Chapter Twenty Four: Hello Angel, tell me where are you, Tell me where we go from here

"I'll see you at school!" Frank shouted from his doorway, watching as Gerard slowly made his way across the icy pavement and back home.

"Bye!" Gerard shouted over his shoulder, trying to concentrate on the slippery surface but sliding and landing on the cold pavement. Frank giggled childishly as he watched, making Gerard smiled at the musical sound. Picking himself up from the pavement, Gerard carried on his journey home, slipping and sliding a he did so.

"Hey Mike!" Gerard grinned, ruffling his younger brothers hair as he hung up his coat and sat down on the sofa next to the small boy. Mikey turned and looked at his smiling brother, wondering what could have put him in such a good mood.

"Jesus Gerard your white as snow!" Gerard's mum exclaimed from the kitchen doorway, "oh wait, you always look like that." She laughed loudly as the two boys jumped in surprise.

"Wrap up a bit better then that next time Gerard, it's freezing out there and I don't want those pretty little fingers of yours being frozen off." She ruffled her sons hair before returning to the kitchen. After a while of watching mind numbing tv with Mikey, Gerard decided to retreat back to his room and draw.

A succession of noisy beeps next to his head awoke Gerard.

"What the hell?" He mumbled, lifting his head from his drawing board to realise it was his phone beeping to alert him of a text. Groaning Gerard picked up the beeping device and poked the screen which flashed, telling him that whilst he had drifted off to sleep he had received 4 text messages.

"Hey Gerard, I saw you and Frank earlier, trying to get back into his good books are you? Bet your just missing the sex aren't you you little whore. Well you know where I am if you need it x Bert XxX"

Gerard grimaced at the message and deleted it before scrolling through the next messages.

"Urgh you little whore answer your damn phone x Bert XxX"

"Have you become brain damaged or something since I last saw you? Text me back, if you don't I'm giving your surprise to whoever wants it x Bert XxX"

"Answer your damn phone Getard x Bert XxX"

Gerard deleted all the messages as soon as he had read them, dreading the idea of having to see Bert ever again. Suddenly, just as Gerard was about to place his black shiny phone back onto his drawing board, it beeped and flashed, alerting him of yet another message. He contemplated deleting it straight away as it would most likely be from Bert but curiosity got the better of him and he decided to open it.

"Hey Gerard. Frank told me, about everything. Meet me outside school now please? I'd like to talk. Ray :)"

Gerard sighed, slightly confused as to what Ray wanted, but he was even more confused about the smiley face Ray had used, was he happy about Frank's misery and everything Gerard had done to him?

"Hey mum I'm meeting Ray, I shouldn't be gone long." Gerard shouted into the kitchen whilst grabbing his jacket.

"Okay, just put a scarf on! And a hat! And some gloves!" His mum shouted back. Gerard listened to his mothers wishes and wrapped and large grey scarf around his neck and placed a pair of soft black leather gloves on his hands before leaving the house and walking towards his school.

"Hey Gerard. Sorry I'm a bit late, my mum made me find as big a coat as possible." Ray laughed lightly as he walked up to the pale looming figure stood next to the school gates.

"No problem," Gerard smiled, "I just love standing out in the cold." He laughed lightly.

"Hmph well it didn't stop you with Bert." Ray muttered.

"Look Ray if you've come here to have a go at me just say and get it over with please? I feel bad enough as it is about the whole Bert thing." Gerard sighed, hugging himself to stay warm.

"I didn't come here to have a go at you Gerard, quite the opposite actually," Ray smiled and motioned for Gerard to follow him, " how's about a cup of coffee back at mine? Nobody should be in and it's warm." Gerard grinned back at his fuzzy haired friend and followed him.

"Milk?" Ray asked from the kitchen.

"No thanks, I like it black!" Gerard shouted to him from the comforts of the Toro family living room. Ray walked through with two steaming cups, one black (Gerard's) the other a very light brown colour (Ray's).

"Thanks." Gerard mumbled, taking the steaming cup from his friend and sipping at the hot liquid.

"So, do tell." Ray smiled slightly at Gerard whilst sinking down into the soft fabric of a sofa.

"About what?" Gerard asked playing dumb.

"Bert. Frank. All of that mess." Ray began to drink the hot coffee inbetween his hands.

"Oh," Gerard mumbled, "where to start-"

"How about the beginning?" Ray interrupted him.

"Oh well, erm, how much has Frank told you?" Gerard asked.

"Well, he told me that you were sleeping with Bert for drugs. That true?" Ray asked, carrying on drinking his coffee.

"Yes," Gerard sighed, looking down as a feeling of shame washed over him, "but, I never loved Bert if that's what your thinking." Ray almost spat his mouthful of coffee across the living room.

"Even his mother can't stand him, so no Gerard I didn't think for one second that you loved him," Ray laughed lightly at the thought of Gerard loving Bert, "but I do think you love Frank." He smiled slightly into his mug of coffee.

"Of course I love Frank." Gerard exclaimed. Ray looked up at him.

"You know, Frank admitted to me the day after he met you that he loved you. He's never admitted that. Not to me and not to anyone else as far as I'm aware of. You were his first real boyfriend Gerard." Ray stared into Gerard's eyes looking for something.

"Oh ... wow." Gerard mumbled. He'd always thought Frank had had at least one relationship before he'd come along, obviously he was wrong.

"He's nuts for you Gerard, and if your going to give up on him for drugs then your more of an idiot then I took you for." Ray sat back as he finally found what he'd been looking for in Gerard's eyes - fear ... and love.

"I-I'm," Gerard was lost for words, "Ray. Thank you." He smiled before standing up. "I'm going to go find him Ray. Thank you." He nodded his head slightly as a goodbye before placing down his cup down and walking away, through the living room door into the hallway and out the front door. "Thank you Ray!" He shouted over his shoulder as he walked towards Frank's house. Ray smiled as he looked out the window and watched the dark haired boy follow his heart.