He's a Bitch

Mikey POV

“Alright everyone, pay attention!” Miss Yates yelled from the front of the classroom.

The students settled down and turned to face her. She always had that effect on classes. She was a weird combination of hippy and office worker. Her hair was wavy, long and all over the place, she carried her files around in a hand-decorated Hessian bag...yet she wore fitted suits and really pointy black heels.

I was in English, planning for an in-class essay we had next week on the issues present in To Kill a Mockingbird.

As soon as Miss Yates spoke, I looked up at her and paid attention. A girl of my age was standing next to her, a small backpack on her shoulder. She had dark brown almost black hair, bright blue eyes and was kind of on the shorter side. She was wearing the school shirt, jeans with a rip on the knee and black Converse.

“This is Emma,” Miss Yates said, indicating her.

Emma nodded and smiled to everyone in the classroom, hitching her bag up higher onto her shoulder.

“She’s moved here from another school because of her mum’s work, that right?” Miss Yates asked her.

“Yeah,” Emma agreed, smiling.

“Go sit down next to Simone,” Miss Yates said, pointing to one of the preppiest girls in the school. “She can show you around.”

Emma stared at Simone, her eyes wide. You know how oil and water don’t mix? Well, I doubt that Emma and Simone would mix either. Simone was glaring at Miss Yates incredulously, not being able to believe it. Emma walked cautiously over to where Simone was sitting, and sat down at the empty desk next to her. She perched on the edge of her seat, trying to get as far away from Simone as possible, without falling off her chair. Simone simply ignored her, talking to her friend, Tamara. Emma made a face at her back and slumped in her seat, crossing her arms. Her bag sat unpacked on her lap.

“Ok...getting back to work everyone,” Miss Yates commanded, clapping her hands together. “Oh! Emma, you’ll need the text we’re studying. It’s a novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. You need to have read it as soon as possible so you can get started on your preparation for the in-class essay next Friday.”

Emma stared at her, looking disbelieving. That didn’t seem fair. I raised my hand in the air.

“Uh, miss?” I asked, apprehensively.

“Michael?” she asked, shuffling papers together on her desk.

“It’s Mikey. Maybe it’d be fairer if Emma missed out on doing the essay, you know, just until she settles in,” I suggested.

Miss Yates glared at me for a moment, before she considered it. She sighed.

“Alright, but only this once,” she agreed.

Emma turned around in her seat and smiled at me. I smiled back. She turned back to her desk and pulled out her exercise book and a pen. She tore off a bit of paper, and scribbled something down on it, then handed it to me, making sure Miss Yates wasn’t looking. I held it under my desk and read it.

Thanks so much for that. Would I be able to hang around with you today? I don’t really want to be around Simone and you seem nice. Personal question; you got a girlfriend? Just curious, I’m not coming onto you if you’re wondering...I’ve got a boyfriend. You’re nice though.

I laughed silently at this and scribbled back a reply.

You’re welcome. Sure, you can hang with me. No, I don’t have a girlfriend. I have a boyfriend. I’ll either be hanging with him or my brother at lunch and stuff. He and my bro don’t get along. It sucks really. Cause I love them both....wait a minute. EW! I don’t mean I’m in love with my brother! EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW! He’s just a great bro and I love him in a strictly brotherly way.

I looked up and saw she was smiling at me. She reached out for the note and I handed it to her. I watched her read it through and she laughed quietly. She quickly got back to writing a reply. I took it when she handed it to me.

Why don’t they get along? Hehehe, you’re funny. Your bro gay too? I’m cool with it. Most of my friends are gay or bi. That’s actually why I left my old school. My mum forced me to when she found out my best friend was lesbian. She thought she’d turn me or something.

Homophobes suck. I’d rather not go into why he hates him right now.

That’s ok.

I didn’t get to write back a reply, because at that second Jepha skidded in front of the classroom door and wrenched it open, panting.

“I need to speak to Mikey...now!” he yelled, trying to catch his breath.

I looked at him, perplexed. Jepha and I weren’t on speaking terms. He was friends with Bert for god’s sake. Miss Yates stared at him disapprovingly, but nodded for me to go. I got up and as I passed Emma’s desk I punched her lightly on the shoulder. As soon as I was out in the corridor, Jepha slammed the door and dragged me away from the classroom.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” I asked angrily, shoving his hand off me.

“You gotta come with me,” he said urgently. “Gerard came up to the nurse’s office with Frank over his shoulder. He’s bleeding from the back of his head.”

“Which one? Frank or Gerard?” I asked, panicking.

“Frank, you dipshit” Jepha growled.

He gripped onto my arm impatiently, and dragged me off down the corridor.

“Why the fuck does Gerard have him?” I asked, confusedly.

Jepha gave me a nervous look and continued to pull me.

“You’ll have to ask Gerard that one,” he said, shakily. “Your brother’s shit scary, dude.”

I rolled my eyes and followed him. Nearly everyone seemed to be scared of Gerard; they thought he was psychotic. But really...he was probably the nicest person I know...he’d just been fucked around.

We reached the nurse’s office, and hurried inside to be met by Gerard sitting on a seat in the little waiting area, twisting his hands nervously.

“Gee?” I asked, coming to sit next to him.

“I beat him up, Mikey,” he mumbled, not looking at me. “And now you hate me, don’t you.”

“You did what?!” I screamed at him.

He looked up at me, his eyes red and his cheeks tear stained.

“About a week ago, I warned him that if he cheated again that he’d be dead. I didn’t want him to hurt you anymore...I-I had to do something,” he said, his lip trembling. “But then at your birthday party, I found him and Bert in my bed together.”

My heart smashed. He’d cheated again. He’d fucking cheated again when he seemed so sincere that he wouldn’t. I looked up at Gerard, tears running down my face.

“Gee, I’m so sorry,” I said, wiping my sleeve over my eyes.

“Why should you be sorry?” he asked, miserably. “I’m the one who fucked up.”

I shook my head and pulled him into a tight hug.

“But you had to see it,” I whispered into his ear. “You had to see your ex-boyfriend with my boyfriend in your bed. I-I know you’re not over him.”

“I thought he loved me,” he whispered.

Tears began to form in his eyes and he sobbed, tightening his grip on me. In all my sixteen years of being Gerard’s brother, I had rarely seen him cry. I didn’t know what to do, so I did all I could think of and patted his back, holding him tight.

“I thought Frank loved me too,” I said back, my voice trembling. “But...I-I just can’t take it anymore...I’m gonna break up with him.”

Gerard didn’t answer, he was still crying, so I rested my head on his shoulder and did the same. Jepha was staring at us, but he didn’t look sorry for us in the least; he looked bored. I was angry at him. I didn’t want him there. It was mine and Gerard’s moment. He shouldn’t have been there.