EWBO ch4 If You Ever Felt Lost

CHAPTER 4: If You Ever Felt Lost

The morning of Gerard's first day back from suspension the four of us were talking by our usual pillar when people started to cover their mouths and snicker about something. Gerard had just arrived in normal school clothing. His clothes were a replica of every other school boy's here. Students started to clear a path for him he didn't have a care in the world he was being watched. Lenny and his goons walked in his path. "What do you think you're doing walking around here dressed like that?" Lenny snarled.
"I believe I look like almost everyone else here." Gerard said calmly. He tried to walk around them but Lenny pushed him back.
"Oh no you're not going anywhere Way." He and his goons started to gang up on him. "You make a fool out of me and you think you can get away with it? I don't think so." He threw a punch at him and Gerard grabbed his arm, twisted it then kicked him in the face. He brought Fred and Ian, the other two punks, to the ground. He shot Lindsey dirty look and walked over to us.
"Gerard just went all Jackie Chan on those guys." I thought with my jaw almost on the ground. "Cool." I said aloud.
"Gee's been doing karate since he was three." Mikey whispered to me. Gerard stood in front of us. Ray gave him a man hug.
"Glad to have you back, man." Ray said.
"Glad to be back." Gerard replied.
Lenny walked over to us. "This means war." He said threw his teeth and wiping the blood from his mouth. I watched the four of them walk away. Gerard walked with me to my first period gym class.
"You changed." I said as we got to the boys locked room.
"More like changed back." He said. "I've made some bad choices and I'm ready to face them and make things back to normal." I looked up at him and he leaned in to kiss me. I was in shock. Our lips met for all of three seconds. I looked at him in awe. "We'll talk later." He whispered in my ear and walked away. "I hurried into the locker room.
"Hey there Frank!" A voice came from my left. "Frankie my boy! May I call you Frankie?" Now he was on my right.
"No." I said abruptly. A kid about my height, a bit chubby with a film camera around his neck, was talking super fast like a news reporter.
"I'm James, James McGlocklin. Here's my card." He held out a piece of rectangular papier-mâché with writing on it. I walked past him to find my locker. Locker # 667 the top of it read. "Oh alright we're locker buddies!" He said.
"And I thought I was energetic." I thought bitterly. He opened the locker to my left. He had locker number 666. "Suits him well." I thought.
"You're a freshman right?"
"Yeah, what's it-" He snapped a picture at me. "Aww shit, kid. What the fuck?!" I was blinded by the flash for a few seconds.
"Yeah it does that for a few seconds." I grabbed him by the throat.
"What the fuck do you want from me?" I demanded.
"Okay, okay." He chocked out. I let him go. "Damn you're pretty strong." He said rubbing his neck. "I just wanted a picture for the yearbook."
"I'm a freshman, not a senior." I said still irate.
"Doesn't matter, everyone gets in." He was quick on responding. "And besides I'm a sophomore." I had no idea what that had to do with anything. "So you got a girlfriend?" I pushed him against the lockers about to smash his face into them. "Okay, okay. Sorry for asking." He acted scared but I doubt he was.
"No." I said angrily. "I don't."
"Recent breakup?" Curious fella, isn't he?
"No." I said. "Never had a girlfriend." I was calming down. "I swear to god if this kid asks one more question-"
"So who was you're first kiss?" I grabbed him by his shirt not holding back from hitting him until I heard Mikey's voice.
"Freshman picking on the sophomore." He was shaking his head. "Can't even defend yourself, James." I let him go and he fell to the tiled floor.
"Hey, Mikey."
He grinned. "I like you more and more every day." His locker was behind mine. Mikey is asthmatic so he's not able to run the mile, he has to do it on a treadmill in the weight room. We played soccer for the rest of the class. Mikey and I kinda stood there while James got pummeled with soccer balls, he was picked to be goalie. After gym, homeroom and English went by in a blink thank god. Gerard sat with us at lunch and I got the daily sandwich thrown at me. We also worked on the song. I have no idea what that kiss ment before and I wasn't about to ask. But how was I going to avoid Hell's children and that psycho photographer? I would figure something out. I hope.