Highschool is hell on Earth. Anyone with a brain is aware or that fact- Gerard more than most.

They'd been called plenty of things. Various slurs, a nerd, a freak. He thought he could handle it. He really did. But, eventually, the words began to hang around their mind, loitering in the edges of their thoughts like a ghost in a corner.

Soon enough, he hit his limit. Overwhelming insecurity began, gnawing at him constantly- hatred for his soft, round features, for his awkward personality and nerdy interests.

Every time he looked in the mirror, he was hit by another wave of resentment. Why was it so difficult to simply be likeable? Beautiful?

He grew more and more bitter as days dragged by, the negative emotions sticking with him like his own mental ball and chain.

Until he met you.

You were nothing like him. Easy to talk to, easy to look at, easy to like. At first they were envious, but they soon grew fond of you, especially since you stuck around and didn't judge them like everyone else.

Slowly, your friendship grew deeper. He felt that he could really share insecurities with you- about his face, about his body, about everything- and you wouldn't show brutal apathy.

In fact, you would do the opposite. You'd reassure him that he was beautiful and wonderful, even hold him if he asked. He didn't know why, but he felt that he could believe you when you said it, even if the words only served as a temporary salve for a cut that was much deeper.