The Crumbling Pyramid

March came, and the snow melted in the sun’s warmth. Noel was staying until spring break when she left to go back to school for her third-to-last semester of college. Anette was having problems in classes as usual, but was improving greatly because of Ray’s willingness to help her. They spent a fair amount of their free hours discussing the Way brothers and what could be done about them. When Anette told him about her and Mikey’s argument, Ray just shook his head.

“I told you, he’s a weird kid. He’s pretty defensive. I mean, he still gets a little iffy when Frank and Gerard are fucking around together.”

“Yeah, but… he seriously thought we were doing stuff behind everyone’s backs,” Anette replied, frustrated.

“Well, we did,” Ray pointed out softly. “It’s not like we told anyone about… you know.”

“Yeah, but it didn’t mean anything… like, anything intimate.”

“I know. I guess it just surprised him.”

Ray didn’t add his theory that Mikey was probably jealous as well, and that was why he had acted in such a way, but he wanted to test that theory first, because it seemed a bit out of character for Mikey to be quite jealous.

The next day in Chemistry, Ray found such an opportunity as to test this theory. The three of them were sitting in a line in the back, Mikey then Anette and then Ray, and they were supposed to be illustrating the lab they had just done involving testing what type of minerals were in various water samples from all over town. The three of them had pushed their desks together so they could share a tub of crayons their teacher had unearthed somewhere in the room.

Ray nudged Anette with his foot and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her when she looked up from her drawing at him. She snorted, checked quickly around her, and then ran her tongue over her lips slowly, careful to not smear her lipstick. She and Ray both began to snicker as quietly as they could. Mikey looked at them, confused, and then frowned when Ray started running his tongue over the crayon he was currently holding. Anette turned a little pink but clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, but laughed out loud when Ray bit the crayon has hard as he could, ending up with half of it in his mouth.

“Ray, I’m sure that you really don’t want to eat that, if nothing else because so many people have touched them before you,” said their Chemistry teacher disapprovingly as he swept by.

“Sorry,” Ray said, spitting out half the crayon into his hand. He looked over to see Mikey glaring at him and Anette still laughing, quieter now though.

“Geeze Ray, sexual much?” Anette said, still laughing a bit still.

“Sorry, your amazingness just made me straight there for a second,” he whispered, winking for added effect.

“Would you two just shut up and color?” Mikey snapped, shoving his glasses up his red face.

“I didn’t know we weren’t allowed to have fun in Chemistry,” Anette muttered, but she went back to her coloring anyways.

-

“Dude, what is your problem?”

Ray had dragged Mikey away during lunch to talk with him outside, away from anyone.

“Ray, you know I fuckin’ like her,” Mikey muttered angrily, kicking the nearest rock.

“Oh, so you’ve decided then.”

“Ray.”

“Well, you hadn’t before. So seriously Mikey, what’s going on? You’re acting really, really weird.”

“So were you. In Chemistry.”

“That was a test.”

“A test? Test for what? Since when is trying to seduce someone with a crayon a test?”

“To see if you were getting jealous.”

Mikey stopped and looked at Ray, taken aback. “I—what?”

“Well, that’s what it sounded like, judging from you and Anette’s argument.”

Mikey tugged at his brown hair, messing it up from however he had meticulously styled it this morning. “Ray, I… I don’t what to think about her,” he finally said. He sounded more stressed than anything. “I guess I just… well, you’re my best friend, and then I saw her…”

“Even though you know I’m gayer than gay for your brother?” Mikey just kicked at the ground again. “Okay, I’ll stop then. But you don’t need to be jealous or anything.”

“I couldn’t help it.”

“I noticed that during Grease.”

They were quiet for a moment.

“Dude, you really like her, don’t you? Like, really like her.”

Mikey didn’t say anything right away. He just sighed heavily. “She’s really fucking with my brain. I can’t really focus in any of the classes we share because I’m always trying to figure her out. And every time I think I do, she goes and does something else that I don’t expect.”

“Dude, you’re doing the same thing to her.”

There was a pause. “She talks about me to you?”

Shit. Ray wasn’t really supposed to mention that. “Yeah. You confuse the shit out of her,” he said carefully.

“Well, what does she say about me?”

“Mostly that she doesn’t get you.”

“Well, I don’t get her either.”

“Maybe… maybe you should tell her you like her.”

“No,” Mikey said almost immediately. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“She’s… well, I don’t care that she hangs out with us now, she’s still a popular. And populars don’t date the bottom of the pile.”

“You really think she cares about that?”

“She still likes Chase probably, too.”

“And?”

“Look, I—”

“You’re scared of being rejected.”

“I guess. I don’t want to mess shit up with her.”

“Well, you sort of are, going about things the way you are. You should just do it.”

“Yeah, look who’s talking,” Mikey glared. But he couldn’t hold it as Ray’s eyes dropped to the ground. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.”

“But you’re right. I should just get some balls and ask out Gerard, right?”

"I guess. We both really need to get our shit together."

"Right. So, I'm going to try and be a little more forward with Gerard."

"And I'm going to try and be nicer to Anette."

"Sounds like a plan."

-

"Oh my god... oh my god."

Gerard sat down shakily next to Anette and Hailey in Acting on Friday, looking like someone had knocked the wind out of him.

"What?" Hailey and Anette asked at the same time.

"Guys... I..." He swallowed, gripping his cell phone tightly in his hand. "My mom just called... I... I got accepting into that art institute," he managed to say.

"What?"

"That's amazing!"

Hailey and Anette both hugged the speechless Gerard, and they all fell over in a giddy mess onto the couch.

"Did I hear you got an acceptance letter?" Mr. Wind asked, coming out of his office. Gerard just nodded. "Excellent. Congratulations, Gerard."

"Thanks."

It turned out that Ray's mom had also called him, and he was grinning as Anette sat down next to him in their usual hallway.

"I got it," he said. "Not just the school, but the music program, too."

"That's fantastic Ray! I knew they'd just have to take you," Anette beamed, hugging him tight. "They'd be stupid not to, you're brilliant."

"Thanks," he smiled. "Gerard and I have been texting about it, and he's wondering if you'd be up for a party at his house tomorrow night?"

"Um, well... I dunno," she said. "What kind of party?"

"Well—oh, you don't like, party party, do you?"

"Not really."

"Oh, well... I'm sure you wouldn't be expected to drink or anything. I probably won't drink too much, but it's nice to celebrate, you know? And besides, it's not like we're going to be drugging up a storm or anything else like that. And Mrs. Way keeps a pretty good eye on us to make sure we're not doing anything completely stupid."

"What about Mr. Way?"

"He's stationed overseas," Ray said, after sending Gerard a text. "I think he's kinda high up in the Army or something."

"Why don't they live on a military base then?"

"They did for about a year, but Mikey and Gerard both hated it, so they moved back here. That was like... my eighth grade year that they were gone."

"Oh."

"But yeah, you in?"

"I'll um... have to ask my mom. And I'll have to lie, 'cuz she doesn't want me partying either, but I don't think I will anyways."

"Which is still acceptable."

"Alright, well, thanks Ray."

-

Anette was careful with her words when she asked her mom about the party, and in the end, Shirley said yes. So Ray picked her up and drove over to the Way house early Saturday evening. Anette was a bit nervous about this - the last time she had partied, she had found herself in a number of uncomfortable positions with several people, and hadn't done it since. Plus, though she considered everyone who would be there her friends, she had no idea how they would act drunk.

"Hey," Ray said, seeming to sense her nervousness and reached over to squeeze her hand. "It'll be fine. I still play mom when I'm drunk. You've got nothing to worry about anyways, everyone's pretty tame. Except Bob, I'm not sure about him, but I think he and Hailey will be off in a room together for a while."

"Okay," Anette replied, and they knocked on the door. Mikey answered, smiling briefly at them before letting them in.

"Mom'll be back soon, she's just finishing some work up," he replied, and flopped back down on a couch next to Frank.

Mrs. Way was indeed back soon, but she didn't allow them to start their party until the sun was completely down. "You know the rules," she said, especially to Gerard and Frank. "No one is to leave this house until they have a hangover. And yes Gerard, I've hidden the matches somewhere else."

"Damn," he said good-naturedly, but he grabbed a beer all the same.

"I'll be in my office if you need me, but I’ll check in every now and then," she said, and she left them to it.

It didn't take long for everyone to find a place they were comfortable with. Within an hour or maybe more, Mikey and Ray had disappeared into Mikey's room with a bottle of something, Hailey and Bob to Gerard's room downstairs, both pretty buzzed, Frank and Gerard took over the kitchen, and Anette sat alone in the living room, wishing she hadn't come in the first place.

In fact, she was thinking of calling her mom and asking her to come and get her when Gerard sort of stumbled into the room. He wasn't wasted, but he was definitely drunk. "Hey Anette," he said, falling over onto the couch, his head landing in her lap.

"Hi Gerard."

"You know, I think drinkin's a bit sexist," he slurred, taking another swig out of his bottle.

"How so?" Anette asked. It was a bit like talking to an elementary kid who was having their first big revelation in life.

"Well you know, they're always on about how women can't handle their liquor." He paused to focus on her face and push himself up so he was sitting next to her properly. "When shit, I'm a guy and I can barely handle stuff stronger 'n beer."

"And?"

"Well... it's stupid. Anyone should be able to drink whatever."

Anette was surprised at his coherency.

"'Nd it's the same with like, sex," he went on, draining the bottle and setting it down roughly on the carpet. "I'll kiss and fuck who I like and I don't give a shit about if they're a girl or guy or whatever they themselves consider." He frowned. "Sorry, consider themselves. But I mean, if you like someone, it shouldn't matter who they are right?"

"Unless they're like, a serial killer or something," Anette added. "That might put a damper on the relationship."

"Yeahyeahyeah," Gerard agreed, waving his hands violently. "I mean like... if you wanted to date like, Mikey, it shouldn't matter that you're all popular and girly and shit and he's nerdy and awkward and..." He thought about another adjective for his younger brother but couldn't decide on one, so he just shrugged his shoulders. "You get it. And if I wanted to kiss Ray, I'll fuckin' kiss Ray. I don't give a shit if we both have dicks."

Anette smiled. "You're rather philosophical when you're drunk."

Gerard just grinned lopsidedly. "Thanks." His eyes wandered all over her, taking in her tight jeans and fancy purple shirt and how she had tied up her wavy hair that day. "You know, Anette, I kinda see why guys like you a lot. You're really pretty."

Anette's cheeks grew a little warm. "Thanks Gerard."

"Would you be mad if I kissed you again? 'Cuz I liked kissing you on stage. You're a good kisser."

"Well, um... I don't think we should, really." Anette squirmed uncomfortably.

"Why not?" He was moving closer to her now, and she edged away.

"You're... well, pretty drunk."

"So? I kiss lots of people drunk."

"I... you know, don't want to make anyone mad."

Gerard stopped, looking genuinely confused. "Make mad who?"

"I dunno, wouldn't Frank get a little miffed?"

"Naaaaah," Gerard said, laughing. "He's cool about it. We only do it to piss people off."

"Okay, well... I just... don't want to right now, okay?"

"Okay Anette. Whatever you say," he said. He sounded content, but just in case, Anette excused herself to the bathroom. Maybe she could lock herself in there and wait until morning.

But once again, her plan never got put into action. Just as she reached the hallway where she would find the bathroom, Mikey burst out of his bedroom and stumbled into her, making them both fall against the wall. His boozy breath was in her face, he was missing his glasses, and his eyes were only half-open. He had successfully knocked the breath out of Anette, who gasped, "Mikey, are you okay?"

"Annie-Anette-Annie is'sat you?" he mumbled, his words stringing together. She could barely understand him.

"Yeah, it's me. You're really drunk."

He nodded, his eyes completely closed and leaning on her even more now. "Wasted. Bottle of Morgan... drank it all."

"Why?"

He opened his eyes and blinked at her a few times. He put his weight on his hands and the wall now, and Anette could breathe a little easier. "I had to talk to you."

"Um, about what?"

"In-can you come in my room?"

Anette flushed, but she caught Mikey when he staggered a bit. "Why?"

"Private. I don't want the walls listening to me. They'll make fun of me."

"O... kay," Anette said, unsure, and she helped Mikey stumble back into his room and shut the door. His room was messy and smelled like the alcohol he had drunk, but it was nice other than that. The walls sported numerous posters and the bookshelves will full to the brim with all sorts of books. Clothes littered the floor.

"Alright, so what did you want to say?" Anette asked as he tripped over his own feet and fell face-down on the bed.

He rolled over and said, "I've been jerk to you."

"Mikey, it's—"

"Not alright. I was a douche." He rubbed at his eyes and yawned. "You're-no I am like Andrew."

"No you're not," Anette said firmly.

"So you know... you saved me and Ray and from the asthma monster. Thanks."

Anette smiled slightly. He was looking at her with an expression she had never seen on his face before, and that was pleading. "It's not a problem Mikey. And I've been mean to you too a bit, so sorry."

He just waved his hands around, and he toppled over again.

"Is that all?"

"No Annie, I gotta tell you somethin’," he mumbled. Anette moved closer to him as he just said "I gotta tell you somethin'" over and over again, his voice getting softer and softer each time.

"Tell me what?" she asked, but he just kept muttering. His eyes closed again and his mouth moved without saying much. "Mikey?"

But he had fallen asleep. Anette sighed, heaved his legs up on his bed, and sat down next to him, gazing down at him.

"Mikey, what have you done to yourself?" she asked, gently running her fingers through his hair, relishing this chance, one she thought she might never have again. She leaned down and pressed her lips to the top of his head. His lips twitched in his sleep, but he looked content. Then Anette left his room, hoping that she could now take over the bathroom.

As she shut Mikey's door behind her, Ray came out of the bathroom with a nearly full beer in his hand. They looked at each other for a moment before Ray sighed. "This is my first one, and I've only had like one sip," he said, setting the beverage on the bathroom counter. "Seeing Mikey pound that rum was kinda... well, not cool."

"What did he do?"

"He drank an entire bottle of Captain Morgan. I mean, I've never seen anyone down a bottle like that before."

Anette was frowning now. "Why?"

"Well... I think he was going to talk to you, but he couldn't work up the courage to do it."

“What? Am I that scary?”

“No… I don’t think so anyways. Just confusing.”

“Well, he’s—”

“You’re both being confusing to each other,” Ray stated simply.

Anette was quiet for a moment, and simply looked at the carpet. “Ray, he called me Annie,” she said softly.

“So?”

“Only my little brother calls me that. No one close to me has ever called me that, not even Chase did.”

“Oh…” was all Ray could say.

“Yeah.”

In their silence, they could hear music playing from the living room. “Is… Gerard playing… Lady Gaga?” Anette asked, a bit confused.

Ray just shook his head. “He does that sometimes. Wanna dance?” he offered, holding out his arms to her.

“Sure,” Anette said, and they wrapped arms around each other, slowly turning in circles.
They were silent for a few moments as they heard Lady Gaga singing, "I'll never talk again, oh boy you've left me speechless, so speechless..."

"Gerard tried to kiss me," Anette said suddenly.

"He... what?"

"Yeah, um, just now." She had no idea why she was telling him, other than it felt like the right thing to do.

"So you didn't kiss him?"

"No. I told him we might piss people off. I mean, if we were in switched places, I'd be a little upset if you went around kissing him behind my back, especially when he's drunk."

"Oh, well... thanks then, Anette."

"Yeah... not a problem..."

After a moment, Ray asked, "So, what's the next play?"

"The Crucible. We're casting it Monday."

"You auditioning?"

"Yeup. So's Gee, and I think Mikey might try and do lights again. Gerard said he had been talking about it, anyways."

"Cool, cool."

Anette suddenly held up a hand to her forehead and they stopped spinning. "Sorry, got dizzy."

"It's alright, I kinda was too."

They separated and leaned against opposite walls. "Ray?"

"Yeah?"

"Mikey kept muttering 'I gotta tell you something,' but he never got to it. Do you know what that was supposed to be?"

Ray's eyes didn't meet her's. "No."

Anette pursed her lips, sensing that Ray wasn't telling her everything, but she didn't want to press him. "Okay. Just wondering."

Ray nodded his head, and then checked his watch. "It's kinda late. Where are you gonna sleep?"

"I dunno."

"Let's take over Gerard's room," Ray suggested, and they headed downstairs to where Gerard's room was. But as they approached the closed door, they heard a moan followed by, "Fuck, that feels good."

"Maybe not," Anette said, edging away.

"If that's Frank in there, I'm gonna kill him," Ray said through gritted teeth as they started back upstairs.

"Frank?"

"No, Gerard."

"Oh."

"You two doing okay?"

Mrs. Way had come out of her office and looked like she was headed for her room.

"We're good," Ray said. "We're gonna crash on the couches."

"Alright, well, you know where the blankets are, Ray," she said, smiling at him. "Goodnight."

"Night."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Way."

They parted for the living room, where Ray and Anette took a couch each. They talked away the night quietly, each hoping that the person they wanted most would be okay in the morning.