Chapter III

                                    

                                          
//TRIGGER WARING: Light suicide mentions//
                          
As they made their way to the school car park, Frank went back over everything that had just happened in his head. His day had started off pretty normal. But somehow, in the space of less than an hour, he had found a slur painted on his locker, come out to Gerard, and discovered that he had a friend for the first time in years.

                          
Wait – he came out to Gerard. How the fuck did that happen? What was he thinking? But then again... Gerard didn't really seem to care. He hadn't really even commented on it. It was like Frank had told him he played soccer. This was a hell of a lot bigger than soccer, though, and honestly Frank had kind of expected a pretty negative reaction from basically anyone who found out,

                          
"Wait," Frank stopped as they went through the school gates, "so you're okay with... um... ya know..?" Gerard raised his eyebrow. Seemingly he didn't know,

                          
"With what?"

                          
"The uh- the 'gay' thing?" Frank forced out. Gerard just giggled,

                          
"Yes Frankie, I am perfectly okay with 'the gay thing'," and he kept walking. Frank followed,

                          
"Just like that?"

                          
"What? You want me to kick you in the balls and call you names?" Gerard smirked,

                          
"I- no- I just- no one's ever been okay with it before," Frank mumbled. Gerard stopped, turning to face Frank,

                          
"People are assholes, Frankie," he said, "you deserve acceptance. You deserve love," Frank blushed. He never really thought he deserved anything like that, but from the way Gerard was looking in his eyes, he could tell he really believed it, whether Frank did or not,

                          
"So, this is my car," Gerard turned round, sticking the key in the door and unlocking it. Frank hadn't even noticed that they'd made it to the car park yet, he was too distracted by Gerard's miraculous indifference to his sexuality,

                          
"Oh, cool," Gerard's car was a beautiful old red Ford Mustang. Frank was taken aback by it,
                          
"Well, hop in," Gerard said, getting in the driver's seat.

                          
꧁ꕥ꧂

                          
"So, where are we going?" Frank asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence,

                          
"I was thinking maybe this diner in town," Gerard said, turning the radio on, "you've gotta be hungry by now,"

                          
"I'm fine-," just as he tried to say he wasn't hungry, his stomach betrayed him by rumbling as loud as humanly possible,

                          
"Sorry Frankie, what were you saying?" Gerard teased, smirking as he drove through town. Frank say listening to the music. He recognised the song that was playing, but couldn't quite place it,

                          
"I don't have any money," he suddenly realised, thinking out loud,

                          
"Don't worry, it's my treat," Gerard said,

                          
"No no no, I can't-," Frank protested,

                          
"You can and you will, now hush," Gerard instructed,

                          
"But you gave me food yesterday,"

                          
"It was an apple, Frank," Gerard scoffed,

                          
"Gerard you really don't have to-,"

                          
"I know I don't," Gerard interrupted, "but my friend has had a tough day, so I'm gonna buy him a burger and a milkshake to cheer him up, got it?" Frank sighed in defeat,