𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝙸𝚜 𝚄𝚐𝚕𝚢 (Frerard)

Chapter 5: Don't Be Too Gay...

[Gerard]

A few minutes later, we started to move again. In the near distance, I heard the growling of multiple engines. I guessed it was probably the busses coming to pick up the kids in the affected wing. Since our wing wasn't touched at all, we headed back into school. I was glad Mr. Heddington had changed his mind so we could at least stay.

Walking by my side, Frank and I moved shoulder-to-shoulder. I quickly shifted away, widening the gap between us, self-consciously. I was instantly filled with regret as Frank shot me a hurt look from the side.

"I'm sorry," I said in a low voice so as not to be heard by everyone around us.

"I know. I understand," he sighed. "It's ok."

"I– I'm sorry. I just... I don't want– I love you," I stumbled. "Just scared y'know?"

"I know," Frank answered as he gave me a half-reassuring smile. I looked down apologetically. I really hated our school. I've been going to this place for all my life, and it's always been rough and homophobic as hell. A few years ago, I started to wonder if other schools were better or at least not as bad, but I never bothered to ask anybody.

"Frankie?" I asked impulsively.

"Hmm?"

"Uhh," I tried to put my words together, "are other schools... like this too?" I asked slowly.

"Wh– what do mean?" Frank looked up at me.

"Like, are there other schools that aren't as... homophobic and bad as here? Y'know–"

Frank looked back down again. He seemed hurt for some reason.

"Oh," I started. There must not be, I thought. "So there aren't any schools that are bett–"

"No," Frank interrupted me. "As in yes, there are, it's just..." I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"What is it?" I asked when he didn't continue.

"So, y- yes. The– the other two schools I went to were both better than here, but they– there was– so this– ah..." Frank trailed off.

"It's ok Frankie, you don't have to tell me," I said, noticing his discomfort.

"No, I do. It's fine, it's just– ugh, I don't know how to say it," he sighed, disappointed in himself. Frank constantly had trouble getting his words together and stuttered a lot. He's always been this way. However, it seemed to be that when we were alone together, his speech seemed a tiny bit better. To be honest, it was sort of cute at times. When most would laugh and tease or frown at him, I'd smile and help him. It was sort of common sense to me. You can't fix anything when you're being teased. In fact, it makes it worse.

"If you want, you can tell me through text. Cause' it's easier for you," I finally said after he opened and closed his mouth several times, failing to say anything.

"Yeahh, ok," he finally agreed.

We were almost at the doors when I finally got his text message. It was sort of long as I expected. It read:

"So there was this kid back in fifth grade and we were supposed to be friends. Back then I didn't really know what being gay was and I figured it out the hard way and I knew it wasn't common but I didn't know it was considered weird I guess. I just thought I was weird cause I was never really interested in girls but I found boys particularly attractive even at that age. One time I told this 'friend' that I kind of liked another boy and it was just some stupid child thing where everyone was 'secretly' telling each other their crushes and I ended up joining in but I shouldn't have cause the boy I told told practically everyone at school that I had a crush on a boy and I became the center of all the teasing. It started off as teasing then it became worse as more people joined in and one day my mom picked me up to go to the dentist and some random kid decided to shout to her that I was gay and since then she's always been really homophobic to me. I was grounded for a week after that incident cause she thought doing that would make me straight. She also told my whole family of course so that's how they found out. So to answer your question, no the schools that I went to were definitely not as bad as here cause it was just petty teasing and no beating involved but the worst part was when that kid told my mom and how everything went to hell from then on. I didn't even know what homophobia was and I barely knew what being gay was before everything happened but it was definitely still a horrible experience."