Coffee and Cigarettes

4

"I'd invite you to come but, that'd be rude wouldn't it, me and Frank became friends this morning and I don't want to-"

"That's fine Gerard. Doesn't change that you're still making me walk you here."

Gerard was too nervous and simultaneously excited to walk to the science room himself. Mikey, who had much better things to do and reminded Gerard of it every 30 steps or so, was stuck walking him there. Gerard peered in the window of the classroom hoping for some sign of life. Thankfully, Frank and someone he deduced was Ray were sitting right in view of the window. He quickly thanked Mikey and cautiously opened the door.

"Gee!" Frank exclaimed. "Gee, this is Ray, we've been friends since first grade. I'm not really sure why he puts up with me, but together we're the best guitarists Belleville has ever seen!" Gerard waved a shy hello and Ray returned the gesture with a polite nod. "You're cool that I call you Gee right?" Frank checked, hoisting himself onto a desk for a seat.

"Yeah, my brother calls me that all the time." He replied, rubbing his face to hide the red color seeping into his cheeks. It was different when Frank called him that. It made him feel special, like they were close.

"Rad."

"We don't usually do much in here. Sometimes we play DnD, but it's hard with only 2 people. Mostly we just listen to music on the speakers in here and talk about dumb shit," Ray commented. "Right now though, I'm trying to make up some homework."

Gerard nodded as Frank hopped off of the desk like a swimmer diving in for a race and practically skipped over to the computer.

"Ray, you know what I should show him? Pete's band! Gee, you've gotta hear this, Ray's friend is in this band and they're amazing, real record deal material. They're called Fall Out Boy." Frank pulled up Youtube and started typing away in the search bar.

"I think my brother knows that guy. The other bass in jazz band?" Gerard knew Mikey knew Pete Wentz. Mikey had been madly in love with him since his ex-girlfriend broke up with him. Gerard thought it was just a rebound, but his little crush had been going on for months now, and frankly he was sick of hearing about how a bassist x bassist romance would be just 'ThE cUtEsT tHiNg EvEr'.

"Yeah, the one with the black hair and raccoon eyeliner every day. He's chill, sometimes he'll hang with us here, but only when he doesn't have practice." Ray responded, looking up from the chemistry packet he'd been scribbling away at. 'Mikey is gonna lose his shit when I tell him.' Gerard thought. Soft vocals started pouring from the room's shitty sound system. Either way, Gerard could tell the man on the recording was a very good singer.

"Is this Pete singing?" Gerard asked.

"Nah, this is Patrick. He plays guitar and sings. He's a year younger than us. Pete sings occasionally but not on this one." Frank answered, swinging his feet onto the desk.

"Ah. What's it called?"

"Grand Theft Autumn."

"Ray. Dude you're never gonna believe what I did." Frank groaned.

"Well if in telling me I'm becoming an accessory to whatever crime you're about to confess to me, then I don't want to know." Ray replied without looking up from his chemistry work.

"I left my gym clothes in the locker room."

"Well what's so bad about that?" Gerard questioned.

"The football team has practice. If he hasn't already told you, he and Brendon Urie have some serious beef. Which is ironic since he's vegetarian." Ray answered, putting down his pencil.