Chapter Four

It was after school at four o’ clock when Frank found Gory out the back. He was lighting up a joint behind the car park walls as everyone was leaving. Frank sat down beside him in his uniform, throwing his blazer behind him.

‘How many you have?’ he nodded towards it and Gory smiled. ‘Two blunts. Here man.’ he handed them to Frank hidden in a tobacco pouch.

‘So…what’s with that new British girl?’ Gory suddenly piped up and Frank stared at him with apprehension in his eyes. ‘What the fuck about her?’

‘She just always seems to be around you whenever I see her. She’s pretty hot that’s all.’ Gory shrugged and Frank blew out. ‘I mean…I guess sure but…she’s annoying and…stupid.’ Frank’s pathetic insults were evident in his expression.

‘Ha!’ Gory barked and gave him a look. ‘DO you remember Serene? Dude when it comes to girls you’ve never cared for their personality much!’

Frank opened his mouth to retort but then found himself unable to answer. Gory was completely right. The girls he dated were for convenience or seemed cool to hang with. He never had had feelings for a girl because he felt emotionally attached to her.

‘Whatever dude. If she’s so hot why don’t you ask her out?’ Frank scoffed and Gory shrugged. ‘I did.’
Frank gaped at him, his heart beating a little. ‘Really…I mean what did she say?’

‘Why?’
‘I’m just asking!’
‘She said yeah she’d come over to mine tonight. We’re gonna watch a movie.’ Gory winked at the double meaning and Frank clenched his jaw.

‘You couldn’t just bring her on a fucking normal date no? Jump straight into her pants why don’t you…’ he growled and Gory looked at him with humour on his face.

‘Why would you care? You said it yourself she’s stupid and annoying, only good for one thing then right? All dumb bimboes are.’ Gory waggled his eyebrows and Frank suddenly shot up off the ground. ‘Dude what the fuck-’

‘I’M KIDDING!’ Gory waved his hands around. ‘I didn’t ask her out man did you actually really think I would have a chance and plus she doesn’t seem like a whore. Come on though that was funny you have to admit!’ Gory laughed hard as frank stared at him wildly.

‘No! Why did you make that shit up?’ he retorted and Gory calmed down and stared at Frank.
‘Because I knew…even though you won’t ever admit it…that you like her and I was just trying to prove it.’ he grinned, happy with himself.

‘No. I . DO. Not.’ Frank seethed and Gory raised one eyebrow, throwing his butt away, standing and clapping his hands.

‘Then why did you get so worked up?’ Gory winked and walked off towards his bus stop, leaving Frank in a state of confusion.

‘Why did I?’ he wondered to himself but was interrupted by a tapping on his left shoulder. He jumped and turned, expecting Gory to have forgot something to find two familiar grey-blue eyes staring up at him.

‘Just my luck.’ Frank thought but then realized she was looking up at him. Girls were usually the same size or most of time taller than him which really sucked and blew his confidence. But Alice was a tinier bit shorter even though her slenderness gave her a more elongated look.

‘Well…I was just asking if you had any ideas too. For the drawing. I don’t want to be the glory hunter or anything.’ she asked him nervously in her soft English accent.

He was about to reply another snappy ‘no’ when he realized he did. He had lots of ideas, ideas he would love to try but never felt the purpose to. But he was hardly going to say that now.

‘I…’ he looked around and then remembered the pouch in his hand. He pulled out a joint, took out his lighter and lit it up, feeling the haze hit him. Alice just moved from one foot slowly to another patiently, not seeming perturbed by his drug use.

‘Want some?’ he offered and she shook her head. ‘Duh…’ he smirked inwardly and took another toke.

He threw the end down and stepped on it then began to walk, leaving her there. She tilted her head. ‘Um…are you gonna answer my question?’ she said, her voice sounding very distant. He turned and shrugged. ‘Nope I’m just gonna go home…or band practice.’ he nodded, slightly dazed.

‘Okay then. Bye.’ she grumbled and he looked at her walk away. Suddenly a wave of shame washed over him. Why was he such an asshole? She had been pretty decent to him when she arrived to the school and he had just thrown it back in her face.

Frank kicked the ground and walked away too, deciding to skip practice and head home.

-Later-
‘FRANK! Phone!’ Linda Iero yelled up the stairs, an aroma of casserole hitting Frank as he bounded down. He picked it up, expecting one his band members. ‘Hello?’

‘Hi Frank, this is Miss Fey. Or Trina, whatever you want to call me.’ a chirpy voice replied and Frank widened his eyes. ‘Ew, teacher outside of school alert…’ he shivered inwardly and inhaled. ‘Ahm hi…’

‘Sorry for the disturbance, it’s just I just organized Jonathon and Alicia’s art programme at his house and then I rang Davy to figure out his and Joan’s and then I supposed to I should find out if you are okay with numbers and addresses?’ she explained and Frank switched the phone, leaning against the wall. ‘You lost me Miss…’

‘Oh, I mean you have Miss Murray’s contact details I’m guessing? Considering you’re both working on an exam project together?’

‘E-exam!?’ he suddenly shot up and his mother gave him questioning eyebrows.

‘Well yes Frank, I only wanted the start of the report next week, the whole project will be ongoing work for your exam. I did explain this in class but I suppose your music was more interesting.’ Miss Fey’s voice expressed more amusement than anything thankfully.

‘Oh fu…okay.’ Frank suppressed a curse. ‘No I don’t have any of…Miss Murray’s…contact details.’
‘Oh, very well. Her address is 83 Belgrove Drive, the estate near the Post Office?.’ Miss Fey stated and then sighed. ‘Now onto Mr. Lafayette and his partner, see you Frank!’ and with that she hung up.
Frank scribbled the address down on a notepad and wrinkled his forehead.

‘Who was that Frank?’ his mother looked over her glasses at her son who made a face. ‘Art teacher. Just about the exam project. I got paired with some goody two shoes new girl.’ he kicked the ground and picked up a jalapeno, popping it in his mouth.

His mother batted his hand away. ‘That’s for dinner! Now who’s this new girl? Where did her family move from?’

‘London or something. Belgrove Drive? I don’t really know much about her.’ he blew out and Linda Iero tapped her chin. ‘Hmm, I think I heard about that yes. A single mother right? I think she began working down at the office. Marray or Marrion what was it…’

‘Murray.’ Frank quickly replied and his mother clicked her fingers. ‘That’s it. She’s quiet, I haven’t spoken to her yet. Very pretty though, I suppose the daughter is too?’ she eyed Frank with a wink.

‘Mom! I don’t know!’ he groaned and walked out of the kitchen, pounding back up the stairs. He picked up his guitar and began strumming the second bridge of ‘Lounge Act’ by Nirvana and sung lightly.

“Don't - tell me what I wanna hear
Afraid of never knowing fear
Experience anything you need
I'll keep fighting jealousy
Until it's fucking gone”

He changed the tune into the start of Smells Like Teen Spirit then looked over at his Black Flag poster. Thoughts were buzzing all around his head, questioning his attitude towards life.

Did he really enjoy the way he was living?
‘Of course life sucks…but do I make it suck more?’ he whispered to himself and then gritted his teeth, flinging his guitar over the bed and lying down. He turned his radio on and let the original Smells Like Teen Spirit drown out his thoughts as he closed his eyes and relaxed his mind.

“Load up on guns and bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over bored and self assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word”

-
The next day Frank didn’t come into the first free period then skipped calculus. He wandered in for Social Studies and took his seat behind blazing Tony. He let his head loll onto the desk, disoriented after just waking up and didn’t even notice Mr. Grenier enter.

‘Right class…hey this isn’t social sleeping Mr. Iero!’ he called out and Frank woke up with a start as the class sniggered. He glared and leaned back, looking out the window as Mr. Grenier continued on with his speech about the Iraq war.

Frank let his eyes focus upon the teacher for a second then let them glaze along the class. Behind Bethany Grainger, Alice was leaning on one wrist, her hair down again but this time she had a skull printed white scarf as a hair band. It suited her thick, black hair perfectly.

‘…now violence on the media is a huge topic as you can imagine with all this going on over in the middle east. In which case, I would like everyone to do a report…’ as the word was mentioned a loud groan from the whole class followed.

‘It’s the last three months of school, you can burn all your reports around a campfire and dance around it nude after the exams if you want!’ Mr. Grenier rolled his eyes as the class erupted into laughter. ‘But for now I’d like everyone to do a page speech on violence in the media...’

-After class-
‘Did Miss Fey ring you too?’ Frank finally spoke up as Alice walked slowly away to her locker. She turned with a surprised face and nodded. ‘Yeah she wanted to share contact details and all that stuff.’ Alice felt herself blush at Frank’s nonchalant face. He had his lip ring in today and his hair was falling over his face. She had to admit to herself he looked pretty cute today.

‘Oh give it up girl. You are so pathetic…’ the voice inside her head said and she looked down at her feet.

‘Weird.’ Frank commented but was suddenly interrupted by a jostle beside him. Gory’s face appeared and he looked back and forth between the two.

‘This your new girlfriend Frank?’ Gory teased and Alice blushed. ‘No.’

‘Fuck off.’ Frank pushed him and walked away.

‘Hey you never said goodbye to your girlfriend - OW DEAD ARM, DEAD ARM!’ Gory let out a cry when Frank’s fist collided with his arm.

Alice bit her lip watching them walk away and looked to Frank’s retreating figure. He gave a quick glance back and noticed her watching. He smirked as she blushed and walked away.

‘Hey why do you think I like her anyway?’ he asked Gory, almost without thinking. Gory was still rubbing his arm and he looked to Frank. ‘Just the way you look at her that’s all.’

Frank frowned profoundly and stopped at his locker. ‘I’m taking a half day and hanging with the band…’ he murmured, taking his homework out and shutting the locker door again. His head was buzzing and he needed music at times like this.