Safe

Chapter [1] We Need You

I was lying in bed when I got the call that would change my life forever.

My small, grey flip-phone went off, interrupting my thoughts and pulling my attention back to Earth. I must've been staring at my white bedroom ceiling for hours because when I looked at the clock, it was 3:02 am. Now who the hell is calling me at three in the morning?

I opened my flip phone and held it to my ear to hear the sleepy voice of Ray.
"Sorry if I woke you but we have a really important question."

"Who's we?" I called back through the device. Ray's rarely ever with anyone except for Mikey.

"My Chem. Mikey, Matt, Gerard and I-"

"Gerard? Isn't Gerard that kid that's always in his room drawing or reading comics? I thought he didn't like being around people. Everytime you take me to Mikey's, he locks the door and doesn't speak to anyone."

"Yeah," Ray sighed, "He's a really nice guy if you get to know him. But that's not the point. What I wanted to ask you was, well, we need another guitar player and I know you're in another band and all but you're pretty good on guitar and it'd be cool if you joined My Chem."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I like their band a lot. I don't know if I should leave Pencey Prep or not though. We're not getting anywhere in Pencey but the guys are my friends. "Yes! Yeah. I'll do it. Pencey can get over it. We weren't getting anywhere anyways."

I could just see the grin on Ray's face. "Thank you so much, dude! Hey guys! Frank said yes! Come over to Mikey's place." I could hear Mikey complaining about Ray spilling water or something in the background.

"Right now? You know it's like, three am, right?" If he thought I was gonna get up and walk to Mikey's house at three am in a sketchy neighborhood like mine, he must've thought I was crazy.

And I was.

***
When I finally got to Mikey's house, I knocked on the door five times before I came face to face, well, not exactly face to face considering his tallness and my shortness, with Mikey who was wearing a smile. It was nice when Mikey smiled. He's not the happiest of a person, so it's rare to catch him smiling.

Mikey let me in and we walked into his basement where Matt, Ray, and Gerard were. I brought my guitar with me, but no one else except Mikey had his instrument with him. Everyone was either playing video games or eating something. Matt was playing some game I had never seen before, and Ray was chowing down on a bag of chips. Gerard was the only one doing nothing. He didn't even look up when I came in. As soon as the rest of them noticed I was there, they all perked up and smiled and called my name and whatnot. Not Gerard. He kept his head low and wore a facial expression as if he was either constipated or thinking really deeply about something.

"Frank!" Ray called at me. "Come sit by me!" He pat the space next to him on the couch. I set down my guitar next to Mikey's bass and sat down by Ray. Gerard was on the other side of me, still not noticing I was even there.

"Did I bring my guitar for nothing?" I raised my eyebrow at Mikey.

"Oh!" Mikey facepalmed. "Yeah, you did. I probably should've told Ray to mention that to you. This is a sleepover, not band practice. It's 3:30 am and my parents would kill Gerard and I. Well, probably just me. Gerard is too quiet and they wouldn't blame it on him." Mikey stared at Gerard as he finally looked up from the ground.

"Hmm?" That was probably the most I've ever heard Gerard speak, and 'hmm' isn't even a word. He was looking at Mikey with a raised eyebrow but quickly turned his attention to me. He nearly pissed himself when he saw me. "Oh. H-hi."

His voice was kind of feminine, at least from what I could tell. It sounded like he had a stuffed up nose but he didn't. That was just the way his voice sounded. I was surprised he talked to me. He never talks to anyone except Mikey.

I raised my hand to do a little wave at him. "Hey, my name's Frank."

When he didn't say anything but instead just stared at me like I was a lion who had escaped the zoo I decided to turn my attention to Ray.

"Dude, are you ever gonna get rid of those dreadlocks?"

"Oh shut up, fro boy."

"You wish you had hair like mine." Ray tried to flip his hair back as if he was in one of those shampoo commercials (which of course didn't work, being as he has an afro) and said "L'oreal, because I'm worth it."

I nearly fell off the couch laughing. "Are you high?" I giggled.

Ray looked at me like I was an idiot. "Are you seriously going to ask me that when you're the one with dreadlocks and a pot giggle?"

"Good point."

Mikey sat down on the floor next to Matt and took turns playing the Nintendo Entertainment System with him. Mikey loves that console more than he loves himself.

"I'm gonna go get into my pajamas." Ray said, very obviously trying to hold in a smile.

"Since when do any of us besides Mikey wear pajamas?"

"Uh, me. I'm becoming a, uh, a new Ray! That's what I'm doing!" He got up and locked himself in the closet. Really? Half of us just sleep in our boxers at sleepovers and he won't even change in front of us. He's never like this.

"What's up with him?" I asked Mikey.

Mikey just shrugged and went back to his game. I sat there for about five minutes staring at Gerard out of the corner of my eye before the closet door bust open and I nearly fell off the couch..again.

Ray came out hopping in a grey sleeping bag like a bunny with no feet. He couldn't stop laughing just like everyone else couldn't, and I think I even heard Gerard giggle. Ray hopped on top of me causing me to make a 'you're-squishing-me-but-it's-funny-noise', if that exists.

"Get off me you dummy!" I struggled not to laugh as Mikey screamed about Ray distracting him and making him die in his game.

"It's a bunch of pixels on a screen! Get over it, Mikes!"

Matt and Mikey looked at Ray as if he just insulted their mothers.

"You should really watch who you trash talk when you're the one who is stuck in a sleeping bag, with no way out without help of a friend." A grin grew on Matt's face and Mikey and him got up. They picked Ray off of my lap and carried the giant caterpillar around the room, upside down.

"Put me down!" Ray was trying not to laugh but c'mon, this is hilarious. Even Gerard was paying attention and laughing too. His long, greasy, black hair always fell into his eyes but not right now. He had his head tilted back and his eyes were wide open with a beautiful smile on his face. His eyes were hazel and he had baby teeth that were stained yellow from smoking. He had the cutest nose I'd ever seen. He really was a nice guy.

I wonder why he's always alone even though he has us. I'm actually really, really surprised he's even down here. It's not even band practice.

I texted everyone in Pencey and told them about me joining another band and leaving Pencey. I hope they won't care. None of us ever took Pencey Prep seriously anyways.