Unknown Identities

Gerard sits alone. That’s nothing new though, he’s used to the sound people talking, oblivious to the fact that he even exists. He was pretty sure he could walk up to anyone in his grade and ask them what his name was and they would have no clue. Probably weren’t even aware that he went to this school. But at the moment that didn’t matter. He was actually pretty happy, drawing in his sketchbook as usual. Lunch was one of the most hated times for any student who was picked on at school but he wasn’t worried.
He did, however have one of the best seats in the lunch room in his opinion. The first few being the seats next to Frank of course but this came in a close second. From where he sat he could see the beautiful black haired boy perfectly and never be seen by him. There were enough students in the way that Frank would never pick his face out unless he was really looking but a perfect line of sight for Gerard to see straight to Frank. Does this qualify me as a stalker? I really hope not, Gerard thought as he erased unwanted pencil marks. I really want to go over there. But if I do and Mikey let's something slip… No. No matter how much I want to I can’t. Not yet at least.
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The bell rang in its annoyingly high pitch to signal the end of class. Gym class to be exact. Both Frank and Gerard rushed from it as fast as they could. Otherwise they might have been murdered by a wall of meat, a very angry wall of meat. The group of guys that usually pushed around the both of them had stupidly left their lockers unlocked. Though it was probably a very bad idea, Gerard had some black paint in is back pack for art later on that day so they took it and painted over all the numbers and dashes on the lock till you couldn’t see them and then switched all the locks around. So even if they did get all the paint off they still wouldn’t be able to open the locker.
“That was fucking hilarious,” Frank said as the two of them reached their lockers, a safe distance away from the gym. The scene was rather funny. The five in all looked completely confused as to why there were no longer numbers on their locks. And despite their best efforts couldn’t get the paint off. Idiots, oil paint doesn’t come off with water. Gerard thought the whole time trying to hold back his laughter. It wasn’t until five minutes before the bell rang that one of the guys accused Gerard of painting the locks. He denied it and held up his hands in defense of himself, purposely showing off the black paint that had smeared on to his hands. They all roared in anger and Frank and Gerard bolted out of the locker room laughing.
“That was pretty great, but I think they might kill us,”
“Nah, I’ll hire Bob as a body guard. Paying him in math homework answers should work quite nicely,”
“Whatever, Frankie,” Gerard said, “Well, see you later,”
“Right bye,” You know it’s not fair that he knows my name and I still don’t know his. It’s almost like he’s trying to keep it from me. Why would he do that? Oh well, music’s next.
Frank walked down the hall to the fine arts hallway. Probably his favorite hallway in the school, there was just a different atmosphere about it. The people who you saw on a daily basis in this hallway didn’t care who you were and that was the best part. No judgment. Unless of course they were critiquing your work. He walked over to the music room. It served as a band room, choir room, as well as the orchestra room.
“Everyone please take a seat and let me take attendance,” There was a substitute today. Great! That means I can practice on one of the school’s guitars. Frank thought as he sat down in a random seat.
“As soon as I call your name you can do whatever, just as long as it’s musical. I don’t care,” Wow, you can tell this guy really loves music, Frank thought rolling his eyes. Ray sat down next to him.
“Hey, so I saw a whole bunch of angry dudes walk out of the gym today without their clothes…you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?” Ray questioned raising his eyebrows.
“Nope, I’m innocent I swear,” he said holding up his paint covered hands in defense. Ray laughed.
“You painted their locks? Where’d you get the paint?”
“From a friend who helped me paint them…well I more like helped him paint them,”
“What’s the guy’s name? I seriously need to meet him,” Ray said ceasing his laughter.
“Frank Iero!” The substitute called out,
“Uh, here!” Frank called out. Raising his hand slightly
“I hear you but I don’t see you, where are you?” the sub said.
“Back here, sorry,” Frank called out. Stupid shortness. Frank thought angrily.
“Ah, there you are, sorry. Stand up next time,” the whole class snickered.
“Yes sir,” Frank glared at Ray as the he held in his laughter.
“Yeah, Frank. Stand up next time. Nobody can see you,”
“Shut up,”
Five minutes later the sub had finally gotten through all their names and dismissed them to do whatever. He didn’t care.
Ray and Frank both rushed over to one of the many instrument rooms in the back hallway that ran along the length of the room. Grabbing guitars they, found a spot at the back of the class room to plug amps into and strummed a few chords.
“Damn, when was the last time anyone tuned this thing?” Frank questioned wincing at the note he played. It really wasn’t a good sign when your D string came out sounding like a B flat.
“Never,” Ray responded. His sounded fine, whoever was playing this last really had no fucking clue what they were doing, Frank thought.
“About right, I’m going to go find a tuner,” Frank said carefully placing the completely out of tune guitar on the chair and walking back towards the instrument room.
“Don’t get lost,” Ray called as Frank walked away.
“Whatever,” Frank walked through the doorway leading to the miniature hallway. Along the left side were practice rooms and the other side were instrument holding rooms, for the really big instruments you couldn’t bring home. At the end of the hallway was where all the other instruments were held, and along with them, any and all supplies that a music student might need. A tuner included.
Walking down to the hallway, Frank noticed that one of the practice rooms was occupied. He stopped to listen to the student inside. That was the one bad part about the practice rooms, they were completely sound proof except for the door. If you stood directly in front of the door you could hear everything very clearly.
Is that singing? Frank wondered. It was singing, whoever was in that practice room was singing. Singing very well too. Not very well, fucking amazing. Frank thought as he listened to the boy sing. Sounding eerily familiar. I don’t want to just barge in there though. He thought listening further. But suddenly the singing stopped. Frank panicked, did he hear me? I thought I was pretty quiet…maybe not. I should go. But the singing started up again, starting with the same lyrics as before only adding more on this time. Is he writing his own music? That must be why he stopped, he was writing something down maybe. Why is it that I can figure that out but can’t figure anything else out? I’m really screwed.
Frank no longer found the need for a tuner, in fact, he completely forgot about it. He spent the rest of the period listening to the boy singing. I really hope that doesn’t make me a stalker. His voice was beautiful and Frank wondered why he wasn’t out in with the rest of the people singing in the music room. Maybe he liked the quiet.
Five minutes before the bell rang, Frank pulled himself from the seat on the ground across from the door. His hand hovered over the door knob to the room where the boy was still in. If I don’t go in there that’s just another person to figure out. What is that now, four? The writer, the guy in almost all my classes, Mikey’s brother that I had no idea about but apparently talks about me all the time and now this mystery singer. Damn it, when did things get so complicated?
He took his hand away from the door knob and walked back towards Ray and the still really out of tune guitar.
“Hey, I thought I told you not to get lost,” Ray said as he noticed Frank sit back down. “You didn’t even get the tuner! Frank I’m really starting to worry about you,”
“I didn’t get lost,” Frank said, unplugging the guitar from the amp and then the amp from the wall.
“Oh, I get it. You were off making out with your boyfriend weren’t you,” Ray said
Frank was about to retort when he felt someone’s elbow on his shoulder and that person lean on him.
“Frank’s got himself a boyfriend? Damn I’m too late,” a familiar voice said. Looking over at the person, he found saw familiar black clothes and matching hair.
“What are you doing here?” Frank asked
“This is my class, stupid. Why else would I be here?” he said.
“That’s a good point,” Frank said, then he remembered the comment he made when he first joined the conversation. “And no I don’t have a boyfriend. Now get off me!” Frank pushed the boy off who only laughed.
“You two know each other?” Ray questioned looking at the two of them. How did the two of them meet? I wonder if Frank knows that’s Mikey’s brother.
“Yeah, he’s the one who helped me pull that prank on those guys,”
“Really now, Way, didn’t know you did that kind of stuff,”
“Well, what can I say guilty as charged,” he said waving a hand still splattered with paint. “Besides you really don’t know all that much about me anyway, Toro,”
“True,”
“Ah, question.” Frank interrupted, “How do you two know each other?” He was thoroughly confused.
“Mutual friends,” is what Gerard came up with on a whim. Ray gave him a questioning look. If you count your brother as a mutual friend then sure, whatever. I don’t know exactly what you’re playing at, but I’ll go along with it for now.
“Sure,” Ray agreed uncertainly. Frank didn’t look convinced. They’re hiding something.
The bell rang. Students rushed out of the class room.
“Shit. I’ve still got to put my guitar away,” Frank said, rushing to wrap up the cords. Ray had somehow managed to put his away. When did he do that? Frank wondered.
“See you after school, Iero,” Ray called.
“Bye,” Frank said rushing to the instrument room to put the guitar and amp back in their places. Returning back to the room to grab his backpack, he saw that the boy clad in black was still in the room. Leaning against a wall staring at the colorful music notes that were painted along the back wall.
“What’re you still doing here?” Frank questioned. He figured that the teen would’ve left already.
“Well, we’re going to the same place, thought I might as well wait for you,” he replied still looking at the music notes.
“Let’s go then, before we’re late. Wait a minute you have eighth period chemistry?” Frank said as they walked out of the classroom towards yet another.
“Yep,” he said simply.
“Dude, I’m so sorry for never noticing. There’s something seriously wrong with me lately and I can’t figure anything out,”
“As I said before don’t worry about it,”
“Yeah, I remember,”
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Chemistry passed by slowly, however one good thing did turn up. They didn’t have a homework, just like Frank had said. So he wasn’t going to be murdered by his frizzy haired friend who had the class next period.
After Chemistry Frank and Gerard again walked together towards their next class. How many does he have with me? Frank wondered, and why do I have to be an oblivious idiot sometimes….well more like most of the time.
They sat down in the seats and looked towards the board just as the overly happy teacher started to explain what they’re going to do today.
“Today, we’re going to be drawing from observation. Using the person sitting across from you as the subject.” Really? Well at least I have an excuse to stare now, is what ran both Frank and Gerard’s minds.
“It’s just going to be a pencil drawing so don’t worry about color today, though I expect shading and the use of different values,” sounds easy enough. “Use a piece of paper from your sketchbooks, I’ll collect them at the end of class finished or not. It’s only an exercise so it really doesn’t matter if you finish or not. You may begin.”
Ten minutes into the drawing and both Gerard and Frank looked at each other more times than they needed to but the drawings were coming along. Looking over at the drawing of himself Frank could really see it. The guy was really good a drawing much better than himself. Though the boy was coming along as well, though he felt the drawing didn’t do the real thing nearly enough justice.
“You have to actually look at the drawing to draw,” the black haired boy said not even looking up from his pencil drawing. Blushing, Frank looked back down at his paper fixing the hair of the drawn boy.
About thirty minutes later, Frank was almost completely done with the drawing. Looking up at the other boy’s drawing he could see that it was completely finished. Signed and everything. Frank tried his hardest to read the signature, but reading the messy script upside down was nearly impossible. All he could make out was a G and that was it. If he’s done then why is he still staring at me? Frank wondered looking up into the teen’s hazel eyes.
He was staring openly at Frank. With his drawing completely finished there was really no other reason behind it. Why do you have to be so goddamn attractive? Frank wondered, unknown to him Gerard thought the same thing.
They were both staring now, though neither of them said a word to the other. Frank could’ve sworn he saw the black haired teen’s eyes flit down to his lips for a fraction of a second before looking back into his eyes.
The only thing that stopped both of them from jumping across the table and kissing the other was the bell ringing. Causing them both to jump five feet in the air. Frank rushed to clean up his things, handing the teacher his drawing on the way out. He wanted out of there as fast as possible before he did something that would ruin any chance at all with the boy.
“Frank!? Wait up,” he called, trying to catch up to the shorter black haired boy. When did he get so fast? When he finally did catch up to him he asked: “Hey? Are you okay? You look a little pale,”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Frank said. “Just tired is all,” that’s a good excuse right? That’s everyone’s excuse for everything now anyway.
“Okay, are you sure that’s it? You just rushed out of there as fast as you could,” he said, then leaning in close to Frank’s ear. “If you need anything, ever, all you have to do is ask,” Frank immediately took that the wrong way and flushed bright red.
Gerard laughed still really close to Frank he whispered. “You’re adorable when you blush, Frankie,” Which only caused him to flush red even more.
I swear I’m going to die, right here. But then he wasn’t there anymore. The boy had vanished almost as if he was never there in the first place.

Notes

So I did this during class when I was supposed to be writing a paper for English. Shhhh don't tell anyone. I really don't want to do my homework too so this was my excuse. But that's not the only reason why I updated. I really like this story and I'm proud to say that many other people do as well. Thank you all so much for telling me so.

Now I realize Frank really is being a complete idiot about this but I really it has to be this way for everything to fall into place. I want to say that it's around chapter eleven that he figures some things out. I'll have to look at my outline again. Oh well, thank you for reading and reviewing I appreciate it more than you realize. See you all in the next chapter.