When We Part (on hold)

330 Days

Earlier that day

"I'm going to support group today," Gerard had said, slipping on a pair of beaten docs.

"Okay," I smiled. "Maybe soon you won't have to go at all."

"Yeah," he agreed quickly, a grin spreading over his face. "I think today might be my last time."

I nodded, and waved as he left. 

That day I didn't have much to do, just to check my emails, check for job openings online, and clean up a bit. Chill day, as Gerard would have said. The days where you only had very little busy work today and the rest of the day could be spent doing any number of things arising from boredom.

After going through our online bank account, I'd realized we'd saved up around fifteen hundred dollars together, ever since I'd moved in with him. Scrimping on ramen for months had worked I guessed, we had enough to get a shitty little used car from the old car dealership on the edge of town. I felt a little flutter in my chest. Gerard would be so happy we wouldn't have to walk anymore. Excitement bubbled up in me. I couldn't wait for him to get home so I could tell him. Picking up around the house, I smiled at the thought.  

Banging knocks filled the apartment as someone battered the front door with urgency. A sigh left through my parted lips as I ripped myself off the floor to answer the door. 

I swung the door open and was presented with a girl sitting at my doorstep. She had blonde hair growing out of the head she'd held in her lap. Her pale knees were brought up to her face, and she was wearing clothes fitting only for the hottest days in summer, completely ridiculous in the cold winter months that braved upon us. Small sobs left her dismayed figure.

"Emily?" I asked.

"Frank?" she sniffled. "Oh... I thought Gerard was home."

"He's at support group," I snapped. "What do you want?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and I felt a little twinge in my chest.

"Just wanted to talk to him," she said, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. 

"He told you he didn't want to talk to you," I replied. "You need to stop coming here."

"I know," she squeaked. "I just needed to get something out of the way."

She had slushy snow melting on her skin, shivering into herself.

"God damn it Emily," I said, picking her up off the ground. "Come in, but you better not ever come here again, you're to be out of here by the time Gerard is home. You have about an hour."

"Thank you," she whispered, folding into the couch.

"You shouldn't be here," I told her. I walked into my shared bedroom and rifled through my drawers. I pulled out a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. 

"I know," she sighed quietly. I thrust the clothes at her.

"Keep them."

"Thank you," she said, a hint of a smile tracing over her lips. 

She started changing right then and there, tearing her shirt over her head. 

"Jesus fucking christ," I said, turning my head away. "Could you have a bit of fucking decency?"

"Sorry," she said. "I've gotten used to being on my own."

I didn't reply, the silence gnawing at my brain. If Gerard knew he would be angry.

Furious.

Livid.

Enraged.

I couldn't stand the thought of Gerard's voice getting ouder and louder and anger brewed inside of him. When he was mad, he blew up and destroyed whatever fell into his path. That's not what I wanted. Not with how great things had been going. We were finally getting our lives together. We were going to get out of this lonely town. We were getting out.