Teenagers
Frank
“Frank! Frank, wait up.” I yell stumbling down the overly crowded hallway, almost falling flat on my face several times.
“Oh hey, Mikes.” Frank smiles catching me as I trip on a random stranger’s foot, fly through the air, and land straight in his embracing arms. “Smooth…” He laughs, lifting me back to my feet, my face burning as I push my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose. God! That was embarrassing.
“Mikey, it’s fine, don’t even think about it.” Frank giggles comfortingly as he carefully pats my back. He’s always in such a good mood. He’s always so kind. He’s a beautiful person.
I stare at him in awe as we saunter down the corridor. “How do you do it, Frank?”
Frankie used to be only Gerard’s friend. Well, him and Ray. Frank is 17 years old. Ray is 18. The tree of them used to play in the marching band together when they were kids. Gee was kind enough to introduce us. I don’t know them too well, but from what I do know they are some of the kindest people on this planet. I can’t even imagine how they could be any nicer.
“Do what?” He wonders, cocking a brow, curiosity clearly expressed in his hazel eyes.
“I don’t know… Not care… or care…. Well care about the right things. You just seem to have everything put together, to have your life sorted out. You just seem so happy.” I stutter nervously, drying my clammy palms off on my pitch black slim fit jeans.
“Believe me; I don’t have my life put together.” He calmly expresses, smiling. “I’m pretty sure no one does at this age, but that’s fine, we have all the time in the world.” That is a valid point. I’m not the only one who’s in doubt about the future, and the thought of that comforts me. I do have time.
Gerard is good at making friends. Deep friends. Friends who understand. Frank, like Gerard, always knows what to say. So does Ray.
All of his friends have experienced pain, they’ve known what it’s like to be alone, and I believe that that plays an important part in being able to help others. Knowing what they’re going through is irreplaceable.
**
The scraping of chalk against the blackboard puts me on edge. There are low voices tossing sly comments back and forth. Blank cream colored walls surround me. They make me feel imprisoned; they make me feel unwell.
The sun leaves a shining stain on the blackboard growing bigger by the minute. There’s dust flying abound the classroom, causing people to sneeze and squint.
I wonder what Gee is up to right now? I wonder if he too is feeling imprisoned or thinking about me. I hope he’s happier than I am right now. I really do. I hope he’s having the time of his life, drawing and being creative. He has an amazing imagination.
“MIKEY! Either you pay attention or you leave. I asked you a question!” Mr. Davis yells, forcing a very familiar burning sensation to form around my eyes. My head could explode any second. “Sorry?” I choke, barely making a sound.
“So?” He continues as I feel judging glares burn into the back of my skull.
The tears willfully press on, and burst out of my eye sockets, causing me to jump out of my chair and sprint out; leaving a room filled with laughter and pointed fingers.
My heart races as I sprint down the hall, I need to get out of here. I’m never coming back. I close in on the main entrance, running as if my life depends on it. It kind of does though.
I throw my fragile body into the bright world outside of this prison they call ahigh school . It’s completely quiet outside, there’s not one soul to be seen. The only sound I hear is the soft summer breeze. It rustles the leaves on the trees on the far end of the concrete schoolyard. This situation is not normal for me. I’ve never skipped school my entire life. The thought sends shivers down my spine.
Suddenly I hear a whisper of a voice. “Mikey? Mikey.” Frank is peeking his head around the corner of the building. “What are you up to?” He giggles. “I didn’t know you were a shit kid.”
I’m offended. I’m not a shit kid. I have a good reason to be out here.
“Relax. I’m only joking.” Frank laughs casually. I didn’t know my expression was so obvious. I didn’t know he knew me so well. I on the other hand know nothing about him, clearly.
“What are you doing out here?” I wonder, surprised by the fact that he’s not in class.
“What? Are you going to tell on me?” He jokes, acting all macho. He’s so short and skinny so it looks quite funny.
I chuckle, as I slowly run my fingers through my silky, dark brown hair. “WOW! What was that?” Frank looks shocked. “Was that a giggle?!” He is being way to dramatic, but it amuses me, and I can’t help but let out another laugh, this time not so quietly.
Frank makes me nervous. In a good way though. Whenever I’m with him I want to show off. I’m not as shy. My hands get all sweaty, and I get so much energy out of nowhere. I like being with him a lot, and I think he enjoys me as well. He’s the only other person, besides Gerard, that I actually enjoyhanging out with, in fact I look forward to it.
The trees around us slowly sway back and forth, calmly, beautifully. Frankie has brought me to his shirk place, as he calls it. This is where he goes when he skips class. I don’t really know how I feel about that, because that must mean that he does it quite often, but on the other hand, I understand why he does it.
The way the sun weakly glimmers through the trees is amazing. This must be the most relaxing, beautiful place on this earth. I wish Gerard was here with me.
Frank is distantly staring off into the forest. “Isn’t it beautiful, Mikey?” His beautiful hazel eyes look touched, thoughtful, and maybe even sad. They aren’t shining as brightly as they usually do.
“I can’t quite… I don’t… I can’t” I stutter, left overwhelmed and speechless by my surroundings.
“I know.” He eventually says. And it really feels like he does know. Like he understands exactly what I’m feeling. I feel less alone when I'm with Frank.
He and I sit here, in the middle of the woods, for hours, just talking. Talking and laughing. Talking about shallow things. Things like our favorite colors and music. It’s nice, not having to pour your heart out every time you speak. It’s relaxing.
Whenever Frank laughs he throws his head back for extra dramatics, and eventually he lays down. I shortly follow, not caring if my clothes get dirty.
He's silent for a while, waiting for the right time. "I know you've had a tough life Mike. Gee told me. I just want you to know, i know what feeling like an outcast is like, and it doesn't matter to me if your gay. I'm here for you whenever"
My emotions go wild, leaving my head a mess. HOW COULD GERARD TELL HIM WITHOUT TALKING TO ME ABOUT IT?! Well, he was only doing it for my good. He probably knew Frank would understand... How much does he know. Does anyone else know? I hope not. Wow, but Frank took that really well, and I guess Gerard needed someone to talk to as much as I did.
A warmth spreads throughout my body, and i choke up, tears silently running down my cheeks, soaking the forest floor.
Frank continues staring intensely at the sky, not making a sound.
"Thank you, Frank. I mean it."
“Oh hey, Mikes.” Frank smiles catching me as I trip on a random stranger’s foot, fly through the air, and land straight in his embracing arms. “Smooth…” He laughs, lifting me back to my feet, my face burning as I push my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose. God! That was embarrassing.
“Mikey, it’s fine, don’t even think about it.” Frank giggles comfortingly as he carefully pats my back. He’s always in such a good mood. He’s always so kind. He’s a beautiful person.
I stare at him in awe as we saunter down the corridor. “How do you do it, Frank?”
Frankie used to be only Gerard’s friend. Well, him and Ray. Frank is 17 years old. Ray is 18. The tree of them used to play in the marching band together when they were kids. Gee was kind enough to introduce us. I don’t know them too well, but from what I do know they are some of the kindest people on this planet. I can’t even imagine how they could be any nicer.
“Do what?” He wonders, cocking a brow, curiosity clearly expressed in his hazel eyes.
“I don’t know… Not care… or care…. Well care about the right things. You just seem to have everything put together, to have your life sorted out. You just seem so happy.” I stutter nervously, drying my clammy palms off on my pitch black slim fit jeans.
“Believe me; I don’t have my life put together.” He calmly expresses, smiling. “I’m pretty sure no one does at this age, but that’s fine, we have all the time in the world.” That is a valid point. I’m not the only one who’s in doubt about the future, and the thought of that comforts me. I do have time.
Gerard is good at making friends. Deep friends. Friends who understand. Frank, like Gerard, always knows what to say. So does Ray.
All of his friends have experienced pain, they’ve known what it’s like to be alone, and I believe that that plays an important part in being able to help others. Knowing what they’re going through is irreplaceable.
**
The scraping of chalk against the blackboard puts me on edge. There are low voices tossing sly comments back and forth. Blank cream colored walls surround me. They make me feel imprisoned; they make me feel unwell.
The sun leaves a shining stain on the blackboard growing bigger by the minute. There’s dust flying abound the classroom, causing people to sneeze and squint.
I wonder what Gee is up to right now? I wonder if he too is feeling imprisoned or thinking about me. I hope he’s happier than I am right now. I really do. I hope he’s having the time of his life, drawing and being creative. He has an amazing imagination.
“MIKEY! Either you pay attention or you leave. I asked you a question!” Mr. Davis yells, forcing a very familiar burning sensation to form around my eyes. My head could explode any second. “Sorry?” I choke, barely making a sound.
“So?” He continues as I feel judging glares burn into the back of my skull.
The tears willfully press on, and burst out of my eye sockets, causing me to jump out of my chair and sprint out; leaving a room filled with laughter and pointed fingers.
My heart races as I sprint down the hall, I need to get out of here. I’m never coming back. I close in on the main entrance, running as if my life depends on it. It kind of does though.
I throw my fragile body into the bright world outside of this prison they call ahigh school . It’s completely quiet outside, there’s not one soul to be seen. The only sound I hear is the soft summer breeze. It rustles the leaves on the trees on the far end of the concrete schoolyard. This situation is not normal for me. I’ve never skipped school my entire life. The thought sends shivers down my spine.
Suddenly I hear a whisper of a voice. “Mikey? Mikey.” Frank is peeking his head around the corner of the building. “What are you up to?” He giggles. “I didn’t know you were a shit kid.”
I’m offended. I’m not a shit kid. I have a good reason to be out here.
“Relax. I’m only joking.” Frank laughs casually. I didn’t know my expression was so obvious. I didn’t know he knew me so well. I on the other hand know nothing about him, clearly.
“What are you doing out here?” I wonder, surprised by the fact that he’s not in class.
“What? Are you going to tell on me?” He jokes, acting all macho. He’s so short and skinny so it looks quite funny.
I chuckle, as I slowly run my fingers through my silky, dark brown hair. “WOW! What was that?” Frank looks shocked. “Was that a giggle?!” He is being way to dramatic, but it amuses me, and I can’t help but let out another laugh, this time not so quietly.
Frank makes me nervous. In a good way though. Whenever I’m with him I want to show off. I’m not as shy. My hands get all sweaty, and I get so much energy out of nowhere. I like being with him a lot, and I think he enjoys me as well. He’s the only other person, besides Gerard, that I actually enjoyhanging out with, in fact I look forward to it.
The trees around us slowly sway back and forth, calmly, beautifully. Frankie has brought me to his shirk place, as he calls it. This is where he goes when he skips class. I don’t really know how I feel about that, because that must mean that he does it quite often, but on the other hand, I understand why he does it.
The way the sun weakly glimmers through the trees is amazing. This must be the most relaxing, beautiful place on this earth. I wish Gerard was here with me.
Frank is distantly staring off into the forest. “Isn’t it beautiful, Mikey?” His beautiful hazel eyes look touched, thoughtful, and maybe even sad. They aren’t shining as brightly as they usually do.
“I can’t quite… I don’t… I can’t” I stutter, left overwhelmed and speechless by my surroundings.
“I know.” He eventually says. And it really feels like he does know. Like he understands exactly what I’m feeling. I feel less alone when I'm with Frank.
He and I sit here, in the middle of the woods, for hours, just talking. Talking and laughing. Talking about shallow things. Things like our favorite colors and music. It’s nice, not having to pour your heart out every time you speak. It’s relaxing.
Whenever Frank laughs he throws his head back for extra dramatics, and eventually he lays down. I shortly follow, not caring if my clothes get dirty.
He's silent for a while, waiting for the right time. "I know you've had a tough life Mike. Gee told me. I just want you to know, i know what feeling like an outcast is like, and it doesn't matter to me if your gay. I'm here for you whenever"
My emotions go wild, leaving my head a mess. HOW COULD GERARD TELL HIM WITHOUT TALKING TO ME ABOUT IT?! Well, he was only doing it for my good. He probably knew Frank would understand... How much does he know. Does anyone else know? I hope not. Wow, but Frank took that really well, and I guess Gerard needed someone to talk to as much as I did.
A warmth spreads throughout my body, and i choke up, tears silently running down my cheeks, soaking the forest floor.
Frank continues staring intensely at the sky, not making a sound.
"Thank you, Frank. I mean it."
11/2/13