The Kids Aren't Alright

-12-

"So." Gerard smirked, sitting on the kitchen counter with a cup of hot, freshly brewed coffee in one hand and his phone in the other, eyeing his brother as he walked into the room. "You and Pete, huh?"

"Shut up." Mikey muttered, grabbing a mug from the cupboard in order to make his own cup of hot drink. "You have Frank, I have Pete. I don't see why this conversation even needs to happen, honestly."

"What, can't I be happy that my little baby brother finally has a boyfriend?"

"No. Fuck off."

"Rude. Oh, by the way, I gotta go get Frank approximately...now. Don't be late to school, Mikey!"

"Gerard what the fuck?"

---

"No! I hate school!"

"Me too, but the government says that we have to attend. C'mon, lets go."

"If I ever meet the government I'll punch him in the face!"

"The government isn't a person, Nora. C'mon, you're gonna make me late."

"But I don't like school!"

"Me neither!"

Dallon's phone buzzed, causing him to look away from his little sister, who was holding onto the table leg for dear life. Retrieving the small device from his pocket, he saw that it was Mikey's phone that had messaged him, asking for a ride to school.

Frustraited, Dallon turned to his sister. "Look Nora, Brendon's gonna be here any minute to pick me up and now Mikey wants a ride to school and I don't have a car. Can you please just let go of the table and walk to school?"

Nora thought about it for a few moments. "Okay. Only if Brendon drives me to school."

"Why?" Dallon exclaimed, running a hand through his hair.

"Because I want to meet him! And I like Mikey. I want to see him again." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Right. Whatever. Get your stuff." Dallon said through gritted teeth as he opened his messenger to text Mikey back. The sound of a car horn alerted him to the fact that Brendon was outside and waiting, and he grabbed Nora by the arm, rushing her out the front door and locking it behind them.

She followed her older brother to the car, grinning from ear to ear.

"Get in the back." Dallon sighed, and Nora was quick to comply. He headed around to the passenger side and climbed in beside Brendon.

"Oh my god! That's a small child!" Brendon exclaimed with a laugh, a smile forming on his face.

"Brendon, meet Nora. My little sister, who refused to go to school unless you drove her." Dallon groaned, sending Nora a small glare.

"Well, I better drive her then." Brendon concluded, turning around in his chair and smiling at Nora. "Nice to meet you Nora. I'm Brendon." He smiled a toothy smile, and she giggled.

"I know. Dall talks about you a lot."

"No I don't!" Dallon exclaimed, his face getting redder. This was the first time since Saturday's antics that he'd gotten to see Brendon, and with the tension between the two, his little sister wasn't helping.

"Does he?" Brendon asked, smirking slightly at Dallon as he turned around in his seat and twisted the key in the ignition.

"Yep." Nora chimes. "He also wears his hair differently whenever he sees you. And puts waaaaaaayyyy more effort into like, everything."