For the Last Night I Lie, Could I Lie With You?

Bridgette's POV

"Mum I don't want to go to school!" I whined one morning my mother tried to drag me out of bed.

"You've missed a whole week so far, sweetheart. I don't want you getting behind." Mum argued.

I sat up and crossed my arms. It wasn't like me to throw tantrums, but I could feel one welling up inside me at that moment. Mum sighed and sat down beside me.

"Don't be angry at me. It's no one's fault. I know you miss having Gerard around, but there really isn't anything we can do. All you can do now is go to school and try to get back to normal."

"It isn't normal without Gerard, but if that's what you want mother...I'll go to school today."

"That's a good girl."

Mum patted me on the back and went to my closet. She pulled out a t-shirt and jeans and handed them to me. I sighed and went to take a shower, barely beating David to the bathroom.

"Oh, look who wants to go to school now." He mocked.

"David, not today." I warned him.

I heard him back off and go into his room again. I shut and locked the bathroom door, tossing the clothes on the counter and starting the water. I undressed and got inside, feeling the steaming hot water envelope me. I couldn't help but remember the time when Gerard had broken his ribs and couldn't shower for a week. Then David had to help him wash and get dressed. A small chuckle escaped my lips.

At school I felt like a zombie. I was operating on scant, restless sleep and very little to eat. Despite my thorough efforts to clean up this morning, when I looked in the mirror in the girl's room at lunch I still looked like a hot mess. My friends did their absolute best to try to cheer me up.

"The winter musical is coming up, Bri. I can get you backstage if you want." Elena offered.

I sighed and shook my head.

"I'll go, but I'll watch from the audience. What role do you have?" I wondered, poking at my lunch.

"We're doing Annie and I have to the part of one of the orphans. Not a lot of lines, but tons of singing."

"Awesome. I'll come then. I like Annie."

Elena smiled and David looked at her mouthing "thank you". Apparently he thought Elena's generous offer had helped my mood. It had, but not to any extreme extent. I just couldn't wait to get back home.

When David and I finally walked through the front door of our house, Mum bombarded me.

"Did you have a good day?" She asked.

"Yeah, it was ok." I answered unenthusiastically.

"I have something for you."

I rolled my eyes and followed her into the kitchen. I figured nothing could make me feel any better about going to school without my boyfriend there. The empty seats in our classes was so haunting. Mum snapped me out of my little flashback and presented me with something. It was a little white envelope with my name written in a scrawling font. I immediately recognized it as Gerard's hand writing. I excitedly snatched the letter from Mum and ran up to my room with it. My mood had just escalated from helplessly depressed to extremely excited.

I threw my messenger bag on the ground and sat on my bed, checking to make sure I'd closed the door behind me. I carefully analyzed the return address on the corner of the envelope. 8900 Cornhusk dr. Des Moines, Iowa.

I looked at the front and slowly tore the paper. I pulled out a white sheet of notebook paper, covered corner to corner with Gerard's writing. He didn't really heed to the boundaries of the light blue lines across the paper or any of the margins. At the very top of the paper he wrote:

"Dear Bridgette,

I was so incredibly stupid to leave my phone at your house. You have no idea how devastated I was when I realized I didn't have it. Anyway, I miss you something awful. I sleep with your hat next to me every single night. I haven't been going to school either. I figured as soon as I can figure out how, I'm going to escape this place and get back to you in Ohio. I bought myself a calendar to plan out when I could come back either to visit or to live again.

How are your parents? How are David, Elena, and Ericka? I miss them a lot. I miss having friends and having two adults that are closer to me than my parents ever were. Your parents are practically my parents, but we won't make that official since I'd like to keep you as my girlfriend. Sorry, but I'm not into incest. Ha ha ha. Although for you I would probably go against that preference if need be. Wink, wink.

I really hate it here. There is nothing to look at. No landscape, no buildings, no trees, and no girls. I'd never look at other girls, but you know what I mean. My aunt is determined to fix me up with some random Iowa girl, which is why I refuse to leave the house. She just doesn't understand that my heart belongs entirely to you and no other girl is ever going to change that.

I can't stand my aunt. It started when she dragged me away from you the day I left. After that she seemed ok, but I still have very hostile feelings towards her. Sometimes I don't come downstairs for dinner and eat what she left me after she goes to bed. She isn't mean to me, but she still isn't someone I want to hang around with because when I do find myself alone with her she asks really personal questions.

I don't think she's ever asked anything standard like my age or my favorite band or something you'd expect someone to ask after just meeting you. No, she just dove right in as if we'd been best friends who haven't seen each other for a while. She keeps asking me if I masturbate. Can you believe that?! Every time she asks she says it like she wants me to say yes. It makes me really uncomfortable because who knows. Maybe she has some perverse pleasure in that kind of crap. It's sickening. Then she asks if we've ever had sex and if I was still a virgin. She asked if you were a virgin and if either of us had ever cheated on each other. It was really stupid. I think she's just waiting to hear about some kind of flaw in our relationship. Really the only flaw is her!

Anyway, I'm done ranting now.

I think about you every single minute of ever single day. I can't wait to see you again! I'll be counting the seconds!

Much love,
Gerard xoxo"

I read his letter over several times. I had tears falling down my face, of sadness, anger, and happiness. I was sad to see how badly Gerard was getting on and I wanted him to come back. I was angry at how horrible and rude his aunt was towards him and I was happy that Gerard still wanted to see me, to come back, and that he still loves me.

After placing his letter on my desk I quickly sat down to begin my response.