I Spent My High School Career Spit on and Shoved to Agree

Gerard’s point of view:

It’s probably not a good thing to spend your first afternoon at a new school in the headmaster’s office for smoking, skiving and…umm.. other.. things… which didn’t actually happen.

But at least I miss French. And chemistry.

Eventually the bell signalling the end of the day goes, but Frank and I are kept behind in Mr. Miller’s office to endure a very pointless and boring lecture on not-breaking-school-rules-on your-first-day and not-leading-new-pupils-astray. It’s life endangeringly boring and takes so long I'm pretty sure by the time I step out of the office, it'll be next year.

Finally though, Mr. Miller lets us go.

“Sorry I got you into trouble on your first day, Gerard.” Frank gives me a sheepish grin as we make our way along the deserted corridor; most of the students are long gone.

“S’okay.” I grin as we walk out into the school yard. “I had a good day!”

“Me too.” Frank laughs, his chestnut eyes twinkling cheekily. “Seriously, the look on Mrs. Brown’s face! It was fucking hilarious!!”

We both burst out laughing as we round the corner and I walk-smack- right into someone.

“Jesus Gee!” Mikey gasps. “You scared the shit outta me!”

“Sorry Mikes,” I apologise, rubbing me shoulder where we collided. “Oh yeah, this is my um… friend, Frank,” I add, glancing at Frank who’s nibbling his stubby nails and fiddling with the strap on his schoolbag.

“Hi Frank.” Mikey says, smirking slightly at me for some reason I can’t figure out.

“Hey.” Frank smiles, nodding at Mikey. “Anyways, I gotta go Gerard- I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He throws me one of his cheeky grins and strolls off towards the school gates.

“See you!” I call as Frank reaches the gates, turns and waves, then disappears from sight.

Once he’s gone, my surprisingly light mood seems to darken again. Strangeness. Lack of sleep and stress must really fuck my brain up. Well, more than it is usually anyway.

“How was your day then?” I turn to Mikey as we walk through the school gates and down the street.

A light drizzle is beginning to speckle the pavement and the sky is overcast and grey, matching my mood.

“Yeah it was okay, but how was yours more to the point?!” Mikey smirks at me as we trudge down the seemingly endless street. “Rumours have been going round all day that you were caught getting it on with a dude called Frank Iero in the storeroom!”

“What? Ummm…” I mumble, face reddening as I get a vivid flashback of Frank’s warm breath tickling my neck, his arms round my waist, pulling me closer to him, his nose buried in my neck…

Mikey’s eyes widen behind his glasses. “It’s true?!” He gasps.

“No! No, it’s not! I’m not fucking gay, Mikey!” I snap as we round the corner and our house slides into view. “We were just skiving and smoking.”

“Oh.” Mikey looks a little disappointed. “Then why are you blushing like a thirteen year old school girl?”

“I’m not!”

“You are!”

“Not!” I argue, even though I can feel the heat coming off my cheeks. I don’t even know why- today has been so weird.

“Yes you are!” Mikey grins triumphantly as I push open the creaky garden gate.

“Fuck off Mikey!” I snap as we slope up the overgrown garden path.

“Ooohh…denial…” Mikey smirks infuriatingly. “I knew it!”

I’m all set to punch him, but the front door opens and Mom appears.

“Gee! Mikes!” She smiles warmly. “I thought I heard you two! How was your first day?”

“Unughh… fine.” I grunt as Mikey and I go inside, Mom shutting the front door behind us.

“Yeah it was cool.” Mikey says as I moodily fling off my converse and school bag in the hallway before following Mom and Mikey into the kitchen. “Gee had a fun day.” He adds with a sideways smirk at me.

“Gerard?” Mom says, looking up from spooning coffee grounds into three mugs. “I hope you didn’t get into trouble?”

“Uhhh.. no, not really.” I mumble, ducking my head and hiding behind my curtain of tangles hair as I flick the on button on the kettle.

“Make any friends?” Mom asks, pouring boiling water into three mismatched mugs.
“Uhh..” I hesitate, chewing my stubby nails.

“Yeah, Gee made some really good friends.” Mikey grins, drawing out the “really” suggestively.

“Uhh yeah, I think I’ll drink this upstairs.” I say quickly before I punch Mikey’s smug, smirking face.

I grab a mug of coffee and dash upstairs.

Once I’m in my room I slam the door loudly, punch play on my CD player and slam the mug of scalding coffee down on my cluttered bedside table so hard hot coffee slops over the rim.
As the sound of AMEN fills the room, I flop down on my unmade bed and take a couple of deep, calming breaths.

Fuck, today was weird.

It’s awesome to have finally found a friend, someone I can be myself with, someone who seems to understand me, someone who shares my likes and dislikes, but why did I feel so… strange… in the storeroom today? I guess it was just friendship.

That’s all it is.

All it can be.

Friendship.