damaged kids. k.q/v.f

three

"for today's project, you will work alone. you'll write a poem about someone. anything. it could literally be about someone taking a shit. and, no, you can't curse just because i did." mr. way said with an unimpressed eyebrow raised.

he was too tired to go into work today. he wanted to stay home, but his husband insisted on him going to work.

"uh, what if i suck at writing?" nick asked, looking over at jaime who laughed.

"doesn't matter. it's literally just a poem. i know none of you are shakespeare, so you don't need to go crazy or anything." gerard said with a tired smile, rubbing his eyes when he sat on the floor with the rest of the boys.

kellin bit the inside of his cheek. what could he write about?

he wrote on the paper given to him.
the boy stared at the blank white dead tree and felt tears fill his eyes.

at that moment, he knew vic was right.
he's hurt.

"alright that's 10 minutes! read out your poems!" gerard called, making almost all of the boys excited.

"go around in the circle, starting with mike. if you don't want to read yours, pick someone else to read it, okay?" he asked, causing the boys in the circle to nod in agreement.

mike mentally cursed himself for sitting right at the beginning of the circle.

"the world from your eyes looks much different than the world from my eyes
that is what makes us so different,
but it is also what makes us the same. because i see the world in black and white and you see it in technicolor, and somehow, the two of us align in both of them." mike read slowly, looking up at tony.

jaime, vic, and nick all looked at each other knowingly.

"lucky girlfriend you've got there, huh?" gerard asked, smiling at the tall mexican. mike grinned and nodded.

"yeah... i guess you could say that." he muttered, making jaime burst out laughing.

mr. way seemed to forget basic details. like how mike and tony are dating. he was old and tired all of the time, so the boys just let it slide.

"finding strength through others is one thing, but finding it in your veins is another." jessy read quietly, smiling when nick gave him a friendly pat on the back.

gerard nodded in approval, letting jessy know he was there for him.

"i fell asleep to the beating of your heart.
nothing has ever terrified me more."
nick read his poem and rolled his eyes when jaime sarcastically clapped.

jack took a deep breath with his eyes closed before reading in a soft voice.

"silence speaks volumes. silence can give you all the answers you need. silence can break more hearts than words ever could." jack looked up to see upset faces.

"dude, who hurt you?" nick asked, looking at the tall boy. jack just smiled and waved him off, shaking his head and looking at the next person.

tony looked to someone and bit his lip, too scared to read his own poem. he gave his paper to mike and shook his head in fear.

"and my heart sank.
down,
down,
straight to my toes;
too heavy for me to move.
standing there,
stuck,
with anchored limbs and a hollow chest,
i told you,
do your worst.
i'm not going anywhere." mike read softly, smiling brightly at his boyfriend's poem.