Belonging

Confusing what is real

"Ya know The Shining was filmed in chronological order?"

Gerard sighs, feeling the hard floor through their pad on the ground. He turns to Ryan, the younger's big eyes honest and too bright for the room. They are swimming pools of honey that Gerard finds himself stuck in, slowing his everything.

"Yea," He replies. Gerard spits the word out like it's a razor blade stuck between his teeth. His mouth is still full of sharp metal, and each shard tears at his insides every moment he holds them in.

Ryan nods, unblinking.

"How'd you know that? There's no T.V. here. No books, no newspaper, no life outside."

Gerard spits out another truth, releasing a huff into the dark when Ryan doesn't answer. His back hurts, and the pasta Mei had cooked them four hours ago sloshes in his stomach with simmering nerves, read to bubble and spit boiling water everywhere.

"I," Ryan pauses, thinking. "I don't know."

                          *

Gerard sighs, turning back away from the window with a sweep of his hand. The white curtains stay crinkled from his grip, throwing dust into the air. It had been his turn to clean them that week.

He sighs, puffing too-long back hair out of his face and walking across the front room.

Mei folds laundry on the couch and she looks up as he passes, eyes wide and blue shirt frozen in her hands.

"Gee!"

It's too late, Gerard's yanking Estella's door open and slamming it shut, the frame rattling.

She doesn't look up from her journal, pen poised over her inkwell. Her black nails curve into sharp points out her fingers, pinkie poised in the air.

"You finally snapped, didn't you?" She sighs, pulling her pen back to loop letters over the yellow pages. She's doesn't look up to the teen, the liquid in her wine glass still swirling with the shock the door's slam put on the old apartment.

"The sign's gone," Gerard says as if it's the answer to everything, grunting when Estella doesn't respond.

Her pen's scratches quicken as he storms up the desk, grabbing the inkwell and throwing it at the far wall. Black spatters all over the white surface with the crack of its glass jar, staining everything it touches. It's grotesque and just accidental enough that it looks like blood splatter off a page of one of the gory comics Gerard used to love.

She looks up at him with unamused eyes.

"What sign?"

"The-the," Gerard stutters, watching the ink on the wall tear down to the ground. "The sign outside. The Home For Troubled Teens."

"You're a moron Gerard." Estella's pen runs out of ink and she pauses, opening the drawer to her left and pulling out another jar.

"Why?" Estella doesn't answer, using a long nail to slice the cling wrap covering and starting to unscrew the lid.

"Why?!"

Gerard slams down on the desk, Estella's glass falling over with his force and spilling deep red all over her papers and journal. He freezes, watching wine spread under his pale hands. His words hang in the air, surely heard by his roommates outside. They must be praying for him now. Full on kneeling-at-your-bed-with-a-rosary praying.

"Go get me another bottle," Estella murmurs, hand still clutching the half-opened inkwell.

"There are no more."

"Check."

"I don't need to."

Gerard matches Estella's angry stare with his own. Red coats her hands, the black ink behind her bleeding into a devilish halo. Her slick ponytail switches as she looks down at her papers, hands closing into fists slowly and nails ripping soaked through sheets.

"A moron," she seethes.

"Why?!"

Estella looks back up, teeth clenched and grinding together. Her painted lips pull back to reveal pointed canines. They stick out oddly from her grey gums, pearly white and switchblade sharp.

                          *

Heyo lovelies.

I lost like my entire audience somewhere between the last update and the one before then. IDK how that happens but I guess that's what I get for fucking everyone's happy ending and taking constant breaks sO.

For all of you that are still somehow here, thanks for that.

How 'twas this one? Thoughts? Predictions? Blah blah blah blah.

Votes and comments are always appreciated. I'll see you peoples soon!