You Can Cry All You Want To, I Don't Care

SIX MONTHS LATER

"Oh fuck I'm so late" I groan out as I race around my dorm
room, throwing pens and markers into the bag slung over my shoulder and my art school roommate, Patrick lays on his bed and just laughs at my frantic flailing. "Gee, dude you might wanna fix your hair first" he offers with a chuckle and I stop to look in the mirror, flattening down my bed head before throwing him a grateful smile and rushing out the door, having only five minutes to make it across campus for my class. As I run out of the dorm building I slam straight into someone and I'm knocked backwards onto my ass, groaning out in pain as I hit the ground and I hear another groan from the guy I slammed into and also knocked over. "Shit oh fuck I'm so
sorry" I blurt out as I stand up again and offer my hand to help him up and once he's on his feet again he looks at me and I gasp when I see his face. "Bert?" I ask, shocked to see him and he smiles and says "Hey Gerard, long time no see." I quickly drop his hand, feeling familiar fear spread through me and he notices from the change on my face and he's quick to say "Hey no I'm not gonna like hit you or anything, I'm really sorry I used to be that way. Can I take you out for a drink or something to apologise?" I feel a small smile spread across my face, no one having shown any interest in me since Frank. "Uh, sure I'll give you my number" I tell him, grabbing a sharpie from my pocket and scribbling it on his hand. "I'm late for class but just uh, text me later or something" I rush out before taking off running again, barely making it to my class on time.

After class as I leave the building I pull my cell from my pocket and see that Bert has sent me a message. 'Hey Gerard it's Bert, wanna get some coffee after your class?' 'Yeah sure I just got out, wanna meet me where I ran into you in like twenty?' 'Sounds good.' I rush back to my room to find Patrick where I left him, laying on his bed playing video games. "What do you look so happy about?" He asks and I shrug before saying "I think I have a date maybe?" Patrick pauses his game before sitting up and saying "Woah woah woah hang on. Details?" "Um well I kinda ran into my high school bully who I haven't seen in over a year, like literally ran into and knocked over on my way to class and he asked me for drinks or whatever to apologise for being such a dick to me and I gave him my number and he just asked me to go get coffee." "Wow go Gee. You're finally moving on huh?" I've known Patrick for about a month and a half now ever since I got to art school and I told him about my past with Frank one drunken night and he knows I still have feelings for Frank despite having not spoken to him in over six months. I send Patrick a small smile as I say "Maybe." I get ready before leaving to go out and meet Bert and when I get outside he's there waiting for me, a bright smile on his face and we walk side by side off campus to a nearby coffee shop where we sit in a booth with our drinks and catch up on each other's lives. After two hours of non stop talking and laughing Bert and I decide to hang out again, Bert inviting me to a live band thing at a nearby bar the next night that Patrick and I were already going to so we agree to just go and we'll find each other in the crowd. I head back to the dorm building feeling the happiest I've felt in a long time, Patrick commenting and telling me he's happy for me when he sees the smile on my face.

Notes

Fully expecting backlash for the twist this story has taken but I feel like maybe Frank and Gerard's relationship was getting kinda boring