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A/N: Today's Muse is brought to you by We are Pilots

I manged to make it into math on time. My second day of school was off to a good start so far, I'd been able to sneak out without Frank at my side. I had to leave super early though, and at Lunch I was going to have to face him. My parents were still asleep in the guest room when I was chucking oatmeal down my throat. Most people were asleep in Belleview when I left.

"Mr. Iero?"

"Present," I replied slowly pulling books from my bag.

I looked to the empty desk beside me, wondering where Gerard was. People in my class seemed to breath easier at this noted absence. Looking around I saw more people slouching as if they didn't have to watch their back. Mr. Brownell didn't even call Gerard's name, almost like he knew before hand that Gerard wasn't even going to show up. He finished attendance and crossed to stand in front of the board.

I took note that the only other person in Gerard's posse that was in this class was Harvey; he was definetly smart. Mr. Brownell began to talk about Parabolas and I tried my hardest to grasp the concept. Soon I noticed that Harvey had started on his homework already, Why's he in a gang if he's so smart? I asked myself. The answer escaped me as Harvey slowly finished his last homework question before my eyes.

Mr. Brownell called on me.

"Mr. Iero, what is figure d's maximum?

I panicked slightly, and grasped my calculator tightly holding it with a choke hold. People began to turn in their desk waiting for my reply...the silence was beating it's wet rag on me.

"Uh," I squinted into the screen, "3.96?"

"Correct," Mr. Brownell smiled, "Mr. Iero."

I felt relief wash over me, I seem to actually be understanding this.
*
History and Biology were the same stories as Math. Gerard was no where to be seen. I trudge in the Cafeteria squeezing in past a few tenth graders. My tray felt wet, but I ignored what it could have been, I was more focused on getting my lunch and getting out of there.

"Devon!"

I grabbed my grilled cheese and turned as fast as I could. Alicia was waving me over to her table which housed a lot of her friends. Mikey wasn't anywhere to be scene, I felt slightly nervous.

"Hi ladies," I said gently.

They all giggled, and I looked down at my tray. It was hard to act around girls, I was so afraid of them. They all stared into my eyes as I met their gaze again.

"Hey Devon, wanna join us?" Alicia asked scooting down making a small place for me, "spread a little of that southern charm on us?"

I placed my tray down next to a girl named Gracie; she kept bumping her leg against mine as I popped a hole in my juicebox. I glanced around the table as 6 other girls stared at me.

"So what do you have next?" I turned to Alicia.

Alicia sighed,
"Gym."

The rest of the girls crossed their eyes, all following Alicia's response. I knew why Mikey wasn't anywhere to be seen, this group all just followed what ever Alicia liked, that meant 6 more girls panting after him.

"Hey," Marshall asked, "Are you going to Hannah's party?"

"I might," I admitted.

I remembered back to history were she took Gerard's empty seat. Hannah had tried to make her cleavage appeal to me but I kept eye contact. She handed me a scrawled address with other info and winked. I remember shrinking lower into my seat, debating if I should throw the paper out or not.

"You have to go," Alicia pleaded, "Mikey's going, and so is Frank."

I smiled sympathetically.

"I'll think about it, I'm moving into my house this weekend so...,-" I took a bite of my sandwich, I put it back down.

"Oh, thats okay then," Alicia smiled.

Marshall was pulled away by Pavon and the two were talking madly about what they were going to wear. I took a long swig of my juicebox letting the chatter of the table become white noise. Scanning the cafeteria I watched for any sign of Frank.

Gerard's posse was outside, one on a cell phone, the rest talking tough to a kid in my grade. He seemed to be shaking and ghost white fearing for his life when he pointed to the building's roof. Three of the group (seemingly still working well without Gerard) began to head for the roof and left the rest on the tarmac.

They rest of the group dragged the kid off; I watched him as he protested against it. He seemed pissed his information was still going to end in a beating. I leaned into Alicia wanting to ask my questions but I didn't know where to start. I nodded towards the tarmac and Alicia saw the last of them leaving the school grounds from the far northern gate.

"Yeah, that's Gerard's posse," Alicia stated, "They do that twice a week."

"Why?"

"Show they're tough, they always do business in front of the Cafeteria. None of us really care about the show they put on, but we all watch our backs."

I looked out to the now empty tarmac that was slowly being filled with students wishing to soak up the spring weather.

"Where do they go in winter?" I shuddered at the cold.

"There," Alicia spoke quietly, "it's a year round thing."

I shook my head at it. The other girls stood and said their goodbyes...I sat with Alicia as she waited for Mikey to come pick her up for their next class. The Cafeteria seemed to empty more and more as lunch came to an end.

"Do they really go after girls?"

"Yep, it's more just a verbal thing though."

"Hey, guys," Mikey cried startling us.

"Hi Babe," Alicia smiled squeezing Mikey tightly.

"Frank's looking for you," Mikey told me as we started for the exit.

I nodded.

I pushed on the heavy doors and gave a sigh. Mikey patted my back and Alicia wished me luck. The warning bell rang and I headed to the Art studio. Keeping my head down I tried to keep a low profile. Many people knew me now, they called me Georgia like Frank had...it was only Gerard who called me Georgia Boy but I hadn't minded when he did it. A lot of the girls kept asking about Hannah's party, one even asked if we could go together.

I'd met Hannah, she was very popular and very controlling. She'd been very stubborn about the answer of "I'll think about it", I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I knew I'd be stuck at the new house all weekend anyways.

I was so lost in thought that I bumped into Gerard as he was turning to head into the Studio. I guess he decided to make an appearance after all. I thought.

His hair smelt like cigarettes and he looked like he had just woken up...or that sobriety was gracing him. We both bent over to pick up our books and I could smell his faintly rum filled breath. I scrambled to pick up my water color pencils when I was handed my notebook.

"Nice tat," Gerard said coarsely, a half smirk riding his lips.

I glanced at the open notebook which now lay in my hands. It was the one I'd shown Frank.

"Uh, I," I mumbled, but Gerard was already standing.

He walked into Class letting the door close on it's own. My first encounter with him alone and I hadn't been able to say a word. I slowly stood still in shock; I pushed open the studio doors and took my seat with Alyse quickly. Mrs. Janick turned to see me in my seat and she smiled brightly. She raised her arms.

"Praise the lord," Gerard cheered raising his own.

The entire class snickered at his comment including me. Mrs. Janick pulled her sleeves back and eyed him.

"Thank you Mr. Way."

He shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his sketchpad. I let my stare drift on his work, the drawing from yesterday had become even more intense. More characters had even been added, he was working on one with glasses...I stared closer and realized I was that character. What was worse, I was being curb stomped.

I whimpered and Alyse looked over.

"He draws like all the time," she bitterly whispered, "We're asked to do landscapes and he draws it like a freak'n comic book. Portraits, Mosaics, Abstract, Still life! All the time."

"Alyse?" Mrs. Janick asked, "Comments?"

Alyse jumped slightly, giving her attention to the watercolor Mrs. Janick was lecturing on. I shrunk behind Alyse hoping I didn't look criminal to my new art teacher.

"They clouds have to much blue, they don't look stormy, they just look like puddles."

I widened my eyes at her quick response, the entire class leaned into the front looking at the flawed clouds.

"Very good," Mrs. Janick spoke, "Now you all will be painting these clouds correctly today, yes?

We all nodded and began to trace out our landscapes, Mrs. Janick moved towards Gerard and he seemed to flip the page of my death.

"Are we going to do watercolor today?"

Gerard just shrugged.

"Well, Mr. Way, maybe you could ask Mr. Iero for some help, he seems very immersed in water color technique."

Gerard shrugged again. Mrs. Janick turned and pulled her finger to motion me over. I slowly slid of my stood and shuffled towards him. He seemed to look out the window as I approached. Mrs. Janick walked away to other students in the class, I slowly moved closer to Gerard.

"Right Georgia Boy, you're going to paint this for me, and in return," he placed his hands on his chest, "I won't beat the shit out of you Friday after school."

I stared at him, my lips pulled tightly.

"I'd get started Georgia Boy."

I kept my ground, I loved the adrenaline.

"I'll make that beating tonight Georgia Boy."

I smiled and slowly turned, walking back to my desk.

*

"Ahh," I winced in pain.

My mother rolled her eyes and dabbed harder at my wound. Frank didn't even tell me off for walking to school alone this morning when he picked me up from the tarmac. He sat on the counter watching my mother attempt to bandage all the cuts I'd received.

My father walked into the room with a cold beer.

"Here put that on your eye," he handed it gently to me.

"Dear," my mother protested.

"What? Silvie was out of frozen vegetables," he defended.

I moved away from the cloth again, my mother rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. Frank just stared at me, his eyes were clouded with something else. I pulled away again trying to push my mothers help.

"Alright, your free to go," My mother groaned pulling the bloody rag away.

I stood and motioned for Frank, together we went into his room. I lay down on my camp bed and waited for the wrath de la Frank. But it didn't come, we just sat in silence for a good hour.

"I," Frank began, but held his tongue.

"Is Mikey Gerard's little brother?"

Frank nodded, and I nodded too. I wanted to be somewhere else than Belleview, my parents thought I picked a fight on purpose. In a way I had, but not for the reason's of being able to move back. I picked a fight with Gerard, because, it was probably will be the only way that I could feel his touch, even if that was a hard one.