Boy In My Class [Gerard Way]

Chapter 4: Keep Your Friends Close

"Holly," I hissed, grabbing Holly's arm and pulling her down onto a bench outside the door to university.

"You alright?" she asked in her usual chirpy voice.

"No! I saw Sophia kissing Gerard at the party last night."

She sighed and placed her hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me.

"I didn't want to tell you," she said, looking apologetic. "Sophia and Gerard have been kind of a thing for years."

"But when she heard I was into him she just laughed and called him a loser?!"

"Yep," she said, rolling her eyes. "Since high school those two used to hook up, because she used to hang out in rock bars and stuff to pull guys. She never wanted anyone to know that they were hooking up because she was popular and he was weird."

"And he's fine with that?!" I spat, getting agitated.

"Yeah, because he's been into her for so long," she sighed. "In high school, guys like Gerard don't get girls like Sophia. She calls and he comes running- it's always been that way."

I said goodbye to Holly and decided to head back to my dorm to sulk and write some essays for History class. As I turned to leave, I bumped into Gerard. I looked at him and I realised that I pitied him- he was so nice and talented and he deserved a girl who would proudly date him.

"Hey Gerard," I said.

"Hey new girl," he smiled.

"My name is Isabel," I said with a slightly irritable tone.

"I know," he said. "I like calling you new girl."

"Cool, see you around," I said, trying to escape quickly as I felt awkward being around him. All I could picture in my mind was the image of him kissing Sophia.

"New girl," he said. "Do you still wanna hang out sometime? Because I've got some art on display at a crappy art show tonight and I kind of need some company."

I wanted to ask him why he didn't bring Sophia along, but I couldn't let on that I was either jealous or aware of what his love life involved.

"Sure," I said.

"I'll meet you at your halls at 8," he said, smiling at me. When he smiled, I remembered why I was attracted to him. His smile was so cute.

At 8pm, Gerard met me outside my building at exactly the time he had promised. We walked down a few streets to some tiny looking empty shop with glass windows. Inside were about 20 pieces of art stuck up on the walls. 

"This is mine," he said, pointing to a small corner of the wall where three comic-style sketches were hung up on the wall. "I'm hoping to get into illustration after I graduate."

"Your work is great," I said. I quietly stood alongside as he talked to other local artists about their work and noticed that he was very modest when people paid complements to his work. The more I spent time with him, the more I liked him. He was so genuine and sweet.

As the gallery closed, I felt sad at the thought that Gerard would want to go home. I planned several ways to ask him if he wanted to continue the night together, but I didn't dare in case it sounded like I was hitting on him.

"Thanks for coming with me to that," he said. "I don't have a lot of friends who want to stand around and stare at art with me."

"No problem," I replied. "I don't really know much about it but it's nice to try new things."

"Do you wanna go to Starbucks?" he asked. "I love Starbucks."

"Uh...sure," I said, resisting the urge to smile like a lunatic. 

We walked to a nearby Starbucks, ordered a coffee each and then sat just outside so that Gerard could smoke.

"Do you smoke?" he asked. I had smoked a little during university back in England, but since coming to the States I had resisted. However, I wanted Gerard to like me.

"Sure," I said, taking a cigarette from his packet. He lit it for me whilst it rested in my mouth, making me nervous.

"So, you made friends with Holly," he said. "I went to high school with her."

"Yeah, she mentioned it I think," I said, wondering if he would mention Sophia. He said nothing, so I decided to take action into my own hands. "So you went to high school with Sophia too?"

"Yeah," he said, looking a little awkward. "She's alright."

"Yeah," I said, getting slightly irate. "I noticed you two were hooking up at the party last night."

"You were there?" he asked, looking shocked and embarrassed.

"Yeah, I just saw you two on my way out," I said, wishing I had the ability to keep my big mouth shut sometimes.

"We've been kind of involved for a while," he admitted. "But she always said she can't openly date me because her parents are against her dating."

"Oh," I nodded. "Maybe one day."

As we chatted casually about music and university, I devised a plan whereby I would become his friend and eventually show him that Sophia was using him. However, I realised that this was going to be more difficult than I had imagined.

"I gotta go," he said as he stared at his phone. "Someone needs help with an essay."

Gobsmacked, I watched as he practically ran down the street. I had managed to catch a glimpse of his phone and noticed that it was Sophia who had messaged him. Clearly he was wrapped around her little finger. I walked back to my dorm alone, unsure about whether I was happy to have hung out with Gerard or annoyed that he was so obsessed with Sophia. A text from Holly quickly snapped me out of my thoughts.

Come over to mine now. It's about Sophia