Time lapse of three days, in which it is now Tuesday.

"Mrs. Rossingnol, can I go to the nurse? I'm feeling really sick." It was the middle of Biology, and I didn't exactly feel like working for an hour on the skeleton of a cat.

She nodded and handed me a hall pass.

The nurse, once I got there and pretended I had an upset stomach, gave me some water and sent me back to class. Of course, I had no intention of returning and instead took a detour to the supply closet where there were no security cameras.

I was not expecting, however, another person to be in there.

Gerard jumped when I opened the door, but sighed in relief and went back to his drawing when he realized I wasn't a teacher.

I walked over to the opposite wall and sat down facing him. "Hey."

He looked up, and then smiled. "Oh, hey Frank. I didn't recognize you at first."

That stung a little, until he added, "Your hood was up."

I pulled it back down, not realizing it had. "I didn't notice. What are you drawing?"

"Um," he blushed, "a vampire."

"Seriously? That is so cool. Vampires are awesome."

He grinned. "Totally."

So, today was weird. Gerard skipping class. Gerard drawing a vampire. Gerard taking note that my hood was up when it usually wasn't.

Was he the boy I thought he was, or not?

"Can I see?" I asked.

He hesitated, but then scooted over beside me and showed me his notebook.

It was a picture of a dark-haired teenage boy bent over a girl. At first glance, it seemed he was simply kissing her neck, but then I noticed the very precise expression of fear and shock on her face, and the dark trail dripping down her shoulder.

I was speechless.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Do you like it?"

Luckily, my voice jumped back into my throat. A bit too sudden, maybe, because the words came out half-strangled. "It's amazing."

He smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem. Hey, why are you skipping class?"

He shrugged. "It's Gym. I really don't feel like getting hit with dodgeballs for an hour. Also, no one's going to notice I'm gone."

Why would someone hit you with a dodgeball? How could someone hit you with a dodgeball? Why aren't you in class? Why don't you always have perfect attendance like I thought? Why would no one notice you were gone?

I would notice…

"Yeah," I sighed. "I hate Gym."

"Same here."

"Do you usually skip it?"

"Nah. Only occasionally."

"Same here."

"You already said that," he noted.

"You noticed."

He fell silent, a pink tinge appearing on his cheekbones. Hurriedly, he flipped to a new page and began scribbling.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and watched him draw. It was kind of relaxing, to be honest.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching the closet.

"Oh God, oh shit, oh fuck," I whispered frantically. I'm not normally one to swear, but it was certain death if someone caught us here.

I scooted-slash-crabwalked back against the wall behind a floor-cleaner thing as fast as I could, when suddenly I hit something soft. I looked back and saw Gerard with panicked eyes, shushing me and pulling me into his lap.

We flattened ourselves against the wall as the clicking of heels drew nearer. I heard them stop and open the door. I literally stopped breathing as I heard them take a few steps in. Then, miraculously, they turned and left, shutting the door behind them muttering about their hearing.

I exhaled once they were out of earshot and glanced at Gerard, sliding off his legs and onto the floor like Jell-O.

"That," he said shakily, "was close."

"Yes. Yes it was."

I looked at him again and almost burst out laughing.

He frowned. "What's so funny?"

"You," I choked out. "Your face was priceless."

He chuckled. "Let's just say I'm not used to these kind of situations."

"I can tell."

"Thanks."

"You said it first." Oh God please don't let me mess this up.

He laughed, which made me almost sigh with relief. "I know."

I slid back to the other wall as Gerard resumed his position on the floor.

"Gerard?"

"Hmm?"

"I didn't know you liked vampires."

"Well," he muttered, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear with his left hand as his right flew across the page, graphite darkening his fingers, "I do. There's a lot about me people don't know, or expect for that matter. They think I'm a perfect boy with a perfect life, perfect friends…even a perfect family. But," at this he laughs darkly, "I don't. I'm not. It's not all fake, there's just more under the surface."

"What do you like…what are you like, then?" I prompted.

He looked a bit startled. "We hardly know each other."

"Everything has to begin somewhere," I pointed out.

He hesitated. "I think I have too much to tell you. Why don't you come over later?"

Me. At. His. House.

"Sure. We can get to know each other better."

He smiled. "I'm glad. I always thought you were pretty interesting, Frank."

I have to fight to not smack myself across the face. Surely this is one of my hallucinations from when I…

Never mind. You'll find out when Gerard does, if ever.

After about five more minutes, the bell trilled sharply, and we both jumped up. Quickly, we slid out of the closet and casually began walking away.

"To Chem?" Gerard grinned.

"To Chem," I grinned back.

We walked in silence until we reached the classroom, then he sat at the same table in the back, and I followed him uncertainly. When I paused he looked up and smiled, gesturing lazily to the seat next to me.

"What are you waiting for?" he smiles cheekily.

"Um, let's see…a miracle in which I'm not hated by everyone in this hellhole?" I mumbled as I sat down.

"With just one exception," he says as he pulls out our sheets from last chemistry class.

I looked at him curiously.

His cryptic eyes met mine darkly for a minute before he turned back to his worksheet.

I blushed and turned back to the questions.

I'm beginning to think this peculiar boy is hiding secrets.

"Alright, class," Mr. Fray booms as the bell rings a second time, signaling that class has started. "Today's free day. Anything flammable or toxic has been removed from the shelves, and the most you can make might be smoke, if you get that far. Have fun!"

While everyone else rushed to the ingredients, I leaned back and waited for them to clear out. "So basically, we just mix things and see if they go 'boom'?"

Gerard let out a snort of laughter. "Pretty much."

Once there was enough space to reach the shelves, I grabbed a couple of the brightly colored ones and headed back to Gerard, weaving between people.

I set them on the table, grabbing an empty beaker and two pairs of goggles. We put them on, and I immediately felt like a geek. Only Gerard could pull it off.

Gerard took a flask of green liquid and one of red and poured them together. They started bubbling, mixing together and swirling around each other almost lovingly.

"What should we call it?" Gerard said proudly, obviously satisfied.

"Well, I know it sounds weird, but it looks like they're in…love or something. Look how they're almost being wrapped around each other."

Gerard laughed lightly. "No, it's not. I can see how you'd see that. So it's like a romance…a chemical romance," he grinned.

"Chemical Romance?"

"Yep."

"That's actually pretty good. So, we made Chemical Romance, then."

"Nuh-uh," he said teasingly, sticking his tongue out at me like a two-year-old. "I made it. So it's my Chemical Romance."

"My Chemical Romance?"

"No, mine."

"Fine, your Chemical Romance," I laughed, shaking my head and grinning. "Now it's my turn."

We spent the rest of the class mixing together colorful substances and giving them ridiculous names. I think one of them I named Gopher Skull, though I'm not sure why.

The bell rang, and we headed for lunch.

Gerard and I were eating when suddenly he stood up. "I'll be right back," he told me, and headed for the bathroom.

I shrugged and continued to eat.

Someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned to find myself face-to-face with one of the people from Gerard's old clique.

"You," he hissed. "You think you can steal Gerard like that? Well, think again."

I shook my head. "I'm not trying to. He just…came by himself."

"Yeah right," he snorted. "Gerard wouldn't do that."

I looked him straight in the eyes. "He already did."

"Sam?" Gerard called as he walked back, wiping his hands on his jeans and sitting next to me. I felt a small twinge of victory at this. "What are you doing here?"

Sam looked hurt.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? Why are you hanging out with this freak anyway?"

Gerard stood up faster than I could have ever thought possible. His eyes turned dark, and for a minute he looked really scary.

"He," Gerard hissed dangerously, eyes flashing, "is no more of a freak than you are."

"So, now you're calling me a fat-ass faggot?"

Gerard growled and made to move towards him, but I grabbed the back of his shirt and shook my head with wide eyes. "Gerard, don't."

"Did you not hear what he just called you?"

"It's fine. I've been called worse."

He looked at me with a sad expression. "I know. And I wasn't there."

"Gerard, it's fine."

He looked back at Sam. "This time, because we used to be friends, I won't do anything that could get me suspended. But if you so much as spit in his direction…"

Gerard sat back down, still glaring. Sam gave us both cold looks before returning to his clique.

"What have you been called?" Gerard asked softly.

"Well, there's that, along with fucktard, dick-face, and a bunch of others I'd rather not say. Faggot is the most popular, though."

"…Are you gay, then?"

I thought about it, while Gerard quickly added, "It's okay if you are. I mean, personally gay people are cool. Sorry if you got offended or something or-"

"Gerard," I laughed. "It's fine. Really, I'm not sure if I am. The only person who's gotten near enough to speak to me without insults is…you, really, if you don't count my family."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Oh."

I laughed, stabbing a piece of lettuce with a fork. "So, do you still want me to come over?"

He nodded uncertainly. "Kind of. I do want you to come over, I just don't want…"

"Don't want what?"

He seemed to choose his words carefully. "You'll see when you get there."

I let it drop.