Puppy Love and Kitten Play (B1) (PLAKP)

Chapter fifteen

Gerard sat, knee bouncing. He sat on the defendant's side, behind a long wood desk, and in between Mikey and his mother. Next to Donna, sat Frank's parents and their lawyer.

The big wood oak doors in the back of room opened. Gerard turned his head, expecting to see his Frankie. Instead, he met eyes with Corse Collins, Mr.V (The principal of Belleville High School), and the police chief, lead by a tall, young man. Gerard guessed he was their lawyer. The young fertile turned, hyperventilating. The knots in his stomach tighten and throb as he whimpers and pulls at his own hair. Donna rubs down her son's back.

The doors opened again and Frank is more or less dragged in. The small boy lost his footing multiple times, being pulled by only his arm. Gerard cried out as his mate was pulled up the walk way and plopped down into the seat next to Mikey at the end of the row. The Ways and Ieros moved seats, situating themselves so Frank and Gerard sat in the middle next to each other. Their families flanked each of their boys' sides. Frank shifted his cuffed hands over Gerard's head and yanked him in for a kiss. The older boy wrapped his hands around the younger' sides. When they pulled back for air, Gee rested his head on his mates shoulder and for the first time in a week, he was at peace.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Frank lets go, keeping an arm around Gerard as he leans over to greet his parents for the first time in a week and a half.

➖

"All rise."

The people in the room stood, staying silent as the judge came out. He was a middle aged man, gray tuffs of hair slicked back with gel. Everyone sat down. The police officer said the old man's name but, Gerard could not hear it over his heart. Corse was staring at him, eyes blazing the sides of his head. The small boy next to him pulled him closer and he retuned his attention to the judge.

"The prosecutor will make their case first." The judge said, tiding up some papers. "You have thirty minutes."

Corse and the chief's lawyer got up, smiling brightly, clutching his clip bored, and walking to the front of the room.

"If you could please turn your attention to the TV behind me." He said gesturing to a small flatscreen behind him. "This is the surveillance from the incident at Belleville High School." He turned, grabbing a small remote from the cart the TV sat on.

The screen comes alive, picturing the boys right before Frank attacks Corse. Gerard whimpers, hiding in Frank's shoulder. He did not want to relive that.

The video is mute and in black and white. It shows Frank giving a sleeping Gerard to Mikey before he attacks. Hands pulling back and smashing down, ruining the man's flawless face. The paramedics rush in and Frank gets off the unconscious man and rushes out with his mate. The video ends.

"I'd like to call Frank Iero the the stand for questioning please." Frank sighs, kissing Gerard on the head before walking to the podium next to the judge. He looks around as the officer who brought him in gets a bible. The small fourteen year old is shocked to see people in the pews behind where he was standing. Ray and Elena sat. Next to them was Bob in his wheel chair. There were other people too, press, writing things down in their notebooks.

The officer held out the bible for Frank to put his right hand on. He had but of a struggle with the hand cuffs but, he got it to work.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do." Frank retracted his hand as the stupidly peppy lawyer moved the order of his sheets and stood in front of Frank, careful not to block anyone's view.