endless night time sky (Gerard Way)

Chapter 5

I sat on the bleachers as Gerard half-heartedly ran around the track, with Mr Donnelly barking commands at him. Unprepared for such an event, Gerard looked to be suffering in school-loaned shorts and a white t-shirt, which looked strange on him with his pale skin and dyed-black hair. I smirked as he ran half a lap before giving up, dragging his feet the rest of the way, only to be yelled at to do it again.

After an hour of this torture, he was released from his detention and came to join me on the bleachers, shaking his sweaty head disapprovingly at me.

'You're welcome,' he said, breathlessly, 'next time, I'm letting you take the blame.'

I laughed and shook my head back. 'Oh, trust me, I'm serving my punishment, and it's way worse than an hour of running.'

Gerard sat heavily next to me. 'What do you mean?'

'Well,' I said, looking over my shoulder at him, 'let's just say the comments are way meaner than I expected. I guess you haven't come out unscathed, though, the general consensus is that you could do much better than me.'

He laughed. 'Wow, so people really are that stupid,' he sighed, 'and I guess we can add 'blind' to the list, as well.'

I nudged him playfully with my elbow. 'You might be ditching me altogether before too long, have you talked to your new girlfriend?'

Gerard sighed, shaking his head. 'I might call her to confirm later, but I've been given strict directions from Ray to pick her up from her place on Wednesday, 7pm. I've no idea where I'm going to take her.'

He was trying his best to look like he couldn't care less about his date, but I could tell he was stressing out a little. It felt a little strange, hearing him planning out the details, and somehow the picture in my head of him, with a girl, in a restaurant, seemed a bit off. It was just because it was new. None of us had really dated anyone until recently. With the other guys it didn't seem as odd, but I knew if Gerard really liked this girl, Lacey, she would become a big part of my life, too. 

'How about that cute Japanese place on the corner of Scott Square?' I suggested. The sky had started to cloud over, and Gerard got to his feet and indicated that we should make moves.

He nodded, shrugging his shoulders. 'Yeah, I guess. I'll see if I can make a reservation.'

I waited five more minutes as he got changed before we set off walking home together. 

'You know I wouldn't actually ditch you, right?' Gerard asked, looking at me from under the jacket he was holding over his head, as rain began to drizzle down. I peered back at him from under my own.

'I know,' I replied, 'I was only joking before.' 

I would never have admitted it to him, and I was finding it hard to admit even to myself, but I could feel Olivia's words seeping in through the indestructible confidence I had in mine and Gerard's friendship. At least, I'd always thought it indestructible. How could it be that a handful of vicious words, intended solely to hurt me, had managed to find a crack in a trust built on years of being there for one another? But he could do better than me. Maybe he would, when he went out with Lacey.

But it was only a tiny thought. I knew I couldn't see her as a threat. I knew that this was what Olivia was trying to do, and Gerard didn't deserve it. I had to patch up that crack, seal it off tightly with even more trust and love.

'I'm not really looking for anything serious,' Gerard said, thoughtfully, as we walked. 'If we hit it off, then, great, but I feel like a lot of people are going crazy trying to find someone to be with and, I don't know, I don't really have that. Is that weird?'

I laughed. 'I don't think so. I don't have that, either. I think we're quite complete as we are, our weird little gang. But if someone else comes along, I'm sure they'll fit right in.'

We arrived at my house, the rain starting to come down a little more heavily.

'Are you coming in?'

Gerard shook his head. 'Not tonight, I need to get going on my history project if I won't have time on Wednesday night. I'll text you later, though.'

I nodded, wrapping my arms around him as he enfolded me in his, our jackets balanced awkwardly on our shoulders as heavy drops of rain splashed on our heads. 

'Laura,' Gerard murmured, 'don't pay any mind to what those girls are saying. It will blow over, these things always do.'

I sighed heavily. Somehow, exhaling whilst being shielded against Gerard's chest felt more like releasing any anxieties, just as he told me to. 

'I know,' I whispered back.

'And I'll always be here for you.'

'I know that, too.'