Behind This Smile

Still Sydri POV

It took Mikey forever to realize that he was kind of walking with me to my house instead of his own. He muttered something about him not having a brain, so I suggested he just come home with me. If he wanted to, of course. He smiled gratefully and thanked me. He started talking about this unsual obession with unicorns, and how he usually dreams of them. Last night, one supposedly saved him from a dragon...

"Mikey, you need serious help," I laughed when he finished.

"You know, that's what everybody says. And I don't. I like being this way." He smiled and joined me in my laughter. He slightly pushed his thick rimmed glasses up his nose and followed me when I turned the corner.

"You know, you could sit with us at lunch," he whispered, like he was afraid I was going to hear it and get mad.

I shook my head. "I get this strange feeling your brother doesn't like me." I shrugged. "I'm fine, though. Honestly. It gives me a time to think." I smiled a bit. "It gives people a reason to talk about me, as if it'll ever affect me. Like it scars me everytime I pass them and they whisper to each other about my over use of eyeliner. But I got used to it. Never had anything to get used to. It was going to happen sooner or later."

Mikey nodded understandly. "Yeah. I get what you mean."

I smirked. "You have friends." I walked up my front porch, took the key put of my backpack and opened the door. "Welcome to my lovely abode," I muttered. And it was lovely. For me, nonetheless.

Mikey smiled. "It's very homey." He walked around, sat on the couch, then got up again. "Where's your bathroom?" he asked.

"First room to the left," I replied.

He started walking then stopped. "Hey can you call my mom, please? Tell her I'm at your house?" I nodded and he gave me his number one- by- one as I dialed them.

He went into the bathroom, and I waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello? This is Gerard." God, just my luck.

"Um, yeah, Gerard, this is Syd-" Before I could get my whole name out, the dial tone rang in my ears.

--

I sat on the couch, phone in my hands, waiting for Mikey. Why did he hate me so much? I thought. I had never done anything to him. If anything, I should be the one mad at him. He's one of the many people who watch me get beat up, and do nothing about it. Or he judges books by their covers and doesn't have the decency to talk to me and find out I'm not a horrible person.

I heard the toilet make the flushing sound, the running water, and the squeaky bathroom door open up; Mikey walked out drying his hands on his pants. "What did my mom say?" he asked and sat down next to me.

"Your mom didn't answer," I replied, staring at the phone.

"Dad?" Mikey asked hopefully.

I sighed. "No. Your brother. I tried to talk to him, but I couldn't even get my name out before he hung up on me. So I'm guessing your parents are probably freaking out because they don't know where you are, or they don't give a shit."

Mikey's eyes widened. "Well, I surely hope they give a shit," he mumbled. "Here, I call my mom." I nodded and handed him the phone. The key pad made the regular beeping sound as he dialed the same number I had dialed moments ago.

I could barely hear the indistinct hello? through the phone. From Mikey's annoyed sigh, I could bet on it that Gerard picked up. Mikey glanced at me, and I pointed to the kitchen so he could talk to Gerard privately. Even then I could still here him.

"What the fuck is your problem?! All she wanted to tell you was that I'm over at her house!" he shouted. I prayed that my dad wasn't home. He wasn't big for cussing.

I heard Gerard through the phone, even though all it sounded like was squeaks. But I could tell that he was yelling, too.

"Don't give me that bullshit! She's just as human as you are, but she actually has a heart!"

I sank down in the couch. God, I'm so horrible, I'm making two brothers practically kill each other over me...

--

After a couple more seconds of the Way brothers arguing, I stood up and searched the house for my dad. I almost opened my sister's door to see if she had killed him, but I though I'd do myself a favor and save myself from going blind. I checked in my room, but he wasn't in there.

I finally looked in his room and saw his cell phone and a piece of torn paper on his bed.

Syd, at doctors' call me

I picked up the cell phone. "How can I possibly call you when you left your phone here?" I though aloud. I did try Dr. Hemlen's number, though. Surprisingly, my dad picked up.

"Syd?" he asked, sounding stressed and upset.

"The one and only, Dad." I paused and frowned. "Is there something wrong, Dad? 'Cause if there is, I need to know."

"No, sweetie! Everything is fine- great. Everything is great." I could practically see him putting on a fake smile.

"Okay, Dad," I muttered. Not even trying to believe he's not lying to me. "Oh, and, uh, Dad, I have a friend over..."

"Really, sweetie?! That's great! See, I told you people would be lining up to be your friend in no time." I felt like I was in kindergarden again, but I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, Dad. You did."

I heard Dr. Hemlen's voice, and the click of the phone hitting the reciever. I flipped my dad's phone closed and walked back into the living room, until I was stopped dead in my tracks. "Your little boyfriend is annoying the hell out of me!" Nicola screeched.

My cheeks grew hotter at the sound of boyfriend. "He's not my boyfriend," I mumbled.

"Don't care. Tell him to shut up or get out." She glared down at me. Her in her six inch heels made me feel so small sometimes.

"Why don't you shut up or get out?" I growled, pushing her to get out of the way. Because of her six inch heels, she wobbled backwards and fell down on her butt. I let out a choked laugh and walked over her. "Oops, my bad."

She grabbed my ankle and I fell down, using my bandaged hands to, once again, save my fall. She pulled herself up, and instead of stepping over me, like I did her, she actually
walked on top of me. Her sharp heels felt like they literally pierced my back.

"Just wait until tomorrow," she retorted. Her heels made that annoying click-clack sound as she walked into the kitchen, grabbed the phone in Mikey's hands and slammed the phone on the reciever. "Just shut the fuck up or get the hell out," she said in a low, almost frightning tone.

Mikey glared at her, and if I knew better, I would've sworn that he was going to punch her. But instead he walked outside, and I followed, and grabbed the rock that I was looking at the previous day. He shifted the rock in his hands and Nicola narrowed her eyes.

He walked over to the Mustang and said, "This is a nice car you got."

Nicola watched, horror sticken, as Mikey threw the rock into the windshield-just like I had wanted to do- and the glass shattering everywhere. "Next time buy your own fucking car!" he shouted and smiled victoriously at me. "I'll go home now."