///We're gonna pretend like a riot wouldn't break out if there was a school play focused on a gay love story.///

I didn't know why I had signed up for a play. And I didn't know why I had been cast as one of the lead roles. And I especially didn't know why I had even auditioned as a lead role when I knew there was a kissing scene in the play.

I hardly knew anyone in the school. It was just me, Frank Iero, the social outcast with way too much of an obsession over guys. But particularly one guy, that guy being Gerard Way. And we had maybe talked to each other once or twice at most, but I was fascinated with him.

And I did have a bit of a crush on him.

And I did sort of have a mental breakdown when I saw that he was playing the other lead role, which meant I would have to kiss him.

And now that he knew that we were both playing the lead roles, he had went out of his way to be near me more, and to talk to me more. "Hey Frank," he said as he sat down next to me in the performance arts center. We were at our first rehearsal, and I was nervous as hell.

I had just become even more nervous in the presence of Gerard. "Hi," I replied back, daring to make eye contact and put on a smile.

He smiled back, and it was that fucking smile that could've been the death of me. "Nervous?" He asked, glancing down to my hands fidgeting with the hem of my sweater.

"Yeah," I responded. "I've never really done this before, much less played the lead role in something. And I was bored and I was like, hey it's a play about gay people, what lovely representation, so here I am now but god, I never thought I would be playing the lead." I chuckled and looked down at my hands.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think you'll be doing great. And I would rather kiss a good-looking gay guy rather than some ugly straight dude who signed up for extra credit," he laughed. I was suddenly thankful for the dim lighting of the theater room, that way he couldn't see the blush on my face.

"Yeah I guess, I'm just kind of concerned because hardly anyone at this school probably knows who I even am-"

"I know who you are," he butted in. "Well, obviously, but even before you did this I knew who you were. I've seen you around and I've known your name and junk, and to be honest I've always kind of wanted to be friends with you, but I never could grow the balls to make friends on my own," he sighed.

"Woah really?" I asked, genuinely surprised. He nodded. "That's really weird because I've always wanted to be friends with you too and I never could get myself to do it," I laughed. "I guess it's a good thing we got put in this play together."

And shortly after that conversation, the lighting increased in the room and the teacher got up on stage. "Alright guys welcome to the first rehearsal. We aren't really going to get up on stage today, but I want you guys to get familiar with the script."

A mixture of positive responses were received from the class and the teacher continued talking. "We'll go into partners and you guys can rehearse with the people you have the most dialogue with. Okay... Frank and Gerard you'll rehearse together. Lindsey, Jamia, and Hayley will be together. Patrick, Andy, Pete, and Joe will be together. All the understudies can rehearse together. Side characters will go together. And I think that settles that. Find a spot in the room far enough away from other people so you and your partners can focus," he smiled.

Gerard ran a hand through his lemon-colored-very-soft-looking hair and turned to face me. "Alright. Let's get to practicing then."

-

I was sitting on the ground backstage, Gerard right across from me with his legs sitting criss-cross. We had been goofing off during almost the entire script, whether by putting on shitty accents or just improvising the hell out of it.

"Oh but my dearest Franklin," Gerard began saying with an overly sophisticated English accent. "I don't want to hide this from you anymore, because you surely deserve the truth- ugh that line is so cheesy and boring," he suddenly cut off the accent.

"Well then spice it up, here let me try." I looked down at my own script at the line Gerard had to say, and cleared my throat to put on my most stereotypical gay voice ever. "Omg Frank there's some weird shit I really should be telling you about but- oh no! We live in the fuckin 19th century and twinks are just not the trend these days. Maybe in like, 200 years. But you should know that I definitely don't stare at your insanely attractive ass all day and that-" and I was cut off by Gerard laughing very loudly. And oh my god, his laugh was the most adorable thing ever.

"Now I see why you've never done a play before," he laughed, wiping a tear from his face. "But seriously, your improvising is pretty damn good, you ever think of doing standup comedy?"

"Not really," I shrugged. "I don't think getting up in front of crowds is really my thing-"

"And yet you auditioned to be the lead role in a school play," he rolled his eyes playfully. "C'mon Frank, making smart decisions aren't we?"

"Oh shut up, I had nothing better to do anyways," I smiled. And I really did mean that. Because right now I honestly couldn't think of anything better to do than spend time with the one guy I might have had a crush on for the past three years.

Our teacher walked over to us after a few minutes. "Doing good, boys? I'm sure it's coming along nicely. Practice is almost over, but I would love if you guys rehearsed the script together and acted it out outside of school." He smiled at us encouragingly and Gerard nodded. He seemed very enthusiastic about theater.

Gerard turned back to face me and suddenly asked me a question that would've made me hyperventilate if it was in a different context. "Do you want to come back to my place?" And obviously he was inviting me over so we could rehearse our scenes, but in my mind I had only hoped that maybe he just wanted me at his house for the sake of it. But that was irrational.

"Sure thing, I'm cool with that." And really, I mentally facepalmed myself for how awkward I had probably been up to this point.

-

There was no hiding the fact that we had to rehearse the kissing scene eventually. I knew it, and Gerard knew it, but right now it was just a fact that was awkwardly thrown into the air.

And as we sat on Gerard's bed, reading lines, I couldn't help but become nervous and clammy over the stage directions that laid present at the bottom of the page. "Gerard holds Frank's face with both his hands, pulling him towards him as they share a quick kiss."

And that was the thing, it was only a quick kiss, but it still made me nervous as fuck. And I could've sworn my throat was closing up whenever I talked now, but it must've just been me, because Gerard didn't seem to notice it.

"Although I'm only a simple man," I read out loud in the English accent that our teacher made us put on. "I feel as though all along, it's been much more complicated than just that."

"I understand what you mean," Gerard continued. "If I'm being completely honest with myself, I've felt lost for the past few weeks. It's a tragedy almost."

"And what could you mean by that, Gerard?" We we're using our real names for the play currently, until the teacher came up with better ones.

"What I mean is that I have no idea what to think of you," he sighed. "I've been told all my life that this is just wrong, yet it's the only thing I feel. I can't hide it for much longer, Franklin, but I'm afraid that you just might not understand."

"You have been a dearest friend to me, Gerard. I would do everything it took to understand you. Describe these feelings to me, if you would please."

"It seems immoral to me. Just as a woman would feel for a man, I have felt for you, my dearest Franklin. It is a burning passion inside of me that I can't quite put my finger on. I do hope you do not think any less of me."

"Alas, I have felt this way too," I stumbled. We were getting closer to the scene. And it was just a matter of time before I might make a fool of myself. "You are not alone in that. It just seems to never go away."

"Then perhaps it was meant to be there in the first place," Gerard finished. He lifted his hands to my face and cupped it, and my breath hitched as he did so. "Perhaps it was always meant to be that way, Franklin."

He hesitated for a moment, before leaning forward and pressing his lips against mine softly.

It was short, and sweet, and I was mentally freaking out on the inside, but it had to end. What confused me most was the way Gerard looked at me when it ended.

It was like he was too choked up to continue his lines or something. And he had a very obvious blush on his face.

It was a quite a strange thing that happened, but it was all silly emotions and formerly repressed feelings that caused us both to lean forward again, and this time, kiss more passionately than before. It was obvious we both wanted it, because neither of us had decided to pull away. And if my middle school self could look at me right now, he would be gaping in awe, because there was no way in hell I could've ever expected for this to happen.

Eventually Gerard had dropped the script that he was previously holding on the floor somewhere, and he moved forward to where I was being pushed down on the bed. His lips were still covering mine, and I decided I needed something to do with my hands, so I put them both on his back so that I could have him as close to me as possible.

And I never really thought about it, but damn, after all those years of having a crush on this boy, it felt really nice to kiss Gerard Way.

Gerard eventually pulled away from me so we could catch our breath, and I thought he was beautiful. The way his lips were slightly red now, and burdened with spit. It made him even more gorgeous than he had ever been to me.

It was like a trance, how I couldn't look away from him. I just kept staring into his eyes in a comfortable silence. Because this was real, and this was happening, and this was all very frightening and amazing at the same time. "You won't guess how long I've kind of wanted to do that," he spoke nervously, a crooked smile forming onto his lips.

I laughed a little, shaking my head. "You have no idea for how long I've wanted the same thing." He just smiled and nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck, hugging me around my waist. He was still laying on top of me, which I had to admit, was a nice change from no contact whatsoever.

"I don't want to finish practicing," he grumbled. "I'm too tired now. Plus, I won't be able to practice now. Not since that just happened."

"We could just finish tomorrow," I responded. "Y'know, before we have another rehearsal."

"That sounds like a good idea," he nodded against my neck.

And I really didn't know how I managed to do it, but signing up for a gay school play somehow changed my entire viewpoint of life. And I would never regret it in the future for the life of me.