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Gerard sat next to Claude, listening to The Smiths with her, humming the words. Coral sat with Mikey, pratically sat on his lap and randomly biting him, Charlotte sat with Frank, her arm was wound around his waist playing with the hem of his shirt, muttering about something or other.

Gerard realized, as he sat with Mikey and his friends, how comfortable they all were we each other. As if to prove a point Frank suddenly announced:

"Know what I don't get?" he drew everyones attention to him "Charlotte flirts shamelessly with me despite knowing I'm about as straight as a circle" everyone laughed. Even Gerard laughed quietly.

"You know I don't think your gay for one second. You want me" she winked and him and pushed her lips on his. They both stayed like that for a minute, before pulling away and laughing childishly. "So, Iero, did I turn you?" Frank laughed.

"Yeah. Running in the other direction" Everyone laughed again. Gerard found this all quite unusual. In the hospital, hardly anyone spoke to each other. Especially in the ways these friends spoke to each other.

What a slut. the voice was back.

"Fuck off" Gerard mumbled. Quietly, but not quietly enough. Everyone turned to Gerard.

Kinda like your granma. the voice chucked darkly. What was it you grandpa said? A dirty slut who could keep her legs shut? the voice brought up unpleasant memories for Gerard.

"Shut up!" Gerard cried "Shut up! Leave me alone! She's not a slut! Granma wasn't a slut! She wasn't! She wasn't! Mikey tell him! Tell him Granma wasn't a slut! Tell him Mikey!" Gerard started to cry violently.

Coral and Mikey uncurled so he could go and comfort his brother. All the others smiled sympathetically. They had all been informed of Gerard's problem. They had all accepted it as easily as they'd accepted Franks sexuality.

Gerard sobbed into Mikey's shoulder, grabbing his shirt and bunching the fabric in-between his fingers. Mikey hugged him harshly.

"Baby, it's okay now. Shush baby, it going to be fine. It's gunna be okay baby. I'll never let them hurt you. I promise" Mikey whispered in his ear.

"No!" Gerard sobbed "it's not going to be okay!" his tear grew heavier "it'll never be okay!"

*

Claude walked with Gerard to there next class. Quite like Gerard, Claude was a quiet individual. A trait which Gerard very much appreciated. Gerards out burst hadn't fazed Claude, it hadn't even scared her. She didn't care. To her, he was just a near enough normal guy. Gerard suddenly stopped and stared into the classroom they were supposed to be be in.

She knew he was seeing something. She could tell by the haunted look in his eye. It was a similar look that people got when they saw something out of the corner of their eye that wasn't supposed to be there. The reason Gerards out burst hadn't fazed or scared her, is because, she believe everyone was slightly schizophrenic.

"Gerard, are you okay?" Claude asked noticing his sudden angst. His fingers started s twitch. A nervous habit, Claude assumed.

"I-I ca-can't go in there" Gerard whispered, tearing at the lose skin on his lip. "the rats..."

Claude looked into the classroom and tried to see what Gerard was seeing and feel how he was feeling. She tried to sympathise with him. Claude grabbed his hand and squeezed his fingers lightly. Gerard looked at there entwined finger and then to Claude. He tore at even more loose skin on his lip. He stomach knotted nervously.

"It's okay Gerard. I won't let them hurt you." Gerard looked down to there entwined fingers again and nodded, letting Claude pull him lightly into the classroom.

The lesson was going well until Gerard felt the "Rats" biting his ankles. Gerard didn't want to draw attention to himself, but he couldn't help it. He was twitch and muttering slightly.

"Um...Claude?" a girl that Claude recognized as Emma asked "Is, um, is your friend okay?" Claude cast her eyes over to Gerard, who's twitching and muttering was rapidly increasing.

"Gerard? Are you okay? Do you want to leave?" Gerard nodded his head. He had started to kick his feet in a feeble attempt to keep the "rats" at bay.

"Emma, will tell sir I had to leave with Gerard?"

"Yeah, sure thing man" Claude smiled lightly at her. The few times they had spoke, Emma had always seemed nice. She normally hung around with the tall boy with big hair. Ray. Claude knew from watching people that she was a casual friend of Coral, Mikey and Charlotte. She'd talk to one of them and tell then to invite Emma and Ray to sit with them.

"Gerard, do you want a drink?" Claude asked, while Gerard calmed himself down. He nodded his head. Claude dug out a unopened can and handed it to Gerard. He cracked it open and took a large swig, when he went to hand it back Claude declined. he needed it more.

Gerards breathing had regulated and his twitching wasn't quite so bad. He took another sip from the drink and realized he was drinking coke.

"I'm sorry..." Gerard whispered. Claude shook her head and smiled at the boy who looked so down.

"You don't need to apologize. We all get like that from time to time" Gerard smiled at her, feeling slight comfort in the fact she didn't think he was a freak.

*

"So, how was your first day?" Mikey asked as he and Gerard walked home.

Gerard thought about this. How was his first day? He had more hallucinations then he'd normally have. He put that down to nervousness. He'd made new friends. Friends that would try to stab him because the voice said to...

"I-um-I think I've had a good day" Gerard whispered "I made new friends." Gerard smiled at the thought. Mikey smiled at Gerard, glad no one was mean to him "and...tomorrow should be better?"

"Yeah" Mikey smiled widely "tomorrow should be awesome"

But oh, if only they knew.