Never Coming Home

Red and Wings

Sitting. Waiting. Watching.

This was all the two boys could do. They kept time by the way the sun casted its deathly shadows across their god forsaken room; not that time mattered. (Well, to Gerard at least..)

This time wasn't passed for nothing, as the boys kept their eyes on the prize. They tried to make sense of a schedule, but to no avail. The people here at Parallax were smart. Too smart. The only thing that seemed to always be on time was the dreaded experimentation time.

Nine o' clock sharp.

Gerard got it the worst. He was the one who was poked and prodded, split open and sewn back together again. Frank only had to be gassed every so often and he got blood drawn from him on the daily.

Frank wouldn't dare lie, but he felt for the Way boy. After everything he's been through, Frank didn't believe that his friend deserved the treatment he was getting. Of corse, neither did the other hundreds of people who self combusted or choked to death.

A little thought itched at the back of Franks head. Shouldn't people wonder why their families haven't returned  home yet. I mean, surely a note  wasn't enough to convince people... was it? Were the poor citizens of Belleville, New Jersey desperate and ignorant enough to accept a note that said that their loved one was okay? To Frank, it felt wrong. It felt sinister and purely genius. Of corse! Pick a small, poor town with little hope, and viola! You've got yourself a couple hundred people to test on!

Now, Frank could only despise the woman named Lindsey Ballato, for she brought all this death and suffering to Franks usually quiet but violence spotted town.

"Hey," Frank finally said, breaking the sound of water droplets clinking against the porcelain sink. "Who do you think fed us? Why did she feed us?"

Gerard looked up after spending an hour or so picking at the blisters that beaded his palms. "I dunno.." he said. "Pity maybe?"

Frank almost laughed. "Pity? For who? Two lifeless losers from Jersey? I don't believe that..." he paused. "Do you think the food was drugged?"

"Why would it be drugged, Frank. I mean, come on, what more would they want from us?"

"Our dignity.." frank grumbled unhappily.

"Well they've got mine!" Gerard laughed his short bubbly laugh. "I mean, hell, if they wanted to, they could take my virginity too!"

Frank gave Gerard a mocking smile. "First of all, gross. Secondly, you're still a fucking virgin?"

"Shut up." Gerard blushed, looking away. "I'm troubled."

"I'm sure as fuck that you are!" Frank laughed, actually laughed! "Hell, were in here experiencing the new age holocaust and you've got me laughing about your virginity!"

"You're a dick." Gerard grumbled, the tips of his ears turning red.

"You bet I am." Frank winked. "I'm the best in Jersey."

"Shut up!!" Gerard screamed, grabbing a dusty pillow off the floor and throwing it at Franks face.

The two boys sat, laughing to the point where their stomachs stung.

After wiping a tear from his eye, Frank said, "My mom always told me that laughing can cure the worst pain."

"So I get you're a momma's boy?" Gerard asked, still clutching his stomach.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I love her to death. Look!" Frank added, scooting closer to the Way boy. "I've got her face tattooed on my arm!"

"That's fuckin awesome." Gerard smiled. "I wish I could get tattoos but I'm deathly afraid of needles. Just the sight of them makes me want to faint." He paused. "That's why I hate this place. They poke me too much."

"Yeah." Frank agreed. "It sucks."

After more silence, Gerard finally spoke up.

"Hey," he said. "What time is it?"

"I dunno.." Frank answered. "But it's early in the morning."

"So that means.."

"Yeah," Frank answered. "Test time is coming up."

A/n: HI IM BACK! ENJOY!