Everybody's Got a Story

*Will's P.O.V. (Same day)*

I dropped the Lego block in my hand and listened quietly to what my dad and Luke were talking about after I left.
I heard them saying things about a divorce and I wanted to cry.
I looked at Joel and said, "I'll be right back, buddy."
"Pomise?" He looked at me with his big eyes and completely left the r out of the word. His missing front teeth caused him to have a slight lisp.
"I promise, buddy."
I went downstairs and listened more intently to the conversation.
When they were down talking my dad came into the living room.
I started to cry and hugged him.
"Please don't get a divorce." I sobbed into his suit. "I don't want to lose another parent."
"Hey. Look at me." I looked up at him and he gently wiped my eyes. "You're not going to lose another parent." My dad hugged me tightly and rubbed my back. "Luke loves you buddy. He wouldn't leave."
"Luke loves you too."
"I know, but sometimes when you're with someone it's easier to let them go then to keep them forever."
"Is that why you couldn't keep mom?"

*Paul's P.O.V.*

I looked down at my son and tried to stop the tears from falling.
"Your mom was needed somewhere else. And I'm sure she's a very beautiful angel now."
"I don't want Luke to leave us. Ever."
I kissed his head and cried. "Me neither, buddy."

*2 weeks later (Jamie's P. O.V.)*

"Gerard?" I yelled as I walked into his apartment.
"In the living room!"
I walked into the living room and saw Gerard sitting with his mom, Randall, Jim, Eric, and Danny.
I took a deep breath and became anxious.
"We're just hanging out. I asked them to come over."
I held up the grocery bags.
"Oh yeah. Thanks." He smiled at me and stood up. He looked to the group and said, "I will be right back."
I walked toward the kitchen and set the bags on the counter.
Gerard came up behind me and hugged me.
"What are they doing here?" My voice was shaky.
"I got lonely." His voice was muffled in my hoodie.
"What about Randall?"
"He's still my friend. Nothing more."
He unwrapped his arms and grabbed my arms to turn me around.
"You know I only like you." He had to stand on his tip toes to kiss me. I smiled.
"I don't know. I can't be so sure with your ex sitting in your living room." I spoke with a smirk on my face.
"Oh shut up. You practically live here. I've just been through shit with him. Please just let me have that. Okay?"
I kissed his nose and he smiled. "Fine." I said.
"Let's put the groceries away and get back to our company."
"Okay. Sounds good to me."

*Gerard's P.O.V. (10 minutes later)*

Jamie had left the room a few minutes ago and hadn't come back. My mom looked to me.
"How've you been with your meds?"
"Fine." I lied perfectly and nervously looked to Randall.
My mother could never tell when I was lying, but Randall always could. I caught his eyes and he looked down at his hands.
Jamie came back in the room and had a mug in his hand.
He sat beside me and handed me the mug. He signed 'For you.' Quickly in sign language and I smiled to him, kissing him on the cheek.
"You guys are too sweet." My mom smiled at us.
I blushed profusely and Jamie just smiled.
"My boy is just so sweet." I looked at him. He only used sign language to talk to me so we could talk privately.
'Your mom is really nice.'
'Yes.' I signed back.
'I like her better than Jim.'
I laughed and Jamie had a smirk on his face.
"Hey. No private convos." My mom laughed.
"We were talking about you." I sipped my coffee and glanced at her. I almost choked when she glared at me.
"Good things." Jamie's voice was hoarse, but he spoke to her.
I smiled.
I squeezed his leg.
Randall looked at his watch. "I gotta go."
"So soon?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry." I stood up and walked to him.
"I'll walk you to the door."
When we got to the door I looked at him and looked down.
"I. Well. Um. Bye." I quickly hugged him.
He wrapped his arms around me.
"Bye, Gerard."
I pulled back and watched him go.

I walked into the kitchen before joining everyone so I could let myself breathe again.
I walked back into the living room and sat beside my mom and Jamie. "So Jamie told me that you got accepted to Wilbur Wright." My mom said As I looked over to her.
"Oh uh. Yeah. It's not no big deal."
"No big deal?" She looked surprised that I would say anything like that. "Of course it's a big deal, Gerard. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I dunno." I shrugged. "You had your own stuff going on."
"This is big though. None of my kids have gone to college yet. You'll be the first, sweetie."
"It's not like I'm going to Julliard."
"But you're going to college and that's what matters." She looked so excited.

*Luke's P.O.V.*

"Hey Will." I said when I came into the kitchen. He was making himself a peanut butter sandwich.
"Hi." He mumbled.
"You okay, buddy?"
"I'm fine." He said quietly and cleaned up his mess.
He took his sandwich and left the room.
I went to find Paul.
"Hey. Do you know what's wrong with Will?"
"No clue." He kissed Joel on the head and stood up. "Want me to go talk to him?"
"Yeah. He looked like he didn't want to be anywhere near me."
"Alright. I'll be right back." Paul smiled and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek.
"Good luck."
"Thanks."

*Paul's P.O.V.*

I knocked on Will's door and heard some shuffling around before he said, "What?"
"Can I come in?"
"Uh yeah."
I opened the door and Will was sitting there with a sandwich with only one bite taken out of it and his laptop sitting in his lap.
"Are you alright, buddy?"
"Yeah." He shrugged.
I came all the way into his room and shut the door behind me.
I sat down at the end of his bed and he looked at me expectantly.
"Did Luke send you up here?"
"Yeah. We're worried about you, buddy."
"Why?"
"We never see you anymore. All you do is stay in your room."
He looked down at his laptop.
"My birthday was two weeks ago." He said quietly.
"What?"
"Yup." He looked upset and angry when he looked back at me. "Two weeks ago. You forgot. And to think I ever called you dad." He stood up and slipped his shoes on. I was too shocked to move. He grabbed his phone and his jacket and slammed the door behind him when he left.

*William's P.O.V.*

I ran down the steps quickly and bumped shoulders with Luke.
"Sorry." I heard him say, but I kept running. "Will? Where are you going?" I looked back at him then opened the door and ran outside. I walked to the closest park and thankfully no one was there. I laid down on the flat tire swing and looked up at the sky.
I didn't want to cry, but it was like I couldn't help it.
The cold was getting to me, but I didn't want to go home yet.
I got up and zipped my jacket up. I walked to Sue's and was happy to see she was still working.
"Hey, kid. Haven't seen you in a while." She must've noticed I had been crying, because she instantly went all mother hen on me. "Oh dear boy. What's wrong?" She started to wipe my eyes and pulled me in for a hug.
I hugged her back and said, "I don't want to talk about it."
"That's alright." She pulled back and pushed me towards a bar stool. She rubbed my head and walked around the counter.
She got me a cup of water and gave me a sad smiled..
"You'll be okay, Will." She sounded sure.
"I hope so."
I stayed there for a while.
Someone sat beside me and I could feel their eyes on me.
I looked over at the person.
When I looked at him he quickly looked away.
"Can I help you?" I asked, trying not to sound rude.
"I'm sorry. You just look really familiar."
He looked back at me. He was gorgeous.
"Do you possibly go to Lake View."
"Um yes. Yes I do."
"Oh. Well I'm Craig. I think we have biology together. And art. And History."
"Oh. Well Craig. It's nice to meet you. I'm William." I smiled kindly to him.
"You too."
"Um I know we don't really know each other, but do you wanna hang out sometime?"
"Sure." I'm pretty sure I was beaming from ear to ear. "Just to be clear though. This isn't going to turn out horribly like Carrie. Is it?"
"Oh god no. I'm a vegan anyway." He laughed. "I don't think I could slice open a little piggy."
"Good."
"You don't have creepy powers. Do you?" He had a shiny glint in his eyes.
"Maybe I do." I laughed along with him and waved my hands like I was casting a spell.
"So I should probably get your number if I'm gonna let you slip out this place." He had a cool look on his face.
"Yeah." I smiled. "I guess you should." I pulled my phone out of my pocket and handed it to him. "Here you can put your number in it."
He did the same and handed his phone to me.
He clicked the number and held the phone up to make a face at it. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"Well you need to remember my face."
He handed me my phone and I have him his.
"Uh I put my name in as Liam. So. Uh yeah."
"Liam. Cute." He smiled. "No picture. Hmm I'll fix that." He held his phone up and said, "Smile.".
I smiled and I knew I was blushing bad.
"You have a nice smile."
"Thanks." I just kept smiling up at him.
"Soooo." I bit my lip.
"William. There you are!" I quickly spun my head around and saw my dad there with Luke and Joel.
I sighed heavily and looked at Craig. "I guess I'll be going."
"I'll see you at school." He had a big smile on his face.
"Yeah." I smiled back.
I got up and turned back towards my dad. I walked up to him and he looked upset.
"You can't just run out of the house like that, young man."
"Well apparently you knew where I was. I brushed past him and walked out of the diner.
I started walking through the city back towards our house.
"William!"
I stopped and turned around.
"What?"
My father caught up to me.
"What is your problem, Will?"
I looked at him then looked at the crosswalk we were standing at.
It only had 10 seconds left.
I looked back up at him.
"Why?" I asked like the answer should have came instantly.
"Why what?"
"Why did you adopt me?"
He didn't answer.
"You know I still remember my family."
Still he said nothing.
"They remembered my birthday." I said quietly.
"Is this what this is about?"
"Of course this is what it's about. You forgot my birthday. You almost forgot it last year too."
"You've only been with us for 3 years, buddy. It's hard to remember sometimes."
I looked down.
"You're a piece of shit. You only have to remember three birthdays and you don't even remember mine. You guys never even wanted me in the first place!"
"Now you know that's not true!"
I looked at the cross walk sign and saw it had started again. I looked back up at my dad and started walking across the street.
"William. I'm not done talking to you!" He shouted after me.
I started running down the street and taking a few turns until I was out of breath. I figured I was probably about halfway home by now. I kept walking and looked at the stuff around me. I stopped.
I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. I had no clue where I was. I kept walking around for at least another hour.
I kept walking and looked at the stuff around me.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw that it was already 5.
I didn't know what to do and I was slightly scared.
I called my dad and I began crying when it went to his voicemail.
I tried calling him again and he picked up that time.
"Where are you William?"
"I don't know." I said through heavy sobs.
"Breathe buddy."
"I'm scared, dad." I cried. "I want to come home."
"Do you see any street signs by you?"
"Yeah."
"Alright can you go up to it and tell me what it says?"
"Yeah." I wiped my nose on the sleeve of my jacket and told him the street name.
"Alright buddy. I'll be there real soon."
"Please don't hang up."
"I'm still here, bud."
I sat down and leaned against the street sign.
I wiped my eyes several times.
My dad's car pulled up about 5 minutes later and I stood up.
I opened the door and got inside.
He didn't drive. He stopped the car and turned towards me.
I looked at him and said, "I'm sorry about what I said." I wiped my nose on my sleeve again.
"Come here." He said and held out his arms.
I quickly scooted into the middle seat and hugged him.
"I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing." He shushed me. "What do you want for your birthday? I've been a shitty father."