Things Have Changed for Me

_________________

Evan

"How dare you talk to her like that! You are no brother!" There's a lot of anger in such a little man... Mikey gets hit real hard.

"Evan, out," Gerard demands.

"But Ge-"

I try to stay... I know what's going to happen... I wish to stop it.

"OUT!" Gerard screams at me.

I nod and walk back out in the hall. After about 10 long minutes, I decide to go out for a walk.

A long walk.

I find a liquor store as I walk... along a couple of kids playing around, no older than 20... trying to get in.

I decide walk over to them. Maybe buy them some stuff. But myself some too... a lot...

"Alright, what do you want," I ask, pulling out a receipt for what looks like dinner.

Apparently it's all I have.

"Don't arrest me! I wasn't a part of it! I promise!"

I jump at the screaming from the kid.

"Chill, dude! Pete will fix this."

Pete will fix this? Fix me? Who's Pete?

"Me? What? No! We never actually got in or anything! We don't drink! What?!"

They think I'm arresting them...

The bickering continues for a couple of minutes till I break in.

I laugh, quietly.

"Guys! I'm not getting anyone in trouble. I'm buying you guys something. Tell me." I stare at them.

I sound like a waitress! Wow... new level... maybe I'd be a good waitress.

"Whiskey," the average height boy with brown hair and art on his face suggests.

Pretty art on his face! I like it. I'll have to ask how he did it...

"Beer," the taller one says very quietly. He also has nice art on his face but not quite as much.

"OH! ROSS IS DRINKING! I think it's the girl!"

The kid blushes, hitting the other one and hiding.

"Shut it, Peter," he whispers. I blush too.

"This is fun... Anything but beer will make me happy," the boy- Peter? says with a smile.

Peter...

"Vodka for him," the first boy says. "Patty?"

"Beer," the boy in the hat says, shyly. I nod.

He stares down at his shoes, playing around with them.

"I will be back. Oh! Names! Please?"

"Ryan," the taller boy says with a small blush.

"You're a cute kid, Ryan." I give him a smile back.

He blushes deeper.

"Pete and that is Patrick," the boy with black hair says, pointing to the heavier kid behind him.

The poor kid looks so lost in life and so upset... I wonder if he's okay...

"Brendon is what they call me... usually," the first boy says. He holds out his hand, which I take.

"I will be back... you guys... stay. I like you..." I start to walk to the door but stop when I hear a wolf whistle.

I look back to see who did it.

"Brendon! She is not a dog!"

Ryan fusses at him.

"You got that one right. hot."

Brendon winks at me, making me blush.

"Stop it!"

Ryan slaps him in the arm.

I smile to myself and walk in. I get everything, including some scotch for myself, and take it out to the boys.

"Now before I give any of this to you guys, I need ages... and some friends..."

I stare at them

"You're obviously older than 21...," Pete states. I nod.

"18...," Brendon says with a smirk. I hand him the bottle of whiskey.

It's like a reward. Give me what I want, get what you asked for.

"You drink oddly for a 18 year old," I say. I know it probably isn't but it seems like it...

"I know."

"18," patrick says, quietly. I hand him a case of beer. He gives me a small smile.

"I am the oldest. That would be 20." Pete stands up all proud. I hand him his bottle.

The last boy, Ryan, stands awkwardly.

"17," he answers, shyly. I smile a sympathy smile at him. Something isn't right.

It seems... off

I grab his hand and pull him away from everyone.

"Ryan, I know we just met and... I'm probable really creepy... but something is going on?...Are they forcing you?"

He blushes and pulls his hand out of mine. Awe... he blushes to me holding his hand... I never get treated like a girl.

That's so sweet...

"No... they'd never. My Uh... my dad... he's got this fight with alcohol... that never seems to end. I just... I don't want to lose it."

I push the hair out of his face

"Well, Ryan... like father, like son. I get it. But here's one thing, you are the better generation of the Ross family. Alcohol is okay if you can take a hangover. Just be careful with it. I know... it's scary but... it'll be okay. My brother was an alcoholic before I met him... it's scars you for life... but it's going to be okay. You're better than that."

"But what if I'm not?"

I wrap my arm around his waist.

"You are if you want to be," I say and hug him.

"I wanna be," he whispers in my ear.

"You are." I kiss his cheek and pull away from him.

He blushes.

I smile. He's adorable...

"That's the closest I've gotten to being kissed..."

I snort

"You're 17..."

"Yeah but that changed nothing."

I shake my head.

"At least you're not 20 somethin... hey, wanna hear a secret?"

"Um... yeah... sure."

I lean really close to him.

"I had my first kiss today and the guy I kissed is beating up my brother," I say and start to laugh. Ryan just kind of awkwardly stars at me.

He starts to laugh too.

"17 is ridiculous," Ryan mumbles.

"I have an idea!" I grab Ryan's hand and drag him back to the others. "You don't have plans now, do you," I ask.

I'm hoping they'll say no...

"Get wasted," pete answers.

I smile really big.

"Come! I know a great guy!"

"I don't know... we don't even know her name," patrick says. I nod... that's a good point.

"Oh... well it's Evan... Evan Way... sister of Mikey and Gerard Way from the band my chemical romance. We're going to see Frank, now if you don't believe me then I have proof."

Never tried that before. Maybe it'll work.

"Proof," patrick challenges me.

"Here." I hand him my phone. He looks through it.

This is fun!

"Okay..." he hands it back to me.

"Off to Frankie's," I yell. I'm surprised I could do that...

I start to walk the way to the small building that Frank lives in.

When we get there, i buzz up.

"FRANKIE, DARLING," I yell up with a holly from breakfast at Tiffany's accent.

"This is the smallest apartment building place I've ever been in," Brendon says in disbelief.

I laugh and buzz again.

"Stop," Ray yells down at me.

"Raymond, darling, do you know if Frank is home?"

"Hasn't been home all day," ray answers.

I frown.

"Oh no..." I keep my accent. "Well, i buzzed up. Would you mind?"

"Come on up."

"Yay," I squeal and pull the boys upstairs. I run into franks apartment place and squeal again. "I LOVE THIS PLACE!"

This place honestly was one of my favorites.

"It's biiiiiig," patrick says in awe.

"That's what she- owe!" I look back to see Ryan holding his ribs in pain.

"He did it," patrick yells, pointing to pete.

"Be nice, patrick. Be mature, Ryan! You guys aren't 11." Pete rolls his eyes

This is cute... awe

"Hey," Patrick pouts.

"Meanie!" Pete yells, sticking out his tongue.

I run into franks room. I fall on his bed and groan really loud.

"Evan," Ray says. I smile.

"Yes?"

He pokes me

"Get off frank's bed."

"Not till I'm done," I mumble. I hear screaming. "Hey, there are 4 kids out there. Go check on them."

"They're just happy, looking through franks stuff."

Looking through franks stuff awe...

"PETE," I yell. Pete runs in.

"Yeah?" He comes and lays down with me.

"Who screamed," I ask.

"Patrick and Ryan because they were getting really excited and freaking out about touching something Frank touched..."

Big my Chem fans are cute... I like these guys.

"You screamed too?"

"Shhh."

"Knew it," i say with a laugh.

"Evan, I'm leaving."

"That's code for 'get out of frank's place cause he doesn't even know I'm here'. I don't want to."

"Please," Ray whines.

"We're getting drunk. Let us. No." I sit up with a smile.

"Fine...," I watch Ray leave. I make sure he's gone.

"BOYS," I yell really loud, hurting pete's ears. "HELP ME MESS UP THE ROOM!"

They slowly come in one by one.

"Okay, mess it up but do it neatly."

Frank loves his neat room... heh... this is the way we work.

"How do you do that," Brendon asks as he starts to pick up the stuff on franks desk.

"Clean clothes on one side, dirty in the other. Put stuff in groups but scatter around the floor. Neatly."

"Why," Ryan asks. He takes a seat next to pete on the bed.

"He cleans my room, I mess his up. It's the thing we like to do. Now how do I make this bed look slept in?" I pull at his sheets a little.

"Put you in it with me," Ryan shoots. I flick him.
"I didn't hear a no..."

"You didn't hear a yes, pig," I shoot back, jokingly.

"I'm only a pig for you, sugar." Ryan makes a kissy sound.

"Awe... I didn't know pigs were cute," I say with a smile. I hug him.

"This one is."

Brendon starts to laugh really hard. I get up and walk over to the wardrobe.

"He's gonna hate me," I say as I start to unfold his clothes and throw them on his neat, clean floor. Brendon gets in the closet and gets the clothes out of there.

"Patrick, scatter the trash around, pete, you get the desk, Ryan, bed."

"I want the bed," pete whines. Ryan gives him Beady eyes.

"Fight me," Ryan gives pete a tuff look. Pete holds up a fist.

"It's not worth it," patrick says, grabbing Pete by the waist. Pete's face turns bright red. He stares at Patrick, watching him as ge starts to do as told.

"We'll get this done in no time," Brendon says to himself.

I smile.

"Not without me," I hear a familiar voice. I look back to see Frank.

"FRANKIE," I scream and run to hug him.

"It was like... 2 hours! A week ago you wouldn't even look at me!"

"I thought you and Mikey got in a fight! You don't look hurt..." I check around for bumps and bruises. Nothing.

"Well, Gerard punched me really hard then punched Mikey and made us sit in yours and his room, staring at each other for awhile. Then he came in and talked to Mikey about how you aren't a child, blah blah. We talked about how you have much more life to live so I should let you go and Mikey and I aren't speaking."

"Oh..." I'm kind of disappointed... That's not much...

"Who are these boys," Frank asks.

"Underaged guys I bought drinks for that I met outside the liquor store. They're nice. Say hi. It's Brendon by your clothes, pete is playing with your favorite stripper magazine, Ryan is the one on the bed and patrick is the one... picking up... after... us... patrick?"

"Habit," he says with a small smile.

He's a weird kid...

"Patty," pete yells. "Drop it." Patrick lets go of the stuff he'd picked up and takes a seat on the floor.

Poor Patrick awe...

"We bought booze so we're gonna get drunk."

"Can I join," Frank asks with a smile. I nod.

"Last one in the kitchen gets to go outside and run all the errands hungover," Brendon yells as he runs out. Frank follows then pete and patrick.

"So that's the guy you kissed?"

"Yeah...," I say with a sigh.

Ryan puts his arm around my waist. It doesn't feel weird or uncomfortable like it should... it feels nice and welcoming... like a home. I warm, accepting home.

But it shouldn't feel like that... I just meet this man... why am I letting him touch me...

I'm letting him do this.... He smells really nice. It's not very strong of a smell but it kind of smells like... coffee...

Why am I thinking about how nice stranger smells?! What is wrong with me?

"It's going to be a long night," he whispers. We get in the kitchen to see they've already started.

"So we're just going ahead and drinking? No games?"

"How about the game called we drink every time we breathe," Brendon hands me a bottle. I roll my eyes and take a drink.

It stings. I've never had a drink before. I like the feeling. The feeling of it going down. The whole experience seemed nice.

1 turns into 2, 2 turns into 4, 4 turns into more and too drunk to know what's going on. Then that leads to waking up in franks bed, half naked.

Everyone is standing around me. It takes a moment to realize what's happening.

"What's going on," I ask, confused. I sit up, realizing everyone is staring at my bra that is barely all the way on. I pull the covers up, uncomfortable with the eyes.

"We all got wasted last night and you're the last to wake up but Frank says no breakfast till everyone is awake..." Patrick smiles, throwing my shirt at me.

"Let me go back to sleep," I whine.

I feel sick and bleh... I want sleep and more sleep and never ending sleep.

"Out, guys," I hear a really familiar voice that wouldn't be any of those guys... it's... as I was afraid of, Mikey.

Now he knows I got drunk. Knows who must've been with me. Knows I've been around Frank. Knows my friends...

This isn't going to be okay.

Everyone leaves the room but Mikey. He takes a seat beside my feet.

"What," I ask, my voice sounds all tired and weird.

"You came to frank's with a bunch of strangers and drank all night?"

He stares at me with confusion.

"You just came in here to yell at me?" I pull my shirt on without moving the blanket.

"Well... no... but you can't do these thi-"

"I'm old enough to decide what I can or can't do." I already know how this will go. I'm way too tired for this and I feel like I'm gonna vomit.

"You're right... you're right... okay... but what if you don't decide right?"

"That's my own problem," I mumble.

Who gives you permission to be all up in my business... he's driving me crazy...

"What if they're here to rape you or-"

I roll my eyes. What ever. I can't chose my people ether.

"Hang on, one second. Peter, come here!" I wait for a minute, then Pete comes in with an awkward look.

"What have you said to him to make him look at you like that," I ask. Mikey looks away. Oh... great... well...

"Fine. Don't answer. Pete, are you a rapist?"

It's whatever suits you, dude.

"No..."

"Do you wanna be?"

"I'd rather be a bassist," pete answers. He looks like he's scared. Poor kid.

He looks so hungover... awe

"Come here." I sit up and wave him over. He sits on the bed beside me. "Talk to my brother about bass."

"But I d-"

"SHHHHH! Just do it! Well go to breakfast after just talk to him." I pull him down on my bed.

He leans over to me ear and whispers a small, "you're not wearing any pants..."

I blush, picking my pants up off the floor and putting them on, quickly.

"You have another brother out there that I was having a conversation with..." He looks over at Mikey and shrugs.

I throw a pillow at Pete, which he does not react well to and Frank now has stains on his floor that no one wanted there...

"Patrick will talk with him. Just talk to this one." I start to walk to the kitchen, already regretting it. My head spins and the feeling that I'm going to vomit hangs tight with me. I slowly make my way to the bathroom and just sit on the floor by the toilet. A strong scent fills my nose, making me vomit. Oh the perks of hangovers.

"Hey." Ryan sits next to me. He looks perfectly fine... not the slightest hint of a hangover.

He's not hungover?

"Hey," I reply, cleaning myself up a little. I realize I'm not wearing my own clothes...

If these aren't mine... who's clothes did I put on...

"You alright," Ryan asks, handing me a bottle of water. I shake my head.

"You're too loud. It hurts my head." I reply, motioning him to go away, which gets ignored.

"First hangover, I see..."

He mumbles with a smile. I elbow him, hard.

"None of your business. what's it with you anyway?"

"I didn't drink," he answers with a smirk. I punch him. "I don't drink. But let me tell ya this, you are funny when you're drunk."

"Am I now," I ask, taking a drink of water.

"You started laughing really hard while reciting doctor suss then fell off the couch and Brendon "saved" you by throwing himself under you before you reached the floor. After that you guys danced a little... he passed out after that. Then you had a long talk with patrick about his hair. He really enjoyed that. You took Pete over to franks bed, giving him a lap dance and then you passed out..."

"Is this... is this your shirt?"

His bare chest would explain a lot now, wouldn't it?

"It's my favorite..."

"Mine..."

"But then I-" he gets distracted when Brendon walks by and kind of stares off for a second. "Bden," he calls, loudly. I put my fingers in my ears in pain.

"What," he asks with a yawn.

He looks funny with his hair sticking up like that heh...

"Where are you crashing tonight," Ryan asks, getting up. I pout my lip and tug on the leg of his pants. He kisses my head but leaves me anyway.

"Um... I was going to stop by my parents just to say hey... I really had no plans after that." Brendon yawns again, making me yawn.

"I'm free. I don't want to be alone." Ryan frowns and grabs Brendon's hand... are they... gay???

"Well... then I'm there." Brendon comes in and takes a seat on the counter by the sink. Ryan kind of just stands there awkwardly.

"You don't have a house," I ask, unsure. He shrugs.

"I do... but only for while I'm looking for a place."

"And your problem is?"

"Money," he answers.

"Here's what, I'm tired of being treated as a child. I'll find us a nice place that we can both agree to and you can pay whatever you can afford. I'll work up the rest. You say?"

Maybe I can get an escape.

"We could get even nicer of a place if you add patty."

"Patty needs a home," I gasp. Brendon shrugs.

"I don't know..."

"You're the one asking."

"Got it. You feeling okay?"

"Hungover but fine."

"Just checkin," he says, getting up. He kisses me on the head, just like Ryan did. I look at both of them in confusion as Brendon walks away.

Kissed on the head... why the head?! What's with kissing on the head?!

"What was that?!"

Ryan laughs.

Why is he laughing?! Why is this funny?! I'm dead serious! Why am I kissed on the head?!

"What," he asks.

"What's with the kissing on the head and... and the asking how I'm doing? Where is that coming from?"

"We're men, not animals. People usually ask how a person is, do they not?"

Men?! NOT animals?! WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM?!

"Ryan- what's your full name?"

"George Ryan Ross III."

"George Ryan Ross III, I like your name by the way, guys do not just go around kissing girls on the head!"

"Of course not! Guys kiss the women they care about on the head. Don't you care about the people you get drunk with? I mean, it's seeing a whole new side to someone!"

What is life anymore?

"You didn't get drunk, mister Ross."

"But you did. I say you care about us a little! I am hurt!"

"What's with the asking if I'm okay? Of course I'm okay!"

"It's your first time drinking like this! You broke all the drinking records in this group! Of course we're asking if you're okay!"

My mouth drops to form an o.

Oooo... what did I do...

"You said something about me to Brendon!"

"Oops...," Ryan says all cutely. I mentally slap him and get up.

Head rush...

"I regret standing up... carry me..." Ryan picks me up and carries me to the kitchen.

I love that so much... it feels so nice.

"Fix me, Frankie," I say as I get handed over to Frank. Frank sets me down.

"Breakfast time. Let's go. We have to stop by houses to get new clothes cuz you can smell the booze from a mile away. "

Everyone starts to run out the door and I just sit there.

"EVAAAAAAAAAN," Gerard screams. I slowly get up and we all go out for breakfast and spend the rest of the day sleeping on the couch with Ryan, Gee, and Mikey taking care of our every needs. It's nice and fun...

______