Butterfly Kisses
Chapter 5
Gerard and Ray arrived at school a full ten minutes early the next day. It was the only day of the week anyone could convince Gerard to show up before the first bell of his own accord, but it was only because the cafeteria served donuts for half an hour before classes started. It was only on Fridays, and it always managed to make their day just a little brighter.
After trying (and subsequently failing) to get multiple donuts, they headed down the hallway to get to class. As they rounded a corner, Gerard nearly tripped on something on the ground. He looked down and was shocked to see what it was.
“Frank? What happened to you?” He knelt to the ground to see if there was anything he could do to help. Frank’s left eye was badly swollen and already turning purple, and it looked as if his backpack had exploded around him.
“Don’t worry about him; we have to go,” Ray said, sounding impatient. Gerard looked up at him with confusion.
“We have to do something.”
“No we don’t, now let’s go!” Ray waited for a few more seconds, and when Gerard didn’t move, he sighed in exasperation and stormed down the hallway to class. Gerard gathered up the papers strewn across the floor and stuffed them back in the boy’s backpack, being careful with the photographs Frank seemed to enjoy carrying. He helped Frank stand and hoisted the bag onto his own shoulders before slowly making his way to the nurse. Frank looked like he was trying to say something, but his mouth refused to cooperate.
When they reached the office, Gerard dropped the younger boy’s backpack on the floor next to a chair and sat down to wait until he was sure they would be able to take care of the boy. He wasn’t really sure why he was there, but it seemed like something he should do.
“Thank you for bringing him here, young man,” said the school nurse, taking Frank’s hand and leading him down the short hallway as if he was a young child. Gerard stood to leave, but before he could go anywhere, Frank broke away from the woman and ran back to hug Gerard with all the strength left in his frail body. Gerard stood still and looked confused for a moment before gently pushing the kid away and sending him towards the nurse’s office.
-
“So, get this. We’re going to class this morning, and we see that retarded kid lying in the middle of the floor like some idiot, and Gerard actually stops to see what’s wrong with him!” Ray said incredulously. “I don’t know what came over him.”
“He was probably just trying to help, Toro,” Bob said lazily, shoving the food-like substance around the plate in front of him instead of actually trying to eat it. “It’s not illegal, y’know.”
“Yeah, but what’s the point? The kid probably ran into the wall or something. He would’ve been fine.”
“Hey guys,” Gerard said as he dropped his backpack next to the table. Ray rolled his eyes as his friend sat down. “What?”
“Just talking about the way you acted this morning,” he said casually. “What were you thinking?”
“He needed help, Ray,” Gerard said with a scowl. “I can’t believe you just walked away like that.”
“And I can’t believe you didn’t,” Ray shot back. “Why would you want to be seen with him? He’s a freak.”
“He’s not a freak…” But Gerard’s mumbled words were lost in the roar of noise in the lunchroom, and as his friends sighed and the conversation turned to a lighter subject, he couldn’t help but wonder if what he had just said was true.
He met Frank after school and started helping him with his homework, something that was quickly becoming another part of his boring routine. As he tried to find something to distract his attention while the kid struggled through another simple sentence, he noticed the girl from the previous day watching him from the other side of the room. She smiled and picked up her books, making her way over to the table he was sitting at.
“Hey, Gerard,” she said, taking a seat next to him. He suddenly felt a lot more nervous than he had two seconds ago.
“Hey, uh…”
“Lindsey,” she finished for him. “Call me Lyn.”
He nodded and smiled as well. “This is Frank, the kid I’m h-”
Gerard would have continued speaking if Frank had actually been sitting there. Instead, the seat was empty, and the young boy had stood and was heading towards the door. Gerard raised an eyebrow and got up, briskly walking over to him.
“Where are you going? It’s only been half an hour,” he said.
“Mom. Dinner.” Frank spoke more clearly and confidently than Gerard had ever heard him speak before. He realized Lyn had followed him, carrying his backpack. She dropped it at his feet. He was confused, but didn’t really question it.
“We should hang out, then,” she said with another smile. Gerard wanted to say yes, but he quickly turned his attention back to Frank, who had an even darker bruise over his eye.
“I don’t know, I should walk him home or something,” he said hesitantly. “He got hurt earlier…”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Lyn said. “Why don’t you walk me home instead?”
“…I like that idea too.” It took a full ten seconds for Gerard to realize that Frank was already gone.
After trying (and subsequently failing) to get multiple donuts, they headed down the hallway to get to class. As they rounded a corner, Gerard nearly tripped on something on the ground. He looked down and was shocked to see what it was.
“Frank? What happened to you?” He knelt to the ground to see if there was anything he could do to help. Frank’s left eye was badly swollen and already turning purple, and it looked as if his backpack had exploded around him.
“Don’t worry about him; we have to go,” Ray said, sounding impatient. Gerard looked up at him with confusion.
“We have to do something.”
“No we don’t, now let’s go!” Ray waited for a few more seconds, and when Gerard didn’t move, he sighed in exasperation and stormed down the hallway to class. Gerard gathered up the papers strewn across the floor and stuffed them back in the boy’s backpack, being careful with the photographs Frank seemed to enjoy carrying. He helped Frank stand and hoisted the bag onto his own shoulders before slowly making his way to the nurse. Frank looked like he was trying to say something, but his mouth refused to cooperate.
When they reached the office, Gerard dropped the younger boy’s backpack on the floor next to a chair and sat down to wait until he was sure they would be able to take care of the boy. He wasn’t really sure why he was there, but it seemed like something he should do.
“Thank you for bringing him here, young man,” said the school nurse, taking Frank’s hand and leading him down the short hallway as if he was a young child. Gerard stood to leave, but before he could go anywhere, Frank broke away from the woman and ran back to hug Gerard with all the strength left in his frail body. Gerard stood still and looked confused for a moment before gently pushing the kid away and sending him towards the nurse’s office.
-
“So, get this. We’re going to class this morning, and we see that retarded kid lying in the middle of the floor like some idiot, and Gerard actually stops to see what’s wrong with him!” Ray said incredulously. “I don’t know what came over him.”
“He was probably just trying to help, Toro,” Bob said lazily, shoving the food-like substance around the plate in front of him instead of actually trying to eat it. “It’s not illegal, y’know.”
“Yeah, but what’s the point? The kid probably ran into the wall or something. He would’ve been fine.”
“Hey guys,” Gerard said as he dropped his backpack next to the table. Ray rolled his eyes as his friend sat down. “What?”
“Just talking about the way you acted this morning,” he said casually. “What were you thinking?”
“He needed help, Ray,” Gerard said with a scowl. “I can’t believe you just walked away like that.”
“And I can’t believe you didn’t,” Ray shot back. “Why would you want to be seen with him? He’s a freak.”
“He’s not a freak…” But Gerard’s mumbled words were lost in the roar of noise in the lunchroom, and as his friends sighed and the conversation turned to a lighter subject, he couldn’t help but wonder if what he had just said was true.
He met Frank after school and started helping him with his homework, something that was quickly becoming another part of his boring routine. As he tried to find something to distract his attention while the kid struggled through another simple sentence, he noticed the girl from the previous day watching him from the other side of the room. She smiled and picked up her books, making her way over to the table he was sitting at.
“Hey, Gerard,” she said, taking a seat next to him. He suddenly felt a lot more nervous than he had two seconds ago.
“Hey, uh…”
“Lindsey,” she finished for him. “Call me Lyn.”
He nodded and smiled as well. “This is Frank, the kid I’m h-”
Gerard would have continued speaking if Frank had actually been sitting there. Instead, the seat was empty, and the young boy had stood and was heading towards the door. Gerard raised an eyebrow and got up, briskly walking over to him.
“Where are you going? It’s only been half an hour,” he said.
“Mom. Dinner.” Frank spoke more clearly and confidently than Gerard had ever heard him speak before. He realized Lyn had followed him, carrying his backpack. She dropped it at his feet. He was confused, but didn’t really question it.
“We should hang out, then,” she said with another smile. Gerard wanted to say yes, but he quickly turned his attention back to Frank, who had an even darker bruise over his eye.
“I don’t know, I should walk him home or something,” he said hesitantly. “He got hurt earlier…”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Lyn said. “Why don’t you walk me home instead?”
“…I like that idea too.” It took a full ten seconds for Gerard to realize that Frank was already gone.