To The Last Parade

Six

December

~Mikey~

"Bob come on dude!" I yelled to my "friend".

I personally disliked Bob and thought he was a complete and utter jerk but I suppose my opinion doesn't matter. Both my brother and my friends seem attached to him. So I can't help but to wonder, if I disposed of him in the middle of the night, would they take notice?

James had already left the hallway that was now filled with future fighters. I was nervous around all the men. I hadn't even graduated high school. I knew I'd never get to go to college or have a wife, kids, a nice home. I would never be a doctor like I'd dreamed of for years. I longed for a nice, long, happy, life. But now I knew I'd never be going back home. And if I did... it would be my remaining pieces.

I hadn't noticed that I allowed tears to escape my eyes when Gerard came up from behind me.

"Mikey, we gotta go." He nudged my side with his bag in hand. Then he took notice to my distress  and immediately dropped his things and widened his hazel eyes to focus on me with a sense of confusion.

He didn't say a word, he just threw his arms around my shoulders and embraced me tightly as what seemed to be thousands of boys rushed past us to unload the ship.

Then, he whispered "It's okay, I promise." With a shaky breath.

"No, it's not." I muttered back.

He then backed away to place both his hands on either of my shoulders. He stared me down while raising his eye brows up, causing his forehead to scrunch up. It was as if he was asking a question silently. Like he was telling me he was right and I was wrong. He always had a way to speak without sound and always win arguments.

I lifted my glasses from my face and wiped my eyes with my sleeve with a small sniffle.

"Sure, Gee." I ended up saying in the end.

Then I saw Bob had at last emerged from the depths of Bobtopia and was walking toward the stairs without me. I would have already left if I wasn't waiting for him. He didn't even have the decency to notice.

"Bet Ray had fun last night." I said under my breath. Then I'd decided to just wait with Gerard for Frank.

"So where is he?" I asked my older brother

"Who?" He sharply answered as if I'd just awoken him. He commonly stared off in to the distance I couldn't help but to wonder what he was always thinking about.

"Frank."

Then his face went red.

"Wh-Wa-why? I dunno." He nervously sputtered, gazing hopefully toward the room they'd been staying in with a grin on his face.

I raised my hand up to his face and snapped a few times to regain his attention.

"Wait? Are you goo goo eying over Frank!?" I chuckled.

He didn't even hear me, he was too busy being gay.

"Are you?" I asked louder.

"What? Sure." He answered quickly, not really hearing the question.

I began to chuckle again at his stupidity. That's what brothers are for.

"Frank! Over here!" Gerard shouted when he saw Frank leave the room. Then our friend came rushing to us.

Frank had his hair combed back like the rest of us yet seemed so different... and so fucking short.

I mean, not being rude but his hair gave him an extra inch and a half... now? Ha.

Ray was following behind Frank. I choked.

"Dude. What the fuck!?" Gerard laughed, pointing at Ray.

I smirked at Ray's... interesting hairdo. He looked so weird, I could barely even tell who he was. He had no poofy thing on his head, just a slicked back rug.

"Whyyy Toro?" Gerard said, still laughing.

Ray shrugged and smiled at him. Frank then gently hit the side of his head playfully.

"We just gonna stand here?" Frank asked.

"No thank you." I said.

Then Frank pushed through the crowd, pulling on Gerard's hand. I fell behind with Ray.

"Dude, look!" I told him, pointing at Gerard. 

"Wha- Oh shit!" He said when he realized that their hands were intertwined.

"Is he, Yah know... a faget?" Ray asked.

"I don't know. But I'd still love him if he was." I answered.

Ray and I flowed with the crowd and slowly made our way to the stairs leading up to the main deck.

"I really don't know what's wrong with fagets. They are never excepted in society. But what's really the issue? It's their life yah know?" Ray told me.

"I agree, but it's just the way things are." I said back.

I finially was able to see the dim morning light as we reached the main steps. It was quite hard frightening to grow the balls to go up the stairs. Mama had told me to be a man, but I wasn't a man, I was just a kid. Tell an infant they have to go and practice calculus and see how well it turns out.

The large glob of boys moved in toward a bridge that lead to a shitty looking shore. I could see a large tower, a few flat one story buildings, boats and vehicles line up in the concrete lot, a large black top, and a tall barb wired fence surrounding the base.

I saw James on the shore by some dudes I didn't know. When he saw me, his head swung in my direction. Then he waved his hands in the air and began shouting my name out as if I could see him. I shot I fake little smirk and half waved.

James had let us leave our instruments with him. I didn't want to bring my bass but James insisted that we would regret not taking a few hobbies and "fun" things with us. Like we'd have all the time in the world for music at the fancy private base. It's not like the world was in a war or anything.

It took a while to get off the ship, going through veterans, generals and ID checks. But when Ray and I finally reached the moist sand, we were greeted by Sergeant Corgan, whom I personally loathe their very existence.

He was tall, maybe 6'4, he had a bald head and was well suited in his uniform. Rather than welcome, we were greeted with loudly shouted criticism with his obnoxious shrill voice.

"Y'all a bunch of pussys eh? If you gonna last as privates y'all needa grow some balls! Weont take to little girls! No! This is fight  or die!"

I hated him officially at this point. I didn't want some arrogant ass to depend on me to save the whole god damn world. No thank you Mr. Corgan.