I Know It's Hurting You, but It's Killing Me

For a moment, everything was still. Nothing moved. Not a sound was to be heard, except for the sound of Bert’s shallow breathing. Then Billie Joe moved.

With each step he took, I forced both Zacky and myself back, leaving space between us and him. He stopped, almost looking confused and surprised that I was distancing us from each other.

“What’s wrong, Ger? You trust me with your life. You said so yourself, just a couple years ago. Don’t you trust me?” he cocked his head to the side like a puppy, taking in my expression. I was angry, and shocked. Of course I was. Even if Bert hated me, and I him, in my heart, there was still a part of me that cared deeply for him. Even if he had murdered Frank. He was Bert.

“What the fuck did you do, Billie?!”

Billie Joe pouted, “Well, Bert was getting on my nerves… He always thinks he’s the leader. Never lets anyone make decisions as to where we’ll end up. He always thinks only about himself. But then, as someone who’s been close to him, you know that, don’t you?”

Billie Joe took another step closer to us. I pushed Zacky farther behind me just as Billie Joe cleared the distance between us. Almost two inches from my face, the scent of Bert’s blood covering Billie’s face was rancid.

Run, Gerard.

“I’m not running,” I told the voice firmly.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t, Gerard. You know, I always liked you. Well, not like Zacky here likes you, but I respect you. At least you took Bert’s thoughts off of himself for a moment. Will you join me?” Billie Joe offered his hand to me.

“Join you in what? Attacking other vampires for no reason? What do you hope to achieve? It’s a pointless fight.” His hand dropped.

“You misunderstand. I’m not just ridding the world of our kind, but rather, ridding it of the weaklings, so that the strong, assuming vampires like you and I are the strong, can rise and eliminate all competition in our way,” Billie Joe smiled.

Refuse. Leave. Distance yourself.

Zacky came from behind me, placing a hand onto his chest.

“This is wrong. Mindless murder… What about when you were a weak newborn vampire, Billie Joe?! You had no one to take care of you until Bert came around! Your maker abandoned you, just like mine abandoned me! Would you have killed me, if you hadn’t seen me worthy and strong enough to serve your purpose?!”

“If Gerard hadn’t taken such a liking to you…” Billie Joe shrugged, “probably. Be glad you ended up proving yourself as a formidable ally. You two have such potential. Join me. Together, we can become the strongest vampires to ever live. No one will ever be able to rival our power.”

“No,” I said firmly.

IDIOT.

“Never.” Zacky grasped my hand tightly.

Billie Joe frowned.

“It’s a shame… I thought you’d jump at the idea, Gerard, after spending so much time at the bottom of the food chain. I guess I was wrong.”

“You still try so hard to regain your humanity, don’t you? You think you can ignore your vampiric nature, ignore what you really are. That has always been, and will always be, your downfall, Gerard. Don’t worry, I’ll put you out of your misery.”

Before I could even comprehend the move, Billie Joe had me pinned to the floor, a dagger pressed to my throat.

“GERARD, NO!!!” Zacky shouted.