Stereotype

As if circumventing the awkward moment his stupid mouth put him through with Frank hadn't been stressful enough, Gerard still needed to tell his dad that he would be part of the team on the next football game. He hadn't dared to yet. It seemed ridiculous to be afraid of a guaranteed great reaction but really, he had his reasons. His father's brutal hug had almost made him pass out from lack of oxygen a month ago, and that was after only informing him that he was practicing with the team. What would come now? A squashing tackle? A series of lung-loosening pats on the back? Gerard's dad had the same vigor as when he was a player himself...and also twice the weight.

He waited until the man made himself comfortable on one of the single sofas to watch his favorite show. Maybe that would soften the reaction. Maybe the older Way wouldn't even pay full attention to what his son had to tell him.

Gathering some guts, Gerard sat on one of the armrests of the seat his dad occupied. He watched Donald laugh and scratch his receding hairline lazily, waiting for a sign of acknowledgment that didn't come. Donald's eyes were still set on the TV screen. Any other time, Gerard would have felt offended. On this occasion, it was for the best.

When Gerard was about to talk, Mikey entered the room and just glared at him before plopping to the carpet-covered floor. Well; that was double trouble. He hadn't told Mikey the news either. Only their mom knew and had promised not to speak until Gerard decided to.

"I already know, you idiot," Mikey's revelation shocked him. "Now tell the old man so at least one of us is happy with your idiocy."

Donna's promises were worth crap, that was a fact.

Gerard nodded to his brother and said, "Dad...yesterday the coach told me I'm part of the team. I'm playing the next game."

This time, there were clear signs that Gerard had been heard. The first was his father's hand reaching out for the remote control and turning the TV off. Next, the tears filling the man's eyes as he looked at Gerard.

Cranium-squeezing hadn't been in the list of possible tortures brought by happiness Gerard had thought of, but that was what he got. His dad's big hands cupped his head and applied pressure as the man laughed and cried to his face, kissing his forehead several times.

"Oh my god, son!  You have no idea how happy this makes me!" Donald finally told him. "I thought...I thought none of you would follow my steps, you didn't seem too interested..."

Gerard felt so guilty. But he could only keep on lying. "Yeah. I...the guys insisted 'cause they knew of you and I thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. And then...I ended up liking it?"

"You're obviously good, too!" His dad let out a proud cackle.

"I guess?"

"Can't believe this shit..." Mikey mumbled.

Gerard feared that his dad had heard Mikey too, but Way Senior looked like he was daydreaming. He was probably picturing future triumphs, and Gerard would have felt even guiltier if he could actually think at this point. It was hard with his head still in between his dad's hands.

"Dad, p-please..." He tugged at the restraining fingers until the man got the idea.

"Oh, sorry!" Donald withdrew his hands, using them to tap his knees excitedly instead. "Oh my God, Gerard. We have so much to talk, son! This weekend I'm going to teach you some tricks and secrets and then we can-"

"Dad, the game's not until after Winter break, there's time."

"Oh. When exactly? Is it the first weekend or-"

"I don't really know," Gerard cut his father off again.

"How come you don't?" The older frowned. Gerard supposed that kind of miss was unacceptable for a self respecting football player; especially for Donald Way's son.

"I...the news took me by surprise and I didn't ask much, okay?" He hoped he hadn't sounded too pissy -which he was.

"It's fine," Donald conceded. "Even if my son, you're still a beginner. You'll learn to pay more attention to dates. Just...find out tomorrow, okay?"

Gerard didn't like how serious his dad was taking things -and so soon, but assented. He just wanted out of there to scowl at himself in peace. "Do you mind if I go to my room now? I have to study," he continued to lie.

"No no, go! Football is great, but you must never neglect your studies!" Donald preached, raising his index finger.

"I won't, promise." That was something Gerard didn't have to lie about. If he ever neglected school stuff, it wouldn't be because of football.

He should have guessed that escaping his father wouldn't grant him instant peace, though. Mikey followed him to their room and stood in front of him, needing no words to convey what was in his mind.

"It's not what you think," Gerard began to excuse himself.

"Social experiment," Mikey mocked. "How far will you go? I don't give a fuck about those guys you're 'studying', but did you see dad's face? You're gonna kill him when he finds out you never cared about playing football!"

"No I won't, 'cause he'll understand it was for a good cause!" Gerard retorted.

"Your experiment, a good cause? Since when?"

"Fuck my experiment! It's not about that anymore! You know how Frankie and I want to do something to stop those bullies?"

The angry wrinkles on Mikey's forehead flattened. "Oh. The ones in the football team that beat up kids for being gay...or 'cause they think they are, right?"

"The same ones."

"So..."

"So, it's for that cause that I'm doing this. Can't blow my cover yet." Gerard laughed at his own ability to make things related to their plan sound like part of a movie.

Mikey didn't seem to notice -otherwise he would have called him a weirdo. He was pensive. "Like...to attack them from the inside?"

"Not sure if 'attack' would be the word but-"

"It was just a saying, dumb-o."

Gerard was the one glaring now. "Something like that. We're still not sure about how we'll stop them, but I need to stay in the team and pretend to like it until then. And hey...seems I'm good after all!"

"Bragger." Mikey chuckled. "I still think you're crazy, and weird. But I definitely support this cause. As opposed to your stupid 'social experiment.'"

"Thanks! Also better than Frank blackmailing James to get him to keep the guys at bay..." Gerard had told Mikey about it the day it happened, and he had agreed it was wrong. 

"Of course," the younger nodded. "At least you're only fucking with your own head."

"I guess..." The way Mikey worded it made Gerard feel terrible again for not stopping that. The poor James had been spending a lot of time following Matt around just in case, and he didn't even appear to be mad at Frank for putting him in that situation. James must like the kid a lot -he thought- to invite his blackmailer to the party. "And there's another benefit we get out of this, you and me."

"You and me? What?" Mikey asked.

"With how happy dad is...you can be sure he'll let you come to James' party with me."