Another Way | Adopted by Gerard Way (Book Three)

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Harley's phone went off relentlessly. Buzz after buzz that only made her heart twist tighter and tighter. She dreaded the inevitable message from Mason. He was waiting on the verdict about whether or not she was going to his friend Jace's party on Saturday. She hadn't even brought it up to Gerard because she knew he'd bring it straight to her moms, and as long as they were part of the decision-making process the answer would be an undebatable no.

She wasn't even sure if she wanted to go to this party. On one hand, it seemed almost too good to be true to be invited to something like this: an LA party with someone who genuinely wanted her there. But on the other, she was afraid. It eclipsed any ounce of excitement running through her veins. She knew people would be drinking alcohol and every story she'd ever heard that involved a bunch of people getting drunk together never ended well. She wasn't used to being around people who were drinking.

During Krash and Ryder's wedding—at which Harley was the flower girl, of course—Evelyn and Emerald only accepted the celebratory glasses of champagne to be polite. Harley's memory only retained fragments of that night. Loud music, bright lights, a sugar high from the wedding cake, and the last time she wore a dress before swapped the frills for dungarees until she was nine and someone at school told her she was too old for dungarees. And by the time the newlyweds were drunkenly dancing together, Harley was brought home even though the five-year-old was having the time of her life twirling on the dance floor with her uncles way past her bedtime.

Eventually, it was getting too much. The buzzing coming from her phone was excessive even for Mason. She snatched it from her nightstand and sat on her bed with her back leaning against the headboard, and allowed herself to look at the screen.

Andy: I made a group chat y'all!! What should I name it??

Finn: You don't have to announce that you made a group chat, we can all see it

Pond: Name it the Skatepark Squad

*Andy named the conversation Skatepark Squad*

Remi: Oh I was gonna say name it the Monster Mash

*Pond named the conversation Skatepark Squad: The Monster Mash Part 2*

*Finn named the conversation Skatepark Squad: The Monster Mash Part 2 (Electric Boogaloo)*

Andy: By Fall Out Boy

Remi: We need Harley's approval of the name

Andy: No one wants to validate the top-tier joke I just made??

Finn: No one cares Andy

Pond: Yeah that was so 2010s Wattpad.

Andy: What did I fucking do to deserve this treatment??

Remi: If Harley was here she'd defend you so let's get her attention

Andy: Let the chat spammage begin!!

Harley proceeded to scroll down through various attempts the so-called Skatepark Squad had made at getting her attention, all within the confines of the group chat. She had to laugh. They went from saying her name multiple times in capital letters, to threatening to steal a variety of her possessions including her bones if she didn't answer. Then, Andy took over and dramatically revealed that several conspiracy theories had apparently been confirmed by the government as a way of persuading her to enter the chat.

Andy: Hey Harley, did you know Area 51 is where "dead" celebrities go when they're sick of being famous
Jeff Bezos actually died when he went to space and was replaced with a clone
McDonald's grows their potatoes in special labs and that's why the fries taste so good
Dolphins can talk, they just don't like humans