In a Pool of Blood

Chapter 13

Frank felt the best way to start helping Gerard stand on his own two feet was to move his stuff out of his and Jed's run down apartment. Frank knew the place wasn't in Gerard's name and it was only a matter of time before they were evicted.

Frank didn't feel comfortable letting Gerard go alone and that only frustrated the younger boy. He lived these streets and walked alone all the time at all hours of the day and night. He loved Frank treating him like he was made of glass but these mixed messages started to wear him down. After compromising that Frank would come but stay in the car, both men loaded up and headed downtown. Unfortunately for Frank there was no parking directly in front of Gerard's building so he would have to park around the corner. After parking in the nearly empty parking lot, Gerard hopped out and headed around the building towards the entrance.

"Gerard?!" He heard someone yell, startling him. Gerard turned around to see Lindsey practically sprinting up the sidewalk and throwing herself in his arms.

"Oh my god, Gerard, you're ok, you're ok!" She sobbed. Confused, Gerard could only pat her back lightly as she dangled from his neck like a child.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, Lins."

"Fine?!" She growled pulling away to look him in the eye. "Fine?! You were missing for almost a fucking month! No phone call, no visit, nothing!" Gerard winced as he realized that yes, technically he had disappeared off the face of the earth for nearly four weeks. Lindsey shoved him against the bricks of the building roughly to drive home her point.

"I was scared to death, Gerard, I thought ... I thought something happened."

"I'm sorry, Lins, I would have called but I don't have a phone and I don't know your number." Gerard mumbled. Lindsey took a deep breath to compose herself.

"Alright, Gee. Tell me where did you go?" Gerard thought it over for a moment. His ex's? After a run in with a mafia because Jed is a fucking idiot? Nah, that sounded way too fanfic for him.

"I was in detox" he offered up simply. Lindsey's eyes widened and a small smile snuck across her lips.

"Really?" She asked almost tearfully. "I thought you were looking different. You could do with a little red hair dye touch up but you look wonderful". Lindsey looked Gerard up and down and honestly took a huge internal sigh of relief. Gerard must have put on nearly twenty pounds and his sickly pale skin was replaced with glowing pale skin. At the wonderful news, she pulled Gerard in for another bone crushing hug.

"Hey, since you're here would you mind helping me pack some things? It's not much, but I'm staying with a ... a friend and I want to end this part of my life". At his request, Lindsey grabbed his hand and practically dragged him up the steps to his apartment. She didn't know the friend he was talking about but if they sobered up Gerard, they couldn't possibly be a bad person.

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Lindsey took the task of folding up questionably clean shirts while Gerard combed through the hoard of garbage and crap looking for anything he may need. He found an old watch and even some old vinyls. He was surprised that these items never ended up pawned, clearly he hid them well.

"So tell me Gee, are you living with this friend or just staying?" Lindsey asked trying to make small talk.

"Just staying" Gerard sighed. "He doesn't live downtown, he leaves in the suburbs."

"How the hell did you meet this person?" She chuckled. "Nobody can afford to live in the 'burbs unless they are hella rich."

"Well I don't know how much money he has but I know he's well off."

"He?" Lindsey asked as she wiggled here eyebrows suggestively. "Sounds like good boyfriend material".

"Money doesn't equal a good conscious, Lins" Gerard murmured.

"He took you in, sobered you up, put a little weight on your bones and a little glisten in your eyes. He's a good person" she sighed. "I need to find me one of them." Desperate to change the conversation, Gerard decided now was as good of time as any to ask what he had been wondering.

"Hey Lins, have you heard from Jed lately?"

"Not since you left. That's why I thought something terrible happened. How many times has that jackass busted your lip or bruised your eyes. I thought he took it too far and then disappeared."

"No one has seen him?" Gerard asked hopeful. Jed wasn't the kind of guy that would be a ghosting type of ex. He had a feeling if Jed was still around that there would be trouble. But he also noticed nothing really seemed out of the ordinary in their apartment. Granted it was appalling to say the least but nothing was obviously missing. Did Frank really kill Jed? Maybe Gerard didn't want to know. As shitty of a person Jed was, he didn't deserve a brutal death. At least not in Gerard's eyes.

"He hasn't been spotted at the club and the dealers around here are starting to think he stiffed them. Face it, Gee, he was a slime ball and now you get to move on. You should be jumping for joy."

After having successfully packing the last few years of his life into four grocery bags, the two headed towards the apartment door. As they walked down the steps, Lindsey went on and on about the newer dancer Hayley who was gorgeous and such a quick learner. Headed outside, Lindsey barely stopped her blabbing to even breathe. God Gerard had missed her company.

"Hey, would you do me a favor and take these bags around the corner to the black Escalade that's parked there? That's my ride." Lindsey looked at him skeptically. "I just need a minute. You know, to close this chapter" he said pointing towards the building that had his apartment. Gerard was a very sentimental guy and leaving this place was almost like a rebirthing. So many tears and fights and negativity here, he couldn't wait to bid it farewell and leave.

Slowly Lindsey turned around and made her way around the corner of the building. Facing the building, Gerard reached out and placed his hand on the cold bricks, closing his eyes. He was mentally leaving every negative thought and action at this place. He honestly wanted to start fresh.

Suddenly, a tight grip to his arm spun him around and pushed him up against the bricks, hard. Gerard hit his head with the forceful action and after rubbing what would no doubt be a large sore bump, Gerard pulled his gaze up to the person standing right in front of him.

"Hey baby. I've missed you." Came the manipulatively seductive voice of Jed.

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Haaaa! You know Jed just ain't gonna leave like that. No, Gee won't be abducted or anything, but more stuff is going to happen. Lies, betrayals and a wedding, oh my! Until we meet again lovelies!