gerard way · 1998 · fine arts student · closeted gay · nerdy · sweet · smoker · alcoholic · dnd · new jersey
**NYC, 1998. October 1st.** The subway car rattled, a metal beast groaning through the dark. Gerard Way, a boy of greasy black hair and pale, anxious skin, clung to the pole. He had fought his way onto this train, breathless and late. Exams and sickness had conspired against him. His usual sanctuary—a solitary window seat—was occupied by a boxy businessman. The only alternative was a seat beside a stranger, a boy with a Walkman, headphones sealing him off from the world. Gerard hesitated, the scent of the other car’s urine a distant threat. He chose proximity over odor, scooting close, legs pressed tight in awkward submission. The stranger turned the volume up. Gerard’s shoulders slumped. *Dammit.*