Butterfly Kisses
Chapter 11
“Gee!”
By some miracle, Gerard heard the small voice resonate over the dull roar of the hallway’s noise combined with the sounds of the heavy rainstorm that had been raging since the previous day. He turned around and saw Frank struggling through the crowd to get to him, and he hurried to meet the smaller boy halfway.
“Hey,” he said, noting his friend’s completely ecstatic look. It quickly disappeared behind the piece of paper Frank shoved in his face. “You got a B?”
“B p-plus,” Frank nearly squealed.
Gerard’s eyes brightened. “That’s great!” Frank tackled him in a sudden hug, and he laughed as he returned it. He glanced up just in time to see Lyn standing there, looking confused. “I’ll meet you after school, okay?”
Frank pulled away from the hug and noticed Lyn, merely giving a small giggle before darting off down the hallway.
“I don’t get it,” she said, though she managed a smile.
Gerard turned to her with misty eyes. “I think I’m actually helping him.”
-
Gerard crammed everything into his backpack as the final bell rang and jogged out the door in hopes of beating the after-school rush, but he was inevitably caught in a wave of people all trying to get to the door at once. He focused on pushing past people without completely shoving them out of the way.
A few words caught his attention as he made his way to the door. He heard the voices coming from around the corner, so he paused, flattening himself against the wall so people could get by, and listened carefully.
“I got a detention and everything,” a younger boy’s voice said with a growl. “He deserved it, too.”
“Retard giving you trouble, Matt?” asked another voice, sounding like someone closer to Gerard’s age. His eyes widened and he nearly gasped, but he stayed silent so they wouldn’t know he was there.
“Yeah. Driving me crazy.”
“Don’t worry, kid,” his older brother reassured him. “I’ll take care of it.”
Gerard heard their footsteps approach, so he hastily walked down the hall and out the door. The rain had stopped, though the clouds still hung in the sky. He relaxed a little when he realized he wasn’t followed and managed a smile when he saw that Frank was already waiting for him. He pushed the conversation out of his mind as they headed down the sidewalk.
-
“Frank, could you come here for a second?” his mom called. Frank set a tray of sugar water in the butterfly’s cage and went into the living room, closely followed by Gerard. He found his mom seated on the sofa, holding a flat, rectangular box on her lap. “I have a present for you.”
She handed him the box. Frank carefully pulled off the lid, letting out a small gasp when he saw what was inside, and lifted the object out of its packaging so Gerard could see.
“Your dad left it behind… I thought you should have it,” she explained softly as he fastened the watch around his wrist. It was simple, with a leather band and a gold face, but Gerard knew it meant more to Frank than anything else in the world.
“Th-thanks,” Frank whispered, hugging her tightly. Gerard suddenly felt awkward, like he was intruding, but soon enough Frank retreated back to his room. He collected as many cages as he could in his arms, and Gerard picked up most of the rest.
“What about that one?” he asked, pointing to a small cage on the nightstand, right next to Frank’s bed.
Frank shook his head. “T-t-tomorrow.”
They carefully proceeded to the front door. Frank’s mom opened it for them, ruffling her son’s hair as they walked past. “Don’t be back too late, honey,” Frank’s mom said as he and Gerard left the house. Frank rolled his eyes, and Gerard had to suppress a laugh.
“I’ll bring him back, don’t worry.”
She gave them a smile before retreating back into the house. Gerard let Frank lead the way to the park, glancing up at the sky as the sun traveled west and left a trail of fiery clouds behind it. He knew this was Frank’s favorite time of day, when the world started to wind down and lapse into the truly beautiful colors only nature could create.
They climbed into the tree and released the butterflies one by one, both of them smiling a little wider as the creatures fluttered about. Frank snapped pictures of them against the backdrop of the sky, humming a song as he did so.
When they were finally done, Frank hopped down from the tree. Gerard handed him the mesh cages before climbing down himself.
“Hey. Retard.”
The words sent a chill rocketing up Gerard’s spine. He knew the voice even before he turned around. It bore a heavy British accent, something that only belonged to four people in the school: Matt, his two friends, and his older brother.
“What do you want, Paul?” Gerard asked, trying to keep his voice calm. Paul and his football buddies easily trapped Gerard and Frank between them.
“This is all your fault,” Paul snapped as he mercilessly kicked Frank in the stomach and brought him to the ground. Frank whimpered and curled up into a ball. “You’re such a freak.”
“Leave him alone!” Gerard shouted. One of the other seniors punched him in the stomach, kicking his skull once he was on the ground. The shoe’s cleats ripped his flesh open, allowing blood to freely flow from the wound. He grabbed at it with both hands as his vision began to blur in the growing darkness, fighting to keep his eyes open as he heard the ruthless pounding continue, completely helpless to stop it. He was suddenly lifted into the air and hurtled away from the action, and he landed with a thud on the wet grass like a limp doll.
A high-pitched scream of pain overtook all his senses, searing itself into his mind as his body gave up and lapsed into unconsciousness.
By some miracle, Gerard heard the small voice resonate over the dull roar of the hallway’s noise combined with the sounds of the heavy rainstorm that had been raging since the previous day. He turned around and saw Frank struggling through the crowd to get to him, and he hurried to meet the smaller boy halfway.
“Hey,” he said, noting his friend’s completely ecstatic look. It quickly disappeared behind the piece of paper Frank shoved in his face. “You got a B?”
“B p-plus,” Frank nearly squealed.
Gerard’s eyes brightened. “That’s great!” Frank tackled him in a sudden hug, and he laughed as he returned it. He glanced up just in time to see Lyn standing there, looking confused. “I’ll meet you after school, okay?”
Frank pulled away from the hug and noticed Lyn, merely giving a small giggle before darting off down the hallway.
“I don’t get it,” she said, though she managed a smile.
Gerard turned to her with misty eyes. “I think I’m actually helping him.”
-
Gerard crammed everything into his backpack as the final bell rang and jogged out the door in hopes of beating the after-school rush, but he was inevitably caught in a wave of people all trying to get to the door at once. He focused on pushing past people without completely shoving them out of the way.
A few words caught his attention as he made his way to the door. He heard the voices coming from around the corner, so he paused, flattening himself against the wall so people could get by, and listened carefully.
“I got a detention and everything,” a younger boy’s voice said with a growl. “He deserved it, too.”
“Retard giving you trouble, Matt?” asked another voice, sounding like someone closer to Gerard’s age. His eyes widened and he nearly gasped, but he stayed silent so they wouldn’t know he was there.
“Yeah. Driving me crazy.”
“Don’t worry, kid,” his older brother reassured him. “I’ll take care of it.”
Gerard heard their footsteps approach, so he hastily walked down the hall and out the door. The rain had stopped, though the clouds still hung in the sky. He relaxed a little when he realized he wasn’t followed and managed a smile when he saw that Frank was already waiting for him. He pushed the conversation out of his mind as they headed down the sidewalk.
-
“Frank, could you come here for a second?” his mom called. Frank set a tray of sugar water in the butterfly’s cage and went into the living room, closely followed by Gerard. He found his mom seated on the sofa, holding a flat, rectangular box on her lap. “I have a present for you.”
She handed him the box. Frank carefully pulled off the lid, letting out a small gasp when he saw what was inside, and lifted the object out of its packaging so Gerard could see.
“Your dad left it behind… I thought you should have it,” she explained softly as he fastened the watch around his wrist. It was simple, with a leather band and a gold face, but Gerard knew it meant more to Frank than anything else in the world.
“Th-thanks,” Frank whispered, hugging her tightly. Gerard suddenly felt awkward, like he was intruding, but soon enough Frank retreated back to his room. He collected as many cages as he could in his arms, and Gerard picked up most of the rest.
“What about that one?” he asked, pointing to a small cage on the nightstand, right next to Frank’s bed.
Frank shook his head. “T-t-tomorrow.”
They carefully proceeded to the front door. Frank’s mom opened it for them, ruffling her son’s hair as they walked past. “Don’t be back too late, honey,” Frank’s mom said as he and Gerard left the house. Frank rolled his eyes, and Gerard had to suppress a laugh.
“I’ll bring him back, don’t worry.”
She gave them a smile before retreating back into the house. Gerard let Frank lead the way to the park, glancing up at the sky as the sun traveled west and left a trail of fiery clouds behind it. He knew this was Frank’s favorite time of day, when the world started to wind down and lapse into the truly beautiful colors only nature could create.
They climbed into the tree and released the butterflies one by one, both of them smiling a little wider as the creatures fluttered about. Frank snapped pictures of them against the backdrop of the sky, humming a song as he did so.
When they were finally done, Frank hopped down from the tree. Gerard handed him the mesh cages before climbing down himself.
“Hey. Retard.”
The words sent a chill rocketing up Gerard’s spine. He knew the voice even before he turned around. It bore a heavy British accent, something that only belonged to four people in the school: Matt, his two friends, and his older brother.
“What do you want, Paul?” Gerard asked, trying to keep his voice calm. Paul and his football buddies easily trapped Gerard and Frank between them.
“This is all your fault,” Paul snapped as he mercilessly kicked Frank in the stomach and brought him to the ground. Frank whimpered and curled up into a ball. “You’re such a freak.”
“Leave him alone!” Gerard shouted. One of the other seniors punched him in the stomach, kicking his skull once he was on the ground. The shoe’s cleats ripped his flesh open, allowing blood to freely flow from the wound. He grabbed at it with both hands as his vision began to blur in the growing darkness, fighting to keep his eyes open as he heard the ruthless pounding continue, completely helpless to stop it. He was suddenly lifted into the air and hurtled away from the action, and he landed with a thud on the wet grass like a limp doll.
A high-pitched scream of pain overtook all his senses, searing itself into his mind as his body gave up and lapsed into unconsciousness.