Students sitting in alphabetical order, their family and close friends in the crowd. Dressed nicely, cameras in hand. Many mothers on the verge of tears. Graduation Day.
"Your valedictorian, Monica Clifford," The principal said into the microphone after his speech. The crowd aplauded, the students clapped politely. A girl with a lip piercing and her hair dyed blonde got up and walked to the podium. She began her speech.
"Charlotte's parents made a huge fuss when they found out the valedictorian had a lip piercing," Josie whispered to Gerard who was sitting next to her.
"They would," He whispered back. "She's eighteen, she can do what she wants."
"Seriously, but you know how Charlotte's parents are. So old-fashioned," She said.
"I can hear you guys," Charlotte said from the row in front of them.
"Sorry."
"It's alright, and they are," She said. They listened to the rest of Monica's speech before she went back to sit down and the salutatorian went to talk. A few more speakers and it was finally time to hand out the diplomas. The principal announced their names and their college plans, along with any scholarships or awards they'd recieved.
Bob was the first of their group to get theirs. He walked across the stage, shook the principal's hand, took his diploma, and, reluctantly, took his picture. He returned to his seat. Tracy was next. Tripping over her gown on the way. "I'm okay!" She said, standing up again and brushing herself off and grinning sheepishly. She got a chuckle from the audience. Lightening everyone's mood if only by a little.
Frank next. He didn't trip, but the poor thing's gown was a bit long on him and he had to take very precise careful steps the entire way. A few more students before Charlotte was called up. She was relieved when she made it to the Principal without tripping. She did however stumble a bit on her way back to her seat.
"Smooth," Tracy whispered.
"Look who's talking."
Soon Ray was called. The cap fitting awkwardly on his hair. They continued calling names before calling Gerard up to get his diploma. Mr. Marcus smirked slightly, watching Gerard walk up. He had passed his class fair and square. Josie next, and then a few more people no one cares about who probably became accountants or something.
A few more words from the principal and the class stood up before removing their caps and throwing them into the air triumphantly.
"Smile!" Melissa said, she was being the mutant camera lady again. Taking pictures of everyone. Group pictures, single pictures. She had gone through at least four rolls of film.
"Mom, you already got like fourteen pictures of us," Charlotte said. She was standing between Josie and Tracy.
"Last one, I swear, then I just want one more of you and Gerard."
"You have about twenty of those!"
"Smile!"
"There you go Gerard, you're in a dress, dream accomplished," Mikey joked. Gerard playfully shoved him and pulled up part of the gown to show his jeans underneith.
"It doesn't count."
Gerard walked over to Charlotte and kissed her cheek just as Melissa was about to take the picture.
"That's gonna be a cute one," Melissa said.
"I can't believe Lila has to repeat Senior year. I mean, it doesn't surprise me but I just didn't think she'd actually fail all her classes," Tracy said.
"She's gonna be a super-senior," Frank said.
"Yep."
"You should write a comic book about that, it'll encourage kids to stay in school and graduate," Tracy said to Gerard.
"I'll keep it in mind."
"You do that."
"Oh, here Gerard," Charlotte said, taking a bracelette off her wrist and giving it to him. It had some charms on it that said "REVENGE." It wasn't the exact same as hers, but similar.
"Thanks," He said, putting it in his pocket for now.
Two Weeks Later
Gerard lay in bed, wide awake, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't believe it. The next day Charlotte, Josie, and Tracy were flying out to California, and she'd be leaving him thousands of miles behind. He was going to miss her dearly, but he couldn't ask her to stay. A thought had passed through his mind. Ask her to go to California for a semester and to then think of transferring to a school in New York. But he couldn't ask her to do that. Charlotte had been wanting to go back to California forever.
Or maybe he was just afraid to ask. What if she said no? That would be.... awkward to put it lightly. What if she said yes? That would still be awkward, because he'd know that she was only there because he wanted her to be, not because she wanted to be.
He wasn't going to ask her to stay. Tomorrow at the airport, he'd go and say his goodbyes.
Charlotte lay in her bed, awake for the same reason. She knew she could come back after a semester if she wanted to. But she was torn between Gerard and her dream. She could fulfill her dream in New York, it was true, but... did he want her to stay? What if they broke up? Would she transfer back? It was all too confusing.
She was also awake, because... she was excited. Excited about going back to California for good after all these years. Excited about finally going to art school.
Frankie chewed on his lipring in the front seat of Gerard's car as Gerard drove to the airport. Mikey, Bob, and Ray in the back.
"So Tracy and I called it off last night," He said.
"Oh... really?" Gerard said.
"Yeah. Both of us going to college, being apart that long we didn't think it would work out."
"Makes sense," Bob said.
"Mmhm," Frank yawned.
Gerard was oddly quiet but no one questioned him. He pulled into short-term parking and they got out of the car. They walked into the airport and looked at the monitor with the flight listings.
"What number is theirs?"
"723."
"There it is, Gate F," Ray said pointing to the middle of the monitor. It was on time.
"C'mon."
They went through security (this is before 9-11), and walked to the gate where they saw Charlotte, Tracy, and Josie. Charlotte's family and Josie's parents where there to see them off, Tracy's hadn't bothered showing up.
"Hi," Mikey said as they waked over.
"Hey guys," Josie said.
"Glad we didn't miss you guys."
"Nah, they're gonna start boarding in about ten minutes," Tracy said.
Gerard took a seat next to Charlotte and put his arms around her. She did the same to him. Brad watched from the seats across from them. The rest of the band each took a seat and they shared a few more laughs before they'd be on opposite ends of the country.
"Now boarding rows 20-30," said the woman at the desk.
"That's us," Josie said, standing up. Her parents each gave her a hug goodbye. Charlotte's parents did the same to her and bid her goodbye. Reluctantly Charlotte gave Carley a hug goodbye. Tracy recieved a hug from the Millers and the Wedsons as well.
"Be seeing you neighbor," Ray said, putting an arm around Charlotte. She kissed his cheek. "Bye." They all went around, hugs and kisses on the cheeks were exchanged. Goodbyes were said.
Charlotte stood in front of Gerard. They stared at each other akwardly. "Um... well, I guess... this is goodbye."
"We'll have to keep in touch," Charlotte said, knowing they probably wouldn't.
"Definitely," Gerard said, knowing the same thing. He put his arms around her waist and gave her one last kiss.
"Charlie, we have to board," Josie whispered to her after a few moments.
They broke the kiss, reluctantly. "I love you," Charlotte whispered.
"I love you."
"I'll never forget you."
"Neither will I."
Gerard took a frame out of his bag and gave it to her. It was the sketch he'd worked so hard on.
"It's beautiful," She said.
"So are you. Don't ever let anyone tell you different."
She kissed his cheek. "I love you," she said again.
He nodded. "And I love you, I always will." He kissed her again, the last time, for real this time.
"Goodbye," She whispered. Why she was whispering he didn't know.
"Goodbye." He said.
"Bye Everyone," Tracy said.
"Good luck!"
They walked over and showed the woman at the desk their tickets. Before going through the door, they took one last glance back.
If Gerard had been eerily quiet on the way to the airport, than he was now most definantly dead silent. He seemed very melancholy and out of it as they walked to the window to watch for the plane to take off.
"Gerard... stupid question, I know, but... you gonna be okay?" Ray asked.
"I think so," he said.
"We'll get to see them again, Thanksgiving most likely," Ray said.
"Yeah..." He said.
More silence. The silence in Gerard would last at least a week before he himself traveled to New York for College.
As Charlotte approached the plane, she felt the tears already swelling in her eyes slip. She quickly whipped them away before Josie or Tracy could see. That's why she'd been whispering, because any normal speaking would cause her to burst to tears. She could turn around right now. She didn't have to get on the plane. She could turn around and go back right now.
She didn't.
She took her seat between Josie and Tracy. After a few moments the pilot came on the intercom and started talking to them, what he had said, Charlotte didn't remember. She hadn't been paying much attention. The stewardess began explaining the emergency evacuation procedure as the plane moved to the runway, and still, she didn't pay much attention.
Gerard watched as the plane went down the runway. Picking up speed until finally it left the ground. The movie Casablanca came to mind, but he wondered... would he regret not asking her to stay? If not today, or tomorrow, would he for the rest of his life?
They stood there and watched until the plane was nothing more than a speck in the distance. They were gone.
Once the plane was completely in the air and the seatbelt light off, Charlotte looked down at the sketch again. She turned it over and removed the back of the frame to see writing on the back of the sketch. She read it.
To Charlotte: My Demolition Lover.
You'll never know how much you mean to me.
I love you.
I mean this forever.
xoxo
Gerard Way