The Majesty of Choice

Life

Gerard, frozen in fear, turns to the door to see the two people he hates most in the world standing there looking like Christmas has both come early and been canceled. Their facial expressions are so mixed he doesn't know which term is more accurate. Both of their mouths are stretched so tight that Gerard's not even sure if their lips are still there.

"Um, you," Hattie says to Gerard, pointing at him, and looking like she hasn't determined yet what she intends to say to him.

"Gerard," he says.

"What?" She asks in her pretentious, obviously fake accent that she picked up to make herself look more noble. It doesn't really work when her threadbare dresses look as shabby and worn as the dish rag in the kitchen.

"My name is Gerard," he says, "in case you've forgotten."

"Oh," Hattie says, while Olive's steadily tightening brow turns it into one long bushy one instead of two already very bushy ones. She's standing behind Hattie like some sort of bodyguard, which Hattie most certainly doesn't need, because no human or animal within one hundred square miles wants anything to do with her. Except maybe to push her off a cliff, but in that case a bodyguard isn't entirely needed because it would be a mercy to everyone.

"Can I speak with you privately, Gerard?" She asks, looking uncertainly at Patrick. Gerard too eyes Patrick who looks like he just dropped a baby on its head. He looks so guilty and nervous that Gerard doesn't even know how he hasn't internally combusted. Patrick probably thinks he's done something really wrong. Admittedly, he probably has, but Gerard's not going to hold the guy accountable for it. Gerard can be a stubborn guy sometimes and it's not Patrick's fault for getting annoyed with that fact.

That doesn't mean that Gerard isn't still kind of angry with Patrick for saying what it was he was saying a minute ago, but he's going to set that aside for now seeing as Hattie and Olive may or may not have just overheard Patrick telling Gerard he's in love with the Prince.

This is ten shades of not okay, because Hattie and Olive are both in love with the Prince. They both hate or at least dislike Gerard. They both have nothing holding them back from expressing their disapproval of whatever Gerard may do. As far as they know, Gerard likes the guy they both are in love with. Gerard is the same gender as the guy they think he's in love with. Lastly, Gerard has to do whatever they say. This is a recipe for disaster, and Hattie's just been given a giant fucking mixing bowl to cook up whatever shit she's got stewing in that evil little brain of hers.

"Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Patrick," Gerard says, hoping he's not going to regret that later. Really, right now what he needs is moral support. He doesn't want to be forced into anything, and he feels like, at least with Patrick here, he might have some act of defense.

"Don't argue with me, Gerard," Hattie bites and Gerard feels the order hit him like a brick. That's going to be inconvenient.

"Fine," Gerard says.

"Hallway," Hattie orders, "now."

Gerard, who literally can't refuse, does as asked of him. He mumbles something to Patrick, who stays where he is on the floor of Gerard's room, even by himself there's still little room on the floor for Gerard to even get to the door, because the room is just that small.

Patrick stares at him questioningly as Gerard closes the door, and there's a million unanswered questions that Gerard is leaving behind that door when it faintly clicks shut. The hallway is dark with the sun not making it through the window at the end of the hall where Hattie drags Gerard for some illusion of privacy but obviously Patrick's going to have his ear pressed to the door. Hattie, apparently smart enough as to realize this actually makes to drag Gerard down the stairs. When he tries to refuse, she tells him not to, so he follows. What else is there for him to do? He can't disobey an order.