I get down to the art room and it's seeming more normal. Time is passing, things are adjusting. The others are sitting in their seats finishing their projects. Gerard's seat is still empty but it's not as daunting anymore.

"Does this look right?" Cody asks himself. He has a very nice collage of origami paper that's scraped together into a tree.

Jenna leans over. "It's an elephant, right?" she says. Cody glares at her. "Kidding, yeah, I like it."

"I like it too, I'm thinking maybe I'll put this one in the art show," he says. "When is that?"

"Wasn't it in April?" I say.

"Why is it that Frank knows this and I don't," Cody laughs.

"Because Frank is observant," Lynn says without looking up.

"You know what? I'm tired but it's fine. Just one more week and then spring break."

"Wait, no, technically this is the last week before break, right?" I ask. "Like we have Friday and then we're done?"

"Oh thank god, I could use the break," Lynn says. "We hanging out this upcoming weekend?" she asks.

"Um, I don't think so, right?" Jenna says, glancing at Cody.

"Yeah, our parents got something, like a work party? So probably not leaving because we need to help clean."

"Horrible, disgusting," Jenna mutters. "And speaking of disgusting, Frank, did you do the English homework?"

I blink a few times as I sit down and slowly start reaching into my backpack. "Um, I'll do that right...now."

"Do you want my packet?"

"Heh, please." She smiles and reaches over and pulls it out of her bag. "Thank you, I'll give it to you back at lunch."

She glances at me confused. "Uh, I won't be there at lunch." I raise an eyebrow. "Remember? It's Regionals for the music signing performance."

"Oh, that's today?" I ask. "When are you leaving?" I ask.

Jenna scrunches her face. "That is a good question."

"I think the busses are leaving like before 5th period ends but we need to meet in the music room at the beginning for attendance stuff," Lynn says.

"Alright, so Jenna and I will still have gym with you then," Cody says.

"Ugh, we couldn't have gotten out of gym, damn," Jenna whines.

"Oh, boo hoo, physical exercise," Cody says.

"Says you, some of us don't really wanna move more than we have to."

I laugh a bit. "So it's all of you and then...Brendon and Hayley?" I ask for clarification.

"Yeah, you, Patrick, and Sarah will be holding down the fort," Cody says.

"I don't think I even have classes with Sarah," I say. "But I'll see Patrick next class. Other than that, it's-"

"Oh my god." Cody's face drops and he stands up, staring at the doorway.

"What?" Jenna asks.

I glance over and see Ms. Gina hurrying to the door. Where Gerard is standing. A lull falls over the room. Ms. Gina grabs the backpack from the secretary and holds onto it while they talk. Gerard's on crutches with a large metal brace still binding his leg from ankle to hip.

"Holy shit," Jenna whispers. My heart starts pounding faster. Gerard is here. He's back. I haven't seen or talked to him in a while. Like a week. Yeah, a week exactly. Not since...that awkward hang out.

His hair has been cut, back to its usual length. Still considered long and messy but not out-of-character long anymore. He says something to Ms. Gina and she nods. He starts moving his way over towards the table. The rest of us exchange glances at each other. The crutches clink on the cement floor as he hobbles over and then he hops into his stool. The group of us are all quiet and he sits there awkwardly, still not looking up.

I see Cody glancing in my peripheral vision. Oh great... Cody knows I like Gerard but we haven't acknowledged anything about that. This is, I think I'm having cardiac arrest. No, that would be too much to hope for.

"Hi," Gerard says. His voice is groggy.

"Hey, how are you?" Jenna asks. She gives him a smile but he's keeping his attention to the floor.

He nods his head acknowledging her. "No idea," he says. "But probably better since I'm finally out of the house."

"Yeah, that's good, it'll be nice," Lynn says. Gerard nods. "So are you back then? Like in school?"

He thinks for a moment. "Um, as of now, possibly. Seeing how the day goes. I may get pulled. But only have 4 days to get through." He doesn't sound empty anymore. He sounds exhausted and tired.

It gets a bit quiet for a moment. "We're finishing up this project," Cody says.

"I'm aware," he says subtly nodding. "I can't do it."

"I'm sure it'll be exempted and then you can work on the final..." Gerard starts shaking his head and Cody pauses. "No?"

"The counselor is telling Gina I, um," his voice breaks off and he clears his throat. "This is my study hall now," he mumbles.

"What are you talking about?" Jenna asks.

"I can't draw anymore," he whispers. He glances in his lap where his hands are resting. "I broke my hand and... the nerves are damaged and I can't stop the shaking. It hurts and..." He takes a very slow exhale. "I don't have...um, I don't know." No one else says anything, looking at him sadly. He glances up through his bangs. His eyes are very red and swollen. Face a bit paler. "It's fine, just, um, go back to what you were doing," he says.

Jenna glances at Lynn and she looks at me. Cody also looks at me. Then Jenna sees the others and looks at me as well. I don't have anything to say really. And what I probably need to say, I can't in front of them. I look down and go back to copying the homework. The others follow pursuit and go back to doing their work. The rest of the class resumes the usual volume of morning chatter. A moment later, Ms. Gina comes by and drops Gerard's backpack over. They talk briefly in a low voice and then she heads back to her seat.

Every now and then I can't help but glance up at Gerard quickly. He's back. He's here. It doesn't seem like this is happening. Well, he's less of an asshole. But he's also at school again. I can't tell if he was the type that drew attention to himself or not. How do I not know this? I mean, Cody is definitely popular. Brendon seems to know a lot of people too. Patrick, Sarah, and Lynn are for sure the quiets. Jenna and Hayley bounces somewhere in the middle. Why is it I don't know Gerard? Did I forget? Since the accident, everyone knows who he is. And there's also a fuck ton of rumors going around about him too. There were a fuck ton in my history class alone.

Halfway through class, Gerard finally moves from resting his head on the table. I glance at him in the corner of my eye trying not to seem creepy or weird. He grabs his sketchbook and then pulls out his graphite pencils. The others notice him but try not to make it obvious they're also starring. He flips to a blank page and rests the book on his lap.

"Oh, you can use the table," Cody says.

Gerard waves a hand at him. "No, it's fine, don't worry about me," he says. He's holding the pencil with his left hand.

As class has only a few minutes left, I take pictures of the rest of Jenna's homework on my phone and give her packet back to her. Cody cleans up earlier and offers to carry Gerard's bag for him to his next class. Gerard rips out the piece of paper he was working on and crumples quickly before packing up. Cody smiles at him and Gerard has a smile back but it's not genuine. There's still nothing in his eyes. He starts maneuvering his way out and Cody follows with both their backpacks. They're long gone by the time the bell rings.

"I'll see you in guitar," Lynn says to me as they still go to clean up some.

"Yeah, definitely," I say, heading out of the room. I pass the recycling bin and stop. I quickly glance behind me. Everyone's busy cleaning up. I grab the crumpled piece of paper and step out of the room. I am definitely being a freak right now and Gerard would probably be upset with me. If he could be upset... I unfold it to see what he drew but pause.

It's his name. "Gerard Way" Over and over and over again. The handwriting at the top looks like that of a kindergartener's. The more practice he has, it starts getting more in control. The names at the bottom aren't as scribbling. Maybe like a fifth grader's. But it's not like Gerard's handwriting at all. The swishy and neat small lettering like the one on the valentine's letter he wrote is gone. This is jagged and clunky. He was using his left hand though. Will he ever be able to draw again? No, he has to. That's his thing. That's his everything. I slowly crumple the paper back up and toss it in the music room's recycling bin when I walk into the room.

The morning blurs together and soon it's history. Gerard isn't in his seat when I get there. It's probably taking some time since he had physics last hour and the labs are on the other side of the school. And I think on a different floor.

There's the usual chit chat in the room when I hear the clunking of the crutches. I glance at the doorway waiting as it gets louder. Then I see him come in with Andy and Lacey following behind. Andy's got Gerard's backpack on his other shoulder. The room grows hushed for a beat but then starts chatting right back up. People comment that Gerard's back and say hi to him. He doesn't look up. Andy sets his backpack down next to him and Gerard nods a thank you before he and Lacey go back to their seats.

"Gerard, you're back," one guy says.

"So like is your leg broken?" someone else asks.

"Do you have to make up all your homework?"

Gerard looks at all of them. Oh, I would pay millions right now for his snarky ass to tear apart all of them. I try not to make it obvious but I do watch to see what he does. Several people get out of their seats to go over to him.

"How long until your leg's fixed?" someone asks.

"Were you like with Amelia when it happened?"

Gerard's head snaps at the person that brought up Amelia. "What's it to you?" he asks.

There's tension in the room. I lower my head at my desk so no one sees my face. "Well, there's a bunch of rumors going around and-"

"Oh, is that so. Well, why don't you enlighten me," he says. The girl is quiet. I think her name is Sydney. "You were so eager to talk to me, despite never having talked to me before. So go on. What have you heard? After all, I have quite a bit of hot gossip that I missed out." He's spitting the words at her by then.

Sydney stands frozen speechless. Someone else pipes in. "Is it true you like Stephanie?"

Gerard shifts his gaze at the guy who just talked. "Who?" Stephanie didn't come rushing over. Instead, she sinks in her desk. The crows of people around his desk parts so Gerard can see her.

"Didn't you say he was trying to ask you out?" the guy says.

Stephanie's face is bright red. "No," she laughs, figetting with her hair.

"You were going on about him though," Sydney says. "You said he asked you out on Valentines" Stephanie has an awkward smile as a bunch of other people nod along.

"I don't know you," Gerard retorts.

"We have physics together," she says. If she has an ounce of dignity left, she sits up to try persevering it "We talk a lot and you said-"

"So?" he cuts her off. "I smashed my head pretty hard and since then, things are fuzzy here and there. So if I don't remember you, which I don't, then you weren't important enough to remember. Stop talking about me."

A bunch of guys around start covering their mouth to hold their laughs. The bell rings and everyone else meanders toward their seats. Mr. Carlson walks into the room a few seconds later. He notes Gerard but isn't surprised. He must have been informed too. "Alright, to the computer labs," he says. Everyone picks up their backpacks and starts getting up.

"Frankie?" Gerard asks. I look at him. I think that's the first time he said my name sincerely. His eyes are wide. "Not that you have a reason to but. Could you help me with my backpack?"

I stare at him and nod. "Yeah, yeah, of course." I take it as he hoists himself up with the crutches. "Need help?" I offer.

"Don't bother," he dismisses. I back up. "I'm... I need to get used to these."

"For how long?" I ask. He doesn't say anything. "Gerard?"

"My. Something is broken. They didn't notice right away but I'm not walking again." The class starts filing out of the room and Gearrd gestures for me to head out. I step out of the room but off to the side of the hall to wait with Gerard. He's the last one out and we trail behind the rest of the class.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"What didn't you understand?" he mutters.

"You're... Are you always going to be on crutches?" I whisper.

He's having trouble keeping up with me so I slow my walking pace. "No, I can regain some strength but. The brace is a part of me now." I stare at him, waiting for him to say he's joking or something else snarky and completely incorrect. But he doesn't. It's quiet between us. "Say something," he mutters.

"What do you want me to say?" I ask.

He huffs. "I don't know. But if you don't, I'm assuming you're judging me. Rightfully so."

"No, I'm-" I paused thinking for a moment. "It's just I-I wasn't sure if you were being facetious again. You've been doing that a lot lately and. Are you serious?"

"I don't have the heart to fuck around anymore," he whispers. He's running out of breath so I slow down my pace more for him. "I know I was a jerk to you and I'm sorry. That doesn't excuse anything. I am so angry nothing is getting better and I don't know how to deal with what my life is now. I'm sorry."

I look at him. "If I forgive you, will you be nice to me?" I ask.

It's weird that he's my height now. Hunched over with the crutches, we are at eye level. I don't have to tilt up anymore. "Maybe don't forgive me," he says. "Not yet."

"Is that your way of telling me you're still gonna be a jerk?" I mutter.

"No," he says. "Just. I don't deserve that yet."

I nod. "Well, if there's any consolation, telling those others off during the passing period was worth it."

"Yeah, Lacey and..." he pauses and furrows his eyebrows. "Um, the guy, um."

"Andy?"

"Yes, yes," he says easing up. "Um, he told me what they had said." The rest of the class is already in the lab and heading inside but we just came around to the computer lab hall.

"Were you upset?" I ask. That was a dumb question.

"I don't know," he mutters. "I really can't feel anything anymore. But I didn't care for it."

"Is there anything you do care for?" We make it to the labs but I don't open the door just yet. I look at him seeing if he has an answer.

"Not anymore," he says. His voice is numb. A different kind. Not an empty numb but a defeated numb. "I need to tell you something," he says. "But not now. If we're ever not in school again, remind me."

I nod. "I will." I open the door and we go in.