In Another Life (frerard)

23

"What? Who's dead? Gerard?" Frank called out as I walked up the stairs, opening the door.

On the couch sat my absent mother, attempting to comfort my brother, who's screaming at a man in a suit.

"I was gone for five fucking minutes, when did you get here?" "Oh Gee-bear, my baby. I'm so sorry." My mom dabbed her phony tears with a handkerchief. I wouldn't be surprised if she's the one who killed him, if it wasn't the fentanyl.

"Gerard, thank fuck!" Mikey exclaimed walking over to me. "Dad dies, then decides to take our house away. Mom's living with some drug dealer in New York. This dick-riders trying to tell me we have 24 hours to clear our stuff out. Help." I could hear Mikey's voice breaking under his fake-badass-persona.

"You're the attorney? With the will?" "Yes sir." "Just go over what you need to then fuck off. We're grieving here." Mikey scoffed, walking into the kitchen and pouring himself a drink. "Are you kidding? Now the only bruises I'll have are from the handcuffs." Ew Mikey.

"Alright..." The established 'dick-rider' muttered.

"If you three, or four I guess, could just come sit down, we can go through routine and I can leave you to -ahem- grieve."

"I turned around, suddenly remembering my, now boyfriend, was standing behind me. "Come sit Frank. I need you right now. Please." "of course Gerard." We made are way to the couch. Mikey following with a scotch neat in his hand.

"As I was saying when you walked in," He gestured toward me. "Yes, Donald, your father, is having the house sold, but he left you boy's something. I'm sorry ma'am but you're not mentioned in his will." 

"Not surprised." I uttered, under my breath. "He wrote quote, 'to my sons, I leave them each $500,000 that I had began saving for them each the day they were born.'  end quote" 

"I'm sorry what. How many zeros was that?" "Five zeros sir." "Five hundred thousand dollars." Mikey whispered. "For each of us. He had 1 million dollars, stored who knows where, and he lived like that." I grabbed Frank's hand. 

"Yes sir. Would you like me to continue to read." "Oh, yeah." 

"Ahem, 'you boys were everything to me. I fought battles you don't know. If my will is getting read to you, you must know the alcohol got to me. I'm sorry. I love you.'" 

"What fucking bullshit." I laughed, along with Mikey and my mother. Frank just sat silently, shaking his head at the confused man in suit.

We sat and listened as he explained how the whole money thing worked. Our father had it in bank accounts for us, at the bank a few blocks from us. Real money. Not a crazy prank, money.

We're both 18 so we can access the money as soon as we want. 

I really don't understand this whole thing. I'm just not gonna touch this bullshit money unless I'm dying or something. Maybe I'll just pay for my therapy with it. That's what it was already doing anyway.

"I will get out of your hair now. Heres my card if you have any questions." "Okay, thanks."

I watched as he walked out the door, then I turned to Mikey.

"What are you gonna do with it?" "Fuck that shit, I'm spending it all on bullshit." 

"Wait Mikey... where are we gonna live." "oh. I need to call Pete." Mikey walked upstairs to his room.

"Mom, I'm sorry he left you with nothing." "Oh it's okay... I got what I wanted." 

What the actual fuck. She definitely killed him. 

"I need to get going. My um, boyfriend... is waiting." She said boyfriend with a sly voice, eyeing Frank. She was absolutely never homophobic, maybe even a little gay herself. She was just a bad mom, I think if she wasn't ruined by my dad, she would have made a Wonderfull parent.

"I'm glad he's gone." "Me too honey. We're safe now." She hugged me before walking out. 

I slumped back on the couch, out of energy.  "I don't think I can go to the mall right now." "Hah, I wouldn't expect you too, but I do feel like I need to ask. Are you okay Gerard. I mean your dad's dead."

"Yeah, I just need to figure out my housing situation. I mean, I guess I could get a place on campus. But thats additional cost because of my stuff. Unless I got a storage unit, but that's also expensive. I just need to pack my stuff, be out by tomorrow, then figure out where to live. I'll stay in a hotel until then."

"Gerard." "What, oh can you help me pack, and can u keep my stuff in your car until I can get something more permanent." "Well yeah I can do that... but you know. I have a guest room in my basement. Pretty much just like your room here."

"Oh! Could I keep some go my stuff in there, your cars a little small and I don't want my stuff bugging you." "Sure Gerard, but you could also keep yourself there, or in my room if you want." 

"What."

"I mean, my parents are going to stay at our vacation house in Oregon for around a year, they have shit going on there. But even still, they wouldn't care if you moved in, I'm always with you anyway." 

"What."

"Would you like to live with me Gerard?" 

"I'll pay rent, and I'll stay in the basement."

"I don't even pay rent. My parents make enough to buy a small island in the Galapagos Gerard, you don't need to pay anything." 

"I can though." 

"Don't. If you give me five minutes, I'll go call my parents and tell them. They'll be completely fine with it. Probably even happy I'll have someone to keep me company."

"Frank. I can't do that, that would be intruding, what if you get tired of me." "I could never."

"Okay."

"Then it's settled. I'm going to call my parents now, when I get back I'll help you start packing."

"Okay." 

I walked up stairs, into Mikeys room. He seems completely unaffected by the shot of scotch he just drank.

"I'm dating Frank. He's my boyfriend, and I'm going to move in with him. I don't have to pay rent and he said I can stay in the basement or his room. And he's my boyfriend, and we're dating, because he's my boyfriend. I love him."

"Oh my fucking god. GERARD! I'm so happy for you! I didn't think anything could make this day better, but here's you with all this information." 

"I actually love him. I never loved someone like this before. It's weird, like I would do anything for him, or with him. I would kill for him. What do I do Mikey."

"Move in with him and be in love." 

"But what about you?!?" 

"Pete has a guest room I can stay in, his parents love me." "Oh thank god, I didn't want to abandon you." 

"Okay now get out. I'm packing."

"Okay. Love you Mikey." "Love you too 'gee-bear'." Mikey cackled, our mom's always called me that. I hate it.

I walked downstairs, into my room. Frank was lying on my bed, his phone over his face. He dropped it onto his chest when I walked over to him.

"I love you so much Frankie." "I-I love you too." He stuttered, looking around nervously as his phone buzzed off the hook. All I could see was a name starting with the letter 'J' was calling him.

"My parents are cool with everything, and they send there condolences." "Oh, thanks to them." 

"Ready to live with me?" A smile grew to my face, I really do love him so much.

"Never been more ready."

THE END!!

Just kidding.

This will never be over.