Chapter Three

-The Next Day-
‘I feel so sorry for you.’ Clara Kiyoko shook her head sympathetically as Alice closed her locker door slowly. She leaned back on it and looked at Clara again.

‘I mean is it really just me or is he like that to everyone?’ she asked and Clara laughed loudly. ‘Oh believe me Frank was an asshole long before you got here honey. I just can't get why Miss Fey would make you put up with that torment of a human though. Maybe she’s secretly racist against the British.’ Clara tapped her chin as Alice half smirked.

‘What did he do to you anyway?’ Alice half frowned as they both walked to class together. They both had really clicked and Alice was glad to have met someone so down to earth and funny so soon.

Clara had never really fit in with the hipsters as she was too sarcastic, she was too laid back for the punks and just too ‘uncool’ for the popular crowd. Her mother was British too and her father was Hawaiian hence her second name and Asian facial features. She was small too and tanned with a sarcastic smile and attitude to go with it. But Alice had already grown fond of her.

‘Well besides him generally pissing off everyone anyway…I had this stupid crush on him once.’ Clara rolled her eyes as Alice giggled. ‘Really?’

‘For like two days after I saw him perform. I’ll say bad shit about him all day but the one thing I can’t say is that he doesn’t have talent. Because he’s an amazing musician…I guess that anger all has to somewhere. Anyway so I went to his next show and talked to him for ages and he was completely shitfaced drunk but still. Then some slut named Serene Adams came sauntering over and was all like over him, saying how amazing his band was and how they should go back to hers and voilà he went with the slut of course after I’d been like talking to him for three hours or so. Then he went fucking out with her but of course she cheated on him and he’s been especially bitchy since. Whatever. I didn’t even know he had feelings.’ Clara scoffed and looked to a pondering Alice. ‘And that’s that.’

‘That sucks. Maybe you should told him or asked him to hang out or something. My mom always you should make your objectives with a guy clear from the start. But going off with that Serene girl was manky I agree.’ she nodded and Clara raised an eyebrow. ‘…manky?’

‘Sorry, British term. Scummy, dirty…you know?’ she explained and Clara nodded. ‘Oh I see. I like that word, i’mma use that. But yeah I wasn’t too bummed out, I don’t even like him anymore but I just think it’s so stupid how he’s acting all angry over the Serene thing when it was obvious what kind of girl she was.’

‘Maybe it was his lack of self confidence. No one can be that angry and bottled up and irrational without a reason. Maybe he just wants to come off as a badboy and stuff to others to keep people out…’ Alice shrugged and Clara laughed.

‘What’s this turning into, some kind of Dr. Phil episode for Frank Iero. Forget it, he’s a jerk, beg Miss Fey some more or just get this over it. You have like less than four months at this shitty school ok?’ Clara winked and Alice stuck her tongue out.

‘Thanks Clara. I’d better get to art, see you at lunch!’ she waved and rushed off. No matter what Clara said, Alice couldn’t help but wonder. Maybe because she was a deep thinker or maybe because Frank Iero was just a mystery she wished she could solve.

-Frank-
‘I really don’t know and I really don’t give a fuck.’ Frank slammed his locker then let his head slap against it, groaning.

Gory rolled his eyes. ‘You should. It’s your band mate.’ he said, referring to the fact Tim hadn’t been seen in town for the last two days. Frank heard the bell go off and he growled, scaring the living daylights out of two freshman’s that had just happened to walk by.

‘What do I have?’ he looked around and Gory shrugged. ‘I have woodwork. You have art then I guess.’ he began to leave as Frank groaned so loud some people looked over to see if he was in actual physical pain.

‘Just my fucking luck…’ he thought to himself then stomped off towards the art room, plugging his earphones in from the Walkman in his bag and listening to some Misfits on his way.

“Static, static, static
We're on a video rage
This is the static age we live in
Our eyes criss-cross, hold and gaze
This is the static age we live in..“

He turned into art, nearly knocking over a couple of girls who sent death glares after his back as he sat down in his seat. His mom had gone to work early so he had had a shitty bowl of gone off cereal for breakfast and had to run to school so he wouldn‘t be late. He was normally pissed off…but today he was in an especially bad mood.

He didn’t even acknowledge Alice beside them even though she had let her hair down today. It was long and thick and complimented her skin and eyes perfectly. He glared at the board whilst inconspicuously turning up his music enough so she could hear he was not to be messed with today. ‘Anarchy In The UK’ suddenly played loud and he smiled privately.

“Don't know what I want but
I know how to get it
I wanna destroy the passer by cos I
I wanna BE anarchy!”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sunny roll her eyes at his music. He looked slightly to the left and almost fell out his chair when he saw Alice leaning on one hand, looking ahead lost in thought and unconsciously moving her lips along with the words.

Frank frowned and watched her until he heard Miss Fey’s teetering voice over the music. He unplugged the headset and glanced at the teacher icily once before sketching the Misfits logo idly on his sketchpad.

‘Okay well I’m going to ask you all to discuss your topics and maybe how you’re going to get them done DE-da-de I’ll leave you all to it.’ Miss Fey waved her hands and let her bangles jingle then shot Alice a quick wink.

Alice raised one eyebrow as if she was contemplating the complete sanity of her new art teacher then reached into her bag to get a pencil. She opened her sketch pad then tilted her head at the clock. She knew the inevitable had to happen so she flickered her eyes to Frank’s face.

He was completely lost in thought and looking ahead. She wasn’t even sure he heard what Miss Fey had said. She watched the way he’d grind his teeth now and again and one eyebrow would raise very slightly. He was kind of…beautiful in a way. His face was a perfectly shaped oval and his skin had a beautiful olive tone. She guessed he had Italian heritage like most of the people in New Jersey. His eyes were so wide and his eyelids fit them perfectly, his mouth was all small and pretty with the little pout he had and…

‘WHAT IN GOD’S NAME ARE YOU DOING ALICE BLUEBELL MURRAY!’ she mentally scolded herself and rubbed her eyes with her hands. She let a long breath out, letting her hair fall down beside her face. It was nearly down to her waist now, clashing with the white shirt. The school uniform was pretty boring - a dark blazer, white shirt and black skirt with over the knee black socks.

‘Right…Alice, Frank have you both talked about your topic?’ a wild Miss Fey appeared and Alice nearly fell out of her seat.

‘Ah…yeah.’ Alice raised one eyebrow, hoping that was answer Frank would want her to give. She flickered her eyes over once and he was looking at the teacher with his typical 'what the fuck' face.

‘Right…’ Frank trailed off, his voice husky and Alice shivered. ‘So now you shiver when he talks? Right…you are such a coward.’ she mentally eye-rolled and sighed.
Miss Fey looked back and forth and nodded slowly. ‘Okay then you two won’t mind getting started on it.’ she beamed.

Alice and Frank both decided to nod along and Miss Fey sighed out heavily. ‘How about this…If I don’t see some form of communication between you two before the end of class I’ll fail you both!’ she said with a perfectly cheerful smile and her face then disappeared.

Alice gaped after her and moaned inwardly. She sat up straight in her chair and tried to make some form of eye contact with Frank who looked about as bored as she felt scared.

‘Well…what do you want to do?’ she asked quietly and he slowly moved his gaze to her face. Her hair was thick and luscious around her face…he hadn’t looked at her properly that day yet and realized how beautiful it was. ‘Wait what beautiful? Wow you are tired Frank…’ he snorted and then realized he did it out loud.

‘Did I say something…’ Alice trailed off and Frank sighed over her. ‘We’ll do your concept thing, Frankenweenie then. I like that movie.’ he finished the conversation and began tapping his pencil.

She still didn’t turn away from him and he caught her eye again. ‘What?’
‘Um…what will we do for it?’ she asked carefully and he sighed. ‘You figure it out, you’re the art prodigy.’

‘I…what?’ Alice widened her eyes and he looked back. ‘What like don’t you have some kind of scholarship? Think of something and I’ll write the report on it, you can draw it. That seems fair.’ he shrugged and looked down at his hands.

‘I get the fun part though.’ she replied and he snorted. ‘Dude you seriously need to stop being so…nice or whatever. It ain’t gonna get you anywhere in NJ.’ he told her firmly just as the bell went off. He gathered his things but before he could leave, Miss Fey announced to the room.

‘I implore you all to meet up in after school hours, you can’t get this done in class. I want it given up next Tuesday, no excuses. Jeremy, Larry! I know how you two are with deadlines!’ she pointed at some boys jokingly as Alice’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

Frank held back a long groan and turned to Alice. ‘And that’s why you doing the drawing and me doing the report will work out.’ he informed her deridingly and she blushed. ‘I’ll need to think of a concept to draw and then I’ll tell you.’

‘Good girl.’ she half sneered and left the room. Alice felt tears brimming and blinked suddenly, wondering where all this emotion was coming from. The next thing she felt was Miss Fey’s hand on her arm and she jumped, looking at the teacher with startled eyes.

‘Frank’s an angry boy Alice but…he’s just good at wearing a mask.’ she smiled sympathetically and Alice shook her head forcefully.

‘He hates me. He hates everyone. A leopard doesn’t change it’s spots.’ she sighed without thinking and Miss Fey let out a small laugh before gathering her things and heading to the door. Before leaving she turned to the girl and opened her mouth for a moment before finally speaking.

“No one can change a person Alice but…sometimes someone can be a person's reason to change.’ she smiled crookedly then left the girl alone. Alice pondered this and wrinkled her nose.

‘I’m just one girl. He’s a boy that hates me. I wish I’d never come to this place.’ she thought and walked out despondently.