FicWad

I went into the photo lab classroom just as Mr. Edwards was coming out of the dark room. Frankie was standing on his chair. He jumped off spreading his arms like a bat, but he was looking at the dark room door to his right at Mr Edwards and didn't see me to his left. His arm caught my shoulder and I fell back and screamed. Good thing I had my crutches to steady me or I would've fucked up my other ankle. Gerard jumped out of his seat and lunged towards Frankie.

"What the fuck! you trying to kill her?" He yelled as he shoved Frankie.

"Whoa!" Mr. Edwards bellowed.

"Yeah I know ' to the office Mr. Iero'..." Frankie said imitating Mr. Edwards’s voice. "This sucks I've taken like 3 pictures so far." Frankie whined.

"Well son, if you stop goofing off so much you'd be in class and not the office.." Mr. Edwards said tearing a pink slip off the pad. There weren't that many left. Frankie held out his hand.

"No wait" I protested. "It wasn't Frankie's fault I tripped into him I swear." Mr. Edwards looked at me. I batted my eyes. "Please let him stay." I asked sweetly "I'll take care of him. I promise he won't make anymore trouble." I pouted.

Mr. Edwards sighed. "Ok Elle, but you'll partner with him and if I hear even one foul word..."

"Oh you wont I'll smack him with my crutch first." I said waving it in the air menacingly at Frankie… Frankie just smiled.

"Okay then get your film from yesterday you can bring it in to station 1 and help Frankie with his." Mr. Edwards said to me as he turned towards the board. "Everyone else lets continue on where you left off-."

Wait a minute go into the dark room? Is he fucking nuts? Obviously he hasn't noticed that I don't go in there. I've been partnering with Gerard and he's been going in there. Frankie is now holding the door to the dark room open for me.

"Come on Elle" he calls out. "Unless you're afraid of the dark!" He laughs.Gerard gets up and grabs his camera. He's heading in also. Thank god!! As I limp past Frankie I tell him

"Hey Iero keep your hands where I can see em." Frankie just laughed and shut the door. It was so fucking dark. There was a soft red glow by the table. I move towards it. Gerard has all these bottles on the counter and he's pouring them in the trays. I move next to him. Frankie comes and stands on the other side of me.

"Can you stand ok?" Gerard asks me and I feel someone's hand on my back.

I nod. Uh-stupid. He cant fucking see you. "Uh yeah" I say lying through my teeth.

"All right I gotta turn this red light off until the buzzer rings. You sure you’re ready?" Gerard repeats.

"Ready for what?” Frankie laughs. “What's gonna happen in the dark...hooooo..hoooo!," Frankie starts making ghost sounds as Gerard shuts the light. We stood in silence listening to the timer tick. Then someone put their hand on my ass.

Mmm. Gerard. I thought...wait what if its not?... What if its Frankie fucking with me I mean he is a big flirt and I did say to keep his hands off me if I don't say anything he's gonna think I like him. Shit if I accuse Frankie and it's not him, then he'll know Gerard’s got his hand on me. Does Frankie know we almost kissed? Fuck... My mind was racing...

The buzzer went off. Who ever it was took their hand off me as the red light came back on. Gerard was shuffling things around.

"All right we can leave" He said. As we walked out Frankie smiled at me. But was it a ‘I just grabbed your ass and you didn’t complain’ smile or a ‘I'm glad were friends’ smile?

Fuck. I hate boys. The bell rang.

"Uh...Gerard..." I said sweetly and he looked at me untrustingly. "Do you think you can carry my bag to study hall?" I said and he picked it up and looked at it. It was a black messenger bag covered in hearts and flowers. He frowned at it... "Aw, come on please." I smiled at him and batted my eyelashes.

"Hey uh, where's your boyfriend?" he asked looking towards the door. "I’d figured he wouldn't let you out of his sights." He says and I just shrugged. Then I remembered what Paul said. 'Third period' . What the fuck was so special about third period?

I sat down across from Gerard in study hall. I folded my hands on the desk and looked directly at him. He tossed the hair from his eyes and looked at me. Finally he said " what?"

"Hmmm?" I replied. He rolled his eyes. "Okay let me see your drawing notebook" I said and he laughed shaking his head no. "Aw come on please..." I whine and he laughed. I pouted and he laughed. I begged and he laughed…

Finally I was able to negotiate a deal with him. Apparently I can see his notebook if I can convince Toro to give up his prized Iron Maiden cd and I only had until new years eve to do it. The bell rang and Marie walked towards me.

"uh , hi " she said nervously to Gerard. He just nodded. "Elle, uh, Jeff asked me to bring you to math class." She said to me but she was looking at the floor.

"oh okay." I said as she picked up my bag. As we made our way down the hall I asked her where Jeff was. She shrugged and kept looking down. As I went to take my bag from her she finally looked at me. "Elle-" she started then changed her mind.

"What is it Marie?" I asked her and she hesitated…

"Its just... you're making trouble.. you really shouldn't hang around with.... those kinda guys…." she whispered the last part.

"And uh what kind is that Marie?" I asked her folding my arms. She didn’t answer me.

"Uh bye" she said and ducked out the door. I sat down and pulled out my notebook. The bell rang. I looked to the left. Mikey Ways seat was empty. Wait- Mikey Ways seat was empty?.

Hmm... Gerard didn’t mention he was out sick today....Maybe I'll make him a get better soon card in art later. Yeah that would cool..Mikeys so fucking awesome. I just love him... My thoughts wandered through out the class. I wonder how I can get that cd from Ray. I'll have to ask Lia. Mmmm, too bad I cant got to her house for lunch...I'd never make it down the block and back in time with my ankle like this....

The bell rang. I looked up. Paul was standing in the doorway grinning cracking his knuckles. His knees were dirty. How did he get here so fast? And what the fuck is he so happy about. He picked up my bag and leant over to kiss me..

"What the hell" he said as I ducked out of the way. What the hell? Holy shit how fucking dense are you man? I bit my lip. I did not want to get into it here with him. "I can't even kiss my girl now?" He scoffs at me.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I gasp… I was speechless.” I am not. Listen carefully. Not your girl anymore Paul!" I said and he looked at me like I was crazy.

"I don't know what you're talking bout baby" he said rubbing my arms. That was it I was going to have to strangle him. I could dump his body in the river. "Look we'll talk at lunch ok.. meet me at lunch..." He addedleaving me in the doorway to my social studies class.

'Meet me for lunch....' the words echoed through my head...those were the same words I said to Gerard that day...the day that my Papa… oh fuck....I was feeling weak...I was gonna puke...someone's grabbing my arm. It was Ray.

"Are you ok?" he asks me and I shook my head no

“Uh Mr. Richards can I go to the bathroom?" I called out and he nodded. I left the crutches by my chair and limped down the hall. Fuck Elle. You can't freak out whenever someone mentions going to lunch.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I dug down in my purse. I pulled out the altoids tin. It was so fucking beat up at this point you can even tell it ever was an altoids tin.

I open it..

Maybe just one will do.....