My Guardian Vampire

Once I got home, I ran in and collapsed in a bed. My feet wanted me to go into our (Ali's and my own) room since Ali would probably be here by now... But I didn't trust my feet anymore.

Instead I was in Mikey's room. He was sitting on a computer chair with a guitar in hand, staring at me as I laid there breathing heavily, trying to calm my heart. I had been lying on my stomach, so I turned over and tried to give myself more breathing space. I concentrated on the air burning through my lungs as I inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to get my heart to slow down. As I grew calmer, I felt Mikey's eyes on me still.

"Never seen a guy breathe before?" I snapped, looking up sharply. I then noticed Mikey was not the only one in the room.

"Hey Gerard," Grace said calmly, grinning largely from the floor where she was sitting Indian-style.

"O-Oh, hey Grace..." I trailed off slowly. I grinned embarrassedly, and sat up. "Sorry about that... Mikey, can I talk to you for a sec?" I said, standing up.

"What, Gerard?" Mikey asked in a tone that said clearly "I'm-not-leaving-this-room." I sighed.

"I saw... him," I said, but I knew Mikey wouldn't get it. I didn't want to say his name out loud, but I knew I had to.

"Him who?" he asked, as Grace studied us, curious. I figured Grace would know him, and I didn't want this news spreading around.

"The guy... from the band..." Mikey just looked at me strangely.

"Who? The guy Ali liked?" Mikey asked, and my stomach dropped with the vision of Ali liking this asshole. Mikey was waiting for an answer as I tried to push away bad thoughts. "You look sick, Gerard. Was it Rob?" I almost laughed--that guy would never have the strength to hold me like this asshole did.

"No Mikes! Not what’s-his-face Rob!" I snapped, and I could tell Mikey was getting impatient. I wish Mikey would have enough sense to read my mind right now, but of course he was just getting pissed.

Oops, that was kind of my fault.

"Not Rob..." I said, quieter now. "Bert..." I almost whispered, hanging my head.

"WHAT?!?" Mikey and Grace chorused together. Grace spoke first.

"You saw Bert, like The Bert from-" she began, but I cut her off.

"Yes, The Bert, the biggest asshole there ever was," I said, folding my arms. Mikey still looked stunned.

"He found you? Is he here?" I began to speak, but stopped myself.

To lie, or not to lie...

"I-I'll explain later, I promise Mikes..." he gave me a look, but I ignored it and turned to Grace.

"Hey Grace, does Ali like the band with... with Bert in it?"

"Yeah, she loves them. They're her favorite..."

Ouch.
That really hurt.
Really, really hurt.

Grace saw the pained expression on my face, and continued.

"Besides you guys, I mean. You know she really loves it, right? She never shuts up about it..." I nodded, but wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not. I almost without thinking entered her mind, but quickly stopped myself.

Mikey did not like me entering her mind at all, and so I respected that. I tried to not do it at all anymore after what happened with Ali.

I sighed loudly, deciding for myself that Grace was trustworthy.

"Ok Grace, thanks," I said, walking out of the room and into the hallway, shutting the door behind me.

I sighed slightly, and began to walk down the long narrow hall.

I was then tackled by Frank, him jumping onto my back. My legs were so tired from running I almost collapsed, but I gritted my teeth and laughed instead.

"Frank I’m tiiiireeeddd" I whined, setting him down. He looked at me a moment before picking me up and running up the stairs, both of us laughing. He then ran into my room, dumping me onto my bed before I could react.

Instead of hitting the soft bed I was expecting, I instead fell onto something a little harder. Frank, right after dropping me, jumped onto the space next to me.

"Get offa me!" I heard Brittany yell from beside me, under Frank. I then felt someone trying to push at my back from underneath me.

"Mmmmphh!" I heard from underneath me, and I realized I was laying on Ali. Frank and I were laying up facing the ceiling as If the people below us were just part of the bed. I put my hands behind my head, looking up as if I didn't notice anything. Frankie laughed, doing the same.

"You hear anything Gerard?" I shook my head.

"Not a thing. You?" Frankie grinned and mimicked me again, shaking his head.

"Nope," he grinned.

"Now!" I heard being yelled from underneath me, and I felt hands at my sides. I expected her to just try and push me off again, but instead she ran her fingers up my sides lightly, tickling the hell out of me. I, totally defenseless, gave up and rolled off of her. She caught her breath and laughed.

"You're too easy," she said, sticking her tongue out at me. I laughed and leaned up, quickly kissing her on the cheek, surprising her. I heard her blood pumping faster, meaning her heart was beating wildly. She blushed and laughed, giving me a kiss back. We then heard a muffled scream, and looked to Brittany and Frank.

Frank hadn't given up like I had. He was ticklish, but one poke to Brittany's side made Brittany give up quickly.

"Help meee!" she yelled laughing. I decided to help her out, and Ali and I stood up.

Somehow we both knew what to do without saying a word, a strange connection that made me slightly lightheaded when I thought about it.

I stood up and grabbed Frank as she rushed to the window, opening it quickly. I restrained Frank the best I could as I shoved him out the window and onto the roof, quickly getting back in so Ali could shut the window and lock it before Frank had a chance of getting back in.

We laughed as Frank got up and tried opening the window to no avail.

I knew that if he really wanted to he could have, but we definitely didn't need yet another broken window courtesy of Frankie.

Ali and I high-fived each other on a job well done, both of us smiling widely and looking at each other.

I suddenly had a strong urge to kiss her, so I did, pulling her to me and kissing her on the mouth, making her blush. Frankie sat outside the window Indian-style, pouting as he watched us inside.

Brittany sighed.

"I better go let him in..." she said, standing up and walking over to the window.

"No, don't do it!" Ali yelled laughing, pulling Brittany back on the bed.

"But I want my Frankie..." she said, pouting. Ali rolled her eyes, and Brittany glared at her.

They tended to fight quite a bit.

"But Gerard is in here and my Frankie is out there, alone and cold...." she whined. Frankie, hearing this, pouted even more and acted like he was shivering, mouthing the words "sooo cooold" as he hugged himself for "warmth."

"She's right," I said, and gave Frankie a look behind Ali's back, Frankie knowing by now that it meant for him to read my mind.

'Payback time...' I thought, and Frankie nodded.

Ali sighed, walking back over to the window. I walked over with her, and she unlocked it. Frankie happily stood up to come back inside.

Ali unlocked the window, and opened it, leaning out.

"Ok Frank, you can come back in--" she said, but I suddenly took her legs as Frankie took her hands, him pulling and me pushing her through the window. She screamed, but I quickly shut the window and locked it once she was through, and the scream was muffled. Brittany laughed as Ali smacked Frank, and sat down by the window, glaring at me.

"You're too easy," I quoted, sticking my tongue out at her like she had done to me. She continued to glare, though I could tell a small smile was pulling at the edge of her lips.
This night was awesome.

"So Brittany, what were you two doing up here?" I said, sitting on the bed, turning away from the window and the cursing that was coming from the other side. Brittany laughed.

"Homework kind of," she said, and I noticed some books all over the floor where they had been dumped from when we had landed on the bed.

"Oops..." I said, laughing slightly. Brittany shrugged, rolling her eyes.

"Pssht I don’t care," she laughed. I noticed it had gotten quiet outside, and I guessed Brittany did the same as we looked towards the window simultaneously. I stood up after a moment, and leaned closer to the window so I could try to see out of the darkness outside.

"Gerard! Oh My God It's-" I heard Ali yell, then she was cut off. I without thinking twice went into motion, ripping open the widow, breaking the lock but not the glass. I jumped out of it, looking around. Frankie was covering Ali's mouth with his hand, holding her away from the ledge, and I was deeply confused. Frankie saw me, shooting me that same look saying "Read my mind NOW."

'Shh!' was all I heard and I nodded, still confused. Ali saw me, looking confused and afraid, but I trusted Frankie so I put a finger to my lips telling her to hush and calm down, which after a moment she did. Frankie let her go, and I turned to Brittany, showing her the "Shh" sign. She hadn't said anything, but nodded. I quietly as possible went to the edge of the roof, carefully peering over the edge. I had to be careful; the roof wasn't securely tiled, or at least hadn't been re-tiled in a while. The moon was only a sliver that night, making it hard to see very much, though the street light on the other side of the house helped a bit.
I looked around towards the ground, seeing nothing at first.

But then I saw him there, looking around, searching.

"Come out come out wherever you are!" Bert called cheerily, giving me a shiver down my spine.

I backed away from the edge, trying to silently crawl backwards. How the hell had he found me here?

'The journal...I left it there!'

The tiles began to give way, and before I could react I was falling off the third floor roof, a long drop. I yelled, and heard some other yelling briefly before my body made contact with something hard.

But not the ground.

I heard a large "Oof! "as I hit, then after hitting that I hit the ground.

I laid there a moment, wondering if I was alive or not.
Then the pain came, and yes, I was sure as hell living.

"Buddy!" I heard being laughed above me, and then I realized that I wasn't alive.
I was in hell.