Misery Loves Me

It has been a few days since I slept at the Ways. I walked home not long after breakfast. Gerard made me take his jacket with me, saying it was too cold to walk home in only a t-shirt. I had to agree with him, and I accepted the jacket after he told me it was an old one anyways, and he didn’t need it. I really like to wear it. Strangely it’s because it smells like Gerard, I feel more save when I wear it. But today I’m giving it back. He can say all he want, but it is his, so I’m giving it back.

As I walk into to school with Gerard’s leather jacket on, people stare at me. I don’t like it. They laugh, and I hang my head even lower than normal. Why are they laughing? Is it because of the jacket? I don’t normally wear such a thing. I wear t-shirts and hoodies. Nothing else, besides pants and stuff ofcourse. I want to take it off so they’d stop laughing, but then I’d have to stop first. I really don’t want to stay any longer on this spot with them laughing at me. I speed walk to my locker, where I know Gerard and Mikey will be waiting for me, they have since the day I met them. And just like I thought, Mikey and Gerard are smiling at me as I approach my locker.

“Hey Frank, I see you’re wearing my jacket,” Gerard greets me grinning. “I take you like it then?” Well, yeah I do, but I’m wearing it because I wanted to give it back to him. I just shrug and start putting books in my locker. After I’ve got rid of the most books, I take of the jacket and try to hand it back to Gerard. Try, because he just looks at me amused, and doesn’t take it back.

“You can keep it Frank, I’ve told you!” He says pushing in back in my arms. “I don’t need it, and besides, it looks better on you anyway.” It can’t look that good, they wouldn’t have laughed if it did. I take my notebook and pen and start scribbling.

It doesn’t. And it’s yours.

“Of course it does! Otherwise Geetard here won’t say it, right?” Mikey says, grinning excitedly for some unknown reason. Probably for no reason at all, he’s just an overly happy person most of the time.

It doesn’t. I write again. They all laughed at me. When Gerard and Mikey read this they look angry, I haven’t done anything wrong did I? I should have just told them they’re right. I shouldn’t argue with them, they’re too nice to me.

“Well, they aren’t used to you looking like this, so I guess it’s a normal reaction.” Mikey says uncertainly.

“Well, I think they’re just a couple of douchebags who can’t handle such awesomeness.” Gerard says angrily. I understand now that they aren’t angry with me, but with the people who laughed at me. And I feel weird in my tummy, maybe I’m flattered? He did call me awesome, and they always stick up for me. I still don’t understand what I’ve done to deserve them. Actually I don’t know if I deserve them. But I think I’m glad to have them here, with me. I don’t know how to show my appreciation for them. I just put the jacket back on, but I feel like that’s not enough to show them how much they mean to me. I’d smile, if I could. Luckily Mikey saves me from my awkward thinking.

“Come here, you two. Group hug!” He wraps one of his lanky arms around me and the other around Gerard. I awkwardly wrap my arms around them too, Gerard doing the same. And as we stand there, bodies pressed to each other in a not-so-manly-but-really-friendly-and-needed hug, I think I really trust them. I trust the Way brothers. And I feel save, they will help me, no matter what happens.

--

Gerard has asked me to come to his after school, as usual. So I’m sitting in their living room while Gerard is getting us something to drink and Mikey is chatting about some girl who I apparently must have seen in school, because she’s so beautiful. I have honestly no idea who he’s talking about, but I don’t have the heart to interrupt his enthusiastic speech. Gerard comes back and leans against the couch after he has passed us our drinks. He watches Mikey speak with an amused expression on his face.

“Mikey, do you even know her name?” Mikey sits strait up after that, with a shocked expression.

“Oh. My. God! NO! I don’t!” He jumps up from the couch and sprints to his room while shouting something like: “I can find out her name over facebook, or I’ll look at the school register, is that online?” and then something about twitter and e-mailing her friends. Gerard chuckles while sitting down next to me.

“The funny part is, this has happened before. A couple of times.” He shakes his head. “Screw that, it happens regularly. And after a few days he’ll come home saying the girl is actually not that pretty, but ugly, stupid and a total whore. And not even because he’s got rejected, but because it’s the truth. He hasn’t got a great taste in women at first sight.” He chuckles again. “I hope this time will be better.”

“Do you remember the painting I showed you a couple of days ago?” He suddenly changes the subject. I nod, it was beautiful, I wouldn’t forget that so easy. “Well, I thought it’d be time to tell you the story behind it.” He looks kind of nervous, and now I’m nervous too. But I’m also really curious, the painting is kinda mysterious, I’d love to know the story behind it.

Gerard leads me to his room and pulls the painting of the wall.

“We can look at it better while being comfortable at the bed.” He explains while sitting down. When I sit down he gestures me to sit closer, so our thighs are touching.

“Okay, now I don’t want to… Err, to offend you or something,” He says while running his hand through his hair nervously. Now I’m scared of what he’s going to say. I trust him, but what if he says he doesn’t like me? What if he thinks I’m too clingy? What if…?

“Sorry, I didn’t want to make you nervous or something… It’s just…” He sighs deep, “The drawing is about you…”