Can't You See Me?

Frank Iero, when I first met him, was a hyperactive boy. His energy knew no ends, but, like everything does, it changed. It started out whenever he came over to my house as he often did and pulled out two small bottles from the size-too-big coat he always wore.

"What's that?" I asked. My voice was squeaky, still going through its puberty changes. He smirked at me.

"Vodka. I stole it from my parents," he explained. I was shocked and confused because his parents didn't seem like the drinking type. They seemed really nice. Frank told me that things changed behind the closed doors of their home, and I never really brought it up again. He handed one to me and I took it. We both started at each other before taking a sip, though his was more like a chug. As if he'd done it before. It tasted like rubbing alcohol and it burned my entire mouth. I eventually swallowed, closing my eyes tightly and holding my throat. I looked up at Frank through water filled eyes and saw that he was smiling the smile I grew to love. It definitely hadn't been his first time drinking, but I never asked him about it.

Soon after, I caught him smoking behind our school. I never said anything about that either. There are times I wished I had. Maybe I could have saved him from countless drunk nights when he wallowed in self pity. Maybe I could have saved him from smoking too much marijuana and cigarettes. There are a lot of things I have done and should have done. I am sure about one thing though; I'm glad I was there to hold him when he cried on his drunk nights and took care of him on his hungover days and I'm glad I could be there with him whenever he finished the last of his joint or cigarettes.

He was the man I was in love with and I was happy to be by his side. Until I wasn't. We were seniors in high school, and that was the last time I'd talked to him.


Frank had come over to my house in one of his drunken rampages. He banged hard on my bedroom window, nearly breaking it. I jumped up in surprise by the sudden noise in the middle of the night and groggily looked around. When I saw Frank by my window, I quickly rushed over to open it. He clumsily crawled in and hit the floor with a loud thud.

"Frank, what are you doing here? It's the middle of the night," I explained. He didn't say anything. And I probably would've preferred that over what he'd actually done. He kissed me. Hard. I stumbled back, out of his reach.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I yelled. I never wanted to become one of his drunken one night stands.

"Come on, Mikey. You know you want it. I see the way you look at me. I'm not fucking blind," he slurred. He was absolutely hammered. I was surprised he was even capable of making a sentence.

"That doesn't matter. I'm not going to let this," I said as I pointed back and forth between us, "become something you regret in the morning." He laughed. Maybe more obnoxiously than he meant, but it ticked me off.

"What?" I snapped.

"So you'd rather jerk off than have the real thing. You're getting real pathetic in your "undying love" for me," he hiccuped as he held up quotation marks. I didn't hesitate as I brought my fist up and connected it with his jaw.

"Me, pathetic? I'm not the one who's drunk enough to poison a fucking horse, Frank. I'm not the one standing in your room, trying to have sex with you just to make myself feel better. Get the fuck out of my house. I don't want to see you anymore!" I yelled as I picked him up by his shirt and pushed him towards my window.

"Fine. Fuck you," he said. But before he climbed back out, he turned back to look at me and there was a sheet of water in his eyes. I'd hurt him with everything I said. What's worse than that was that I meant everything I said. Our friendship was done.

I didn't see much of him after that. The following week we graduated. He didn't show up to receive his diploma and, as much as I hated to admit it, I was worried. But I wouldn't apologize. I went to a good college in another state a few months later and became an English major. I'd always loved writing short stories and one day wanted to be an English teacher. Frank was pushed to the back of my mind for the next 15 years. Until he appeared in front of my eyes.

Notes

I wanted to write a short Frikey. Should be posting the last chapter in a few hours, days. Enjoy.
Comment, let me know what you think <3