:Frank's POV: I was always lonely as a child. I lacked social skills. I could never really talk to anyone. And when I tried to talk to other children, I had a terrible fear of saying something wrong or idiotic. I was afraid that they would either find my voice horribly annoying or think I spoke weird. I did have a rather thick New Jersey accent at an extremely young age. I was originally born in Newark but my parents considered our neighborhood unfit for a child. It was always dark and gloomy and had suspicious characters wandering around. It was too dangerous for children to even play at the park during the day without parental supervision. And even with the parents there, they had to watch their child continuously and not take their eyes off the child for a second. The fear of having their being kid taken and killed was huge. The only reason people feared this was because there were dead bodies found under a bridge not too far away from the park. My parents in particular were absolutely terrified of that happening to me. So, they moved out of Jersey and situated themselves in Connecticut. But sometimes I think being kidnapped or killed wasn't the worst of their worries. I did develop a few problems from not even being in Jersey. And that obviously was the social skills like I was discussing before. And as I was saying, I had the accent. So, I just never really spoke unless it was absolutely necessary. For example, if I was spoken to by a teacher I obviously had to respond. But when it came to the other students, not one sound would manage to slip past my lips. But this problem was only with children. When I got home and started to talk to my parents, I couldn't stop. I always told them about my day. How it was and what happened. And then sometimes I'd ramble on about nothing in particular but my parents were just overjoyed I was talking to someone so they didn't tell me to stop. And although talking to my parents was great… I really needed a friend to talk to. Someone who would be able to understand me better and share inside jokes with. Sadly I never found one with whom I could do that. But that was my own fault. And I did have a exceptionally good reason for that. And some would beg to differ but, I almost didn't particularly have friendship skills. So most friendships I tried to started didn't work out like I had hoped. When I did find someone who didn't mind my voice and would talk to me, things started to spiral downhill quickly. I do remember one girl I tried to be friends with. It didn't really matter if we were a different gender, we believed we could be friends. But that didn't go according to plan. We came to realize we liked none of the same things. She liked dressing up and putting makeup on while I liked to play in the mud. She liked to color while I liked to bang on pots and pans. That's pretty much how it was in all the friendships I attempted to have turned out. I never had anything in common with anyone else . And to be honest I still don't today. I'm the 'kid' who likes to play guitar, gets body modifications, and would rather be alone in the corner than interact with someone. These things together automatically made me awkward and shy when I was little. And that made other parents think I had problems. I eventually did develop some serious issues. Separation issues and being mute. Yes. I eventually just stopped talking altogether. I mean, what exactly was the point? No one would talk to me anyways. If they had nothing to say to me, I had nothing to say to them. But… that wasn't exactly my huge problem of the two. It was my separation issues. From my parents you may think… but you're sadly mistaken. It was from my favorite doll I had gotten when I was merely 5 years old. I still remember the day like it was yesterday. One of the best in my life in my opinion. I was sitting on my old hideously gold and olive striped couch. The fabric was sticking into my bare arms and back. It was rather sticky today so I decided to go without a shirt. The rough material of the couch was making my skin irritated., but it wasn't like I hadn't felt it before. I had become pretty accustomed to the feeling. Although sometimes it would get to the point where I would just lay on the soft shaggy carpet . I was watching Flintstones Kids on the TV. I wasn't too sure about what was going on but it was colorful and I liked it. I was sipping on a fruit punch Hi-C juice box as the pictures on the screen distracted me from the world around. My juice was extremely warm from being left out on the coffee table for about 2 hours. I had only recently decided to actually drink it. That is until I heard the squeak of the front door opening and closing. My little ears twitched at the some-what familiar noise. I knew who was home. The most wonderful woman in the world. My mother, Linda. "Franklin?" She called out. Her voice was like honey. Smooth and sweet. Her voice was also very soothing. Especially when I had my breakdowns. Sometimes I would get so frustrated with simple things and just start sobbing. I'd strain my throat every time unless someone was there to comfort me. And when there was someone, that someone was always my mom. She'd pulled me into her arms and rub circles on my back. She always cooed to me and tried to get me to calm down. To be honest, she could have been saying anything and I would have felt better. Her voice braided in with her scent, which was always vanilla and lemons, could calm me down in an instant. I always thought it was some kind of gift she had. To be blessed with such a wonderful voice that put me in a trance, I mean. I especially loved when she would sing to me. That was a whole different feeling all on it's own. She usually sang to me at night before I fell asleep or when I was really upset. Normally just her whispering to me and rubbing my back worked. But those certain occasions where everything was just too much, she converted to singing. I was always so happy when she did. And sometimes I'd get myself over frustrated on purpose just so she would sing. I was such a selfish kid… . I smiled around my straw. My two front teeth were missing so I was able to position it between the small gap to get juice to my mouth. Last week I wasn't having a great day. I had woken up cranky and annoyed. My mom had tried to help me get dressed but I just kept screaming. So eventually she just let me put my clothes on myself. Of course I put my shoes on the wrong feet, and that's what caused my missing teeth. As I was playing outside, I had tripped over my own feet and slammed face first into the pavement. My teeth were already pretty loose but this just knocked them out. When I had fallen, a serge of pain shot through my face. Obviously. It's not like the feeling would be pleasant. I heard a sickening crack and felt something warm in my mouth. It was metallic and salty, an awful taste. I pushed myself up on my little arms and saw red liquid on the ground along with two little white squares. I opened my mouth and more red stuff had poured out. I screamed for my mother and she was by my side in an instant. She managed to stop the bleeding with a tissue. After that I was back to normal not really minding what happened. "Franklin are you down here?" She asked out. I pulled the straw from my mouth and set the box down on the coffee table. "I'm in here mama!" I exclaimed. "Bambino come in here for a second. I have a surprise for you!". That's when I felt my little feet carry me at full speed into the kitchen. It was very rare when my mom had something for me. So whenever I did get something I was extremely thankful and excited. I took nothing for granted seeing as we weren't exactly a wealthy family. Don't get me wrong, we weren't poor but, we just didn't have enough for things that would be considered a luxury. We only had enough money for necessities and utilities. So when my mom said she had a surprise, the most I thought was she had maybe gotten me a box of crayons to color with. That'd be the absolute best. My pictures have lacked color lately and crayons would be a perfect way to fix that. When my mom saw me come into the room, she gasped and gave me a bright smile. It was bright enough to light up an entire room. My big eyes went over the familiar features of my mother. The familiar hazel green eyes that had a certain spark to them, her olive tone, her chocolate brown hair that cascaded down into elegant curls, her full lips covered in dark lipstick… . Her cheekbones were highlighted with a slight pink blush and she had some light eye shadow on that I could only describe as the color of a peach. I have to say, my mom is truly beautiful. I'm so lucky to have a pretty mom. "How's my little bambino today?" She asked me while messing up my hair. From the single word 'bambino' you should be able to tell she's Italian. One hundred percent. And so is my father. Frank senior. But he's currently situated in the den, reading. "Good." I sang with a huge grin that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. "That's good. Now… are you ready for your surprise?". I nodded excitedly. I really do hope I get crayons. She started to go through her worn out purse. It was a nasty shade of brown and was ripping. It was definitely older than me. I remember seeing pictures of her when she was a bit younger and she had it with her at all times. At least then it looked new. Obviously it's been through a lot of wear and tear. And it even had little teeth marks from when I used to bite on it. She seemed to have no trouble finding what she had. I saw a flash of black. It definitely wasn't crayons. Unless it was a black box full of black crayons. But I don't think that exists. If it did, that'd be amazing, but, not very useful. I waited patiently for my mom the pull the whole thing out. When she did and I caught the slightest glimpse of it, I gasped in astonishment. She held it in front of me and smiled. What was held in front of me was a perfect looking rag doll. The cloth his skin was made out of looked almost like porcelain. It looked sleek and flawless. I knew it would feel soft under my finger tips. The color reminded me of milk, but, it had a slightly darker tone to it so it would actually look like skin and not just white fabric. It was a beautiful tone though. If anyone really had that skin tone, I could guarantee that they'd be gorgeous. What contrasted beautifully with his skin were his eyes and hair. His eyes were two shiny black buttons sewn into his face. They stood out immensely against the milky tone. The buttons weren't too big, nor too small. They fit his round face perfectly. His hair was made of raven cloth which was cut into strands so it would resemble hair more. The length reached his shoulders. It framed his face nicely. My eyes traveled down his small body. He was dressed in black cotton. It formed a suit around his body, well… not a suit exactly. His outfit featured a black vest, white under shirt, black dress pants, and little black sneakers. To pull his outfit together, he wore a black and white striped tie. I noticed that we was also a little… fuller. He wasn't fat but he wasn't stick thin. I thought he had a perfect frame. For a doll, he was absolutely stunning. Now this truly was a huge shock to me, I didn't think my mom would be getting me a doll. It seemed so expensive. I couldn't help but wonder how she afforded it. "When I went to the thrift store to exchange some of your old clothes, I noticed this little guy looking lonely on a shelf. He looked so cute but sad. So I thought I'd get him for you seeing as you don't really have any stuffed animals to play with." She explained. I just nodded. He must have been a decent price then if he was at a thrift store. But how could anyone give this beauty away? He's too precious. Who ever did give him away is cruel. Leaving him in that store with no one to keep him company. But, I vow that I will never leave him alone to deteriorate. "C-Can I hold him?" I asked nervously. "Of course bambino! He is in fact yours." My mom said. I smiled a little bit. Mine? Wow… . Yes I know there are certain things that are 'mine' and I 'own' them but I have never had anything like this. The nicest thing I've owned are my black sneakers. It'd be sort of depressing to others to know that the nicest thing they own is a pair of shoes. But I'm quite proud of my shoes. They still look brand new. Only because I don't go out and play. But I liked the indoors. And now I have someone to stay with me indoors. I reached out and grasped him by the waist. He was extremely soft. But I think that was due to the fact that his clothing was made out of velvet. I will never get over how amazing he is. "What are you going to name him?" My mom asked. A name? I almost forgot! He does need a name. But not just any name. Some children are careless about naming their stuffed companions, either naming them Fluffy, or Cupcake. And some even take what it is and add a 'Y' to the end of it. For example, one of my cousins has a stuffed seal as her favorite toy. She sadly named it Sealy. Very unoriginal and it lacked creativity. But I'm going to be different. What could I possibly name him though? He doesn't look like a Billy nor a Ryan. Jimmy didn't do him justice and Mikey didn't suit him. Well what do I know about him? I know that he's extremely soft and beautiful. But I also know that he's brave for being alone in the thrift store. I need a name that could tell you he's brave. "Mama, what's a name that means brave?" I questioned. She pursed her lips. "A name that means brave?" She asked herself. She thought about it for a few moments. I was starting to get annoyed. I wanted my friend to have a name. As of this point the doesn't have an identity. "Oh! How about Gerard?" She suggested. "Gewawd?" I tried to pronounce. I couldn't quite get the 'R's' down so they came out as 'W's'. To be fair, I was only a toddler so I couldn't pronounce most words correctly. I did like the way Gerard's name rolled off my tongue though, even if I wasn't pronouncing it correctly. It seemed like a name I've known my whole 5 years of existing. His name meant brave and that's exactly what he is. "Does he get a last name?" My mother asked. "Iero of course! He's mine so he get's my last name!" I exclaimed happily. Gerard Iero. I think it fits nicely. "What about a middle name?" "Mama stop asking so much!" I cried. "Ok, ok! I'm sorry bambino." I pouted for a few seconds before smiling at my mom. She laughed and ran her hand through my hair. I smiled again and then looked down at my new doll. I know he's just made of cloth and stuffing, but he really is a beautiful doll. I will never understand how someone gave him to the thrift store. Was the previous owner so heartless? Did they even think of how scared he could have been? Did they even consider what could happen to him? Just imagine who he could have ended up with! He could have been bought by a parent and then given to their evil child. He could've been pulled apart, drawn on, or even burnt! I…I can't even imagine something bad happening to Gerard. If I do I'll start crying. "Mama I'm gonna go watch TV with Gewawd." I told her, turned on my heel, and ran into the living room. I climbed up onto the couch and got into my previous position. I crossed my legs and set Gerard on them. He looked happy. (Well I think he did. You couldn't really tell since he didn't have a mouth). I smiled down at my new friend. My Friend. My Gerard…. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Bambino! It's time for bed." My Mom sung as she tried to wake me up. I guess I had fallen asleep on the couch for a little bit. I opened my eyes a little and looked up at the smiling woman. My Mom was too happy at a time like this. I mean it's 8:30! She should be tired like I am. It is still technically light out but I don't care. It's time for bed. "Mama I don't wanna get up." I whined. She rolled her eyes and smiled down at me. She then slipped her arms underneath me and picked me up gently. She cradled me close to her chest and I shut my eyes. "Such a lazy little boy." She whispered , pushed my bangs out of the way, and kissed my forehead. "Mama is Daddy gonna be home to tuck me in?" I asked. "I'm sorry baby but no. Daddy's still at work. Do you think you'll be alright?" She asked. I hesitated but then nodded. My Daddy's been working a lot lately so it's understandable that he's not gonna be here. But I guess I'll be ok, I mean, I do have Gerard with me. So I'll be perfectly fine. My Mom carried me up the stairs and to my room where she pulled back the covers on my bed and laid me down. My head lulled to the side and my mouth hung open. I was really close to falling asleep. My Mom pulled my blankets up and tucked them around my tiny body. She then handed me Gerard. I smiled and hugged him wicked close to my chest. "Buona notte il mio bambino" She whispered and gave me one last kiss to my forehead. I smiled a little bit. I was too tired to respond though. My Mom then shut my bedroom light off and left, leaving the door open a little so I could still have some light. Before I went to sleep, I managed to say, "Good night Gerard. I love you." and then, everything was black. ~*~*~* From that day on I was never normal. From that day on… Gerard made my life better… and worse.

Notes

Originally on Mibba but now coming here.
This'll probably be the only one of my stories on here along with new ones to come because existing ones are too long and i dont wanna be posting chapters all day XD
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xoxo G