I Need Him, My Gerard

I waved to Mikey, seeing him across the football field. He smiled, and gestured for me to come and join him on the grass. I ran over to him, and skidded down into the grass. He was reading a comic book, one I had never seen before.

“Where did you get that one, Mikey?” I asked.

“Gerard gave It to me, but he’d kill me If I got It messed up, OR lent It to you, sorry dude.”

“Mikey am I ever going to meet Gerard, because you talk about him all the time. Do you not want me to meet him?”

“It’s not that, he’s just erm... not exactly friendly.”

“So, I still want to meet him, you weren’t friendly when I met you, but I got round you, right.”

“OK, come over after school. Hey maybe he’ll lend you a comic, but don’t get your hopes
Up.”
I hear the bell ring somewhere inside the building.

“I got to go to class, you coming?”

“No thanks, free period.”

“Ok, see you after school, meet by the steps?”

“Yeah, ok.”

I went off to social studies, thinking about what would happen In the Way household after school.
I was doodling Iron Maiden lyrics on my notebook, not thinking much.
“FRANK IERO, are you attending?”

“Huh?”

“I thought as much.”

Mrs. Bowie walked towards me, and I breathed out, resigned to the detention I was almost certain to receive. But, to my surprise, she simply took my notebook, and walked sharply back to her desk.
I heard the harsh clang of the bell, telling me that it was the end of the day.
I walked towards the outer steps, keeping my head down, hoping I wouldn’t be noticed.

“Frank, over here dude.”

“Yeah yeah I’m ready.”

“Where’s your notebook?”

“Damn, Mrs. Bowie still has it.”

“Don’t worry; you can get it tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah ok.”

We walked home together, going over the graphic novels we had read over the last week. Soon, we were away from the school and close to the Way house. I had never been inside before, and I had never met Mikey’s family.
We went inside the house, and went down the stairs. It turns out Mike and Gerard sort of live in the basement, so it was dark down there. Mike knocked on Gerard’s door, and it creaked open. Inside the room there was a desk, a bed and a lamp. The lamp was on, and there was a boy drawing frantically, papers all over the floor and desk.

“Gerard, this is my friend, Frank. He wanted to meet you, I hope that’s ok?”

“Uhhuh, nice to see ya.”