GERARD'S POV
"Gerard?" I heard my friend Ray ask.
"Yeah?" I replied, not looking up from my lunch tray.
"You okay? You seem out of it."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just trying to figure out if this is toxic waste or mac and cheese."
He laughed, but then he became serious.
"But really, I've known you forever. I know when something's wrong. Tell me."
"Fine. This junior got transferred to my art class, and now he's trying to be my BFF or something. I already have a dork for a bother, and now I have to deal with this retard? My life honestly couldn't get worse."
"Well, you could get hit by a car, you could-"
"I get it, I get it." I cut in.
"What's his name?"
"Frank Iero. I think he might have dated that Jamia girl in your band class."
"The one getting beaten up over there?" Ray asked, pointing to the corner of the room.
"Ugh, yeah."
"You should help him."
"Do I have to?" I looked at him. His face said it all. Yes.
FRANK'S POV
"What are you gonna do about it, huh?" asked Brett, continuing to hit me. His friends Jack, Conner, and Trey, pushed me down and started kicking the shit out of me.
"Brett, cut the shit." That sounded like... But he hated me...
"Gerard. I didn't think you stood up for losers." It was. What was he doing?
"I'm not. I just don't want to hear someone getting beat up while I'm trying to eat."
"Fine. But he won't always be around to protect you." Brett replied, whispering that last part to me.
"Just get the fuck out of here, Brett. Now."
"Sure." Brett and his friends walked away laughing.
"Hey, you okay?" Gerard asked, crouching down to my level. I nodded, surprised he even cared.
"Okay. See you later." He said, then he sat down with his friend.

Notes