6:30 First day of Hell. Satan's alarm goes off.
6:58 Get up.
7:00 Get into shower.
7:24 Get out of shower.
7:25 Get dressed.
7:32 Dry hair, then straighten.
7:45 Apply make-up. Black eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss.
7:53 Go downstairs for lecture on making friends, doing well in class and not back-chatting to teachers, courtesy of Olivia. Meanwhile; coffee.
7:59 More coffee, a chocolate biscuit and Olivia leaves.
8:00 Knock at the door. Gerard and Mikey are here! The day can begin!
"Hey Elle, ready for the best day of your life?" Mikey jokes. They both look great: Mikey's wearing an Anthrax t-shirt, raggedy blue jeans with a tatty army green backpack on his shoulder. Gerard looks... good...? He's got a black Misfits t-shirt, skinny black jeans, black converse, and a plain black backpack. And bright blue roots, completely contrasting with all the black. His looks astound me.
"Hell yeah!" I shout, fist in the air.
"Now, that's the attitude! I had to drag Mikey out of bed this morning!" Gerard says, getting all animated.
"Just because you want to introduce Elle to everyone!" Mikey retaliates.
"Yeah, I do. But it is the first day of the term, so we don't wanna be late." Gerard replies.
"Or early..." Mikey mumbles, shuffling his feet. He seems really nervous all of a sudden. Is he really that scared? Is there something I should be worried about?
"So, do you wanna go meet Ray and Frank?" Gerard asks, with a kindly smile.
I nod and look at Mikey before grinning back.
We troop out the front door and stroll to the end of the road. We then stand on the corner and wait. Me and Gerard chat about random things, like our favourite pets (both dogs), colours (both black and red, but Gee like mauve as well...?) and favourite lessons (we both like music, art and english!). It's like we're twins!
Mikey stays quiet throughout our bubbly chatter, texting someone on his phone with a frowny face.
Soon though, a battered black volvo pulls up to the curb. A familier faces pops out of the window and Frank shouts, "Get in losers!"
Gerard and Mikey both grin and walk towards the car. I get to sit in the middle of them, while Frank and Ray sit in the front. The stereo is blasting out Sex Pistols 'God Save The Queen' and after some 'hello's' and 'heys' we're all shouting out the lyrics along with Sid Vicious (RIP).
I look out the front window at the neighbourhood whizzing by, and watch as it gets more and more shabby. Me and the Ways must live in the posh area.
The houses look identical, all dirty grey brick and concrete. There's no colour, unless you count the peeling paint on the minuscule children's 'playground' we just passed. That's a rape hotspot, right there.
When the song has finished, Frank turns down the radio and flips around in his seat, so he's facing us guys in the back with his arms resting on the seat.
"So Elle, I hear you're not the only new kid this year. There's supposedly two new guys from England coming over." He laughs. "Maybe they'll have cool accents!"
"God Frank, is that why you've been going on about them all morning?" Ray sighs, not taking his eyes off the road.
"No! I'm just interested in what they'll sound like! I'm not gonna like, show them round them dump them if their accents aren't cool enough! Who do you take me for?!"
"A punk midget with the attention span of a goldfish?" He replies, earning a punch in the arm and a glare from said midget. "Hey! Driving!"
"Hey! Insulted!" Is the response he gets. Well, that and laughing from us in the back. Even Mikey leaves his unusually-quiet state and snickers. Frank just preens.
"Nooo! We're here!" Frank suddenly hollers, shocking us into silence. The car crawls to the pace of a funeral procession, and we all stare out the window.
The school is a group of three buildings, the main one getting closer and closer as we pass the other two. It's made from a grey brick, graffiti spotted around on the walls. Litter floats around, a seemingly permanent fixture in this black-and-white scene. I can even see a needle, filled with a brown substance...
"Oh, home sweet home." Mikey mumbles, his voice low. Gerard chuckles, but it doesn't seem very enthusiastic. I thought they were both pretty... well, not exactly excited, but they weren't pessimistic.
Ray parks in the cramped parking lot, finding a space in the corner, furthest away from the prison-like building. We all pile out and stand around it, looking around.
People walk in through the other entrance, swarming into the grounds and filing into the building. The majority of them look content, at meeting back up with friends or just being back at school. There is the odd one or two that look terrified, and they're dressed... like us. 'Emo'.
I start to see why Mikey's so nervous about today. I look at Gerard, and see his eyes flicking around us, scoping the area out for danger. Probably.
Frank suddenly pops up out-of-fucking-nowhere and puts his arm round me. "Don't worry Elle, I know what you're thinking, but we'll be fine." I try to be comforted by his and Ray's smiles but I can still see Gerard and Mikey's faces. They obviously get it worse than Ray and Frank.
"So, should we go in and find our form rooms?" (AN: Form rooms are english 'Homerooms') Ray offers, peering at Gerard and Mikey. Frank nods, and tugs me towards him a bit.
"Alright then." Gerard says, visibly steeling himself. Mikey looks up at his brothers voice, and puts his phone in his pocket.
We walk towards the main doors, which seem pretty popular- practically everyone's getting sucked into the building through them. They don't seem very... enticing.
When we ourselves go through the doors, we're immeadiently hit by the scent of sweat, paint and old. Alright, this is a clichéd school, obviously.
The hallway is filled with chatter, differentiating from happy, nervous, cruel. Teenagers line the walls, standing in front of the lockers.
Then as me and Gerard first step into the room, I see people's faces turn towards us, and the noise grows quieter. I see several people look around, panicked, but most just watch with expressionless faces.
Gerard grabs my hand, and he lifts his head that little bit higher. At least one of us knows what's about to happen. I can tell it's not gonna be good though.
Suddenly, a shout erupts from the crowd. People are jostled and a group of around ten people push themselves into the centre of the hallway. Then, I get why everyone seems so tense about them. They're the bullies. The kings and queens of the school. And we're their opposite.
There's a boy with short, blond hair and steel-blue eyes. On his arm is a red-haired girl dressed in the schools blue and gold cheerleaders outfit. Next to them are an equally powerful-looking couple; the boy has a buzzcut and muscles, the girl dainty with long, curly dark hair and big brown eyes, once again wearing the school cheerleading colours. All have cruel, taunting expressions, and they're all looking at us.
"Well, it seems like Gerard Gay has finally got someone. But honey," the blond-haired boy looks at me with a pointed gaze, eyes serpent-like, "I think he's the wrong guy." Then he just looks around, expecting people to laugh, which they do. He gives me the once over, looking over my Paramore t-shirt, black hoody, red skinny jeans, and black velvet beetle crushers.
"So you're new then. Just great, another sad, pathetic emo looking for friends. Why even bother? No one, but these losers will join you. Just go back home and cut yourself, no one'll care." He girlfriend titters and leans into him.
I'm shocked at his ability to throw such horrible verbal insults at people. What's worse, is that no one has said anything against him. No one's defended us. But then, they probably don't want to be put in this limelight either.
My hand is squeezed even tighter than before, and I'm reminded that I'm not alone. That I have Gerard, and Mikey and Ray and Frank all by my side. That helps, but I don't have the courage to stand up to the bullies. It's just the way I am.
Gerard walks forward, and pulls me to the side, down a hallway to our left. We walk right past the popular kids, and there's a spot between my shoulder blades that burns from their glares.
The corridor we're now in is darker than the other one. The walls are bare, but I can see some lockers at the end. Gerard pulls me towards them, and when we're finally there, he pulls me into a hug.
Even after the verbal bashing we just got, I can still appreciate the warmth and cuddleyness of Gerard's hugs. I can hear the others arriving here too, Frank cussing the hell out of the idiots behind us.
I squeeze Gerard before pulling back. He's smiling in the dim light, his abnormally small teeth glinting in the shadows. Then we both turn to face the others.
Ray is grinning, watching Frank flex his small hands and swear. Mikey has his phone out again, smirking. He seems a bit happier now that we're here. The light from his screen is highlighting his face, making his features seem sharper than usual.In the midst of all this, LynZ's turned up as well, standing next to Ray, smiling at Frank's mini-outburst too.
This is obviously the hangout for us 'losers'. I can see why: its secluded, it has lockers, and a door near the centre; the perfect outcast hideout.
"So that's why you seemed kinda nervous." I whisper in Mikey's ear. He jumps at the sound of my voice, hiding his phone from my eyesight.
"Well, yeah. I really, really don't like them. I'm not usually this nervous in school, it's just because it's the first day. It always gets me." He says, grinning nervously.
"I get that, they're- well, that one guy is pretty terrible." I agree, picturing his hating face.
"Peter, yeah... He's a junior too. Lucky you!" He grins, laughing. But his eyes are apologetic. I can tell he's not jealous of this.
I pat him on the back. "You'll be fine; I'm here now!" I get a cheeky smile and the finger as a response, before Mikey's turned back to his cell.
I walk back over to Gerard, where he's watching Frank try to calm down, and I tap him on the shoulder. "Gee, what am I meant to do now?"
He looks down at me with a smile. "Oh yes! Sorry I didn't remind you. You'll probably want your locker code, and timetable. I'll take you to the office." He holds his hand out. And naturally, I take it. He's been doing that a lot lately... but he is quite touchy-feely with his friends. He's probably just trying to make me feel better.
We tell the others where we're going, and stroll down the corridor. But I can still see the large amounts of people at the end of the hall.
"Gee, those jerks are probably still out there." I try to tell him that I really don't wanna see them again so soon.
"Yeah, I know. That's why we're taking... this route!" He turns toward the door about halfway down the room, and turns the knob. Then we're facing into a room that is even more proof as to why my friends hang out down here.
The room has light green walls, dark green carpet, and the chairs are green. There's posters on the walls showing different instruments, famous musicians like Bob Dylan and... The Smiths! Someone has good taste!
"Great, isn't it?" Gerard says, "There's another room where the instruments are, but I'll show you that when Miss is here. Right now, we're going to reception!" He pulls me through the room before I can take a real look around, and out into another hall. Then it's round the corner, right, down that corridor, and left. Then we're faced with a middle-aged woman sat in a booth, chewing on a pencil whilst reading what looks like a novel.
"Hey, Ms Ballato!" Gee hollers. The woman's head snaps up and she grins when she sees Gerard. When her dark brown eyes land on me however, they harden and she looks me up and down. When she has finished her once-over, she focuses on mine and Gerard's joint hands before looking back to Gerard.
"Well hello Gerard, darling. It's been a while. Who's your new... friend?" She says, once again, giving me a look that says I'm less important than the dirt on her shoe.
"This is Elle, she's new." Gerard says, looking down at me with a sort of pride-filled gaze. "This is Lindsey's mom."
I look back at Ms Ballato and begin to see the resemblance: the dark eyes, the pale-tan skin- the sort that in some light's looks pale, in others, tan. She has the same bone structure, and shaped face. But they look different too. Lindsey's mom has more wrinkles and she doesn't have the same presence that Lindsey does. She also seems less friendly.
"Hi, Ms Ballato, it's nice to meet you. You and Lindsey look alike." I say, a small smile on my face. This woman is kinda scary, and she doesn't seem to like me, much.
"Well, she is my daughter. What do you need?" She snaps at me.
Gerard begins to tell her about my predicament, and then they start chattering. But I still get these conceited looks from the woman behind the desk.
I can see the way Gerard tilts his head, looking at the woman properly. He can't seem to understand her logic. I can though, I think. Ms Ballato thinks there's something going on between me and Gerard, and she doesn't like it because she thinks him and Lindsey should be together. Well, that's my theory.
Now I've got that in my head, I decide to tease her. I wrap my other hand around Gerard's wrist and lean my body into his. Then I nuzzle my head into his side and watch as I get odd looks from both people. It's awkward, but I'm trying to copy the slutty way those cheerleaders hang onto their boyfriends, and it seems to be working.
Gerard just seems really confused, and he keeps looking down at me like I'm an alien. But he hasn't shook me off.
Ms Ballato just looks like she wants to slap me. Hard. Her eyes keep flicking from my face to my hand, to my body, pressed up against Gerard's side.
After my schedule and locker combination have been shoved into Gerard's hands, he steers me away and down the still-empty corridor. I can feel the cold glare of Lindsey's mom on my back. I'm still stuck to him.
When we get to the music room, he pulls away from me. His face doesn't look angry though, he just looks confused... and kinda happy.
"What was that about?" His eyebrows are all scrunched up, but he's smirking.
"I wanted to make Lindsey's mom angry!" I say, giggling. I've made another enemy now!
But Gerard just looks confused, so I explain it to him.
"She doesn't like me, but she seems to love you. And she's Lindsey's mom. So I decided to pretend we were going out, just to wind her up. And it worked, she hates me now!"
"But... Why would she not like you?" He looks truly confused now.
"Because she thinks you and Lindsey should be going out!" I say, and his face changes.
"Oh... Oh! Oh god..." He stutters. I think I've hit something. He carries on, "I think... Well, can I tell you a secret?"
I nod. "Of course, I'll never tell anyone, and I don't have an opinion, I swear."
He laughs, "You can have an opinion, everyone's entitled to that, it's just a bit embarrassing... Well, I used to have a crush on Lindsey. Like, a big one. I idolised her, and I think everyone knew it. Even her. And her mom. But now I don't, and it's probably obvious."
What. He used to have a crush on Lindsey. Used to, as in past tense. Hehe.
"What do you mean, used to? Do you not like her anymore?" I ask, cautious.
He shakes his head slowly, keeping eye contact. "No, not anymore. There's... someone else now." Then he smiles down at the ground.
Before it can get any less awkward, the door opens, and a tall, thin lady comes in.
"Oh! Hello Gerard! You have a new friend, I see?" She says. She has a strong New York accent, stronger than Gerard's New Jersey one. Her light ginger hair is pulled into an artsy bun, with wavy tendrils escaping out the front. Her almond shaped emerald eyes are friendly, and keep flicking between me and Gerard, who's only just looked up from the floor. She's wearing bohemian style clothes, and she has lots of bracelets on.
"Yes Miss, this is Elle. She moved across the road from us. She's new, and mine and Mikey's friend." He stutters.
"Hello Elle, I'm Miss Flores, the music teacher. I think you might be in my form... Ellery Jackson?"
I nod, and she grins. "Well, you are in my form then! There's two other new kids, as well as you. But these guys are british, maybe you could stick together...?"
"Of course! The only people I know right now are Gerard and his friends!"
"Great! I-" She's interrupted by the bell.
Gerard turns to me and steps closer. "I'm not in your form, but I'll meet you outside here when the next bell goes. Here's everything you'll need-" he hands me my locker combination and timetable "-and I'll see you soon. Be careful, okay?"
I nod, suddenly nervous. He pulls me into a close hug and squeezes me closer for a few seconds before letting me go. He walks toward the door and turns back to wave. Then he's gone.
People start coming in through the other door, and over the chatter I can hear Miss Flores say, "Just friends, eh?"
A/N: I'm so sorry this is so late! I've had little to no inspiration for anything but oneshots for the past few weeks. Literally, everything I've written is oneshots. I tried to make this long, but I think it's just the average length (I'M SO SORRY!) and it's not all that good either! Please don't expect anything too soon, I'm literally one of the worst procrastinators in the world ever. Go and read something better, like something from KingOfDarknessGerard . That dude updates his stuff practically every minute, and it's whack-job good! (Don't ask me where that adjective came from, I have swine-aids.) The next chapter will be written, just slower than a dead sloth, so please don't waste your precious reading time waiting for it. :-D