Scandal on Cemetary Drive

Sheryl squinted as she looked up from her book to see Gerard standing there. She squinted further, adjusting her eyesight. The sun was shining behind Gerards happy face, almost blocking her view of him.
"Hey" he said as thier eyes met.
"Hey" she returned.
"Why are you sitting out here? Isn't your art history class about to start?"
"Yea, but I needed to look over my notes real quick" She replied. She knew it was a lie, but she didn't think she should tell him she'd been waiting for him. Solely for him for over an hour now. She tried to remember all of the things she'd vowed never to tell him. It was hard. Really hard to remember that much. It wasn't because she didn't trust him, it was more about being too humiliated. She never wanted him to know what her life was really like.
"Well?" He said
"Huh?"
"Are you going or aren't you?"
"Wh....What?"
"To class you goofball"
"Oh yea....I guess I'm going now" She laughed as she pulled herself off of the bench she'd been perched on. She turned to head for the B building.
"See you later?" he called behind her.
"Sure" she yelled back and waved over her shoulder.

She walked into the classroom and found her usual seat. It was almost the center of the room. Perfect. Too far to the front or the back could cause the instructor to call on her and she didn't want that. No, she prefered to blend in, to be lost in the large crowd. Not to mention she needed time to think, to pull heself together.

Her mind drifted back to thier first meeting. It had been right here on this same campus. She had just started her degree and was a little lost. The school was larger and more confussing then she had imagined. She was used to a small town high school, not a large New York Art School. She had left home to come to New York to be an artist or so she had thought. Back home everyone had raved about her talent and she had dreamed of making it big in the Big Apple. She couldn't have been more wrong. She had arrived with just a small bag of possesions, a few bucks, and some big dreams. It didn't take long for these dreams to shatter. She'd found a crappy little no tell motel efficency apartment in a bad area. She worked at crappy jobs in retail outlets, greasy spoons, and even waitressed in a couple hole-in-the-wall clubs. She had made only a few
friends when she met Mr. Right....or so she had thought. His name was Griffen. He was older, faster, and very sexy. A Blonde Nordic type with ice blue eyes. Eyes to match his cold heart she would later find. He'd been sweet, suave, and generally Mr Perfect until only weeks after thier rush-rush wedding. She'd been a stupid school girl and had let herself get pregnant. They had only been together 5 or 6 times and had only dated 5 months. She hadn't been a virgin when they met, but she had been pretty innocent. She had only had two lovers before him. The first being her high school sweetheart, Jason. She and Jason had been considered a couple since Jr high. In their Senior year she had caught him in bed with another girl. The images still haunted her at times. After that she kind of lost herself. She ended up sleeping with his best friend in some fucked up revenge ploy that only seemed to backfire on her in the end. That's what had spurned her to flea to the big city and annonymity.

She'd managed to hold off Griffens sexual advances for over a month and had given the impression of virginity. It had seemed to thrill him that she was so new, so unspoiled, so un-used. Her shoulder length dark hair and dark eyes contrasted his so perfectly. He was much taller then she but she had loved that about him in the beginning. The way he towered over her had made her feel safe and protected. The way he wrapped his large arms around her at night had comforted a part of her that had been raw and bleeding. Early into thier fifth month she realized she'd missed her period. Damn, she thought as she'd read the results. It was positive.
She'd been nervous about Griffens response to the news but he'd been excited and had grabbed her up into a bear hug and kissed every inch of her face. Then he'd put her down, sank to one knee and had proposed marriage. She'd accepted through a screen of grateful and loving tears. They had a small ceromony at the courthouse, just the two of them. She'd long since broken ties with the people back home and the aunt who had raised her.Too many bad memrories lived there. Griffen had told her his parents had parished in a plane crash when he was just 16. It would be just the two of them against the world, at least until thier baby was born.

Sheryl just knew it was a boy and she'd picked out his name within weeks of her pregnancy. His name would be Michael, Mikey for short. She had spent hours rubbing the non-existant bump and talking to him. She read every motherhood & pregnancy book she could find. She loved this child already. Griffen became moody and dark. He snapped at her a lot and started yelling. When her bump grew something changed in him. He became verbally abusive as well as physically. She couldn't believe he'd changed so much. She wondered if he hated her or the ever growing bump that was thier child. She hoped once the child was born his rage and hostility would cease. One night he found her looking soulfully at a dress she had worn for him but could no longer fit into. It was bright red , spaghetti strap number with black detailing. Her small shoulders and gracefull back had attracted many a lustfull glance when she wore it. She'd felt proud in it. It had fit as though made for her. Griffen had whistled when he saw her in it. It was the same dress she had worn the night she had concieved. WHen he found he gazing at it he started shrieking and yelling. He grabbed her by the wrist and slung her against the wall. He'd screamed terrible things into her face and slapped her down. When he left the room she had run out of the apartment and down the stairs. In her haste to get away she'd fallen.

When she awoke her baby was gone, long buried. Her husband had told the Drs she'd been despondant and that she'd thrown herself down the stairs in a suicide attempt. There was nothing left for her now. Why had she regained contiousness? She had wished then that she had died with her son. She'd been right, her baby had been a boy. Mikey, sweet Mikey. Gone forever. She felt guilty and hated Griffen for his part in the tragedy. She wanted out but felt too weak to leave. She really had no where to go or anyway to support herself, at least not until she'd regained her strength. Meanwhile Griffen got worse. He drank heavily, and abused her regularly. Sometime later he just started staying away. She like that though. It aforded her some freedom and she contemplated college. She'd been surprised when she'd asked him about starting school that his answer was "Whatever, fuck I gotta go!" She'd floated on a cloud all the way to the campus. This was her way out. A degree would buy her freedom and safety.

It was during this visit to the school that she'd met him. Gerard, Gerard Way was his name. She'd been quite lost and had asked the young man for directions. He'd been very nice and even offered to walk her there. She'd blushed and stammered "It's ok" and headed off. Later that week she'd seen him again and had said Hi. She thought about him often, wondering what he was really like. She knew she had to be carefull so Griffen wouldn't find out about her new friend. Of course it was only platonic, they barely knew each other. She just wanted a friend, no, needed a friend. They had bumped into each other one evening and Gerard had asked if she wanted to go for a beer and hang out. She wanted to be near him, of that she'd been sure. He'd turned out to be everything she'd thought Griffen had been, but really wasn't. Gerard was kind, and gentle. He was handsome but in that pretty boy way. He treated her with respect and made her feel human again. She didn't want him to know but she thought about him when Griffen forced himself on her once a week as had become his routine. Gerard had become what helped her get through those nights of abuse and degradation. She closed her eyes and imagined it was Gerard. Instead of Griffens rough pounding she felt Gerards long, loving strokes. Instead of Griffens rough callused hands pinching her nipples and breasts, she felt Gerards gently, soft caress. She'd thought many times "If only...."

They'd gone for coffee instead of a beer because she didn't want to chance Griffen smelling the beer on her. She didn't tell Gerard this of course. She'd just made some excuse about not liking beer. They had ended up talking for hours. She had purposefully kept the conversation directed toward him so that she wouldn't have to lie to him. No, not him. She'd lie to Griffen if needed but never Gerard. She told herself that keeping these secrets from him wasn't lying. SOme would say lies of omission, but she couldn't tell him. She couldn't let him know about those terrible things or how much she had come to care for him. He knew she was married of course. She'd acted like everything was fine. She had pretended she had an understanding, loving husband. She never outright said these things, but she implied it. It had ben 4 months since they first met and they had started to become closer.

"Sheryl, could you tell us who was known as the greatest impressionistic artist?" the instructors voice jerked her back to reality. "This material will be on your final, people. I suggest you pay attention."
WHen the class was over Gerard was waiting on thier bench. She laughed to herself at that one "Thier bench". It sounded like they were a couple. It was the bench they met at 3 times a week though, so yea, it's thier bench.

"Hey! How'd it go?"
"Don't ask!" she replied
"We could go for coffee and talk if you want. What I mean is I really want to talk to you about some things I've had on my mind."
"Oh, in that case, sure."
They had walked to the coffee shop nearby in silence. She'd been busy wondering what he wanted to talk about. She sensed he wanted to wait until the were in the booth, so she didn't ask any questions on the way. They slid into thier usual booth and ordered coffee. After the waitress had walked away Gerard said "We've been friends for some time now Sheryl and I care about you. I mean I care very much about you and what happens to you. I've noticed some things lately that have me worried and upset.""
"What? What is it Gee? "She asked. She'd called him Gee almost from their first meeting. He didn't seem to mind, matter of fact he seemed to like it.
"Well, you see, um....I don't really know how to say this but here goes. I've noticed some bruises and scratches on you pretty regularly lately. It's nothing obvious like a black eye or broken nose, but still seems to be abuse related. Like that sore arm you had last week, or the bruises on the back of your neck now and then. You can trust me Sheryl. I know you think you can't but you can."
"I...I...." tears streamed down her face suddenly. She couldn't stop it and she was trying.
"SHeryl, if there was somebody hurting me and I didn't tell you, how would you feel?"
"I...d..."
"You want to let me in, I know you do. Please, just open up to me. I won't judge you, I promise."
She was starting to sob hard now and wanted to hide, to get away "Not here! she told him as she scooted past him and out of the building. She stood in the shadows while he paid the bill and met her there.
"Gerard, please let's go somewhere private. I don't want to be seen or overheard"
"Ok, I know a place where they only people walking are the dead."
"Huh?"
"Just follow me"

He tugged her by her wrist toward a sparsely populated area where there was a large old cemetary. She was a little creeped out at first but Gerard was with her and that was all she needed. They walked through the place to the rear. There stood a large masoleum. It was white marble, the kind you'd find in some horror story. It was 150 years old at least. It had to be 500 square feet inside. The facade had large collumns in the greek revival style with mini pillars that formed a type of marble fence to the front. Once they passed through the open door way she realized that it formed a type of porch. Against the front wall on either side were large, twin marble benches. Here they were truely alone. Here she could pour out her heart, cry, scream and now one would ever hear.

"Ok, you're safe now, spill it!"
"Gerard, I...I don't know where to start" she wispered through tears.

He stepped close to her and placed his hands on her upper arms as if to shake her.
"Sheryl, please"
"Ok" she said as she pulled away.
She sunk down onto on of the benches and sighed. She sat there and pulled it all out for him. All of the humiliation, the abuse, the love lost, the child she had lost and how it had happened. She told him it all. She told him about her aunt and those left behind, anything, everything. He'd stayed quiet mostly only gently asking a question or two. She'd watched his face, as much of it she could see in the dim light, for responses to her answers. He'd looked mad several times and she had wondered if he was mad at Griffen and those who had hurt her or if he'd been mad at her for allowing it to happen. Maybe it was a mixture of both. Finally she'd broken down sobbing unable to speak anymore. He'd taken her into his arms then and held her softly until the sobbs had subsided.

"Gerard" she whispered into his chest when she had calmed down.
"Yes"
" There's something else I need to tell you.....but I'm really scared"
"What? What is it?"
"I...I..I've fallen in love with you. I know I shouldn't have. I know I'm married but...."
"SHushhhh" He put his finger to her lips shushing her. "It's Ok, I love you too, that's why I couldn't pretend any longer."

His lips came down on hers softly at first, then hungry and needy for her returned affection.