Lie To Me (Frerard)

24: Gabe Saporta The Stubborn Bitch Queen

Frank knew from very moment that he got out of bed that morning that he most absolutely shouldn't have come into school that day.

But Frank was an idiot, and Frank was counting on the fact that Gerard wasn't going to think like that, and in fact, Gerard was nothing but clueless regarding the situation with Bert in its entirety, and maybe things were better that way, hey, maybe they really weren't, but what did it matter?

And Frank didn't even begin to regret his decision to face today with anything but cowardice until the very moment he found himself approaching school, and a wide-eyed Jamia Nestor approaching him.

Of course, she wasn't Bert himself, and that had to be a benefit, didn't it? But it certainly didn't feel like one, because from the way she was looking at him, Frank really wouldn't be all that surprised if she just came up to him and slapped him right across the face - hey, maybe he kind of deserved it anyway.

"You're a fucking idiot, you know you shouldn't have come in today, Jesus Christ, Frank, I've heard he's going to throw you into the fucking wall today, are you actually stupid?" Jamia exclaimed as she reached Frank's side, however he only shrugged her off a little and quickened his pace: intent upon finding Gerard before Bert did.

"If I wasn't here today, he would have only done the same to Gerard, and really, I'd much rather it be me than them, because Gerard really does not deserve to suffer the consequences of my idiocy."

"Frank, I hate to break it to you, but it looks like Bert doesn't give a damn about your romantic protector complex and will absolutely not hesitate to break every bone in both of your bodies, and even simultaneously." And Frank liked to think that Jamia was over exaggerating, but honestly, she really wasn't, but Frank was a good liar, and that stretched to lying to him, so he reckoned that he was fine for now.

"I'll punch him first, I'll fucking do it again- he's not touching Gerard, okay." Frank let out a sigh as the two passed the spot in the corridor where the 'incident' had previously occurred; Frank watched as Jamia's gaze fixated upon the wall and the broken plaster and chipping wallpaper for a second.

"You slammed him against that wall pretty hard from the looks of it." She noted, but Frank only gave her a shrug in response, because well, he didn't exactly put all that much thought into it, he just did it: impulse or something, idiocy or something, what did it matter? He couldn't change what had already happened.

"Frank!" The two jumped a little as a voice called out Frank's name from further down the corridor; he looked up and found himself more than a little relieved to see that it was Alicia shouting his name, and not, well Bert.

He quickened his pace in response to her call, making his way around the corner in record time, or something, and with Jamia at his heels, which certainly grabbed a raise of the eyebrows on Alicia's part as she met Jamia's gaze.

"What's wrong?" Frank asked, glancing between Alicia and Gerard with widened eyes. "Is it Bert- I, I-?"

Gerard let out a sigh in response, making their way to stand closer to their boyfriend. "Well, we don't know, but Lindsey isn't here, and she hasn't said anything to either of us about being ill or whatever, and I don't know, I was just really hoping that you'd seen her."

"I haven't..." Frank trailed off, his eyes widening a little as he began to process this information.

"It wouldn't be ridiculous to say that Bert would have something to do with this, just saying." Jamia added, gaining the skepticism laced gazes of Alicia and Gerard in reward for her efforts. "I'm Jamia, by the way, I'm friends with Frank, I don't know if we've ever actually had a proper conversation but I know who you two are."