Out There

**AEIDA**

After school, I had to go back to Frank’s to collect all my things I’d gotten from my mums house. Mikey offered to walk with me, but I declined- I couldn’t let him know just yet that I’d stayed with Frank. I didn’t like lying to him but if he was already jealous of me talking to Frank, I couldn’t imagine how mad he’d be at me if he knew I’d slept in the same bed as him.

I was actually surprised how well Gerard took that news actually. I thought for sure he’d yell at me or something, but no. He’d just made me sexually frustrated. Maybe that was what he intended. Either way I was glad he didn’t blow up at me.

It rain was pouring down as I waited out the front of the school for Frank. Soon enough, I felt a grip on my shoulder and I turned around to see it was Gerard. “Waiting for someone, then?” he asked, pursing his lips. I nodded in reply, he already knew who and why. “Are you sleeping there again?” he sighed, looking to the road at the rain hit the ground and splashed around as cars passed.

“I don’t think so. I don’t know.” I replied, holding my wrist anxiously. I felt uncomfortable knowing Gerard was mad at me. In a way I thought of him as someone to protect me, him being a teacher and older but with him being discontent with me, I felt uneasy. Unsafe even.

“Hey, you ready Aeida?” Frank called from behind us. Gerard let his hand fall from my shoulder and crossed his arms as he turned to the younger boy. “Hey Sir.” he added as his eyes fell on Gerard.

Gerard nodded at him then walked off, sending me a cautious glare as he made his way to his car. “Do you have an umbrella?” Frank laughed, gesturing to the violent rain. I smiled and shook my head. Frank then began taking off his jacket quickly and I raised my eyebrow in confusion. He handed me the sleeve and held up the other end. “Makeshift umbrella.” he explained. We held it above our heads and I examined it. It was definitely oversized for Frank, but I didn’t think it would really sheild us from the blinding rain.

“Yeah, I don’t think this will really work.” I confessed. “It’s better than nothing.” Frank shrugged. I smiled at his optimism and shook my head. They we ran out into the rain and tried to make our way to Frank’s house without getting completely saturated.


**GERARD**

While waiting for Mikey to get out of class, I watched Frank and Aeida interact. I hated the way she smiled at him, and the way he made her laugh. I never thought I’d be jealous of an eighteen year old boy going through high school, but right now I am. I bit my lip to restrain myself from getting Aeida and dragging her away from him, and into the warmth of my car. There were too many people around to do that without me getting a very serious conversation with a judge in court. The two ran out into the rain together and I shook my head. Those two were going to be drenched within minutes. My eyes followed them as they made their way down the road, in my mind I was scheming ways to break them apart.

I was snapped out of my trance my Mikey slamming the passenger’s seat door and sighing. Droplets of rain were falling from his scruffy long hair onto his cheeks and glasses. “Sorry I took so long, I was trying to find…” he trailed off as his eyes set on Aeida and Frank running down the road. “What the fuck?” he hissed, narrowing his eyes to get a clearer view. The rain was distorting them, by now it was hard to tell who it was. “Is that…?” he asked me, tearing his eyes away from the two figures.

“I don’t know, Mikey.” I lied. “She said she was going to get her stuff from her mum’s. Then she would come back to ours. I’ll have to pick her up.” I changed course of the subject. Mikey nodded, then turned back to Aeida and Frank. You couldn’t see them anymore so he leaned back in his seat as I pulled the car out of the lot.

**

Mikey and I had been home for half an hour and we hadn’t heard from Aeida. I decided to call her, to make plans to pick her up from Frank’s house. The phone rang and rang and rang, but no answer. I began to get fustrated, where was she if she wasn’t with her phone? Surely they’d be at Frank’s by now.

I rang six more times before she finally picked up. “Where are you?” Was the first thing I said, coming out a lot more angry than I’d expected.

“I’m at Frank’s, why?” She replied, sounding pretty unimpressed.

“Because I saw you two run off in the rain together, it’s dangerous. And you weren’t answering your phone, you could have been dead or hurt.” I sighed. I was being irrational, but I was possessive. At least I admit my flaws.

“If you’re inferring that Frank would kill or hurt me, you’re wrong.” Aeida chuckled in a whimsical manner. “I’m okay anyway.”

“Whatever, I’m glad you’re fine.” I grumbled. “I’m coming to pick you up, text through Frank’s address.”

“You really need to stop being so protective over me. Your brother’s not going to hurt me, Frank isn’t going to hurt me, I’m always going to be fine.” she sighed. “Yeah, okay.”

A silence filled our phones. I definitely didn’t want to hang up on her, I wanted to keep talking. I wanted to know that she was talking to me, and not Frank.

“I’ll see you soon.” she said softly.
“Yes, you will.” I spoke.

The line went dead and an overwhelming sadness filled me, and I wasn’t quite sure why. Soon after, my phone buzzed and I recieved Frank’s address. “I’m going to pick up Aeida!” I shouted out to Mikey. I ran out the door so he wouldn’t have a chance to follow, and hopped in the car. I pulled out and followed the voice of my phone’s GPS.


**AEIDA**

Gerard arrived at Frank’s house after 10 minutes. He texted that he was outside, and I grabbed my bags of stuff I’d gotten from my mums then made my way out.

“Anytime you want to come over, you’re more than welcome.” Frank said, leaning up against the door frame. I smiled politely at him and pulled him into a quick hug. His mother also gave me a smile and a wink; and I blushed and made my way out the door. Gerard had the door open so I quickly jogged over and jumped in the seat. He helped me push my bags into the back seat. I closed my door and let out a breath. Gerard started the car and within minutes, we were stuck in traffic.

It was going to be a long drive.

“So you slept together.” Was the first thing Gerard said, not taking his eyes off the car infront of us. His hair was ruffled and his collar was undone slightly. His eyes were wide and his body was tense. The small drops of moisture on his skin made it hard for me to look away from him, so I didn’t.

“You could put it that way...” I mumbled nervously, picking at my nails. His mouth twitched slightly and his eyes flickered from the road to me for a quick second.

“You see why I don’t want you hanging out with him? He might not have hurt you but he could have.” he spoke, his voice becoming raspier. “I don’t want you around him. I don’t want you sharing a room with him, or Mikey, or anyone but me.” he growled. My stomach churned out of anticipation and a slight amount of fear.

“Well I can’t share a room with you Gerard.” I folded my arms defiantly. He didn’t own me. As much as I liked him being protective of me, I couldn’t believe he wasn’t allowing me to have friends.

“Why not?” he challenged. The car lunged into a quick stop as a result of the traffic. I didn’t know exactly what to say. There were multiple reasons why not. He and I both knew that.

“Well, for one. I’m a student- and that’s against the law. Second, I’m seventeen. We can’t…” I trailed off, not wanting to insinuate anything inappropriate.

“We can’t what?” he had a shocked look on his face, which then settled into an amused smirk. When I stayed silent, he pressed on. “What were you going to say?” he asked, his eyes turning to me. “Finish your sentences.” he instructed.

“We can’t have sex, or anything like that.” I quietly mumbled, my face turning red with embarrassment. I knew it was immature to be embarrassed by that stuff- but I was only seventeen. I had an excuse to be immature.

“Were you thinking that I wanted us to have sex?” his eyes widened, and his smirk turned into a smile. “Or is that you? Do you want us to have sex?”

I squirmed in my seat, growing uncomfortable with the conversation topic.

“Is that what you think about?” he teased, his voice low and husky.

“Stop it, Gerard.” I whined, turning away from him in my seat. He let out a soft chuckled and the car moved forward again, before coming to another abrupt stop.

“I don’t ever want you to feel like I’m pressuring you, okay?” he said softly, letting one of his hands drift from the wheel and onto the back of my seat. “So if I ever make you feel uncomfortable… you have to let me know.”

I nodded and tore my eyes away from him and observed as the rain forcefully hit the window screen.

Gerard turned on the radio to a random station, and Late Night by Foals came on. It wasn’t a genre that I listened to often, but I liked the song regardless. I felt a question lacing my tongue, it was one I didn’t really want to ask. It was too desperate, and cliche. Nevertheless it made it’s way out.

“What?” Gerard asked, not hearing what I had mumbled.
“What are we?” I repeated, clearer. “Stupid question.” I added.

No words were passed between us for a minute, in which I could sense Gerard thinking hard. “We haven’t been on a date, so we’re not dating.” he finally spoke. “But you’re not a student to me. Nor just a friend.” he mumbled. He was still focused on the road, and his mouth was scrunched to the side in concentration. “It’s not a stupid question, though. Challenging.” he sighed.

I nodded in understanding, and my gut squirmed out of anxiety. I didn’t know why I cared so much, I didn’t think Gerard and I were that close. It felt like we were sometimes though.

“I think we’re pretty complicated.” I concluded.

He let out an amused heavy breath for a laugh and I smiled to myself. We were complicated.

Notes

A/N: Hey guys! Another kindly thank you for reading! I appreciate the couple of comments I got on the last update, keep them coming! They really do mean a lot to me. Because without comments, all I have is the view count (Which reached 3000 this morning!) and that just looks like a number much less a group of people.

So comment and vote so I know you're real! :) thank you all for taking the time to read this story, it means a lot to me.