100% Certified Straight

At lunch the next day, Frank sat down in his usual spot in the band room, wondering if Gerard would sit there again. He sure hoped so. Gerard had something that…well, he hadn’t seen in a long while. Individuality. A purpose. He hoped more than anything that these last three weeks of school wouldn’t change that, even if he had to hide it for awhile. Because Frank…Frank wanted to help him. He wasn’t sure why but he wanted to be this guy’s friend. There was something intriguing about him and Frank wanted more. He wondered if maybe…no…they had just met.

Frank had always wanted to go on a road trip. Not a family road trip, because those were always a disaster), but a road trip with a friend. But never having had a friend (and also previously being too young to drive), he’d never gotten the chance.

Just then Gerard walked in, interrupting his thoughts. He was carrying two lunch trays.

“Hungry much?” Frank joked.

“No.” Gerard shook his head. “One is for you.”

Frank frowned. “Gerard, I’m not hungry.” That was a lie, of course. He was very hungry. But why eat?

“Frank, you asked me a favor. And I agreed. I’ve been laying low. I even wore a hoodie today to hide my hair. Now I’m asking you a favor. Please, eat something.”

Frank opened his mouth to argue but no, he couldn’t argue with that. He nodded, and Gerard sat down next to him, handing him a tray. Frank looked down at the shitty cafeteria food and tried to remember the last time he’d eaten. It must have been at least a few days. He could feel his eyes starting to tear up and he quickly stuffed the roll in his mouth, trying desperately to stop crying. Definitely not cool. He just hoped Gerard didn’t notice. He finished his food quickly, pushing the tray away. “There, happy?”

“Yeah, I am.” Gerard smiled sincerely and Frank just sat there, staring down at the table.

“I wasn’t hungry.” He said finally, as Gerard was finishing his lunch. It was a pointless sentence, he knew, but he was itching to say something.

“I know.” That was all he said. No gloating, no ‘I told you so’, no ‘sure you weren’t’. Just ‘I know’. And even though Frank had been lying, he figured that Gerard really did know. He knew know how hungry Frank was.

Frank just bit his lip, willing himself to keep silent. Why did it feel so bad to eat? It wasn’t like he was starving himself on purpose. Or…or was he? Was he punishing himself?

He frowned, staring at the floor. He didn’t need to be punished, right? He hadn’t done anything wrong. He glanced up at Gerard, who was looking at him with a worried expression on his face. “…hey, um, would you like to go on a road trip with me this summer?”

Notes