Pretty. (Frerard, Petekey, Ryden, Peterick)

46: plot twist this fic does have an end its chapter 48

Ray reckoned that sitting at lunch with Gabe Saporta wasn't exactly the highlight of his life, but reckoned that he couldn't exactly be picky here anymore, because okay maybe, he had totally fucked everything up with Mikey, and okay, maybe there was just nothing he could do about that.

It wasn't like Ray cared though, was it, of course, of course, he did, because Ray was all kinds of pathetic, and all kinds of still fucked up about Mikey fucking Way.

Anyway, Ray was sat at lunch with Gabe and Mikey was totally glaring at him from across the hall, but Ray didn't think much of it because it was just Mikey being an ass now that Ray's dick wasn't in his ass.

Ray was kind of glad that he wasn't fucking Mikey anymore, because Mikey was a fucking bitch. In fact, Ray was glad that they just didn't speak anymore, and Ray wasn't really one for snubbing or even being mean to other people, but Mikey Way had made himself the exception here.

Ray did miss Frank, though, but if Frank was going to choose Mikey over him then there was very little he could do about that, and he had Gabe's company, even if it was somewhat questionable, and even if the guy never fucking shut up about William Beckett.

Mikey looked a little off though today, and Ray couldn't escape that, and in much the same way, he couldn't escape worrying, because Ray was certain he disliked Mikey, but still, he couldn't help but care, because that's what Ray did after all; he was much like Sarah in that way, but he most definitely got laid a lot less, which really sucked, to say the fucking least.

"Ray, are you alright?" Gabe had followed Ray's gaze across the room to Mikey, and the table he was sat on with Frank, Ryan, and Brendon.

Ray wondered how Brendon had made his way back into that group, but he still remained exiled; perhaps Mikey was just far more stubborn than Ryan, or as there often was, something else was going on that Ray wasn't quite aware of.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ray forced a smile and turned back to Gabe, who was looking at him with nothing less than a highly fucking skeptical glare

"Sure, whatever you say, but you're totally staring at that Mikey kid."

That Mikey kid.

Ray wished Mikey could be just that for him, but things would never work out like that.

And Ray remembered what his brother had told him, and he remembered speaking to Frank about Gee all those months ago, and keeping that secret, and keeping that friendship, but for what purpose, because Frank sat beside Mikey and not him.

And Ray hurt inside a lot more than he'd ever care to let on.

"Come on, admit it." Gabe continued, succeeding in making Ray blush like an idiot, and fuck, Ray was so fucking fucked. "Do you like him or something? Is there something there?"

"He's my ex." Ray shook his head, his gaze fixated firmly upon the floor.

"Oh... sorry." Gabe trailed off, his gaze drifting elsewhere, as he struggled to fill the silence he'd created.

"It's fine... he's a bitch." Ray turned back to Gabe, watching as the taller boy sat there in silence for a moment, perhaps just contemplating Ray's every word.

"Oh, how so?" And Gabe seemed to genuinely care, but perhaps that was just Gabe's hunger for gossip and nonsense; Ray didn't know, and Ray tried not to care.

"It was a relationship, but it wasn't... he was kind of using me as a distraction or for sex, I don't know: I don't want to know. We used to be best friends, as well, and he's there with my friends, well my ex-friends, because they're on his side or something; I don't even know what he tells them because as far as I know he's too ashamed to even let them know he dated me."