The Chasing of Moons

I Don't Have A Creative Chapter Name, I'm So Disappointed In Myself

"Listen, I can't take back any years of not knowing you exist, and we both know that, but I'm just trying to make amends now."

"For what reason? So what if I look like someone you know, that doesn't mean I want to talk to you."

"Yeah well, maybe giving me a chance isn't a bad idea," Frank offers.

"Why do you care about me all of a sudden?" Gerard asks him, sounding pissed as all hell, which makes Frank's bones feel like paper Mache.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Why should you?" Gerard counteracts which is both a good point and also extremely hard to reply to.

"I think I'm allowed to try talking to you," Frank groans.

"But I'm also allowed to ignore you," Gerard replies.

"So that's what you're just going to do then? Ignore me?"

Gerard doesn't respond. He just keeps walking, almost losing Frank when he takes a sharp turn down a hallway. That's a fairly self-explanatory response to Frank's question though. Yes, he does plan on ignoring Frank.

"Okay, well if you're going to ignore me than this is a perfect time for me to tell you that I'm sorry if you think I've been a jerk to you. I mean, I think there's a huge divergence between being a bitch and just plainly being unaware. I'm not friends with a lot of people, there are a lot of people I've been in the same class as for a bunch of years and never talked to, that's not anything that's on you, or me really. I hang out with my friends, it's not really my fault if we've never socialized, there's two people in this equation, Gerard. You and me, if you're honestly going to hate me for the fact that I've never talked to you, I don't see why it's out of the cards for me to hate you back, because, like, it can go both ways."

"Then explain to me why the fuck it is that I know your name, and you had no idea what mine was?" Gerard snaps at him.

"Well it's the same as when you watch a movie with someone and you know the actors names and your friend doesn't. It's just never been in a frame of passing for my life."

"Yeah?" Gerard asks, not sounding at all pleased with the answer, "So I guess that all the times you and I have been in the same class, which has been at least once every year since sixth grade I should point out, and all the thousands of times during roll call when you could've paid attention to see what my fucking name was, that was just never in your frame of passing. Never once, not a single fucking time could you have listened for three seconds to find out what my name was? Frank, I hate to be the bringer of bad news here, but your argument is completely void of validity."

"I, well, how was I supposed to know I'd need your name?" Frank questions.

"How about because I'm a human who deserves at least the bare minimum of respect," Gerard retorts.

"Alright so you think I'm a piece of shit, and there's literally nothing I can say to stop that, is there?"

"Nope."

"Well, that's just great," Frank sighs, "what if I were to tell you something embarrassing about myself, would that endear me to you?"

"Probably not."

"Okay, well I'll give it a go anyway. I, uh, once told a cashier I loved them after they handed me my change. I got my hand stuck in a vase once. I used to think Croatia was the capital of Austria."

"All that says to me is that you're a poor decision maker and bad at geography."

"Well, I'm trying here, but I don't know what else I can say," Frank admits, "I honestly just don't want you to hate me."