I'm Okay. Trust Me

Gerard's POV

I slipped on my sneakers and my blue and black jacket. Despite the fact that summer was nearing, the evening air was chilly tonight. And besides, the jacket smelled like Frankie.
I jogged down the streets to Frank's house. Once I was at his front door, I dialed his number.

Frank told me to come to his window so I jumped the fence and went around back.
I knocked on his window softly. Moments later, the curtains pulled up to reveal Frankie. His eyes were red and irritated and tears still stained his cheeks. My heart ached at the sight. Frank clicked the window open and slid it up.

“Thank you so much for coming. Thank you so much Gerard. Thank you-”
“It's my pleasure” I said with a smile. It really was.
Frankie smiled back, his tear glazed eyes gleaming.
“Hand me your bag” I stated.
Frank handed me a black duffel bag full of clothes.
“Is that all?” I asked.
Frank nodded.
I interlocked my fingers with his and helped him out of the window. He didn't let go of my hand once he was out and neither did I. I squeezed his hand softly. He squeezed back and looked up at me with a soft smile playing on his lips.
“Thank you” he whispered gently.
I just kissed his forehead in response.

Once we were at my house, Frankie and I went upstairs. I flopped down on my bed, pulling Frank with me.
“Do you wanna tell me what happened?” I asked Frank softly.
He shook his head and mumbled 'no' into my chest.
I sat up, making Frank sit up too. He huffed.
“Frankie, I need to know and so do my parents. They adore you, but they're worried too”
Frank stared down at his hands. He was silent for a moment and then spoke in a hushed tone, “My mom” he choked, on the verge on tears. I pulled him into my arms. “My mom was drunk again, and, and” tears spilled out of his eyes, “And she started yelling and going on about my father and how I deserved it and how he was gonna make me pay if he gets out”
My heart stopped. Frank wasn't being exactly clear, but the way he was talking made it seem like he was abused as a child.

“Frank” I stated firmly, although I was falling apart inside. “Frank, did your father hurt you?”
Frank let out an awful sob that made me feel like my heart was being ripped apart.
“And then she said that I was mistake! That she should have aborted me!” Frank bawled. I hugged him tighter. I wanted all the space between us to disappear, but there was no more. I felt as if we were close enough, I could somehow take his pain away.
I squeezed his small body into mine, fighting off tears.

I almost didn't hear Mikey and my parents run into my room because of Frank's crying.

“Oh my, what.. What's wrong?” I looked up to see my mother covering her mouth in shock, my father looking down at Frank, concern and worry filling his eyes. Mikey stood behind them, biting his nails, his eyebrows raised worriment.
I pulled away from Frank, but kept a hand clutching his upper arm. Frank had his face buried in his hands. His crying had subsided a bit, but he was still whimpering. I had a feeling that my entire family seeing him falling apart didn't help.

“I'll be right back” I whispered to Frank gently.
He nodded in response.
I gestured my family out of my room and closed the door.
“What happened?” my mother asked, her voice shaky.
“Frank..” I began, I tried to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. “Frank is having really, really bad problems at home” I stated, my voice quivering. “He needs somewhere to stay. He just can't... He just can't be at his house anymore”
Both of my parents are silent. They both stare off into the distance, avoiding my gaze.
I am about to go into more in-depth detail about what Frankie's dealing with when a small voice breaks the silence.

“Please” we turn around to see Frank standing behind us, shoulders slumped, hands shoved in his front pockets, his eyes red and swollen. He looked completely broken.
When he realized he had our attention, he straightened up and in a louder, more clear voice, he says “Mr. and Mrs. Way, I know that I have very much over-stayed my welcome, but I have nowhere else to go. My father's in prison and my mother is falling deeper and deeper into her alcoholism. I can't be around her anymore. I need to be with people I can trust. I need to feel safe” the tone of his voice is so serious and so steady that it shocked me to think that he was bawling his eyes out moments ago.
I look at both of my parents who look completely stunned and then to Mikey whose eyes are wide and mouth is agap. Frankie just admitted the life he is so ashamed of to my entire family, yet he kept his head up and shoulders back, waiting intently for an answer.

“Frank, I... I.. Of course you can stay with us” my mother stated, still in shock. My father slowly nodded in agreement.
I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. Frankie would be safe, and even better, he would be with me and I would be with him.

I could only imagine the relief Frankie felt because he rushed to my parents, wrapping his arms tightly around both of them, nearly knocking them over.
“Thank you, thank you so much” Frank said, still clinging to my parents. My parents laughed and my dad patted Frank on the back. Frank stepped back, his eyes wide and a grin spreading across his face from ear to ear. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread throughout my body. Frank needed to get away from his mother and that house that held God knows what sort of terrible memories. He was finally free.

Frankie was practically oozing happiness and joy. “I promise I will help out around the house. I'll clean and cook and do whatever needs to be done. I can't thank you all enough, I-”
“Frank” my mom interrupted, smiling sincerely, “It's our pleasure”

Notes

Hello lovelies! I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter ^.^ Thanks so much for all the positive feedback, it means the world to me!!

xo