This Is for Keeps

I stepped off the plane and stretched my arms. In all my life, I have never been so cramped, I couldn't imagine how I'd be with someone next to me. I went and grabbed my bags and began to look around for Bob. I didn't see him anywhere so I began to walk around the airport. After 12 minutes I huffed and called my dad.

"Hello?"

"Dad, I can't find him."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, he wont be inside the airport or else he'd be noticed. Just-wait which part are you in?"

"By the restrooms, east side."

"Okay, keep going straight and walk out the door and right in front there should be a black car and tinted windows."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay, bye." I hung up and adjusted my duffle bag over my shoulder and began to walk straight to the doors. Along the way I kept chanting to myself black car, tinted windows so I can remember what to look for. When I walked out my jaw dropped. I found the black car and tinted windows alright, but the question was, which one was it? There was a strip of them right in front and I didn't know which one was Bob's. The door opened from a car two down from where I was standing and out popped two guys with sunglasses along with a tall burly man.

Bob and Frank with Worm. They looked around and then glanced at a picture and Frank rested his eyes on me, and nudged Bob. Bob looked at him and pointed at me and they slowly walked up to me, Worm leading the way. Worm stopped in front of me and smiled and stepped aside.

"Shaea?" Frank asked and glanced at the picture.

"Yes. Hi Frank, Bob...Worm." I smiled.

"How did you know?"

"You guys suck at disguises." I laughed. Frank picked me up in a bear hug and then set me down to look at me.

"You really look like Gerard. Except your eyes are hazel green and you have freckles." Bob said. I smiled and nodded.

"My mom has green eyes and my aunt has freckles."

"Oh. Well, lets get you to Gerard, before he freaks out and thinks you'd gotten kidnapped." Frank grinned.

"Which is why I'm here so you don't." Worm chuckled and opened the car door for me. I smiled and said thanks and climbed into the back. Frank came in after me and Bob got into the front. I pulled my ipod out from my pocket and hit shuffle again. Modern Swinger by the Pink Spiders came on and I relaxed in my seat and stared straight ahead until I realized that my right headphone was snatched from me ear. I glanced up and saw Frank placing it in his left ear.

"Hey!" I whined as he took my ipod and started looking through the music.

"Hi." he grinned and began to scroll through the artist. I rested my head in his shoulder and watched as he was doing so, he stopped at My Chemical Romance and smiled.

"Oh wow." he said as he stopped in the P section. Pencey Prep. I laughed and he looked at me.

"You actually listen to that crap?"

"What the? I thought you were in that band, and its crap to you?" I questioned. Surprised by his serious tone. He stared at me with a straight face until it got replaced by a huge grin.

"No! I just wanted to see your reaction." he laughed and continued to scroll and stopped at the Smashing Pumpkins and put on Bullet with a butterfly wings. I hummed along with the song and my stomached grumbled, loudly. Bob turned around and laughed.

"When did you last eat Shaea? “

“Oh wow; like 21 hours ago when I was at the mall with my boyfriend.” I said and glanced at my locket. Frank seemed to notice and pointed to it.

“Did he get you that?” he asked.

“Yea, as a going away gift.”

“I see. Anyways, do you want to stop and get food or wait until we get you to Gerard’s?”

“I’ll wait.” I said and snatched my ipod back from him and stuck my tongue out at his pouted expression. I sat listening to Cute without the E ,by my second favorite band., Taking Back Sunday. When the song was over and my battery was dead, I put it away and decided to look at the pictures on my phone.

“You have a sidekick?” Frank asked, surprised.

“Yes?” I said and looked through the pictures still. I stopped at one of Cody and I. My friend Jeanette had taken it. I was on Cody’s back and he was holding me up and we were laughing. I can’t remember what about, since it was two months ago. Cody’s face was priceless and I began to laugh to myself. Frank and Bob looked at me like I was crazy and I just giggled more.

“What’s so funny little miss?”

“I’m not little! I’m just angularly retarded.” I pouted.

“Then what’s Frank?” Worm asked, sending him, Bob and I into a fit of laughter. Frank pouted and reached over to poke Worm in the side.

“Well, I was laughing because of this one picture I had of Cody and I.”

“Cody?”

“Boyfriend.”

“Gotcha. So, tell us about yourself.” Frank said and began to bounce in his seat.
“I think she should save it until we get inside, so that way we could all hear at once.” Bob said as we pulled up in front a apartment complex. I glanced out the window and stepped out as Worm opened the door for me.

“Thanks.” I said to him and grabbed my bags form the trunk. Frank grabbed my hand and pulled my bags from my hand and handed them to Bob and Worm and pulled me off running towards a n apartment in the back. Finally we reached there and Frank pushed open the door .

“Gerard!” he screamed. I heard a clutter and a swarm of curses and then he walked into the living room. I almost forgot he had bleached his hair and cut it. He looked at me as I looked at him.

“Wow.” he said.

“Yea, wow.” he came over to me and hugged me tight. I laughed and hugged him back. When he finally let go and pulled away, there were tears in his eyes, and I had some too.

“You look so much like me, well except the fact you have freckles and green in your eyes.” he chuckled and hugged me again.

“Yea, mom never really liked that I did, look like you I mean.” I sighed. He did too and then grinned as Bob and Worm walked in with my stuff and set them down.

“Geez, thanks Frank.” Bob grunted and glared at him playfully. Frank laughed and took a seat on the couch, Worm and Bob followed. I stood awkwardly and dad pointed to a room down the hall.

“That’s your room, you can go ahead and get settled in there if you want and I can call you when Ray and Mikey are here.” he said.

“Okay.” I said and grabbed my bags and pulled them to my room. Inside the walls were gray with white trimming. The bed had a matching comforter and pillow. There was a mahogany desk and matching side tables and dressers. I loved it. I set my bags on the bed and began to unpack. Halfway through unpacking I heard my name being called. I looked in the mirror to check to see if I wasn't sweaty or anything from unpacking , I wasn't. I grabbed my phone and walked out to the living room.

"Ray, this is my daughter Shaea, Shaea this is Ray as you know, his girlfriend Krista and of course, Uncle Mikey and your Aunt Alicia" my dad said pointing to the people on the couch. Mikey immediately jumped from the couch and hugged me tight before I could say Hi, just like my dad he had tears in his eyes. I smiled and hugged him back. He jumped and pulled away as my phone began to vibrate for 10 seconds before the ring tone began playing.

“Shaea, you’re vibrating.” he laughed. I did too and pulled out my phone as Blue and Yellow began to play. I had gotten a text from Cody.

Hey babe, have you made it there yet? Are you okay? Please tell me you weren't kidnapped. Just want to know if you’re alright. Let your other dad know I said Hi lol :D

I laughed quietly and quickly replied say I’m fine and I’ll call him when tonight. Everyone was glancing at me and I put my phone away.

“Sorry, anyways, it’s nice to meet you.” I said as I hugged them all each.

“Shaea, was that The Used on your phone?”
“Yes, why?”

“I didn’t know you liked them.” my dad said. I had forgotten him and Bert had some falling out of some sort, I think it was because my dad got clean and Bert didn’t want to or something like that.

“Yea, um they are kind of my favorite band.” I said awkwardly.

“That’s cool, they’re good live. We should know.” Frank laughed the others just nodded.

“Yea, I just saw them the other day with my boyfriend Cody.” I said.

“Boyfriend?” Uncle Mikey asked, narrowing his eyes. I laughed.

“Yes.”

“How old is he?” my dad asked, just only knowing I had one.

“Sixteen.”

“You’re fifteen. How long have you been with him?” my uncle asked.

“Two years.”

“And your mom allowed it?”

“As long as I wasn’t around much when Charlie was there, then yes.”

“It’s still pretty effed your mom did that. I can’t believe her. Well I can, she was always like that.” my dad said and sighed.

“Yes, but anyways can we move to a happier topic?” I asked.

“So, Shaea do you like it here so far in Jersey?” Alicia asked.

“Oh I really don’t know yet. It seems alright.” I answered and sat next to my dad on the couch.

“What do you think of us so far?” Mikey asked, referring to everyone .

“I hate you all, leave me alone.” I said with a grin. They laughed and Frank poked me.

“Hey!” I whined and poked him back, thus started a poking war. We stopped after a few minutes and laughed as there was a knock on the door.

“Finally!” Frank squealed as a girl walked in the living room, I smiled immediately. I knew who she was.

“Ah, Shaea this is my fiancé Jamia, Jamia, this is Shaea, Gerard’s daughter.” he said after getting up and kissing her.

“Nice to meet you.” I said and we hugged briefly.

“Same here.” she smiled. I sat back down and rested my head on my dads shoulder. My stomach grumbled again. My dad laughed.
“Hungry Shae?” he asked.

“She hasn’t eaten in 23 hours, of course she is.” Frank said. I laughed and nodded.

“Yea, the last time I ate was when you first called me.” I said to him.

“Is there anything you want specifically? I don’t know if Jersey will have whatever they have in the UK, but we can find something.” my dad asked me.

“The UK, isn’t a different world dad, of course Jersey has what we have. Anything besides meat is fine.”

“You’re a veghead like Frankie and Jamia?” Ray asked.

“Yes.”

“Welcome to the club!” Frank grinned and Jamia high fived me. I laughed and then smiled.

“Well, pizza it is. One pepperoni and one vegetarian.” dad said and walked into the kitchen to order.

“You guys want to know something?” I said.

“Of course.” Mikey said.

“This is the most I’ve ever laughed and been happy since my mom met Charlie. I'm already happier with my dad than with anyone else.” I said.

“What about Cody?”

“Charlie always found a way to cause us to fight.” I said reluculantly. They nodded and began to ask questions about my self and what kind of music I like and such., willingly answered them and asked a few questions back too. It made feel at home, felt special, and felt loved.

Welcome to the family.