Our Foundations from Decay

Gerards POV

Me and Frank stood in the suffocating lunch line, intimidating figures surrounding us as if we were pawns lined up on a chess board. Frank chucked some sloppy mush onto his tray that the lunch ladies sold as 'food'. Disgusting.

I shifted my focus from Frank, directing my hearing to other noises around me. Squeals, laughing, giggles, whispering, the like. I couldn't think about it too much otherwise I started to feel dizzy, and a bit paranoid. Come to think of it, I haven't been as paranoid since I got with Frank, huh.

My hearing shifted once again, this time, it was to the group of girls in front of my boyfriend. Their words mixed with the clambering around me but one word stuck out in particular; Bert.

Oh my God, are they talking about that guy who was in my music class last year? He was fun to hang out with and have deep conversations. He did a lot of meth which wasn't off-brand for Bert. Yeah, he's a real rock star. I'm pretty sure the guy had a thing for me, but he dropped out of school at the end of the year so I never really saw him again.

"I heard he's back!" I managed to hear one of the girls say. Bert's back? hah, I wonder what brought that sick fucker back, I pondered.

"Oh yeah, apparently his mom's making him go back to school or she's kicking him out."

Holy shit, so I guess Bert's back after all. I hope I don't bump into him, that'd be pretty awkward since the last time I saw him he pretty much confessed.

I nervously bit the skin of my lips, letting my self-awareness slip as I swam into my pool of thoughts and worries.

"Gee? You okay?" A grounding voice spoke out to me, loving hands brushing up against my cheek. Oh shoot, Frank doesn't know about me and Bert's past.

"Uh, well...I know that guy." I muttered, my gaze being focused on my shoes. Its untied laces drooped off to the side, an embarrassing slip waiting to happen like the pin on a grenade waiting to be pulled.

"You mean the Bert one?" Frank asked me, warm hands slipping away from my face.

"Yeah, he actually-"

"Hurry up kids, I ain't got all freakin' day!" Exclaimed the lunch lady, her plump, gloved, hand slamming down on the tray in front of me.

I jolted at her fury, scuttling out of the line thanks to my fight or flight kicking in.

Eek! That woman is scary.

"I'll go get you those Cheetos," Frank said as he walked away. I stared down at the tray in my hands, its once empty surface now filled with nutrition.

Aww, Frank must've given me some of his lunch, he's so caring. I can't wait to eat those yummy Cheetos.

"Well, well, look who it is" A sly voice intruded my mind, one which sounded all too familiar.

I glared in front of me, a lanky figure with scruffy hair and a cheeky smile stood before me. He smelt like nicotine and trouble.

No way, those group of girls were right, Bert is back.  I felt my heart race as a flood of memories rushed back to me. His scent gave me nostalgia, those warm summer days when we'd lay out on the field and talk about life.

"B-Bert, you've grown so much," I mutter out, the shock being apparent in my voice. I wondered vaguely if he even heard me, the background noise of chatter and commotion served as an audible burden.

His piercing blue eyes stared into mine, I felt so exposed, like I was standing there naked.

"Yeah, you always said you'd outgrow me one day but face it, Gee, it's never gonna happen." He teased, ruffling my hair. "So, how you doin', man?" He continued as if we were best buds, "I haven't been to this hell-hole in ages, what's new?"  The lean man slipped around me like an eel, leaning on the empty lunch table next to us.