I hope that you are all enjoying this story. ^^ xoxo
Chapter Three.
Gerard's P.O.V.
We watched her walk away, she looked so sad as she left.
Suddenly I didn't feel like drinking anymore.
"We heard about what happened with Casey and Travis" Mikey told me, he put his hand on my shoulder.
I nodded.
"She's a little slut just like the rest of them" I laughed.
"At least you realised before it was too late" Ray commented routing around in his bag.
I nodded. My friends always made me feel better.
"That Ella girl seems cool" Mikey winked.
"Uh ha" I responded.
Frank laughed as he read his phone.
"She's a feisty one alright" he turned the phone for us all to read.
So far so good, just calculating how many jocks asses I'm gunna have to kick before I actually reach my car ^^
I chuckled. She was defiantly a feisty one.
Ella's P.O.V.
Jill was waiting outside as I had predicted. I'm glad the guys weren't here. I'd have been busted for sure. Jill was of Mexican origin, whereas I was obviously born in Jersey. Our skin tones told everyone that we weren't related. I hugged her when I got in the passenger's side.
"You ok?"
I nodded. "I'm fine."
I was not fine. I had made friends (which was great), but almost everything I had told them had been a lie. I hated lying to them, they were nothing but kind. I couldn't have asked for better group. I felt like I'd known them for a lot longer than a day.
We pulled into the drive of the care home. Instead of going straight to my room like I normally would I went into the garden with a laptop from computer tech.
In Google maps I tapped in the address, I knew that Jill had said they didn't want to know me, but I wanted to know them. Surely that must count for something?
I smiled as I looked at the house. It was a smallish white panelled two story house. The picture must have been taken around Halloween, there were ghosts and ghouls all over the place with pumpkins and skeletons dotted around and hanging up. This looks like my kind of place I smiled.
"Whatcha doing Ella" Lacy sang in her little child's voice.
"Nothing" I smiled clearing my internet history and shutting the laptop down.
"Jill said dinners ready" she called running back off in the direction of the dining room.
That girl, she was always so full of energy!
I made my way into the house and took my usual seat. My phone buzzed.
Gerard: Just checking you're ok =) are you allowed out tonight?
"Who's that from?" Megan asked.
"No-one" I snapped tucking my phone away so no-body else could read it.
She stuck her tongue out at me.
"Be careful" I warned "I'll chop your tongue off with a rusty knife"
"Ella, that's enough!" Jason (another dud) called across to us.
I quickly messaged Gerard back.
Everything's fine, I'll ask if I can come out ^^ x
"She started it" I muttered under my breath.
"I said enough!"
We all bowed our heads in prayer. Megan kicked me under the table. I'll ignore that one I thought. I wanna go out tonight.
A little after dinner Jill called me into her office.
"You can't just skip school" her lecture began; it carried on and on and on. I listened and waited for her to finish, hoping it would be sometime before my 90th birthday.
When she was done she looked at me and smiled.
"Who was that text from?"
A smile crept onto my face, which I couldn't stop from coming up.
"A friend, they want me to go out tonight." I winced expecting her to say no or carry on with her lecture. Instead she said something worse.
"You can go, if I can meet them first and they pick you up from here."
My heart dropped.
"Doesn't matter" I sighed.
"But I said you could go" she smiled at me confused.
"Yeah I know and thanks, but I kinda told them I had a family" I looked down into my lap.
I told her about all the things I had told them. She came over and put a supportive hand on my shoulder.
"I know that you are embarrassed at being here, but little lies can quickly turn into big ones. You need to watch who you lie to" she smiled.
I thanked her and made my way up to my room.
Ella: I'm in too much trouble, sorry guys. See you tomorrow ^^ x
Gerard: Ok honey, see you tomorrow xoxo
Gerard's P.O.V.
She must be in knee deep; I put my phone back down and grabbed a control. We were playing Xbox; I was against Frank and winning!
Ella's P.O.V.
The next day I walked to school, I had full intentions of actually attending. I saw my guys waiting out on the steps and ran towards them before the school bus pulled out.
Gerard handed me a coffee.
"On a scale of 1-10 how bad was it?" he winced not sure he'd like the answer.
"11" I lied with an uneasy chuckle sipping my hot beverage.
"Well you're here now" Mikey smiled. "We won't let any evil Mom's shout at you here."
I smiled and gave them all a hug.
"What was that for?" Gerard asked.
"For being great friends" I beamed.
Nothing more was said on the matter. Two weeks had passed and the guys and I were closer than ever. They kept on asking to come over to my place but as always I'd make up some kind of excuse as to why they couldn't. We'd always went to Ray's house, it was the closet to school and to town. 'My Mom' was turning out to be a real bitch. Thank god she wasn't real or I'd be in the doghouse for sure!
My children's home life had gotten better too. We had people volunteering and were buddied up in pairs, at first I thought it was the crappiest idea they had come up with so far but I quickly got used to it. On the plus side I really got on well with my buddy Donna. She was a middle aged lady with blonde almost white hair. Her fingernails were really long and always immaculately painted black or dark purple. She smelt like a perfume store but not an awful kind, she was lovely. I shared my drawings with her and even told her about my attempt at finding my family. She seemed to understand a lot more than the average middle aged woman. Maybe she had suffered some loss similar, although we weren't allowed to ask about our buddies' personal life; they were here only for us.
Today was a Saturday and on Saturday mornings our buddies came for an hour or too. The door-bell rang and I ran for it, excited to tell Donna about my week.
"I'll get it!" I yelled into the dining room from the hall, where most people where this early in the day.
I opened the door to find Mia, she was Megan's buddy. Donna was getting out of her car. I grabbed the post and filed through hoping I might find something for me. No luck I sighed stuffing it back into the mailbox.
"Nothing for you today?" Donna laughed.
I shook my head. "Not today"
She chuckled. "There's someone I'd like you to meet" she continued. "This is my Son" she smiled presenting him to me.
I turned to face her and my heart literally stopped beating!
Standing beside Donna was Gerard. His eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets as he stood there staring at me.
"Ells?" he questioned.
"You two know eachother do you?" Donna asked cheerfully before stopping in her tracks and realizing what was happening. I'd told Donna the whole thing about a week ago. She'd said I needed to fess up, but I'm such a wuss and didn't listen to her.
"Ahh" she said, "I'll leave you two to it." I looked at Donna for help but she was already making her way into the house.
Gerard and I stood there not saying a word. Other people walked in and out but we still didn't move, say anything or acknowledge anyone who said hi.
Tears formed in my eyes and I sniffled.
"I think we need to talk" I finally chocked.
I lead Gerard into the front patio, where no-one would disturb us.
We sat on the bench side by side and the silence continued.
"You've got a lot of fucking explaining to do" Gerard told me, his voice sinister. I'd never seen Gerard like this and I didn't like it.
"I'm sorry" I whispered looking down. Even though I couldn't see his face I could feel his eyes on me.
"Sorry?" he laughed. "Everything you've ever fucking told me has been a lie and you're…sorry" he wiped his nose in annoyance and laughed shaking his head.
My head whipped up.
"I'm really sorry ok, there's not a whole lot else I can say" I almost screamed, I was properly crying now.
"You could start by telling me the truth?" he asked in a quieter voice.
I wiped the tears from my face and turned my whole body to face him. I moved his head towards me so he had no choice but to look at my way.
"It's hard" I choked out again.
Gerard looked confused.
"What telling the truth is hard for you is it?"
I shook my head.
"That's not what I meant, Gerard you're not listening to me" I wailed.
"Why should I? Huh? Why should I believe a single word that comes out of you filthy little mouth?" with every word he said his face got closer and closer to mine.
"Gerard" I whispered. "You're scaring me" he backed off in and instant and looked ashamed for a brief second before retuning back to his anger.
"The only thing I've lied to you about is about me having a family, everything else was the truth. I wanted to believe it so bad, you don't understand." I held my head in my hands and cried as quietly as I could.
Gerard put his hand on my back.
"I didn't mean to scare you" he whispered.
I looked at Gerard, his face was still stern.
"Please don't be mad at me? You and the guys…you mean more to me than life itself. You don't know how much it killed me lying to you, but all my life I've gone to school and been the weird kid who lives with strangers, that moves around and never has anyone to turn to. I wanted this time round to be a fresh start, different" I broke off at the end crying more.
"But Ells, we're your best friends, you could have told us at anytime"
"Things were so good" I sniffed "I tried to tell you but I always failed, it never seemed like the right time. I really am sorry Gee" I put my hand into his and squeezed. "I know that'll be hard for you to forgive me, but do you at least understand?" I questioned him hoping and praying that he didn't hate me.
He pulled me into a hug. I snuggled into him tight, this was all I needed now, a hug from one of my best friends. I smiled at him and he kissed my cheek.
"I forgive you" he thought for a second "are you sure there's nothing else you want to share?" he finally asked.
"I suppose this is the best time to tell you" I shrugged. "The past two years I have been trying to find my family. They used to live here in Belleville and I found their address" I smiled up at Gerard and he smiled back at me.
"Wow" he commented.
"I know" I nodded. "I have no idea how to get there though" I laughed.
He smiled "alright new'b, where is it? I'll take you there."
I hugged him tightly again and ran in to tell Donna that Gerard and I were heading out. She smiled giving me the thumbs up and Gerard and I made our way out of the gates.
"Go and get the address" he told me.
"No need" I smiled tapping my head.
"What did you memorise it or something?"
"I've had a week or two to mill it over" I laughed. "80 Salter Pl, Belleville, NJ 07109, USA."
Gerard's face dropped.
"How many times can I get you to do that in one day?" I laughed confused. "What's wrong?"
"That's near the end of my street, I live at 67" he explained.
"Well at least we won't get lost then, hey?" I smiled grabbing his hand.
"Ella" he said holding both my hands and pulling me to look at him. "That's Frankie's house" his eyes were soft and caring, he wasn't kidding around.
"Well that's just a coincidence" I smiled. "They haven't lived there for years, I just want to see the house" I continued.
Gerard didn't share my happiness for some reason.
We reached what I now knew to be Frank's house, there was a lady primping some flowers in the front garden. She waved at us.
"Hi Gerard" she smiled. "Frank's still in bed."
Gerard laughed and looked at me.
"That's Frankie's mom" he whispered.
"Hi, Mrs' Iero" I called.
"Please honey, call me Linda" she smiled pleasantly but my heart stopped dead, as did i.
"What's wrong?" Gerard questioned.
"What's Frank's Mom's maiden name" I asked him almost crying.
He shrugged.
"Hey Linda, what's your maiden name?" Gerard obviously knew her well to be asking questions like this.
"Chester, why'd you ask?" she wiped her forehead and took off her gloves. "Do you wanna come in for coffee?" she asked.
"Gerard, I need to go" I told him walking in the other direction.
"No thanks" he called to her running after me "late for an appointment, just remembered" he waved and she returned the favour.
"What a strange girl" Linda chuckled under her breath.
