Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Faring Well
Gerard sat in the heavy traffic surrounding his school parking lot, moaning and groaning at the lack of movement. He was going to be late, again…The boy sighed, pushing his dark aviator sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. With every minute that passed that he wasn’t at the driveway of the student parking lot, his frustration mounted.
“Come on!” Gerard yelled, slamming his hand against his steering wheel, blaring the horn. “I’m running on fucking battery, here! My foot isn’t even on the gas! Move!” he screamed at the car in front of him, even though he knew it wasn’t the other motorist’s fault. It was just early morning traffic. Still. Gerard glanced at the clock on his dashboard and honked again.
Finally, he made it into the parking lot, zooming past the supervisor and pulling sharply into a parking space. It was crooked, but so what? He was late, so it was at the very back of the parking lot where no one ever parked, really. He sprinted to the door of the building, throwing it open and tumbling through it, almost tripping over his own legs. The halls were deserted; even the typical stragglers weren’t meandering about, putting off going to class. Gerard groaned, clutching the stitch in his side as he ran to his homeroom. He burst through the door, panting and out of breath.
“Mr. Way,” greeted his teacher, Mrs. Evans, sharply. She was about a hundred years old, and she didn’t take any shit from anyone; she had especially low tolerance for people who were constantly tardy, as Gerard was. “You’re late, for the seventh time this month. Tell me, Mr. Way, do you have trouble remembering what time school starts, or do you just think that the world should wait for you to be good and ready before you grace us with your presence?”
Gerard searched his mind for something to say. He ended up blurting out, “I didn’t hear the bell ring, Mrs. Evans.” Not exactly a lie…Yeah, that was sure to sway her into a better mood, Gerard scolded himself bitterly.
“That’s because you probably weren’t even within the vicinity of the campus when it did. Take your seat, Mr. Way. You will be serving a detention with me after school.” She turned her back to the boy, going back to whatever she’d been writing on the board. Gerard gaped. He couldn’t do a detention after school…He had to go to the bank on his Senior Privilege period, then he had to pick up Mikey from school, and then he had to go grocery shopping. There simply weren’t enough hours in the day to allow for detentions.
“But--”
“Say one more word, Mr. Way, and it’ll be suspension. Take your seat.”
Gerard had no other option but to sit down beside his friend, Harper Valens, and lean over to take his binder out of his backpack. The boy swore under his breath, realizing that he had left his book-bag in his car in his haste to get to class. Gerard groaned, sitting back and squeezing his fists on top of his desk.
“Rough morning, Gerard?” Harper asked, shooting a furtive glance over at her friend. Gerard glared at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the board. He would have to talk to Mrs. Evans after class.
“No kidding,” he finally answered his friend, sighing dejectedly.
“What happened? Why are you so late? Did you sleep in?”
Gerard barked his laughter out, looking at Harper as though she had just told him a funny joke. “Sleep in? I don’t know what that means. I was up before four-thirty this morning, actually.”
“Oh,” Harper said, nodding her head knowingly. “That time of the month?”
“Indeed,” Gerard said, blushing. When she said it like that, he felt like he was talking about being on a period, or something. “The cashing of the welfare check will commence later today.”
Harper nodded, thinking for a moment. “You know the bank closes at two, right? You’re gonna have to reschedule that detention of yours.”
“I know,” Gerard sighed, hunching over and putting his head in his hands. He groaned. Somehow, he’d been able to avoid getting detentions due to tardiness. His luck, apparently, had run out. He would have to talk Mrs. Evans out of that detention. If he couldn’t…well, he’d have to just not go. Not cashing the check today was not an option.
The minutes ticked by painfully slow for the rest of the period, nerves growing in the pit of Gerard’s stomach. For some reason, he was almost frightened of having to ask for a reprieve from his detention; he’d never been good at talking to teachers.
Finally, though, the bell rang to signal a class change, and there was a unanimous shuffle to pack up and head for the door. Gerard took his time, nodding at Harper to leave, and he’d catch up later. He approached Mrs. Evans at her desk, clearing his throat.
“Umm…Mrs. Evans? I…I--umm…I--” Gerard was mentally slapping himself. Way to be smooth, he told himself.
“Mr. Way, I do not want to hear your excuses. Seven tardies in one month is unacceptable. Period.” the old crone interrupted, not looking up from the papers she was grading. Gerard took a deep breath, trying desperately to keep his temper.
“No, Mrs. Evans, you don’t--” he found his voice, only to have it taken away again.
“No arguing.”
“But--”
“Would you like it to be a suspension?”
“Mrs. Evans--”
“Mr. Way, you are trying my patience!” She finally looked up, her beady eyes narrowing.
“Please, just listen to me!” Gerard exploded, failing at trying to keep his temper in check. Mrs. Evans’ eyes narrowed even further, but she spoke in a calm voice.
“Well, go on, then, Mr. Way.”
Gerard took a deep breath, trying to arrange his thoughts before speaking. “A few years ago, I was legally emancipated from my mother because I didn’t think she was a fit parent. Well, my little brother, who was very young at the time, stayed with her. A few months ago, though, she was committed to an institution, and I got custody of Mikey. This morning, I was up at four-thirty this morning so I could drive to Trenton to get my mom to sign a welfare check so I could cash it after school today. I have to cash it today, because I have to go grocery shopping today, and I need to buy Mikey new shoes. I’ll come in during lunch, I’ll even come in on a Sunday morning, anything, I just can’t serve detentions after school. I’m late enough in picking Mikey up from school as it is.” Gerard managed to say this all in one breath, as he wasn’t too certain Mrs. Evans wouldn’t cut him off in the middle.
The teacher was quiet for a moment after this speech. She finally spoke. “Mr. Way, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. You do not have to serve a detention with me, but please, do try to be on time to my class from now on.”
Gerard gaped, his mouth falling widely open. “Thank you, Mrs. Evans!” He then ran out before she could decide to give him the detention after all.
Oh, hello thar. Second chap, this is. Took a while to write, mostly because I've been relatively busy. Funny little fact: This story is, literally, saved into my computer as "shit," because I really didn't think anyone would like it. But cool. I'm glad you do. So...go comment, subscribe, if you haven't, and there will be more to come. OverAndOutxx
“Come on!” Gerard yelled, slamming his hand against his steering wheel, blaring the horn. “I’m running on fucking battery, here! My foot isn’t even on the gas! Move!” he screamed at the car in front of him, even though he knew it wasn’t the other motorist’s fault. It was just early morning traffic. Still. Gerard glanced at the clock on his dashboard and honked again.
Finally, he made it into the parking lot, zooming past the supervisor and pulling sharply into a parking space. It was crooked, but so what? He was late, so it was at the very back of the parking lot where no one ever parked, really. He sprinted to the door of the building, throwing it open and tumbling through it, almost tripping over his own legs. The halls were deserted; even the typical stragglers weren’t meandering about, putting off going to class. Gerard groaned, clutching the stitch in his side as he ran to his homeroom. He burst through the door, panting and out of breath.
“Mr. Way,” greeted his teacher, Mrs. Evans, sharply. She was about a hundred years old, and she didn’t take any shit from anyone; she had especially low tolerance for people who were constantly tardy, as Gerard was. “You’re late, for the seventh time this month. Tell me, Mr. Way, do you have trouble remembering what time school starts, or do you just think that the world should wait for you to be good and ready before you grace us with your presence?”
Gerard searched his mind for something to say. He ended up blurting out, “I didn’t hear the bell ring, Mrs. Evans.” Not exactly a lie…Yeah, that was sure to sway her into a better mood, Gerard scolded himself bitterly.
“That’s because you probably weren’t even within the vicinity of the campus when it did. Take your seat, Mr. Way. You will be serving a detention with me after school.” She turned her back to the boy, going back to whatever she’d been writing on the board. Gerard gaped. He couldn’t do a detention after school…He had to go to the bank on his Senior Privilege period, then he had to pick up Mikey from school, and then he had to go grocery shopping. There simply weren’t enough hours in the day to allow for detentions.
“But--”
“Say one more word, Mr. Way, and it’ll be suspension. Take your seat.”
Gerard had no other option but to sit down beside his friend, Harper Valens, and lean over to take his binder out of his backpack. The boy swore under his breath, realizing that he had left his book-bag in his car in his haste to get to class. Gerard groaned, sitting back and squeezing his fists on top of his desk.
“Rough morning, Gerard?” Harper asked, shooting a furtive glance over at her friend. Gerard glared at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the board. He would have to talk to Mrs. Evans after class.
“No kidding,” he finally answered his friend, sighing dejectedly.
“What happened? Why are you so late? Did you sleep in?”
Gerard barked his laughter out, looking at Harper as though she had just told him a funny joke. “Sleep in? I don’t know what that means. I was up before four-thirty this morning, actually.”
“Oh,” Harper said, nodding her head knowingly. “That time of the month?”
“Indeed,” Gerard said, blushing. When she said it like that, he felt like he was talking about being on a period, or something. “The cashing of the welfare check will commence later today.”
Harper nodded, thinking for a moment. “You know the bank closes at two, right? You’re gonna have to reschedule that detention of yours.”
“I know,” Gerard sighed, hunching over and putting his head in his hands. He groaned. Somehow, he’d been able to avoid getting detentions due to tardiness. His luck, apparently, had run out. He would have to talk Mrs. Evans out of that detention. If he couldn’t…well, he’d have to just not go. Not cashing the check today was not an option.
The minutes ticked by painfully slow for the rest of the period, nerves growing in the pit of Gerard’s stomach. For some reason, he was almost frightened of having to ask for a reprieve from his detention; he’d never been good at talking to teachers.
Finally, though, the bell rang to signal a class change, and there was a unanimous shuffle to pack up and head for the door. Gerard took his time, nodding at Harper to leave, and he’d catch up later. He approached Mrs. Evans at her desk, clearing his throat.
“Umm…Mrs. Evans? I…I--umm…I--” Gerard was mentally slapping himself. Way to be smooth, he told himself.
“Mr. Way, I do not want to hear your excuses. Seven tardies in one month is unacceptable. Period.” the old crone interrupted, not looking up from the papers she was grading. Gerard took a deep breath, trying desperately to keep his temper.
“No, Mrs. Evans, you don’t--” he found his voice, only to have it taken away again.
“No arguing.”
“But--”
“Would you like it to be a suspension?”
“Mrs. Evans--”
“Mr. Way, you are trying my patience!” She finally looked up, her beady eyes narrowing.
“Please, just listen to me!” Gerard exploded, failing at trying to keep his temper in check. Mrs. Evans’ eyes narrowed even further, but she spoke in a calm voice.
“Well, go on, then, Mr. Way.”
Gerard took a deep breath, trying to arrange his thoughts before speaking. “A few years ago, I was legally emancipated from my mother because I didn’t think she was a fit parent. Well, my little brother, who was very young at the time, stayed with her. A few months ago, though, she was committed to an institution, and I got custody of Mikey. This morning, I was up at four-thirty this morning so I could drive to Trenton to get my mom to sign a welfare check so I could cash it after school today. I have to cash it today, because I have to go grocery shopping today, and I need to buy Mikey new shoes. I’ll come in during lunch, I’ll even come in on a Sunday morning, anything, I just can’t serve detentions after school. I’m late enough in picking Mikey up from school as it is.” Gerard managed to say this all in one breath, as he wasn’t too certain Mrs. Evans wouldn’t cut him off in the middle.
The teacher was quiet for a moment after this speech. She finally spoke. “Mr. Way, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. You do not have to serve a detention with me, but please, do try to be on time to my class from now on.”
Gerard gaped, his mouth falling widely open. “Thank you, Mrs. Evans!” He then ran out before she could decide to give him the detention after all.
Oh, hello thar. Second chap, this is. Took a while to write, mostly because I've been relatively busy. Funny little fact: This story is, literally, saved into my computer as "shit," because I really didn't think anyone would like it. But cool. I'm glad you do. So...go comment, subscribe, if you haven't, and there will be more to come. OverAndOutxx
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