Headfirst For Halos
“Oh, well isn’t this just perfect.” I muttered with annoyance, ripping the little pink slip that was taped to my locker door off and looking down to read it before crumpling it up in my hand. “He was serious this time Mikey.” I spoke into my locker.
“Who was ?” He asked, standing close by, tearing his eyes away from his cell phone screen to look down at me through black plastic rimmed glasses.
“French teacher….gave me detention.” I said, placing books in my locker and swinging my bag over my shoulder. “I guess I deserve it this time though, out of all the times I’ve yelled at him in his native tongue, but I have no clue when I’ll serve the hour.”
Mikey slipped his phone back into his pocket as we walked down the school hallway, turning the majority of his attention back to me. “Well I’m pretty sure you can serve it after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and-”
“Mikey.” I interrupted . “I know that, I just don’t know when to find the time, I mean, with work, and school activities, Gerard, and friends, not to mention family…..” I let my list trail off as we exited the school building and descended the stone steps to freedom, if only until the next morning.
“Gerard?” he questioned. “Brit, the two of you are not even together anymore….”
“I know.” I said, dodging some punk on his skateboard who nearly wrecked into the two of us. “But he needs someone…”
“He has me.” Mikey sighed, the tone of his voice not hiding his hurt.
“I know he does, and you know he loves you Mikey, he just needs space and time.”
“Yeah, and how much of that space and time will he need before he has everyone pushed away Brittany?” Mikey snapped at me. “He’s my brother and I love him, but I can’t help him unless he wants to let me do it!”
I took a step back, slightly alarmed by my best friends anger. As long as I had known him, I knew his mood swings were just as unpredictable as his brother, but you could never really be prepared when they swung, you just had to take caution. So I stood there and looked away from him, glancing around wondering where our usual posse was and waited for Mikey to cool down.
“Sorry I flipped.” Came Mikey’s soft voice that turned my eyes back up to him. His eyes were sincere with his apology, even if they were half curtained by his hair.
I nodded in acceptance. “I know it’s not easy Mikey, but you can’t lose faith, alright?” I leaned forward and hugged his thin body.
“Alright.” his lips formed a smile and we kept walking, leaving school property and headed in the direction of the Way household. The walk was calm and peaceful, but it wasn’t too long before we were disturbed by two running, shouting boys. One short boy with a mop of chocolate colored flowing in the wind as he raced in front of the taller boy behind him, who was struggling to keep up as his long blonde hair blew into his face. I couldn’t help but smirk, the two were always amusing when put together.
“Mikey!” Frank tackled Mikey, knock both of their bodies to the cemented sidewalk.
“Fuck! Iero!” Mikey cursed, picking himself up off the ground. “What was that for?”
Frank caught his breath and stood back up, brushing off his jeans. “If you must know Michael, I was nearly just killed and I thought I would never see any of you again.” he explained casually.
“What?” I demanded, checking Frank over, but no part of him looked harmed.
“Oh you were not!” Bob glared, finally catching up to us, his hair looking like he had just been caught in a wind storm. “And if you pull a careless stunt like that I am going to hang you by your batman boxers on the flagpole!”
Frank frowned. “What’s wrong with Batman? Hey wait!” he perked up. “Will the boys like it if I’m on a pole?” he grinned up at Bob.
“No.” Bob glared.
“Boys!” I stepped in between the two of them. “What just happened?”
“Frank ran out in front of a moving car again.” Bob said casually, folding his arms across his broad chest. “The driver- a new student probably was really shaken up about it, I had to stay and apologize to her.”
“Apologize? She hit me!” Frank butted in.
“The front of her car barely touched you!” Bob shot back. “She seemed like a nice lady.”
“Yeah, a nice lady in an evil alien green car who tried to kill me.” Frank looked past me over my shoulder. “Mikey where are you going!?” he shouted down the street. I swiveled around to see Mikey halfway down the block already.
“Home!” he shouted back, not even turning around.
“Oh that’s right!” Frank chirped. “ Today’s final destination is the Way house…..Gerard better have cigarettes today, the guy at the mini- mart is still convinced I’m 13!”
“Mon dieu.” I muttered and followed after Mikey.
~X~
Much to Frank’s enjoyment, Gerard had cigarettes, infact he was sitting outside smoking one as the four of us reached the house.
“Thanks Gee! “ Frank scurried by him, stealing the pack of cigarettes and following Bob and Mikey into the house. I dropped my bag on the porch and took a seat on the steps next to Gerard, who didn’t look his best today. His hair was greasy, no doubt from a lack of shower and I could smell stale alcohol on him.
“Your not going to yell at him?” I asked.
He shook his head and flicked the ash on the grass. “No point, there’s only one left.” he said, turning his face to look at mine. “Sorry I haven’t spoken to you in a few days, been busy.”
“What kind of busy?” I asked, knowing exactly what he was spending his time doing, though he rarely ever admitted it.
“Just….” he took a drag. “Drawing…” he exhaled.
“Sure you have been.”
His hazel eyes narrowed. “I have been, I’ll show you the sketches if you don’t fucking believe me!”
“I never said I didn’t!” I said, not too surprised by the mood swing. “I just know that sketches aren’t the only thing I’ll find if I go down to your room Gerard.”
“And I don’t think that’s any of your concern now is it?” he said dryly. “I can handle myself.”
Five seconds ago I had decided I wasn’t going to respond back to him, but his last statement set me off.
“You can handle yourself?” I asked loudly, standing up in front of him. “Bull shit! If that’s the one thing you have taught me in the past three years of knowing you, is that you can not handle yourself Gerard Way!” I glared at him, my temper flaring. I stormed in the house to find Mikey , Frank and Bob all playing xbox in the living room. I sat down on the sofa between Bob and Mikey, Frank had to be the odd one out and sit on the armchair upside down , eyes glued to the TV screen.
“Men….” I muttered in annoyance.
“Gerard.” Mikey stated.
“Can we order a pizza Mikey?” Bob asked.
“Who was ?” He asked, standing close by, tearing his eyes away from his cell phone screen to look down at me through black plastic rimmed glasses.
“French teacher….gave me detention.” I said, placing books in my locker and swinging my bag over my shoulder. “I guess I deserve it this time though, out of all the times I’ve yelled at him in his native tongue, but I have no clue when I’ll serve the hour.”
Mikey slipped his phone back into his pocket as we walked down the school hallway, turning the majority of his attention back to me. “Well I’m pretty sure you can serve it after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and-”
“Mikey.” I interrupted . “I know that, I just don’t know when to find the time, I mean, with work, and school activities, Gerard, and friends, not to mention family…..” I let my list trail off as we exited the school building and descended the stone steps to freedom, if only until the next morning.
“Gerard?” he questioned. “Brit, the two of you are not even together anymore….”
“I know.” I said, dodging some punk on his skateboard who nearly wrecked into the two of us. “But he needs someone…”
“He has me.” Mikey sighed, the tone of his voice not hiding his hurt.
“I know he does, and you know he loves you Mikey, he just needs space and time.”
“Yeah, and how much of that space and time will he need before he has everyone pushed away Brittany?” Mikey snapped at me. “He’s my brother and I love him, but I can’t help him unless he wants to let me do it!”
I took a step back, slightly alarmed by my best friends anger. As long as I had known him, I knew his mood swings were just as unpredictable as his brother, but you could never really be prepared when they swung, you just had to take caution. So I stood there and looked away from him, glancing around wondering where our usual posse was and waited for Mikey to cool down.
“Sorry I flipped.” Came Mikey’s soft voice that turned my eyes back up to him. His eyes were sincere with his apology, even if they were half curtained by his hair.
I nodded in acceptance. “I know it’s not easy Mikey, but you can’t lose faith, alright?” I leaned forward and hugged his thin body.
“Alright.” his lips formed a smile and we kept walking, leaving school property and headed in the direction of the Way household. The walk was calm and peaceful, but it wasn’t too long before we were disturbed by two running, shouting boys. One short boy with a mop of chocolate colored flowing in the wind as he raced in front of the taller boy behind him, who was struggling to keep up as his long blonde hair blew into his face. I couldn’t help but smirk, the two were always amusing when put together.
“Mikey!” Frank tackled Mikey, knock both of their bodies to the cemented sidewalk.
“Fuck! Iero!” Mikey cursed, picking himself up off the ground. “What was that for?”
Frank caught his breath and stood back up, brushing off his jeans. “If you must know Michael, I was nearly just killed and I thought I would never see any of you again.” he explained casually.
“What?” I demanded, checking Frank over, but no part of him looked harmed.
“Oh you were not!” Bob glared, finally catching up to us, his hair looking like he had just been caught in a wind storm. “And if you pull a careless stunt like that I am going to hang you by your batman boxers on the flagpole!”
Frank frowned. “What’s wrong with Batman? Hey wait!” he perked up. “Will the boys like it if I’m on a pole?” he grinned up at Bob.
“No.” Bob glared.
“Boys!” I stepped in between the two of them. “What just happened?”
“Frank ran out in front of a moving car again.” Bob said casually, folding his arms across his broad chest. “The driver- a new student probably was really shaken up about it, I had to stay and apologize to her.”
“Apologize? She hit me!” Frank butted in.
“The front of her car barely touched you!” Bob shot back. “She seemed like a nice lady.”
“Yeah, a nice lady in an evil alien green car who tried to kill me.” Frank looked past me over my shoulder. “Mikey where are you going!?” he shouted down the street. I swiveled around to see Mikey halfway down the block already.
“Home!” he shouted back, not even turning around.
“Oh that’s right!” Frank chirped. “ Today’s final destination is the Way house…..Gerard better have cigarettes today, the guy at the mini- mart is still convinced I’m 13!”
“Mon dieu.” I muttered and followed after Mikey.
~X~
Much to Frank’s enjoyment, Gerard had cigarettes, infact he was sitting outside smoking one as the four of us reached the house.
“Thanks Gee! “ Frank scurried by him, stealing the pack of cigarettes and following Bob and Mikey into the house. I dropped my bag on the porch and took a seat on the steps next to Gerard, who didn’t look his best today. His hair was greasy, no doubt from a lack of shower and I could smell stale alcohol on him.
“Your not going to yell at him?” I asked.
He shook his head and flicked the ash on the grass. “No point, there’s only one left.” he said, turning his face to look at mine. “Sorry I haven’t spoken to you in a few days, been busy.”
“What kind of busy?” I asked, knowing exactly what he was spending his time doing, though he rarely ever admitted it.
“Just….” he took a drag. “Drawing…” he exhaled.
“Sure you have been.”
His hazel eyes narrowed. “I have been, I’ll show you the sketches if you don’t fucking believe me!”
“I never said I didn’t!” I said, not too surprised by the mood swing. “I just know that sketches aren’t the only thing I’ll find if I go down to your room Gerard.”
“And I don’t think that’s any of your concern now is it?” he said dryly. “I can handle myself.”
Five seconds ago I had decided I wasn’t going to respond back to him, but his last statement set me off.
“You can handle yourself?” I asked loudly, standing up in front of him. “Bull shit! If that’s the one thing you have taught me in the past three years of knowing you, is that you can not handle yourself Gerard Way!” I glared at him, my temper flaring. I stormed in the house to find Mikey , Frank and Bob all playing xbox in the living room. I sat down on the sofa between Bob and Mikey, Frank had to be the odd one out and sit on the armchair upside down , eyes glued to the TV screen.
“Men….” I muttered in annoyance.
“Gerard.” Mikey stated.
“Can we order a pizza Mikey?” Bob asked.