Give 'Em Hell, Kid

Four years later and I’m in what is officially known as hell.

​​​It was senior year for myself, Alexia and Ray and things hadn’t changed that much. Ray was the same as ever with his afro that refused to be tamed. He was the logical thinker of the group, the sensible one who made sure we always had a get out route when we did stupid shit like sneaking out to concerts. Mikey was taller and more annoying than before if that was even possible. He was right at the awkward phase of looking like a man-boy. His face showed his youth but then he’d open his mouth and you would swear it was a thirty year old talking. He was gangly and starting to grow facial hair. It made me wonder if I looked as awful at that age. I probably looked worse I imagined. As for Frank…well he was still Frank. It was strange how we didn’t find the three year age gap a problem. He may have been on the brink of turning fifteen but he was wise beyond his years that was for sure. He was still short but the girls in his grade were all over him. He was surprisingly close to Alexia, something that bothered me even though I know she considered me her best friend.

​​​And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason why I am living in an eternal, never ending hell. Let me introduce myself. My name is Gerard Way. I’m seventeen, and in love with my best friend who as fate would have it will never see me as anything but a friend. I’ll be honest and say there are times when I could have sworn I saw her look at me for longer than she should have, or blushed when I caught her gaze unexpectedly but I knew deep down that meant nothing. She had let her hair grow out longer over the past year, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair whenever she felt awkward or shy which I found adorable. It was naturally brown, and the way her natural blond highlights turned gold in the sun never failed to catch my eye. Her braces had finally come off two years ago, making her smile more charming than ever. Over the last summer she had finally grown some boobs and developed a more womanly figure. I knew that I was in for a year of trouble when the guys in school take notice. Once a girl got tits she was fair game to the bunch of wild animals who called themselves men at this school.

​​​The fact that we were in a private school gave the male species that inhabited the place an even bigger sense of entitlement when it came to how they treated the girls at the school. It always sickened my stomach to hear the guys talk in the locker room about the girls in the school. Don’t get me wrong, not all of the girls were innocent. To be honest, some of them were outright sluts who would have made their parents cry if they knew half the shit they got up to. For the most part though, it was undeserved and downright offensive. The thought of some jock eyeing Alexia up as a piece of meat made my stomach clench in a mixture of fear and disgust. Alexia, Ray and I had gotten through the last few years unnoticed for the most part. I was glad because if Alexia wasn’t noticed nobody could take her from me.

​​​I started the first day back at school with a knot in my stomach, knowing it was going to be torture. Being the first to get a license and a car meant I had the responsibility of picking the others up. I got up and dressed quickly in my dark navy blazer, white shirt, red tie and grey bottoms that made up my uniform. As much as it sucked to wear a uniform, in some ways I was grateful. I didn’t have to think about what I would wear to school, or what people would think because we were all in the same shitty ugly looking uniform. I sighed as I gave myself a quick once over in front of the mirror, trying to see if I looked different from the last time I wore this hideous outfit only a couple of months ago. I had grown a little, only a couple of inches making me barely averaged height. I had let my hair grow out over the summer until my mother made me get it cut a few days ago. Apparently being seventeen and old enough to decide how to wear my own hair meant squat shit to my mother. I didn’t let her cut it as short as she wanted though, so I had a mini victory in our battle of wills. I had lost the chubby baby fat a couple of years earlier so that hadn’t changed recently. I still looked like the same old me from the last day of junior year.

​​​I glared at my reflection, for no other reason than to show someone my displeasure at having to rise at such an ungodly hour to go to a place I really didn’t want to be. I grabbed my school bag without checking I had everything I needed, because I was rebel. Or, you know, just too lazy and apathetic to give a fuck about whether or not I was ready for school. I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, seeing Mikey was ready and waiting for me. He handed me a pop tart and a thermos full of coffee without a word, fixing his bag on his shoulder and walking back out the kitchen. He really wasn’t a morning person but he knew I was his only way of getting to school so we had developed a sort of morning ritual. He handled breakfast, I handled the transport. I followed him out as I munched on the sugary goodness, keys in hand ready to unlock the car. I finished the tart before making it to Alexia’s house, beeping the horn when I parked outside. I had barely lifted my hand of the horn when the front passenger door opened to reveal a scowling Alexia.

​​​‘I was already outside fucker’ she growled as she got in, looking how I felt at being up this early.

​​​‘I know. I just wanted to alert the whole neighbourhood I was here.’

​​​She grinned sarcastically and fastened her seat belt as I pulled away from the curb, making my way to collect Ray who was already outside and then finally Frank who left us waiting for five minutes before gracing us with his presence. His hair hadn’t been brushed and he still had sleep in his eyes. He didn’t utter any greetings or acknowledgments as he squeezed in beside Mikey, dropping his bag unceremoniously on the floor of the car. Mikey and Frank were beginning their sophomore year in the High School.

​​​The ride to school was silent as we felt that dread and fear you only get on your first day back at school after a summer of freedom. It felt like we were entering a prison, and the seven hundred student population of the school were our fellow inmates. Considering that number included a Middle School it wasn’t very large. It didn’t stop the place from radiating oppression and authority as I found a parking space and turned the engine off.

​​​‘Please don’t tell me we have Gilmore first. I’ll shoot myself right here, right now if we do.’ Alexia whined, always the first to give out on the beginning of a new school term.

​​​‘Nah, think it’s Granger first.’

​​​She groaned, and smacked her head against the dashboard.

​​​‘Let’s skip’ she whispered hurriedly, as though her life depended on it ‘No one would know. ​​Come on, none of us want to be here. We can go to the park or something. Go anywhere else as long as it’s far away from here.’

​​​‘Well, if it wasn’t for the fact that our wonderful principal Mr. Higgins just saw me pull up I would. Tough shit sugar, we’re stuck here for the day. Plus I’d rather not get detention on our first day.’

​​​‘Toro, you want to ditch right?’ Alexia pleaded as she turned around to face him, desperation in her eyes.

​​​‘Gerard’s right Lexi, it’s too risky today. Maybe next week.’

​​​‘Mikey, I’ll take you somewhere and buy you cigarettes if you ditch with me’

​​​‘Hey’ Gerard scolded ‘I’m the only one that gets to corrupt my little brother. Leave him alone.’

​​​‘Fine’ she exclaimed exasperated. ‘How about it Frankie, me and you, we can have a water fight in the park or something?’

​​​Frank looked nervous, and I could see the conflict going on in his head. He didn’t want to get into trouble but he could never say no to Alexia. He had a major crush on her for the last year and since then he had been putty in her hands. She wasn’t aware of this though, if she did she would’ve been more careful around him. I thought about telling her but I figured if Frank wanted her to know he would say something himself. In the mean time I tried to rein Alexia in a bit.

​​​‘Don’t be picking on Frank’ I warned her, unable to keep a smile off my face as I looked at her pouting lips.

​​​‘Whatever. Let’s get this over with. God I hate this place!’

​​​With those words she opened the car door and we all scrambled out of the car before slowly making our way towards the place we affectionately called Hell.
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