The Red Ones Make Me Fly

“Dad?”
Mr Way stood silently in his doorway, turning to face him as he opened the door.
His hair was greyer than Gerard remembered it being, but his eyes were still as shallow and emotionless as they had always been when cast upon Gerard. Even at a young age he could remember his father looking at him like that. Donald Way smiled an awkward smile.
“Hello Gerard, may I come inside?”
The question was obviously rehearsed.
And Gerard couldn’t blame him
“I uh… I was just on my way out to get some breakfast actually so—“
“GREAT! I’ll join you!” Donald interrupted, a forced grin on his face.
“Oh okay, sure Dad… just let me get my coat.” He disappeared back into his house, closing the door behind him. Gerard ran up to his room and pulled on his coat and his Doc Martins that lay on either side of his room – he spent a good few minutes looking for them. He picked up his messenger bag and checked that his pills were in it before swinging the bag over his shoulder as he walked out the house to meet up with his father.

The drive was silent and awkward, but Gerard was glad. He knew that if his father started talking he would bring up that fucking office job, and he really didn’t want that. He also didn’t want his father to bring up the fact that Gerard hadn’t let him in the house.
“Your mother says hi,” Mr Way announced suddenly, causing Gerard to scowl at the fact that the silence had been broken, “and she sends her-- don’t scowl at me, Gerard.”
Fortunately, they arrived at the coffee shop just in time. Gerard almost leapt from the car, shouting some excuse about needing the bathroom and disappearing into the small shop.

He made his way to the back of the shop and sat down in his usual corner booth with a displeased sigh. His dad always ruined his mood. He remembered this one day in particular: he must’ve been in about 6th grade or something, and he was in a pretty cheery mood one day which was pretty unusual. And the whole walk home he was laughing and joking with Mikey, till they got home and their dad started grumbling at them. He told Gerard off for leaving his ‘dumb art’ everywhere and for using the TV-remote’s batteries for his Walkman and leaving the remote empty.
He understood that he was in the wrong, but in the moment he was so pissed and upset at his father for ruining his mood. That’s how it had always been, whenever Gerard had a good mood, which was seldom.
He was still sitting in the booth when his father finally found him again.