We're All Just a Walking Travesty

I stopped suddenly in my tracks, hesitantly staring at Mikey Way. His brown eyes were lit up like fire, burning black holes into mine. A scowl stretched across his face in an unpleasant manner, making it evident that he was upset about something...or with someone. His fists clenched and unclenched every few seconds as Mikey used the technique that I’ve always used to attempt and control my anger. Yup, he was definitely upset with me.
I took a small step back before I heard Jack call my name out.
“Ariel? Is everything alright?” He called out, standing off to the side of the apartment complex and looking in my direction. I nodded, before realizing he couldn’t see my small gestures.
“Yeah, I’m okay! I just wanted a minute or two to kind of breath and regain my composure, sorry! Go ahead and go inside, I’ll be there in like 3 minutes!”
I waited as Jack lingered behind for a few moments before slightly waving at me and disappearing into the building. I turned back to Mikey, who now stood inches away from me. My heartbeat jumped, his sudden arrival causing me to panic. I haven’t seen him like this in a really long time He’s always been a quiet, non-violent kid. The only other time he’s ever been super angry at someone was when Michael Gardner spent a whole day making fun of me in the third grade. Mikey knocked him to the ground and started hitting Michael in the face. I remember it took two teachers to pry Mikey off of him. He spent the next day in the principal’s office writing an apology letter to Michael for bashing in his face and causing him to have to get 5 stitches on his lip. All because he called me stupid and gross.
“What the hell were you doing?” Mikey fumed at me through clenched teeth. I flinched at the harsh tone he’s never used with me.
“I was just hanging out and playing around with Jack,” I said, the defensive side of me taking control. “He wanted to show me something to get my mind off of Leah’s anxiety attack, so he brought me out here. Why, what’s wrong, Mikey?”
“You’re replacing me, aren’t you?”
“What! No! Mikey you’re completely irreplaceable, no one will ever fill the place in my heart where you reside! Why the hell would you think that?”
“Because, Ariel!” He hissed. “You’re playing OUR game with...with...with HIM!”
“Our game? It was tag! That isn’t ‘our game’!”
“Yes it is! I don’t want you to bring him into it, either!”
“Mikey, it was just a small game of fucking tag. And honestly, I don’t give a fuck what you think right now, because like I said, it’s just FUCKING TAG! I am not obligated to never play tag again just because that was our favorite game as children. Well, news flash, I’m twenty-fucking-three now and you’re 24! Get over it, you rude ass jerk!” I screamed at him. It pisses me off how he thinks he owns me and that tag is something we can never do anymore unless it’s him and I. Like, seriously, what the fuck?
His anger instantly softened, only it wasn’t a “sorry” look; It was the kind of look someone gives you when they feel like you’ve betrayed them, punched them in the gut, and spit in their face. I instantly regretted everything I had just said to him. I blew up on my best childhood friend. What kind of monster does that?
“Mikey, I didn’t-”
“Sure, you didn’t, Ariel. I understand. You never felt it, but I did. I always have.”
Not understanding what he was saying, I blurted out, “I promise I won’t play tag with Jack anymore...no, I swear it. We’ve never argued before, and so when you were all furious, I just...I got really defensive and just, I..I--” I bit down super hard on my lip to keep the tears from spilling. A stray tear broke loose from my eye socket and trailed down my face. I tried my best to muffle the sobs that wanted to pour from my lungs and ending up almost choking.
Mikey reached out and pulled me close to him, one arm wrapped tightly around my back and the other around my head. I buried my face into his arm, choking on my own air and hyperventilating in the process. I felt a small lick of anxiety build up inside me, causing that sheer panic from earlier to double in size. My palms dripped an uncomfortable cold sweat. The muffled sobs were stuck deep down inside, cutting off the flow of air to my chest. I couldn’t believe this; I was having a panic attack for the first time in months. My legs began to shake before finally giving up on me.
“Oh my God. Ariel, just breathe! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…” Mikey held onto my torso tight, careful to keep my back from arching or my body from smacking the ground. “Shit, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to start an argument, ah! Shitshitshit!” His glasses were crooked on his face, framed by his dark and messy hair.
I continued to break down for a few more minutes, before I finally smacked the fuck out of myself and sucked it up. I was able to stand on my own again, drying my eyes and hands on Mikey’s black shirt. He never usually minds when I do that, I just hoped he didn’t right now.
Mikey crouched down so he was eye level with me and made sure to look me right in the eyes.
“Better?” He asked.
I nodded my head and forced a small, unconvincing smile. His eyes flicked back and forth between mine before letting go of me and standing up straight.
“Well, I better let you go..back to them, I guess,” Mikey started, clearly still down on the fact that I started hanging out with Jack and Alex.
“Yeah. Look, I’m really sorry for snapping at you. I didn’t mean what I said, about you being rude..and an ass..and a jerk.”
“It’s cool, Aries. I was being an asshole all because I was a little je--skeptical of Jack. I don’t know what got into me. I’m sorry, too.”
Mikey and I hugged before we said our goodbyes. He started back off towards the neighborhood we live in and I began walking to the apartments. I sniffled occasionally here and there on the walk back. I also tried to pull myself back together by smoothing out my straightened hair, wiping the makeup clean from underneath my eye lids, and drying up the excess tears that stayed behind on my face.
Mikey Way and I just had our first argument, and for some reason, I don’t think I’m ever going to get over it.

-
*the next day*
-

The annoying beeping sound of my alarm clock set my nerves on edge. 11:30 a.m. Sighing, I shoved the covers off of my body and threw myself on the floor. I am not in the mood to live my life today, but I have to. I wasn’t going to let some argument with Mikey completely throw off my day game. I was determined to at least try and get something done today.
The familiar sound of Oliver Sykes blasted through the speakers of my phone as Sleepwalking by Bring Me The Horizon notified me of Leah’s text message. I entered the code into my phone and read what she sent me:
L: Allo *glares at the orchestra*
A: u f0ckin w0t m8
L: Catch me if you con m8
A: sanic ftw
L: anywAYS
A: el oh el, whats up, bae?
L: I made a pal. What about you bae?
A: Oh, another one? And I just woke up like 40 seconds ago cause life.
L: Did I wake you up because i don’t care. And ye man Jack introduced me to him.
A: No, feg, my alarm clock did. who is this person, tell ME NOW
L: His names Frank.
A: Sounds interesting, I guess
L: He is actually.
A: Well that’s radical, then, bae. IS HE CUTE
L: He’s like super focking hella but BUT his door swings the other way ufeel
A: Of fucking course he is, but hey, that’s cool mane.
L: right right
A: so I’m gonna attempt to do something with my life today, soo, yeah
L: LETS GO FOR A JOG. I'm completely kidding of course I don’t do that stuff.
A: I thought you were with people anyways? Idk man, but I’ll catch up with you later on tonight or something?
L: I'm sitting on my couch trying to find something to do. and OKAY PAL
A: oH OKAY. ILY LEAH BYE ILY <3
L: I have an appointment at three, so I’ll text you afterwarrrddsss. bye ilyyy
A: think about me
L: always

I laughed, tossing my phone onto the bed. I stretched my arms up in the air and sighed heavily as I felt the cracking and popping of bones send pure bliss throughout my body. This was the feeling that I always looked forward to when waking up, whether it be in the morning, afternoon, or night.
Deciding that I’ve already wasted half of my day, I ran down the hallway and into the small bathroom, taking a brief shower to start things off. When I got out, I decided to let my hair be its disturbing natural curl and air dry it. I applied my mascara and eyeliner on lightly with gentle strokes, not really giving a fuck what I looked like anymore.
Stepping back and looking at myself in the mirror, I cringed slightly before exiting the bathroom to throw on a set of clothes. What the hell should I even wear today? Is it cold or hot or warm or rainy or what? I walked over to the curtain-covered window and pulled it back, revealing an overcast sky. Jeans and a sweater for days, motherfucker.
I sifted through the piles of clothes that were loaded inside my closet, throwing around random socks, bras, and undershirts. My black and white oversized sweater popped up first, and I decided that it would have to work with a pair a blue skinny jeans. I quickly pulled the necessary articles of clothing over my body and headed for the door. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that my phone wasn’t in hand. Grabbing my cell phone from my bed of destruction, I set off down the hall and stairs into the living room.
I was just about to walk out the front door when a voice brought me to a halt.
“Ariel? Honey? Where do you think you’re going?” My mom called to me from her usual spot on the floral couch.
“I was just going out to find something to do. Why, mom? Need something? Cause if not I’ll just be on my way…” I started opening the door, trying to leave before she attempted to do something “public” with me.
I don’t have anything against doing things with my mom and such, it’s just, sometimes she can really get on my nerves and I don’t want to snap out at her anymore than I already do. Which is probably why she recommends that I take my meds every fucking day of the week.
“Did you take your medicine, dear?”
“No, mom,”
“Really? Ariel, please. You need to take your medicine before you...you know.”
“Mom, I’m really not in the mood to do this, so if you’ll excuse me, I have places that I have to be right now,” I said, exiting out the front door of our house. I almost instantly regretted walking out on her like that, but instantly didn’t care. She can fight me later when I still don’t care.
I walked down the porch steps and onto the blacktopped driveway. The wind picked up slightly, chilling my still-wet head and hair. I took a deep breath of fresh air, glad that I didn’t stay in bed to pout like a child. It would have been a waste of a perfectly good day.
Deciding to just kind of take everything easy, I started walking in the direction of Leah’s apartments. I wasn’t actually going to just pop in on her, I just felt like walking and thinking. There are things on my mind that I really need to clear up. The argument with Mikey was enough to push my blood pressure to the limits and cause my first anxiety attack in 5 months. Why was I so concerned about it? I mean, friends fight when necessary, right? And then there’s Jack…
Jack Barakat is so...different than other guys I’ve interacted with in the past. His crazy personality is mixed together with bits and pieces of breathtaking charm. His perfectly smooth face is engraved with two cute dimples that pop out when he laughs..and his eyes, oh my god. You get lost in them so easily, it isn’t fair. All of it is framed by a messy head of blonde and black hair before being sealed off with a perfect smile. He’s just so...beautiful. Oh my God, what the fuck was I saying! I’ve known Jack for like two days, I can’t..
The sudden realization of how beautiful the day is hit me like a freight train and brought me out of my daydream. Everything was in perfect condition; Not a single tree, plant, or cloud out of place. The trees that bend in unimaginable ways have a spooky feel that compliment the washed out skies. Different grasses and varieties of shrubbery dance in sync with the sound of the wind, their hopes high that the darkness will fade away and allow the sun to breathe again. I marveled as two hummingbirds play tag with each other in the sky. The bigger one picks on the smaller one like it’s the younger sibling, and the smaller one tries to attack him back, but fails when the first darts out of the way. They both hang around before jetting off again, disappearing from out of sight.
My smile slipped a little bit as I turned down Washington Street. The divine beauty of nature was stunning, but it wasn’t enough to clear my mind.
And that’s when I saw him.
~Larken

Notes

Sorry i'm a bit late posting a chapter Larken wrote. She only just finished it like 30 seconds ago so ye.
Subscribe, I might post again tonight or tomorrow afternoon.
~leanna