Mikey:

I wake with a start: Pete's alarm is assaulting my ears. I turn over, my arm over my face, and I accidentally slap Pete. Not hard, but they deserve it nonetheless. They grunt, and turn over to face me. "Good morning, sunshine." They say, yawning and stretching. It's still dark out, and I'm not prepared for the wintry blasts of air coming in through the now open window. I pull the covers over my head, like how I always used to when I was in elementary school. Pete smiles. "Bit cold for you, baby boy?" They ask and I just groan in response. I don't think my vocal chords have quite woken up yet. "I'll take that as a yes."

Ten minutes later and I'm trudging down the stairs wearing a pair of grey jeans and my favourite Anthrax shirt. It's hardly weather appropriate, so I put my grey beanie on to hide my messy morning hair. I'll never understand how girls can spend so long getting ready in the morning. Mom's smoking a cigarette reading the morning paper, and she smiles when she hears me come in. "Morning Mikes. Are you sure you're ready for this?" She asks, mid yawn. If Mom's tired, it really must be early.

"I think so? I want to see my friends mainly, and I need to ask my calculus teacher about the homework." I reply, making grabby hands at the steaming mug of coffee that Pete's holding. They sigh and give into me. I swear to god, they have no limits when it comes to me. It's not like I'm one to talk. They grin at me, and I'm a goner once again. I bite into my toast, and fuck, that's good.Mom looks at me, and laughs.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Mikes." She says, kissing the top of my head. "Have a good day today. I love you." She smiles. She then does the same to Pete. "Make sure he's okay today, Pete." She says, and they salute her.

"I always do, Mrs Way. We should get going. We're meeting Joe and Trick at Starbucks." They say, picking up their rucksack. It's a limited edition purple and black checkered Vans bag, and I couldn't have matched a better one to them if I'd tried.

"I didn't know we were meeting Joe and Patrick." I say after we're out of the house.

"Ray's taking us to school this morning." Pete simply replies and I raise my eyebrows in confusion.

"Why isn't Gee?" I ask, stopping walking for a second.

"He's helping Frank study for his AP Gov exam. They wanted to get shit done early." Pete says, and I scoff. Like Frank was that good of a student. "Gee also needed help with anatomy for art." I laugh for real now.

"That makes more sense. I didn't even know Frank studied Gov, never mind at AP level." I say, and Pete's face is blank. "Think about it Pete. Frank hates school. And the government for that matter. Why would two teenage boys go out early on a Wednesday morning?" Pete's face clears, and I see that exact moment when they realise.

"OH. Oh. Okay." They say, clearly panicked. "Why would you tell me that? I don't want to know about my boyfriend's brother's sex life." They practically shudder, and I sigh.

"You're an idiot, Petey." I say, trying to keep the fondness out of my voice.

"But I'm your idiot." They say, grinning in the early morning light.

"But you're my idiot." I say, taking their hand and pulling them over to a lamp post and kissing them against it. "Come on. Joe and Pat will be wondering what's keeping us."

We arrive at the Starbucks two minutes later, and Pete immediately spots Joe and Patrick curled up in their favourite booth, a textbook open between them. They're not the only bleary eyed sophomores and juniors in here. I recognise basically everyone. "Hey guys." I say, and they both look up.

"Hey Mikes! Glad to see you're feeling better." Joe says, sliding away from his boyfriend to give me a hug. "Again, I'm so sorry about your shoulder. We've managed to get Gabe permanently banned from Fall Out Boy shows. I knew you guys were a mess, but I didn't have a clue you were that much of a mess." He's wearing a dark green oversized hoodie, which I recognise to be his dysphoria hoodie. "Dude, before I forget, I need to ask you about something."

"Sure thing. Let me just tell Pete I'm ordering coffee." I say, and I make our coffee hand gesture across the table. They nod, and I smile in response. "Everything okay, bro? You're wearing the hoodie again." I say once we're in line. It's a long line for seven thirty in the morning, but then again, it is coming up to finals week.

"It's about my transition. I was wondering if I could have your advice, seeing as Gee's transitioning medically now." He says.

"Dude that's fine! Go ahead, ask as many questions as you need, and I'll do my best to answer them." I say, leaning on the side. We're out of Pete and Patrick;s eye;line, so that's good at least.

"We;;, I've been feeling more and more dysphoric lately and I was wondering how Gee got on T before he turned eighteen." He says, and this question feels like a kick in the gut. I can't just tread around this question.

"What's your parental situation like?" I ask, and I cringe at myself. There are probably thousands of ways I could've phrased that better.

"They don't know about me being trans. I mean, they'd probably be fine with it, both of them being lesbians." He starts, and it's like a weight lifted off of my shoulders. "But still, I overheard Ma say how she could never date a trans woman last night because in her view trans women aren't real women." He says, looking down at his old ripped up Chuck Taylor Hi Tops.

"Shit, that's not good." I breathe out. "Talk to them, maybe? Just explain how you're feeling about things, and say it'll make you happier in the long run. That's how Gee did it." I explain, and I can see him visibly relax.

"Ma also took my binder." He says, and it comes out rushed. Ah. That makes sense. "That's why I'm wearing the hoodie. I also feel like I'm going to have to tell everyone. I'm stealth at school." He explains, and I'm trying to think of a solution for him. I don't want to see him hurting and dysphoric. It wasn't nice for Gee when he was still getting misgendered, and I can't imagine it's nice for Joe.

"Tell you what," I start, and Joe turns his attention back to me. "I'll talk to Gee. What size was your binder?"

"Medium, gc2b half tank in black." He says, and I type it into my notes app.

"I think that's what Gee's old binder is. I'll see what I can do for you. Let's go order before Trick and Pete send out a search party." I say, and Joe's face breaks out into the biggest grin I've ever seen. It's a bold statement, as I'm dating Pete, but Joe's smile definitely gives their's a run for its money.

"Thanks, Mikey. Seriously, this means the world to me." Joe says, as he pulls me in for another hug. You and Pete's drinks are on me."

"You don't have to, Joe. You literally bought us drinks yesterday." I say, feeling guilty.

"Dude, chill. It's fine. I want to." He says, walking up to the barista. "Hey, can we have one grande vanilla iced latte, two grande hazelnut lattes, and one grande toffee apple hot choco;ate?" Joe says, to the tired looking barista.

"Sure thing. What's the name?" They ask, their voice sounding as tired as they look.

Joe looks at me, clearly panicking. "Mikey." I say. The barista nods once, scrawling my name across the four cups.

"Wait over there. We'll call you once they're made." They say. "You make a cute couple, by the way." We look at each other and blush. Neither of us know what to say, so we walk away awkwardly.

"That was weird, right? I'm not the only one who thought that was weird. I can't be." Joe says once we're back waiting.

"You're definitely not, dude." I say, wiping my clammy palms on my jeans.We stand in awkward silence, waiting for the barista to call my name. After what feels like an eternity, I go up and collect our drinks, alone. We walk back to our partners in silence, avoiding eye contact.

Pete senses the awkwardness, shifting their gaze between Joe and I. "What took you guys?" They finally ask, after what feels like a millennium.

"We got mistaken for a couple, of all things." Joe says, handing Patrick his iced coffee. He's preoccupied for a second, making heart eyes at Patrick drinking his coffee, and ignoring Pete's seemingly stunned face.

"How on earth did that even happen?" Pete says, trying to laugh it off, but they put their hand on my knee and squeeze. It's what they do when they get jealous. I take their hand and squeeze it once, and it relaxes them almost instantly.

"Well, for starters, the disgusting hot chocolate you're drinking is courtesy of Mr Joseph Trohman." I sya, and Pete looks up at us.

"Mikey gave me some pretty invaluable advice. It was the least I can do. He's also letting me use one of Gee's old binders, so that's pretty great." He says. Way to be casual, Joe. 10 points to Slytherin. He doesn't seem to notice Pete and Patrick looking at him, shocked. Pete speaks first.

"Joe, buddy, are you trans?" Pete asks, studying Joe's face. He smiles slightly, and nods in confirmation.

"Yeah, I am. Surprise?" He says, and Patrick flings his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders.

"That's so great, babe! Thank you so much for telling me, I can't imagine how hard that must have been. This changes nothing, okay?" Pat says, speaking fast. "I support you, okay?" He continues, and then scans the Starbucks and kisses Joe on the cheek.

"Thank you, darling." Joe says, hugging Patrick close.

"So you're telling me, Joseph Troseph, that for all these years, by that I mean two years but potato potahto, I have been walking around as the Trans One while you were right here?" Pete says, and we all fall about laughing. We hardly notice Ray come in.

"Hey guys, what's new?" He asks, taking my beanie off and ruffling my hair. "It's nice to see you up and about, Mikes. Who needs a ride?" He asks.

"Me and Pat should be fine, but I know that Mikey and Pete walked, so it looks like you're third wheeling once again. Also, I'm trans." Joe says, grinning up at Ray.

"Woah, that's a lot to unpack. What pronouns do you use?" Ray says.

"He/him. I was stealth, but I thought there wasn't any point in hiding it any more." Joe shrugs, and Ray smiles.

"Cool, dude. I'm happy for you." He says. "We should really be getting to school. Any news on Gee and Frank?" Ray asks.

"Frank's helping Gee study anatomy. For his art project." I deadpan.

"Ah. Well, should we get to school? It's too close to finals week for us to even attempt being late." He says, being the mom friend that he is.

Pete and I get into Ray's truck. It's cleaner than it was the night I fucked my shoulder up. Pete's got the aux, and they're playing Dookie by Green Day. "Babe, it's not like this is a bad album, but again? Really?"I say, rolling my eyes at them fondly. They fake being surprised, and they're so freaking cute in that moment.

"Michael, that is Dookie you're talking about. It's a classic!" They say, fake angry. "My tasteless boyfriend. There's more to life than The Cure and Pixies." They say, and now it's my turn to act shocked.

"You forgot The Smashing Pumpkins." I mumble out. They kiss my cheek.

"Oh yeah. I forgot you loved Billy Corgan more than me." Pwete says, still smirking.

"I definitely do at this moment in time." I mutter under my breath. Pete laughs at that, and they start leaving kisses all over my face. Ray pulls into the school parking lot, and I feel like it's my first day of high school again.

"Come on guys, it's 7:45." Ray says, opening the door for us. I forget how intense Ray can be when finals are coming up. I get out of the truck, and I start walking towards the bandroom. I'm not even in band, but that room calms me down. It always has.

"Mikes? Where are you going?" Pete asks, running after me. "Did my dumb Billy Corgan remarks get to you?" They question, their breath heaving.

"No! Of course not! I knew you were kidding, I'm just anxious about how today's going to go." I say, my voice cracking slightly. There goes me trying to sound upbeat to stop me from losing it. I feel like I'm about to break down in the middle of the parking lot. But Pete grabs hold of my hand and leads me over to the curb and we sit down.

"What's wrong, baby?" They ask, cupping my face with their hand. I lean into their touch and let it happen.

"What if I run into Gabe? I feel like I have to apologise to him for breaking up with him." I sniffle, and Pete's face darkens.

"Mikey, you don't owe him shit. He could've killed you. I may be a pacifist and not willing to fight, but I can guarantee you that if he so much as looks at you funny, I will unleash Frank and Joe on him." Pete says, their thumb barely touching my cheekbone. "He's a senior, right?"

"Yeah." I reply, and I stand up. "Come to the band room with me?" I ask, using my best puppy dog eyes in an attempt to let them follow me.

"Of course, sweetheart." They say, grinning and taking my hand. I can't be upset when they're around me. We walk hand in hand to the music room, smiling at Mr Armstrong. He's married to Gee's English teacher, and he's probably the coolest teacher at school. He looks up at us as we enter and he smiles.

"Hey Mikey, glad to see you're back in full working order." He says, a lopsided grin on his face. He's got a California accent, and he's tuning one of the school's banged up acoustic guitars.

"Hey Mr Armstrong. I wanted to ask you about something?" I say, holding onto Pete's hand like it's my lifeline.

"Shoot, kiddo. I'm all ears." He says, propping his head up with his fist.

"I want to get better at bass." I start, and I feel Pete practically swoon on the spot. They're so far gone. Mr Armstrong looks at Pete, and then looks at our intertwined fingers and nods once.

"Well, for starters, I'd love to have you in marching band. You play trombone, right?" He starts, and Pete's smiling at me, encouraging me to do this.

"Yeah, I haven't played since summer, though." I say, feeling a little unsteady.

"That's fine. Bring your trombone in when you're ready and I'll audition you. As for bass lessons, I could get my buddy Mike to speak to you? He's pretty bored after his divorce, so I'm sure he'd love to teach you." Mr Armstrong says, smiling.

"Seriously? Thank you so much!" I say, grinning widely.

"Anytime, kiddo. You're Gerard's younger brother, aren't you?" He says.

"Yeah, I am." I say, looking over at Pete.

"He's a great kid. My wife says he's got a real gift." He says. "He kind of reminds me of myself when I was a teenager. I'll let you two go. Congratulations, by the way." He says to Pete and I, and I kiss the top of Pete's head, making both Pete and Mr Armsrtong smile. We walk out of the bandroom, and Pete grins at me.

"We're going to be in band together." Pete says, and wraps me up in the biggest hug.

"I know, this is going to be amazing." I say into them. The bell rings, and we walk to homeroom. Sure enough, Frank is sitting on the desk, waiting for us.

"Hey you two. Glad to see you're no longer broken, Mikes." Frank says, looking up from his notepad.

"You've got some dope doodles going on." I say, looking over his shoulder. He grins widely.

"Thanks Mikes! Gee's encouraging me to find my inner artist or some shit." He explains. He's good. So far, there are little biro sketches of things, like eyes, spaceships and zombies. They look perfectly imperfect. The late bell rings, and Pete and I take our places at the back of the homeroom. That's the one perk of having a datemate with a surname starting with the same letter as yours. And having a surname starting with a w.

"Good morning students! It is November 19th, 2010. It's a cold one this morning, with the weather just above freezing. May we remind you all that finals week is fast approaching before Thanksgiving break, so we expect full attendance to all classes and study periods. Lastly, we are saddened to inform the student population that our chemistry lab teacher, Mr Bryar, has resigned due to personal reasons. He feels like a career in real estate would be better for him." Pete and I lock eyes, and we grin. My phone beeps in my pocket.

you're welcome :P

delivered 11/19/2010

I show Pete the message, and they crack a smile. We stand up and push our chairs under our desks, preparing to get to our morning classes.

hey guys !! thank you so much for reading :D i know this was a bit of a filler chapter, but Things will happen in the next few chapters, i can guarantee that

i hope you enjoyed this update !! i'm loving writing this atm, it's a lot more interesting than online school, that's for sure.

--ted x