When the two got back to Gerard’s house, it was around sunset. They goofed around in the kitchen, making french toast for dinner and acting like two morons. They ended up being as cliche as possible, again to Gee’s request, watching a classic Disney movie and snuggling on the couch. And of course, Gerard somehow managed for the third time in that day to fall asleep on Frank’s shoulder. It was contentful, though. It made Frank feel safe and warm, a feeling that not many people could make him feel.

Frank let out an internal groan as he checked the time on his phone. He kissed Gee awake, his face breaking into a warm smile when he saw his long eyelashes flutter open to expose his bright eyes. Gee yawned and looked up at Frankie, “Any specific reason as to why you woke me up?”

Frank rolled his eyes jokingly, “Excuse me sleeping beauty, but I have to go. I think Lindsey’s coming to get me but I’m not sure.”

Gerard furrowed his eyebrows, “Where are you guys going?”

“A girl named Jamia’s birthday party.” Frank replied nervously.

Gerard’s heart dropped into his stomach. Everyone knew who Jamia was. She wasn’t really a bad person, she just kind of got in the way of things. Back in 8th grade to about the beginning of their freshman year, Jamia and Frank had been in an off and on again relationship. Gerard remembered that as clear as day. He didn’t really care for Frank’s existence back then. He just viewed Jamia and Frank as one those extremely annoying couples that everyone obsessed over. They did eventually break up, and God, it was bitter. Gerard remembered the constant fighting and bickering they both created in his 9th grade biology class, it even turned physical one day when Jamia decided to throw a textbook at Frank’s head.

Gerard had never had a conversation with Jamia, she asked him for a pencil in 10th grade once but that was about it.

“She threw a textbook at the back of your head.” Gerard said blankly, not even realizing he wasn’t keeping his thoughts in his head.

Frank chuckled, “It was a hardcover one too. The bruise was fantastic.”

Gerard just nodded, unsure about the whole situation. Frank could sense that Gerard was uneasy, he was probably thinking of the worst possible outcome of what could happen if Frank went. “Gee, listen,” Frank sighed and pulled Gee into his lap, “Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise you, okay? I don’t know what you’re thinking in your cute little head but I promise you I won’t do something that would hurt you or our relationship.”

Gerard looked at Frank deep in the eyes, “Okay, Shakespeare. Don’t cheat on me. I’’ll shave your long mane of hair off while you sleep if you do.” Frank smiled and shook his head as Gee hopped off his lap, wrapping their blanket around his shoulders and sticking his tongue out at him.

“Nerd.” Frank mumbled. He texted Lindsey, telling her to come him in about fifteen minutes. “Kiss me.” Frank said and turned his head to the boy next to him.

“Don’t be throwing yourself on me, Iero.” Gee replied playfully.

“Or what?”

“I’ll punch you in the throat.”

Frank laughed, remembering how Gerard used to say that all the fucking time. He placed his hand gently on Gee’s knee and gave a lazy and wide smile, “Can you even believe that you used to hate me?”

Gerard scoffed, “Yes.”

“I’m offended.”

“Good. Love you.” Gerard leaned in and gave Frank a lingering peck on the lips.

Lindsey finally showed up, not bothering to knock and just walking straight through the Way’s front door. “Hello kids.” She yelled. The two boys just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. “Okay, shorty mcgee let’s go. Jamia’s on the doorstep freezing her ass off.”

Frank stood up and slipped his shoes on, “Why the hell did you bring her here?”

“Cause she wanted to come.” Lindsey said simply. She leaned over the back of the couch and kissed Gerard’s forehead, “I’ll have him back to you by midnight, sweaty head.” Gerard nodded softly and gave his best friend a tiny smile. Lindsey ruffled his hair and pursed her red lips.

“Gee walk us to the door.” Frank somewhat ordered. He really did not want to face Jamia alone. Gee rolled his eyes and stood up, the blanket still around him. The three walked to the door, Gerard opening it for the two others, revealing a short woman with dark brown hair standing on his porch.

“Oh. Hi-” Gerard began to say but Jamia cut him off with a loud “Frankie!!” and completely ignoring Gee’s existence.

Frank shot Gee and uncomfortable smile and stepped out of the door, going stiff as Jamia tried to give him a tight hug. “Happy birthday, Jamia.” He replied through gritted teeth.



Lindsey patted Gerard’s shoulder and stepped off his porch, knowing that he was extremely uncomfortable. Frank was trying his best the end Jamia’s stream of questions, asking how he’s been, how his mom is, how his dog is…

He finally took an oppurtunity when she decided to shut the fuck up for a split second, and turned to Gerard. He swiftly cupped the feminine boy’s face in his hands, giving him a long soft kiss. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I love you. Pray for me.” Frank whispered and nodded his head toward Jamia.

Gerard took in a breath and widened his eyes. “Good luck with that chaos. I love you too.”

Gerard stood in the doorway, watching the three walk away and get into Lindsey’s car, Frank turning back and winking at him. The car pulled away, and Gerard started to feel completely uneasy. He had a gut feeling that something bad was bound to happen, he had some kind of intuition. His family even believed in his intuition, When he was seven, Gerard had sensed that the family dog was going to die. And he was right. The dog died two nights later, unexpectedly from a heart attack.

He didn’t know exactly what was going to happen tonight. He didn’t want to think about it. He closed the door and locked it behind him, feeling a sudden wave of loneliness wash over him. He was home alone, his parents were on vacation and Mikey was at his girlfriends. The only other living thing in the house was Mikey’s god foresaken cat. Gee went back to his spot on the couch, letting out a loud sigh when the cat climbed over his lap and curled up next to him. He did fell asleep a few minutes later, the feeling in his gut still not leaving.

---

Frank was not having fun. He'd been at Jamia's house for a few hours now. House parties usually filled him with adrenaline, excited him, given him some kind of rush. But tonight, it wasn't. He was absolutely, one hundred percent, and utterly uncomfortable. He wanted to go back home to Gerard and hold him while watching some stupid fucking movie. Frank stared down at the red solo cup in his hand. Some kid had walked passed earlier and filled it with beer, but Frank hadn't touched, he didn't even think about drinking it.

The music blasting around him along with over fifty screaming, drunk, teenagers was giving him a migraine. He couldn't even count the number of times he had to tell people to fuck off and leave him alone.

"Frank!" A familiar voice boomed over the others in the house. Frank physically let out a groan of despair as he saw an obviously drunk Bob Bryar walking toward him.

"The fuck do you want, Bob?" Frank spat.

"Man, listen man," Bob slurred and resting his elbow on Frank's shoulder, "You, you right here, standing there, you need to loosen up."

"I really don't." Frank responded bitterly.

"Wo-hooaah," Bob screeched and took the beer out of Frank's hands, "You've changed."

"Excuse me?"

"You're so...different." Bob squinted his eyes, drinking from the cup that once belonged to Frank less than two seconds prior. "Dude, I think you have a disease."

Frank shook his head, "Enjoy your beer." He walked away from the ginger, drunken loser. Wandering out of the house. Lindsey had caughten eye of Frank as he walked out onto the porch and passed her.

"Where ya goin shorty?" She shouted.

Frank turned around, shocked that she was still sober. "Home."

Lindsey nodded, "I was thinking the same thing, honestly. This party sucks, nobody's gotten into a fight yet."

Frank laughed, "That's cause I'm usually the one getting into fights."

Lindsey shook her head, her white teeth flashing between her red lips, "Alright kiddo, I'll take you back to Gee's."

They both climbed into Lindsey's little car. The drive back to Gee's house was about twenty five minutes, which gave Frank plenty of time to rest his eyes while Lindsey drove.

"You really love him, don't you?" Lindsey questioned softly as they began driving out of Jamia's neighborhood.

“More than anything.” Frank responded.

“He loves you too.”

They were both silent for a few minutes. Frank’s eyes began to drift close.

“What the fuck?” Lindsey cursed under her breath.

“What?” Frank asked, not bothering to open his eyes.

“This fucking guy behind me won’t get off my ass.” She huffed “Look at him, he’s trying to fucking pass me. It’s not like he’s in a small car either. It’s a fucking truck. Bastard.”

“Honk.” Frank suggested.

“This is New Jersey, that won’t do shit-”

Boom.

Lindsey couldn’t finish her sentence, the wind being knocked out of both of them as the truck smashed into the passenger side of the car.

Glass shattered.

Airbags flew up.

Doors smashed.

There was a ringing in Lindsey’s ears as the car skidded across the road, the screeching of brakes sounding like the loudest sound in the whole world. The car finally stopped on the side of the road, leaving her to hear the only sound in the car that was her breath. The whole world suddenly went silent. She didn’t feel too hurt other than the intense whiplash she got and her brain pounding against her skull. She jumped up, remembering that someone else was in her now smashed car.

“Frank?” she choked out, pushing back the airbag and noticing it was deflated. “Oh god.”

Her heart stopped completely, the aching in her head becoming nearly unbearable. Frank’s body was slouched forward, his head on the dashboard. His eyes were closed while blood came from his nose and his ears. The passenger door was smashed against his right arm, pinning it tightly.

“Shit,” Lindsey screamed. “Shit, shit shit.” She reached her hand out, putting it on his shoulder. Tears welled in her eyes as she started to shake him. He wasn’t responding. He didn’t even flinch. His skin looked so pale.

Lindsey unbuckled her seatbelt roughly, jamming open the driver’s seat door and falling out into the grass that the car had landed on. She heard sirens in the distance. A passerby had pulled over next to the car, they’d called the authorities.

Lindsey let a desperate “Help” out toward the person. The woman looked up and rushed up to her, kneeling down and looking at her. “Are you okay sweetheart? Have you called your parents? Do you need help?”

She let out a sob and shook her head, “My f-friend.” The woman looked over to the car and stood up, looking through the door to see the still body in the car. Her hand came up to cover her mouth as she rushed back over to Lindsey, who was now going into shock. The ambulance, fire engine, everything in bewteen, eventually pulled up. Everything was a blur in Lindsey’s ears, her mouth dropping open as the woman wrapped a blanket around her and helped her up, guiding her to the ambulance.

Lindsey stared blankly at the car, everything sounding muffled, her vision seeming foggy. There were loud voices, people screaming at each other as she could see men trying to pry Frank’s door open.

“Watch his arm!” Someone screamed, “It’s pinned between!”

Everything was moving in slow motion. She watched wide eyed and shaking as the paramedics put Frank on a gurney after a struggle to get him out of the car, screaming as an oxygen mask was placed on his bruised up face.

“Sweetie? Are you okay?” A man asked her loudly, shining lights in Lindsey's eyes. Panic set over Lindsey, until her stomach wretched and she threw up, until she passed out in the woman’s arms next to her, her head still pounding.

Notes

oop