Illumination of the End (Frerard)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Sunlight poured in through the curtains around Gerard's window. Gerard sat up and rubbed his eyes glanced at his alarm clock. 7:56. School starts at 8:30 and they had to walk. "Shit, Frank get up," he said shaking his shoulder.

Frank opened his eyes and moaned and then looked at Gerard who was already picking out what he was going to wear for the day. "No, let's, just stay home from school today." he said in a raspy voice. Frank had been missing quite alot of school lately, and he couldn't really afford to miss another day, but Frank couldn't care less about school.

"No," disagreed Gerard, "You need to get up and get dressed. You're gunna be really behind in your work... Do you want to have to repeat your junior year, or do you want to go with me to school?" asked Gerard with his hands on his hips. Frank thought about it for a moment and concluded that at least Gerard would be there with him. But they couldn't act all...boyfriend-ish when they got to school. Frank preferred not to get beaten up today. He hoped that Gerard would understand, but he chose not to bring it up just yet. Instead, he rolled out of the bed and planted his feet on the cold wooden floor of Gerard's room. Gerard dug around in his dresser and pulled out a Iron Maiden t-shirt. He tossed it to Frank who smiled back at him.

"Thanks," he said slipping out of his other shirt. Gerard eyed him as he changed and then they walked together into the kitchen where there was a plate of pancakes sitting on the counter next to Mikey. Frank knew Mikey from a few of his classes becasue they were in the same grade. Mikey was quiet like Frank, but he wasn't much of a rebel. He normally sat in the back of class reading comics and not paying attention. They had never talked. Mikey gave Frank a strange look as he and Gerard grabbed a plate of the pancakes. Gerard noticed Mikey's look and spoke.

"Mikes, this is my friend Frank, he's staying with us for a while 'cause he needed a place to crash." explained Gerard. Then he turned to Frank who was giving a rude look to Mikey due to his weird attitude towards Frank. "Uh, Frank this is my little brother Mikey." Mikey seemed annoyed and threw away the rest of his pancakes, then looked at Frank and Gerard once again.

"I heard you two last night." he stated in a monotone voice. Frank saw Gerard tense up and look down at his plate. Shit. If Mikey knew... What if he told someone at school about them...then it would spread like wildfire that Frank, the little punk, came out of the closet that he didn't even know he was in until just a few days ago. Frank could see it now; the girls giggling behind his back and the jocks jumping at their first chance to beat him up...

Gerard lifted up his head to meet Mikey's gaze. "Please don't tell mom." he said.

"I won't. But if you're gunna bring your little boyfriend over to have sex, just keep it quiet, for my sake, please." If Frank wasn't sitting right next to Gerard, he would've punched Mikey square in the face for saying that, but something stopped him. Mikey was Gerard's brother; he couldn't hurt him. And Frank really appreciated Gerard letting him stay here. He had eaten more in his time here than he had eaten in the past week. He had a bed to sleep in and someone who cared about him for the first time. Frank wasn't going to mess everything up my letting his temper take over him.

"We weren't having sex," stated Gerard.

"Well it sure sounded like it." shot back Mikey.

"Whatever." he sighed, giving up on the argument. They awkwardly finished their breakfast and then all three of them headed out the door to walk to school. Mikey walked a few feet in front of them and Gerard reached his hand out to hold Frank's. It took them about fifteen minutes until they showed up at the front doors of the school. Mikey went to his locker and Frank made up an excuse to let go of Gerard's hand before anyone saw them. He wasn't ready to announce their relationship to the entire school just yet.

"I've gotta go to the bathroom," he said letting go of Gerard's hand. "I'll see you at lunch." Gerard reached his arms out give him a hug goodbye, but Frank hesitated and took a step away. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He felt guilty, and he could tell that Gerard was a little upset.

"See you," Gerard sighed and headed to his first class of the day. Frank walked through the halls trying to blend in with everyone else. He'd much rather be sitting in the cemetery right now. Anything was better than all the judgemental people in this prison... Frank's first period was math, which was his weakest subject. He zoned out the entire class thinking about what he had to do to make sure no one found about Gerard and him. He could talk to Mikey because they had second period together; without Gerard around he'd be able to make sure that Mikey knows what'll happen if he says anything to anyone at school.

The bell rang and he walked into his English class where Mikey was already seated in the back corner just like he always was. As far away from everyone else as he could possibly be. Frank made a quick desicion to take the desk next to him. Mikey glanced at Frank but didn't address him. 

"Mikey, don't you fucking dare tell anyone." hissed Frank knowing that Mikey would know exactly what he was talking about. Mikey let out an exasperated sigh and turned to face Frank. 

"Look, I know you have this whole ego to protect, but I can tell that you're not as tough as you appear to be." stated Mikey while he fidgeted with his pencil. Frank wanted to yell at him, to pull him out of his chair and hit him so hard that he wouldn't even be able to remember who Frank was, but instead, he sat there and nodded. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he thought to himself. I should be pissed right now..." Well he was pissed, he was just doing a good job of hiding it. 

Other students were filing in the classroom now, so Frank lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. "When I'm around Gerard, it may seem that way, but I swear to god if anyone finds out about us, I'll find you, and you'll regret it." Mikey shuddered and nodded his head. 

"Okay, okay, I wasn't gonna tell anyone, chill out" he scoffed, but Frank could tell that he had frightened him with his threat. It felt good to have someone afraid of him. Lately he had been acting differently because he was around Gerard so much. Gerard made him want to be a better person, but now that Gerard wasn't with him, he could revisit his old, temperamental self. 

Mikey turned his attention to the teacher who began the lesson while Frank doodled in his notebook until the bell rang again. After a few more boring classes, it was finally time for lunch which meant Frank could see Gerard again. He eagerly walked towards the cafeteria until a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind. For a second he savored the moment and could smell Gerard's cologne, but then he realized all the judgmental eyes that could see them and scooted out of Gerard's embrace. Frank turned to give him an apologetic face, but Gerard had anger in his eyes. Frank opened his mouth to explain, but Gerard beat him to it. 

"If you don't feel the same way, you could've told me before," he said angrily with a tear in his eye as he turned around and ran out the door at the back of the school. Frank started to run after him until another pair of arms grabbed him tightly by the arm. These were difinetly not Gerard's hands... He knew these hands, for they were the same that had shoved him into lockers too many times to count. They were Jared's, the most homophobic guy in the school. "Great." thought Frank sarcasticly, "Just what I need right now."