...his favourite song was playing and he was too engrossed in his drawing.

Don didn't like to be ignored. He reached out and grabbed the boy's hair, fisting it hard.

"LOOK AT ME WHEN I AM FUCKING TALKING TO YOU!"

Gee screamed, his pencil ripping through the middle of the page as he was yanked backward.

"What is this shit? I thought I told you to stop with that faggot art crap!"

Tears streamed down Gee's pale face.

"It's a b-birthd-day p-present for D-David..."

His eyes moved down to the ruined picture.

"was."

"What the fuck are you talking about, what birthday? It's no ones birthday."

Don slurred and swayed a bit as he shook Gerard.

"But it's...it's o-our b-birthday t-tomorrow."

Gee squeaked in distress.

"Bull shit! You're a fuckin' liar!"

Don threw the boy against the closet door.

"Gonna have to teach you a lesson about lyin' to people."

He closed in on the boy, flexing his fists.

(time passes)

Gee woke up on the floor of his bedroom. The room was in darkness and everything hurt.

Don had hurt him plenty during the last 5 months, but nothing like this. Gee groaned and curled up on his side...he'd had enough...he couldn't take any more.

Rolling onto his hands and knees, feeling his stomach clench with painful nausea, Gee panted and tried to gain the strength to get up.

After a few minutes, Gee forced himself up to his feet, using his dresser for support. He clicked on the lamp on his desk and nearly threw up when he caught sight of himself in the mirror on his closet door.
Don hadn't restricted himself to places that didn't show this time, and the whole left side of Gee's face was turning an ugly purple colour already.

Swallowing back bile, cos there wasn't really anything in Gee's stomach right now...for which he was grateful for once...Gee slumped onto his desk chair and pulled out a notepad and pen.
Tears slipping down his swollen cheeks, Gee started to write.

Dear mom,
I love you so much, and I hope one day you can forgive me, but I have to go. I have to get out before dad kills me, and I'm pretty sure if he'd been just a couple of cans drunker tonight, he would have.
He lied! It wasn't David and Mikey that put me in hospital, it was him!
David and Mikey tried to protect me, and that's why dad sent them away.
I know you'll blame yourself for not seeing what was happening, but please don't. Dad was very good at covering his tracks, til now.
Please take care of yourself, David and Mikey, and tell them I love them both, and I'll never forget them.
Goodbye mom. Yours, Gee.
xxx.

Gee picked up the letter and stood shakily. He walked over to his bed and lay it on his pillow then leaned down to pick up his paint splattered school bag from the floor...his head swam and he took a second to steady himself before moving again.

Once he'd regained his equilibrium, Gee emptied the bag and went to his dresser. He stuffed underwear, socks and t-shirts into the bag, then moved to his closet. He stripped out of the clothes he was in, as they had blood on them, and grabbed another pair of jeans. He pulled them on, wincing as the denim dragged up his bruised and scraped up legs. He went back to the dresser and started putting on band shirts...he stopped when he got to six, then pulled on his heaviest hoodie, a black one with a pink Hello Kitty on the front...luckily it had been inside out when Don did his purge, so he'd missed it.
Gee grabbed a black beanie hat with little cat ears that David had bought him a year ago, for their last birthday, and pulled it on.

He shuffled over to his closet and pulled out his DMs...they were warmer and more protective than his Converse, even if he did prefer the lighter shoes. He sat on his bed and pulled the heavy black boots on, lacing them with shaky fingers.
He had spent hours customising the boots with graffiti designs when he first got them...he remembered Mikey sitting on the end of his bed watching him work.

Gee sniffed back more tears that threatened to fall and wiped them away with the back of his hand before opening his bedside drawer and retrieving the key he kept hidden there.
Silently, he went to his closet for the last time and dug in behind all his miscellaneous crap to retrieve the small lockbox he kept there.
Gee had been saving every dollar he got for birthdays, Christmases and odd jobs for the last two years, but he had secretly used some for art supplies recently, cos Don wouldn't let him get them if he knew.

Gee opened the box and took out the $187.42 he had left. He went back to his bed and stuffed the money into his wallet, shoving that into the bottom of his bag.

Sighing, Gee took one last look around the room, his eyes lingering on David's bed.

"Goodbye."

He whispered, before slipping out of his bedroom, down the stairs, and out into the night.

(time passes)

"Gee, time for school sweetheart."

Donna knocked on the door. No answer.

"Gee?"

Donna opened the door and saw that her son's bed had not been slept in. There was a pile of clothing on the floor.

"Maybe he slept on the sofa."

She had not been downstairs yet. She started to gather the clothing together when she gasped. Blood. Blood all over the clothing. This was more than just a nose bleed. This person should barely be able to move. She sat on the bed and heard a crinkle sound. She stood up and saw a letter written in her son's handwriting. She picked it up and started to read.

(time passes)

Don was nursing a hangover from hell when he hit the floor face first.

"You monster! You could have fucking killed him!"

"What are you on about Donna?"

"Don't you even speak to me! You sent David and Michael off so you could continue to beat on Gerard!"

"I caught him kissing a boy!"

"So?!"

"So you want a faggot for a son!?"

"I want children that are happy and not afraid of me!"

Donna picked up the phone.

"Get out of here! I am calling the police and pressing child abuse charges on you!"

"They'll get you too! They'll say you knew!"

"How dare you!?"

Donna hauled off and punched Don and he went down. She continued her phone call.

(time passes)

David was shaking in Mikey's arms, tears still on his face. The pain he felt last night had been worse than ever...he'd been terrified for his brother, and still was, cos the feeling he had now was one he didn't think he'd ever felt before, and never wanted to again.

There was a knock on their bedroom door.

"Way, phone call."

David sniffed and nodded.

"Yes Sir."

He stood up from the bed.

"Come on Mikes."

(time passes)

"Fuck Davy, what are we gonna do?"

Mikey never cursed. Well he was cursing now.

"We're going to find him..."

David said, stuffing his things roughly into his hold-all.

"Whatever it takes Mikey, we're gonna find Gee and bring him home."

Notes

Hi there chipmunks...how's you?

So shit went down, and now the story can really get going.

Until next time...PLEASE COMMENT, and peace out babies!
<3