Touched by Angels, Though I Fall out of Grace

Gerard’s POV

When we got home Mikey and Frank were gossiping like two teenage girls, they were talking about our neighbours again, they seemed to be what all the gossip was about these days. All the girls in my class were talking about Gwendolyn and how she was now on the school’s soccer team and then how she kept talking to the ‘losers’. All I really remember was how they kept on commenting that Gwendolyn should learn how the school system works and stop associating herself with the ‘losers’. I think by the ‘losers’ they meant Mikey and Frank this made me mad, just because someone is in a different clique doesn’t mean you can’t talk to one another. Anyway Gwendolyn was so beautiful she could get away with it and she also didn’t seem to care what they thought or maybe it was the fact that she knew they couldn’t and wouldn’t ever do anything about it. Since yesterday I’ve noticed a change in my perception of Gwendolyn, she doesn’t seem as beautiful as I once thought she was, now Aiden on the other hand is even more beautiful than I remember.

For the rest of the afternoon I sat in my room drawing and then since it was my turn on dinner I had to cook dinner, it wasn’t that hard Mikey and Frank are really easy to please. When I finally went to bed at 1 in the morning I wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary but that doesn’t stop it from happening. Their arguing just hours after I had gone to bed awakened me, it seemed that my father was back from his business trip. He and my mother were arguing and it didn’t stop it just seemed to get louder. I tried to get back to sleep but I couldn’t I wasn’t going to go downstairs and do anything about it until I heard a scream and something smash, as soon as I heard this I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs. My mother was standing in the kitchen and my father was standing at the door, there was broken glass all over the kitchen floor. I stood between them both they just stared at me

“What do you want, boy?” my father spat at me, he had been drinking he always seemed to be drunk when he was here

“I was just making sure mum was okay” I replied staring back at him just as intensely as he was staring at me. He didn’t scare me not like when I was younger when he use to beat me, I wasn’t scared anymore not of him and not of the jocks at school who would grow up to be just like him.

“Well she’s fine we were just having a conversation, just us grown ups” he said to me like I was 9

“I don’t think she is father and if you haven’t noticed I’m not so little anymore” I replied moving closer to my mother, she looked frightened

“She’s fine Gerard leave us alone!” he yelled at me

“No, I think you should go to bed father” I said back calm and commanding, he looked at me and then walked past me swaying only a little to his and my mothers room

“Thank you Gerard though you didn’t need to, I would’ve looked after myself,” she said quietly to me as she walked down the hall after my father but then turned into the spare bedroom.
I didn’t feel sleepy anymore so I cleaned up the glass off the kitchen floor, after that I just sat in front of the TV flipping through the channels until sleep finally took me in.

The next day I was worried that Mikey had heard my parent arguing I hated it when he knew because then he would worry way too much, it was better that he didn’t know. I was glad when I saw him in the morning that he was still happy but Frank didn’t look so happy. While Mikey was showering I pulled Frank aside and talked to him, he understood not letting Mikey know but he didn’t feel comfortable staying while my dad was here, my father always made fun of Mikey and Frank taunting them. My father thought that they were gay together but they were just good friends, they may have experimented a little but I don’t know. My father didn’t wake up while we were getting ready which was great, Mikey only knew he was here when we walked outside to get in the car. Mikey didn’t like our father either he knew he meant bad news but I still didn’t want to tell him about this morning. Mikey had the same idea as Frank about him not coming over while my dad was here; he never really stayed that long anyway, no longer than three days at most.

When we pulled up to school Aiden was there waiting in front of the park that I normally park in. I thought she was there waiting for Mikey and Frank but I was wrong she was waiting for me.

“Gerard” she said with a slight tone of urgency in her voice, both Frank and Mikey looked at me surprised

“Hey Aiden” I greeted her after locking the car,

“I need to ask you something,” she said like it was official, I thought it had something to do with school at the beginning, I walked up to stand next to her while Mikey and Frank left

“Yeah what is it?” I asked her

“Are you okay? My brother and I heard the shouting last night” she said, I was stunned when she asked

“Yeah I’m fine, it was just my father that’s all” I replied, I was shocked that she cared to ask I didn’t even think we were that loud

“That’s good, my mother and father said to let you know if you ever need any help we’re right next door” she told me, she was on a role with stunning me this morning

“Yeah, thanks I’ll be sure to remember” I replied as the bell rang

“Good, well I’m off to my class, have a nice morning Gerard” she left without another glance back, I stood there for a second contemplating what she had said, never had any of our other neighbours done this though we weren’t friends with them, but that argument was the smallest one my parents have had in a while and I get offered help from that? I’m glad that I have an option now though it was good to have there, just in case.