Kissed All the Boys | Frerard + COMPLETE ! |

➵ ONE

The Way residence was a silent amusement park - closed for the winter and abandoned. Every room was dark, no lights lit, only shadows cast around corners and down hallways. The sky above the apartment complex was a condescendingly drab grey, mimicking Genevieve's life. Clouds barricaded the sun's rays and brisk winds twirled through the dead leaves of stiff tree branches. It was Monday, November 18th. The clocks read 12:34, which explained the absence of Genevieve and her mother.

Gen was sitting in a desk at Roman High School, listening to Mrs. Dowgar give the class a lecture, and Donna was sat behind a desk in the Middle School, working as an office secretary. On Friday and Saturday nights, Donna would man the ticket entry booths at the AT&T  Concert Arena for a little extra money.

Donna gave birth to Gen at the age of 23, jumping right out of college and into a marriage that didn't last a year. When John left his wife and seven month old daughter, Donna was left to take care of Gen on her own, simultaneously maintaining her job and keeping up with bills. The duo was forced to move into an apartment after Donna was fired from her initial job at a fast food chain due to being late for work for the ninth time. The rent became drastically cheaper, allowing her some leeway and time to find another job. She made do for four years, until she was able to enroll Gen in preschool. This gave her less options for employment, only because of the flexibility she required to be available in case of emergency, to drop Gen off, and to pick her up. She then realized that the only obvious solution was to work at the school. Born with the gifts of friendliness, assertiveness, and being good with kids, the school board was more than happy to hire her as an office lady, where she would answer calls, make announcements on the intercom, handle students' attendance, and many more miscellaneous tasks.

In the small town of Mackenzie, Oregon, there was only one school district to educate the three hundred some-odd kids that needed the education. The Roman School District was divided into four different buildings on one huge campus, each designated to certain grades: the ELC (Early Learning Center) for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, the Elementary (first through fifth), Middle School (sixth through eighth), and High School (ninth through twelvth). Donna had originally began working at the ELC, where her daughter started school, but advanced up to Middle school when Gen entered first, and had remained there through her schooling. Donna received minimum wage, $7.25, per hour, five days a week, for the entire duration of the school year, allowing the mother and daughter to just get by. When Gen hit the age of ten, Donna decided that she was old enough to stay at home alone occasionally, so she began to work at the arena, adding a few hundred to their savings fund each month.

Genevieve was a bright kid, earning straight A's all through school, and staying out of trouble. And for this, she was labeled as a nerd. At the Award Ceremonies at the end of each year of Elementary and Middle school, Gen received ample awards commending her grades or skills in class, was on the honor roll, and had perfect attendance every single year, resulting in an awkward five solid minutes of her on stage as Principal Sparks shook her hand and Mr. Stroop read the list. Being the nerd, it was difficult for Gen to make friends. She didn't understand why being smart meant for people to turn their nose when she passed. Her mother always told her to ignore those people, and to keep doing her thing; the right person would come along soon enough who'll appreciate her gifts. And they did.

Genevieve Angel Way was a tall, lanky girl, with straight, long, black hair and almond shaped hazel eyes that changed from dark to light depending on her mood. She wasn't the girly-girl type, preferring jeans and a t-shirt over dresses or skirts any day. She didn't wish to wear makeup, or do her hair up all fancy. She went to school as she awoke, the only difference being her attire and scent status. Fortunately inheriting her father's straight teeth, she didn't have to worry about braces being added to the list of Reasons Why Genevieve Is A Total Loser. In third grade, another factor that was tagged onto the end of that long list was glasses. Gen wore thick, black, square-framed glasses perched atop her perky nose, which did complement her pale skin and smooth cheekbones, but plastered the word DORK all over her face. She excelled in all of her subjects, but favored English. When she was first stuck home alone on those solemn nights while her mom was at the arena, Gen would either lounge in her room with a good book or visit her favorite place where she could look at the stars.

Though her intentions of finding a friend weren't imminent in her life, she was always secretly yearning for someone to share her ideas with other than her own mom. She'd made a few friends in Elementary, but that was before kids knew what it meant to be cruel. Once they hit Middle, Gen's 'friends' bolted, and she was left alone once again. But she had come to terms with her situation, and was completely accepting of being a loner. In fact, she'd grown to like the silence and freedom to do as she wished, not having to worry about what others would think or if her friends would want to come with her. She simply glided through life singlehandedly, without anything holding her back from her desires or dreams.

That is, until Frank Iero came along.