I Drew You Once in Art Class

Sixty-Eight

"Somehow, I'm not grounded," Frank said into the phone, laying on his stomach on top of his bed as he twirled a pencil in his hand, blank math homework in front of him. "Maybe that's a peace-treaty or something."

"That's awesome! Now do your homework so you don't get grounded and we can go Trick or Treating."

Frank grinned. He was very excited for Halloween. People who said 16 (almost not anymore!) and 17-year-olds were too old to trick or treat had clearly never had an ounce of fun in their life.

Halloween was tonight, and both of them had their costumes laid in front of their doors. The plan was for Mikey to go with his "just a friend" and for Frank and Gerard to leave an hour or so later. Gerard's mom would hand out candy at the house.

Leaning back over his homework, Frank hung up the phone and sighed, staring at the blank geometry questions glaring back up at him.

**

Finally, after what felt like years of calculating angles and frustratedly erasing, Frank knocked on Gerard's front door, wearing a black suit jacket of his dad's and holding a bag full of green makeup.

They stood in front of the mirror together, Frank smearing dark green makeup on his face and combing his hair down in odd, square bangs, while Gerard did the same but in white, combing his hair in a stiff part and carefully squeezing fake blood down his face. He finished the look with dark red eyeshadow around his eyes. He turned to face Frank. "How do I look?" he asked. Frank, who was done with his green makeup, was using costume glue to put some plastic metal-looking bolts on his head. "You look great. Help me with mine?"

**

When they were both made up and dressed, they held their empty pillowcases in their hands. Stampeding down the stairs, they ran to Gerard's mom, each taking a piece of candy from her bowl.

"Head start!" Gerard said, running toward the door. Halloween really does bring back the childlike wonder.

"Wait wait wait!"

Gerard turned around. "What?!"

"Take Mikey with you."

Gerard's jaw dropped. "He hasn't left yet?!"

"I made him and his friend wait for you. The Bryars got their car stolen last night, and I decided you guys shouldn't be out there alone."

Gerard put his hands together in front of his mom. "Please don't make me take Mikey," he begged.

Just then, Mikey and "just a friend" (they were dressed as Georgie and Pennywise, in case you were wondering) hopped down the stairs. Mikey looked at Gerard's appalled face.

"Yeah, save it. I don't wanna go with you either."

"Let's just split up when we go, yeah?"

Mikey nodded.

"No, actually. I called the neighbors and told them to make sure you guys stayed together." Their mom folded her arms.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Mikey yelped, his voice breaking on the word 'serious'. Gerard smacked him on the back of the head. "Nice voice crack, dork."

Mikey shoved him. "Shut up!"

"Guys! Just go Trick or Treating and behave yourselves! Please!"

Mikey gave Gerard a final shove before walking out the door, his pillowcase slung over his shoulder. The air was biting, and a half-moon shone hazy and bright through the skeletal tree branches.

No matter how pissed Gerard was that Mikey was there, he loved Halloween.

He loved it even more now, because it was Frank's birthday.

He smiled up at the trees before looking over at Frank and his dumb green face and linking his fingers in his. Frank nodded his head toward Mikey and Mystery Boy. "Look."

They were holding hands as well, maybe 10 paces ahead of them.

"Hey!" Gerard called, his hand next to his mouth to amplify the noise. "That's pretty gay, Mikey Way!"

No one even had time to blink before Gerard was headbutted to the ground and pinned by his arms to the asphalt.

"What the fuck?!" Gerard spluttered. "How the fuck are you so strong?"

"Shut up, Gerard! The whole street is gonna know and I promised Pete I wouldn't tell anyone!" Mikey realized his mistake as soon as Gerard did, his eyes widening in instant regret.

"Ooo, his name is Pete, huh?" Gerard said, wrenching his arms from Mikey's grasp and sitting up, smirking at his little brother, kneeling in his yellow raincoat.

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone..." Mikey trailed off, suddenly looking quite small in his little raincoat against the black street. He looked like he was about to cry.

Gerard, to his own surprise, actually felt a little bad. He stood up, brushed off his costume, and pulled Mikey up by his hand.

"You guys start walking," he called to Pete and Frank, who looked at each other awkwardly before slowly moving ahead. Mikey brushed off his raincoat. "Sorry for pushing you," he said, dragging his toe in a circle on the ground.

"Eh, I deserved it," said Gerard. "Come on, let's walk together."

"What about Pete and um... what's his name?"

"Frank." Gerard looked up ahead of them, where Frank and Pete walked an awkward distance from each other, their silhouettes dimly lit by the moonlight.

"They'll manage."