(A/N… You know what….BLAH!… :S…. I own nothing…. No songs, characters, nothing… I'm poor and useless… and…. Yeah….)

Home

Merton walked silently down the street towards his house. He didn't want to go home quite yet, but he had no where else to go. He knew what awaited him at home, he would walk in the door, be yelled at by his father about something that he didn't do or wasn't his falt, then be lectured about how no son of his would be picked on and how he should just punch those two 'Dumbos' and stick up for himself, probably get hit a few times before going to his room and staring at the ceiling before going to bed. Thats what happened every tuesday night. And every other night for that matter. His mother was never home when he got home from school to stop his fathers beatings, and Becky was always at her friends house. Neither came home until Merton was already asleep. Merton walked in the back door hoping to avoid his father. But his luck was not on his side. His father, Methalius Dingle, was sitting at the kitchen table, with a beer in his hand. He was obviously drunk.

"Merton, Your late!" He said. Merton looked down at his watch and sighed.

"No I'm not. Its only 4:05!" He said.

"Are you talking back boy?" Methalius stood up and stalked over to his son. "Don't you ever talk back to me!" Methalius back handed Merton and sent him sprawling onto the floor. Merton hit his head and was almost knocked unconcious. "Get up you worthless sack of shit." Merton did as he was told. He stood up only to be knocked over again. Methalius then took off his belt and whiped Merton's back, reopening the whip marks from the night before, and also creating new ones. After what seemed like forever, Methalius got bored and went upstairs to bed, leaving a bleeding Merton on the floor of the kitchen. Merton slowly got up, trying not to rub his wounds with his shirt. He walked slowly down the stairs to his lair. His sanctuary. and went to bed.

The next morning Merton woke up and took a shower, washing the blood from his back and washed his hair. After he got out and got dressed he grabbed his back pack and guitar and left. He wasn't in the mood to spike his hair today, so he just left it. He went outside and desided he was going to drive to Lex' house. Lex was one of the members of his band. They had become friends after christmas break in grade tweleve when Lex had moved to Pleasant Ville and had decided to start a band. They where called Shadow of Deth. Merton walked up to his Herse and looked at his watch. He had enough time to walk. He put his keys back in his pocket and started down elm street.

School had gone pretty good so far. TNT where sick and not at school, Him, Lex and the rest of the band had the same spare this semester and decided to practice. They had a performance at The Asylum, a local underground gothic teen hangout, on friday. They had practiced three of their songs, but they hadn't yet decided on a fourth. Most of their songs where covers, they only wrote about five percent of their songs. People preferd to hear songs they knew over theirs anyway. Not saying they where bad, its just the way people there liked it.

Merton walked to his locker after spare and got his books for his next class.

"Merton!" Tommy said, jogging up to him. Merton turned around and looked at his best friend. "Hey, you performing on Friday?"

"Yeah," Merton said simply. "Where doing "Until it sleeps," "Where ever I may Roam," and "Hey daddy."

"Cool." Tommy said, "I'd love to go, but coach planed another practice, you know how it is." Merton nodded.

"Thats ok!" Merton shut his locker as the bell rang and took of towards his class. "See you later Tommy!" He called down the hall.

After school Merton walked back home and went into his lair. He had avoided his father and had snuck down. Unforunatly he knocked over a chair and his father had heard him. He sighed as he heard Methalius call him upstairs. Merton trudged up the stairs and into the livingroom, expecting to see his father sitting on the couch with some type of alcohol beverage in his hand. What he saw, was something he'd never expect to see. His Mother and father were sitting on the couch, Becky sitting on a chair obviously just as confused as he was.

"Merton, Becky, there is something me and your father have been holding off for a long time, that we need to tell you." His mother started. "Me and your father are getting a devorce." She said. Merton looked like he had been hit by a brick. Which was not to far from the truth. Merton fell back into the chair behind him and looked back and forth between his parents. "Merton since your the oldest you will have the choice of who you will live with." Becky got up and ran out of the room crying, the words her mother had spoken finaly kicking in. Merton looked down and got up and headed to his lair. Merton closed the door behind him. He knew who he was going to live with. There was no way he was going to let Becky live with their father by herself, there was no telling what he would do to her.

The next day at school hadn't gone so good. TNT where back and making up for lost time. Tommy wasn't there this time to save him though. Aparently TNT had shown up for practice last night and had given Tommy the flu. Afterwards Merton went to the Practice room in the band room and sat down and waited for the rest of the band to show up. Lex was the first to show up, Nyssa was next then Roman and Bade.

"Hey guys." Merton said when everyone was there. "Have we come up with another song yet?" Nyssa looked at them all and smiled.

"Yeah, I thought of one I think we all would like." She said, pulling out a CD. "Its called stay together for the kids. Its about a bunch of kids who's parents had split up and they don't like it." Merton looked at her and was about to disagree with the song when everyone else agreed with much enthusiasume. Who was he to say anything, plus they didn't gave him much of a say in it as they put the CD in. Merton took out his guitar and they spent the next forty five minutes learning the cords and solos. When they finaly got it right, Merton started singing. The song really hit home. By the end of the song, Merton was on the brink of tears and had to leave, throwing a half fast thought up excuse over his sholder. Merton skipped the rest of the day and when he came home his parents just looked at him and didn't say anything. He went downstairs and lied down and cried himself to sleep.

It was Friday night and Merton was looking onto the stage. Tommy had decided to skip practice and watch Merton's last performance. Lori was there to and Stacy had come down from collage to watch as well. He hadn't wanted them to find out. Becky was the one who had told them all. Lex, Nyssa, Roman, and Bade had found out and had decided to change the song. Nyssa was now doing a singing solo for Bring me to life, and Lies. Merton picked up his guitar and walked on the stage with the rest of the gang and set up their instraments. Merton struck up the first cord to "Until it sleeps." and started singing.

"Were do I take this pain of mine? I run but it stays right by my side, So tare me open, pour me out, The things inside that scream and shout, and the pain still hates me, so hold me, until it sleeps. Just like the curse, just like the stray, You feed it once and now it stays, NOW IT STAYS, So tare me open but beware, This things inside, without a care, And the dirt still stains me, So wash me, until I'm clean, It grips you so hold me, It stains you so hold me, It hates you so hold me, It holds you so hold me, Until it sleeps, So tell me why you've chosen me, don't want your grip don't want your greed, DON'T WANT IT, So tare me open, make you gone, No more can you hurt anyone, and the fear still shakes me, So hold me, until it sleeps, It grips you so hold me, It stains you so hold me, It hates you so hold me, It holds you holds you holds you, Until it sleeps, I don't want it, I don't want it, So tare me open but beware, This things inside, without a care, And the dirt still stains me, So wash me, until I'm clean, So tare me open, make you gone, No longer can you hurt anyone, and the hate still shakes me, So hold me, until it sleeps,"

Merton sang the last word and played the last cord and the crowd burst into cheers. After the last four songs they got of stage and where flaged by people wanting autographs and things from Merton since he was leaving. After about half an hour of signing note books, backpacks, skulls, and other things, Tommy, Lori and Stacy finaly got a chance to go and talk to him.

"Stacy, Hi." Merton said, "I didn't expect you to be here." Merton thought about what he just said and mentaly slapped himself. "I mean, I don't mind at all its just..."

"Its ok, Merton." She laughed. "Tommy told me you were moving tommorow. I wanted to come and say good-bye!" Merton smiled.

"Thanks." Stacy looked around at all the people milling around the Asylum.

"You sure have gotten more popular since the last time I saw you." Merton scoffed.

"Yeah, right. They just like our music." Stacy laughed,

"Well, I liked it. It was good." Merton smiled. "So where are you moving to?"

"I don't know, Greenville I think." Stacy nodded.

"That sucks. I hope you make new friends there."

"Of course he will, and we'll write him too. Right?" Tommy asked Lori.

"Of course we will." Merton smiled slightly and looked down at his watch.

"Well, I got to get going, I have to go finsih packing up my stuff, so..." Merton grabbed his guitar and started to walk away.

"Merton, wait... Do you.. maybe want some help?" Tommy asked.

"No, Its ok, I don't have much to pack anyway." Merton said. "But thanks." Merton said, waving to them and left.

Saying Merton didn't have much to pack was a little bit of an overstatement. Merton stood at the front door the next morning, with nothing but a single suitcase, that consisted of his, "Normal close," Being a red T-Shirt a blue shirt his black jeans and a pair of ripped blue jeans he had hidden in the back of his closet, and a couple of his non heavy metal CD's, and the action, Jackie Chan movies Tommy had got him for his last birthday. His father wouldn't alow him to bring any of his "Creepy stuff" as he called them. So that was all Merton had left. Merton left his computer for Becky, so that she could do her homework, since their mom was keeping the internet and Methalius had said that they couldn't aford it. Merton said his last good-bye's to his sister and mother as he threw his suitcase into the back of the truck and climbed into his car. His father had sold his herse the other day and had bought him a 'normal' black car. Well, it was normal, but it was a hunk of junk. Merton put the car into gear and pulled out of the driveway, fallowing his father out of the city.

TBC… R&R OR I'LL… I'LL…. Well I don't know what I'll do yet… but it won't be good!