Finding a Way | Adopted by Gerard Way

The Box

Never again. I thought it would be fine if I had takeout. I don't know how I let myself believe that because it most definitely was not fine. I didn't sleep. At first it was because I had an overwhelming urge to stay up and exercise— walking back in forth in my room, sit-ups (the usual)— but then it was the thoughts. They wouldn't stop.

You shouldn't have eaten that, Evelyn. That was too much.

But I burned it off. I don't understand, how can it be such an issue if I exercised until I could barely stand and my chest ached and burned it off?

Don't do it again. Don't do it ever again.

I won't have takeout ever again.

Food. Don't have it ever again.

Food. Maybe I don't need it. I've been surviving off of so little recently anyway, it'll be fine if I just stop eating completely for a while.

You don't need it. You're already a fat-ass. You don't need food.

I don't need food.

"I'll pick you up after school, Eve. I don't want you walking anymore, it's too cold," Gerard says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Okay," I say, stifling a yawn.

"And here's your lunch money." He hands me the money then adds, "Don't lose it."

"I won't." I assure him, taking the change and sticking it in my pocket. "See you later."

"Bye Evie."

I get out of the car then walk toward the school slowly and wait until Gerard's car is out of sight before straight up leaving the school grounds. Yeah, exams are coming up very quickly, but I don't even care anymore. I fit in with the gang; with Krash, Zero, and Raven. I'm going to The Box.

No one pays attention to the girl in the over-sized hoodie, freezing her ass off as she walks on the side of the road, definitely not toward where she's supposed to be going. Then again, why would anyone care? They don't know me, and I don't know them. I'm usually incredibly self conscious, always thinking that people are watching my every move, judging me, but obviously they aren't.

I took a couple wrong turns in the park until I find the path from yesterday. When I get to the small building in the woods I see smoke is already billowing out of the crack in the little window and I hear everyone's muffled voices. I told them yesterday I was coming back so, after knocking on the door, I just let myself in.

"Hey, Way!" Zero greets me enthusiastically, then turns to Krash who's sitting in the beanbag chair next to him, a cigarette dangling from his lip. "Fuckin' told you so."

My confusion must've shown on my face because Raven then explains, "Krash here thought you weren't gonna come back. Said you seemed like too much of a goody-two-shoes."

"Yeah, and I was like 'no way, Man, she's cool!' and here you are." Zero crosses his arms over his chest, grinning like an idiot. "So, as always, I was right."

Krash rolls his eyes, "I don't know about always, but I'll give it to you this time."

I take a seat in the chair next to Raven and drop my backpack on the floor next to me. Pulling the sleeves of my hoodie over my hands, I shiver. Gerard was definitely right about it being cold.

I really don't like the cold.

"So, how you doing, Way?" Raven asks me. Today they're wearing black skinny jeans with some black lace-up boots that go almost up to the knee.

"Same old." I shrug. "Nice boots."

"Oh, these old things?" Raven clicks their heels together. "Thanks. Got 'em at some second-hand place a while back."