You Taught Me Love

Gerard's P.O.V.

Thursday
Lunchtime

I entered the teachers' lounge to have my lunch and sat down next to Krystalle, as I had since my first day at this school. We discussed while we waited for our meals to heat in the microwave.

"Oh my God! Guess what? Matthew actually asked me to marry him. We're engaged!" she exclaimed.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks. I really think he's the one... Hey I just realized, I never asked you if you had anyone in your life. Well do you?"
My eyes clouded and my thoughts wandered off to painful memories for a moment. I came back to myself as she looked at me worryingly and I finally opened my mouth to answer.

"No. I don't have anyone anymore. We broke up a couple of months ago. We had started off well, but things deteriorated and it became awfully hard for me."

"He cheated on you?"
Krystalle was the only person in the school that knew I was homosexual and she had accepted to keep it a secret. This part of town was strongly religious, so I didn't want to risk losing my new job. She was my only friend in this place and I just didn't wanna lie to her, so I had told her about it as soon as she admitted she wasn't homophobic.

"No, it's way more complicated" I said, sighing.

"Oh..."
She held my hand to comfort me and encouraged me to continue, but I couldn't talk about it. I just couldn't.

DING!
The microwave rang and we got our lunches. We started eating in silence.

* * * * * * *

I walked out of the lounge and headed to my room in the empty hallway; the students were already in class. I had the next hours to myself, but I needed to grade a couple of projects during my free afternoon.

I stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the hall. I had heard some noise coming from one of the lockers. I have to say, I was scared shit-less.

"Anybody there?"
Someone (or something?) knocked inside the locker 564 and I hesitantly walked over to open it. There was no lock, but it was the kind of door that only opened from the outside.

"Franklin?!?!?!" I cried out as he fell in my arms.

"Mm" he mumbled.
I helped him get on his feet and ripped the tape off his mouth. He had a split tongue and eyebrow, a black eye and could barely stand up.

"Oh Lord... I'm bringing you to the nurse."
I held him by the waist and he gripped my shoulder for support as we made our way to the infirmary.

"Nichole! Help me, I found him in a locker and..."

"Oh! Set him down on the bed, I'll take care of him."
I did as she told me and sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room.

"Fuck" I breathed out as I passed my hand though my hair.
It was Mark, and I knew it.

A couple of minutes later, the nurse came to talk to me.
"Can you stay with him for a while? I have to go call his parents, he can't go back walking in this state."

"Sure. But I could give him a lift instead, I don't mind."

"You have to stay in the school until at least 3 o’clock, even if you don't teach."

"Right. Forgot about that..."
Nichole left and I sat down next to Franklin.

"Thanks. Without you I would've been stuck in there the whole period" he said.

"Well, I guess I was at the right place at the right moment."
He sat up with difficulty and smiled shyly.

"Yeah..."
He looked so fragile, so innocent, but also incredibly strong. Under his injuries, I could still perceive his features, brightened by his soft smile. He was... beautiful.

Not that I was attracted to him or anything like that...

P.O.V. Frank

Nichole warned me that my mom had arrived and Mr. Way offered to help me to the exit. My heartbeat sped up as he held me up by the hips for the second time today. I didn't need much help to walk anymore, but I took advantage of the situation...

"See you tomorrow, then" I said as we reached the parking.
I had art at the third period on the next day.

"Actually, it's gonna be another substitute tomorrow, I have to attend to a trial."
My eyes widened and he giggled at my reaction.

"Don't worry, I'm not some sort of dangerous criminal" he laughed.
But suddenly, he became serious as hell and stared at the ground for what seemed like forever.

"I'm not on the defendant's side" he finally muttered.

P.O.V. Gerard

I'm just the fucking victim.