Chapter eight - glow
I AM AWARE that ‘glow’ is not exactly a colour, but THIS IS REALLY HARD. Screw you. You should be happy I’m writing at all.
Haha, I’m just kidding. I love writing. And this fic is one of my favourite things to write, like, ever. I have so much fun writing this. So, I hope you have fun reading, my little skittles, lol :3
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“Hi,” I said softly, taking a tentative step into the tent towards Mikey.
I’d had an opportunity to make a friend, and I’d just been passing it by all the time I’d been trying to get Gerard to like me. Mikey was a really awesome person, but he was stuck in his bed with no one to talk to but Ray (since Gerard was now spending all of his time with Renée). I wanted to make friends.
“Hi.” Mikey pulled himself up, coughing. “Gee’s out.”
“I, um, came to see you,” I said shyly.
Mikey’s lips parted in confusion. He paused before speaking again. “Why?”
“You seem really cool and. Well. We don’t talk much.”
“I can’t talk much. They’ve switched my drugs and my throat’s gonna be so raw tomorrow I won’t be able to eat.”
“Okay… then I’ve come to spend some time with you. You must be bored.”
“Ray usually keeps me company,” he said quietly, looking down. “He’s at school right now.”
I frowned. “But it’s Saturday.”
“Our school system’s really crappy. Teachers come in when they feel like it, and kids come in when the teachers feel like it.”
“That’s really shit. Man, I hate the council.”
“Don’t we all?” Mikey said miserably. He sighed, and then paused, as if considering whether to tell me something or not. “You know,” he said quietly, sadly, “they’re trying to make it illegal to be gay in the incastum.”
“What?” I spluttered, furious. “How can they do that? That’s awful. People can’t change who they are.”
“I know,” Mikey mumbled. “They think it’s wrong, preventing procreation or some bull like that.”
“But we’re overrun with humans. Surely it’s just balancing out the world?”
“Apparently that’s not what they think. And the worst part is, some of the homophobic blacks are starting to agree.” Mikey looked down, and swallowed. “One of my mom’s old friends called me a disgusting faggot last week.”
“That’s horrible,” I said quietly.
Mikey started chewing on his lip, breaking the chapped skin and drawing blood. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, leaving a small scarlet stain on the fabric, and fell back against his pillow, curling up under the blankets again. “And Ray’s not at school,” he croaked.
“What do you mean?” I asked confusedly.
“Some people from the council– they said they’d come to ask him some questions, and then they kind of dragged him away, and– and I don’t know what they’re doing, and I’m scared.”
“Shit. Were you the only ones in here when they came?”
Mikey nodded.
“Where was Gerard?”
“With Renée,” Mikey muttered.
“Where was your mom?”
“Birthing class.”
“Sorry?”
“Birthing class.”
“Why?” I frowned.
“Um. Why the hell do you think?”
“Your mom is pregnant?”
Mikey nodded.
“Not to be rude, but. Like. How? I thought your dad left ages ago.”
“Yeah… well. Mom gets bored.”
“Okay,” I said awkwardly. “So. Do you have any idea where they took Ray?”
Mikey shook his head and started chewing on his lip again. He looked so worried, so small, and it was heartbreaking.
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do but just wait and see what happens, then,” I said quietly.
“Oh, god,” Mikey whined.
“It’s okay,” I said reassuringly. “It’ll be fine. They’ll ask him some questions, he’ll dodge some questions, and then he can come back here. It’ll be fine.”
I was genuinely quite scared for Ray’s safety, so I wasn’t sure if I was comforting Mikey or comforting myself, but it seemed to work on the both of us. I kept repeating in my head ‘it’ll all be fine’ like a mantra as I patted Mikey’s arm kindly. I knew I would probably be staying for the rest of the day, and it was unlikely that Mikey would be seeing anybody but Ray or Gerard for a while, so the marks would have faded by then. After a few minutes, I felt considerably calmer, and Mikey had fallen asleep.
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Two hours passed by.
Two hours sitting at the edge of Mikey’s bed, staring into space for the most part, and telling him everything would be fine every time he woke up anxious.
I was just in the middle of a particularly good daydream that involved Bob and me turning up at school with super-powers and beating the shit out of the entire football team when a rustling at the entrance of the tent distracted me. I looked up, expecting Ray, but instead I was met with the sight of a very unhappy looking woman with a belly the size of a planet.
This must be Mikey’s mom.
I stared at her. She must have been at least eight months into her pregnancy with a bump that size. I was surprised to see that she did actually seem to have that pregnant-woman-glow about her (I thought it was just a myth or something), although she was frowning darkly at me.
“Who the fuck are you?” she shot at me.
I suddenly realised what this must look like to her; a white kid sitting at her son’s bedside watching him sleep. Seriously worrying. “Oh. I’m, uh, I’m Mikey’s friend,” I said quickly.
“You’re white,” she stated, looking me up and down. Sizing me up.
I started to get a little bit scared. She could easily take me. She could probably knock me out with just her stomach, for god’s sake. “Okay, yes, I’m white. But I’m– I mean, I don’t–“
“Get out,” she snapped.
I swallowed and shuffled towards the door, staring at the floor. I took a risk and glanced up, and she just glared at me. The strangest part was the fact that she still had her beautiful pregnant-woman-glow, despite how much it seemed she wanted to kill me.
“Take your time,” she said mordantly, and gave me a push in the direction of the door.
“Mom!”
I turned around. Mikey had woken up and was gaping in shock at his mother.
“What?” she asked.
“That’s my friend!” Mikey waved his arms about, freaked out.
She froze, a look of utter confusion on her face. She stared at me. “Really?” she asked Mikey, unconvinced.
“Yes. You know I told you about Frank? That’s Frank.”
“You didn’t say he was white!” she hissed.
“And why should it matter? If we don’t want them discriminating against us, then why are we discriminating against them?”
She glanced at the floor. “I don’t know. I was just worried about you.” Then, looking up at me, she apologised. “Sorry. Some of you can be quite– let’s say, judgemental.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m so sorry for– well, uh, everyone else. I wish they could see that you’re no different from us.”
She nodded appreciatively, and then turned back to Mikey. “Where’s Ray?”
Mikey’s face fell. He pressed his lips together, and his eyes started watering.
His mother frowned. “Honey,” she said gently, sitting down next to him. “What’s the matter?”
“Some people came,” he mumbled. “They dragged him away. Said something about questioning.”
“Whites,” she said in a low voice.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
“They didn’t say if he could come back,” Mikey said softly. “And I don’t know what they’re doing to him.”
“Fucking whites,” his mother muttered furiously.
“Sorry,” I said quietly.
“I hate them,” she growled. “Those fucking bastards!”
I swallowed. “Sorry,” I whispered.
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Okay, guys, just wanted to tell you that I'm going camping for a week, so there won't be any updates till around the eighteenth. I come back on the night of the sixteenth, but I've only got half of the next chapter written so I'll need some time to finish that off.
Well, love you guys, bye! :D
xoxo
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Disgusting (Frerard)
Fanfiction"There's a reason we are white and pure, and they are black and dirty. There's a reason they stain our skin. That we are shamed if others see those stains. They're bad people, Frank. They're disgusting."
