Chasing Stars

When I walked into my math class I saw Jeremy in the back corner. I normally sat up front but he waved me back. I followed and sat next to him.

"So you lived," I said to him looking at him through the corner of my eye.

"Yeah I did," he said with a big smile on his face, "and I see you haven't killed anyone yet so that's a good sign."

"Days not over," I muttered watching some kids walk in holding an MCR folder. I rolled my eyes.

"Not a fan of the band?" Jeremy automatically said. He must have caught what I witnessed.

"Nope."

"So are you his daughter?" I turned and looked at him.

"You know who he was." I looked down at the notebook on my desk. I really hadn't figured out how to explain to anyone, let alone a new person in my life, who Gerard really was.

"Don't worry I won't say anything." I turned to him.

"Thanks, it means a lot."

"Well I have to keep you on my good side otherwise," he drug a figure across his throat making me laugh. The teacher called the class to order and I half listened. After class Jeremy and I had lunch. I walked through the line for breadsticks and coffee and called that good enough.

"Rylynn this is Devon, Sarah, Shelby and Matt. Guys this is Rylynn." I waved and sat down on the grass next to Jeremy.

"So Rylynn where did you move here from," Sarah inquired.

"How did you know moved here?" I asked setting my coffee down.

"Your accent," they all laughed. I guess I never considered the way I spoke to be an accent but then again I could certainly tell they weren't from Jersey.

"Oh," I smiled, "New Jersey."

"Wow you guys get a bunch of snow there don't you," Devon asked.

"Yeah I guess you could say that." We sat there for a while just chatting about random stuff. Jeremy nodded toward me handing me a cigarette. I smiled and took it. He lit it for me. It was nice. I was starting to feel like any other kid with no dead mother and an estranged father.

After my last class, I stopped back by my locker and grabbed my stuff. Closing it, I saw Jeremy on the other side leaning up against the lockers.

"So, do you ride a bus to the rich neighborhood?" he asked with a cocky smile. I laughed shacking my head.

"No Gerard's picking me up."

"Good, I'm walking that way," he said shutting my locker for me. I walked next to him through the not so crowded hallways.

"So do you drive or something?" I asked fixing the zipper on my hood.

"Yeah, I have a old Dodge, piece of crap really but hey it runs."

"That's nice, I failed my drivers ED so I don't even have a permit."

"How'd you manage that one?" he asked with a smile.

"I missed to many classes," I said simply. Truth is my mom died in the middle of it so I couldn't finish. Exiting the building I saw Gerard's car waiting eagerly.

"Well I guess I'm off," I said, sighing.

"Hey," Jeremy said grabbing my arm gently before I could get to close to Gerard's car. "I'll see you tomorrow and uh, thanks for being nice, most new comers avoid me like the plague." I smiled at him before walking to the car.

I opened the door and then shouted back to Jeremy, "Plagues are to weed out the weak." He smiled and walked across the street and I got in the car.

"So, he's your friend?" Gerard said instantly.

I climbed into the car and rolled my eyes. "Don't judge a book by it's cover."

"I'm not I was just wondering," Gerard said defensively.

"He's a nice kid, we have a couple of classes together, alright?"

"Okay, what's his name," he asked in a curious way. I looked at him, judging whether I should even answer that. I didn't need him reading into things.

"Jeremy," I answered readjusting where my backpack was sitting. Gerard looked over at me studying my expression, I just stared out the window.

"You should put your seatbelt on," he said looking back at the road. I ignored him. "Rylynn put your seatbelt on please."

"No thanks," I muttered. My head was beginning to throb. I laid it on the cold window to help but had no relief.

"That wasn't me asking permission. Put your seatbelt on." I turned and looked at him. He hadn't demanded me to do anything the past month and now he wants to about a seatbelt. I didn't know why I was so adamant on not putting it on. I normally wear them.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because if we get in an…" he stopped his sentence and pulled into a parking lot. He was going to say accident. I knew he wanted to but he was worried about how I would react. I just looked out of the window. Gerard parked the car and turned the engine off. "Do you want to talk about her?" he asked unbuckling his seatbelt and turning toward me.

"No," I said simply. "You can say it you know. I'm not crazy. I'm not going to loss my mind if you say accident." Gerard rubbed the back of his neck in response to my sudden outburst.

"Rylynn is that why you don't want to put it on, because of your mom." I looked at him.

"No, it has nothing to do with her. Can we please not do this," I asked putting the seatbelt on. I would wear it if he would just stop talking about my mom. He didn't believe me I knew he didn't. "Gerard, I don't remember anything that happened, is that what you fucking want to hear," I was getting mad. I couldn't calm myself down.

"Rylynn," he scolded. I blushed, he never took that tone with me. I made my mom mad all the time but that was different, I alway did it. Gerard on the other hand didn't. This past month he gave me space and let me just be. I had only heard voices of concern and compassion. I swallowed hard and looked down at my shoes. Gerard dropped the subject and put his seatbelt on, starting the engine.

"If you want to talk, I am here," he said looking at me one final time. I still just looked at my shoes. "So is Lindsey." We didn't talk the rest of the drive home.