Get it up

The chapter in Witch Gerard settles into college

"Lindsey is my hug dealer"
-Gerard Way

It was your typical story, really. Gerard had moved into New York after completing high school to go to college. The buildings seamed to tower over him and the air seamed somehow thicker than New Jersey, which was quite a surprise. He moved into a dorm room where parties were already taking place, his roommate was a complete mess, but was a good guy from what Gerard could tell. Ray, or Tray. Something like that.

There was a week of settling down before classes started. Mostly it consisted of Gerard cleaning and finding all the good coffee shops. He even paid for his little brother to come down and scope out the scene with him. Yes, it all seamed rather normal and quite exciting for a young man starting out on his own. That is, until classes started. He had only a few, but there was one he seamed to learn to both dread and hate at the same time, Ms. Ballato's class.

The classroom was big and overpowering. The smallest noise echoed and flooded the room. There were rows apon rows of chairs for students to sit in and desks large enough to sleep on. Belleville high had nothing of this sort. But then again, this was college. There was a huge chalk board and an old brown desk that sat in front of it all, it was the center of attention and a culture of the room. It was pretty and large, holding many drawers. The desk was fancy and especially clean. The desk was Lindsey Ballato's pride and joy, a piece she had bought in Scotland and had -very delicately- shipped over to the US. the walls were aligned with her own paper art. Gerard took time before class admiring them. They were one of a kind, dark yet funny. Gerard was completely amazed by them.

Gerard, being Gerard, was an overly excited freshmen with nothing to lose and everything to learn. He had sat up on the front row, eyes digging into the chalk board and had already grasping a #2 pencil. He was very prepared. As he had been with his other classes that week. He was finally at an art school. Learning art. Granted, Ms. Ballato's class was art history. But it was all a step closer to making it big. It was all fabulous, all wondrous. All simply magnificent.

Then, the clamping of shoes was heard throughout the silent room.

A woman appeared, black hair slicked back and heels that made her a few inches taller. She was beautiful alright. Her red lipstick popped out and seamed to brighten up her face making everyone look. Gerard knew it wasn't a student, she was too old. But she didn't look old at the same time. Her hips moved as she walked, it seamed like a complete silencer to the room. The class stopped and Gerard's eyes grew wide as she stepped in front of the board and wrote her name down on it. The chalk scraped and dusted over the board but eventually created Ms. Ballato in beautiful cursive.

She turned and smirked widely.

"Now, can anyone tell me the meaning behind art?" Her voice was thunderous against the autotorium. It was light and beautiful, with just enough sternness in it to make the kids cringe. They all had heard runners about this devil women, The women who failed the classes so often and who had more homework than anyone, but really the homework didn't matter cause most of the grade was the final exam. They had heard she was strict, completely unbreakable.

That is, until Gerard Way showed up.