Heaven Help Us

[Eliza]

It had been a couple of months since I first met Frank, Mikey, and Gerard. I had gotten really close to Mikey and Frank and I were dating. Well nothing official, but we went out nearly every Friday night. Sometimes Mikey tagged along when he didn't have to work. I kinda liked it when Mikey came because he would talk about Gerard. I rarely saw him, but the way Mikey described him, you could tell he was a really awesome person. I was kinda jealous because Mikey and Gerard were so close, and, being an only child, I had no one, sure Ray and I hung out literally every day and sometimes it felt as though he were my big brother, but it was nothing like the way Mikey described their relationship. Sometimes Gerard would let Mikey bring his sketchbook, not the one I had seen before, but a more colourful one filled with random doodles. I really adored Gerard's art. I envied his talent. If I had an once of what he had I wouldn't look up from a sketchpad.

Ray and I sat in my room listening to Metallica records and talking about how awesome our theoretical band would be when I noticed it was 3 o'clock.

"Hey, you mind taking me over to Mikey's place?"

"Isn't he working?" Ray asked barely looking up from his guitar.

I shrugged and stood up, "He told me to come over around three,"

"Did you take your medication?"

"/Yes/ mom."

"Well I don't want you going all loopy like last time."

The 'last time' Ray was talking about happened last Friday. I had been sulking in my room for hours because I hadn't taken my medication that morning. I only remember crying a whole lot, but Ray told me I kept saying something like 'she knew what he did to me' and when Ray's mother asked me about it I got angry.My mom apparently went into another room saying I didn't know what I was talking about. Nobody knew what I was talking about. I was crazy.

I shook my head, "That was a one time thing,"

"Still it was scary, you were threatening to hurt yourself and-"

"I told you. One time thing."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me next to him, " I don't wanna see you like that again Liza, I don't know what I'd do if something like that happened to you."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, "Seriously Ray, I'm fine."

He hugged me back and I pushed him away, "Don't go gettin' all emotional on me," I said, "you still have to take me to Mikey's."

"Another perfect family moment ruined by-"

"Yours truly." I interrupted, "now let's go."

***

I knocked on Mikey's door for a good five minutes and nobody came. I didn't see his parent's car, so I decided to just walk away since it was too cold to wait. Jersey October is fucking freezing.

"Hey!"

I turned back and saw Gerard standing in the doorway holding a steaming cup.

"Is Mikey home?"

He shook his head," but it's around the time he usually gets home, you can wait inside if you want."

I smiled and waved bye to Ray before heading inside.

"Haven't seen much of you around," I said rubbing my hands together, "not that you were seen before."

"Yeah, Nicole keeps me pretty busy."

I smirked at a joke I made inside my head.

I stared at the table covered in random sketches, "you working on some new stuff?"

"Oh, no." He said walking over to the pile, "I'm just getting my portfolio together."

"Portfolio?"

"Yeah, I'm applying to The School of Visual Arts,"

"In New York?"

He nodded, "It's my ticket outta this place."

"I hear that,"

"Yeah, New York's gonna be different. Nobody telling me what to do, nobody picking on me-I can't wait."

"Well I hope you get in, that way I could visit you."

"You can visit me now," He chuckled.

"Yeah, but I barely see you here, I'm always with Mikey or Frank, and you never come up,"

[Gerard]

I heard a little disappointment in her voice. Did she /want/ to see me?

"Well you could always come down-I mean I'm never really busy."

"Maybe I'll come down next time I visit." She said smiling.

She hovered over my art for a couple of seconds before picking one up.

"This is so cute!" She squealed.

I peeked over to see a picture of The Breakfast Monkey.

"You /have/ to draw me one for my wall one day."

"You can have that one." I told her since it wasn't really important, I had plenty of others and it wasn't really one of my best.

"Really?"

I nodded.

"Thanks,"

She leaned over to hug me, but ended up spilling coffee on the both of us. Luckily my art was safe.

"Oh Gerard, I'm sorry," She said placing the drawing down and turning to me. I was fine, most of the scalding liquid had landed on her.

"I'm okay, just another dirty shirt."

"Are you sure, that coffee is pretty hot,"

"Yeah, I can just go change."

I glanced over at her practically soaked white shirt, "Do you want something- I could lend you another shirt until that one's clean."

"Thanks,"

We both went down to my room and I looked through my drawer for a clean shirt. Unfortunately, it was the day before laundry day, so I handed her the least repulsive thing I could find.

"Sorry if it smells a bit, my mom didn't do laundry yet."

She grabbed it and disappeared into the bathroom.

[Eliza}

I held the shirt up, it was much too big for me, but I didn't put it on right away. I just looked at it. As weird as that sounds.I glanced at it, lifted it up to my face and /smelled/ it. It didn't smell at all, it smelled like Gerard. Coffee and another warm musky smell. I liked it.

I pulled off my shirt which was now covered with cold coffee and replaced it with Gerard's oversized one.

I felt the wet spot all over my jeans.

"/Fuck/"

I walked back into Gerard's room to see him sitting on the bed, apparently waiting on me.

"Do you have any shorts?" I said still standing in the doorway, "my jeans got wet too,"

"Not any that would fit you, sorry."

I looked down, the shirt covered a pretty decent amount of my body, and I was already itching from the wet fabric. I shut the bathroom door, shutting out all the light in Gerard's room. Then I wiggled out of my jeans and walked over to the bed.

"So, have you talked to Mikey?"

"Yeah, he's working late, they made him stock shelves."

I sat next to him, "/Great/,"

"I didn't know my company was that bad," He joked.

I smiled because I could tell he was growing more comfortable with me.

"It's not that it's just that-I doubt you want one of your little brother's friend's hanging around while you work."

"Work? You make it sound like I'm getting paid."

"You should be, you're talented enough." I said laying back.

"Let's just hope the school thinks the same."

"I don't doubt it, you're better than anyone else who's applying."

"Thanks," He said. I could tell he was smiling.

"Yow know," I began as I watched the shadows of cars passing on the wall, "I really don't know why you and I don't hangout more."

"I don't really get out much,"

"Who said anything about leaving? We could just hangout here one of these days,"

"We're kinda hanging out now though,"

"By coincidence," I corrected, "which isn't bad, but an invitation would be nicer."

"Well I'm not busy this next weekend,"

"Next weekend it is then," I said smiling even though he couldn't see.

We talked for hours, mostly about art and movies and music. I could tell he really loved art the most though. The way he talked about it-I mean there was just so much passion in his voice. Which is good because he really has a talent. I mean he could've started his own comic book and pitched it to DC or something, hopefully the one about the monkey because it really is so damn cute.