I Drew You Once in Art Class

Eighty-Four

The world had not been kind to Robert McCracken.

He'd grown up in the middle of Buttfuck Nowhere, Utah, with his Mormon parents and four siblings.

You've met Bert.

So you'd agree, and he and the concept of Mormonism don't get along.

Bert left his house at 16.

There was some... stuff... with his friend and bandmate, Quinn, who he lived with after he left.

But that was over now.

Mostly.

When Bert was 18, he met Gerard.

Bert had been kind of a mess ever since he'd moved out, willing to do any drug he could get his hands on. He'd take coke, he'd take heroin, he'd take acid, he'd take anything. He was a total fiend. Or at least, that's how he thought of himself.

So naturally, all of this got pushed onto Gerard Way's 16-year-old shoulders.

In the one year that they dated, Bert tried to kill himself a total of three times.

And after every time, he'd swear he'd get sober, he'd swear he'd get clean, and then the withdrawal would come and neither Bert nor Gerard could handle it.

Eventually, it was too much.

Gerard left Bert, which he still feels guilty about sometimes.

Six months ago, Bert started dating a woman named Kate.

Kate broke up with him.

Bert both relapsed and tried to end his misery again. It was the only thing he knew how to do, at this point. His only solution to anything gone wrong.

So, as you can see, the world has not been kind to Bert McCracken.

And now, in the present day, it feels like Gerard is twisting the knife, even if he doesn't realize it.

Bert is not the vindictive ex you always see in books and movies. He's a sweet dude, but let's face it. Seeing the person you like with someone else sucks.

Bert's typically not the best at holding back his feelings toward people; he says what's on his mind.

But he'll hold his tongue and help Gerard out with his boy problems... he figures he owes him that much.

Bert is not the shitty, vengeful ex. He's suffering in polite silence.