The Wrong Body [Frerard AU]

Chapter Sixteen

Mikey gave a short rap on the door. A weak, "It's open," answered. He pushed the door open and peered inside.

His brother was laying on his bed, the sheets twisted around his body and his hair messy and unkempt. A pencil was perched in between his first two fingers and was twirling around aimlessly, Gerard watching with unfocused eyes.

Mikey sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you alright?"

Gerard was silent for a bit. "I'm... I'm okay, I guess," he finally said. "I just don't know what to do right now, or how to handle it."

"Well, what did you do when Pete passed?" Mikey shed softly, gently rubbing his hand up and down his brother's leg.

"Um..." Gerard tried to recall the memory. "You and... and Lindsey helped me through it."

"Right." Mikey tried to be as comforting as he could. "You've already talked to me. Why don't you do something with Frankie?"

"She's at school."

"Gerard, it's six o'clock. School's done by now."

He sat up. "Did I really do nothing all day?"

Mikey laughed. "Pretty much. Tell you what; give Frankie a call and go hang out with her. Oh, and you might want to fix your hair. You look like complete shit."

Gerard rolled out of his bed. "Thanks Mikey," he groaned.

"One more thing," the younger boy continued, one hand hand resting on the doorknob. "You need to go to school tomorrow. You haven't been there since the ceremony for Lindsey."

Gerard gave his brother a small smile. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Mikey smiled back. "Of course I am." He walked out of the room to his own.

Gerard gazed into the mirror, cringing at his reflection. Mikey was right. He did look like complete shit. He flattened out his hair the best he could and put on some nicer looking clothes.

He ducked past a man in a long black coat and headed outside. The snow had almost fully melted, thus being the end of March. The only downside to the nice weather was the mud. At least Frankie's house wasn't far.

He couldn't hide the grin that spread across his face when Frankie opened the door. "Hey."

"Oh, hi." Frankie smiled back. "You haven't been at school at all this week, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah, just... out of it, I guess." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Do you wanna go out?"

Frankie blushed. "Wh-what?"

"I asked if you wanted to–" Gerard stopped, and his eyes went wide in realization. "Oh! No, not like that, I meant–" now it was his turn to blush. "I thought we could walk around the town and just... talk... maybe visit Lindsey..."

Frankie smiled again, somewhat nervously. "Yeah, I'd like that. Let me get my coat."

As soon as the door closed between the two, Frankie let out a sigh of relief. She was not expecting Gerard to be at the door. Luckily she wasn't dressed up.

She debated whether or not to remove her binder, but decided against it. If she wanted to tell Gerard, she might as well show him. Gradually, but still.

Frankie pulled on a flannel and walked back outside. Gerard shot her a grin as he grabbed her hand, pulling her into the street. Frankie let out a high-pitched sound, cut of halfway by her clapping a hand over her mouth.