Why Do We Have to Grow Up?

Gerard takes the box and note upstairs to Skylar's room. He cleans up all of his action figures and he even makes the bed. Before he leaves he places the box on her bed. Gerard rushes down the stairs to see Frank and Mikey already being put into the car. Gerard jumps into his booster seat and buckles his own seat belt. Mikey, Frank and Gerard play with the action figures they had for the whole 25 minute car ride. Once they get to the park all three boys run to the sand box. They play for hours with sand buildings all around them. Frank notices a boy sitting on a bench staring at them. The boy doesn't look like he has any friends at all.
"Hey guys?" They all stop playing and look at Frank. "Can I go ask that boy if he wants to play? He doesn't have any friends." All three boys exchange looks before Gerard finally nods saying it's okay.
Elena sits on a bench by the boys video taping their game. She zooms in on Frank who is walking to the other beach where a boy about their age sat. He has dark brown skin and a little puff ball afro onto of his head.
"Hi I'm Frank." Frank greats the afro boy. "I like your hair."
"Thanks," he replies shyly. "I'm Ray."
"Do you wanna come and play with us Ray?" Ray looks at Frank then at the other two. He smiles wide and nods. They spend another hour or so playing when out of no where gun shots are heard. Gerard and Ray, being the biggest, grab Frank and Mikey using their bodies as a shield to the younger two. Mikey is crying his head off in fear. Ray is sobbing silently for his mom. Frank has his arms around Gerard's neck and is frozen. Gerard is just worried about keeping his brother and Frank safe.
After five solid minutes the shooting stops but no one moves. Everyone waits a few more minutes before they search for their loved ones. Elena rushes over to the sand box and is over joyed to see all four boys okay. Elena picks up Mikey trying to calm him as she asks the others if their okay. Ray and Gerard nod but Frank doesn't. Frank still has Gerard's neck in a death grip. "Frankie? You okay?" Gerard asks trying to loosen Frank's arms. Frank climbs onto Gerard burying his face into Gerard's neck.
"Gee? I'm scared," Frank whispers. Gerard wraps his arms around Frank.
"It's okay. The bad guys are gone. It's okay Frankie." Gerard has a worried expression on his face, looking at Elena not knowing what to do next. Mikey had finally stopped crying and was now just holding onto Elena. Ray was standing, crying silently.
"I want my mommy," Ray sobbed looking up at Elena.
"Okay, honey. It's okay, don't cry. We're gonna find your mommy," Elena says as she puts Mikey down. "Where was the last place you saw your mommy?" Elena asks as she picked up Ray.
"Over there," Ray points by the bench he was sitting at. "Mommy was playing with Lou on that slide right there," Ray says once they get to the bench. He points to a bright red slide a few feet away. Elena starts walking around the area looking for the boys mom. She's holding Mikey's hand and Gerard is trying to keep up still holding Frank.
"Ray! Raymond! Raymond!" A woman is yelling, frantic looking around the playground. She is holding a boy close to her as she searches.
"Honey what is your name?" Elena asks the boy she's holding.
"Ray," he answers in a small voice. Elena rushes over to the woman.
"Excuse me?" Elena says lightly tapping the lady on the shoulder. The woman gasps loud and put the boy in her arms down.
"Ray!" She gushed over him as she grabs him from Elena.
"Mommy!" Ray yells as he cuddles into his mothers death hug.
"Thank you so much!" She finally said to Elena, pulling away a little bit. "I don't know what I'd do with out him." Elena smiled warmly at her.
"It was nothing. He was actually a big help. He held on to my grandson here," She patted Mikey's back as she spoke about him. "Poor thing was so scared, you got a good boy right there." Ray smiled at Mikey and Mikey smiled back.
"I'm Susan," she says holding out her hand.
"Elena," she says as she shakes Susan's hand.
Elena and Susan began talking about the incident while the boys chatted together by them. Frank was still clung to Gerard and Gerard was trying not to drop him.
"Why is that kid on you?" Ray's brother asks pointing at Frank.
"He's just scared," Gerard answers in a soft voice. Mikey was standing half behind Gerard but still near Ray talking with him.
"Ray, what's his name?" Mikey asks pointing slightly to Ray's brother.
"Lou," Ray answers. "This is my brother Lou," Ray said looking at the other two and then his brother. Lou smiles at the boys.
"I'm Mikey," Mikey smiles at Lou and then Ray.
"I'm Mikey's brother, Gerard. This is Frank." Gerard shook Frank a bit to let Lou know that he was talking about the boy on him.
The boys start talking about Gerard's action figures and comics. Susan was telling Elena about her purse being taken.
"Everything was in there?" Elena asks shocked.
"Yup everything. We really should get going. It's getting dark and Lou will have to climb the window to get into the house. We don't want it to be dark for that." Susan said smile on her face. She was really worried about walking home with the boys in the dark, she knew the town they lived in was not good for that kind of stuff.
"No, I can't let you do that," Elena says. "We both know how bad the streets are." Susan began to shake her head. "You all can come over to our house, the boys would love to play together."
"No, no I bet you have a full house with all of these kids already."
"No, my daughter she lives down the street from me, she has an extra bed room in her house. Lou could sleep in Gerard's bed and Ray could share with Mikey."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to kick Gerard out of his own bed for Lou."
"That's okay, I don't think we're ever going to get little Frankie off of him. He could stay at my house with Frank."
"You are going to find a solution to everything just for us to stay aren't you?" Elena smiles wide.
"Yes, now come on before the sun goes down anymore." Susan smiles thankfully at Elena as they gather the children.
As predicted Frank never let go of Gerard. Gerard sat in his booster seat with Frank in his lap and the seat belt around them both. Mikey sat in his seat and Ray sat in Frank's. Lou sat in the front middle seat, between Elena and Susan. Everyone mindlessly chatted. Ray, Mikey and Lou talked about superheroes and comics again. Elena told Susan about the house and Frank's family. Gerard whispered funny things to Frank, hoping to get him to smile or laugh. It never worked, by the time they were home Frank was asleep.