I Don't See Why He Moves Me - Chapter 19 {Cobra Starship, The Academy Is..., All Time Low and More}
Title: I Don't See Why He Moves Me
Chapter: 18/?
Rating: M
Pairing: Gabe Saporta/William Beckett, Alex Gaskarth/Jack Barakat, Ryan Ross/Brendon Urie, Alex Suarez/Nate Novarro Cassadee Pope/Hayley Williams
Summary: William Beckett is a shy, quiet, reserved, academically perfect student. Gabe Saporta is a screw off Senior who is one performing arts credit away from not graduating. When Gabe is faced with the decision to repeat his senior year or participate in the school play, he opts for the play, not intending to snag a lead role in the production of Jesus Christ, Superstar. What surprises him even more than his role as Judas in the musical is William Beckett, who holds the role of Jesus. At first, Gabe is dumbfounded by the transformation William undergoes when he is onstage, turning from a shy, quiet loner to a tall, thin powerhouse. As the play continues, Gabe begins to wonder how William can be so loud, so vibrant on stage, when the second he slips out of his role and back into his own skin, the boy can barely speak above a whisper.
Disclaimer: FICTIONAL! Oh, and the title is from Jesus Christ, Superstar.
Warnings: MUSICALS ARE PRESENT! WHEE!
Author: havah24601
Beta: alifeofourown
Author's Notes: Hey, I'm back! :) I kind of forgot how to post, but we'll see if this works!
By the time William arrived on Monday, Gabe was already at school - this was unusual for him, as he usually cut it just about until the bell before arriving. But now, here he was, standing with his long legs crossed, leaning against William’s locker, an expression of utmost seriousness on his face. There was no way that he was going to let himself go, that he was going to let William get past him, not this time.
“What are you doing?” William asked tersely as he arrived at his locker, trying to push Gabe away. However, the taller and stronger boy refused to move, uncrossing his legs and intensifying his center of gravity. “Seriously, move,” William stated.
“I need to talk to you,” Gabe said, his tone radiating the same seriousness that was so evident in his expression.
“I have nothing to say to you,” William replied softly, refusing to make eye contact with Gabe as he eyed his locker, wondering if there was away he could access the books inside without having to have a conversation with the currently very angered Uruguayan teen.
“Well I have something to say to you,” Gabe said softly, not only trying to keep his tone down, but his voice kind. He didn’t know how to start a conversation the one he was about to try and have, but he knew that he had to get it out there, and perhaps diving right in would be the best way to do that. “William, child abuse, it doesn’t all have to be physical and sexual.” Gabe bit his lip, trying his best to force himself to look William in the eyes, however, William’s eyes would not meet his.
“Go away, Gabriel,” William said, his voice soft, barely audible above the hustle and bustle of the morning crowd.
“William, I’m serious,” Gabe pushed. “I’ve looked into it, neglecting a child has just as much negative and damaging impact on them as physically assaulting them does, sometimes more, if that’s happening to you in the home-”
“It’s not,” William snapped, letting himself lose control for a few moments before regaining thought and awareness of his surroundings. “Fuck off, Gabriel,” he whispered, his voice dangerously quiet. “Leave. Me. Alone.”
“William, I want to do what you’re asking me, but I can’t.” Gabe shook his head. “You’re only giving me more reason to believe that I’m right, and if that’s happening, William you need to deal with it! You can’t stay in a household like that, it’s not good for you!”
“Don’t pretend like you know ANYTHING about what’s going on with me!” William shoved Gabe hard, pushing him into the row of lockers before he took off for the door, exiting the school quickly.
By now, the pair had the entire hallway’s attention, and while William hadn’t even seemed to notice as he fled the building, Gabe was fully aware of what was going on, and he was worried. This was his image, some of the people watching, they were his friends, the sort that he couldn’t really be seen by when chasing the weird theater kid. He paused, weighing his options. On one hand, William had just run out the door, clearly upset and effected by what Gabe had said. On the other hand, he had his dignity, his reputation, not to mention the play. If he left school one more time, if he skipped, he wouldn’t be eligible for the play rehearsal that night, and if he missed out on that, well, he could kiss graduation in June goodbye.
“Fuck you, Saporta,” Gabe muttered to himself as he took off in a sprint down the hallway. “WILLIAM!” He called, darting from the school just as the bell rang. “William, wait up!”
Gabe was at more than a slight disadvantage here, because, while he was a fast runner, he had hesitated, and William was a good distance ahead of him. William had ditched his backpack, and Gabe hadn’t had his to begin with, but even so, William was moving faster. Gabe upped the speed, hoping that his longer legs would allow him to catch up to William before he grew too tired to keep on chasing the boy.
William had more endurance than Gabe had ever anticipated, however, and he ran, and ran, blocks from the school, past the elementary school, past the public skate park and Jewish Community Center, all the while Gabe at his heels, growing steadily closer. When he got close enough to reach out and grab William’s arm, they were at the local park. William had made it to a grove of trees, largely secluded from everything and everyone else.
“William.” Gabe reached out, grabbing William’s bare arm just where the hem of short t-shirt sleeve ended. “William, you have to listen to me.” Gabe gulped, doing his best to keep his voice firm, even though his legs felt like jelly and his resolve felt even weaker. Worst of all, it wasn’t a warm day, and it was starting to rain. Gabe had only his token purple hoodie, but William was wearing only his short sleeve t-shirt, his jacket shed back at the school with his backpack.
“Go away!” William shouted, trying to pull away. However, Gabe’s grip remained firm. He had let William run away from him in the school, but he wasn’t going to let the same thing happen here, he wasn’t going to let William run away from him this time, not until he had heard Gabe out.
“William, I can’t do that. I don’t give a fuck if you hate me for it - hell, it’s not like anything would be changing, you already hate me, but you have to know that you’re not the only kid in the world whose parents were too fucked up to realize that they had someone special in their lives.” Gabe gulped, tightening his grip on William’s arm as the rain came down harder. William’s skin was beginning to grow slick from the water, and Gabe didn’t want him slipping away.
“Gabriel, shut up!” William’s voice grew louder as he spoke over a clap of thunder.
“I can’t, William, don’t you get it? I’m trying to help you, and you can demonize me for it, but there are things that you can do to get help, social workers who can find you better living situations, support groups of peers who have gone through the same-”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” William roared louder than Gabe had ever heard anyone shout, and he was about to retort when William kept going. “As if you know anything about what happened, about what goes on in my home. Don’t pretend that give two shits or that you understand, because you don’t! You don’t know what I’ve been through, you don’t know how much it fucking hurts to SCREAM at your parents to acknowledge that you’re there and not even have them look up, to know that you could kill yourself right in front of them and they wouldn’t care, hell, the probably wouldn’t even notice, you don’t understand what it’s like to be me!”
Gabe looked at William, now sure that there were tears mixing with the rain on William’s cheeks. He looked a mess, the rain already beginning to soak his thin t-shirt and long hair, his body shaking with both cold and raw, powerful emotion. William tried once more to jerk away, but Gabe held tight to his arm, shaking his head as if to tell William that he wasn’t letting go yet.
“Help me, William,” Gabe said, his voice firm and even. “I may not understand, but if you helped me, I could.”
For a moment, William both said and did nothing, he just looked at Gabe, his eyes full of pain and hurt, and then, without any sign of warning, he pushed Gabe back up against the nearest tree, kissing him aggressively.