The Crumbling Pyramid

At last they were free. Free from school, teachers, homework, tests, and that stupid social pyramid.

When school had resumed Monday after prom, that tension was gone. Everyone was talking to people they had always thought interesting but had been told to never talk to because they "weren't on the same level." Dawn and Tyler invited Anette out to lunch one day, and Rachel apologized mostly for being rude. Andrew sulked, and no one talked to him. He was taking it very hard, not being in charge of the school. But he'd just have to get over it.

Final exams rolled around, and Anette passed Algebra, English and History all thanks to Ray and Mikey, both of whom thankfully didn't have problems reading like she did. Their last free hour together was bittersweet, and Anette found herself crying.

"Hey, I'll be around all summer, I don't leave until like, August," Ray said, hugging her. "And I have email. And a cell phone."

But it was Gerard, Ray, and Bob who were truly free - free from forced education forever.

"NO MORE SCHOOL!" Anette heard Gerard yell as he was handed his diploma at graduation.

"'Till college," Mikey muttered in her ear. Anette laughed and kissed his cheek.

-

"Look at this thing," Gerard said in awe, opening up the leather case to show off his diploma. "Look at it."

They were all at the Way house for a post-graduation party. Ray and Bob set theirs out as well.

"Yeah dude, I can't believe you got it," Frank said, beaming.

"Me neither."

"Dude, where's Mom? I want cake," Mikey moaned.

"You should have eaten before we left."

"I did, asshole."

"Guys, guys," Anette said, smiling. "Come on. Congrats though."

"Thanks. Hang on, I have to get something," Gerard said, and he left for his room. When he came back up, he held something behind his back. "Everyone, close your eyes."

They did, and they heard him shuffling about for a bit before he said, "Okay, open them."

They all looked around confused for a moment until they looked down at the table. It was covered in drawings - drawings of them.

"I've been, um, working on them all year," Gerard said, blushing a little. "They're for all of you. So you know, you don't forget me."

"These are fucking awesome," Mikey said, picking up one that depicted him in his Halloween costume, driving the Bat Mobile for good measure.

"Gerard, we'd never forget about you. That's silly," Hailey said, hugging him. "But these are so cool!"

Bob held up one that was himself and Hailey, asleep on a couch. "Star Wars movie night."

"Oh Gerard!" Anette cried, holding up a picture of her and him in fifties clothes. "Grease!"

"Yeup."

"Hell yes, it's the new Ring Pop!" Frank yelled, jumping up and down as he held the picture of him giving Anette a Ring Pop.

Ray was the only one who was speechless. There were quite a number of him, and he held them all delicately in his hands. "These are... these are..." was all he could stutter out. Gerard just kissed him.

Mikey was blushing, looking at one of himself and Anette in their prom wear, kissing. "Is no moment off-limits?"

"Nope," Gerard replied, breaking apart from Ray. "These are only the best ones though. I have a couple just plain stupid ones in my room."

"So... so we can keep these?" Anette asked.

"Yeah, that's the general idea."

"Thank you, Gerard," she said, and she hugged him. Then so did Ray, and Mikey, and then Frank, until everyone was hugging everyone else with Gerard in the middle, complaining about how he couldn't breathe.