Like Driving Toward the Morning Sun || Frerard (COMPLETED)

Chapter 16- The key is C minor without you

They forced me to eat the sloppy brown mixture they called food, then very closely monitored the conversation on each section of the long table, occasionally interjecting the talking if the subject wasn't what they wanted it to be.

I sat opposite Lynz, next to some random guy with dark eyes and a hunched back.

We spoke quietly about why we were here and I learnt that she was sent here after she attempted to burn her school down, and she learnt that I still have no idea why I'm here because I'm fine.

The hunchback interjected, "but you're obviously not fine."

I rolled my eyes and looked at Lynz, then at the guy, "I'm fine."

He shrugged, "sure, sure. Whatever."

Lynz sighed, giving me a small smile, "he's weird. Ignore him."

So I did.

---

At 2:30 every day, 4 of us had to go to a separate room they called 'the focus space' and do school work. Like they didn't know the fucking world was ending.

I just sat there in stony silence, looking at the math questions they'd set me and refusing to do anything.

The member of staff looking over the people in the 'focus space' was called Jenny. She was crazy tall, with brown hair and a questionable taste in clothing. She always wore slightly baggy tank tops and suit pants- never jeans- and these clunky brown shoes that looked like they should belong to her dad. But, she was the most understanding member of staff there. She wasn't a robot.

It was my second day, so my second 'session' in the focus space. Jenny greeted me with a smile and offered me a drink. I declined (what if she drugged it?) and sat down at a desk by the window.

Two other people in my 'class' were already there. A boy I hadn't seen yesterday who introduced himself as Gareth, and always complained about sucking at guitar. I think he was autistic- although Jenny never spoke about what people's 'problems' were. Not in front of the class.

I'd met the other kid yesterday. He was mute but Jenny introduced him as Tom. He had messy black hair and a permanent scowl, but was really good at drawing horses (and only horses, apparently he refused to draw anything different).

There were only three of us. Apparently the fourth person in our class was due to arrive on Thursday.

I didn't know when Thursday was.

Im losing my mind in this place.

Jenny came up to me after 20 minutes of me sat there not doing work, "Frank, would you like to take a walk with me?"

I looked at her for a moment. "What?"

"A walk. Maybe it'll re-focus you. And, you're new here. I can get to know you." She smiled at me and I reluctantly got up.

Jenny told a passing member of staff to watch Gareth and Tom while we were walking, then we left.

"So, Frank," she started with a smile, walking at a slow pace with me a step behind her, "how are you feeling today?"

"I'm fine."

"Ah, I've heard that a million times." She sighed. "That's the 'I don't want to talk about it' answer."

"Damn straight it is."

"You're gonna have to talk about it, you know. That's why you're here. That's why I'm here."

I didn't say anything and looked at the floor.

"So, what's up?" She asked, looking over at me. I could sense it.

"The world is ending. I want to be with Gerard."

"Who's this Gerard?" She asked, smiling at me, "a brother? Your friend?"

"Boyfriend."

Jenny nodded slowly, "I can see why you want to be with him."

"So why can't I leave? I'm fine."

"Because you have to stay here for at least a week. I'm sorry, Frank, but there's nothing I can do about that."

I huffed childishly, "fuck that."

"Language."

"Fuck you."

She sighed a bit and stopped walking, "I know you're angry, I've met a lot of angry people, but you just need to stick it out."

I looked at her, "I don't need to be here. I don't even know why I'm here."

"You want to find out?"

I hesitated, then nodded.

"Okay, let's go find out."

---

She walked with me to the reception, there the stick figure receptionist retrieved my files for Jenny, who started to flick through them. To her, those papers are everything I am, was, and probably ever will be. And I don't like that. I don't want to be defined by words written by someone else. I want to be my own person. And why I can't read my own files is a mystery to me. Is it because I won't like what I read?

After a few minutes, Jenny put the file away again and smiled a bit at me. "From what I gather, you're here because your past therapist-"

"-shrink." I interrupted quietly.

"Yes.. They were concerned about you."

I sighed, "so? Doesn't mean I have to be here!"

"They thought you were hurting yourself."

"well, I wasn't." I said, then my mind wandered to Gerard and the drugs.

Maybe he should come here.

"Anyway, like I said before- you have to stay here for at least a week."

"The world could be obliterated by then." I said flatly, looking out of the window.

"But it might not be."

"But what if it is? I... I'll never get to say goodbye to Gee..."

"You could call him?" She suggested.

I shook my head, "it'll make me miss him more."

Jenny shrugged, "okay. We should go back."

I nodded numbly, still staring out the window as I whispered back, "okay."

---

Bit shorter than normal- sorry...

I'm lacking inspiration right now, so my updates are very slow and shitty.

Also no one reads this shit anyway.

~NewTraditions