The chair was cold. The room was cold. When I first walked in the uninviting room, I immediately thought about how gloomy and bland it was. There was nothing but a chair, a two-way mirror, and a table. I was led to sit on one side of the table where another chair met facing it.

I don’t know how long I’ve been in here. There was a silence that was hard to breathe in. My body felt weak-I was shaking. I guess I was scared. My hands were cuffed wrist to wrist and seeing that it was made me feel so confined. Is this my future? To be cuffed and thrown into a jail cell? This wasn't the plan.

The door opened and to no surprise, Detective Toro stepped in. He looked so tired by the bags under his eyes and the way he dragged his feet. He sat on the chair across from me and placed down a couple of items, “You gave me your confession earlier but there was one thing Mikey is stressing. You did not push Nixon, did you?”

I didn’t. The one I love did but I would never confess.

My hand rested on top of the table, “Mikey, as you can tell, is going through stockholm sydrome. He adores me immensely and wants to keep me out of harm's way even if it means throwing his brother away.” I was surprised by how calm I was being. My eyes glanced down to the evidence wrapped in plastic bags. There were a few items I recognized. Like the burnt matches I left behind when I set the evidence on fire.

Toro stared at me. He finally broke apart his gaze, “That makes sense.” The way he said it. He didn't believe me. He sighed, “We found the body and after some evaluation, your story checks out.” He glared at me, “Frank, you’ll be charged with involuntary manslaughter, kidnap and rape.”

I froze, “Rape?”

“Gerard told us everything.” Toro added, "And Mikey. You can't lie anymore."

---

((A FEW HOURS EARLIER))

Ray sighed deeply as he trailed down the station halls. He glanced over to the evidence in his hands. Frank Iero is only 17 years old but could be charged as an adult. He wanted to help him. Ray suggested that Frank had some sort of mental illness and feared for his placement in a prison. He got Frank’s side of the story, but he needed to get the other two involved.

The other two being the Way brothers.

Ray stepped inside Room 3 where Mikey anxiously paced around the room. Once Mikey set eyes on Ray, he asked, “Is Frank okay?”

Ray was taken back by the question. He suspected Mikey to ask if his brother was okay, not his kidnaper. Ray did not reply. He sat on the chair and let Mikey sit down too. Ray said, “Mikey, do you know what stockholm syndrome is?”

Mikey frowned, “What syndrome?”

“Stockholm syndrome.” Ray repeated. He added in, “It’s when you start to have positive emotions about your captor-in this case, it would be for Frank.” Ray looked at Mikey, “You fell in love with him but little do you know, he’s manipulative. All he wanted was Gerard and he used you, Mikey.”

Mikey hushed him, “That’s not true ..”

Ray looked at him, “But it is.” Ray paused, “We’re going to give you the help you need which is therapy.” He frowned, “Sadly, you will also have to do a sentencing for being an accomplice to Nixon’s death. About four years in a juvenile prison.”

Mikey frowned, “B-but you said I was sick.”

“You are. And if you’re willing to tell me everything you know, we can send you to a minimum security.”

Mikey twirled his fingers together. His mind was delivering mixed messages. He should tell, it’d be good for him. Then again, he wouldn’t ever see Frank or his brother again. Would he? Would they be sent to a minimum security too? Mikey hushed the voices inside his head, “Okay .. I’ll tell.” He really didn’t want to, but he did.

And so did his brother.

Gerard was the easiest to talk. Gerard told everything from beginning to end. How Frank befriended Mikey, try to befriend him, raped him-but he hesitated on telling Ray how Nixon died. With glassy eyes and a sad expression he said, “I pushed him-I didn’t mean to kill him! I swear! I just got mad and pushed him, knowing he was hurting my brother made me so angry.” His hands formed into a fist, but they were tucked underneath the table where Ray couldn’t see, “He made me so angry,” He repeated. He looked down to his lap, “And although Frank did all this, he was there for me. He helped me. He’s crazy but he never wanted to hurt me ..” Gerard looked up at Ray again, “Please give him the help he needs.”

Notes

xo