Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Dead on the surface (but screaming underneath)
Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece?
2 reviewsFrank nods and turns around, beginning to walk again. Gerard does not stare at his ass (much). Obviously, he is a paragon of self-control. Right.
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Gerard smiles at Frank when he takes the seat next to him. "Now, Frank. Before we can become friends, I have to ask you a few important questions. Are you willing to answer these questions with complete honesty?"
Frank looks a bit scared. "O-kay?" He is absently toying with the end of his tie, and Gerard is mesmerized by his fingers. Slim, long fingers with rough patches on his fingertips.. Oh my, he must be a guitar player. Gerard looks away, not wanting to drool all over his lunch. Of course he's a guitar player. He quickly takes a bite of his sandwich, swallows it and turns to look at Frank again. It's time for some serious business.
"Favourite 90s band?"
Gerard sees a small smile form on Frank's lips at the question, and it stays in place as he bites his lip while he thinks about his answer. Again, Gerard has to keep himself in check.
Don't throw yourself at him. I know, lip biting is totally a soft spot for you, but you gottaget to know him first. What if he's into High School Musical or some shit? Is this guy even into dudes? These are important things, you know. Just be glad you've got such a great conscience to keep you in check.
Yeah, yeah. Whatever.
Now, pay attention. Your object of affection looks like he's going to answer.
"Can I give you a top-3 instead? I can't really choose, to be honest," Frank answers with a soft voice, before eating one of his cookies.
"That depends. Is the first place occupied by Nirvana?" Gerard asks with a smirk on his face.
Frank smiles back, a full-on smile this time. "I'm afraid it is."
Gerard scoots back and puts his feet up on another chair. "Then you may."
He sees Frank lean back in his chair too, but his feet stay on the ground. The smile turns into an almost-smirk."Then I'm gonna go with Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Pearl Jam and Soundgardenshare second place though, because the third place is for them both too."
Frank looks almost hesitant as he says this, like he's expecting Gerard not to understand what he's saying. But oh, how wrong Frank is. If there's something Gerard loves, it's grunge.
"I completely agree. I mean, you just can't leave Temple Of The Dog out of this," Gerard answers.
Frank sits up straight again. "I know! I mean, come on. Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell? Best collaboration ever," he says enthusiastically. "You know, you're the first person who's not at least in their thirties that knows about Temple Of The Dog. The rest just looks at me like I'm crazy for even wanting to consider listening to 90s music."
Gerard winks at Frank. "Well, I guess all those other people are missing out, then. I certainly don't think you're crazy."
Gerard notices the slight blush on Frank's cheeks with glee, but he doesn't say anything about it. He just captures the image in his head. So he can maybe draw it later when he's in his bedroom.
Alone. Like a creeper.
Gerard clears his throat. "Okay, you passed the first question. Now, on with an even more important one. Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz?"
Frank smiles again.
*
"Dude."
"I know."
"We have pretty much everything in common."
Frank giggles. "I know."
Gerard smiles at the sound. Oh my god, that giggle.. He is just too cute.
"This is the start of an amazing friendship," he says.
Frank blushes (again) and is about to say something when the shrill sound of the bell interrupts their conversation.
"Oh, shit.. We better get going," he says while grabbing his bag and standing up.
Gerard grabs his bag too and stands up, following Frank out of the library. He takes out his timetable and, when looking at his afternoon classes, sighs.
"Fuck."
Frank looks at him. "What's wrong?" he asks worriedly.
"I have AP English next, but I thought Ihad Math so packed my fucking Math books.." he answers. Normally he wouldn't really give a shit, but he wants to make a decent first impression on these teachers. Forgetting books isn't exactly going to help him do that.
The hand that pats his arm jerks him back out of his thoughts. He looks at it, and then at Frank's face. The worried look has been replaced by a happy one, and Gerard doesn't know why.
"I have AP English too now, so you can just sit next to me and I'll share my book with you," he says and now Gerard's smiling too.
"That'd be great, Frank. Thank you," he says. Then, he realizes something. "If you have AP English, do you have ..", he says while quickly checking his timetable again, ".. AP Biology and Music too?"
Please let him have the same afternoon classes as me, please, please, ple-
"Yes, I do. Looks like we're together for the rest of the afternoon," Frank answers.
THANK YOU JESUS, is what Gerard is thinking. "Great!" is what comes out of his mouth.
Frank nods and turns around, beginning to walk again. Gerard does not stare at his ass (much). Obviously, he is a paragon of self-control.
Right.
**
Walking through the crowded hallways between classes is one of the worst things in life, if Frank has anything to say about it. It's not the physical part that he hates so much (even though being pushed back and forth isn't nice either), it's the way he feels overly aware of everything around him. He sees every look that's directed at him, on purpose or not. He knows probably no one is even thinking about him right now, but he can't help but feel like everyone's watching him. Talking about him. Making fun of him. He tries to reassure himself (It's fine, no one is talking about you, calm down), but when someone actually approaches him and proves that 'hey, they really don't like me, looks like Iwas right after all', he feels like complete shit for the rest of the day. He just feels incredibly insecure every time he walks from class to class, which makes him seem even smaller and vulnerable. Pretty much like he has a vibrantly colored target painted right on his back.
It's a downward spiral, really.
One of the shrinks his mother made him see when he was younger said it was fairly normal for a gifted child to feel anxious and scared in social situations, and that it would go away when he hit puberty.
"Your boy will be a social butterfly by the time he goes to high school, Mrs. Iero. Nothing to worry about."
He hasn't changed, though. People still make him feel like he's seconds away from a panic attack.
It worries him, because he knows that his.. aversion of people will make it difficult for him to find a job in the future. Hell, he can't even make friends.
Well. Except for the guy walking next to him, if he's willing to spend the rest of his senior year chained to a pathetic 15-year old.
I'm a 17-year old! Almost 18!
Oh yeah, right. Chained to a pathetic 15-year old who is pretending to be two years older than he actually is. He'll love that.
Gerard's voice breaks Frank out of his moment of self-reflection. "Hey, Frank?" Frank notices now that the hallways have pretty much emptied out and that they're in the English hall already. He turns to face Gerard, whose face is adorned with a small frown.
"Are you feeling okay? You're, like, really pale and shit..," he says.
Frank nods. "Yeah, just.. Wish it was four o'clock, y'know?" he lies. He doesn't wait for aresponse, just quirks an eyebrow at Gerard and grabs his arm (Oh my god, he feels nice.. / What the fuck. Get a hold of yourself, Iero!).
"Come on, if we get there before Ms. Hatcher you might not have to introduce yourself."
Gerard starts fast-walking down the hall.
Frank laughs and does the same. "That's what I thought."
*
His afternoon classes go by surprisingly fast. He finds himself actually enjoying the rest of the afternoon, which is so rare that he has to pinch himself to check if this is not some weird hallucination.
Normally, he spends the entire lesson breathing quietly (and quickly, if he's being honest) and keeping an eye on everyone. It's the best camouflage-technique there is, in his opinion; being aware of your surroundings. That way, he's able to go unnoticed and quickly sneak out of the classroom as soon as the bell starts ringing.
Today, though.. He still sits in the back of the classroom, but now the empty seat next to him is filled. He and Gerard spend the entire afternoon exchanging notes with more questions on them.
Superman or Spiderman?
Superman. Spiderman complains and complains about a spider ruining his life, but he wears a suit with a fucking spider on it!
What's the best concert you've ever been to?
Smashing Pumpkins in New York. Me and my brother Mikey weren't allowed to go, but we sneaked out and went anyway. We were 15 and 13, so the security wouldn't let us in at first, but one of the roadies felt so bad for us that he took us with him. We got to sit on the side of the stage and we met the band after. Best night of my life.
Favorite holiday?
Halloween, 'cause horror and candy are two of the best things in the world. And it's my birthday, so with gifts as well.
Why did you move here?
Gerard takes a lot longer to respond to his last question than to the others, and Frank just knows that they haven't moved without a reason. He's just about to write another note to apologize for asking, when a small piece of paper is pushed on his desk.
They People I didn't like it there. I didn't like some people, some people didn't like me and we moved.
Frank has a feeling that this isn't all, but he knows (from lots of experience) that he shouldn't ask. They don't really know each other that well. Frank reads the rest.
Halloween? Awesome! So you're gonna be 18 by the end of this month, right?
Frank swallows and writes down aresponse. His cheeks feel warm, but he hopes to God that he isn't blushing.
Yeah.. When's your birthday?
April 9th. Nothing special about that.
Hey, do you wanna come over after school? My parents aren't gonna be home 'til late, so we could play some Dead Island and order a pizza? You could meet Mikey!
Frank's eyes widen. Was he, Frank A. Iero, actually being invited to hang out with someone? This is legendary. Frank has seen the inside of three houses in his whole life; his own, his Dad's and the apartment his grandparents live in.
Should I say yes? We've only known each other for a day!
That's true, but have you ever been invited by anyone to go anywhere?
No..
Exactly. He's been nicer to you in one day than everyone else in this shithole has been for the last three years.
But what about his brother? If he hates me, Gerard'll have to pick his side..
He's Gerard's brother. He's got to be at least a bit awesome. Just say yes.
He starts writing.
That'd be awesome. Where do you live?
When Gerard reads his answer, he turns to Frank and smiles wide before turning back to the note.
34 BuckborrowRd. It's pretty close to the school, just a 15 minute walk.
Seriously? I live on 40 Buckborrow Rd!
Really? Then we can walk to school together every morning if you want to.
Frank grins.
I'd love that.
*
Thank you for reading!
By the way, for those of you who don't know Temple Of The Dog; It's the best collaboration known to man, in my opinion. It's Pearl Jam with Soundgarden's singer, Chris Cornell. Pure magic, I say.
(Comments and/or ratings would be greatly appreciated.)
Frank looks a bit scared. "O-kay?" He is absently toying with the end of his tie, and Gerard is mesmerized by his fingers. Slim, long fingers with rough patches on his fingertips.. Oh my, he must be a guitar player. Gerard looks away, not wanting to drool all over his lunch. Of course he's a guitar player. He quickly takes a bite of his sandwich, swallows it and turns to look at Frank again. It's time for some serious business.
"Favourite 90s band?"
Gerard sees a small smile form on Frank's lips at the question, and it stays in place as he bites his lip while he thinks about his answer. Again, Gerard has to keep himself in check.
Don't throw yourself at him. I know, lip biting is totally a soft spot for you, but you gottaget to know him first. What if he's into High School Musical or some shit? Is this guy even into dudes? These are important things, you know. Just be glad you've got such a great conscience to keep you in check.
Yeah, yeah. Whatever.
Now, pay attention. Your object of affection looks like he's going to answer.
"Can I give you a top-3 instead? I can't really choose, to be honest," Frank answers with a soft voice, before eating one of his cookies.
"That depends. Is the first place occupied by Nirvana?" Gerard asks with a smirk on his face.
Frank smiles back, a full-on smile this time. "I'm afraid it is."
Gerard scoots back and puts his feet up on another chair. "Then you may."
He sees Frank lean back in his chair too, but his feet stay on the ground. The smile turns into an almost-smirk."Then I'm gonna go with Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Pearl Jam and Soundgardenshare second place though, because the third place is for them both too."
Frank looks almost hesitant as he says this, like he's expecting Gerard not to understand what he's saying. But oh, how wrong Frank is. If there's something Gerard loves, it's grunge.
"I completely agree. I mean, you just can't leave Temple Of The Dog out of this," Gerard answers.
Frank sits up straight again. "I know! I mean, come on. Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell? Best collaboration ever," he says enthusiastically. "You know, you're the first person who's not at least in their thirties that knows about Temple Of The Dog. The rest just looks at me like I'm crazy for even wanting to consider listening to 90s music."
Gerard winks at Frank. "Well, I guess all those other people are missing out, then. I certainly don't think you're crazy."
Gerard notices the slight blush on Frank's cheeks with glee, but he doesn't say anything about it. He just captures the image in his head. So he can maybe draw it later when he's in his bedroom.
Alone. Like a creeper.
Gerard clears his throat. "Okay, you passed the first question. Now, on with an even more important one. Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz?"
Frank smiles again.
*
"Dude."
"I know."
"We have pretty much everything in common."
Frank giggles. "I know."
Gerard smiles at the sound. Oh my god, that giggle.. He is just too cute.
"This is the start of an amazing friendship," he says.
Frank blushes (again) and is about to say something when the shrill sound of the bell interrupts their conversation.
"Oh, shit.. We better get going," he says while grabbing his bag and standing up.
Gerard grabs his bag too and stands up, following Frank out of the library. He takes out his timetable and, when looking at his afternoon classes, sighs.
"Fuck."
Frank looks at him. "What's wrong?" he asks worriedly.
"I have AP English next, but I thought Ihad Math so packed my fucking Math books.." he answers. Normally he wouldn't really give a shit, but he wants to make a decent first impression on these teachers. Forgetting books isn't exactly going to help him do that.
The hand that pats his arm jerks him back out of his thoughts. He looks at it, and then at Frank's face. The worried look has been replaced by a happy one, and Gerard doesn't know why.
"I have AP English too now, so you can just sit next to me and I'll share my book with you," he says and now Gerard's smiling too.
"That'd be great, Frank. Thank you," he says. Then, he realizes something. "If you have AP English, do you have ..", he says while quickly checking his timetable again, ".. AP Biology and Music too?"
Please let him have the same afternoon classes as me, please, please, ple-
"Yes, I do. Looks like we're together for the rest of the afternoon," Frank answers.
THANK YOU JESUS, is what Gerard is thinking. "Great!" is what comes out of his mouth.
Frank nods and turns around, beginning to walk again. Gerard does not stare at his ass (much). Obviously, he is a paragon of self-control.
Right.
**
Walking through the crowded hallways between classes is one of the worst things in life, if Frank has anything to say about it. It's not the physical part that he hates so much (even though being pushed back and forth isn't nice either), it's the way he feels overly aware of everything around him. He sees every look that's directed at him, on purpose or not. He knows probably no one is even thinking about him right now, but he can't help but feel like everyone's watching him. Talking about him. Making fun of him. He tries to reassure himself (It's fine, no one is talking about you, calm down), but when someone actually approaches him and proves that 'hey, they really don't like me, looks like Iwas right after all', he feels like complete shit for the rest of the day. He just feels incredibly insecure every time he walks from class to class, which makes him seem even smaller and vulnerable. Pretty much like he has a vibrantly colored target painted right on his back.
It's a downward spiral, really.
One of the shrinks his mother made him see when he was younger said it was fairly normal for a gifted child to feel anxious and scared in social situations, and that it would go away when he hit puberty.
"Your boy will be a social butterfly by the time he goes to high school, Mrs. Iero. Nothing to worry about."
He hasn't changed, though. People still make him feel like he's seconds away from a panic attack.
It worries him, because he knows that his.. aversion of people will make it difficult for him to find a job in the future. Hell, he can't even make friends.
Well. Except for the guy walking next to him, if he's willing to spend the rest of his senior year chained to a pathetic 15-year old.
I'm a 17-year old! Almost 18!
Oh yeah, right. Chained to a pathetic 15-year old who is pretending to be two years older than he actually is. He'll love that.
Gerard's voice breaks Frank out of his moment of self-reflection. "Hey, Frank?" Frank notices now that the hallways have pretty much emptied out and that they're in the English hall already. He turns to face Gerard, whose face is adorned with a small frown.
"Are you feeling okay? You're, like, really pale and shit..," he says.
Frank nods. "Yeah, just.. Wish it was four o'clock, y'know?" he lies. He doesn't wait for aresponse, just quirks an eyebrow at Gerard and grabs his arm (Oh my god, he feels nice.. / What the fuck. Get a hold of yourself, Iero!).
"Come on, if we get there before Ms. Hatcher you might not have to introduce yourself."
Gerard starts fast-walking down the hall.
Frank laughs and does the same. "That's what I thought."
*
His afternoon classes go by surprisingly fast. He finds himself actually enjoying the rest of the afternoon, which is so rare that he has to pinch himself to check if this is not some weird hallucination.
Normally, he spends the entire lesson breathing quietly (and quickly, if he's being honest) and keeping an eye on everyone. It's the best camouflage-technique there is, in his opinion; being aware of your surroundings. That way, he's able to go unnoticed and quickly sneak out of the classroom as soon as the bell starts ringing.
Today, though.. He still sits in the back of the classroom, but now the empty seat next to him is filled. He and Gerard spend the entire afternoon exchanging notes with more questions on them.
Superman or Spiderman?
Superman. Spiderman complains and complains about a spider ruining his life, but he wears a suit with a fucking spider on it!
What's the best concert you've ever been to?
Smashing Pumpkins in New York. Me and my brother Mikey weren't allowed to go, but we sneaked out and went anyway. We were 15 and 13, so the security wouldn't let us in at first, but one of the roadies felt so bad for us that he took us with him. We got to sit on the side of the stage and we met the band after. Best night of my life.
Favorite holiday?
Halloween, 'cause horror and candy are two of the best things in the world. And it's my birthday, so with gifts as well.
Why did you move here?
Gerard takes a lot longer to respond to his last question than to the others, and Frank just knows that they haven't moved without a reason. He's just about to write another note to apologize for asking, when a small piece of paper is pushed on his desk.
They People I didn't like it there. I didn't like some people, some people didn't like me and we moved.
Frank has a feeling that this isn't all, but he knows (from lots of experience) that he shouldn't ask. They don't really know each other that well. Frank reads the rest.
Halloween? Awesome! So you're gonna be 18 by the end of this month, right?
Frank swallows and writes down aresponse. His cheeks feel warm, but he hopes to God that he isn't blushing.
Yeah.. When's your birthday?
April 9th. Nothing special about that.
Hey, do you wanna come over after school? My parents aren't gonna be home 'til late, so we could play some Dead Island and order a pizza? You could meet Mikey!
Frank's eyes widen. Was he, Frank A. Iero, actually being invited to hang out with someone? This is legendary. Frank has seen the inside of three houses in his whole life; his own, his Dad's and the apartment his grandparents live in.
Should I say yes? We've only known each other for a day!
That's true, but have you ever been invited by anyone to go anywhere?
No..
Exactly. He's been nicer to you in one day than everyone else in this shithole has been for the last three years.
But what about his brother? If he hates me, Gerard'll have to pick his side..
He's Gerard's brother. He's got to be at least a bit awesome. Just say yes.
He starts writing.
That'd be awesome. Where do you live?
When Gerard reads his answer, he turns to Frank and smiles wide before turning back to the note.
34 BuckborrowRd. It's pretty close to the school, just a 15 minute walk.
Seriously? I live on 40 Buckborrow Rd!
Really? Then we can walk to school together every morning if you want to.
Frank grins.
I'd love that.
*
Thank you for reading!
By the way, for those of you who don't know Temple Of The Dog; It's the best collaboration known to man, in my opinion. It's Pearl Jam with Soundgarden's singer, Chris Cornell. Pure magic, I say.
(Comments and/or ratings would be greatly appreciated.)
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