"Hey, I'm new here," someone said. "Do you know where my fourth hour is?"

"Yeah, it's down the hall but you go to lunch first," I said.

"Oh, do you think that I could sit with you?" He asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm Gerard."

"I'm Patrick," he said.

I smiled and lead him to my table. Frank smiled when he saw me and I sat beside him so he was between me and Jamia.

"This is Patrick, he's new here," I said.

"Really? Where do you live?" Jamia asked.

"Um, I live near that one Chinese restaurant," Patrick said. "I'm from Chicago."

"I just moved here recently too," Frank said. "I live right next door to Gee, actually."

"What a coincidence," Patrick said with a small chuckle.

"Chicago is pretty cool, why'd you move here?" Jamia asked.

"My dad's work, it really sucks because it's senior year," Patrick said. "But I guess I've only got a few months here so I don't think it should be too bad."

"It's not too bad here," Frank said. "I know I was pretty pissed about moving here during senior year too but it's pretty nice here."

Jamia and I looked at each other because we knew that for us it really wasn't nice here. It was complete shit and sometimes I can't even get out of bed in the morning. Frank tries to understand, I know he does. But he just doesn't understand and he can't understand. Because Frank is attractive, he's smooth on his feet and is charismatic. He's got everything to be successful and happy in life and he'll never really be able to feel what I feel every single day.

"You want half my cookie?" Frank asked.

I shook my head but he still broke the cookie in half and handed it to me. I ate quietly as I looked around.

"You're really gonna eat all of that?" Hayley asked with a snicker.

Jamia looked down at her sandwich, setting it down sadly.

"I mean, if she wanted to be pretty you'd think she would stop being a pig," we heard Hayley say to Lindsey while they walked off.

"Don't listen to them, Mia, it's just a little sandwich," I said.

"I-I'm not very hungry," she mumbled.

I frowned softly, reaching over to give her hand a soft squeeze before I pulled away.

"Who was that?" Patrick asked.

"Just some bitch who goes here," Frank said. "I would recommend staying very far away from her and her group of friends. Her friends are just as bad as her because they're just trying to fuck the guys while using their hot bodies to take down other girls."

"Hot bodies?" I asked as I looked at Frank.

"I mean, not as hot as your body," Frank said.

My eyes widened as I glanced at Frank.

"I mean that's a joke," Frank said. "I'm not calling you ugly I just—oh fuck."

Frank shoved his half of his cookie in his mouth as he looked down.

"Okay, anyways," Patrick said. "Other than that how are the kids here?"

"Not much better," I mumbled.

Frank reached to hold my hand underneath the table but I pulled it away.

"Anyways," I said, "Is this your first day?"

"First day at school but I moved here last week," Patrick said. "When did you say you moved here, Frank?"

"Near the beginning of the school year, I think it was just a few weeks after the school year started," Frank said. "So I didn't miss too much thankfully and I wasn't the only new kid started the year I just started a few weeks after most people."

"This is the first time I've ever moved and I was really nervous," Patrick admitted. "I wish that I could move back to Chicago honestly, I really liked the apartment we lived in. It's weird just living in a house, it's so quiet all the time here. I'm so use to hearing the cars on the streets and the couple in the floor above us always arguing before bed. It was nice there, I liked it."

"I've been there once, we only went on the touristy things, though," Frank said.

Lunch ended and I sighed as I walked to class. Frank pulled me into one of the bathrooms, locking the door as the bell for class rang.

"What's wrong?" Frank asked.

"Nothing's wrong," I said.

"Baby, come on, please," he said.

I just shrugged and he wrapped his arms around me, giving me a soft kiss.

"I love you," he said.

"I know, I love you too," I said quietly.

"Do you wanna skip the rest of class?" He asked.

I smiled and nodded, holding his hand. Frank lead us out of the school and back towards his house.

"Do you wanna go to see your therapist?" Frank asked. "I can call my mom so she can find out if he's open right now."

"No, I think I just kind of want to go home and take a nap," I said.

Frank nodded and fifteen minutes later we were at his house. I curled up in his bed, closing my eyes as I felt the drowsiness quickly take over so I fell asleep.

"Oh, I've gotta go, he's waking up," I heard Frank whispered.

I stirred softly, looking up at him. He sat beside me on the bed as he ran his fingers through my hair. He hung up his phone and I yawned, holding his hand.

"Who were you talking to?" I mumbled sleepily.

"Jamia," he said.

"About what?" I asked.

"Nothing, j-just about a tv show we saw," he said.

He's lying.

"Okay," I mumbled.

"Baby, are you okay?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, I am," I said. "I'm just kind of tired is all. I didn't really get a lot of sleep last night."

"Are you sure that's all?" Frank asked.

No.

"Yes," I lied.

Frank nodded, wrapping his arms around me as we were both silent. I glanced up at him and saw a small frown on his lips. There was something...something different. There was something different between us. We were so close, our bodies pressed together but I feel like we've never been so far apart.

I glanced down at the tattoo on his hand as I bit my lip. He still wasn't quite sure what to go about it. He wasn't sure whether he should just keep it or get it removed or get it covered up with a different tattoo. He liked it but he just knew how I felt about it. I don't know why but it just made me feel so uncomfortable every time I looked at it.

Maybe Frank didn't love me like he said he did. Maybe he used to love me but I've just put him off so much that he doesn't love me anymore, at least not the same way that he used to. Maybe now he's only sticking around try and fix me because he thinks that he owes me or something. He doesn't love me, he's just sticking around to try and fix me so that way he doesn't feel guilty when I end up killing myself.

"Hey, Gerard, I didn't know you were here," Ms. Iero said when she opened the door.

"Hi," I said quietly.

"Are you staying for dinner?" She asked.

"Yeah, he is," Frank answered.

She smiled and left and Frank kissed my forehead.

"What do you think of Patrick?" I asked.

"He seems pretty nice," Frank said. "Reminds me a little bit of nice with the way I followed you around like a lost puppy on the first day of school."

"Well, I guess a lot of new people just happen to run into me," I said.

"Well, I don't think we were just a coincidence, we were fate," he said. "I remember the exact moment I walked out of my front door and I just saw you there walking to school. You had your headphones in, you didn't even notice me. I thought that you just looked so pretty. You seemed so focused on your music, you really loved it. You looked so content and peaceful. I couldn't quite believe that I got to live right next to you. I was so nervous to talk to you but then I finally did at it was the best decision in my whole life."

"You don't mean that," I mumbled.

"Yes, I do," he said. "I really mean it, I love you so much. I love seeing your face everyday, you make my day a million times better. The second I see you my whole day just brightens."

I looked down sadly, shaking my head.

"Yes, I mean it," he said.

Frank leaned down, giving me a soft kiss.

"I never wanna leave this bed," I whispered.

"Neither do I," he replied.

My eyes watered as I looked at him.

"Frank, I-I don't want to go to school," I said. "I just wanna drop out. Seeing those people everyday is killing me from the inside out. They're just torturous."

"Well, there's only a few more months left, maybe you can just keep going," he said. "You're so strong, Baby."

"You have more confidence in me than I have in myself," I said quietly.

"Besides, you're not eighteen and you would need a parent's permission, which your mother would never allow," he said. "And by the time you turn eighteen there's only a few more weeks, only about four because seniors leave early."

"I guess," I mumbled.

I just...I just don't know if I can make it.

"And I promise that I am going to be here every second," he said. "Whenever you need me I'll be there for you if you just need a shoulder to cry on or you need me to beat someone up for you. I'll be there for you whenever you want."

"Thank you, Frank," I said quietly. "I-I just don't wanna be a bother to you."

"You're not a bother," he said. "I love you so much."

I sniffled, curling up close to him as I closed my eyes.