"Oh, thank you Gerard. Where's Charlotte?"
"Detention."
"... Charlotte Miller? That quiet thing that never hurt a fly? In detention?"
"Yep."
"I think she's been spending too much time with you and your friends Gerard, you're all a bad influence," She said playfully.
"Maybe. Well, I'll see you tonight, got to go play croquet with the guys."
"Alright. Thanks again for dropping off the dropping off the dress Gerard."
"No problem."
Gerard walked past Charlotte's locker again on his way to the field. He stopped and took something out of his backpack and put it in her locker before walking away.
"Who's winning?"
"Gerard."
Gerard hit his croquet ball and put his mallet over his shoulder. "I am the master of the wicket," he said.
Next thing he knew, Kenneth came out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground and ran off.
Charlotte walked over and kneeled next to Gerard,"Are you okay?"
"Yeah.... but I think I just thought of a way to get him back... do you happen to know when the next cheerleading practice is?"
"Wednesday."
"Okay. Gimme a hand."
She helped him up and they continued with the game.
"Cool sunglasses Frankie," Charlotte commented once the game was over.
"Thanks. I like 'em too."
"I need to buy some. Oh, that reminds me, my wallet's in my locker. I'll see you all tomorrow."
"See you tonight," Gerard said.
"Right, got to pull the curtain."
"Exactly."
Gerard's heart pounded as Charlotte walked back to school. He was nervous about what she'd think of what he'd left in there.
"YOU'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT A DISAPPOINTING MISTAKE!!!"
"MAYBE I WOULDN'T BE IF YOU HAD SHOWN ME ANY COMPASSION!"
"I FEED YOU DON'T I? I GIVE YOU A PLACE TO SLEEP DON'T I?"
"GO FUCK YOURSELF!!"
Tracy ran out of a nearby house and stormed down the street, tears spilling out of her eyes.
"Tracy? You gonna be okay?" Frank said.
"No."
Frank turned and fallowed her. "C'mon, tell Frankie all about it."
"No."
"C'mon, you'll feel better."
"No I won't."
"Yes you will. Want to go down to West Hudson? Find a bench to sit on?"
"...okay."
They went down to the park and sat down. "Okay, now tell me what's up."
"My mom's a bitch and my dad's a druggie. They don't love me. They don't give a shit about me. I mean, Charlotte will complain about how much her dad lectures her about everything, I wish my parents cared that much. I mean, one time Josie and I were staying over there for the night and we came home late and he lectured all of us. Josie was kinda rolling her eyes like,'If I wanted to get lectured I would have gone home' but I loved it. I mean, for once someone cared whether or not I came home."
Frank put his arm over Tracy's shoulder as she started crying. "Why aren't I good enough for them Frankie?"
"Nah, Trace, they aren't good enough for you."
"I just don't get it, they like my brother fine. My dad used to adore me, I just..."
"It'll be okay Trace. A few more months and all of us are out of here."
"I don't know if I'll be able to make it that far."
"Look Tracy, my door's always open for you, k?"
"Thanks."
"Do you need that door to be open tonight?"
"I don't know."
"Well, want to come with me for a little while at least? Give your mom some time to cool off?"
"Okay."
"K, c'mon."
Although February has long since past,
I hope you're still up for a little romance.
A little rose, a little heart,
A hope that we shall never part.
A black suit, a red tie,
Cross my heart, hope to die,
I love you like Ray loves his guitar.
I'd love you no matter who you are.
So I hope that you'll take the time,
And think about being my belated Valentine.
xoxo,
g
Charlotte picked up the red rose and smiled.
He walked backstage and saw Charlotte walk by with a box of different kinds of make-up.
"Calm down Audrey, we still have half an hour before curtain time, plenty of time to fix your make-up if it gets ruined," Charlotte said to the girl who was playing Juliet.
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry I'm being such a bitch, I'm nervous as hell."
"It's okay, hold still."
Gerard decided not to bother Charlotte at the moment.
"Oh! Gerard, you can do make-up can't you? Tell me you can! Our make-up people never showed up," The drama teacher said, walking over.
"Yeah-"
"Great! Go do their make-up, and nothing that you'd see in one of those horror movies you kids watch," She said, shoving Gerard towards some freshman girls.
"Gee way to take the fun out of it, I guess I can do non-horror movie...."
"You're doing our make-up? Please, we'll do it ourselves," Said one of the freshmen before she and the majority of the group walked away.
"Fine," Gerard said.
"I'm to nervous to hold a brush, can you do mine?" One of them that had black hair and haunting grey eyes pleaded.
"Yeah," he said, picking up one of the make-up brushes.
"So, did you hear that song on the intercom today?" The girl said, trying to lighten her mood.
"Yep."
"I thought it was good, what did you think?"
"I liked it."
"I wonder who did it, I heard it was someone on the football team, but I doubt it, they're all tone deaf."
"Yeah, I doubt it too."
"Don't you know that Charlotte girl?"
"Yeah, close your eyes."
"She's pretty, I heard you two were dating."
"Oh, no, we aren't..."
"That's too bad, I think you two would be cute together. Besides, you're both into art right? I saw some of your art in the hall that the art teacher had on display."
"Yeah, I'm going to art school as long as I pass Chemistry."
"Cool, which one?"
"School of Visual Arts in New York."
"Oooh, New York, that's cool."
"Yeah."
"Where's Charlotte going?"
"I don't know, we've never talked about it," Gerard said, finishing the girl's eyeshadow.
"Thank you," She said,"I'm Tracy by the way."
"I know someone named Tracy."
"Cool. Well, I'm Tracy Phillips, nice to meet you."
"What are you going to do, you seem to know what I'm going to do."
"My dad works for the NFL, but I want to be a dancer."
"You'd be good at that."
"You think so? I've been taking ballet forever. Thanks again."
"No Problem."
Another twenty minutes later Charlotte was running some lines with one of the actors and Gerard was fixing one of the set designs with Josie.
"So, gotten a chance to talk to Charlotte yet?" Josie said.
"No."
"Oh...okay then."
"Did she say anything to you about something she found in her locker?"
"Yes."
"What did she say?"
"I'll let her tell you."
"...okay."
"You okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You just stapled your thumb twice and haven't reacted yet."
Gerard looked at his thumb and winced as he pulled the staples out. "Ow..."
"You sure you're okay?"
"Just a bit nervous."
"Don't worry. The curtain isn't a hard job, lighting is hard. I have to actually pay attention to the play."
"I suppose," Gerard said, although it wasn't the curtain he was nervous about.
Gerard and Charlotte stood at one end of the curtains, each with a pulley that controlled one of the two curtains. Neither making any eye contact with the other.
The drama teacher pointed to Gerard and Charlotte. They started pulling the ropes to open the curtain and the first scene started.
"So..." Gerard said.
"So," Charlotte said. "I got your drawing."
"Oh, good."
"It's really cute. And the poem's really sweet, a little cheesy, but sweet."
"Yeah, sorry about being cheesy..."
"It's okay. And, I feel the same way."
"Really.... that's cool."
"Yep..."
They were both suddenly interested in the ground and stared at it for a while awkwardly.
"So..now what?"
Charlotte smiled and put her arms around Gerard's neck before kissing him.
"Much better then my dream..." Gerard thought.
"Break it up you two, pay attention, I don't want the curtain to be delayed," The drama teacher said as she hit them on the shoulder with a program.
Gerard put some of Charlotte's hair behind her ear and she giggled nervously.
"I thought you said you two weren't dating," said Tracy Phillips, who was standing nearby.
"Guess we are now."
"No."
"Okay, cause I thought you were."
"No."
"It's still kinda early, want to get coffee or something?"
"Okay. For a little while. My parents don't expect me back for another half hour."
"'k."
"Trust Me"