He's Not Dead He Only Looks That Way

The two teens lie there, so wrapped up in each other that they don’t hear the descending footsteps going down the stairs.
In fact, they don’t notice Pete or Mikey standing there until Pete clears his throat loudly.
Looking over, Frank immediately rolls himself in the blanket, leaving Gerard’s naked body on display. Mikey slaps a hand over his eyes, but Pete just smirks, watching Gerard hastily grab a pillow and cover himself, simultaneously punching Frank in the arm.
“Why is the party cancelled?” Mikey demands. “Mom and Dad aren’t coming.” He scrunches his nose, asking, “It wasn’t so you two could hook up, was it?”
“No!” Frank insists. He stands, wrapping the blanket around his waist. “Gerard could’ve gotten hurt tonight, and we didn’t want that.” Frank snatches his briefs off the nightstand, stepping into them as he adds, “The hooking up just sort of happened.”
“How? How could he have possibly gotten hurt?” Mikey snaps.
“Michelle’s fucking psycho boyfriend, that’s how,” Frank retorts hotly.
“Why would he want anything to do with Gerard?” Pete wonders.
“Because Gerard fucked his girlfriend, and there’s been bad vibes ever since. He’s already been-”
“Um, Frank?” Gerard interrupts. He points at his boxers, hooked on the lampshade.
“Oh, right,” Frank mutters, grabbing the underwear and tossing them to Gerard. He proceeds, “He and one of his friends already jumped Gerard, and there’s a pretty fat chance that they’d do it again, given the opportunity.”
“Is that…” Pete mumbles. “Oh, is that why that Caleb kid was fucking with you the other day?”
Gerard furrows his brows. “You saw that?”
“Well, yeah, but not all of it. I just saw him talking to you, kinda pinning you. But I figured he was just fucking around,” Pete responds honestly.
“Well it fucking hurt,” Gerard grumbles.
“We should still throw one,” Mikey whines. “This is our last chance for like the rest of the month.”
“What if he shows up?” Frank questions.
“He’s not invited,” Mikey answers simply.
“Y’know, word gets out about these things fast,” Pete points out, actually siding with Gerard and Frank. “He’ll find out, and knowing him, he’ll be looking for trouble.”
“So what do you suggest we do, Slim Shady?” Mikey sneers.
Pete self-consciously runs a hand through his newly bleached hair. “Shut up.”
“It looks good, Pete,” Frank comforts, having noticed the blond locks upon Pete’s entrance, but also too caught up in covering himself and arguing with Mikey to say anything.
“Yeah,” Gerard agrees.
“Look,” Pete begins. He digs into his back pocket, pulling out a crumpled paper bag. “I’ve got this weed, and I propose that we have a quiet night in and take this pot off my hands, if you know what I mean.”
Mikey swipes the pot from his hands, scolding, “Not in my house, we aren’t. I don’t want it smelling like a Sublime concert in here.”
“Mikes, will you relax?” Gerard orders. “I’m actually impartial to this idea.”
“Gerard, we’re not in fucking seventh grade anymore; don’t you think we’re past smoking weed?” Mikey asks.
“Wow, Michael, you are totally right,” Gerard mocks. “We’re too old for pot. It’s time to move onto crystal meth.”
“Bite me,” Mikey scowls.
Pete sits on the bed, ripping out a nearby sheet of paper from Gerard’s notebook. He pats Gerard’s bare thigh, greeting, “How are you, bud?”
“G-good,” Gerard stammers, squirming uncomfortably in his underwear. He manages to crawl behind Pete, crossing the room to change into a pair of fleece pajama bottoms and a Smiths tee shirt. He tosses Frank a pair of plaid pajama pants as well as a cutoff tee, which Frank puts on gratefully, having to roll up the bottoms of the pants to avoid tripping on the long hems.
They join Pete on the bed, Mikey across the room in the recliner as they smoke. They try to convince Mikey to join them, or at least sit by them, but Mikey’s adamant about how he doesn’t want to take a shower and will have to if he’s too close to the smoke.
Frank ends up having a coughing fit a couple of minutes in, and Gerard has to rub his back as he hacks loudly.
“Jesus Christ, Iero, cut yourself a break,” Pet sighs.
Frank shakes his head, tears in his eyes as he brings the joint back to his lips. “It feels too good.”
Gerard rolls his eyes, inhaling deeply.
Pete’s trying to make smoke rings, and failing, the curve of his lips only releasing small mushroom clouds as opposed to hoops. He grows discouraged, and occupies himself with picking at a loose thread on his shirt.
There are quite a few minutes of silence, the boys effectively killing their brain cells and burning their eyes to crimson shades. The quiet is broken by Mikey heading upstairs, calling, “I’m going upstairs, holler if you need me.”
“Wait up!” Pete chirps, hopping off the mattress. He holds his joint between his lips as he collects his phone and shoes, winking at us before pursuing Mikey up the basement stairs.
Frank coughs once more, gagging and almost vomiting.
“Frank, fucking quit it. You’re going to hack up a lung,” Gerard advises.
Frank takes one more puff before stubbing the flame out on the wooden nightstand, leaving the smallest singe mark. “I guess you’re right.”
“Why were you so insistent on smoking, anyways?” Gerard asks.
“Remember what I said in the lunchroom? I wanted to know what it’s like,” Frank replies. He gazes over at the burnt out joint, admitting, “That was probably a one-time experience.”
Gerard nods, admitting, “I can understand that, actually. You ever wanted to break a bone, just to know what it feels like?”
Frank nods, watching Gerard throw his own joint to the floor and toe it, easing the embers out. “I’d like to rip Michelle a new one.”
“Why?” Frank asks.
“She was the one to tell him what happened between us,” Gerard confesses. “But if I said anything, then I’d just be in trouble again.”
“Sticky situation,” Frank concludes.
“Speaking of which,” Gerard starts. “The school may or may not know you’re gay.”
Frank’s red eyes merely blink. He’s too high to be able to worry, so he just says, “Hey, the cat’s out of the bag.”
Gerard giggles, then turning serious, warning, “Well, all that anyone knows is that I’m dating a dude but…” Gerard looks away, admitting, “I spend so much time with you that I figured it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to put it together.”
“What are you saying?”
Gerard meets Frank’s eyes, admonishing, “Watch your back. Just be careful, alright?”
“Okay,” Frank agrees quietly. “I will be.”

Notes