I Never Told You What I Did for a Living
Support System
As we drew closer to Dad's house, I noticed something was out of the ordinary. There was a car in the driveway that wasn't familiar. I had a vague feeling of deja vu from the time I'd seen Dad's car in Mom's driveway.
"Who's here?" I asked warily.
Gerard didn't reply, he merely shrugged and smiled. I sighed, seriously not in the mood for surprises. When he put the car in park I stepped out and headed for the door.
"You don't seem excited," he observed.
"I just don't care anymore. I want to go to sleep and wake up when this is all over."
"When will that be?"
"When Mom's operation is done and I'm done high school and I'm living with you and Mikey. Does that work for you?"
"It would if it were possible. If it could be done, I'd be right there with you."
"I hate high school," I grumbled.
"I did, too," he offered a sympathetic smile. "But it gets better, I promise."
Suddenly I found myself leaning against him, entwining my fingers when I clasped my hands together behind his back. His frame was solid and safe. He would always protect me, I had no doubt of that.
"Can we run away?" I whispered, a lump of hard emotion building in my throat and blocking my ability to speak in a normal tone of voice.
"To where?"
I shrugged as his arms made their way around me, holding me close to him. "Anywhere. Somewhere that I can't be reminded of anything here."
"Sorry, Lily, I think you've got to finish whatever it is you've started here. I know something happened today, and I know you'll regret it if you leave now. You're the kind of girl who would hate herself if she purposely hurt someone."
"But I hurt her today, and I don't care. She hurt me first."
"Who?"
"It's not important," bitterness seeped into my words and I could feel Gerard's confusion. I pulled out of the embrace and entered the house, forgetting the strange car for a moment.
"Yay! School's out!"
I hardly had a moment to think of who the voice belonged to before I was ambushed. Frank leapt onto me, nearly crushing me in a hug. When he released me, I saw Ray standing behind him, a small smile on his full lips.
I was so happy to see them I began to cry. It definitely wasn't on purpose, but the tears flowed irregardless. Frankie looked shocked and pulled me against his chest hurriedly.
"I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't want to hurt you! I didn't think I hugged you that hard! I'm so sorry."
I began to laugh through the tears. "You didn't hurt me, Frankie. I'm happy to see you guys, that's all."
"I'll never understand girls," Ray muttered, chuckling lightly.
"It's been a rough couple of days for her," Mikey piped up defensively.
"You still want to run away?" Gerard smirked.
I shoved him softly as I brushed the tears from my eyes. "Not from here, but I still don't want to go back to school."
"School sucks. If I had to go back, I'd end up the same way I was before. I'd be either shoved in a locker or smoking behind the gym," Frank snickered at the memories. "Or maybe I'd find a girl like you, Lily. That would definitely make it more bearable."
"Why don't you go in my place? It might be a better experience than the last time you went through it," I offered.
"Yeah, but don't get close to this Angela chick," Mikey warned.
"It's not her you need to worry about," I muttered darkly. "Keep your eyes open for Natalie."
"Um... How about you just go instead?" Frankie looked almost queasy from the thought of returning to high school.
I sighed. "Fine, I'll go. But I refuse to enjoy it."
"That's okay, as long as you pass," Gerard kissed my temple as he slid his arm around me.
"I'll pass, don't worry. I don't want to give my parents any reasons to keep me from living with you. So I intend to go to college."
"Good," Mikey grinned. "I want you to live with me. When you're there Gerard doesn't keep such a close eye on me."
"And who says I won't keep an eye on you?" there was a threat lining my question.
"Because you're too fun to do that," he seemed to be pleading.
I laughed. "Okay, fine. I'll be nice."
"That's my girl," Gerard whispered.
"Who's here?" I asked warily.
Gerard didn't reply, he merely shrugged and smiled. I sighed, seriously not in the mood for surprises. When he put the car in park I stepped out and headed for the door.
"You don't seem excited," he observed.
"I just don't care anymore. I want to go to sleep and wake up when this is all over."
"When will that be?"
"When Mom's operation is done and I'm done high school and I'm living with you and Mikey. Does that work for you?"
"It would if it were possible. If it could be done, I'd be right there with you."
"I hate high school," I grumbled.
"I did, too," he offered a sympathetic smile. "But it gets better, I promise."
Suddenly I found myself leaning against him, entwining my fingers when I clasped my hands together behind his back. His frame was solid and safe. He would always protect me, I had no doubt of that.
"Can we run away?" I whispered, a lump of hard emotion building in my throat and blocking my ability to speak in a normal tone of voice.
"To where?"
I shrugged as his arms made their way around me, holding me close to him. "Anywhere. Somewhere that I can't be reminded of anything here."
"Sorry, Lily, I think you've got to finish whatever it is you've started here. I know something happened today, and I know you'll regret it if you leave now. You're the kind of girl who would hate herself if she purposely hurt someone."
"But I hurt her today, and I don't care. She hurt me first."
"Who?"
"It's not important," bitterness seeped into my words and I could feel Gerard's confusion. I pulled out of the embrace and entered the house, forgetting the strange car for a moment.
"Yay! School's out!"
I hardly had a moment to think of who the voice belonged to before I was ambushed. Frank leapt onto me, nearly crushing me in a hug. When he released me, I saw Ray standing behind him, a small smile on his full lips.
I was so happy to see them I began to cry. It definitely wasn't on purpose, but the tears flowed irregardless. Frankie looked shocked and pulled me against his chest hurriedly.
"I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't want to hurt you! I didn't think I hugged you that hard! I'm so sorry."
I began to laugh through the tears. "You didn't hurt me, Frankie. I'm happy to see you guys, that's all."
"I'll never understand girls," Ray muttered, chuckling lightly.
"It's been a rough couple of days for her," Mikey piped up defensively.
"You still want to run away?" Gerard smirked.
I shoved him softly as I brushed the tears from my eyes. "Not from here, but I still don't want to go back to school."
"School sucks. If I had to go back, I'd end up the same way I was before. I'd be either shoved in a locker or smoking behind the gym," Frank snickered at the memories. "Or maybe I'd find a girl like you, Lily. That would definitely make it more bearable."
"Why don't you go in my place? It might be a better experience than the last time you went through it," I offered.
"Yeah, but don't get close to this Angela chick," Mikey warned.
"It's not her you need to worry about," I muttered darkly. "Keep your eyes open for Natalie."
"Um... How about you just go instead?" Frankie looked almost queasy from the thought of returning to high school.
I sighed. "Fine, I'll go. But I refuse to enjoy it."
"That's okay, as long as you pass," Gerard kissed my temple as he slid his arm around me.
"I'll pass, don't worry. I don't want to give my parents any reasons to keep me from living with you. So I intend to go to college."
"Good," Mikey grinned. "I want you to live with me. When you're there Gerard doesn't keep such a close eye on me."
"And who says I won't keep an eye on you?" there was a threat lining my question.
"Because you're too fun to do that," he seemed to be pleading.
I laughed. "Okay, fine. I'll be nice."
"That's my girl," Gerard whispered.