Malignant

Chapter Four

   Gerard walked me home that one day, and now it's become a daily thing. I mean, we would've ended up doing it anyway since we live right across from each other, but it still has been nice for the past five months. Even though Gerard's one year older than me, we just connected. He's super kind, caring, and we even sometimes have lunch together at the Montrak Diner. He always gets coffee, even when it's 90 degrees outside. And now that it got so cold, he's been wearing cat-ear earmuffs that make him look so cute.

   I stayed over at Gerard's house one night because we had studied so much for our midterms! His mom is super nice, and she let me sleep on the couch. His brother, Mikey, is very sweet, as well. He's two years younger than me. Mikey seems like a good brother and doesn't care about Gerard's girl clothing obsession.

   "Hey, Frank, what's all of this?" It's Gerard's first time in my house. We always end up going to his because my mom's always home and wasted. But she's on her first 'outing' since we moved. Ever since I got beat up so bad, she's been drinking even more. You would've thought she would call the police, but heaven forbid her son is okay! She's gotten so bad, I've had to do everything by myself.

   "Oh, it's just my camera. I like photography. Not as much as singing and playing guitar, but it is really fun."

   Gerard picks up some of my photographs. They aren't the best ones, because those are in my drawer, but they're ones I'm proud of. One of them is of CC when he fell down into the snow because of the ice.

   "You're really good, Frank! Maybe you could take a picture of something for me," says Gerard. He's smiling weirdly, which is rather creepy yet adorable all at the same time.

   "Oh yeah? And what's that, Gerard?"

   "Can you take a picture with a timer so you could be in the shot?"

   "Um, I would have to get my stand out, but yeah. I can do that."

   "Could we take a picture together?"

   I freeze. No one has ever asked to have their picture taken with me. I'm always behind the camera. Even my own mother never has taken a picture of me, which isn't exactly surprising. My dad took photos of me, but I think he took them all when they divorced. He's lucky to have finally gotten away from her.

   "Oh-okay. Just let me go downstairs and get my tripod."

   I walk out of my bedroom feeling so very awkward. I've never had to use the timer setting, so I'm probably going to fail, and then Gerard's going to hate me, and I'll hate myself, and then everyone at the school will hate me more than they already do. My tripod's in the basement, so I walk down there and see everything we haven't unpacked. I didn't unpack my chest of random things from vacations, or half of my old furniture for my room. If we made it pretty enough, this basement could be a tiny apartment.

   The stand's in the far left corner, where the washer and dryer are. I grab it, dust it off, and start my journey back up to the second floor.

   Once I'm in the family room, I stop walking. I hear the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. A small tune is filling the house, and it's like nothing I've ever heard before. Who knew a piano could make that amazing of a sound.

   I walk up the stairs, focusing on the playing, and knock on my door. No one answers, but the music gets stronger and prettier. I open the door, and the music abruptly stops.

   "Oh no, Gerard, keep playing! You sound amazing!"

   "Really? I was just trying something out."