My Guardian Vampire

Frankie and Bob and Ray pulled Mikey away, his nose bleeding and his glasses smashed.

"Mikey, Mikey," Grace sighed, rushing over to him, taking off his broken glasses and brushing some glass off his shirt as he was seated down. Billie was now standing, virtually unscathed.

"Try it again, and you're dead."

Jenn looked around at all of us.

"Is he Billie Joe?" she asked, looking at anyone for an answer.

"He's the guy you're marrying? Wow!" Brittany said, and Katy shot her a death glare. "I mean, oh, ew."

"Yes, he is." I stated, looking away from anyone's eyes.

"Ali, you can't marry him! He's-"

"Katy, it's not a choice. This is by threat of death."

I felt everyone look at me, every single person fully grasping the situation.

"You serious?" Britt asked, looking at Billie with a little more fear now, her eyes going wide.

"Yes." I turned to Billie Joe, glaring at him with the fullest hatred. "May I talk to my friends alone, please?"

"No, you can't. No way am I letting you alone with them."

"Hey! Fuck you-!" Brittany started, but Frankie put his hand over Brittany's face. Billie Joe suddenly stepped past me, towards Brittany. He got closer, and I was about to run up and tackle him or something, before he stopped.

"Brittany," He said, looking at her. "I recognize you. And Katy, and Grace, and Casey. And, of course, the new vampire, Jennifer." Billie Joe was in full control of this situation and loving it. I had never seen him act this way, like some kind of drill instructor, all of us in fear of being called out by his name. He then looked to the guys. "And, of course, the boys. I didn't need to read Ali's memories to know you."

"Billie, you’ve gone insane," Bob said.

"Bob," Billie stated, turning towards Bob. Katy hugged closer to Bob, as if to protect him. "After all I did for you, for your friends back in the city? No moreso than Gerard, really. This is me taking my payment."

"Dude, who talks like that?"

"You know me, Bob. I didn't get to be the one I am by ignoring business."

I started to feel a little dizzy, like I was getting a fever. I was so angry, so upset. Billie had hid himself so well, or at least this side of him. I should have never agreed to say yes to anyone but Gerard, even if it was being selfish-

"Ali? You okay?" Gerard said, sitting me on the couch opposite Mikey.

"I don't know. I feel hot."
“Ah,” Billie said, now in front of Gerard and I. Gerard had knelt down to my eye level, and now seemed like a loaded spring, ready to attack as Billie advanced. “Heat. One of Ali’s finest qualities.” He went to touch my face but Gerard bitch-slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch her,” Gerard hissed.

“Gerard,” Mikey warned, giving him a look that said not to push it.

“I will touch her all I want,” Billie hissed back. My anger for him doubled. All the pressure was building inside, the heat so strong I could barely think. How the hell could I get away if I couldn’t even think?

“Holy shit Billie, I can’t take this,” I said, grabbing my head. “You’re such a fucking disgusting pervert, I can’t marry you, I can’t-“

“Gytha, we’ll get through this. Please calm down,” Katy said as she broke away from Bob, pushing past Billie to get to me. Billie stood there emotionless for a moment as Katy consoled me. “I love you Gytha. We all do. We need you to be strong enough to help us figure a way for you to get away from him.”

I nodded as hot stinging tears burned my eyes. Billie chose that moment to interrupt, clapping his hands together.

“Okay, I’ve allowed you time to reconnect. We have a long day starting at sunset, so time for bed,” Billie said, looking at me like a little child.

“Billie, may I please, please stay up longer? This may be the last time-“

“Fine, whatever,” he said as he sat on the side of me. Another weird CONSENT. Gerard immediately went to take the spot on the other side of me but Billie shook his head. “Nuh-uh. I don’t want you sitting next to her.”

Gerard glared with some of the deepest hatred I’ve ever seen him force onto someone else. He however complied, sitting beside Mikey on the couch opposite Billie Joe and me. Katy looked at Bob for a moment and he nodded. Katy then sat on the other side of me. Strangely she made it so none of her body contacted my own, making me feel a deeper sense of alienation than before. Jenn sat on a rocking chair alone, holding her feet close to her chest as she rocked slowly, waiting patiently for something to happen. Casey and Ray sat on the love seat, and Brittany sat on Frankie’s lap in the single available seat.

Once everyone was settled, the room busted in to a tension-filled silence. Jenn broke the silence first.

“So Ali, what happened.?”

’Oh yeah, that whole thing.’

“A lot. I’ll tell you all, of course," as I’ve screwed every single one of you over, but all I can ask is that you please not interrupt me through the whole crazy thing. This was just what went through my mind, even if it doesn’t make sense.”

I then told them everything, ignoring Billie’s arm around my shoulders. My hands were on my lap, barely moving as I told them everything honestly: the voices, meeting Billie Joe, the alcohol, the drugs-
All of it.

I told them this simply because I had nothing left to lose: it did not matter any more if the ones I loved knew I was insane. Everything was going to be taken away from me, and telling them was literally the least I could do for them at this point. The only thing I could not do was look at Gerard, for his conformation of my insanity would have been the hardest for me to take. I ignored his eyes and face during the entirety of my story. It was only when I was finished I knew I would have to look at him. I had had just finished telling of my conversation with Billie in the shed, and the conversation with Gerard outside of it.

“And now…I’m here.”

No one said anything. I expected all eyes to be stuck on me, but I suddenly had the feeling they were all focusing on something else. I looked up.

My eyes automatically locked on the one person I didn’t want to see all night:
Gerard.

He was…crying.

In my entirety spent with him, I had only seen Gerard cry a handful of times: at the hospital, the concert, when he found the X, and now.

Funny how it was always my fault.

I looked down at my hand in my lap, tears beginning to rise.

“Gerard… I’m sorry. For everything. Everyone, I’m very sorry. I wish I knew what to say. I wish I told you I was insane before, so this wouldn’t-“

“Ali?” Gerard said in an almost questioning matter, possibly waiting for Billie Joe to interrupt him. After a pause, he wiped his tears and continued. “You aren’t crazy. You were never crazy. Bert used you and tricked us all. He was in your head.” I opened my mouth to argue, to say that there was no point in trying to debate against my insanity, but Katy intervened.

“Gytha, it’s true. Bert made you leave to get to Gerard, through your thoughts. And we’re pretty sure Billie taught him.”

I sat there open-mouthed and looked towards Billie Joe questioningly. He nodded.

“When Bert found Gerard’s journal, he and I found out about you and Gerard. Bert then asked me the favor or figuring out how to get Gerard. I figured I could take you in return.”

I felt so lost and confused, still barely comprehending the fact that Bert had entered and controlled my mind so freely. I was even having a harder time with the possibility that I was not insane.

“Oh my God,” was all I managed to say as my mind was numbed by this rush of realization. A tear rolled down my cheek. I had been tricked to the fullest--and now, because I was so damn gullible and stupid and afraid of telling the truth, I was not only going to lose my life--but more importantly, I was going to lose Gerard.

I did not care what happened now. I opened my eyes, and looked Gerard in the eye.

“Gerard, I love you. Please never think even for a moment that I never stopped loving you. I knew I was just never fucking good enough for you.” Billie squeezed my arm tightly in warning, but I ignored it, refusing to look at him. I kept my eyes on straight on Gerard as if looking away would officially tear us apart forever.

“For as long as there is any part of me, I will never stop loving you. No matter what happens, you will always be the first and last person I think of for every of every day for as long as I can think. I swear on everything that is left I will never love someone like I do you.”

“That’s enough!” Billie roared, now crushing my arm painfully. I refused to cry out. I instead breathed through the waves of pain, trying to keep my voice level.

“Billie, you’re crushing my arm. I don’t see the point in overreacting; you’re never going to get the love he has from anyone. You might as well accept it."

He gritted his teeth, and I figured he would slap me. But instead he only spoke, his words weighed with an extreme brick-like authority.

“Time for bed. Everyone. Now.” He stood up, and I looked at him.

“May I sleep with Gerard tonight?”

Gerard’s eyes went wide as he sent me a visual warning glance, but I stayed eye-locked with Billie.

“Do you have a fucking deathwish, or what?” Billie said, getting in my face.

“We covered this. I’m going to die soon anyway, so what does it matter?” I kept my face emotionless, but then let some sadness seep into it. “Please?” I whispered. Billie breathed and backed off, looking exhausted.

“Fine,” he agreed, surprising all of us. This was the third time he'd allowed something for me--and I just couldn't understand why. “But I’ll be watching. Don’t even think of trying anything.”

My eyes stayed wide with the lasting surprise of him giving me this. Without thinking I jumped up and hugged Billie, taking him by surprise.

I blushed and let go, pressing on the folds of my shirt as I looked down at the floor, embarrassed. My emotions were starting to slip loose, the pressure starting to break-

My thoughts were interrupted by Billie taking my hand, walking me from room to room until he found a suitable bedroom for us to stay in. Gerard followed us, saying nothing. Billie led us to the third floor, probably so it would be harder for a possible escape.

Finally, he led us to our room.