A Way Back Home | Adopted by Gerard Way (Book Two)

A Rock in a Landslide (24)

"You look tired."

That is the first thing that Em says to me when she arrives at our lunch table. She sits down across from me and plops her bag on the seat next to her.

"Oh, thanks," I say sarcastically, peering at her through my hair that I've let fall in front of my eyes. "Just tell me I look like shit."

"You never look like shit, it's just—" She leans over the table and tucks the loose hair behind my ear. "—are you okay?"

I sigh heavily. "Yeah, just got a math test back. I barely passed."

"You know," Em starts, and I already know where this is going. "I could tutor you?"

"It's just one test, Em, I don't think I need tutoring," I say.

But it's not just one test.

It's happening again: My grades are slipping, and I'm not reaching out for help or even telling Gerard about it. I wouldn't be able to tell even if I wanted to, though, because he and Lindsey are always so damn busy. Between band stuff and preparing for that court case, and Lindsey's doctors appointments, I feel like I never get to see them anymore.

I get home from school to an empty house at least a few days a week, and sometimes I'm alone until late at night. At the very least, it means that Gerard and Lindsey are too preoccupied to notice how not okay I've become. Almost like my old, fourteen year old self, who hid in her room all the time and didn't talk to anymore.

The only difference is, instead of hiding my deteriorating body and dangerous eating habits, all I have to hide is behind long sleeves.

She shrugs. "Alright, if you say so. But my offer still stands."

She then takes out a sandwich from her bag and completely forgets about the conversation we just had, moving on to some other topic. Something interesting that makes her eyes light up, but to be honest, I just end up zoning out. I barely catch a word that leaves her mouth as I chew mindlessly on my cheese and crackers.

I'm just so drained.

I go through the rest of the school day just as lazily. The droning of my teachers lectures filling my ears like white noise, and the bell that finally rings snaps me back to reality long enough for me to gather my stuff and head out the front exit. I get pushed out the door along with the stampede of kids that all just want to get out of this building. Like a single rock in a landslide.

To my surprise, I spot Mikey's car out in the car park.

"Hey," I say, getting in. I throw my backpack in the back seat.

"Hey, Eve. Wanna drive home?" He jokes. Or maybe he's being serious. I really can't tell.

Either way, I'm quick to decline that offer. "Ha, no." I shake my head. "No, no, no."

The sudden return of my nightmares has convinced me never to touch a steering wheel.

He shrugs, turning the car on. Music starts blaring from the speakers. It's something I've never heard before, but that's because I have no idea what pop songs are currently on the radio. He quickly mutes the volume so we can talk. "How was school?"

I think back to each class, how mind numbingly boring and uninteresting everything is, even the classes that used to be my favourites. And then to how tired Emerald immediately pointed out I look. I sit up straighter in my seat and buckle up. "It was fine, nothing really interesting happened."

"Well, at least nothing bad happened," he points out. We pull out onto the road. All that's left of winter is patches of dirty snow.

"Yeah, I guess so." I nod. "Why'd you pick me up? Don't you have music to make, or something?"