FicWad

"You’re late." I stopped in my tracks and gave my mom a guilty smile as she glared at me from the kitchen doorway, hands on her hips. She raised her eyebrows at me and I gave a nervous laugh.
"Err... Yeah, I didn’t realize the time." Part true.
"I told you to be here for six. It’s now half past, I was worried." Ma gave me a genuine look of concern and I sighed.
"I'm twenty three mom; I think I'm entitled to being thirty minutes late without you worrying about me." I said firmly, going to stroll past her into the kitchen only to get whacked over the head with a wooden spoon.
"You’re entitled to what I say you’re entitled to. Now go into the living room, dinners not ready yet." She said in a 'don’t mess with me otherwise I'm gonna go all mother on your ass and send you to your room' tone. I sighed and rubbed my head where she had whacked me.
"Yes mom." I snarled, turning and walking into the living room to be greeted by the wide eyed stare of Ray Toro. I stared back at him in some surprise; he did know I was going to be here right? I resisted the urge to snap 'what?' at him, instead choosing to raise my eyebrows in a questioning look.
"Erm... hi sir." He mumbled.
"Yo." I responded flatly, giving him a mock salute as I flopped into the sofa, propping my feet up onto the coffee table, Frank spared me a glance from the TV screen and grinned at me before going back to his video games. I could feel Ray staring at me still and I began to wonder if I had grown a third eye or something.
"Whoa... teachers are so weird out of school." He finally breathed; I frowned and turned to glare at him.
"What?" I asked. He blushed and seemed to realize he had spoken out loud.
"Erm its just, weird hearing you speaks to your mom and stuff. And seeing you like... as a normal person." He said shyly and I stared at him, oddly - I understood what he was saying.
"Oh... right." Was all I could think of to say so I left it at that, turning instead to watch Frank on some video game I didn’t recognize. He seemed content, almost as if he had forgotten completely about the scare from earlier on, I was happy that he was happy, but I still felt pretty shaken and had even walked here just incase his dad remembered my car and happened to see it outside moms house. Which was why I had been late, me being me - I hadn’t taken the fact walking is slower than driving into account.
Ray finally got over the fact he was seeing a teacher outside of school and stopped staring at me, which made me feel more comfortable. I settled back into the sofa and observed the back of Franks head as he shook it in annoyance, clearly not doing too well on the game. Beside him Ray started telling him tips, apparently a pro at the game. I listened to Frank whine as the words "GAME OVER" flashed onto the screen, and couldn’t help but chuckle quietly to myself as Ray gave an 'Oooh' of defeat.
"Can I have a go?" He asked politely and Frank nodded.
"Course." He smiled, handing the controller over to Ray and shifting aside so Ray could see the screen more clearly. "Hey, Gerard -" Frank looked over his shoulder at me with a warm smile, one which I couldn’t help but return.
"Do you wanna go next?" He asked, indicating the game. I was tempted, just to see what it was like, but I knew from many past experiences that I sucked at video games and decided it was best not to make a fool of myself.
"No thanks Frank." I said softly and he nodded, looking disappointed before turning back to the TV screen. I felt my heart sink, not realizing I had been so happy to get just that tiny bit of attention from him. After that I was left staring at the back of him as he talked to Ray, they seemed to have a lot of things in common. They joked a lot, his laughter that I loved so much kept filling the room but it left a bitter feeling in my stomach. I couldn’t figure out why, was it normal to feel like that?
All through dinner Ray and Frank kept talking, it reminded me a lot of meal times back when me and Mikey were kids - How we would sit and talk about comics, cartoons, super heroes, the tree house we made yesterday, that cool new kid in school... mom and dad used to listen to us talking about all those little things that mattered so much when your a child. Mom would smile the same smile I was used to when me and Mikey would laugh whenever Frank laughed and my heart warmed as I realized she was learning to love Frank like he was a part of her. But I couldn’t help but wish Ray would shut up every time Frank so much as cracked a grin at something he said, and it wasn’t until I was helping mom wash up afterwards that I realized it was jealousy.
"Hey ma' - I'm gonna go now okay? I'm erm... tired." I lied after only an hour of sitting in the living room with her, Frank and Ray. I just didn’t want to stay here anymore; sure I was happy Frank had a friend - really happy. But now I felt like I wasn’t needed, everything was pretty much okay now and Frank wouldn’t need me much longer, and that made me feel low... Really low.
"Oh, okay." Mom sounded shocked but she got to her feet as I did and pulled me into a hug. "Your working too hard you are." She said with amusement when we pulled away, I smiled and rolled my eyes.
"Thanks ma'." I whined, she giggled and ran a hand through my hair.
"And you need your hair cutting." She added. I sighed, some what amused.
"Okay ma'. Thanks for dinner, I'll come visit some time." I promised as I kissed her cheek.
"You better." She joked, walking me to the door. I kissed her goodbye again and thanked her once more before making my way down the driveway, going to head for my car only to find it wasn’t there and sighing as I remembered I would have to walk back. It was sunset and the sun was low in the sky, bathing the street in golden light. I stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets as I reached the end of the drive, about to walk away when I heard Frank call my name.
"Gerard - wait!" I stopped and turned to see him jogging across the drive until he reached me.
"What’s up?" I asked.
"I just wanted to talk to you; I didn’t really get chance to with Ray there." He said, glancing over his shoulder before looking back at me. "I just wanted you to know that I'm really grateful. For everything." He said, giving me a genuine smile. I was shocked for a moment, grateful? For what?
"What for?" I asked, causing Frank to giggle, and this time my stomach squirmed with happiness knowing I was the one to cause it.
"For everything." He repeated with more emphasis. "For taking me away from my house and protecting me today and for giving me the two things I never thought I'd get." I could hear the happiness in his voice and I couldn’t help smile.
"What two things?"
"Friends... and a mother. I've always wondered what it would be like to have a mom, and it’s great. Donna's so good to me Gerard, she's amazing - I love her to bits. And if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be like this right now." I thought my heart had actually melted and oozed over my ribs, dripping onto my organs. I could see tears glistening in his eyes, but his smile stayed firm and strong. I had never felt so proud of myself in my life.
"Don’t mention it Frankie. I only did everything I felt was right, I wasn’t going to let you stay there and get hurt." I said honestly and he nodded.
"Yeah, but your also the only one whose ever believed me." He added quietly. "So just... thanks. I just wanted to say that. And... About today, my dad - do you think he'll try and get me again?" He asked, fear replacing his smile. I felt my heart stop oozing and reform with a pang, I didn’t have a clue. I was hoping Frank would know.
"I don’t know Frank. But if he tries, I'll be there to make sure he doesn’t so much as lay a finger on you." I promised. Frank smiled slightly and hesitantly, with shaking hands, slipped his arms around my neck and hugged me tight, pressing his face into my shoulder.
"Thanks Gerard. You’re the best." He whispered, I felt the breath hitch in my throat and I slowly wrapped my arms around him. I was starting to like these Franks hugs.
"Only for you." I whispered, the words escaping my lips before I had even thought about it. I felt my stomach lurch in panic but Frank only held me tighter, I mentally breathed a sigh of relief and pulled back before I ended up saying something else stupid.
"Anyway." I gave a nervous cough and ran a hand through my hair. "I erm, better be going." Frank nodded and put his hands in his pockets. "Sia Frankie." I said, he smiled and gave me a mock salute.
"Sia Gee."

"So... let me get this straight... your jealous... of a student about five/six years younger than you?" Mikey clarified, I sat on my sofa chewing on my thumb nail, phone pressed to my ear. Maybe it was a bad idea telling Mikey that, I mean - what was I supposed to say now? If anyone could understand it was Mikey, but somehow I felt a fit coming on.
"Erm... basically." I clarified, nodding. There was silence on the other line and I knew Mikey was thinking.
"Okay. Cool... about what?" He asked. I sighed and forced myself to stop biting my nail; if I carried on I'd have no hand left.
"Well... it’s stupid, just forget it." I said quickly, deciding it was best just to keep my thoughts to myself. I seriously didn’t want my little brother knowing I might be liking a teenager who was only seventeen years old.
"Gee, just tell me. We tell each other everything." Mikey whined, causing me to groan and put my head in my hands.
"Mikey, I cant; you'll think I'm a freak." I sighed. There was another pause as Mikey thought about that.
"I already think you’re a freak." He laughed. "But seriously, what is it? Your jealous of this Ray guy right? And he's Franks new frie - Oh my god! Your jealous because Rays Franks new friend!" Mikey cried, I snapped my head up, shaking it frantically despite knowing he couldn’t see me. I could hear Mikey laughing manically on the other line.
"No! I'm not jealous of that!" I cried. "I'm actually really happy that Frank has a friend now, seriously I am its just..." I trailed off and Mikey stopped laughing.
"It’s just what?" He asked. I sighed and nibbled on my lower lip since I refused to restart on my thumb.
"Erm... look, just don’t freak on me okay?"
"I promise." Mikey said amusement in his voice.
"Okay well... the thing is. I'm jealous because... he just... I dunno Mikey, he makes Frank laugh a lot and they really get along which is great but I... I just wish..." I sighed and stopped, I didn’t know how to explain it. I was confused myself.
"Gerard, do you like Frank?" Mikey asked after a small pause, his voice quiet.

A/N: Phweeeeeeeeee! Oh my god you guys are amazing! falls over Seriously, I love you guys so much, for the reviews, the rates, the everything xD This chapter was gonna be longer but the batteries on my keyboard are seriously running out so I keep having to take them out, wait five minutes and put them back in =S So, I'm cutting it off here and I'll post more soon :]... Once I have more batteries x_x
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