FicWad

We were in Bob’s car on our way to school. Mikey was telling us about his cousin from England whose mom just died. It was a really tragic story. Mikey’s Uncle had killed himself before he knew about the baby 15 years ago. Mikey was one years old then and didn’t remember his Uncle at all. His brother Gerard might though, he was four years old at the time, but neither of us ever asked him.
“She is supposed to look just like Grandma when she was young” Mikey was saying. I wasn’t really listening. My mind was far, far away. Looking out the window I was thinking about the girl I’d meet last night. She had been crying. She wouldn’t tell me why. I know it is stupid but I felt protective about her. Like I never wanted her to be sad or get hurt. I wanted to understand. I wanted to help. But as usual I wasn’t that much help. It was so stupid; I didn’t even know her name!
“Frankie!” Mikey’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Frank! Are you listening?”
“Yeah... What your cousin?”
“What about her?”
“Weren’t you saying something about her?”
“No, I was saying that me and Alicia are celebrating out 6 month anniversary this weekend and I want to do something special for her”
And he was asking me? I who never had had the same girlfriend for more than a month! That was funny, so funny that I burst out in laughter. Bob joined me, but Mikey didn’t seem to understand.
“What?” His face turned in to a frown.
“What do you want him to do?” Bob got out between the laughter.
“You’re right!” now all three of us were laughing.
I realised we were already on the parking lot and got out of the car.
For me, school was just a waste of time. Where would I ever have to know what “y = kx + m” meant, or why WWI or WWII started. I was going to work with music anyway. I’d spent most of my time in school sitting in the back and thinking of melodies, and chords put together, that I would try on my guitar when I got home. Or if Bob or Mikey were in the same class we’d do music quizzes for each other. Sometimes I even wished that I was as good at drawing as G was. He was like my older brother and I missed him while he was off to college. Not that it mattered now, I’d never been good at drawing, but if I’d been I would have drawn her. One full page of her face. I would have made her smile though.

Grandma Rose gave me a ride to school the next morning. My first day at Belleville high. This was going to be interesting. Mom had died in the spring and Grandma had been in London with me all summer making all the arrangements for me to move to her so I started just a couple of weeks in the semester. I had no problems finding my first classes; I sat in the back hoping not to be noticed.
It was a big disappointment that I hadn’t had any classes with him, the boy I’d meet last night, before lunch. I hoped to see him in the cafeteria but someone else found me first.
“Hey Annabel, we have a seat for you!” it was Alex from last night (not the him I was thinking of though). He pulled out a chair for me between him and Chris. They were talking about some game, Chris, Alex and Bob obviously were in the school basketball team. Melissa and Hannah were also sitting at the table with some other cheerleaders. I didn’t pay attention to the conversation, thinking about him, dying to know his name, smiling at the memory of how beautiful he was.
“Looking for someone?” I hadn’t even realised that I was looking around. I didn’t even know who’d said it, but everyone was looking at me. I could feel the hot blood rushing to my face and I lowered my eyes to my food (which is all vegetarian sins my mom would let me when I was 12).
“No” I said shyly, shaking my head “just a lot to take in”.
“And that’s why your face is red as a tomato...” that was the first time I’d heard Hannah’s voice. I’d pictured her as the shy girl, but she sounded like a real bitch. In time I’d come to know her as the girl who spoke only when she had something she wanted to say and always said what she thought.
“Who would she be looking for anyway?” Alex’s arm had found its way around my shoulders “she just moved here”.
“I” I took Alex’s hand and pulled his arm back over my head “have a name”.
“Yes of course Annabel, I kn...”
“Who’s he?” I saw him walking in and I couldn’t help to ask. I thought maybe they’d tell me his name.
“Nobody you need to know” now Chris’s arm was around my shoulders hugging me.
“Don’t” I said in a hard voice as I moved his arm the same way I had with Alex’s “do that”.
“If Annabel wants to know who he is, she should” Melissa turned to me “his name is Frank Iero, but you shouldn’t waste your time though”.
“What do you mean?”
“Everybody thinks he’s the hottest guy in school, but he hangs with the emokids”.
As I looked at him again he was sitting at a table next to a really thin guy with glasses that fell down to the tip of his nose all the time. He kept pushing them up, but eventually he got tired of it and just leaned his head back to see. Opposite of him sat a girl with long black hair and black makeup round her eyes that made her look like a panda, and some other kids, all dressed in band shirts or all black clothes.
“What does it matter who he hangs out with?” the question wasn’t really directed to anyone.
“You just don’t want to be seen with emokids okay?” Bob gave me a meaning look.
“Yeah, they just go cutting themselves together. That’s nothing you want to get in to” said Hannah. I looked at Bob and then back to Hannah.
“Do you even know them? Or that they do that for a fact?”
“Eh...”
“Then don’t be so prejudice”
“You should come to tryouts” Melissa broke the silence “you look muscled enough”.
“It’s the ballet. But I don’t think so, I can’t even do a back flip” I grinned and soon we were all laughing.
I’d told Grandma I’d take the bus home so she didn’t have to pick me up. She’d been really worried so I had to ensure her I wouldn’t get lost by rambling all the stops over and over ‘til she believed me.
The bus wouldn’t be there in ten minutes so I sat down on a bench and looked for a pen and notebook in my bag.
“You don’t look as sad today, honey” I almost fell off the bench looking up at the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen again.
“Hey, you frightened me” I smiled at him.
“So you can smile” he said with a spark in his eye “I’m Frankie by the way” he reached his right hand for me to shake.
“Annabel” I said taking his hand “but I don’t mind you calling me Honey”.
“Were you goin’ Honey?”
“Home I guess” it felt weird calling it home, London was home. I could feel the tears behind my eyes again. Hadn’t I cried enough?
“Honey, don’t cry again” Frankie gave me a hug “won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”
“I’d rather just go home...” I wanted to tell him, but if I did, I’d just end up crying even more.
“Okay, you live by the street were you ran in to me last night, right?” I nodded “It’s my street too, why won’t I walk you?” he held out his hand for me. I couldn’t help to smile as I took his hand. He was so sweet.
“There’s that smile again!” the comment made me smile even more.