We're Chasing The Sun (Frerard)

Chapter 15

High-pitched laughter that unpleasantly echoed in the classroom ensued. Gerard, as usual, didn't bother joining in with the rest of the class. He sat there sighing and rubbing the spot between his eyebrows to sustain what was left of his tranquility, combating a scream in his chest.

"For Christ's sake, Mark!" Mr. Johnson exclaimed, not as amused as the rest of the class. "Jeopardy is not a country!"

"Yeah, Mark," Brendon cut in, his voice leaking sarcasm and warning about another dumb-joke-bomb that he was about to throw. "Jeopardy is obviously a fucking TV show."

And there they go again, Gerard thought, squinting at the sound of the loud laughter that abruptly broke out again, almost deafening him. He wondered why everyone had burst out laughing again. Jesus Christ, Brendon's joke wasn't even funny this time.

"Enough! I said enough! Goodness gracious, children. Most of you are graduating in less than four months. Have some decorum. Mark, my boy, you certainly seem like you want to achieve something now, don't you?" Mr. Johnson's eyes flooded with the hope that Mark wouldn't drop another hogwash once again. Jesus, Gerard thought, Jeopardy; a fucking country. Mark had the opportunity to call it a leap of leopards or jaguars, yet he let it go to waste. What a shame.

"Yes, sir," Mark replied, grinning broadly. 

"There we go! And what is it you wish to achieve?" Mr. Johnson leaned forward, returning to his sanguine, jolly self. 

"He wants to be a porn star!" Brendon, apparently, couldn't keep it in anymore, despite Ryan's attempts to keep his mouth shut. The room once again flooded with the sound of hysterical laughter, as Mr. Johnson shook his head disapprovingly and fixed his ritzy bow-tie. Mark stretched himself to throw Brendon a playful slap, prompting him to say: "Alright, alright. So do I!"

"Urie and Campbell! Would you two kindly quit it? I've had enough of you, Christ," the teacher said with a hidden savagery behind his tone, which incited the class to make a collective, extended 'ohhh' noise. They all looked like monkeys to Gerard. Well, who knows, perhaps they still hadn't evolved from Australopithecus to Homo Sapiens. Someone should inform them they were a few evolutions behind, that's unhealthy.

Gerard propped his chin on his hand, hunched forward, his face simply read; tired of this class's shit. Maybe, though beyond any bounds of possibility, more tired than Mr. Johnson's shit. And since he was the only one to keep a straight face in the room, he should've known; he was the easiest target. 

"You, Jared," Mr. Johnson directed his full attention to Gerard, making him sit up in agitation. Gerard's name rarely was heard in class, and when it was, it was certainly false. Notwithstanding, this time, Gerard opted not to address the teacher's mistake and move on. "You must certainly have something in mind!"

"Sir?" Gerard said bewildered and shrugged his shoulders.

Mr. Johnson observed his students with apprehension, as if he carried some sort of burden on his weak shoulders. He yelled, "Youths! What have you been doing this entire year? You must understand, you've got one chance in this life. Do not throw it away. There must be someone in this room with some cognizance!"

The laughter ceased, and the old man's eyes roved around as none of the students spoke.

"Do not waste your life away, hear me," he said in despair as if, for once, he was solemn. Gerard leaned forward, for once in his life interested in Mr. Johnson's rants. "Time slips from your fingers like a glass, and before you know it, you'll be fifty and too late. I plead of you, think reasonably. Think now and don't do anything else if you wish, but think! You must deem this critical. Children, this is crucial. You get one chance, you hear? You will be sorry if you have the misfortune to be late."