Summer
good morning.
Summer always passed so quickly for Gerard. It was like one day it was June twenty-first; then he would blink, and it was September. In truth, life passed quickly for Gerard always. His life always seemed to fly by and the minutes seemed like hours. Until the day his mother and father announced their separation. Not only did it kill Gerard, but it tortured his younger brother, Mikey. Mikey, who was about to start high school, was having horrific nightmares that often sent him to his brother for comfort. Gerard, however, had taken to popping his mother's antidepressants. She never noticed. No one did.
It was like any other morning in New Jersey; cold, rainy, and windy. Gerard and Mikey were sitting in Gerard's black Toyota; the heat on high, even though it was only September, and coffee in their hands. The car was filled with the lyrics of The Smashing Pumpkins and Gerard could see Mikey mouthing the lyrics every now and again. He chuckled to himself.
"What?"
It was early in the morning and, neither Gerard nor Mikey, had showered. It was their sixth week back to school and they both looked ridiculously haggard. Both teenagers had dark circles under their hazel heavy-lidded eyes that were up way too late completing forgotten homework. Gerard shook his head, pushing the black hair back from his face. It was way too long to bother combing anymore, and he settled for running his fingers through it. Mikey rolled his eyes and turned back to watch the older kids get out of their cars and walk to the school.
It was seven forty on a Monday morning and neither of the boys wanted to get out of the over heated car. From the dirty seats they could see the crossing guard stopping the lines of cars to let the teenagers across the street. Mikey sighed. Gerard did the same. They both knew it was time to get out. Gerard turned off the heat, the radio, and finally the car. They each grabbed their backpacks; Gerard stuffed the keys into the second pocket of his and Mikey pulled out his English book. The left the vehicle in the rain, walking to the school in their black pants and big jackets.
The two brothers were separated for homeroom. Mikey made his way down the freshman hall, reading the last chapter of his assigned reading for the weekend. He waved at Gerard over his shoulder. Gerard, however, was already turning walking down the Senior Hall. He passed his classmates, dodging their bony shoulders and harsh looks. Gerard wasn't the most loved person in Newark High School. The boys and girls that he had known since the tender age of five didn't hate him, but that didn't mean that they talked to him often; however, they did breathe a sigh of relief when they were paired with him in class. Gerard was a genius compared to some.
He nodded to his homeroom teacher, slightly thankful that he wouldn't have to see here again until next Monday. She smiled at him, widely, patting his shoulder. Gerard weaved around the desks to one on the far right, close to the board. He opened his backpack, pulling out a pen and his notebook. Early mornings were always crappy to Gerard, but he always seemed to draw the funniest things in homeroom. He doodled Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker until the bell rang. Slamming the notebook shut, he pushed the pen down in the spirals, and jerked the strap of his backpack up on his shoulder.
First period was AP Physics where he was without a partner, for the first time. Actually, the teacher had assigned seats in alphabetical order and Gerard was in the last two-seated table, alone. His fellow classmates marched in, taking their seats, and talking to their neighbor. None of them noticed the assignment on the board, only Gerard. He was already on his third paragraph on Newton's Laws of Motion. Everyone stopped chatting when the teacher grabbed their attention; Gerard started his fourth paragraph.
Gerard didn't hear anything about the new student, that was, until she was directed to the seat beside him and then, Gerard had to pay attention. He had to pay attention because this one human being would be the one to change him.
It was like any other morning in New Jersey; cold, rainy, and windy. Gerard and Mikey were sitting in Gerard's black Toyota; the heat on high, even though it was only September, and coffee in their hands. The car was filled with the lyrics of The Smashing Pumpkins and Gerard could see Mikey mouthing the lyrics every now and again. He chuckled to himself.
"What?"
It was early in the morning and, neither Gerard nor Mikey, had showered. It was their sixth week back to school and they both looked ridiculously haggard. Both teenagers had dark circles under their hazel heavy-lidded eyes that were up way too late completing forgotten homework. Gerard shook his head, pushing the black hair back from his face. It was way too long to bother combing anymore, and he settled for running his fingers through it. Mikey rolled his eyes and turned back to watch the older kids get out of their cars and walk to the school.
It was seven forty on a Monday morning and neither of the boys wanted to get out of the over heated car. From the dirty seats they could see the crossing guard stopping the lines of cars to let the teenagers across the street. Mikey sighed. Gerard did the same. They both knew it was time to get out. Gerard turned off the heat, the radio, and finally the car. They each grabbed their backpacks; Gerard stuffed the keys into the second pocket of his and Mikey pulled out his English book. The left the vehicle in the rain, walking to the school in their black pants and big jackets.
The two brothers were separated for homeroom. Mikey made his way down the freshman hall, reading the last chapter of his assigned reading for the weekend. He waved at Gerard over his shoulder. Gerard, however, was already turning walking down the Senior Hall. He passed his classmates, dodging their bony shoulders and harsh looks. Gerard wasn't the most loved person in Newark High School. The boys and girls that he had known since the tender age of five didn't hate him, but that didn't mean that they talked to him often; however, they did breathe a sigh of relief when they were paired with him in class. Gerard was a genius compared to some.
He nodded to his homeroom teacher, slightly thankful that he wouldn't have to see here again until next Monday. She smiled at him, widely, patting his shoulder. Gerard weaved around the desks to one on the far right, close to the board. He opened his backpack, pulling out a pen and his notebook. Early mornings were always crappy to Gerard, but he always seemed to draw the funniest things in homeroom. He doodled Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker until the bell rang. Slamming the notebook shut, he pushed the pen down in the spirals, and jerked the strap of his backpack up on his shoulder.
First period was AP Physics where he was without a partner, for the first time. Actually, the teacher had assigned seats in alphabetical order and Gerard was in the last two-seated table, alone. His fellow classmates marched in, taking their seats, and talking to their neighbor. None of them noticed the assignment on the board, only Gerard. He was already on his third paragraph on Newton's Laws of Motion. Everyone stopped chatting when the teacher grabbed their attention; Gerard started his fourth paragraph.
Gerard didn't hear anything about the new student, that was, until she was directed to the seat beside him and then, Gerard had to pay attention. He had to pay attention because this one human being would be the one to change him.