Heaven Help Us

[Mikey]
"You still commin' today?" Frank practically yelled over the music in the background.

"No shit, you know I never miss a practice."

"You sound like a groupie,"

I laughed, "No, I sound like a guy who's gonna be you're roadie one day, you know and get the left over girls,"

His breath hitched, "Left over? It's gonna be fucking back to back orgies."

We both laughed, Frank doing that annoying pot head laugh made me laugh even harder-he was high.

"Okay dude, I gotta go wake the beast," I told him while eying Gerard's bedroom door.

"Alright, see you." Frank said, not fully calmed down.

"Bye."

I hung up and headed for Gerard's door. I must've on the door for at least ten minutes before I got a response. Granted, it was nothing but an annoyed groan, but I took that as an invitation.

I opened the door to see Gerard's floor still covered with clothes and papers scattered everywhere. Gerard could be a real slob if my mom let him.

I shook my head, "Artists."

I walked over to the bed and stood next to a sleeping Gerard. I called his name but he didn't so much as move.

"Gee wake the fuck up," I said shaking him a little. All I got was another muffled groan, so I shook him again.

"You promised you'd take me to Frankie's today."

"I /know/," He said into his pillow, "I'm getting up now."

"It looks like you're still laying there to me."

"I'm working on the 'up' part."

I laughed to myself and pulled my trusty water pistol that I had bought from the gas station last night out of my back pocket, "Suit yourself,"

Within a few seconds, Gerard was squirming on the bed with little streaks of water on his face. I kept squirting until he got out of the bed.

"I'm seriously gonna fucking kill you,"

"You and what army?"

"The Seven Nation Army." He said on his way to the bathroom

"Lame!" I back to him called to him.

Flipping me off, he disappeared into the bathroom. Once I heard the water running, I took it was a sign that it was time to do what I always did: be a nosy little brother.

Being in Gerard's room was always entertaining because there was /always/ something to find, plus I always liked reading over his comics, especially when he would put me in them. Once when I was 13 he drew me and Batman beating up the Joker while Robin stood on the sidelines like the useless sidekick he is.

I peeked over his desk and saw the usual: drawing of a girl with short brown hair holding two guns next to her scarred and bandaged face. She had a devious little smirk on her face like she was about to kick some ass! Underneath it Gerard wrote, in his best writing, '/Time to play/'. I looked for more pictures so that I could continue the story but instead I found a crumpled up black and white picture of a girl. It was different from anything else Gerard had ever showed me. For starters, it was in black and white. Gerard always used lots of bright colours and hues whenever he painted or drew anything unless it was a certain scene, but the type of black and white this was in what Gerard had told me was 'charcoal' and he never used it. She looked sad, another thing Gerard never drew, and she was crying. Her head tilted downwards as super realistic curls fell to her shoulders. I had never seen Gerard draw something so real. It made me wonder who he drew and why. I placed it back on the desk and continued my search, but all I found were pictures of that creepy little monkey thing, but nothing else.

I was so caught up in looking that I didn't notice Gerard come back-until I turned around.

"Oh come on dude!" I said at the sight of a Gerard in a towel.

"Shut up, we're brothers."

"That doesn't mean I wanna see your junk!"

"Then face the wall or something."

I did as he said until I felt a light tap on the back of my neck.

"Lesgo."

I pressed play on the new tape of The Smiths that we had been talking about a couple of nights ago, went up the flight of stairs and out the back door so we didn't run into our mom. She doesn't like us going out much, she says it's too dangerous and she's not exactly wrong. We live in Jersey-the place where the mob is big and you find dead bodies floating in playground ponds, but I couldn't stay inside my entire life because of a little danger could I?

"Hey Gerard?" I said as we got closer to his car/

"Yeah?"

"Do you know anything about girls?"

He stopped for a moment and looked at me, "Do I look like I know anything about girls?"

We both got into the car and he began to drive off.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because Frank and I met a girl and-"

"You like her?"

I pushed the Black Flag tape in, "no, but Frank kinda does, that's why he invited her to hang out with us today,"

"Oh, well I'm sure Frank'll be fine, he's 'cute' at least that's what I heard a couple of girls say, he'll be fine."

"Did you just call Frankie cute?"

"Shut up!"

The rest of the ride was just us singing along to the random songs.

When we got to Frank's house Eliza was already there. She and Ray were leaning against his car laughing hard over something.

"You wanna meet her?"

"Who?"

"Ray's cousin Eliza, the girl Frankie likes."

"Nah, I gotta get going anyway."

"Where are you going? You know mom doesn't like-"

"Fucking chill out Mikey, I'm going to the comic shop to get some more books."

"Well alright, but you're gonna be back by 8 right?"

"Yes now get the fuck out," He said before practically pushing me out of the car.

I flipped him off as he drove off.

I was quickly taken off guard by a loud, crackling laugh.

"Hey Mikey!" Eliza called racing over.

"Hey,"

"I'm glad you came, I thought it was gonna only be me and Ray."

"I had to wait for Gerard to get ready, he's like a gir-"

"Hey! I got ready in 10 minutes thank you very much."

"Try and hour." Ray chimed.

"Anyways, Frank's band better be good."

"Good? They're great, one of the best band's in Jersey, you know aside from Raygun Jones?"

"Who?"

"/My/ band."

"You have a band?"

"Yeah, it's really just me and Gerard, I play the bass and he sings."

"No shit? I've been looking for a band, I play the guitar." Ray said sounding a little more than interested.

"He's really good too, you guys should jam sometime." Eliza said nudging me,

"First off we don't 'jam' we rock hard, and secondly, I gotta talk to Gee, but he'll be here to pick me up."

"Mikester!" Frank yelled ambushing me from the back, he smelled like pot.

"Frank I have told you time and time again not to butt rape me in public."

"And I have always told you that I can't help it." He said, prompting giggle from Eliza.

"Are you assholes ready yet?"

"Yeah, we're ready to rock out with our cocks out."

"Gross." I said.

We all followed him to the garage where John, Tim and Shaun sat.

"Ready?" Frank asked walking up to the mic.

They all nodded and he smirked, "Ladies and Gentlemen I give you: Pencey Prep!"

"Just start the damn show!"

They began playing and I could tell Eliza was really into it.

[Eliza]

Mikey was right, Pencey Prep is amazing! I loved their music and Frank-Frank was great. There were a couple of times when he sang that he just sounded so...angry. It was /real/ and it made me feel. I felt everything that I felt when I had to leave The Bronx, when I lived in The Bronx-everything.

Once they stopped playing I applauded, "You guys are great! Especially you Frank."

"I try." He said walking over rolling up his mike.

/ "Frank ask your friends if they want pizza" /

"Let's take this party inside!" Mikey exclaimed rushing in.

You wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at him, but man can that kid eat! I'm pretty sure half the pizza went to him alone.

We all talked about random things and Mikey and Frank told me about Belleville High, told me who was cool, which were them, and who wasn't: everyone else. I was willing to take their word for that one. The both of them were two of the coolest people I've ever met-and I know a lot of people.

"So why'd you move to Jersey?"

I looked at Ray and then back down to my grease covered place, "My mom needed a 'change of scenery' whatever that meant."

"Well look on the bright side, you would've never met us if you hadn't come,"

"True,"

Frank burped really loud causing everybody to laugh out.

I have a feeling this is gonna be the start of a great friendship.