Lullaby And Goodnight

I caught every curve, every strand of hair, the shine in her sparkly blue eyes. The small smile playing on her lips, the glint of the gold necklace dangling around her elegant neck. I couldn't help but grin all through the drawing. At one point my eyes lingered for a little to long on her. Of course I was caught, but she just laughed.

"Like what you see Gerard?" I looked into her eyes laughing before continuing. I caught ever shade, every shine. It took about two hours to complete the sketch. I smiled and put it upside down on the bed. At least I was nice and got her towel for her. I don't know why I turned away as she wrapped it around herself. I was about to lift the sketch and show her when she wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Lemme see?" I smiled and turned, still in her arms. I kissed her forehead and stood back, holding the sketch from her reach.

"Get dressed first. Then I'll show you." She didn't hesitate to go back into the bathroom and dress. I sighed and cleared my art stuff away. I gently ran my fingers over the work, taking in ever detail I had drawn without smudging the lead. I sighed, proud of myself. I silently thanked Helena for teaching me to draw. I smiled to myself as the bathroom lock clicked open and Rachael rushed over to me.

"Now lemme see?" I smiled and held it out. Her eyes went wide and her mouth was open slightly. I could see her eyes scanning over the canvas paper.

"Wow. Gerard you made me look so much better. It's like a photo graph." I raised my eyebrows.

"So much better? Rachael, that's what you look like. I told you your gorgeous!" I called before going downstairs to find Donna.

"Can we show Donna?" Rachael asked, following me down. I glanced sideways at her.

"If you want. Remember, your naked on the picture, you sure?" Rachael nodded and held the drawing close to her tight black T-shirt. Donna was sat in the office leaning over a newspaper with a cup of coffee beside her and an apple in hand.

"Donna! Look what Gerard drew!" Rachael called happily as she bounced into the office. Donna looked surprised and took the sketch Rachael held out to her. I lent against the door frame with my hands in my jeans pockets. Donna looked seriously shocked, her hands grazed the surface of the canvas lightly. The looked of bemused concentration on her face worried me a little. No matter how much she didn't like the painting, it was what we were asked to do so I wasn't too fussed.

"Gerard you drew this? It's like a photo, it's fantastic, beside Rachael's dress choice." Rachael blushed but I smiled. Rachael explained about the art assignment and took the drawing back before running upstairs, probably to hide it. We had art tomorrow so we could present the picture then. We had three to do so we could do the next tomorrow. I couldn't shake off the guilty feeling about kissing Rachael behind Eliza's back, but I was only comforting her. Trying to calm her down.

Later that night I lay in my bed, my head against the soft white pillow. Rachael's was breathing softly from the next bed. Mikey still hadn't returned from Max's place so I guess their project was harder than they thought (wink wink nudge nudge). I sighed and turned on my stomach, leaning on my elbows and staring out of the small window above my bed. I looked down at the street and smirked. Speak of the devil.

Max and Mikey were out on the cold dark street. Max was a pretty girl and around Mikey's height. And she had no problem with having his tongue down her throat. I opened the window slowly as not to wake Rachael. I slid onto the ledge about a meter below the window and wrapped my legs around the drain pipe, easing my self down to the ground, but falling the last couple of meters. I was okay though. I lent against a lamp post and watched them. I dug through my jeans and pulled out a cigarette, sparking up and holding it between my lips. I bent one knee against the wall and folded my arms.

"Oh Mikey! How could you?!" I yelled in my best Alica impression. He broke away from Max and spud around to face me. Glaring when he saw it was only me. I laughed and took a drag on my cigarette, letting the cancerous smoke swirl through my lungs and letting it out through my lips. I smirked at Max's embarrassed face,

"Your such a pervert Gerard." I grinned at my brother and took another drag.

"Hard project was it?" I asked with mock interest. Mikey looked away awkwardly and Max stood slightly behind him.

"Hello Max, I'm Gerard, Mikey's super hot older brother." I smirked as a voice called to us from behind me.

"I'll say." I spun round and gasped as Bert stumbled up behind us drunkenly. I smiled as he held the bottle of alcohol to me, accepting it and taking a swig.

"You abandoned me baby. Where'd you go?" Bert asked, looking up at me with big eyes, though they were glazed over from the alcohol. I shrugged and finished my cigarette, flicking the butt onto the street. Bert tried kissing me as he wrapped his arms around me, but I resisted. He tried to pin me back but I fought. Why wont he stop!

"Bert stop!" I yelled, but he didn't. He tripped me up and got me on the ground on my back. He climbed over me and began kissing me neck. I tried to push him off by his shoulders, but he wouldn't budge. I kicked at him but he just laughed and kissed along my jaw.

"I love 'em feisty." I shuddered and screamed for Mikey to get Donna out here. Max tried to pull Bert off me but he swung out and knocked her over, blood seeping slowly from her lip. Bert used his arm to pin me down while he undid my PJ bottoms. I screamed, trying to get someones attention and help, but he just kissed me to shut me up. I tried to spit in his mouth, tried to put him off, but it seemed to just encourage him. His hand traveled past my pants and into my boxers. I screamed out again, but this time, Bert was torn away from me. I scrambled to my feet hurriedly and jumped away. The cook of The Way was holding Bert down, keeping him from getting up and Donna was rushing towards me. She pulled me into a tight hug and let me cry onto her shoulder. I though I was going to be raped again. Duke, the chef, kept Bert to the ground while Donna led me, Mikey and Max inside. She wrapped me in a blanket then dealt with Max's lip. I felt a stinging pain on my stomach. Blood was forming on my white bed shirt. I groaned and lifted my shirt off. The blood oozed from my scars that Bert had managed to re-open. Donna turned and saw, gasping.

"Did he do that to you?"

"No. This was done when I got attacked a couple of months ago, Bert just re-opened it...again." I took a cloth from the side and dipped it in the boiled kettle. I held it over the cuts and screamed out in pain. The boiling water seeped into the cuts. I screamed again but held the cloth over. It would stop infection but the fucking pain, it was killing me. Donna winced every time I cried out, but she knew what I was doing was medically right. I was crying still from the shock and the pain wasn't helping much. I had to repeat this very painful process for about ten minutes, until I couldn't take it anymore. I let out a few sobs before pulling myself together. My wounds were still bleeding, but not as much. I went to stand but a wave of pain washed over me and I just crumpled to the floor. The alcohol I had drank didn't help a lot either.

I screamed out again, but I couldn't help screaming Rachael's name. Donna rushed to my side and made me lay down on my back. I was sweating from coping from intense pain.

"Mikey go and wake Rachael. Tell her we need her." Mikey ran, ashen faced upstairs and returned a few minutes later with a confused looking Rachael. Her eyes widened and she rushed over to me, dropping to her knees beside me. She pushed my hair from my face and lent over me.

"Come on Gerard keep talking to me." I was crying again now. Donna was on the phone to the paramedics. This shouldn't be hurting as much as it was. I screamed out again and tried to touch my stomach but Rachael pinned my arms down. She had blood on her baggy PJ shorts and T-shirt. She wet the cloth with cold water and held it over my head. I was crying out in pain with every tiny movement I made. What had Bert done to me?! Two men in green uniforms came in and rushed to my side. The room was dark and they shone a light at me. I screamed out again as they picked me up and carried me out. Rachael begged and pleaded to come in the ambulance with me until they gave in. I was kicking and thrashing at the paramedics and yelling at them not take her away from me, so they gave in. They strapped me down as I screamed at the needle they gave me to calm me down. I was crying still and sweating after the screaming had ceased. Rachael was sat beside me. Stroking my wet hair and telling me everything was going to be okay. She eventually had me as calm as she possibly could. I was grateful to her for staying with me.

I felt my throat fill with something and I panicked. I coughed and blood splattered over me. The paramedics radioed something to their base and rushed to my side. Something was seriously wrong here.