Before Killing Was Cool ➊ FRERARD

10: My Loveliest Phone Calls And Mistakes

C h a p t e r | T e n

Present Day - Mikey

"Mikes!" Pete's yelling at his loveliest fixation who's walking further into the distance and away from him. Mikey turns back around, looking straight at Pete past the students leaving the building as school ends. "Sorry, I mean," he pants as he catches up to him, "I didn't mean to call you that, I know you don't like—"

"It's fine, Pete." He shrugs one shoulder carelessly, just relieved to see him. It's like coming home, but a lot better, which is a worrying thought. "I don't mind."

"Where were you today?" Pete asks worriedly.

Mikey only had time to tell Alicia the story of how he met Frank and a few details about his questionable friendships. Alicia promised she wouldn't repeat anything outside of her circle of investigators and police, not even to his parents. What he's most guilty about is the fact that he found himself trusting the Detective, and maybe starting to warm up to her too.

He didn't say anything about Pete. It's a no brainer that he doesn't wish to. At the end of the day, he hopes he can get away with leaving Pete out of this, and besides, what does he really know about the boy anyway? He has no insight into his friendship with Frank other than it seemed like a big waste of time and a mistake. But what if Pete was partially behind the shooting schemes and subsequently is part of the reason that Gerard is gone? Mikey can't bear the thought.

"I went back home," he lies somewhat convincingly, "forgot my money for the cafeteria so I just ate back there." Come to think of it, he hasn't had anything since breakfast but all the lies and truths he's telling combined are making him nauseous and unable to stomach anything.

"You wanna hang?" Pete suggests, noticing how upset the younger boy is.

"God, yes." Mikey sighs in delight, following Pete across the playing fields. Yes, sometimes he wants to hang in all senses of the word.

Once they're outside, Pete huffs nervously, "Mikey - just cut the crap, alright? I saw those police-looking people come up to you and I saw you go with them, with that woman. I'm not mad at you, Mikes, I just want you to be comfortable enough around me to tell the truth."

Run me into a corner, why don't you, thinks Mikey.

"They sort of blackmailed me," he fibs, "and... I mean, it's just me left, isn't it? All the other 'suspects' that drove Frank to do what he did are dead." Which makes it weird that they're already talking about handing out sentences where they're 'due', though he conveniently doesn't mention this. "The cops need someone to pin it on, but they told me that if I could tell them all that I knew and who was involved..." His eyes anxiously meet Pete's, unsure if it's right to be confiding in him with this. "I'd be off the hook."

"You told them about me?" Pete presumes in disappointment.

"No!" Mikey hurries out. "No, I told them about how I meant Frank and my friends. That's it, really. I still felt bad for it even though they're..." He shakes his head. "They want answers for the families, I get that. But they're gonna call me back in soon. I'm scared, Pete."

"You're scared?" Pete puts a tentative hand on Mikey's shoulder with a frown and a soft, understanding voice. "What would make you less scared right now?"