Chapter VI

                                    

                                          
//TRIGGER WARNINGS: Slurs, violence//
                          
"Wakey, wakey, Frankie," Frank heard as he felt himself being shaken. I'm a moment of panic he jumped up, arms flailing and hitting Gerard in the stomach,
                          
"Shit, shit," Frank said as he realised it was just Gerard, "shit Gerard, I'm so sorry,"
                          
"It's fine," Gerard coughed, "damn, you're really not a morning person, huh?"
                          
"Something like that," Frank mumbled, "what time is it?" Gerard looked at his watch,
                          
"Almost noon," he said. Frank panicked,
                          
"Oh fuck fuck fuck," he scrambled to his feet,
                          
"What?" Gerard was confused, "what's wrong?"
                          
"School, Gerard," he pointed out, "we're like, really fucking late,"
                          
"So?"
                          
"So, when students miss classes they call their parents, Gerard,"
                          
"Okay, alright, relax Frankie," Gerard put a hand on Frank's shoulder, but Frank was in full on panic mode and pushed him away. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of the other night. Twice in one week? He was fucked,
                          
"I can't relax, my mom's gonna kill me Gerard," he said, louder than he meant to, "maybe your mom doesn't give a shit if you skip school but mine definitely fucking does," Gerard looked hurt, "I'm sorry, Gerard," he sighed, "I didn't mean it I'm just-,"
                          
"I know, it's okay," he said quietly, "I can could call the school if you want? Tell them you're sick? We could just stay here all day and then I'll drop you home later?" He suggested,
                          
"Would you really do that?"
                          
"Of course," and Gerard did just that.
                          
꧁ꕥ꧂
                          
The two boys spent the day at the old house, just talking, smoking, sitting around, reading. Frank liked it. There was no pressure, he didn't have to do anything to impress anyone, he didn't have to hide anything, he could just be himself around Gerard. Frank had never had someone like that before,
                          
"Frankie?" Gerard spoke. Frank was laying across the couch, smoking a cigarette, while Gerard sat in the floor with his back against it,
                          
"Yeah?" He responded,
                          
"Can I ask you something?"
                          
"Um... sure, I guess," Gerard sighed, before asking,
                          
"Frank, does your mom hit you?" Frank went silent in shock. A moment later he stood up, walking over to the ashtray in the on the old mantle piece, putting out his cigarette,
                          
"No," he said, refusing to make eye contact with Gerard, "no, of course not,"
                          
"Are you sure?" He sounded nervous,
                          
"I said 'no', Gerard," Frank sounded angrier than he meant to. Really, he was just scared, "why would you even think that?"
                          
"I mean, there's a few things," Gerard cleared his throat, "coming to school with a black eye, the way you freaked out when I shook you awake this morning, how you reached when you thought your mom was gonna find out you were missing school," Frank didn't know what to say. Gerard was right, everyone he was saying. But Frank couldn't tell him, could he? He hesitated,
                          
"No, no. My mom wouldn't do that," he lied again,
                          
"Okay, I'm sorry," Gerard said, though Frank wasn't quite sure he'd actually managed to convince him, "but you know, if there ever was anything going on, you could talk to me, right? I wouldn't tell anyone else if you didn't want me to," Frank sat down next to Gerard,