FicWad

They Don't Believe in Us

Things had gotten pretty close with Gee and Frank.
Gerard spent day after day asking Frank yes or no questions. 
One day Gerard came in with a dry erase board, and a marker. 
Gerard started out with the most simplistic of equations. Simple adding, he wrote 2+5= on the board. 
"Now Frank, I'm going to list off numbers I want you to nod when I say the one you think is right ok?"
Gerard was determined to prove to all these nimrods that beneath the paralysis, Frank was not a retard. So far he had no proof to support his theory, but he was certain Frank was intelligent. 
Frank rolled his eyes at him.
"I'm sorry Frank. Okay, is the answer one? No, okay. Two? Three? Four? Five? Six? Seven?"
At that Frank finally nodded. Gerard let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. 
"Good job. Okay let's keep going." 
He drew a sloppy 4+12= on the board. 
"Okay now, I'm going to go through the numbers one to ten for the first digit then do the same for the second. I figure it's safe to assume you know the answer's not under ten. Right?" Nod. "Alrighty then.  One?" Nod. "Okay, one? Two..?" more nodding. 
Next he wrote 48+6= (the sad thing is that I truly had to think about that one)
"One? Two? Three? Four? Five? Okay good. One? Two? Three? Four? Ha, I knew you could do it Frank!" Gee told the boy enthusiastically, as the boy had nodded at all the right times. 
He wrote blockily 56+39=
Frank the answered 95.
And on and on hey went.  
Frank got each answer right without fail. 

He told Frank as he took him towards the exit doors, "I know it's pretty degrading to be seventeen and doing first grade math. But I have to know what you're capable of, and I have to prove something to some people. Don't worry, we'll work our way up."

Gerard watched as Frank's mom pulled away. He believed in that boy. Truly, and there would be light at the end of the tunnel. 
He walked to the Guidance Councler's office. And as he had hoped to, he found her sitting at the desk of her spotless dinky little room. 
He took a seat in one of the plush Faux leather chairs, which deflated with a whoosh as he sat down. 
She looked up from her paper work and smiled. "What can I help you with...ah.." she racked her brain. "Gerard?"
"You know Frank Iero?" He questioned.  
"Indeed I do." the whole school knew. He was the talk of the place when he had first moved there. The 'Freaky vetagable kid' he became dubbed. 
"Well, I believe he's smart."
"It's been shown that there is certainly brain activity."
"No! No, more than that. So much more intelligent then ya'll make him out. Earlier I had him doing math. He got everything right!" He told Mrs. Benson. 
"He can't speak." She stated dumbly. 
"I realize, ma'am. No I had him nod at the right number as I listed them off." 
"Let's get this straight, you had him nod? As you put it. That hardly shows anything." She jeered condescendingly. 
"Mock me now. But just wait. I'll prove it." With that he walked out. Not caring that he had just been quite rude, and he had barely knew the lady. 
He was angered. 
And he had something to prove.