My Daddy, Gerard

I had apparently dozed off around one. I woke up to the sound of a motorcycle take off to the right of the car, and my earbuds were still in place. Now, Dani California was greeting my brain, and I paused it. I turned off my shiny pink rectangle and shoved it into one of my jacket pockets.

I yawned and wiped my eyes, then stared up over the dashboard onto the clear road.

"Where are we now?"

(Dad: )
"Newark. Should be at the house soon."

"Ah."

I closed my eyes and rubbed my right. I looked in the back of the car, and found Frankie to be asleep, snoring like he had that special morning of the tour. I smiled and turned back around.

**15 minutes later**

I stumbled out of the car and stretched out my arms wide as dad sped around to the opposite end of the van. I stepped over and shook Frank, about as lifeless as the rock by my left foot. He didn't wake, so I decided to yell.

"Wake up Frankie!"

He opened his big, beautiful eyes and looked up at me. I saw some windows on the house go yellow.

My cheeks flushed red. "I didn't know I was that loud..."

Frankie stood and walked around to the other end of the van to dad. They each held one end of the longest box, and I decided to get the door for them. Before I could get to the porch, Ray opened the front door and I smiled.

**1 hour later**

Bob and Ray had helped dad and Frank get my stuff into the extra room upstairs. But Mikey was no help. He stayed asleep.

My room was bleak, with white walls and ugly green carpet.

"I get the ugliest room in the house?" I turned to everyone. "Thanks, dad."

"It was the only room we had left! Blame Bob, he wanted the other one. It has grey walls and blue carpet."

I turned to Bob. "Well thanks."

"How was I supposed to know Gerard had a daughter he didn't know about?"

"You just knew... But you never bothered to tell him. Shame on you." I put on a fake glare then began giggling.

"I think you should be off to bed now, Alison,"

"But dad!"

He sighed. "Okay, one more hour, but then bed."

"Yay!" I hugged him and ran to my disgustingly ugly room. I made them set it up like my old room. I smiled, then headed in the direction of the box with my posters. The ceiling was pretty low, so I stood on my bed and taped my largest poster up above my pillow. I almost cried, because it brought back memories, from my tortured past. Instead of hanging around in my room and listening to dad sing, I could just go out of my room and talk to him personally. Or Mikey. Or Frank. Or Bob. Or Ray.

I finished putting up my posters in about twenty minutes, with Mikey's help. He had laughed a few times at the few posters of Frank that I had drawn hearts on with my red eyeliner, which I rewarded him with glares.

I reached the very bottom of the box, which held my most prized possession.

*Flashback*
I finished jumping up and down with my friend, and she walked away. I spotted the fence that led behind the venue, which on one side was open. I ran fast as I could past the open gate and found something white on the ground. It was a backstage pass! I squealed and clipped it to my shirt. I found the band's van and held out my pass proudly. One of the big men in black suits smiled and the other ushered me to go in. I almost stopped breathing when I saw THEM. Gerard was sitting on his bunk, Bob was laying on the couch, Frank was laying on his bunk, Ray was playing on the computer, and Mikey was sitting on the chair. My smile grew wide, and Mikey got up to hug me. I smiled and spotted a white rectangle of plastic on the floor. I let from Mikey's arms and reached down to grab it. I picked it up and turned it over. It said, "WARNING: MCR WORSHIP ZONE AHEAD." I liked it.

I bit my lip. "Can I have it?"

Frank sat up and smiled at me. "Sure."
*End Flashback*

I tacked the sign on the outside of my door and turned on the television, which Ray had hooked up.

I flicked off my lamp and laid down on my bed.