I'm Never Okay

Hayley sat by herself, as far away from everyone as possible. The whole day, the word 'slut' had been going around the school. No one had talked to her, but everyone had been stealing glances at her. Why was everyone staring at her? Was she hated that much?

"Hayley..." Her heart sank as she looked up. It wasn't Frank or Gerard or Mikey. It was a group of jocks, among them Tom, with their girlfriends attached to their arms.

"You wanna screw me? I'm good in bed, whore," a tall, muscled guy said. "You did screw like, five guys in one night, right?"

Tom smirked at Hayley, and her heart dropped. So this was what it was? Revenge? Just because she didn't like him?

"No, she didn't," a quiet but firm voice replied. Frank?

A small figure emerged from the crowd. Someone shoved him from behind and he sprawled onto the ground next to her.

"Aww, the pansy has a fag-hag," Tom said, causing laughter to erupt throughout the group.

Frank stood up. "Hayley," he said, before kissing her full on the lips. Hayley was so shocked she didn't respond, and a few seconds later he pulled away.

"Come on guys, they're no fun," a brunette girl said. "Let's just leave them alone, Steve."

The jocks and preps slowly dispersed, not before spitting various insults at Frank and Hayley.

Hayley took a deep breath.

Frank looked at her apologetically, cheeks tinged red. "Sorry about...that. I had to get rid of them somehow. I didn't know what else to do."

Hayley nodded, dazed.

"So, what exactly happened?"

Hayley shrugged. "You tell me, Frank."

Frank thought for a moment. "Apparently you went to a club with Blonde G-Tom and his friends last night. You...had sex with half a dozen guys, got wasted, and..." He trailed off, not wanting to continue.

"Tom."

"Yeah. Blonde Guy."

"He's a jerk."

Frank rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."

"Frank, I don't like him."

Frank carefully squashed his hopes down, trying not to sound too excited. "You could have fooled me." he told her.

"I was just trying to be nice and fit in. He asked me out-"

"What?"

"-But I turned him down. That's all that happened between me and him, I swear."

Frank groaned inwardly. This was like someone's perverted idea of a fucking comedy. How many times was he going to have his heart ripped out before him and Hayley could be friends?

"Alright, I believe you. But how are we gonna convince everyone else?" He counted off his ideas on his fingers. "One, just ignore everyone till it goes away. Two, tell everyone that Tom is secretly gay but is too ashamed to admit it-shush! Stop laughing! Or three...pretend you already have a boyfriend."

Hayley snorted. "How? Carry around a cardboard cut-out with me everywhere? 'Hey everyone, this is my boyfriend, Flat Stanley.' Or send out a boyfriend application or something?"

Frank stared at his lap. "I could pretend to be your boyfriend."

"What?" Hayley stared at him.

"I mean, just pretend. It's not like we like each other or anything," Frank reassured, feeling like a fool. "It'd just be until the rumours died down. We wouldn't even have to kiss or anything if you didn't want to." What are you DOING, Iero? Shut your fat mouth already!

She hesitated. "I guess...and then they'd stop calling you a pansy as well, I guess?"

Frank shrugged. "I guess." Then, sucking up his pride and mustering all his courage, he blurted, "I'm sorry for being a total ass to you about Bl-Tom. And for...ki-yeah. Just...sorry."

Hayley nodded. "I'm sorry too. And I guess you could be my fake boyfriend for a while. I don't know. You don't have to."

"I don't mind." Not at all.

----------

"Gerard, Mikes." The brothers looked up. "Meet my new girlfriend, Hayley."

Gerard choked on his cookie. "What?"

Frank shot him a look. "All the shit that's been going around is exactly that...shit."

Gerard exhaled happily. "I knew it. So...you guys..."

"It's just pretend though," Hayley assured the brothers. "Frank thought it'd be a way to get them off our backs."

Gerard shot Frank a 'What the fuck?' look. "Oh, I see," was all he said.

Mikey sat back, closing his eyes. "It's good that's all sorted out. It was getting all too angsty for me."

The silence stretched out. "What?" he said, opening his eyes and noticing all three of his friends staring daggers at him.