Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Faring Well
“Hey, Gerard?” Harper’s voice shook the teenager out of his sleep-deprived stupor. For once, he had managed to get to school on time, but at the expense of waking up an extra hour early to make sure the two brothers made it out of the house on time. The boy looked up and rubbed the side of his face, breathing deeply in an attempt to jumpstart his brain with extra oxygen.
“Yeah?” The extra-oxygen thing didn’t seem to be working.
“Have you heard from Ray since that party?”
“Yeah, he just came over my house yesterday. Why?” Gerard realized the moment he’d said it that he probably should have just kept his mouth shut.
“Well, he hasn’t returned any of my calls, he hasn’t answered any of my texts, and every time I try to instant-message him, he signs off. Did he say he was mad at me?” Gerard ran a hand through his hair. Now he was getting a headache.
“He--he didn’t say anything to me.” Not a total lie. Luckily, Gerard was saved from having to explain by the arrival of Mrs. Evans. Gerard had never been so happy to see her. He did not want to get involved with whatever crazy situation his friends had worked themselves into.
“Alright, class. Everyone settle down and take out your copies of The Importance of Being Earnest. Today, we’re going to…” Gerard followed the directions, getting out his play and flipping to whatever pages Mrs. Evans told them to. He felt a nervous finger tap at his shoulder, and he turned back to Harper.
“Yeah?”
“Will you ask Ray if he’s mad at me?”
Gerard sighed. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“I have a project to work on at lunch today. Please, Gerard? Be a pal, yeah?”
“Harper,” Gerard began, looking around the room because he knew that he’d quell under whatever adorable and pitiful face she tried to pull. “I don’t want to get involved with whatever‘s going on with you two.”
“So you admit that there is something going on?” Gerard could have smacked himself.
“Listen--” he began, but was cut off by Mrs. Evans.
“Gerard,” she barked from the front of the room, catching both teens’ attention. “Since you seem to be so chatty this morning, why don’t you read Lady Bracknel’s monologue, starting on the next page?” Gerard nodded and did as he was told, attempting to make it funny by doing a terrible British accent. A few people laughed, but not Harper. The moment he’d finished the passage, she placed her hand lightly on his arm, squeezing gently to make him look at her.
Gerard wished he hadn’t. Harper’s eyes were wide and sad, her eyebrows arched in a depressed way, her lower lip trembling. The boy sighed. Harper looked like she was about to cry. “Please, Gee?”
“Fine,” he said finally, looking away. He hated it when she guilted him into stuff like this, but there was no way he could resist his best friend when she was upset. The moment he’d agreed to do her bidding, Harper’s face relaxed, and she grinned.
“Thanks, baby-doll.” She smirked, turning her attention back to the play they were reading. Gerard groaned.
“Harper wants to know if you’re mad at her.” Ray had walked into the cafeteria and stood on tiptoe, checking to see if Harper was sitting with Gerard at their usual table. When he saw she wasn’t, he headed for the seat next to his friend.
“Why? Should I be mad at her? Does she think that there’s a reason for me to be mad at her?” Ray shrugged nonchalantly and refused to make eye contact with his friend.
“Stop being a dick, Ray,” Gerard sighed, exasperated. His lack of sleep did not make him any more tolerant for these love games his friends were playing with each other, and he certainly didn’t have any desire to be involved. But he was. Sigh. “You and I both know that, for some reason or another, you’re pissed at Harper for hooking up with Bryar. Even though you’re not dating, you’re not even thinking of dating, and you haven’t had the balls to ask anyone out since Brittany Bader rejected you in seventh grade. So get over it.”
“Hey! Brittany Bader scarred me for life, and I should think you’d understand! And I don’t care if Harper hooks up with Bob Bryar. Why should I care?”
“Then why did you come storming to my house at eight in the morning yesterday with an intense hangover just to rant to me about it?”
“That was a different time. If Harper thinks I have a problem with her, perhaps she should talk to me herself.”
Gerard smacked his palm against his forehead and slid it down his face, sighing through clenched teeth. “Maybe she would if you’d answer her calls, or her texts, or her messages, or didn’t avoid her at every chance you get.”
“Hey, I’m a busy guy, I can’t just drop everything--”
Gerard slammed his hand on the lunch table and leaned in close to his frustrating friend. “Listen to me, Ray. I don’t care what you do, but you are not going to penalize my best friend for something stupid if she doesn’t even know why you’re doing it. You either talk to her about it, or you get over what happened and move on, because I’m not going to play the middle man between the two of you anymore.” With that, Gerard grabbed his lunch and stood, wadding the paper bag into a ball and tossing it into the trash bin on his way out of the cafeteria.
“Some project.” Gerard sat down next to Harper, whose only project seemed to be biting her nails down to the bone.
“Did you ask him?” Harper asked, ignoring the fact that she’d just been caught in a lie.
“He’s mad that you hooked up with Bob Bryar.” Gerard plopped heavily into a seat, catching a nasty look from the librarian for making noise. Harper scrunched her face up.
“Why?”
“Hell if I know.”
“Will you tell--”
“No,” Gerard said bluntly, cutting her off. “I’m not your messenger, I’m your friend, and I’m Ray’s friend, and I don’t want to get involved in this. If you guys have to talk this out, then do it on your own time.”
“But that’s just it, Gerard,” Harper pleaded, trying to pull out the puppy-dog eyes again. “He won’t talk to me. I would rather talk with him, believe me, but I can’t.” Gerard rubbed his face, sighing and thinking before speaking.
“I’m sorry, Harper. You’ll have to figure it out yourself. I just don’t have the time or energy to get involved.” With that, he stood and walked out of the library, feeling like a total asshole, but hoping he was right not to get in between a cat fight.
In his rush to leave the library, Gerard ended up smacking right into someone, knocking assorted books and papers to the floor. Face burning red, he immediately hit the ground to help pick the spilled things up. “Sorry,” he mumbled, noticing that the hands that joined his in gathering the papers were tattooed with the word ‘Halloween.’ It was interesting. The two finally stood, and Gerard handed back the books.
“It’s fine, Gerard,” said a familiar voice. Gerard finally looked up into the face of the boy he’d bumped into, jaw falling open. It was…
“Frank!” he said, surprised. He then checked himself a chuckled, embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We keep running into each other.”
“Literally,” Frank added, making both boys laugh awkwardly.
“Well…” Gerard looked around the hallway. “How are you liking Belleville so far?”
“It’s good. I spent the whole morning making my schedule, so I‘ve only actually been to fifth period so far. How’s Mikey?”
Gerard was kind of surprised that he’d remember his little brother’s name. “He’s good. I’m glad you’re liking your first day…well, fifth period, anyway.”
“Yeah, I’m sure I’ll like my other classes, too. Listen, I gotta go find my next class, but I’ll catch up to you again soon, okay?” Gerard nodded, and Frank kept walking the direction he’d been headed before the two boys had run into each other. Gerard started back to the cafeteria, smiling goofily, wondering when he was going to see Frank again.
Huzzah for me! I got this chapter up. =] I've been so busy studying for exams that I haven't had any time to get on the computer to write. My exams tomorrow are easy, so I've got nothing to study for tonight, which allowed me time to whip this up. Writing is so relaxing. Anyway. What did you guys think? You likey another run-in with Frankie-boy? Me likey. Go comment and subscribe. OverAndOutxx
“Yeah?” The extra-oxygen thing didn’t seem to be working.
“Have you heard from Ray since that party?”
“Yeah, he just came over my house yesterday. Why?” Gerard realized the moment he’d said it that he probably should have just kept his mouth shut.
“Well, he hasn’t returned any of my calls, he hasn’t answered any of my texts, and every time I try to instant-message him, he signs off. Did he say he was mad at me?” Gerard ran a hand through his hair. Now he was getting a headache.
“He--he didn’t say anything to me.” Not a total lie. Luckily, Gerard was saved from having to explain by the arrival of Mrs. Evans. Gerard had never been so happy to see her. He did not want to get involved with whatever crazy situation his friends had worked themselves into.
“Alright, class. Everyone settle down and take out your copies of The Importance of Being Earnest. Today, we’re going to…” Gerard followed the directions, getting out his play and flipping to whatever pages Mrs. Evans told them to. He felt a nervous finger tap at his shoulder, and he turned back to Harper.
“Yeah?”
“Will you ask Ray if he’s mad at me?”
Gerard sighed. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“I have a project to work on at lunch today. Please, Gerard? Be a pal, yeah?”
“Harper,” Gerard began, looking around the room because he knew that he’d quell under whatever adorable and pitiful face she tried to pull. “I don’t want to get involved with whatever‘s going on with you two.”
“So you admit that there is something going on?” Gerard could have smacked himself.
“Listen--” he began, but was cut off by Mrs. Evans.
“Gerard,” she barked from the front of the room, catching both teens’ attention. “Since you seem to be so chatty this morning, why don’t you read Lady Bracknel’s monologue, starting on the next page?” Gerard nodded and did as he was told, attempting to make it funny by doing a terrible British accent. A few people laughed, but not Harper. The moment he’d finished the passage, she placed her hand lightly on his arm, squeezing gently to make him look at her.
Gerard wished he hadn’t. Harper’s eyes were wide and sad, her eyebrows arched in a depressed way, her lower lip trembling. The boy sighed. Harper looked like she was about to cry. “Please, Gee?”
“Fine,” he said finally, looking away. He hated it when she guilted him into stuff like this, but there was no way he could resist his best friend when she was upset. The moment he’d agreed to do her bidding, Harper’s face relaxed, and she grinned.
“Thanks, baby-doll.” She smirked, turning her attention back to the play they were reading. Gerard groaned.
“Harper wants to know if you’re mad at her.” Ray had walked into the cafeteria and stood on tiptoe, checking to see if Harper was sitting with Gerard at their usual table. When he saw she wasn’t, he headed for the seat next to his friend.
“Why? Should I be mad at her? Does she think that there’s a reason for me to be mad at her?” Ray shrugged nonchalantly and refused to make eye contact with his friend.
“Stop being a dick, Ray,” Gerard sighed, exasperated. His lack of sleep did not make him any more tolerant for these love games his friends were playing with each other, and he certainly didn’t have any desire to be involved. But he was. Sigh. “You and I both know that, for some reason or another, you’re pissed at Harper for hooking up with Bryar. Even though you’re not dating, you’re not even thinking of dating, and you haven’t had the balls to ask anyone out since Brittany Bader rejected you in seventh grade. So get over it.”
“Hey! Brittany Bader scarred me for life, and I should think you’d understand! And I don’t care if Harper hooks up with Bob Bryar. Why should I care?”
“Then why did you come storming to my house at eight in the morning yesterday with an intense hangover just to rant to me about it?”
“That was a different time. If Harper thinks I have a problem with her, perhaps she should talk to me herself.”
Gerard smacked his palm against his forehead and slid it down his face, sighing through clenched teeth. “Maybe she would if you’d answer her calls, or her texts, or her messages, or didn’t avoid her at every chance you get.”
“Hey, I’m a busy guy, I can’t just drop everything--”
Gerard slammed his hand on the lunch table and leaned in close to his frustrating friend. “Listen to me, Ray. I don’t care what you do, but you are not going to penalize my best friend for something stupid if she doesn’t even know why you’re doing it. You either talk to her about it, or you get over what happened and move on, because I’m not going to play the middle man between the two of you anymore.” With that, Gerard grabbed his lunch and stood, wadding the paper bag into a ball and tossing it into the trash bin on his way out of the cafeteria.
“Some project.” Gerard sat down next to Harper, whose only project seemed to be biting her nails down to the bone.
“Did you ask him?” Harper asked, ignoring the fact that she’d just been caught in a lie.
“He’s mad that you hooked up with Bob Bryar.” Gerard plopped heavily into a seat, catching a nasty look from the librarian for making noise. Harper scrunched her face up.
“Why?”
“Hell if I know.”
“Will you tell--”
“No,” Gerard said bluntly, cutting her off. “I’m not your messenger, I’m your friend, and I’m Ray’s friend, and I don’t want to get involved in this. If you guys have to talk this out, then do it on your own time.”
“But that’s just it, Gerard,” Harper pleaded, trying to pull out the puppy-dog eyes again. “He won’t talk to me. I would rather talk with him, believe me, but I can’t.” Gerard rubbed his face, sighing and thinking before speaking.
“I’m sorry, Harper. You’ll have to figure it out yourself. I just don’t have the time or energy to get involved.” With that, he stood and walked out of the library, feeling like a total asshole, but hoping he was right not to get in between a cat fight.
In his rush to leave the library, Gerard ended up smacking right into someone, knocking assorted books and papers to the floor. Face burning red, he immediately hit the ground to help pick the spilled things up. “Sorry,” he mumbled, noticing that the hands that joined his in gathering the papers were tattooed with the word ‘Halloween.’ It was interesting. The two finally stood, and Gerard handed back the books.
“It’s fine, Gerard,” said a familiar voice. Gerard finally looked up into the face of the boy he’d bumped into, jaw falling open. It was…
“Frank!” he said, surprised. He then checked himself a chuckled, embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We keep running into each other.”
“Literally,” Frank added, making both boys laugh awkwardly.
“Well…” Gerard looked around the hallway. “How are you liking Belleville so far?”
“It’s good. I spent the whole morning making my schedule, so I‘ve only actually been to fifth period so far. How’s Mikey?”
Gerard was kind of surprised that he’d remember his little brother’s name. “He’s good. I’m glad you’re liking your first day…well, fifth period, anyway.”
“Yeah, I’m sure I’ll like my other classes, too. Listen, I gotta go find my next class, but I’ll catch up to you again soon, okay?” Gerard nodded, and Frank kept walking the direction he’d been headed before the two boys had run into each other. Gerard started back to the cafeteria, smiling goofily, wondering when he was going to see Frank again.
Huzzah for me! I got this chapter up. =] I've been so busy studying for exams that I haven't had any time to get on the computer to write. My exams tomorrow are easy, so I've got nothing to study for tonight, which allowed me time to whip this up. Writing is so relaxing. Anyway. What did you guys think? You likey another run-in with Frankie-boy? Me likey. Go comment and subscribe. OverAndOutxx
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