Another Way | Adopted by Gerard Way (Book Three)

20

I really have to tell you something

Under her blankets, her phone illuminating her face, Harley read the text as it popped up at the top of her screen. Her heart raced along with her mind as it rifled through all the possible meanings behind that message, only coming up with three feasible answers. Instead of tormenting herself by letting her anxiety make up scenarios to explain the message, she tapped on the notification with her index finger and typed promptly, Okay...

Remi: I don't want this to be weird

Harley: Don't worry about it, you can tell me anything

Remi: Well, earlier today... could you tell how starstruck I was?

Harley stifled her gasp by covering her mouth. She typed back, her fingers flying over the keys, Omg I thought you were just being shy!

Remi: I was, but I was also internally freaking out! You really couldn't tell??

The way Remi had somehow been quieter than usual when she'd been introduced to Gerard, the way she looked around Lindsey's studio and stared at the woman with stars in her eyes; all the pieces were clicking into place.

Harley: Well, I had a sneaking suspicion that you might've known who they were and that's what you were gonna tell me, but it wasn't my leading theory

Remi: What was your leading theory? If you don't mind

Harley: I thought you were gonna tell me you guys didn't want me hanging around anymore

Only a split second after the read receipt appeared under that message, Harley's phone began to buzz with an incoming call from Remi. Her Caller ID photo was one the two had taken together earlier in the woods, a streak of blue paint on Harley's cheek and Remi's eyes scrunched shut to defeat the sunlight bathing the pair in golden light. It was just before the group had decided to call it a day, all the snacks having been finished off by then and the paint-jobs on the boulders having turned from real efforts to erratic splatters and graffiti-esque designs (although Andy's initial strategy had been to slather his hands with paint saying, "I don't know what's about to happen, but it's gonna be good," then to proceed to smear it all over the stone).

Harley whispered as she answered the call, "Don't you think it's a little late to be on a phone call?"

"I don't care about the time right now, Harley. I wanna know what makes you think we'd not want to hang out with you anymore? We had such a fun day today!" The sadness dripping from Remi's voice watered seeds of guilt and regret which grew in Harley's chest into twisting vines that constricted themselves around her ribcage. She always did this. She always overshared, never thinking before she spoke, and it always hurt others and backfired on her. The vines only tightened when Remi asked in a whisper, "Harley?"

She felt like avoiding having to explain altogether by simply hanging up the call, but then she remembered her promise to herself. Trying her best to muffle the little voice in her head screaming that it was the wrong decision, she finally said, "I did have fun! I really, really did, but I'm just used to people leaving me, in a way. Like, back home, I don't really have any friends, like, at all. I hang out with people sometimes, but it's never for more than a few days until they get bored of me and leave, and sometimes I'm the one who gets bored of them, so I just don't come back."

"I hope you're not getting bored of us," Remi said hesitantly, as though she was afraid of the answer.

"No, not at all!" Harley assured her immediately. "You guys are different than everyone else I've ever hung out with. I feel like I can relate to you more and I feel more myself around you. I don't even know exactly what it is, but I like it. I like you guys."