The death of Frank Iero.

His graduation had been even more boring and never ending than Gerard anticipated. If it had been up to him, Gerard would have been perfectly happy skipping out on the event and getting his diploma in the mail. But his parents were the ones that paid for his education, and Gerard felt that guilty push of his conscience tell him that he owed them that parental joy of hearing their son’s name being called out and seeing him receive his diploma decked out in ugly cap and gown. Gerard was juggling work, spending time with Frank, and just trying to ponder how the hell he was going to help Frank move on. Such time was originally planned to be spent apartment hunting and with friends, but those things were going to have to wait until Frank was in his better place. Gerard didn’t feel like he could go out and have fun or move from his parents’ home, not when that would mean leaving Frank to be all alone and miserable once again. Gerard wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did that to Frank. There was no way Gerard could just leave him, not after he got so attached to the boy. So Gerard was putting his own life on hold for the time being, so Frank’s afterlife could be a happy one. Gerard had just gotten home from his job. Work in the art department of the advertising agency was okay at best. He was still more of a gopher boy, doing petty odd jobs for everyone else like he did as an intern there. It was a good company to work for though, and Gerard knew eventually he’d be moving up the totem pole. As boring as work could be sometimes, Frank always wanted to hear about Gerard’s day. Gerard could understand though. Frank had been stuck in that bedroom for a long time and just wanted some information on what the world was like outside. When Gerard entered his bedroom Frank was no where to be seen. Gerard wasn’t shaken by this at all and just went about changing into some leisure clothes and sat at his computer right away, firing it up, figuring Frank must be having one of his ‘disappearing ghost sleeping episodes’. It was on to the internet right away after work like he had been doing the passed couple days. Because what better place to find bizarre answers to bizarre questions of figuring out why a spirit would be stuck on this earth and how to get them to move on? Gerard had spent countless hours reading crackpot theories and beliefs, trying to figure out what best molded with Frank’s situation. He felt kind of crazy as he searched endlessly, but Gerard didn’t know what else to do. Was Frank still here because he still had some sort of purpose to fulfill? Stuck in this room because he died here? Was he murdered and couldn’t move on until the killer was brought to justice? Was it because Frank didn’t know how he died? And until he.. “You’re home!” Gerard jumped a mile out of his skin at the sudden exclamation. Frank was back from his little ‘ghost nap’ or whatever the hell it was, and Gerard held his hand over his heart trying to will the racing beating to a normal pace. Frank was standing at his side in an instant, and Gerard couldn’t help but smile up at him even though he did just get the shit scared out of him. “I’m home.” “How was work?” Frank asked, perching himself up on the desk and softly kicking his legs. “Nothing exciting to report I’m afraid. Boring and tedious as usual.” “Can’t you just ditch one day, so you can go out and do something awesome so you’ll have a real story to tell me? Oh!” Frank suddenly grinned as his train of thought veered. “I scared your dad today,” Frank chuckled. “It was hilarious.” “Oh?” Gerard couldn’t help but laugh a little bit already. Frank unintentionally -and a few times very intentionally- would scare or confuse the hell out of his parents sometimes when they came into Gerard’s room. “What happened this time?” “I was just, you know, alone and bored and stuff and waiting for you to come back, and your dad came in. He was looking around your room like before.” Gerard rolled his eyes, “Another drug search?” “Yeah,” Frank rolled his eyes as well. “So anyway, he lifted up your mattress to look under there. And I thought, you know, it’s really uncool him snooping around your room without you knowing. Well.. without him thinking that you know. So yeah, I decided to stop him, so I drove on to the bed and the mattress went flying down on top of his head and stuff,” Frank started to speak through a burst of giggles. “He pulled outta there so fast. And he yelled out ‘holy shit!’ and looked so freaked out and everything.” Frank continued to laugh, but quickly added, “I didn’t hurt him or anything.” “I would have loved to see the look on his face,” Gerard chuckled with a grin. "Yeah,” Frank continued to laugh. “And he-” “Gerard?” the questioning call of Debra’s voice from the outside of Gerard’s bedroom door cut Frank off. Gerard quickly shut the monitor of his computer off and pulled his cell phone out of his pants’ pocket, flipping it open and holding it up to his ear as he answered his mother. “Yeah, come in. ..Alright, I gotta go, man,” Gerard pretended like he was talking to someone on his phone as Debra entered the room. “I’ll talk to you later, bye.” Gerard had learned to use this little trick on the chance his mother or father had ever overheard him talking to seemingly no one when they were outside his bedroom. “Oh, you didn’t have to stop talking to your friend, dear. I just wanted to let you know your father and I are going out to dinner so you’ll have to fend for yourself tonight.” “Oh alright, sure thing, mom,” Gerard had to try to keep a straight face then and not swat his hand at Frank who was reaching over from where he still sat on the desk, tickling at the side of Gerard’s neck. Frank was giggling mischievously, and the touch of Frank’s fingers were feathery, only making the tickling that more effective. “We’ll be leaving in about five minutes. We’ll.. Are you okay, sweetie?” Debra raised a worried brow. Gerard really wanted to flip Frank off the desk at the moment. Gerard was sure Frank’s little prank was making him look off and bizarre to his mother as he fought not to smile and break out laughing and shifted around trying not to twitch his shoulder up oddly to block Frank’s tickling fingers. “Yeah, I’m just tired, you know? Long day at work.” “Oh, don’t I know that feeling,” Debra sighed. “Well, we’ll see you later. We’ll lock the door downstairs when we leave.” “Okay, bye mom,” Gerard gave her a short little wave and as soon his mother was gone, his door shut, and Gerard heard his mother’s footsteps retreating down the stairs, he quickly hit Frank’s hand away and blurted out the laughter he had been holding in. “What the hell did you do that for, you little shit?” The harsh question didn’t sound too mean at all, not with Gerard saying it with laughter in his voice. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Frank grinned innocently. Gerard sighed, but smiled nonetheless. He supposed if he were on Frank’s side of things he would find the little stunt hilarious. “I’ll yell at you more for that later, but I think now we can get the ball rolling on getting you out of here.” “Really?” Frank smiled. “I’m really thinking you being stuck here has something to do with you not knowing how you died,” Gerard turned the computer monitor back on. “I think the best place to start is finding that out.” “How do we do that?” “Well, City Hall has death records, but with the searching I’ve been doing it looks like only family members can request a records search and get a copy,” Gerard sighed. “I could lie about being extended family though, of course. I just have to fill out an application and give them a fee, I think. I’ll have to skip work to do it tomorrow. The building’s closed by now, I’m sure.” “The record will say how I died?” “It should.” “I’ve wanted to know what happened for such a long time, but I kinda don’t wanna know too,” Frank bit his lip, picking at the hole in his jeans near his knee. “Like.. what if it was something really horrible that happened? Or.. or what if it was something really fucking stupid? Like I choked on a chocolate covered raisin or something?” Gerard tried not to laugh at the suggested way to kick the bucket, and he reached out, resting his hand on Frank’s thigh comfortingly. “I’m sure there are a billion different scenarios in your head. But try not to worry about it. I really think you knowing is going to help you in the end, don’t you think?” “I guess so.” “You’re sure you have no idea about what the date was?” Gerard asked. “It’s gonna look weird on the application that as a family member I don’t even know the month.” They had at least figured out that Frank must have died around three years ago with Frank telling Gerard his date of birth. “Well, I was thinking about it today when you were at work. I know I was sixteen. Yeah, I’m really sure,” Frank scratched his fingers through his messy hair as he thought. “I remember my birthday party, but I don’t remember having Christmas. So I think it must have happened November or December.” “November or December 2005 then,” Gerard nodded. “Well, at least we’ve got it narrowed down. Shit, I’m an idiot. The goddamn internet has been around, and you know its got news articles and shit. Maybe there’s a chance I could find your obituary.” “What are you gonna do?” Frank raised a skeptical brow, “Google it?” “Well, it’s worth a shot,” Gerard shrugged. “Might as well try something that has a little chance at being productive than nothing at all.” Frank pushed himself off the desk and began puttering around the bedroom, seemingly sure that this idea wouldn’t work. Gerard tried nevertheless, searching ‘Madison NJ obituaries 2005’. And the search did prove to be fruitless. He scoured though the seven pages of countless links, but nothing brought him anywhere useful. Gerard tried ‘Frank Iero obituary’ next, this search even less productive. None of the link titles popped out, nor did any of the summary blurbs catch Gerard’s attention to be anything helpful. Gerard’s eyes, tired from the hours of staring at the computer screen, finally looked off to see how Frank was doing. He was lying on his stomach on Gerard’s bed, head held propped up in his hands as he read one of Gerard’s comic books that Frank had obviously managed to move from its shelf. Gerard watched with a sad smile as it took Frank at least twelve tries before he was able to get a grip on the page to turn it and read on. Gerard felt bad working on this and leaving Frank alone, but after all, doing this searching was for Frank’s better interest. Just one more quick search while Gerard was still in the mood before he’d play a game or something with Frank. Gerard just broadened his search to ‘Frank Iero’ this time around, clicking that search button with every belief he wouldn’t really find anything, but the very first link listed made his breath catch in his throat as his eyes scanned it over. ABC News: Boy Beaten Into a Coma By Stepfather Police reports conclude that young Frank Iero... Iero. “They never really did get along,” Jennifer admitted… Gerard could only stare at it. That couldn’t be his Frank, could it? Gerard glanced back to make sure Frank was still occupied with the comic book, nervous about Frank actually seeing the article. Gerard cautiously clicked the link, holding his breath as the page loaded. Boy Beaten Into a Coma By Stepfather By MARIANNE BAILEY Nov. 21, 2005 MADISON, NJ. -- A 16-year-old Madison boy remains in a coma at Overlook Hospital after suffering a traumatic brain injury from his stepfather. Police reports conclude that young Frank Iero was found severely beaten and unconscious last Tuesday night in his bedroom by his mother, Jennifer Clark, 39. Clark stated she immediately called for an ambulance and had absolutely no doubt in her mind that it was her husband, Andrew Clark, 45, that had brutally attacked her son. Police swiftly apprehended Andrew Clark for questioning two hours after the crime was reported at local bar, Benny’s, with blood on his clothing. Later lab testing concluded the blood belonged to Iero. “They never really did get along,” Jennifer admitted of her son and husband. “Andrew was never violent until he started to drink. He’d hit me and Frank before. I knew he had a problem and wouldn’t get help, but I never thought it’d get this bad.” With the blood on his clothing and evidence of past abuse, Andrew Clark was arrested and pled guilty to the charges of assaulting his stepson. “Frank is a good boy with his whole life ahead of him,” Jennifer said, now filing for a divorce. “I blame myself for bringing that monster into our lives.” Iero is in stable condition and said to be in a comatose level where he has limited brain activity, but is breathing on his own. “The doctors have pretty much said they've done all that medicine can do, so we’re pretty much praying for a miracle right now," Jennifer said. Gerard reread the article about five times in a saddened, angry, jaw dropped state. What kind of monster was this fucking sad excuse of a stepdad to do this to a child? To Frank. It made sense to Gerard that this really was his Frank that was being talked about in the article. The cut on Frank’s head and angry bruises that he noticed from day one on Frank remained the same everyday, never healing. That bastard had to have done that to Frank. Hurt him ..killed him. Gerard never expected to find out anything like this and just continued to stare at the screen, his heart being crushed and mentally fuming until he heard a gasp over his shoulder. Frank was now standing behind his chair, leaning over it a bit with a shocked expression on his face. Frank had read it, and now he knew. “That.. that’s about me,” he said in just about a whisper. “That’s my mom’s name, and.. and….” “You must have died in the hospital..” Gerard said just as quietly. “God Frank, I’m so sorry that happened to you..” Frank just stared at the screen like he was trying to process the information. And after a moment tears suddenly sprang into Frank’s eyes, and he just dropped to his knees like they had buckled from the shock. Gerard quickly dropped down beside him, grabbing a light hold at either side of Frank’s face. “Frank?” he asked worriedly. Frank was just staring off almost blankly, the expression etched on his face, confused, frightened, and upset. He clung to Gerard, a tear falling down his cheek. “He.. he killed me?”

Notes