Tell Me I'm A Bad Man [Teacher/Student Frerard]

Twenty-three - It Rains And It Pours When You're Out On Your Own

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. Fear tore through me as I assumed the worst, and I stared at Mikey Way in horror. Gerard's mouth had fallen open, his expression similar to mine.

"Wh-who knows?" He stammered, releasing his grip on his brother's shoulders.

"The - the school. The school knows."

Gerard chanced a glance at me, before turning back to his brother. "What do they know, Mikey?" Mikey looked at the floor, stepping away from Gerard. "Mikes -"

"They know about Ray and I."

I couldn't help it - I let out a small sigh of relief, even though I was still scared shitless. "Ray Toro?" I blurted out, and Mikey's head snapped to face me. He nodded slowly, his filling with tears.

"Tell me what happened." Gerard said, his voice shaking. But it shook nowhere near as much as Mikey's.

"I - I - I fucked up. I was helping Ray with - with work after s-school today, a-a-and he's told me that he likes me, and I like him, and we - we were talking, and he got upset a-about something so I - I was comforting him, and then - then - then a teacher walked in and was like 'what the fuck', but we - we bullshitted our way through it as much as we could but they weren't convinced and he has to leave so he's not coming back to Belleville again and I don't know what to do Gerard what do I do -"

"Mikey, Mikey, listen to me. Breathe. Fucking breathe. We can sort this. C'mon."

They went off into the kitchen and left me in the front room, sat on the couch, stunned. That could easily be Gerard and I. The tiniest slip-up and we were done for. I was sure that Ray and Mikey had done nowhere near as much as Gerard and I, meaning that they had less to lie about. Gerard and I, however, would not only have to lie, but pretend that nothing happened.

I put my head in my hands, heaving a sigh. It would be so easy for them to find out. And Ray was leaving...Jesus, everyone was going. I felt bad for poor Ray - he didn't deserve this. But maybe he and Mikey could still, y'know, make it work together or something.

"Frank?" I looked up and saw Gerard in the doorway. "I'm gonna take you home, that okay?" I nodded, standing up. I didn't speak to Mikey, who was in the kitchen, and he didn't speak to me.

The drive to my house was silent, and I knew that Gerard had something on his mind. He pulled up outside an apartment complex a few blocks from my house, and he killed the engine. He ran a hand through his hair, allowing a sigh to pass between his lips.

"The school have decided to overlook the accusations made by the teacher, even though they were very serious. Half of them weren't even true. The teacher that walked in has had a grudge on Mikey since he started working there, and the Principal knows that." His hands tightened on the steering wheel before falling into his lap. He still didn't look at me as he continued speaking. "Ray's being transferred to Pencey Prep. Mikey's been suspended for a little while, just until after Christmas." Then he looked at me. "I think we need to lay low for a while." I frowned. "I mean...we can still be together, but maybe we should spend some time apart. Y'know, less of the sex and the meeting up and all that."

"Right." I replied, folding my arms. "Why?"

"Just so the heat dies down from Mikey and Ray. Because if we get caught now, then it'll come out that the Way brothers are pedophiles or something, and then we're all fucked."

I could understand his point, but that didn't stop me from becoming angry. "By the time the 'heat dies down' -" I air-quoted. "- you'll be in New York."