The New Art Teacher

Frank readied himself for the cold waters of the chlorine swimming people. He stepped up to the diving board, and fastened his goggles on. His friends were all gathered at the sidelines, cheering him on.

“Go Frankie Go. Go Frankie Go. Goooooooooooooooooo Frankieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.” Serina belted out, her sweet face going red with the effort, her petite hands clapping together.

“Frankie Frankie’s hot to go. H-O-T-T-O-G-O. Gooooooooooooo Frankieeeeeeeeee” Nat yelled and Denise yelled.

“Come on Frankie. You’ll win.” A voice from behind him said, and he whipped around to see a smiling Gerard, albeit a Gerard with a leather jackets and loose pants. Frankie could see the suit underneath.

“I see you’ve made it out of the bathroom, and only best friends are allowed to call me Frank.” Frank smirked.

Frank’s friends exchanged looks. What had happened in the bathroom?

“I’m sorry Frank. I just thou—“ Gerard’s face fell.

“Do you not have a vague sense of humour Gee?” Frank interrupted.

Gerard lit up. “Hey Frankie. Did you just call my sense of humour vague?” He growled menacingly.

Frank smiled evilly.

It was a very cute sight, or at least in Gerard’s opinion.

“Are you ready?” The marshall yelled down the line of swimmers.

“Lane 1 ready.”

“Lane 2 ready.”

“Lane 3 ready.” Frank blasted out. Gerard rubbed a hand on his bare shoulder before stepping back, and circled around the swimmers to stand at the sidelines with his friends. Frank’s shoulder burned at his touch.

“Lane 4 ready.”

“Lane 5 ready.”

“Lane 6 ready”

“Lane 7 ready.”

“On your marks.” He raised the gun. Frank torpedoed his arms, ready to dive.

“Get set...”

“Bang-Bang.” Frank nearly tottered in. False start. The houses jeered at Lane 2 swimmer, who had
fallen in.

He was helped out with ready hands.

“On your marks.” The marshall repeated. “Get set...”

“BANG!” The crack of the gun split the air, and the swimmers dived in.

Frank’s entire performance throughout the 50m swim was flawless. Every stroke was perfect, every splash was intentional. The other swimmers lay far behind.

Gerard sighed enviously. Frank was great at everything. But at the same time, Gerard felt happy for him as well. Frank was well-off in the world, and he could become a standing figure in history. A famous swimmer, a great artist. Hell, even the job of porn-star would be a possible career. If he did, Gerard would so buy the magazines he was in.

‘Did I just think that?’ Gerard thought. ‘I am an old, twisted man’ He smiled wryly.

Frank reached the end of the pool, touching the end with his fingers, and stood up in the water, shaking his arms above his head like the champion he was.

“GO FRANKIE GO. GO FRANKIE GO. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FRANKIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.” Gerard and Frank’s mates howled.

Frank hoisted himself out of the water onto the pool’s edge, before awkwardly flopping onto the ground.

The supporting group of his friends came over excitedly.

“A+” Gerard boomed in a deep, teacher-ish voice. Frank nearly jumped out of his wet, shivering skin. Denise grabbed a random towel from a shocked by-passer, and threw it over Frank.

Suddenly, pop music began to ring through the pool.

“Now,” The voice of the PA had changed from an annoying whine of an ancient female teacher to the fresh enthusiastic bop of a young female student.

“Are you guys ready to watch the Teacher’s race?” She youuuuuuued the you.

Everyone yelled their approval, and the female student grinned.

“Now. Who first? English teachers? Music teachers? Art teachers?” The pick was obvious.

“Art! Art! Art!” The students chanted, Frank included.

“Frank.” Gerard whined. “I don’t want to swim.”

“Art! Art! Art!” Frank flowed along with everyone else.

“Ok, Now, you know what that means. Art teachers, get ready to swim.”

All eyes swivelled around to Gerard.

“Your time to shine Mr Way.” Frank grinned evilly.

“Shut up.” Gerard huffed. He quickly ran into shadows, before taking off his leather jacket and pants.

He stepped out.

The students woof-whistled their approval, Frank’s circle included, and he surprisingly blushed.

“Now, get into your favourite teachers groups.”
There were 6 art teachers, and the pool stone seats quickly divided itself.

Insults were thrown between the hostile groups.

“Ms Sharopova will own.”

“Who? Way will never win. He must suck at swimming.”

Gerard’s heart beat got faster and faster. He felt terribly self-conscious. Now he was actually at the moment of swimming, he realised he would rather play at a concert with no barricades then swim.

Advice was fed to Gerard via Frank and his mouth.

“Ok. Remember Gee, actually breathe air, not water, or you will drown.”

“Thanks. I’ll remember that.” Gerard replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Come on. At least I’m trying to help you.”

“Thanks Frankie.”

“You’re welcome. Now, you know how to actually swim right?”

“Of course I do.” Gerard shot back. “Theoretically, at least.”

“Ok. If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me.” Frank pushed him forward onto the diving board. Lane 5.

"Are you ready?" The marshal screamed down.

"Lane 1 ready."

"Lane 2 ready."

"Lane 3 ready."

Gerard shivered. They sounded like pros.

"Lane 4 ready."

Frank poked him when it was his turn.

"La-a-ne 5 ready."

"Lane 6 ready."

"On your marks, get set..."

Gerard crouched like he had seen Frank.

"Bang!"

Gerard dived in. Barely any splash at all.

He was good.

Gerard felt his heart almost jumping our of his throat as he entered the water.

He imitated Frank's movement as smoothly as he could.

"You're losing, you're losing." His depressing side taunted him.

"Shut UP!" He roared, and slid his head out of the water to breathe.

Back into the blue wet world.

"What do you think Frank's thinking? You're fabulous? Look at the lanes next to you."

Gerard flicked his head left and right. He couldn't see anyone.

"You're so far behind. You suck at swimming, and Frank doesn't like crap swimmers as friends. Or lovers."

"BE QUIET!" Gerard screamed, air bubbles streaming from his mouth and getting into his eyes, before breathing again.

He developed this rough rhythm of flapping of arms, breathing, flapping arms, breathing.

He swam for what seemed like eternity.

Then suddenly,

"WTF?!" He yelled as his fingers bashed against tiles.

Was that the end of the pool?

Gerard pushed his way to air, and sunshine.

His head broke the surface of the water with a gasp, and he quickly rubbed the water out of his eyes, and emptied his ears.

A noise greeted them.

"Listen you pathetic man. They're jeering you."

He sighed. He failed at everything.

But as his ears completely cleared, the blurry sound sharpened considerably into recognizable noises.

And they weren't jeers.

The roars and cheers of his names echoed throughout the pool.

"GGGEEERRRAARRDDD."

'Wha--" He thought, but arms pulled him out of the water, and hoisted him onto dry land.

Sweet land. Until now, he had never fully appreciated the pure solidness of the earth.

He gave it a brief hug, before standing up on his feet.

"YOU LIARRRRRRR." An irritated/happy voice shouted into his ear.

It was Frank.

"What did I do wrong now?" Gerard groaned.

"You swam bloody well, and you know it!"

"I-i-i did?" The combination of cold water and a light wind did their work to make him shiver.

Soundlessly, Frank gestured out towards the swimming pool.

The other 5 teachers were still paddling, barely at the half way point.

"And only 2 of them are older than you! I'm gonna punish you later. You Liar!" Frank repeated.

Gerard's skin creeped at Frank's last statement.

"And...looks like the winner of the Art race is...Our own private rockstar, give your hands to Gerard Way." The school erupted into cheering.

"Poor Gerard lips are blue." Frank whispered into his ear, before grabbing a fluffy pink robe and throwing it on him.

"Wh-h-y do-n't y-o-ou ki-s-ss them be-be-e-tter?" The sentence were shaken out of his mouth by the coldness, and he scrabbled to take them back, but too late.

"What?!" Frank said disbelievingly. The others were too busy cheering to hear their switching dialogue.

"Did you just say to kiss your lips better?" His eyebrows met each other in his forehead, and a disbelieving grin crossed his face.

"No-o-oo-o"

"You liar." Frank grinned, and his lips swept in for the kill.