I'll Never Let Them Hurt You - Frerard -

5.

He hugged me.

It took me a few seconds to realize what was happening, but once I did I wrapped my arms back around him and hugged him tight. And for some reason, I didn't want to let go.

"Oh Gee, you've been through so much. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You should never have to go through that. I would never do that to you. Brendon, Pete, Jamia, we'd never do that to you. Whoever did do that to you is a dick okay? You're so amazing and so beautiful, you don't deserve that," he comforts.

When he pulls away from me I can't look away from the ground, he puts a finger under my chin and lifts up my head to look at him.

"I really want you to trust me Gee, I wanna be your friend. I know you think I'm lying Gee, but I'm not. I promise you, I'll never let them hurt you."

For some reason, Frank triggered something in me. I felt like he was the only person in the world that mattered, the only person who would listen. Just him hugging me and lifting my chin up made my heart flutter, everything about him was different. I felt for the first time that I had found someone who wouldn't hurt or betray me.

I took a deep breath as I looked him in the eyes.

"Okay," I say. "I trust you."

He smiles a wide smile and pulls me in for another hug.

"I promise, I'll never hurt you Gee."

As we pull away from the second hug I feel myself smiling.

"You have a pretty smile," Frank comments.

"I don't really though."

"Hey," Frank says again. "LOVE YOURSELF."

"Nah," I say.

"Okay," He says whilst dropping his cigarette on the concrete and putting it out with his foot. "I guess I'll have to make you then."

"Huh? What does that- WAIT NO!" I say, screeching as he lunges forward and tickles my sides.

"Okay okay!" I say whilst giggling. "You win!"

"I don't like it when you talk bad about yourself is all,"He simply says. "You're too petty for that shit."

I blush and slightly hide my hands in my face. "I'm really not, I have lots of flaws."

"Everybody does," he responds. "That doesn't make you any less beautiful. Maybe by societies standards but not mine."

I remain silent for a second, then I ask what's been on my mind.

"Are you this much of a flirt to everyone you meet?"

"Well, I like picking people up. I like making everyone feel important and loved. I'm not necessarily always flirty though, I really do think you're cute," He says whilst shrugging.

"Are you.." I start to say, but trail off after thinking it was rude to ask.

"Gay?" He finished for me with a raised eyebrow.

I nod my head.

"Do you want me to be?" He asks teasingly.

"I-I. U-Uh.." I stutter out, but he stops me.

"I was just teasing you," He says. "I'm not sure if I'm gay. I don't think I am, but, hey who knows? I definitely find both guys and girls hot, so, I guess I could be bi? But I dunno honestly."

"Oh okay," I nod. "That's cool."

For a while after that it's just silence. Not awkward silence, just comfortable silence. Like both of us have a lot on our minds.

"Hey Frank?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"What's your family like?"

I could tell that the question caught him off guard by the way his eyes widened slightly, but he answered nonetheless.

"Well, my dad's not exactly in the picture anymore, so I live with my mom. She's rarely ever home because she works so hard to support me, but she loves me and I know that. I don't have any siblings, but I do have two dogs," he finishes. "You?"

"Well, I live with both my parents and Mikey. My parents never acknowledge that I'm gay. Whenever my mom's friends come over she tells them I have a 'condition'," I say, putting air-quotes around the word condition.

"That sucks, I'm sorry," Frank says.

"It's alright, I've grown used to it," I admit as I shrug.

He frowns at that. "You've gone through so much shit. I hate the way people treat you."

"Well, not to be rude or anything, but why did it take you so long to say something then?"

"I'm kinda a pussy?" He says with a breathy laugh, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Pete's really the only one who can deal with the bullies, they're scared if him. I'm only scary when I'm angry."

"Why's that?" I ask.

"I tend to yell when I'm angry," He says. "And I get kinda..like..punchy?"

"Punchy?" I ask while giggling.

"Yeah I don't know what else to call it," He says, laughing slightly.

"You get hostile??" I say, still giggling at 'punchy'.

"Yeah! Yeah hostile, that's the word," He confirms.

"I think I actually like punchy better," I say sarcastically.

"Haha funny."

"I happened to think it's quite hilarious."

I then hear the familiar ring of a bell, indicating the end of school. We definitely skipped both 6th and 7th, but I was okay with that. I look up at Frank sadly.

"Well, I should probably get going, I have to drive Mikey home, otherwise I'd stay for a bit longer." I say.

"Oh, okay. Well I hope to see you tomorrow, and bring your friend to our lunch table too. If you don't Hayley might have a fit," he says, laughing slightly.

"Will do, see ya Frankie." I say sassily.

"Bye Gee." He says, mocking my sass.

I giggle at him as we walk our separate ways.

-

I got into the car with Mikey and I can already tell he knows something is up. His eyes tell it all.

"So who were you with?" He asks.

"Nobody?" I say, trying to play it off.

"Gee, you smell like cigarettes. Not weed like you usually do, cigarettes. And I know you don't smoke those. Who were you with?"

"Geese, you're acting like you're my older brother or something. You know I'm the older one right?"

"Answer the question," he pushes.

"I was with Frank," I say simply, thinking that maybe if I didn't make a big thing of it he wouldn't either.

It was silent for a couple seconds until he says, "so you and Frank huh?"

I immediately retort with, "so you and Pete huh?"

He's quiet again, and I think I see a slight blush on his face until he says, "he doesn't like me anyways, so it doesn't matter."

"Mhm," I say. "You keep telling yourself that Mikey, you keep telling yourself that."