Chapter Text
Stupid school. Stupid bullies. Stupid teachers that give too much stupid homework like their class was the only one that mattered. Stupid fall weather. And worst of all. Stupid fucking Pete Wentz.
Mikey hated a lot of people at school. The jocks that thought bullying Mikey’s brother Gerard was the best pastime they could think of. That one lunch lady that always stiffed Mikey on fries, all because he pointed out her gross mole once. The librarian that kicked him out multiple times for almost starting several fights. The crossing guard he once hit – by accident of course. The girl in his chemistry class that almost blew his face up once. The fucking school mascot Mikey and his friends once jumped behind the gym during a basketball game (we’ll get to that story later). At this point basically the entire student population and the staff.
But, even with all those people Mikey hated, there was no one he loathed more than Pete fucking Wentz.
There would never be enough words for Mikey Way to be able to describe how much he wished he had never met Pete Wentz. He was the most vile inconsiderate jerk Mikey had ever met in the history of the world. He had barely given Pete a chance before deciding he would die with a hatred for Pete that was so deep that when his body was being decomposed back into the Earth, the ground around him would be able to feel his utter disgust for the man.
Mikey had decided his feelings for Pete Wentz since day one. So far he hadn’t once wavered. And he vowed to never.
He can still picture that dreadful day it happened.
Mikey had just returned to school after fall break. He wasn’t happy to be back and neither was Gerard. He’d been held back a year after flunking math his entire sophomore year, which meant he was now in the same grade as his little brother, and was anything besides delightful. Mikey wasn’t that enthusiastic either. Gerard was weird, so was Mikey to tell you the truth, but Gerard didn’t have many friends, so since they were in the same grade he had started to hangout with Mikey’s friends since they had classes together. Mikey didn’t hate it, he loved his brother, but he rarely got time to hang out with Ray or Frank by himself now.
Mikey’s friends also weren’t having the best year either. Technically Frank was supposed to be a junior just like Gerard, but instead he also had to be held back since he missed too much school last year to pass sophomore year. Ray was…well he was Ray. He spent most of his time playing guitar and trying to impress girls, meaning Mikey didn’t see him much outside school except for the occasional hang out he managed to organize.
So far his sophomore year was off to the most dysfunctional start humanly possible, and was only getting worse. But, hey, he hasn’t hit rock bottom. At least not yet.
“I can’t believe I really have to go back Ms. Nelson’s class,” Gerard complained as they walked through the halls, “I already failed it once, why can’t they just switch me to marine science or some shit?”
“Chemistry’s a graduation requirement,” Ray explained, “You have to take it or you’ll be stuck as a sophomore while we’re all juniors.”
“I should be a junior, but that fucking guidance counsellor has it out for me I swear,” Frank swore.
Ray rolled his eyes, “Do you even know who your guidance counsellor is?”
Frank paused for a moment, “Uhhh…” he trailed on trying to think, “Mrs. Smith?”
“Nope.”
“Fuck.”
Mikey stayed silent as Frank continued to name random last names and Ray continuously shook his head. Returning to school had been something Mikey was dreading all week. Having to spend days with family Mikey couldn’t remember the names of was punishment enough, but at least he didn’t have to spend seven hours with the same shit for brains kids that were his alleged peers.
Mikey wasn’t paying attention to what was happening until Gerard nudged him with his elbow.
“You good?”
“I’m fine,” Mikey said, “Just hate being back in this prison.”
“Me too,” Gerard responded, looking at the people they passed that stared.
Gerard was the so-called “weird kid” at school, all because he had nerdy interests. A lot of people did, Gerard was just more out about it than others. But, that didn’t matter. People still bullied him just for being who he was. Mikey never understood the point of bullying. In his opinion he had better things to do than hate on someone for no reason.
By some sort of divine intervention all four of their first periods – which was also their homerooms – just happened to be the same class. They all had Mrs. Jones’ English 2 class that could not have been more boring. Trying to read Shakespeare at seven in the morning was a torture method that was apparently legal instead of being classified as mental warfare. Mikey didn’t hate English, but Mrs. Jones could put anyone to sleep by simply just saying a single word. Most of that class was spent passing notes anyway.
“Ms. Raymond?” Frank guessed for the third time.
“There’s not even a Raymond at this school, why do you keep guessing that?” Ray exclaimed.
“I’ve run out of names.”
“I’ll give you a hint,” Ray offered, which made Frank lean closer, “Your counsellor isn’t a woman.”
“So, they’re just homophobic,” Frank exclaimed, as if he just had an Einstein level discovery.
They all stopped walking and stared at him in utter confusion.
“How did you even manage to arrive at that?” Ray questioned.
“It’s simple,” Frank started to explain, but Mikey didn’t care to listen to what word concoction Frank was about to spew.
“That,” Gerard said, “Makes no sense. How are you in advanced English?”
Frank shrugged, “I don’t know, take it up with my counsellor Mr. Edwards.”
“Nope,” Ray said.
“God, damnit.”
They finally reached the dreaded classroom at the end of the hall. Everyone except for Mikey stopped at their locker, switching out the books in their bags, as well as Frank shoving some sort of snack from his locker into his bag. He constantly keeps snacks in there that either get eaten in a day or left there till the end of the year. Mikey also had a locker, but unfortunately for him it was across the school, while the others managed to have lockers near each other. Another reason why sophomore year had been feeling so shitty.
Once everyone was done they all walked in together into the classroom. Mrs. Jones’ class was basic with the desks in rows, a bookshelf in the corner, her desk on the opposite side of it, and stupid motivational posters that were in every English teacher’s classroom. She had the seating arrangement done in alphabetical order, because heaven forbid high school students that are told to “act like adults” pick their own seats. This meant that Frank was near the front of the class with Ray right behind him, while Gerard and Mikey were all the way in the back of the class.
The four of them hung around Frank’s desk like they usually did before the bell rang, telling them class was starting. They all dispersed as Mrs. Jones let the last few stranglers into her classroom.
Mikey walked to the last row of desks to take a seat at his, which was right next to Gerard’s, when all the sudden he stopped.
There was someone sitting at his desk. Even worse it was someone he’d never seen before. To make everything even more horrible, he was hot. He must’ve been some transfer from the other high school across town.
Mikey cleared his throat before saying, “You’re kinda in my seat.”
He scratched the back of his neck out of nervousness. This was already an awkward situation, but the fact that the guy looked hot made it even worse.
Mikey never labeled what he was. That was something for him to figure out later. He never really saw himself with another guy, but then again he never even thought of it. If it was a pretty girl sitting in his seat he probably wouldn’t have been as nervous, but a hot guy was a whole other playing field.
“Huh?” the guy said, barely lifting his head to look at Mikey.
“We have assigned seats, and you’re in mine,” Mikey explained, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“So?” the guy said, starting to frustrate Mikey, “Just sit over there.”
He then pointed to the empty seat next to Gerard.
“My assigned seat is here.”
“Well, she told me to sit here.”
“Why would-” Mikey started to say before getting cut off.
“Is there a problem, boys?” Mrs. Jones asked, her harsh voice silencing the entire room.
Mikey whipped his head to the front of the classroom where the short, yet stern, woman stood, as the rest of the class turned to watch him.
“He um…” Mikey started before clearing his throat, “He’s in my assigned seat. The one you assigned me to.”
Suddenly he felt embarrassed for even trying to make the new guy move. He started to think about how he should’ve just sat next to Gerard and if he got in trouble how would it be his fault.
She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, making Mikey feel like he could melt right there into the ground.
“Just sit there for today,” she told him with a sigh, as she pointed to the seat next to Gerard, just as the dark haired guy did.
Mikey let out a grumble as he started walking towards the desk next to Gerard. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the guy smirking, which made him want to immediately turn around and punch him in his stupidly hot face. Fortunately, he had some sense of self control and chose to just sit and spend the rest of the day hating that guy.
Who even was he anyway? Who had the audacity to even act like that?
Mikey was wrapped up in his thoughts, but quickly snapped out of them as the teacher started to introduce the new guy.
“Before we start, as you’ve noticed we’ve got a new student. Please welcome Pete Wentz. Let’s make him feel welcomed…”
Blah, blah, blah.
That’s all Mikey heard as she started to spout the usual teacher bullshit they always did when there was a new student.
Mikey focused more on the name he now associated with the hot jerk he just meant.
Pete Wentz. Stupid fucking Pete Wentz. With his stupid name and stupid hot face. His stupid attitude.
Mikey had sworn from then on he was always going to hate Pete no matter what.
He may not have admitted it then, but he knew from then on his sophomore year was even more doomed than he thought it was going to be.
***
“...and then he said he’d buy me ice cream today because I bought him coffee yesterday. I mean I didn’t even tell him he had to pay me back and he offered to anyway. Then during chemistry when we almost blew up the lab and got yelled at, he held my hand. I mean maybe it was an accident but still, it felt great. Oh! Then he-” Gerard said, trying to continue his rant about Frank he’d managed to go on for six minutes now, as Mikey tried to switch out his books and find his lunch he had buried in his locker.
“Yeah, yeah, and then you two kissed and got married and lived happily ever after,” he snapped, “God, why can’t you two just confess and move on with it. It's starting to get even more nauseating.”
Gerard looked stunned at his younger brother’s outburst.
“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” he joked.
Mikey let out a breath.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Gerard said, “What’s got you so wound up anyway.”
“That dickhead from English,” Mikey uttered through gritted teeth, failing to find his lunch.
“Really? Him?” Gerard questioned, “Mikey, just forget about him, he’s stupid anyway.”
Mikey let out a sigh before saying anything, “I guess.”
“Hurry up anyway, before Frank thinks we got beat up again,” Gerard told him as he leaned against the lockers, starting to get antsy.
“Hold on,” Mikey said before finally finding his lunch, “Got it.”
He then slammed his locker shut and turned around to start walking towards the courtyard where the four of them ate lunch outside. Mikey barely got two steps forward before he crashed into someone.
“Shit,” Mikey exclaimed, watching as the bag he shoved random food into exploded, getting on both his shirt and his shoes.
“Watch where you’re going,” a familiar voice said.
Mikey quickly snapped his head up, recognizing the face in front of him to be none other than Pete Wentz. He also had whatever random food was in the bag, now on his shirt too. Pete then also looked up to see Mikey.
“Oh, it's you,” he said with disdain in his voice.
“Fuck does that mean?” Mikey questioned angrily.
Pete wiped what looked like yogurt off his shirt, “It means, watch where you’re going, freak.”
He then walked away, leaving just Mikey and Gerard in the hallway. Mikey about to start following Pete before Gerard stopped him.
“It’s not worth it, let’s just go to lunch.”
“No, he can’t just say that shit and then walk away,” Mikey argued.
“And someday he’ll get what’s coming for him, but not today, let’s just go,” Gerard insisted.
Mikey let out a huff. Gerard always had a way of talking Mikey off the ledge.
“Whatever,” he grumbled before once again starting the walk towards the courtyard.
The two brothers were silent before Mikey decided to speak up as they neared the spot where they always sat to eat lunch.
“Can I borrow your blazer?”
“Why?”
“Because mine has yogurt on it and I don’t want to smell like strawberries all day.”
“Fine,” Gerard said with a sigh before giving Mikey his blazer.
It was a bit big on him, but whatever he’d make it work for today. He was making a lot of this work for today apparently. Mikey couldn’t wait for this day to be over.