Kill All Your Friends.

I had taken Gerard to therapy every week, I had sat in the waiting room with him every week, I had held his hand and reasured him every week yet here we were, again, as if this was the first time. Gerard was sat beside me on the uncomfortable plastic chairs that filled the waiting room, he squeezed my knee until his knuckles went white as Dr Ballato stood in the doorway. 

"Now, Gerard, this week I want to talk to you alone." A smile graced her lips but you could see the underlying annoyance in her other features. Dr Ballato wasn't like the other therapists, she wasn't here for her pay check, she actually wanted Gerard to get better and the fact he still hadn't progressed made her furious. 

"Alone?" Gerard whimpered, his eyes darting towards me. I had never seen him so afraid.

I think that keeping this up could be dangerous.

"Without Frank, I feel you can't open up with him around." All of her attention was on the quivering mess of a man next to me who kept shooting me nervous glances. 

"Listen to the proffesional, she's right." I hushed, at this Gerard's grip loosened and he pulled himself from the chair. He dissapeared into Dr Ballato's room in complete silence. 

And the experts say I'm delirious.

I sat in the waiting room for what seemed like hours listening to the battles Mothers had with their troubled children as they too waited to see their therapist. The room was bleak and drained of emotion, I was glad I had never had to visit a place like this on Doctor's orders. 

"So what's the deal with that guy you're with?" A teenage girl sat across from me piped up, she wore her hair like a mane and her eyes were wild with curiosity. 

"He's sick." I replied, Gerard better hurry up. 

Therapy you were never a friend to me.

"But why? He seemed pretty scared." The girl leant forwards in her seat and carried on staring at me. 

"It's none of your business." I quipped, I couldn't be doing with stupid teenagers right now. 

"Are you and him..fucking?" The words fell from her mouth easily, creating a daunting silence in the room as others waited for my answer. 

"No, of course not." The girl looked weirdly dissapointed and the room's many conversations picked back up. No wonder they go to therapy. She was about to speak again but Dr Ballato's door swung open and Gerard hurried out with red eyes. 

I immediatly sprung to my feet, ready to engulf him in a hug but he just attempted a small smile. 

"Can I talk to you for a second, Mr Iero?" Dr Ballato asked ushering me towards her as she stood in the doorway of her room, I glanced at Gerard before moving towards her, "I think it's best if Gerard had his sessions alone from now on, he's opened right up and I believe he will progress even further in the coming weeks." 

"Uh, sure, sure." I wasn't going to lie, my heart sunk a little at her words. I wanted to help Gerard get better too.

"Oh, and I think it's best if Michael is the one to accompany him to therapy from now on." She said this quieter but the room had come to a deathly silence to listen in on our conversation.

 They're better off without you.