My Father, My Brother

"I don't care Gerard! All I ask you to do is walk the dogs, and you bite my head off! I'm sick of it! You never do anything!"

"For fucks sake Frank! I work eight hour shifts, I'm always the one to start dinner, I clean most days and I've always been the one to shop for and raise Ellie, so don't tell me I don't do anything Frank, because you're the one that just fucks off to your mom's every morning, and don't come back until dinner time. Walk your own damn dogs, and step up to the plate by being a real father to Ellie!"

"I work too Gerard, and we've had an equal role in raising her! The days you don't clean, I do!"

"Yeah just because I refuse to every now and again!"

"Oh whatever!"

I sighed and took another bite of sausage. Trying to ignore the fighting that was taking place, right over the dinner table. The dogs had retreated out of the room, and oh how I longed to have followed them, but I knew leaving would make my dads turn to yell at me. I glanced up at them, both red in the face and the veins in their neck popping out slightly, making me cringe. I pushed my hair behind my ear and waited for them to calm down, even though I knew it wouldn't be any time soon. It didn't take long for Frank to lose his temper and stand up abruptly, slamming his fist on the table; I'd had enough.

"Will you two just stop fighting for one minute and grow up!" I cried over their voices. They both fell silent and turned to me. I tried to look at them pleadingly, making them feel guilty about fightning around me. Gerard sighed and ran his hand through his hair, while Frank shoved his chair violently out of the way, grabbing his leather jacket and leaving, slamming the kitchen door behind him, making me jump a mile. Gerard looked at me out of the corner of his eye, as I hung my head and tried to fight back tears.

"Ellie, adults fight sugar, it's natural. Frank and I would never lay a finger on each other, you know that."

"I know I do... That doesn't mean I like sitting right infront of you while you're screaming at each other, especially when you drag me into it..." He sighed again and took his plate to the sink at the far right of the room. I watched him carefully.

"I'm sorry... I never wanted to bring you up in this sort of enviroment."

"I know you didn't... I just want to know why you guys are fighting so much all of a sudden... You seemed so in love before."

"We were, we are! I don't know... He just always seems to want to get away from me. You know how he's spending whole days at his moms recently, at least three times a week, and he's always quiet when he comes back, but he wont ever tell me why. I just wish he'd talk to me like he used to. The quiet is breaking our trust... and that makes us fight."

"Why don't you take him out? A nice night out, just the two of you. Then come home to a bottle of red wine and a movie, candles, cuddles, cushions, you know, the works. Don't worry, I'll spend the night with Donna and Donald, or I could ask uncle Mikey and aunt Alicia if I could spend the night with them? I could even take the dogs so you have total privacy?" I smiled at him and he just laughed.

"You're a hopeless romantic, you know that?" He grinned and leaned back against the kitchen counter watching me.

"I don't know that actually, I don't even know what it means!" He rolled his eyes at me and urged me upstairs to take a long bath and just relax while Frank was gone. I ran one and filled the tub with bubbles, sinking in slowly and savouring the sensation. I laid back and relaxed, hearing Gerard come upstairs and head to my room. I knew he would be laying out clean pajamas for me, possibly pre warmed on the radiator. I sighed and held my breath, allowing myself to sink under the water for a moment, letting the warmth consume me.

*Time elapse*

I opened my eyes and listened carefully. I'd always been such a light sleeper. I heard soft footsteps coming up the stairs, and knew where they were going. I pulled the covers over my head and closed my eyes tightly as my door opened and closed again quietly. I felt him sit beside me on my bed and pull my covers down to my shoulders. I feigned sleep and bit back my tears when he kissed the side of my head. I let him tuck me in properly and leave the room almost silently. This was the routine everytime Frank walked out. He'd come and kiss me, tuck me in then go sleep alone. It upset me.

I pushed the newly tucked in covers off me, and swung my legs out of bed, walking over to my bedroom window and sitting on the windowsil. I looked out at the cold streets. The tree in our front yard blew softly in the breeze, leaves making a slight rustling sound. Our grass looked blue under the moonlight. I began to shiver and was about to go back to bed when a car pulled up outside our house. I hid behind the curtain instinctively, peeking out and looking in the windows the best I could. It was Frank, but the driver was a woman I'd never seen before. They were talking, and I saw Frank look around nervously, before leaning in and... No... No! He kissed her! My jaw dropped and my heart began pounding. I felt myself shaking all over as I watched him kiss her, witnessing his hand moved to her cheek. I stared in horror while I watched my dad cheat on his boyfriend! I looked back over my shoulder, making sure Gerard wasn't stood behind me, watching this as well. He finally got out of the car, and made his way towards the house, the woman waving before driving off. I jumped away from the window before he looked up, standing in the middle of my room. What did I do? What could I do? I jumped back into bed and burried my head in my pillow, sobbing quietly to myself. I couldn't tell Gerard, it would break him, but I couldn't let Frank think he'd gotten away with it.

The next thing I knew, the sun was coming through my windows, and the birds were chirping loudly outside my window. I had a pounding headache from crying myself to sleep, but dragged myself out of bed to get ready for school anyway. After washing and brushing my hair and teeth, I pulled on a pair of yellow drainpipe jeans and a purple shirt with a smiling cupcake on it. Shockingly optimistic for such a bad day. I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail and pulled on my purple and black Dravens.

Sitting at the breakfast table was very awkward. Frank was there. He was sitting silently hunched over a bowl of cereal. He was wearing the same black skinny jeans and Black Flag T-shirt that he was wearing the night before, the only difference was the guilt in his eyes and messier than usual hair style. I glared at him over my coco pops, knowing he couldn't see me. I glanced across at Gerard, who wasn't sitting at the table, but leaning against the counter. He looked terrible. He was pale and looked like he hadn't slept much. I resisted the urge to stand and hug him. I sighed and played endlessly with my breakfast. I think Gerard sensed my discomfort and rest his hand on my shoulder.

"Go to school Sugar, Frank said he'll drop you off today." I sighed inwardly, feelingly horrible opposed towards this man I called Dad. I glanced pleadingly up at Gerard, who smiled at me and took my bowl away as I dragged myself and my school bag to the car with Frank. His false smiles were so annoying.

"What's the matter with you this morning princess? You're very quiet." I glared at him across the car, and his false smile fell from his face.

"What? What have I done? This isn't about the fight is it?"

"You know full well what this is about Frank Anthony Iero!" I cried at him over his music. He slammed on the breaks before he ran a red light in shock.

"What the hell have I done now?" His eyes darted around the road in front nervously as the light turned green and he moved off again. I kept my eyes, full of accusation on him.

"I saw you get home last night Frank... I saw you with her..." I noticed his hands tighten on the steering wheel.

"With who? I went to my moms last night."

"I'm not an idiot Frank! I saw you, there's no point denying it, you were caught!" He sighed and pulled up outside my school, locking the doors before I got out.

"Ellie... You can't tell Gerard about this."

"You're cheating on him, and you don't think he doesn't have a right to know!?"

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it. If you don't tell him by the time I go to bed tonight, I'll tell him."

"No you wont."

"Yes I will Frank. You know how close Gerard and I are, and you know how I'm stubborn and stand by my word." He looked at me before sighing and dropping his head into his hands.

"Ellie, this is hard. Please Angel give me until tomorrow night."

"No. Tonight Frank. You brought this on yourself." I reached over to the controls and unlocked the door, getting out of the car and turning back momentarily.

"I want to be there. Remember, tonight, or I do it for you." With that, I slammed the car door, and walked into school.