Stay
Gerard had been my best friend since the day I plopped my seven year old body down next to him in the cafeteria in the first grade. He was sitting all alone and I was the new kid, stubbornly refusing to not make at least one friend that day. Gerard was pushing some cooked carrots around on his tray. He had long unruly black hair and was a little chubby. He definitely had a baby face. I was short, even for a seven year old, and skinny - two things that worried my mother day and night. I sat down right next to him and asked if he was going to eat the carrots, he said no, then asked if I was going to eat my apple. The rest is history.
We still had our ups and downs. Gerard was bullied, and I was his protector - which got him teased more, because I was a girl. We fought several times. During our sophomore year of high school, we didn't speak to each other for three months. During college, Gerard had struggled with alcohol and drugs. That was probably the roughest time in our friendship because I couldn't stand to watch him do that to himself. We made it through college together and his band, My Chemical Romance, hit it big. I was so proud. Their first album was amazing, and I saw them during the tour several times.
That was just a year ago. A year ago, everything changed; our roles reversed. Gerard became my protector, and the fearless, short, skinny seven year old girl inside me hid away.
--------------------
Lillie became my best friend in the first grade. She was a tiny little shit of a girl. I'd already seen her in class and wished I could talk to her, but I was too shy. I was terrified when she sat down next to me at lunch. None of the other kids would talk to me, play with me at recess, or sit with me at lunch. I would have given anything to be at home, but Mom always made me go to school. I had been watching the other kids trade food, wishing I had someone to do that with too, and when Lillie asked me if I was going to eat my carrots, I could have cried I was so excited. She had delicate features - still does - and bright blue eyes. I told her that she could have my carrots if I could have her apple and we've been inseparable ever since.
Things were far from perfect though. The other kids never liked me, and even teased Lillie for being friends with me, but that didn't stop her from kicking someone's ass for me from time to time. It bothered me at first - she was a girl, she wasn't supposed to fight for me - but after two years and no change, I didn't care. I needed Lillie to keep me sane. The worst fight we ever had was during our sophomore year. I hurt Lillie's feelings over something and we ended up not speaking for months. Then, Lillie saved me from myself in college by kicking by ass into rehab for alcohol and drug abuse. When My Chemical Romance got famous right after we graduated, Lillie went crazy for us. She came to see us on our tour and everything.
We got back from that tour a year ago. The night I got back, everything changed. In an instant, the old Lillie was gone and I had to be her protector now.
We still had our ups and downs. Gerard was bullied, and I was his protector - which got him teased more, because I was a girl. We fought several times. During our sophomore year of high school, we didn't speak to each other for three months. During college, Gerard had struggled with alcohol and drugs. That was probably the roughest time in our friendship because I couldn't stand to watch him do that to himself. We made it through college together and his band, My Chemical Romance, hit it big. I was so proud. Their first album was amazing, and I saw them during the tour several times.
That was just a year ago. A year ago, everything changed; our roles reversed. Gerard became my protector, and the fearless, short, skinny seven year old girl inside me hid away.
--------------------
Lillie became my best friend in the first grade. She was a tiny little shit of a girl. I'd already seen her in class and wished I could talk to her, but I was too shy. I was terrified when she sat down next to me at lunch. None of the other kids would talk to me, play with me at recess, or sit with me at lunch. I would have given anything to be at home, but Mom always made me go to school. I had been watching the other kids trade food, wishing I had someone to do that with too, and when Lillie asked me if I was going to eat my carrots, I could have cried I was so excited. She had delicate features - still does - and bright blue eyes. I told her that she could have my carrots if I could have her apple and we've been inseparable ever since.
Things were far from perfect though. The other kids never liked me, and even teased Lillie for being friends with me, but that didn't stop her from kicking someone's ass for me from time to time. It bothered me at first - she was a girl, she wasn't supposed to fight for me - but after two years and no change, I didn't care. I needed Lillie to keep me sane. The worst fight we ever had was during our sophomore year. I hurt Lillie's feelings over something and we ended up not speaking for months. Then, Lillie saved me from myself in college by kicking by ass into rehab for alcohol and drug abuse. When My Chemical Romance got famous right after we graduated, Lillie went crazy for us. She came to see us on our tour and everything.
We got back from that tour a year ago. The night I got back, everything changed. In an instant, the old Lillie was gone and I had to be her protector now.