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“No, you come here,” Frank bossed, stamping his foot childishly. Jackpot just huffed, shaking out his tail. Frank’s eyes rolled up to the sky, his lungs letting out his own kind of huff. The sun blared hot on his skin as he made his way over to the horse. “you’re a pain in my ass, you know that?” he asked the horse like it would talk back to him. he grabbed the reins and led the colt back to the barn where two ranch hands were talking, laughing as a sweaty and fed up Frank made his way over to them. “…what.” he asked.
“He really just does not like you, does he?” The tallest one asked, hand covering a grin. His long curly hair was pulled back into a ponytail, a black cowboy hat shading his brown eyes. A few strands werre pulled out to frame his face. Frank was the one to tell him to do that.
“No. He does not. Thanks for noticing,” Frank said, smiling pettily. A different boy stepped closer, hand outstretched towards the horse with a sugar cube.
“Was the tiny man being bossy, Jackpot?” he asked, petting his mane. Frank scoffed, jaw dropped, as he pushed the boy away playfully. His hand lingered a little too long on his white shirt, noticing the red rose detailing embroidered on it.
“even if you’re a bitch, you’ve got great style,” Frank admitted. The boy shrugged, timid.
“thanks. finished it the other day, took me a week,” He said, stuffing hands in his jean pockets. He took the reins from Frank and led Jackpot away, one hand patting his neck.
“Does he always make his own clothes?” Frank asked. The taller shrugged.
“I guess so. I don't know when he would have the time to go buy ‘em.”
“we should start calling him Ryan Ross, Pantaloon Extraordinaire,” Frank giggled, gripping the other man’s arm as he bonked his head against it.
“in that case i would be Ray Toro, Guitar Extraordinaire,” He smiled, patting Frank on his head. That only made him laugh harder.
“Then i would be Frank Iero, Failed Horse Tamer,” He laughed, wiping away a tear from his cheek. That was the one that made Ray join him in the laughter, the two clutching onto each other as they made their way out of the barn. The sun scorched their slowly tanning skin as they walked towards the farm house, the shadow of it looming in front of them. The path that led up to it was a little flashy in Frank’s opinion, “Welcome to Iero Ranch and Apple Orchard” engraved into the concrete in an almost illegible cursive font. But he guessed thats what you do when you’re rich and own a farm.
The blast of cool air that hit them when they walked in was like a revival. They stood there in the foyer, the double doors behind them left wide open. it wasn’t long before Selkie, one of the housemaids, came scurrying along, reprimanding them.
“It’s in or out boys, AC isn’t free!” she said, shooing them away with a warm smile. They sighed but turned around and shut the doors.
“Yes queen Selkie,” Frank droned, making her giggle as she shuffled away. The two boys walked around the double staircase and to the left, where the one of the kitchens was. Gathered around the island were the youngest of the ranch hands, all drinking from the same giant water bottle. Ray scowled.
"You guys are nasty,” He said, right before taking a huge gulp from the bottle. A small girl with bright orange hair rolled her eyes.
“Whatever you say, cowboy ,” she smiled, leaning over the counter to knock Ray’s hat off his head. a chorus of “oooh”’s were let out, like it was middle school. Ray just shook his head and picked up his hat, hands on his hips. A boy with a dorky haircut and big brown eyes like a deer spoke up.
“Have you seen Ryan?” He asked, picking at the nail polish on his hands.
“Yeah, hes still down at the barn, dealing with Jackpot. You know how he likes taking care of the babies,” Frank interrupted just as Ray was about to answer. The boy nodded, looking away with a dusting of pink on his face.
“oooh, i wonder why you want to see him so bad, huh Brendon?” the girl teased, poking him from across the island. He batted her hands away.
“Hayley, i swear to god-“
“What are we swearing to god? i sure hope its good,” A warm, buttery voice with a thick southern accent interrupted the conversation. Everyone turned to see a little woman with blonde hair all done up in curls make her way towards them, hands on her hips.
“Nothing, Ms. Holly,” Everyone said in unison, all trying to look as innocent as possible. She hummed a rather sassy “mmmmmhm” in response.
“I sure hope that Ms. Girl over here,” she pointed to Hayley, “isn’t teasing Brendon about his little crush no more,” She winked at Brendon, making him look down at his nails again. Hayley shook her head.
“Hm. im not sure i believe you, but imma take your word,” She said, reaching into the fridge. she paused when she got the orange juice. she looked around. “well aren’t yall supposed to be workin?” she asked, gesturing outside. Ray looked down at his watch.
“Shit. You’re right. Sorry Ms. Holly, we’re on it,” He said, grabbing the water bottle and motioning for everyone to follow him. They did, saluting Ms. Holly as they walked past. Frank was the last to do so, planting a small peck on her cheek.
“You keep those kids in line, Francis,” She called after him. He turned around as saluted her before jogging to catch up with the others. Right as she was about to turn away, Ms. Holly remembered something. She started to tell him, but he was already halfway down the path. “Eh, he’ll figure it out,” she decided, making her way to the backyard.
Brendon smiled as Ryan showed him how to feed Jackpot, given that he’s a picky eater. He wasn’t paying attention to what Ryan was saying, so much as he was paying attention to how his lips moved and how his face formed perfectly with each word. From across the barn, Spencer and Hayley smirked.
“Wanna place a bet?” She asked, rubbing her hands together like a conniving chipmunk. Spencer sighed and ran a hand through his hair, lifting his headband to do so.
“another?” he asked, leaning against the barn wall. Hayley nodded excitedly.
“Uh-huh. I say that Ryan isn’t gonna figure out that Bren likes him until someone tells him, and that that wont happen until harvest rolls around.” Spencer’s jaw dropped.
“do you really think hes that stupid?” he said incredulously, moving to stand in front of Hayley and point behind him to Ryan. Just at that moment, Ryan provoked Jackpot and made him take off, running circles around the pen. He and Brendon took off after him, trying to quell the colt. Hayley cracked up and nodded, Spencer sighing.
“okay thats not a good example. But i think he’ll figure it out, and before harvest too.” Spencer outstretched his hand for Hayley to shake, which she did, with a surprisingly strong grip. Spencer had to shake out his hand and wince after letting go.
“Whatcha doin’?” Frank snuck up on the two of them, following their line of vision. The two jumped in place, startled.
“we’re placing bets on how oblivious Ry is,” Spencer said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Frank nodded very seriously.
“i wanna join whoever said he’s oblivious,” Frank raised his hand, which Hayley took as a sign to high five him.
“see spence? its two against one!” she made a fake explosion with her voice, pretending to drop a mic. He only rolled his eyes.
“Whatever, i’m gonna go check on the chickens,” He mumbled, smiling and shaking his head. Hayley waved goodbye dramatically, going on her tippy toes. Just then, a buzz came from Frank’s pocket. It was a text from his mother- his boss- from his work phone.
frank i need you in my office please.
this made frank groan, dragging his hands down his face. Hayley giggled and asked what was wrong.
“My mom wants to see me,” he whined, stomping around like a teenage sim. Hayley just pushed Frank towards the exit.
“poor you, having to talk to the wicked witch of the west,” she fake sympathized, pouting.
“it’s more like being sent to the principals office,” He complained. Hayley rolled her eyes.
“If you don’t wanna walk, just take Sugar Storm. She’s all fed and seems like she’s in a good mood,” She recommended, turning Frank to face the stables. He sighed.
“oooookay,” he breathed, sulking his way over to his favorite horse. The mare blew up her bangs at the sight of Frank, ears twitching excitedly.
“Hey old girl.” He patted the top of her head, the other hand scratching behind her ear. Her head turned to the side a little, eyes closing. Frank smiled at her. “You wanna go out?” He asked, making her dig her hooves into the dirt beneath her. “i’ll take that as a yes,” he giggled, saddling her up. it didn’t take long, and within a couple minutes, he was making his way up to the house.
When he got inside, he rushed up the left side of the double staircase, taking several lefts and two rights before arriving at his mother’s office. It really did feel like going to the principals office. Frank smoothed out his hair and aired out his sweaty grey shirt before using the knocker on one of the doors. a loud “come in!” was said and Frank walked in. the light from the floor to ceiling windows illuminated the room, but made his mother an intimidating silhouette. He waved timidly.
“hey ma,” he said quietly. His mother looked up from her paperwork.
“hello, dear. Sit down.” She motioned to the seat in front of her, and he sat, trying to come off as unbothered.
“so,” he clapped as he took a deep breath in. “what did you need me for again?” he asked, wanting to leave asap. She took a deep breath in, similar to how her son did.
“Well, Frank, i need you to do a favor for me,” She said, gathering the pages on her desk and putting them in a pile. It took everything in Frank’s power to not roll his eyes at her. She cleared her throat. “And uh- its a big one. My friend, LeAnn? You remember her?” Frank nodded even though he had no idea who that was. “Her sons- they’re around your age- are having issues fitting in. One more so than the other, i guess. They’re brutally harassed and bullied at their school, and she can’t afford to move them, so i uh- may have offered to have them stay here. for the summer. or maybe longer.” She stared down her son, like she was trying to gauge his reaction.
it took him a minute to register what she said. “So complete strangers are going to come live with us? From a city?” He asked slowly. She nodded.
“Newark. New Jersey. And i promised her that you would show them the ropes and teach them how to work here as well,” She tried to distract herself from the expression her son was making, a mix of shock and betrayal.
“I’m going to have to teach two completely new and unexperienced boys how to be ranch hands?” He asked eyes wide and jaw dropped. His mother nodded. “They’re gonna be greener than the pasture! Can’t you ask like- i don’t know- Pete to teach them? He loves people! he doesn’t shut up! Or Patrick? he’s much more patient than me! They’ve been working longer and are older too! Why me?” He asked, practically on his knees.
“Because you’re my son and it’s payback for all that LeAnn did for me,” She said shortly, crossing her arms. Frank groaned loudly.
“But-“
“No buts! it’s final. They’ll be arriving tomorrow, early in the morning.”
He slumped down in his chair. His mother was a brutal dictator and he was just a helpless plebeian. He slinked his way out of the office, shooting his mom one last puppy eye look before leaving, in a last ditch attempt to sway her. It didn’t work.
the five suitcases he had accumulated were almost not enough to carry everything he wanted. Mikey only had two and a backpack, but Gerard wanted to make sure he had everything he could ever want or need.
“How the fuck are we supposed to fit all this shit in the car?” Mikey asked, looking at Gerard over his glasses. “We aren’t renting out a u-haul.”
“We’ll figure it out.” his eyes darted to his bags. “I think,” Gerard answered, realizing that it would, in fact, be incredibly difficult to fit all his luggage into their mom’s honda accord. Mikey just sighed and grabbed his bags, making his way to the car.
“Good luck,” he said, walking away. Gerard still stood there, considering the consequences of being fashionable on a farm in the middle of goddamn California as he held up a gray skirt and a red plaid one up to his waist. He ultimately decided on the red one, pairing it with a black vest. From what he heard, the people there wouldn’t mind that much.
“G, you’d better start getting your stuff down here if you ever wanna catch the plane!” His mom called out, from the bottom of the stairs.
“Gotcha! I’m on my way!” He called down, grabbing three suitcases and sliding them down the stairs. They all crashed at the bottom, making Gerard’s mom jump.
“Micheal!” Mikey winced at the usage of his full name. “Help your brother!” She reprimanded. He scoffed.
“He’s fine! he’s already got three cases down!” He complained. He was about to say something else but his mom gave him The Look, and he begrudgingly made his way up the stairs. He saw Gerard struggling to pull his luggage through the carpet.
“Lemme help you,” Mikey offered, grabbing the suitcase.
“Thanks,” Gerard said, sarcastic as he grabbed another suitcase. “Y'know” He piped up, brightening. “I looked into the farm,” Mikey hummed something that let Gerard know that he was listening as they teetered downstairs. “and apparently they’re loaded! like seriously loaded.” he said incredulously.
“huh. lucky us, then.” Mikey said like he didn’t believe it. Gerard didn’t think much of it.
They eventually figured out how they could fit all their things in the car, which included both gerard and mikey to sit in the passenger seat, curled up and leaning back as to not be seen by passersby. It was probably the most uncomfortable half hour drive the two of them ever had or will have.
Eventually though, they got to the airport, and bid their mom goodbye.
“Bye mom,” Gerard said sadly, hugging her tight. She teared up a little, but knew she was doing the right thing. Gerard tried to be positive, but he was scared that things wouldn’t be much different on the farm as they are in jersey. He knew that Mikey had the same fear, but tried to stay optimistic, if not only for his little brother. Just as they stopped hugging, a big, brawly, man walked up to them in a suit and sunglasses.
“Are you the Way’s?” He asked, voice deep. LeAnn stuttered.
“uh-y…yes?” She said.
“Great. i’m employed by Linda. i’ll escort your boys and take care of their belongings.” He placed a huge hand on LeAnn’s shoulder. “I know it’s intimidating, but i promise your boys will be okay,” He reassured. LeAnn nodded and waved goodbye to her kids, blowing kisses as they did the same back. She just hoped that he wasn’t lying.
“I hate airports,” Mikey grumbled, crossing his arms as he stayed in line. Gerard hummed in agreement as he watched more people pass by, past them and past the grumpy TSA agent. they got pulled off to the side due to Gerard setting off the alarms. Stupid ass body scanners. G appreciated how Mikey was willing to get into fights for his brother but he realized that sometimes it wasn’t always the most convenient. They sighed in sync. Just then, an old and angry looking agent made his way over to the boys.
“the detector went off, meaning we have to search you. I’m guessing its you,” the man pointed at Gerard, “that i have to search.” Gerard nodded and Mikey stood there, looking worried. He heard what they do to people like his brother in security situations like this. The man started to pat down Gerard, going up and down his arms and down his torso. He dragged his hands up and down his legs and Gerard felt humiliated as the guy muttered something detestable under his breath when he realized that Gerard was not a girl. People’s whispers amplified in his mind and he was sure that everyone was pointing at him, pointing and laughing at the boy who was pulled aside at TSA for wearing skirt. Mikey could only watch with worry. After doing a once over, the man stood up and motioned for the two of them to continue on, looking like he wanted to spit on them. Gerard hung his head as they walked towards their terminal.
“that’s so ridiculous,” Mikey muttered, patting his brother on his shoulder.
“i don’t think i’ve ever been so embarrassed,” Gerard sighed miserably. “walking into class with a black eye and a broken rib wasn’t even that embarrassing.”
“I know, G. I’m sorry,” Mikey apologized, setting his stuff down on a seat.
Gerard slumped into his seat, blowing up his bangs as he sulked. “Don’t be. You’re not the one wearing the skirt.” Mikey looked at his brother warningly.
“Don’t say that. People shouldn’t act that way towards you no matter what.” His hand reached out and Gerard took it graciously.
“Thanks Mikes,” he said simply. Mikey knew how loaded that simple sentence was.
“anything for my hero,” he replied quietly.
Frank took a deep breath in as he looked over the river that cut deep down into the land below him. Beneath him, Sugar Storm whinnied happily as Frank pet her mane. The sky was a bright orange, with a dusting of pink and purple towards the horizon. It was beautiful, he thought. He took out his camera from the pocket on the right side of his saddle and snapped a picture. His feet thumped against the dirt when he jumped down from his beloved horse and gathered a combination of wildflowers to bring back to the house. He carefully wrapped the flowers with some twine and put them in a skinnier pocket on Sugar’s left side. She huffed, content as they both took one last look at the sky. Frank got back on his horse and clicked his tongue, nudging her side to get her moving. This was apart of his daily routine, just as lineup was or cleaning the stables was. But to call it his favorite part was an understatement.
The wind whipped past him as he allowed Sugar Storm to gallop faster and faster, just the way she liked to. It stung his eyes but he didn’t care, and he let out a whoop as they sped their way back to the center of the grounds. Sugar Storm neighed loudly, the two of them going as fast as ever, absolutely elated. It was like they were one being, connected beyond words or human bonds could go. It was like they were flying.
the ride, regrettably, wouldn’t last forever though. So by the time they had reached the opening of the orchard, they had slowed down to a trot. Ray was on another horse, a younger one named Ace Of Hearts, and noticed Frank. He joined him in his journey back to the stables and eventually the house.
“How was the sunset?” Ray asked, pulling back on the reins as he caught up to Frank.
“Beautiful. Like always,” Frank said, smiling to himself.
Ray smiled as well, knowing how his friend’s evening journey always put him in a good mood. “Hm. That’s good. You got the flowers for the dinner table?”
“wouldn’t have left without them,” Frank replied, patting the pouch that carried the flowers. The two of them trot together in a comfortable silence, the sound of hooves occupying the space. A warmth spread in Frank’s stomach, a grateful feeling. Ray kept sparing loving glances at his best friend. Just as they came up to the stables, the dinner bell that hung heavy over the huge house rang out, a homing device for hungry ranch hands. All of them came walking up to the house, joining together in their own little groups but still together like a giant family. That giant family being a bunch of teenagers on their summer jobs and two older men who worked there full time.
They came in through the main entrance, two of the maids holding open the double doors. Each worker who passed by said thank you and made their way around the foyer, through the courtyard, and into the dining hall. A crystal chandelier hung low from the high vaulted ceilings, casting fractals of light all around the vanilla stucco walls. a giant mahogany table sat in the middle, enough to fit twenty four. one single seat was on each end, with two long benches on either side of the table. There was an order to the seats. Frank’s mom and dad would sit on the ends and the ranch hands would sit in the middle of the benches, the other employees on each side of them. Even though there were so many people, the table never seemed crowded and there was always enough food.
Of course though, there was almost always one empty seat. Frank’s father’s seat. While not every employee would show for dinner, the seat opposite Ms. Iero’s seat was always vacant, blaringly empty. Neither Frank nor his mother tried to think about it too much.
Before sitting down in the middle of the bench, Frank leaned over the table to put his little bouquet in the vase that sat in the middle. Around the vase was pyrex dishes full of candied yams, fresh salads, fried chicken, and several types of casseroles. Frank almost laughed at how american it was. It was always like this after the first week of work, the first week of summer. Tradition.
Once everyone sat down, Frank’s mom stood and raised a glass of iced tea, one that was similar to the ones sitting in front of everyone else, in a toast.
“Here we are, twenty years after this farm started it’s empire, with the people that started it all and have made it better,” She started, looking at each of her young workers with a warm smile. “Even if there had been employees who have come and gone, the core of us stand strong. We’ve built a family. To family!” She raised her glass higher as she cheered. The rest of them copied her actions and cheered “To family!” back. Frank could see the way his mother’s eyes glossed over as she sat back down, staring at the vacant seat across from her. He could only look down at his food and start eating.
“Woah buddy are you okay? You’re shoveling that shit down like its the last supper,” And older man next to Frank asked while he was pulling his long bleach-blonde hair into a ponytail. Frank noticed what he was doing and slowed down, chewing his food before responding.
“Yeah, just worried about Ma, thats all. don't worry about me, Pete,” He shrugged, putting down his fork and picking up his untouched iced tea. Pete nodded.
“Linda gets worked up easily, you know this. I’m sure she’ll be fine by the end of dinner.” He patted Frank’s back in a fatherly manner, something that made his stomach settle and churn at the same time. “Besides, im sure that she’ll be asking for a Brandy anytime now,” He whispered, winking at Frank. Frank giggled when Pete’s husband Patrick swatted at his arm.
“Peter!” he scolded, flicking at his husband’s hat. “Don’t be so rude!”
“It’s okay, Trick. We all know it’s true,” Frank assured Patrick, giving him one of his macaroons. Patrick narrowed his eyes comically at Frank and took the macaroon.
“Francis, I swear to god if these are spiked again…” He muttered taking a bite. Frank scoffed.
“That was only one time!” He whispered intensely. “And! It wasn’t my idea! It was Ryans!!” He pouted, gesturing to said boy. Ryan wasn’t even paying attention though, given that he was entranced by whatever Brendon was talking about from across the table. Frank scoffed again. “Of course he doesn’t even notice me, he’s too busy throwing kisses at Bren,” He complained. Patrick giggled.
“Don’t get on him about that, just wait until someone comes along and sweeps you off your feet,” He warned. “Me and Pete were just like that, i’m sure you will be too, soon.”
Frank shuddered, sticking his tongue out childishly. “Eaugh. I would hope not,”
“You’re halfway there with that Toro kid,” Pete piped up, pointing towards him. Frank shushed him wildly, pushing his finger down.
“No. I’m not. I- We’re…” He trailed off, looking at Ray. Pete wiggled his eyebrows. Frank whipped his head around, scowling. “ Not like that.”
“Whatever you say, Frank,” Patrick sighed, looking at his husband knowingly. They stared at each other that way for a bit before bursting out in laughter, gripping each other. Frank realized how he and Ray did the same thing. He stared down at his food again. Laughter and conversation filled the hall, the balcony made of wood above them casting small shadows on the walls. Frank looked up at the giant vaulted ceiling and how high up it was. He realized how lavish this house was, how lavish his life was.
He realized that not everyone lives on a giant farm in a wealthy neighborhood with all their friends living a couple rooms down. Not everyone had their own horse and their own free will to roam over 180 acres of land, or a pool and a huge, loving found family to share it with. He wondered what the new kid’s lives were like, if they were anything even close to this. he sighed. it was probably nothing like this.
New Jersey, he thought, eyebrows furrowing. He had fragments of memories from when he was little, living in Jersey. That was back when his parents were still on good terms, still talking. He thought really hard, trying to put together something that was coherent, but he couldn’t. They moved here when he was little, about 7 or so, so he could barely remember anything. All he kept seeing was this little boy with long brown hair and tiny teeth. He wished there was something else left of his childhood besides that and his dad playing jazz songs on his guitar.
A hand touched his from across the table, scaring him out of his daydream. “Dude are you alright? you have this weird ass look on your face,” Spencer asked. Hayley was the one holding his hand, a worried look on her face. Frank shook off his thoughts.
“Yeah i’m fine. Just thinking,” he said, squeezing Hayley’s hand before letting go of it. Spencer narrowed his eyes at him.
“Okay dude, but last time i saw you like that, we thought that Ray was-“
“I’m fine. Really. There’s just gonna be some new ranch hands coming in that i’m stressing about.”
Hayley and Spencer gasped, Hayley quietly clapping her hands together. “Fresh meat?” She asked excitedly, voice significantly higher. Frank shushed her, nodding.
“Yeah. They’re coming here from Jersey, my mom’s friend’s kids or something like that. They’ve probably never even set foot in a barn or saddled up a horse, or even picked an apple, and it’s my job to train them. So, i’m a little stressed.”
“Huh,” Spencer said, eyebrows raised. “Why are they coming here if they’ve never done anything?”
“They’re like- i don’t know- terrorized at their school, and apparently they don’t have any other way out. They’re too poor to move, and so they’re being sent here,” Frank shrugged.
“That sucks,” Ray piped up, making Frank realize that he had been eavesdropping. He hummed an affirmative as he took a bite of fried chicken.
“Yeah, to have to move across the country, coast to coast? Must be bad,” Spencer agreed, shoving the last of his potato salad in his mouth.
Just as Frank was about to say something, the bell rang again. That was their signal to round up all the livestock and make sure everything was in line before lights out at 10. Frank turned to look at his mother, wanting to ask more about the new kids, but he realized that she had left. He found it ironic how both of his parents seats were empty as he looked from one end to the other. Ray grabbed his shirt, tugging him away.
“I know,” He said, somehow knowing what Frank was thinking. “almost funny, isn’t it.”
Frank nodded, letting Ray wrap his arm around his shoulders. the sun was behind the house by then, disappearing behind the mountains. The sky was darker. Frank looked up.
“Yeah. Almost is,” He agreed, trudging down to the chicken coops. In the distance, a high pitched shriek rang out across the ranch. Frank and Ray looked at eachother, confused. They started running towards the scream.
What they found was Hayley and Brendon and a donkey. The donkey was chewing into Hayley’s pocket, and Brendon was trying to pry the donkey off of her.
“Get it off get it off get it OFF!!” She screamed, cowering away from the donkey. Brendon rolled his eyes.
“i’m trying! Stop moving!” He yelled back, grabbing the donkey’s neck. “I told you to not wear those shorts! Big ass pockets!”
“They’re practical!” Hayley defended herself. Ray and Frank just watched, amused. “I didn’t know that someone would put donkey feed in my pockets!” She twisted so that the donkey wouldn’t bite her skin. Thats when she noticed Frank and Ray.
“Oh! How nice of you watch the show! You enjoying yourselves?” She asked, hobbling on one foot.
“Yeah we are, actually,” Ray chuckled, hands on his hips.
“Say, you think you could, i don’t know, help a fellow cowgirl out?” She said, hopping around.
“God knows we could need it,” Brendon grunted, struggling as the donkey planted it’s hooves into the dirt. Frank sighed dramatically.
“Yeah i guess i could,” He said as he walked into the corral. He grabbed a rotten carrot from the slop bucket, waving it around.
“C’mere Buttercup! Ooooh, yummy carrot! you never get to eat carrots, do you?” He cooed, inching closer to the donkey. She looked up, eyeing the carrot hungrily. “yeah, yummy yummy carrot!”
Once Frank felt she was completely invested in eating that carrot, he threw it straight into the donkey’s sleeping pen. Buttercup forgot all about Hayley’s pockets and dashed after it. Due to how Hayley was standing, the only thing keeping her upright was the donkey. She fell onto the ground, dazed. Brendon didn’t even realize, just slammed the door shut behind Buttercup.
“Take that Buttercup!!!” Brendon yelled victoriously, pumping his fist in the air. He and Frank double high-fived, whooping in sync. Behind them, Ray was cracking up, pointing at Hayley, who was sitting dejectedly on the ground.
“No, i don’t need help getting up, thank you for offering though,” she said loudly, brushing the dirt off her butt as she stood. The boys just stood there, holding back laughter. Hayley smiled and rolled her eyes. “Whatever, i’m gonna go find Patrick, help out with the pigs.”
“Get a donkey, Linda said, It’ll be fun, Linda said,” She said as she walked off, giggling. The boys just watched her until she was out of earshot, doubling over laughing.
“How did that even happen?” Ray asked in between laughs, wiping the tears from his eyes.
“Ryan put donkey feed in her pockets during dinner,” Brendon explained, clutching his stomach. “When she wasn’t looking,”
Ray pinched his nose bridge, still smiling. “We’ve gotta keep that kid on a leash, put a tracker on him or something, jesus christ,” He giggled.
“Nah, i think Bren would like that too much,” Frank said, a shit eating grin on his face. Brendon’s jaw dropped and Ray fell to the floor, laughing his ass off.
“I’m leaving!” Brendon screamed, face red, as he pushed Frank away. He walked off towards the apple orchard, flipping off the others as he did so.
“oh god,” Ray sighed, calming down. “you don’t see that every day,”
He and Frank started to make their rounds through the stables, making sure everything was in order. It was, and so they went to the front of the barn, where everyone would go for lineup. It was about 10 minutes before all the ranch hands were there, leaning against the fence. Pete and Patrick watched as Frank made them get in order, making sure he did what he needed to. He was in ‘leader mode’ as they called it.
“Good job today guys,” He said, clapping his hands. “Good job for the whole week, really, very smooth for it being our first week back. I’m really excited to work with you all again, and uh, if i find out that that there’s donkey feed in anyone’s pockets again, i’ll have to send you up to the…” He pointed up towards his mom’s office and whistled. “head honcho, so uh- don’t do that.” Everyone looked at Ryan, laughing under their breath. His face was the same color as the embroidery on his shirt. “Oh! And before you’re dismissed, there’s gonna be some new kids from Jersey comin’ in tomorrow so just- go easy on em. They’re city kids, they’ve never been to a farm, i’m guessing, and they’re comin’ from less than great conditions. So… Play nice. That’s it. You’re dismissed.” He clapped again, and everyone applauded him, dispersing after a bit. Frank looked up at the stars that were starting to peek through the dark. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was still dark when Mikey and Gerard’s plane landed. Gerard’s five bags took forever to get from the baggage claim, and by the time they were standing outside, the sun was peeking out from behind the skyline. Mikey yawned as the two of them stood by the road, the terminal behind them. The morning air was dewy- warm and humid. Gerard’s eyes hung heavy as they scanned around, looking for the car that would pick them up.
“I think they forgot about us,” Mikey muttered as he rubbed his eyes. Gerard just closed his eyes and tipped his head up towards the steadily lightening sky.
“They had a guy from a security agency meet us at the airport. They didn’t forget about us,” Gerard reassured, picking at a crust in the corner of his eye. He looked down at his watch. “Besides, we got here early. They’re supposed to pick us up at 5:45. We got here at 5:20.”
Mikey just sighed and headed over to a bench, crossing his legs as he put his bag on the ground. Gerard pulled a hoodie out of his messenger bag and pulled it on. “But it’s been fifteen minutes and i’m hungry. If they send another CIA looking guy, do you think he’ll let us get coffee? I bet the farm is super far away.”
Gerard sat by his brother and thought for a second. “Maybe. I hope it’s not another CIA guy because the last one was scary.”
Mikey didn't quite laugh, but he smiled and air escaped his nostrils. “I wonder how rich these people gotta be to have security guys pick up a couple of teenagers.”
Just as he finished talking, a shiny white truck came rolling down the road, a conglomerate of loud guitars and drums spilling out of the windows. The brothers could practically feel the bass through the ground. In the front was two men, the one driving had long blonde hair that flowed slightly in the wind, and in shotgun was a kind looking guy with a trucker hat. They watched as it drove by, stopped, and backed up to be in front of the two. The brothers looked at each other, puzzled. The music was turned down, and the doors opened. The two men stepped out and approached the boys. Given the cowboy hat that the driver put on, they guessed that they were their ride.
“You guys Gerard and Mikey?” The driver asked, hands on his rhinestone belt. Mikey stood up, offering his hand to shake.
“Yes sir. I’m Mikey, and this is my older brother, Gerard.”
“Please, call me Pete.” He took Mikey’s hand and gave it a hearty shake. The other man got out of the truck as well, coming to stand by Pete.
“I’m his husband, Patrick. Pleasure to meet you two,” He said, tipping his hat to the two boys. Gerard smiled when he heard the word ‘husband’, taking Pete’s hand to shake as well.
“I’m guessing you’re our ride?” Mikey asked, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulders. It was way too big for someone as skinny as him.
“Yeah, the guy we called in to pick y’all up canceled, so we had to get you in this big lump of metal. Sorry about that,” Pete said, grabbing two of the boy’s bags. Gerard started to protest, grabbing a bag of his own.
“Oh! I can grab that really, I-”
“I’ve got it man, don’t worry. ‘Trick, can you grab those two there?”
“Uh-huh. You two get in the car, make yourselves comfy,” Patrick said, shooing them off politely. The couple loaded the bags into the truck bed, and Mikey and Gerard crawled into the surprisingly spacious back, putting their carry-ons on the car floor. Warm lights lit up the dark inside of the truck, illuminating soft leather seats and shiny doors. Gerard looked at Mikey. Mikey looked at Gerard. They smiled. This was much nicer than they were expecting. The other two sat down in the front seats swiftly, like it was natural to get into a truck that was over a foot off the ground. Pete adjusted the rearview mirror and winked at the boys, then pulled off into the road.
“So what brings y’all to California? I heard that you’re comin from the East Coast!” He asked, fingers drumming along to a much quieter song than before. Mikey made a face at his brother to tell him that it was his job to answer. He wasn’t sure what he was allowed to say and not say.
“We’re from Jersey. School didn’t really work out for us, so we’re being sent here for new opportunities,” Gerard explained, almost dancing around the question. Pete nodded.
“You flunk out or what?” He asked, smiling. Patrick scoffed and elbowed his husband.
“ What he means is that he doesn’t quite understand what you mean by ‘school didn’t work out’. If you don’t wanna say, that’s fine, but we like to know about what’s goin’ on with our ranch hands. We won’t judge.”
Gerard laughed, unsure if he should take Pete’s question seriously. He figured that these are two guys that are married, one of them has long bleached hair and a rhinestone belt, and they haven’t even looked at him the way people typically do. He figured it would be okay.
“No uh, we didn’t flunk out. Mikey here was top of his class back home,” Gerard said, ruffling Mikey’s straightened hair. He swatted Gerard’s hand away lovingly. “People didn’t really like us, that’s all. Hard to escape a reputation, y’know? Our mom is good friends with Linda, so she figured that getting out and helping you guys wouldn’t hurt.”
Patrick made a little “ahh” sound of understanding. “I see. I had to do that too, in high school. People have a hard time letting go of appearances,” He resonated, taking his hat off, ruffling his hair, and then putting it back on.
“We could always use a few new pairs of hands,” Pete piped up as he turned the steering wheel. “It’ll seem like a lot at first, but by the time you get into the groove of it it’ll be easy.”
Patrick’s hand landed on Pete’s thigh like it was nothing, like it was as normal and routine as breathing air. It made Gerard feel safe. “The others are gonna love you. How old are y’all?” Patrick asked.
“I’m 16. He’s 18.” Mikey responded, pointing to Gerard without looking away from the window.
“You speak for your brother a lot, don’t you?” Pete observed. He didn’t sound judgemental, but more like he was making an observation.
“Most of the time he won’t, so somebody’s gotta.” Mikey shrugged. Gerard made a hum of agreement.
“That’s the same ages as most of the youth ranch hands. It ranges.” Patrick smiled. “I have a feeling that you’re all going to get along great.”
A comfortable silence settled over the four, spacey post-punk filling the air. The brothers quite enjoyed the music selection, which ranged from The Ramones, to David Bowie, to- right then- The Smiths. Gerard was shocked. He thought this was gonna be a bunch of country music and rednecks. Mikey sang along to the music, humming quietly. Pete eyed him in the rearview mirror.
“You like The Smiths?” He asked, turning up the volume.
Mikey nodded, smiling slightly. “Love ‘em.” He sang louder, now that the music covered up his voice more. He nudged Gerard, and he started singing with him, smiling.
“Pete, there’s a Starbucks at the next exit,” Patrick pointed out, nodding to the sign that said so. He turned around in his seat to face the boys.
“You guys want coffee?” He asked.
Their faces lit up. Gerard smiled. “I’d thought you’d never ask.”
The morning bell rang early that day. Frank did not want to get up. It was 5:30, an hour earlier than usual. They usually only made the adult ranch hands get up at sunrise, but that day the teenagers did too. Frank rubbed his eyes, his eyelashes sticking together from the leftover eyeliner and mascara. He pried them open as he walked to his bathroom, yawning. Today he got two new ranch hands with no experience and he had to train them. By himself. This was going to be a long day.
Just as he pulled on a black t-shirt that he cut the sleeves off of, a knock rapped on his door. He opened it to find Hayley, her hair un-straightened and tangled in knots, eyes wide and smiling.
“They're on their way.” She whispered, barging into Frank’s room without a second thought. He looked around frantically, making sure he didn't accidentally leave out anything incriminating, and sat on his bed.
“What do you mean,” He asked, yawning and scratching the back of his head. She smiled.
“The new kids. Pete and Patrick went to go pick ‘em up,” She replied, grabbing Frank’s hand and dragging him off his bed. He groaned as she forcibly made him get up- she was strong for being so small.
“Oh joy,” He said, deadpan. He stumbled through the hallway as Hayley guided him to the employee quarters, which were right above the dining hall. She stopped at the door of her room and walked to the railing. It was in the middle of the hall, right in between Brendon and Ray’s rooms.
“Listen, i know that Linda said that you and you alone need to train ‘em, but just holler and any one of us will help you out. You know that,” She whispered as she crouched down, pulling Frank down with her. Frank almost laughed at how similar it was to how they would spy on their parents when they were little.
“I know that, Hayles,” He smiled as they watched his mom pace as she talked on her phone.
“No i know… Don’t worry LeAnn, the kids will love them… Yes- i had my supervisional workers pick them up… Yeah, well… the guy canceled. Patrick said they were getting along great… Oh they do? They must be doing fine then… Yes of course. I miss you, Anni. I’ll talk to you later. Buh bye.” She snapped her phone closed with a sharp click and sighed. It wasn't even five seconds that passed before she got another call. The ringtone? A guitar riff the caller made up. Frank knew it was Patrick.
“Hey, Lunchbox. Oh really? That sounds great, thank you… You’ll be here in an hour and a half? Mkay. I’ll make sure everything is ready for them… Thanks again. Yep. Bye.” Again, she snapped her phone off and pocketed it. Her hands rubbed her eyes and she sighed, exhausted. Just then, Ryan walked up to the pair.
“What are you guys doing on the floor?” He asked, holding a sleeve of ritz crackers and munching on them loudly. They shushed him quickly, but it was no use. Linda looked up at them with a puzzled expression, squinted, then waved at Ryan. He waved back, and she went back to what she was doing. Hayley glared up at Ryan, eyes narrowed. Frank got up.
“You're lucky she doesn't have her glasses on,” Frank hissed, pushing his finger into Ryan’s chest. Ryan looked at him cluelessly, and it was so precious that Frank couldn't stay mad. He shook his head, scoffed, and turned to walk away. He only moved about four steps before grabbing Hayley and making her open her room’s door, ignoring Ryan’s confused look as she scanned her employee card. Just as Frank slumped down into Hayley’s vanity chair, his work phone ringed.
He flipped it open to see that it was his mother calling him, Hayley looking at the phone expectantly as Frank let it ring. On the fifth ring, he answered.
“Yeah?” He asked, pinching his nose bridge.
“Frank! Is that any way to greet your mother?” She replied, her grin making its way through the phone. Frank smiled the tiniest bit.
“No, it isn’t. Good morning, Ma.”
“Good morning to you too. I just wanted to let you know that i’m excusing you of all of your typical work. The day’s being freed up so you can train the newbies. You still have your leadership jobs, but chores and normal ranch work is cleared for the day.”
Frank was almost too tired to care. A part of him wanted to ask if this meant he could go back to sleep, but he resisted the urge. He sighed. “Thanks Ma. Means a lot. Who’s gonna be pickin’ up my work, in that case?”
A little crackle could be heard through the line. It was quiet for a second longer than it should’ve been. The audio picked up halfway through her words. “-cer and Brendon will take care of your eggs, Hayley’s on feed duty, and all your horse chores go to Ray and Ryan. Don’t forget that you still have to do check-ins like normal. I’ve gotta go.”
Frank wanted to stop her, but he didn’t. He just rubbed his eyes and nodded. “Okay. Love you.”
“Love you more, Frankie.”
The line went dead. Hayley just looked at Frank, almost shocked in a way. She ran her hands through her hair, exhausted. “I have to do your feed duty?” She scoffed, smiling despite herself, punching Frank’s shoulder. He rolled his eyes.
“Well it’s not like I told her to do that!” He defended, putting his hands up as he spun around in the chair. He looked in the mirror at Hayley’s face, her wearing a disbelieving expression. “I didn’t! I didn’t even know that i was excused until that call,” He explained as he reached for Hayley’s eyeshadow palette.
“Stealing my things again?” She asked as she grabbed her straight iron out of the bottom cabinet of her vanity. Frank stuck his tongue out at her.
“I use this thing more than you and you know it,” He pointed out, swiping a foam applicator over the red.
“Still doesn’t make it right!” Hayley countered. She bent down to plug in her iron, crawling underneath Frank to do so. He didn’t even mention it, just kept doing his makeup. By the time Hayley popped out from under the desk, Frank was finished. Bright red circled his eyes, surrounding a thin line of black eyeliner. His bottom eyelashes were a little more defined, clumped together with mascara. “Nice work, Francis,” Hayley congratulated, quickly touching the flat iron to make sure it was heating up. Frank smiled.
“I think it’s my favorite look yet,” He concluded, getting up to leave Hayley to her own getting ready routine.
As he left, Hayley called after him. “Show Ryan! He’ll be glad that he taught you how to do that stuff!” Frank just put a thumbs up as he closed the door behind him. He carded his hands through his choppy half-shaved hair as he set off for the common room, where no doubt half the youth ranch hands were by then.
The common room was what they called the unusually large living room that sat in the west wing of the first floor, towards the front of the house. In the mornings, the sun shone exceptionally through the windows, often leaving kids fighting for the spot in the bay window. It was especially comfy, the warm sun beaming in on the occupant, who sat upon a cushioned seat with several pillows. Typically, Ray was the first one there, and therefore, the only one occupying the golden spot. This would leave Spencer, who was almost always trailing behind Ray, to sit in the egg chair that hung from the ceiling, wrapped in a knit blanket that Selkie made.
One by one, sleepy teenagers would file in, wrapped in blankets, still in pajamas, with rumpled hair, or completely ready for the day. They would sit on the floor, together on the couch, or snuggled up in an armchair. The sun warmed them up and got them ready for the day as they watched TV, read, or did whatever they liked. Frank thought it was the best way to start the day.
When he strolled into the common room, Ray was in his usual place, looking out of the window. Spencer was lazily scrolling through the TV guide, remote in hand, and Ryan sat next to him, head resting on his shoulder. Brendon sat in the egg chair, reading a book. As Frank tried to decide where to sit, he noticed that Brendon would steal glances up at Ryan, eyebrows furrowed. It almost made Frank laugh. He’s jealous , Frank thought. Ultimately he decided that he would sit next to Ryan on the couch, so that he could be in the middle of this very intense one-sided staring game. As he sat down, Ryan curled in closer to Spencer’s side, his delicate hand gripping Spencer’s arm. Across the room, Brendon cleared his throat. Frank grinned.
“Careful with that, Ry. Hayley might get jealous,” He teased, making Spencer snort. Everyone knew that Hayley and Spencer were strictly best friends, ever since Ryan and Spencer moved from Vegas to California, and ever since they started working at the ranch. This only made the couple jokes funnier to the two.
“I don’t think she’s the one you need to worry about,” Spencer reassured, patting Ryan’s head with his free hand condescendingly. Ryan jabbed him in his side.
“Ow, ow ow owww,” Spencer groaned dramatically, throwing his head back. Ryan scoffed at him and shook his head, snatching the remote from him.
“Shut up, drama queen,” He sassed, finally finding a movie and clicking it on. He was still attached to Spencer’s arm. Brendon shifted uncomfortably. Ray looked up from his trance to smile and salute to Frank, who returned the gesture. The group settled into a gentle silence, which was only filled by Pretty In Pink from the TV and the flipping of pages from Brendon’s book.
Everyone jumped a bit when the breakfast bell rang. For each meal, there was a different note played in a different pattern, courtesy of Selkie. Each day she would ring them, beaming as she watched the other employees migrate towards the house. Frank found it oddly wonderful how someone as old as Selkie could still find such immense joy from something so simple.
Hayley yawned as she trotted her way down the stairs from the bedrooms and into the dining hall. A blanket was wrapped over her head and around her shoulders, making her look like she was straight from the Oregon trail. Everyone else was filing in from the other entrances- some coming from the kitchen, or from the common room- others coming inside from sunbathing on the expansive deck that flowed into the dining hall. They all looked at Hayley in her makeshift shawl and giggled a bit.
“Nice cape, commander sleepytime,” Brendon teased, elbowing her as he passed. She just stuck her tongue out at him and he did the same, the two laughing at their own immaturity. Everyone who wanted breakfast settled down, sitting where they like. While there was an order to the seats, that was only ever enforced on special occasions. There wasn’t as many people at breakfast as there usually was at the other mealtimes. Most people just didn’t like eating early, or would rather just grab a bagel and be on their way. This meant that it was typically only the younger employees at the table, sometimes accompanied by one or two older workers.
Frank didn't like eating early, on account of his fussy stomach, but he did like hanging around as the others ate. He sat next to Hayley. "You cold or something?" He asked her. She nodded.
"My room's AC is wack. It was like 65 degrees in there, so here I am, blanket and all," She explained, sliding the blanket off her head so it was only wrapped around her shoulders.
"You look Amish." Ryan said as he looked across the table, leaning over to grab a piece of french toast. Hayley looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, and he just shrugged. "It's true."
"What's up with the new kids? When are they gonna get here?" Ray interrupted Hayley's award-winning stank-eye-stare. She brightened up, shedding her blanket cape.
"PetenPatrick went to go pick them up at like, 4:30 this morning, so they should be here at like... 6:45 or something like that," She supplied, chewing into a piece of bacon.
Ray looked at her apprehensively. "How do you know that?"
"i spied on Linda." she shrugged. Ray threw his hands up.
"Should've known," he sighed. Just then, Spencer walked up to the group, ruffling Hayley's hair and sitting next to her.
"Should've known what?" He smiled as Hayley leaned against his shoulder in a greeting.
"Hayley was spying on Linda again," Brendon supplied, leaning back to look at Spencer from where he was sitting.
"Of course," He snorted. The group's attention was commanded when Linda - who never came down for breakfast - approached them. Her slightly greying hair was pulled back into a bumpy ponytail, strands falling out in her face. Mascara smudged around her eyes and her glasses were foggy with fingerprints. She looked like a disheveled mess. This was a stark contrast to the usually professional attire and appearance she wore so proudly.
"Hey kids," She said, voice strained. Mumbled greetings were echoed back. "I'm sure you all know about the new recruits, they'll be here after breakfast. I was up all night trying to figure out how to get them here, so i apologize for... this." She motioned to her face. "Make sure they feel welcome. Their names are Gerard and Mikey, they're brothers." With that she walked away, hands trying to smooth out her hair.
"That was weird," Ryan said, face screwed up as he watched Linda walk away. It wasn't often that the kids saw Linda like that, let alone talk to her while she was in that state. A chorus of unsure "yeah"'s were groaned.
"Must've been a big deal," Ray concluded.
"They're kids of her best friend. The one we lived with when i was little?" Frank explained, hands covering his face as his elbows rested on the table. "She cares a lot about them, apparently."
"More than you," Spencer said, only half joking.
"Yeah," Frank chuckled dryly. There was a second of silence that felt like it lasted longer than it should have.
"Well, I for one, am excited about it," Hayley interrupted, trying to raise the mood. Uncomfortable responses sullied her attempt. Frank couldn't take the pity that hung low in the air. He mumbled about needing to go do something, even though he was sure that everyone knew that he didn't need to do anything. He got up, walking around the table to go outside, to the deck. The wide collapsing doors were open, so his escape attempt wasn't very well thought out. He knew that everyone could see him standing quite literally ten steps away from Ryan and Brendon. He faltered, feeling five pairs of eyes on him, unsure as to where to go. He decided to storm off out to the yard, past the pool and out of the gate.
There was a full five seconds of confused silence, everyone eating awkwardly. "Why the hell did he go that way?" Ryan asked. Brendon smacked his arm. Sometimes it was hard to tell if Ryan was an asshole or just really clueless.
Frank still didn't really know what he was doing or where he was going. He wished he chose to go up to his room instead of walking outside, or maybe that he just jumped into the pool and never resurfaced. His face was red, and he was sure that he was going to die of embarrassment. He stumbled through the yard and down the path to the stables, stopping when he got to the corral. He wasn’t sure where to go as he stepped one way, but looked back the other. He ultimately decided to go inside the stables and climb up into the hayloft. Frank didn’t know why he wasn’t sure where to go before, since the hayloft was his own little safe haven. It was the only place where he could be truly alone ever since he was little. While his life wasn’t as militant as a small child, he’s always been what his mom calls a “worrier.” Worried about school, worried about his parents, worried about the business. Whenever it got to be too much for him, Frank would scale the rickety ladder and hide away. Nobody went looking for him there, since everyone thought of it to be unstable and dangerous.
He climbed through the grotto of hay that he arranged meticulously years ago. Stepping over barrels and climbing over stacks, he finally found the door to his spot. He rolled the haybale to the side and stepped inside. A little hammock was strung between two beams and leftover carpet covered the crusty wood. Sheets that mysteriously went missing from the house draped across the windows and across the ceiling, creating billowing walls. Relics from Frank’s childhood were still there, and a string of white christmas lights wrapped around the makeshift cove. He took a deep breath, and moved the haybale back. It had been a while since Frank had been up there, maybe a year or so. It was exactly as he left it. It felt like home. This was the one place he didn’t need to work, he didn’t need to boss others around. It reminded him of a time when his mom didn't love somebody else's kids more than her own. It was his spot.
Frank was not aware of the time passing as he looked through his old books that he left up there, flipping through pages of kindergarten drawings and book annotations, reading childhood stories. The sun slowly beamed more brightly through the windows and filtered through the sheets as he stayed in his nostalgic trance. He was not aware of what had made him come up here in the first place. It seemed the dust and memory held inside this safe haven clouded his mind and helped him calm down.
He didn’t even realize he fell asleep until he woke up. When he did, the sun was almost too bright to handle, indicating a late sunrise. Frank looked down at his watch, which read 6:50, and sprung up from the hammock, almost hitting his head on the ceiling. He scrambled past and across the haystacks, down the ladder; looking around to make sure no one could see him. He vaguely remembered Hayley saying the new kids would be there at 6:45, and god knew that Frank’s head would be on a stick if he wasn’t there to greet them like a fucking doorman. Despite the haze of the hideaway, Frank knew his duties all too well.
He burst through the door of the house, eyes scanning wildly for any signs of someone new. So far it was clear. Peering around the corners of each hallway, his ears pricked up for the sound of out-of-place foot steps. There was nothing. He let himself relax. Rollcall wouldn’t be for another 20 minutes or so. He sneaked his way back to the dining hall, making sure no one from earlier was still there by chance. It was just Joe, an orchard worker, looking through a binder with Andy. Unlike Pete and Patrick, who lived in the house with the youth workers and housekeepers, Joe and Andy were workers who commuted to the farm every day and night. They had lives outside of the confines of 180 acres. How? Frank could never comprehend. They were good friends of Pete’s, in turn making them good friends of Patrick’s, and therefore making them among the more well known workers to the youths.
Sometimes Frank felt weird that he only truly knew 12 adult workers outside of the house. They were always hanging around in his home, after all. But then he remembered that his workplace was his house, and that that workplace has 50 workers bustling around. He decided that it wasn’t all that bad. He said hi to the two workers and they greeted him back. He walked into the north hallway and decided to wait in the library. He just walked through the door when Linda called him. For a second, he wished that his mom would talk to him more than she called him. Then he remembered how scared of her he is, and answered the phone.
“The boys are down the street. Thought you should know,” She sighed, making the mic peak. Frank only said “‘kay,” in response and hung up. He didn’t feel bad. He checked the time. 7:00. 15 minutes before rollcall. If the newbies had to get their tour a little later than usual, then so be it. Now at the front of the house, Frank looked out of the window in the library. Pete’s truck was rolling towards the house.
The car ride there was surprisingly peaceful and enjoyable. After stopping at Starbucks and eating, both Mikey and Gerard fell asleep, the jet lag catching up to them. As they snoozed in the backseat, Patrick decided to check up on Linda and see how she was holding up, given the night she just had.
“Hey Lunchbox,” She said, voice groggy. Patrick took that as a “not well” to what he was wondering.
“Hi Linds, we’re on almost halfway home. The boys are sleeping sound. I think we’re getting along well.”
“Oh really?” She asked, shocked through her grogginess. “That sounds great, thank you.”
“It’s no problem, you know that. We should be home in about an hour and a half.”
“Mkay, i’ll make sure everything is ready,” A deep breath could be heard through the line. “Thanks again.”
“Of course. See you.”
“Bye.”
The call ended and Patrick could tell there was something up. He said as much to Pete.
“She did stay up all night,” Pete reasoned, looking over at his worried husband.
“Yeah, but this was different.” Patrick worried his bottom lip as he looked out his window. Pete took his hand and squeezed it.
“You know Linda, angeleyes. She’s secretive,” He reassured. Patrick nodded. The rest of the car ride was quiet. Patrick’s mind raced and the younger passengers slept. Pete didn’t mind, just hummed quietly to himself.
Gerard woke up after an hour, dried drool on his chin. He quickly wiped it off and sat up, suddenly aware of his surroundings. Pete took notice of this.
“Morning, sleeping beauty,” He smiled. Gerard smiled back.
“Hi, how far away are we?”
“About ten minutes. You might want to wake your brother.”
Gerard did so, making Mikey hurriedly flatten down his bird’s nest hair and sit up. Patrick seemed to regain his sense, and the four of them talked until they turned into the lane that lead to the ranch.
“Welcome home,” Patrick said as the house came into view.
The two brothers had greatly underestimated just how rich this family- no-
business was. After the path there was an electric gate, which opened after Pete entered a code. As they passed that, the house came into view. The house wasn’t even a house. It was a mansion. All white, the mansion was held up by four pillars in a colonial style, bay windows on each side of the first level. While they couldn’t quite tell, the house seemed to be three levels tall. They had never even seen a three level tall house. To the left and right of the house was a series of barns, and as Gerard craned his neck, he could see a vast forest in the distance. The farm was surrounded by mountains from miles away. It was like something out of a hallmark movie. It was
nothing like what they were expecting.
“We live here now?” Mikey asked, pushing his glasses up his nose bridge. Pete smirked and nodded.
“Not too bad for a buncha farmers, huh?” he responded smugly. Mikey nodded wordlessly.
The house was so huge it was taller than the nearby trees. The Way brothers just took it in as they hopped out of the car and looked around. Pete and Patrick took their luggage out of the truck bed, and helped Gerard carry his many bags to the huge double doors. On each door was a knocker, encrusted with an apple tree. Mikey was oddly charmed by that, and used it before pushing through. They were met with a double staircase, a small table in the middle of the foyer. On either side of the staircases were hallways, doors lining them. A closet was in the middle, just under the balcony that attached the two staircases to the second level. They stood there, unsure of where to go.
“You can leave your luggage here, someone will grab it. If you walk past the staircases, down either of those hallways, then you’ll be in the dining hall. Above the dining hall is the employee quarters. You’ll be staying there. You can only get there by the double staircase,” Pete rattled off, pointing as he talked. A boy emerged from door to the right, making Pete stop. “Oh! Frank!” He exclaimed. “Guys, this is Frank, Linda’s boy and your eventual co-worker/kind of boss,” He pushed the brothers a little closer to Frank and they just gave the same awkward wave. Frank waved back.
“I’ve got this covered for now, just let me take over,” He said, pushing the couple away. They went without a fight, and Frank turned back to the brothers. Gerard couldn’t help but notice how this guy stared at his legs. Frank didn’t even register that Gerard was wearing a skirt until then, it looked so natural that he had to remember that these two were brothers, not a brother and a sister. Mikey crossed his arms and cleared his throat.
“Uh- I’m Frank, just like Pete said. Sorry about them, they’re dorks.” Frank didn’t know what to do with his hands. he shoved them in his pockets. “I have to do rollcall pretty soon, so if you just want to go up to your rooms and settle in, that’s fine. I’m sure you guys are jetlagged as hell, so you’ll get at least like 30 minutes of rest until i’m required to teach you guys the ropes.” He shuffled as he spoke, not really making eye contact.
"Do you wanna show us where that is or..." Mikey questioned, hiking his backpack up higher on his back.
"Oh- right. Yeah, uh... this way." Frank started walking ahead of the other two. They shot each other looks as they followed, having a silent conversation of their own. Before the group could even walk three steps, Linda came rushing down the stairs; she looked much more put together than she did earlier. Frank almost stuttered as she squealed happily and walked up to the boys with open arms.
“Boys! You’re here!” She exclaimed, her heels clicking against the wooden floor happily. Frank just stood off to the side, puzzled. “Oh my lord, you’ve grown so so much! How gorgeous you two are… Oh, i love the skirt, G!” She hugged each boy and looked at them for a little, gentle hands on their faces. They smiled and nodded as she swooned over them. “Frankie, i’ll take care of our guests, you go do rollcall and come and get them later. They need to settle in!” Linda shuffled the brothers away, happy as can be.
Frank watched his mother scurry away slack jawed. It wasn’t often that he saw his mom in housewife mode, but when he did, it was unsettling. She wasn’t like that. She was playing a role. Frank stomped off, half pissed at having to stress over nothing, and half pissed that they were getting special treatment when he was her son! He knew it was childish but he couldn’t shake it off until he got to the stables, where everyone was waiting for him. During rollcall, they all asked about the new kids, they all asked why they had more duties than normal, and they all went off to do their work, leaving Frank alone with nothing to do. He wasn’t used to having a day off. No matter how much work Frank had to do, he did it, and he liked doing it. No matter how much he would bitch about it to Ray or Hayley, Frank wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he didn’t have the ranch. It gave him structure. Of course, he would never admit to any of that, but that didn’t make it any less true. He just wandered around for a minute, looking in each direction like somehow that would help. It didn’t, and he dejectedly made his way back up to the house.
The house was eerily empty. Usually he would walk inside with someone else, or there would already be employees inside, but everyone else was out working. His steps echoed through the oddly silent foyer. It almost felt like he should tiptoe. He made his way to the door on his left, to the common room. In there it was carpeted, so he stopped walking so gently and flopped down onto the couch. He desperately looked on the TV guide for something to watch, but it was all reruns. Eventually, he landed on MTV, guessing that music videos would entertain him for long enough. He watched until he got down from number 20 to number 5 on the top video countdown, until he was so rudely interrupted by the dreaded ringing of his phone.
“Yes, Ma?” Frank answered, not even bothering to check the caller id.
“Hi Frank, I want you to give the boys a tour of the ranch at.. oh, let’s say 8:30? Don’t show ‘em the house, i already did that.” Linda ordered. Frank nodded, restraining an annoyed groan. He looked at the clock above the TV, which read 7:47.
“Okay, will do. Bye.” Frank hung up before his mom could even respond, tossing his phone to the ground and rubbing his face with his hands. He didn’t quite know what was making him be in such a bitchy mood, but it felt like ever since Gerard and Mikey had shown up, things had been off. It made him feel like his world had tilted off its axis slightly. He just sighed and turned back to the top video countdown.
Linda was almost too nice to be real. She ushered Mikey and Gerard around the house gently, telling them of each room and the various memories they held. it was almost overwhelming, how big the house was. Linda cooed and preened at the two boys as they walked. She would tell them of what they were like as babies, how Mikey would throw things and how Gerard had a tendency to bite. They would laugh politely and follow her, not fully believing her sugary sweet smile. Eventually, they got to the rooms and crashed, each boy in a different corner of the quarters.
Mikey was overwhelmed. Originally, he wasn't even supposed to be here. Only Gerard was going to leave, go across the country, and live on a farm. By himself. Which would leave Mikey by himself. The thought made him shiver. He would survive, but he was sure that not being able to see his brother would make the both of them go crazy within a month. After spending almost every day together for 16 years, it was hard to be apart. He didn't think his brother realized that he needed Gerard as much as Gerard needed him. So when he heard he was to be sent away, Mikey begged and begged his mother for weeks until she gave in. As he lied on his new bed, he tried to not think of how different his life will be. He tried not to think of all the great local bands he'll never see again, or the way he was supposed to be head of the DND club the next year. It all seemed so small and insignificant now. Just another town on the other side of the country. As he fixated on the popcorn ceiling, specifically a pattern that looked like a butterfly, he thought of what waited at home for Gerard. He couldn't think of many positives. He never went to gigs like Mikey did, even if he did like the music. He didn't join any clubs after being laughed out of the fashion club. (It was all freshman girls who giggled at him passive aggressively behind their hands until he walked out) And he had no other friends besides for Mikey. He didn't mind that Gerard dragged him down in the social sense, but he thought of how maybe he won't need to do that anymore. Maybe here it would be different. He turned to his backpack and pulled out a discman. He continued to stare at the ceiling as Iron Maiden burst through his earbuds.
Gerard could feel his insides buzzing. Despite the time change and the jet-lag, he couldn't settle the energy pulsing through him. Everyone here seemed so nice and welcoming that Gerard thought he was dreaming at first. The boy that greeted them was quite possibly the cutest guy he had ever seen, Linda was so sweet, and the house was gorgeous. What more could he want? As he flopped down onto the soft covers of his bed, he almost forgot about what he left behind. The warmth of the blanket cradled Gerard and he curled up on top of the covers. The wide windows shimmered with hope and the sun wasn't too bright, like it could be back home. For once, everything seemed to be going okay for him. Even if he missed his mom. Even if he missed the misty New Jersey air. Even if he missed the libraries and the walks he would take to find the perfect drawing place. He wanted all these things back, but realized that maybe he wouldn't need them anymore. They were just a means of escape. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't need to escape anymore. The bittersweetness of his mind lulled him into a deep sleep. He dreamed of new starts.