When Frank ran down the stairs from my bedroom, everyone waiting down in the living room could tell that whatever I had confided in him had rattled him. Though, I'm not sure "rattled" is the correct word.

"Dude, where're you going?" Ray asks him as I come back down the stairs many paces behind him. He's rushing toward the front door, probably already pulling his shoes on.

"I'm gonna kick some homophobic fucker's ass!" Comes his reply.

"Woah, nobody is kicking anyone's ass!" I exclaim, running after him. As I rush by, I almost knock a piece of art off the wall, something Lindsey painted. I don't stop to straighten it before grabbing Frank's jacket from his hands. "You don't even know who this guy is or where to find him."

"I can't just do nothing, Eve," he tells me, looking me in the eyes.

I realize he's serious about this. He really wants to kick this guy's ass. From behind me, I hear the other guys pile into the hallway and I imagine the scene before them must be one to see: Frank's only got one shoe on, for starters. The painting on the wall to my right is crooked, and I have a tight hold on his jacket, but so does he. We're staring each other down so hard you could cut the tension with a knife.

"I forbid you from doing something," I say with as much authority I can muster. "The coffee shop already banned him from going back. That's enough, okay?"

Sighing, Frank drops his hands and I'm left holding his jacket by myself, which I replace on a hook. Next, I straighten the painting on the wall as he slips his one shoe off. The house is dead silent until Gerard speaks up.

"So," he says, drawing out the vowel.

"What just happened?" Mikey asks bluntly.

"Eve, just tell them—" Frank points at the others, "—or I will."

Now that I did what I felt like I had to do and spilled it to Frank first, the words leave my mouth relatively easily. "Some guy at the coffee place dumped a smoothie over my head cause he didn't like Em and I being together. No big deal." I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly.

I can see the moment they understand what I've said register on their faces. A mixture of anger and sadness, mostly.

"You're lucky I wasn't there or I woulda totally lost my cool," Gerard says, clenching his fists as he imagines the situation. "You know, I woulda—"

"Yeah, you would've knocked him out." I finish his sentence. And usually when he says that I can't imagine it actually going down. Despite having the "Most Dangerous Band in the World" image going on, I can't actually imagine him hurting a fly. Nor can I imagine Mikey, or Ray, or Frank hurting anyone or anything, for that matter.

Well, Frank...

Gee looks down at the floor. "Yeah."

"Okay, but that's not 'not a big deal'," Mikey says, using air-quotes.

Ray nods in agreement. "Yeah, Eve, are you sure you're okay? That was a really shitty thing for that guy to do. Really shitty."

"Guys, it's really nothing. I'm fine." I smile as to prove that I really am fine. "Now, are you happy? I've told you everything you needed to know. You can go to the studio now, don't let me hold you back. I know you're busy."

I walk down the hall, pushing past the three of them and going straight up to my room. Though I don't turn back, I know they're all still standing in the same places I left them. Frank, still by the front door.

Now that I'm alone I collapse onto my bed, feeling unusually exhausted. Maybe because I was out in public, which is something that always seems to drain me. Or maybe it's because I didn't really get to finish my lunch. I don't really care about that right now, though.

I have more pressing things on my mind.

Namely, Emerald.

Before I get to think too deeply about that, though, I hear a light knocking on my bedroom door. It makes me jump, because until that I assumed they guys had left and that I was now alone in the house.

"Come in?" I call out tentatively. I tilt my head up so I can see the door from where I'm laying on my bed.

My door slowly creaks open and Gee pops his head in. "Hey, Kiddo."

"Why are you still here?" I ask, sitting up in a cross-legged position.

Gee steps into my room and closes the door gently behind him. "Just wanted talk. I told the guys not to wait up, so it's just you and me." He sits on my bed across from me.

"Okay." I realize that this question isn't necessary, but I still bother asking, "What do you wanna talk about?"

"You're absolutely sure you're fine?" he asks, reaching over and putting a hand on my knee.

"Dad." I copy his actions, reaching over and placing a hand on his knee. "I am fine. It's not a big deal, I was just being dramatic earlier."

"Eve, it is a big deal because you're my little girl and you could've gotten hurt today."

"But I didn't," I mumble.

"That's not the point." He sighs. "What's bothering you the most right now?"

At this point, I don't even think twice about how he could possibly know that something specific is bothering me right now. He just always knows things. I clasp my hands together and try not fidget nervously, and break eye contact, looking down at his wedding band on the hand that's still sitting on my knee. "I'm worried that something changed between me and Emerald."

"What do you mean?"

"She was acting different on our way back home. She called her mom to pick her up early and everything."

His face drops. "You were probably acting different after that, too, you know? You just didn't notice because you were more worried about Em than anything else, right?" He's taken his hand off my knee now, because he talks with his hands.

I nod slowly. He's probably right.

He goes on, "And I think you might find out that in dealing with what you dealt with today together, you've gotten closer, if anything. I'm sure I don't have to remind you, but if she could deal with her dad for that long, this wouldn't have knocked her down too hard, you know? Just text her, Evie."

I think it over for only a few short seconds before deciding that he is, in fact, probably right. As always.

"I'll text her." I look up again to see that Gee is now smiling.

"Good." He ruffles my hair before I can duck out of the way. "It'll be fine."

"I know, now get out of here. Go make music, or whatever."

He chuckles, giving me a quick hug before we say our "see you laters", then leaves me here alone again. This time, I'm sure I'm alone in the house when I hear the faint sound of the front door swinging open, and then clicking shut.

I take my phone out of my pocket and text Emerald: hey

It's almost as though she was staring at her phone, waiting for my text, as she immediately texts back: Hey Evie

Evelyn: u ok?

Emerald: Yeah, I'm fine. I just had to be alone for a bit. I'm sorry.

Evelyn: don't be. it's no one's fault

Emerald: It was that guy's fault.

Evelyn: you are entirely correct

Emerald: And, by the way, when you kissed me in front of him...

Emerald: That might not have been a great decision but it was definitely a power move

Gee was right, but I didn't doubt him for a second. The conversation feels nothing out of the ordinary and the two of us keep talking (or, texting) until I tell her I have to go because Lindsey's gotten home and I'm going to help her with dinner. Of course, it'll just be dinner for the two of us because Gee probably won't be back until late.

Em and I did decide that maybe our usual café is where we'll keep going, though. They know our orders by heart, anyway, and Gee likes their coffee.