Escalators {Frerard}[COMPLETED]

➳ recalcitrant

 ❝Recalcitrant- having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline❞

Feeling rather peculiar as I turned to walk away from the gang of teenagers, my legs were feeling worryingly like jelly for something that was supposed to be able to stop me from crumpling into a heap. And I was worried about crumpling into a heap, because the awkwardness of the situation was making my cheeks burn bright red, and I hoped that none of them would actually see how much I currently resembled a tomato. Especially seeing as they were cool, or whatever, and although that wasn't really my style, I didn't want to look as pathetic as I actually felt.

That was not working, I realised, as a large, heavy force hit me from behind as I stumbled forwards to a tumult of laughter. 

Judging by the explosion of pain in my back, between my shoulder blades, one of them had spin kicked me or something. My earphones had fallen straight out of my ears, and my iPod was skittering across the lino floor as I prayed it wasn't broken. If that wasn't enough, the plug had come loose, and the surrounding area was treated to a loud chorus of 'Halo' by Cage The Elephant, which was one of my favourite songs, yet not in the circumstances. 

Three sets of chuckling laughter began to bite into my nerves, as I slowly turned around to look at them. Although the clever thing to do would have been to pick my iPod up, I ignored the intruding music and made reluctant eye contact with the people standing behind me.

The two girls were sniggering, Mikey was grinning, but to my surprise, Gerard didn't seem to find it funny. Cocking his head slightly to look at me, his eyes narrowed slightly. The black thatch of his hair flopped to one side, the curve of his top lip showing that he wasn't finding amusement in the behaviour of his friends.

"That was a bit tight, Lou," he remarked, and I met his eyes. He shrugged, before walking forwards, to where my iPod was lying on the floor. Bending down to pick it up, he glanced at the screen for a moment, smiled slightly, and handed it back to me.  

"Thanks," I murmured slightly, dusting it off and shoving it back into my pocket, any sound now reduced to silence. What they had done to my back, though, I still had no idea. Spin-kicking seemed like a credible concept really, because the blow between my shoulders had been equal to that of what I imagined to be a sledgehammer. 

"I was just messing," the girl who was called Lou said, sounding slightly sullen on account of the fact that she hadn't had the reaction she'd hoped for. Gerard shrugged, before walking away, back to where the others were standing.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his tone sounding as though he wasn't really that worried, more the fact that he just felt like he had to. Either way, I was fine, besides the fact that I think my back was broken. That Lou had one hell of a punch, or a spin-kick, or whatever it was that she'd done.

I shrugged. "Suppose."

Mikey was still sniggering. "You took one hell of a hit."

"It hurt," I snapped, my retort actually sounding more assertive than I'd originally meant it to. Although maybe that was a good thing, because then that might put them off hitting me again. Or maybe even the opposite, but I had no idea of such things because like I said, my social skills were definitely lacking.

"Are you a wimp or something? How come you're working summer at the mall?"

Well, that was a bit rude. Though I was a bit of a wimp, I wasn't going to admit that to him. Gerard, who I'd thought was on my side, was instead smirking at the boy next to him, and I realised that maybe not. One act of 'kindness' did not define a person, I suppose.

What the hell? Why were remarkably tumblr thoughts coming to me at a time like this? God damn, I was so weird.

Shrugging, I looked back at Mikey. "College application credit."

"Yeah, you've already said that."

"You've already asked," I replied, again sounding more assertive than I intended. Were they going to bore of irritating me soon, or was I going to have to rely on intervention? Hopefully not, because I didn't think that having someone come to my rescue was going to improve my 'badass' aura that I was trying to make.

In all my seventeen years, I'd never managed to come across as 'badass', and I didn't think that being pushed over by some random girl in the middle of the mall was going to help that any. Really, I should have just given up trying by now, cool was not, and never would be, in my repertoire.

For a moment, nobody spoke and I thought that this might have been my cue to walk away. That was, until Mikey's eyes widened and Gerard began to snigger, looking at something behind my left shoulder.

"Is that your dad?!"

 Oh how great.

With a feeling of remarkable trepidation heavy in my chest, I turned around to face what I knew was inevitable, that being the lumberjack-esque figure of Rob, who was striding forwards purposefully, as though these people were my friends or something, when even a drama requiring me working would have been a welcome distraction.

When he was close enough for his voice to penetrate my ears with that booming bass of sound that irritated me hugely, he started.

"Aren't you working? This is your job! I can sack you on the spot, you know! Do you think this is some sort of joke, Mr Iero?!"

As annoyed as I'd heard Rob in the past day or so, this time he sounded even more irritated than usual. A way to get him to believe me was stubbornly averting my mind, and it was only when he was close enough for me to smell the tang of sweat that followed him like a rancid cloud, did I start to try to defend myself. 

"Rob, I was. I was just sorting something out..."

"You're always just 'sorting something out' aren't you, Frank? That being hiding and listening to Nirvana, or stood here talking to your friends!"

Thankfully, Mikey chipped in then, and although what he said was probably rather offensive, it didn't register like that in my head, simply for the reason that it was the only thing separating me and the sack. 

"Oh, we're not his friends. He's a nerd."

A sigh was the only thing in means of a reply, and from Gerard, not Rob.

"Mikey, you're a nerd."

"So are you, Gerard, what with your comic addiction and everything!"

The name seemed to stir something in Rob, who whipped around to where the black-haired boy was standing. Insolence flashed to the surface of his expression as soon as he saw that Rob was looking at him, although if I'd have been Gerard, with Rob's expression I'd have ran. 

"You. Out."

Gerard's previously polite demeanor dropped instantly, and he stuck his tongue out at Rob. "I'm not doing nothing."

"You're not supposed to be in here, you've been banned."

"What for?" Judging by the vying behaviour between Gerard and Rob, and the amused smirks of everyone else besides me, this was a common occurrence, and Gerard had got himself the title of 'Public Enemy Number One' and whilst that seemed like an incredibly enjoyable, amusing thing for Mikey and the girls, it only served to make my life harder.

"You want me to go through your crimes, and see if I can get you arrested?"

"I'm good thanks, Granddad."

"Oi!"

Hoping that Rob wasn't going to make me run after them as they took off sprinting down the echoing mall, my guilty, pleading expression met my boss' murky green eyes. He shook his head almost fondly, as though he knew this wasn't my fault, for once.

"Keep an eye out for them. Although maybe just stay alert on that black-haired one." The snarl was unmistakable.

"Who is he?" I asked as I followed him back up towards the main foyer. 

Rob sighed, sounding as though the mere mention of the lad was getting on his nerves. Maybe such a reputation was something that I'd rather go not knowing.

"That's Gerard Way, and he's been trouble from the start."