Fourth of July

Chapter 24

We finished up the concert and I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I closed my eyes, tears threatening to spill. I went back to the dressing room and sighed as I sat down.

"You okay, Frank?" Evan asked.

"I don't know," I muttered. "I just miss him, I feel like he's been gone for years already."

He gave me a hug and we waited for the place to clear out before we went back out. I walked to the merch table and sighed, sitting down as I looked at Jamia sadly. She kissed my cheek gently as she smiled.

"I know how to put a smile on your face," she said. "We sold almost a hundred CDs and about fifteen vinyls."

I sniffled, wrapping my arms around her.

"I love you," I muttered.

She smiled and stood up.

"Come on, we need to get cleaned up," she said.

I helped pack the instruments into the trailer hooked up to the van. I helped next with the merch, packing everything into the buckets. They dropped me off at home and I went upstairs, stripping down to my boxers. I curled up in Gee's bed, sniffling as I hugged Sebastian and fell asleep slowly.

I woke up to the door opening and someone sighed. Jamia sat beside me and I whimpered as she ran her fingers through my hair. She kissed my forehead gently and I yawned.

"Frankie, you can't keep sleeping in his bed," she whispered.

I got up and the two of us watched tv on the couch for hours while eating snacks. My phone rang and I frowned when I saw it was Donald.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi, uh, what do you do when Gerard throws food and refuses to shower?" He asked.

"Put him in time out for throwing food," I said. "And he doesn't like showers, he likes baths. But he can't bathe himself so one of you guys have to give him a bath."

"Oh, okay," he said.

"What were you trying to feed him?" I asked.

"Spaghetti," he said.

"No, he hates spaghetti, he thinks the noodles are icky," I said. "He loves pancakes."

I could hear screaming in the background and I can only imagine him laying on the ground throwing a fit.

"A-also, how do you stop him from throwing fits?" He asked.

"Just try cuddling him," I said.

"We tried that but he won't let us touch him, he just keeps screaming and kicking us," he said.

"You just have to let him get used to you," I said. "I mean, imagine this from his point of view. He was taken away from his home and friends to the other side of the country to live with the family that he doesn't even know. He's just scared, like a little kid going to school for the first time."

"Okay, thank you," he said. "I'm sorry, this is just a lot more difficult than we thought, we were expecting a twenty year old, not a five year old."

I listened to the screaming sadly.

"C-can I talk to him?" I asked.

There was some rustling and the screaming quieted down.

"Hey, Princess," I said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"I miss you," Gee whimpered.

"I know you do, beautiful," I said. "I miss you too, I miss you so much but you need to be a good little boy for your parents, okay? They're just trying to take care of you."