Stop Me Going Home (REVAMPED)

Chapter 8

The sky is a pinkish purple color, and it looks really beautiful over the football field.

Frank and Gerard are hanging out on the grass instead of the bleachers because they're overcrowded with a bunch of locals acting like this is how they normally spend their Friday nights. The people in the stands obviously go to every football game, that's why they cheer when the other team scores.

The cheerleaders are warming up, and the band is playing, and there's a bunch of freshmen acting like idiots on the hill to the right of the field. Mikey is among those freshmen, and no one can really blame him for being over there and having fun with them, because all of the outcasts have done that in their previous years of attending this shit-hole high school, other than Frank, but he didn't go to this school yet, so he gets a pass.

The concession stands haven't opened yet, and the opposing football team has yet to arrive. The other team isn't really a rival to their school, but the opposing school is probably going to beat them, because the home team here really sucks.

Winning or losing the game, it doesn't matter to most the student body. Nearly everyone that's here to tonight is here just for fun.

Frank left his phone in Gerard's car to charge because it was still dead, so he's got nothing to do other than live in the moment. Gerard has his own phone with him, but he isn't on it. They both sit on one of the two blankets Gerard brought, and they're pretty close because the blanket they sit on is the smaller one. It hasn't gotten cold enough for them to need the second blanket to wrap around themselves yet, but the sun slowly goes down, making the air colder suggesting that they'll need it later. Gerard looks to Frank, who's staring over to where the Freshman are.

"You wanna go over there?" Gerard asks. Frank turns his head and looks at his friend.

"What?" Frank asks, in a daze from daydreaming and staring off at the hill.

"The freshmen. You wanna go hang with them?" Gerard asks again. Frank looks at him confused and he shakes his head. Gerard shrugs.

"You looked like you wanted to go over there," Gerard says, "I'm offering to go with you, if you want." Frank shakes his head again and offers a smile.

"Nah, I don't want to. I was just thinking about the fun we used to have over there the last few years. Now we're seniors, and this is the last homecoming we'll ever go to. I'm feeling nostalgic," Frank says simply, his voice filled with longing. Gerard chuckles, and leans over and nudges Frank with his elbow.

"Miss those days," Gerard says, then he turns forward and looks at the field in front of them, his demeanor changing to something more serious.

"I miss you, too. I hate not hearing from you, you know? You get me really worried sometimes when I don't hear from you for days on end. I know you didn't have your phone changer, so of course this time it's not on you, but it's happened before. You just go silent sometimes. I was gonna go over to your place today and check on you if you hadn't have come to school," Gerard says. He pauses for a moment, turning his gaze back to Frank, continuing talking, "I'm sorry for being a dick earlier today. I'm sorry for pushing you."

"I wasn't lying to you, Gee. I really wasn't feeling well this week," Frank says softly. Gerard bites the inside of his cheek, looking like he's thinking.

"Are you still not feeling good?" Gerard wonders. Frank shrugs, and he decides to give his friend somewhat of an answer.

"Yeah, I'm still not great. I wanted to be here though," Frank clarifies. It takes a lot for him to be this honest with Gerard, but he's really trying here, because he wants to be the person Gerard sees in him. Hell, the only reason he still tries with Gerard instead of shutting him out like he does everyone else, is because he's been crushing on him for the longest time. He doesn't mind not being with him though, he likes having him as his best friend. Frank really doesn't want to lose him, as Gerard's one of the only constants in his life, and that means a lot to him that someone stays even during the rough times.