Connections

Two weeks pass by in the easiest blur I’ve ever had. Feldy’s words rung true, as Andy and Davey kept each other occupied every day in between takes. I had even gotten Davey a little interested in mixing and listening to the songs we were recording. He was so comfortable that I could walk down the hallway to the bathroom and he didn’t have to come with me! The boys all treat him with kindness and Davey loves seeing them! In the mornings he almost tears my arm off trying to run to the car so we can get to the studio.

And of course Andy has sunk his Batman hooks into Davey. I’ve bought him his own action figures and even a Batman onesie in the days following his introduction. He showed up to the studio in his onesie to impress Andy, so Andy wore his Batman onesie the following day. They get along like two peas in a pod, and while the water is a little muddy as to why Andy is doing all this I’m very grateful. He even lent Davey some of his comic books to read, and Davey finished them and reread them all again in one night. When he returned them the following day they spent the afternoon talking about their favorite villains.

Grandma has helped out at my apartment on the weekends so I could make some space just for Davey. He doesn’t have his own room, I mean my apartment isn’t that big, but Grandma bought him his own twin-sized bed for the corner and I let him pick out a couple posters he could hang up, including a Batman one of course and a Black Veil Brides poster he happened to see at the mall. He’s truly a simple kid, but I’m sure once he meets other kids at school his tastes will expand.

Davey finally having positive relationships with men has improved his mood and attitude exponentially. I can take him out with me to run errands now, and while he sticks close he doesn’t cower away from the people we encounter. He’s started taking interest in things he never did before, like drawing and music and TV. I had to give him a bedtime otherwise I’d fall asleep on the couch while he stayed up! He feels fine expressing his thoughts and feelings to the people around him, and every time he does my heart swells a little bit. He’s finally settled in here, and in about a month or so when school starts he’ll be prepared. I don’t know if I could thank the guys enough.

Tonight at the studio Andy brought his Justice League DVDs so Davey could watch them. Andy’s also given him different CDs to listen to in his spare time: BVB of course, the Misfits, Metallica, Alkaline Trio, Bruce Springsteen, and the like. I play them for him when I’m making dinner or when he wants to hang out by himself and play games or whatever. It started with Davey asking why we were all headbanging to different mixes and I had to explain that it’s just sort of the way rock fans “danced”. He does it to every song he hears now.

Finally around eight, we finish up for the week. I tell Davey to start packing up his stuff, which earns me an immediate frown. “But Andy and I were finally gonna’ start watching Justice League!” he whines.

“You can watch them Monday,” I tell him, turning off the mixing boards. John starts shutting down his computer.

Andy backs me up, fortunately, and says, “It’s alright, little man. I promise I’ll bring them Monday and that’s the first thing we’ll start.”

With a pout, Davey stomps around as he picks up his stuff and starts cramming it in my backpack. I can’t help but chuckle under my breath at his temper tantrum as I start packing up my own things. It was only us four today, as we were just finishing up the decided singles for the album. We’re about 75% done with this record, and while I’m stoked about the outcome I’m worried that when we’re done that I’ll be out of a job. I have to ask Feldy about it, but I’m trying to decide on the right time.

“Wait!” Davey shouts, and he flips towards me. I raise an eyebrow at him. “Can Andy come over? We can watch Justice League and make dinner!”

I’m sort of speechless, number one that he’d want someone over and number two that it was so sudden. I swallow hard, trying to form my words. “Uh, well, that’s up to Andy I guess. He might have plans for tonight or tomorrow.”

Davey spins around so hard I’m afraid he’ll cause his own whiplash. I can see the hope on his face even with his back to me. Andy looks up to me first, trying to figure out if it’s okay to say yes or not. I don’t really have a great answer for him, so I shrug.

I don’t mind if Andy comes over, but that sort of makes our relationship a little more close. While our romantic relationship has gone nowhere, him being so close to Davey has made us a little closer too. Albeit, we talk mostly about Davey, but sometimes our text conversations are about me, or him, or us. While I’ve tried to hide that from Davey, I think he gets that there’s a mutual attraction between us. He hasn’t said anything, but kids know way more than we think.

“Uh, I’d love to, kiddo. As long as it’s okay with Mina,” Andy answers.

At the same speed, Davey turns and runs to me, almost jumping. “Please, please, please? We can order pizza!”

I just sort of chuckle at him at his enthusiasm. Pushing his hair out of his face, I say, “Alright, that’s fine.”

Davey cheers, and with a newfound excitement he finishes putting his things away. John sort of laughs at the situation behind me as we get our stuff together. We all walk out together, although Davey is back to pulling at my arm to hurry my movements. John tells us goodbye in the parking lot and we split for the weekend.

Andy follows us to my car, since his is parked two spaces down. As Davey starts getting in and buckling himself in, Andy stands beside the car. I open the door and throw my bag in.

“Are you sure this is okay?” he asks.

I turn to face him and shrug. “I mean, yeah,” I say. “Right now you’re Davey’s best friend. Why wouldn’t I let you over?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because I have a giant, schoolboy crush on his sister,” he jokes, winking at me.

I roll my eyes but smile, trying to bite back a flirtatious response. I’m not fucking up Davey’s first friendship by dating him! “Let me give you the address to the apartment complex,” I say instead.

After putting the address into his phone, we split and get into our own cars. Davey is almost vibrating with excitement. I can’t say I’m not excited. I haven’t seen the entire Justice League series, but I like superhero cartoons. I’m more stoked for Davey, who is happier than I’ve ever seen him.

We get to the complex at about the same time, so we walk into the building together. Davey is bubbling over as he talks to Andy about his part of our room and the posters he’s made me put up and about what to put on the pizza we’re apparently ordering. We take the elevator up, and I swear if Davey had a tail it’d be wagging a mile a minute.

As the door opens, I start looking for my keys in my purse. We walk down the hall, but as I look up once my keys are found, my feet freeze. The door to the apartment is slightly ajar despite me locking it behind us this morning. Davey has gone completely silent, his body completely rigid at my side.

There aren’t words in my head as I take a step forward. There’s no damage to the doorframe, so the lock had to be picked. While it wouldn’t be unusual to be robbed in the heart of a metropolis, in my stomach I know the crime is more significant than that.

“Mina, do you want me to check it out?” Andy asks, stepping next to me.

I shake my head and swallow hard. I get the pepper spray my grandma gave me out of my purse and say, “No. Stay here with Davey. I’ll check it out.”

“No, Mina!” Davey yells, and I look at him. He looks like he did when I first met him: solemn and scared. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I look at Andy and sigh before stooping down to his level. “Davey, I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna’ check it out. I have pepper spray, see?”

“Mina,” he whimpers.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from tearing up at the sight of him being so upset. I hug him and whisper, “Can you be brave like Batman for me, lovebug? Please?” I pull away and look at him.

A single tear rolls down his cheek, but he nods. Andy grabs his hand, but Davey removes it and hugs onto his leg like he’s done with me. I stand straight and take a deep breath, meeting Andy’s concerned gaze.

“Please be careful,” he murmurs. “Yell if you see anything or anybody.”

I nod and steel my nerves. Turning to the door, I hold my breath and push it open.

The living room of my apartment looks fine as I step in. Nothing looks out of place or disturbed. Slowly, I walk in further and inspect the kitchen. All of the magnets and papers I had on my fridge are on the floor, and various boxes of fruit snacks or things I’ve bought for Davey are scattered around. Call me a horror junkie, but I grab a knife just in case as I exit.

My bedroom is a mess. My sheets have been ripped off my bed, as have Davey’s. Our beds have been overturned too. The posters have been torn down, and Davey’s clothes are in pieces around the floor. My heart stops as I realize how specific this break-in has been. There’s scratches in my bedroom as if someone took a paint scraper or something and cut it across to reveal the original color and parts of the interior of the walls. My curtains have been ripped down from the window, which is broken.

I step into my bathroom, and before I can even turn on the light I know the mirror is broken because I step on glass. Flicking the light on, I see most of the sink-long mirror is in pieces on the counter and the floor. All of the drawers and cabinets in my bathroom are open and rifled through. The curtain to my shower is half torn off. However, the scariest part of the carnage is the only remaining piece of mirror on the wall, which has a bright red “S” written in lipstick.

My heart drops into my stomach, where the acid starts to eat it and then spreads to my remaining organs. Sloane. She’s been here and she knows. She knows Davey’s here, and this is her warning. She knows. She knows.

Scrambling, I turn and jog back to the door. Davey and Andy both look at me, but I don’t give them the chance to say anything. I pick Davey up and simply say, “We have to go” and it’s enough for them. We both run towards the elevator, and as I hit the button repeatedly I look around to make sure no one has seen us. We take it down to the lobby and I hurry to my car, Andy right on my heels. I don’t argue as he slides into the passenger seat as I put Davey in the back; I just get in and get us the hell out of Dodge.

Notes

Woooooooooah two updates in twenty-four hourssss

(don't get used to it I'm not always this wordy or happy or upbeat)

(not that this chapter is really either)

(but whatever, lol)

~Niki X,,,,,,x