Iero Fiasco

Frank looks over at Molly’s sleeping figure, being like any normal guy his eyes can’t help but linger on her boobs.
“Perv.” She says smacking his arm, but laughing none the less.
“Sorry,” Frank laughs, a bit shocked that she’s awake, “Forgive me.” he whines as he flops himself on top of her in some weird sort of hug.
“You’re killing me!” Molly laughs out.
“NO!” Frank exclaims, he gets off of her and laughs. He then proceeds to wrapping the blankets tightly around her. “Mummification.”
“I’m not dead, I’m not dead!” Molly says mocking the movie The Others.
“Shh corpses aren’t supposed to speak.” He says as he continues to wrap her up in the blankets when suddenly the common BUZZ sound fills the apartment.

“Are you expecting someone?” Frank asks as he lets go of the blankets. Molly unravels herself from the blankets as she thinks hard.
“Shit! I completely forgot I was supposed to go shopping with my mother today.” She says leaping across the room and pulling on a pair of jeans, “Hurry, get dressed.” Frank gets up and starts putting on his clothes, “I guess I should tell you my mother’s really old fashioned in the sense of saving oneself for marriage.” Frank just looks at her like that’s the stupidest thing she ever said because by her performances she’d obviously had sex before she’d met him.

BUZZ! The doorbell rings again.
“If she asks we didn’t hear the first bell.” Molly says as she ties her hair in a slick ponytail and goes to answer the door. “Hey Mom.”
“Hey Molly.” Her mother says hugging her, “Did you hear the bell once or twice?”
“Once, I think it’s a bit wonky.” Molly says casually. She glances back around the apartment and can’t seem to spot Frank. Suddenly there’s a flushing noise from the washroom.
“Is someone here?” My mother asks carefully.
“Uhh yeah,” Molly starts, “Frank is in town this week so-“ she tries to think of a reason why he’d be at her apartment besides the truth.
“Thanks for letting me use your washroom.” Frank says stepping into the main room, “I have to get going now.”
“Mom, this is Frank. Frank, this is my mom Lisa.” Molly mediates.
“Nice to meet you.” Frank says smiling as he shakes her hand.
“Nice to meet you too.” Lisa says nodding.
“Well can I see you later?” Frank asks Molly very dignified.
“Oh!” Lisa interrupts, “Why don’t you two come for dinner,” she turns to Molly, “Your father is going to barbecue ribs and Nate is coming too.”
“Sounds good.” Frank says eyeing the two women before him carefully, “But I really got to go now.”
“Right.” Molly says turning to him, “I’ll call you later.” Frank kisses her cheek then walks out of the apartment and down the hall.

“He’s shorter than you.” Lisa comments with a light laugh.
“Mmmhmm.” Molly says rolling her eyes, “Two measly inches.”
“Big difference compared to Jared.” She says referring to her last, much taller boyfriend.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah I know, I just want to tease you,” Lisa chuckles, “So he’s what, twenty-three, twenty-four?” Molly clears her throat uneasily.
“Twenty-seven.”
“Molly! That’s like,” she pauses, “Eight years!”
“So?”
“So?!!!! Older guys have, well been around and-“
“Mom, calm down.” Molly grumbles as she picks up her purse and leads her mother out, “He respects me, okay?”
“Hmph.”
“Please mom.” Molly groans.
“He has a lot of tattoos.” Her mother comments.
“I have tattoos.”
“And I hate every single one of them.”
“You’re really old fashioned you know that?”

Meanwhile Frank walked down the Montreal street to get to Jay and Alex’s apartment because basically that’s the only place he knew to go. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently. Alex answered the door in boxers and a ratty grey t-shirt.
“Hey man,” he says rubbing his eyes.
“Can I hang around here today?” Frank asks hopefully.
“Yeah, Jay found his old school Nintendo so were having a bit of a marathon with it.” He explains as they go to the sofa where Jay is playing Tetris.
“Awesome.”

Later that day in the middle of an exciting game of Star Wars Racers Frank gets a call on his cell phone.
“Pause the game.” Frank exclaims as he feels the piece of technology vibrating near his crotch. The TV screen freezes and Frank pulls out his cell phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, where are you?” Molly’s voice asks casually.
“Jay and Alex’s.”
“Okay, so I’ll pick you up then.”
“Pick me up?” Frank asks, “What time is it?”
“Almost six, remember you sort of said we’d go to my parents’ for dinner.”
“Yeah, okay, see you in a bit.” Frank says hanging up.

He turns to his new found buddies.
“Sorry guys gotta go.”
“See ya.” Jay says taking his controller. Frank gets up and puts on his shoes just as a red two door Honda pulls up outside.
“Bye.” Frank runs out onto the sidewalk and gets into the car.

“You’re a saint.” Molly says kissing his lips lovingly.
“I am?” Frank questions.
“Saving my ass this morning, from my mom.”
“If I were a real saint I would’ve made you tell the truth.” Frank jokes as he buckles his seat belt. Molly starts down the street towards the bridge.
“Like you told your parents about your partaking in sex.”
“Well no not exactly,” Frank sighs, “I lived with my ex girlfriend for a while so they probably figured it out.”
“You never told me you lived with someone.” Molly states curiously.
“I did,” he pauses, “we were engaged. Then my band started touring for The Black Parade, which was an exceptionally long tour. Things got too much for us and well she left me.”
“Oh, that sucks.” Molly says awkwardly, “So that was your most meaningful relationship.”
“Yeah, Jamie and I were friends in high school then we hadn’t seen each other in a while then I bumped into her in the street one day.” He trails off, “How about you?”
“Well,” Molly thinks for a second, “I guess I could say the guy I lost my virginity to.” As Frank hears this the age difference affects him, he’d had two meaningful relationships in his life time, she could barely name one, “We were friends in high school, we went to grad together then we decided to keep seeing each other. We broke up because of touring too. Our first tour we were gone for ages.”

They ended up in the suburbs of Montreal and pulled up in front of an average sized house. They get out of the car and head into the backyard where voices can be heard. Molly reaches over the fence and undoes the latch allowing them to enter the back yard.
“Someone get me a plate!” Molly’s father calls from the barbecue, he catches a glimpse of Molly and smiles, “Heya Mols.”
“Hey Dad.”
“This must be Frank.” He says cocking an eyebrow at the man standing nervously next to her.
“Yep, Frank, my dad Fred, Dad, my boyfriend Frank.” Molly says quickly.
“Nice to meet you.” Frank says going to shake the older man’s hand.
“What’s with all the holes in your head?” Fred asks with a slight laugh, “Are you hard of breathing?” Frank isn’t sure how to react but as he catches Molly smirk and roll her eyes she lets out a light laugh.
“Ease up man, I’m just messing with you.” Fred says then suddenly another man comes out of the house with a plate.

“Here Dad.” The guy with the plate says, “Oh hello, I’m Nate.”
“Frank.” He replies as they shake hands.
“Nate you didn’t close the door!” a girl’s voice exclaims.
“And that would be Cynthia.” Molly murmurs to Frank.
“Holy shit!” Cynthia exclaims, “Molly wasn’t kidding.”
“Is she talking about me?” Frank whispers, Molly nods.
“Is the rest of the band coming too?” the eager fifteen year old asks. Frank and Molly burst out laughing, “So that’s a no.”
“They’re all back home.” Frank says laughing.
“Oh, okay.” She says calmly as she returns into the house.

“So if they’re all back home then why are you here?” Fred asks as he puts the barbecued ribs on the serving plate.
“I uh, own a clothing line.” Frank states, “Skeleton Crew.”
“Never heard of it.” He says as he puts the plate on the set picnic table. Fred eyes the younger man for minute, “You know you don’t have to lie, you can just say you came to see my daughter.” Molly bites her lower lip, her father wasn’t nearly as naïve or old fashioned as her mother but he was over-protective.
“Okay you caught me; I really like your daughter.” Frank says confidently, “But I do have a clothing line.”
“Alright, so how many goats are you willing to give me for my daughter?” Fred asks comically.
“Ahh, you’re funny.” The younger man laughs.
“Dad, leave him alone.” Nate says rolling his eyes as he returns from the house with three beers, he hands one to his father then turns to Frank, “Want?”
“Uhh yeah.” Frank says taking a bottle from him.

“Why not?” Cynthia exclaims as she steps out of the house, Lisa not far behind, “It’s just a movie.”
“No, you can’t take the bus alone at night.” Lisa says rolling her eyes, “And that’s final.”
“Then can’t you pick me up?”
“Not at midnight!” she says at her wits end, “We’ll talk after supper.”

Fred ignores the argument as everyone sits down at the picnic table.
“So Frank, you’re a guitarist, right?”
“Yeah.” Frank says nodding as Cynthia passes him the bowl of salad.
“Do you play anything else?”
“Well I pick up the bass from time to time.”

“Oh!” Cynthia interrupts, “What if I go to the movie then I stay the night at Molly’s?”
“Nope.” Molly says quickly, “I have to be at a meeting about the tour at eight in the morning, so I don’t have time to drive you back home.” It wasn’t a complete lie, she did have a meeting the next day concerning the upcoming tour but it was only at one in the afternoon.
“Awe.” She grumbles, “What about Nate, what if he picks me up after the movie.”
“No can do.” Nate says shaking his head.
“I hate you!” she blurts. Frank finds the whole situation rather amusing so he laughs into his hand.

“Alright!” Fred announces, “Cynthia, if you can convince one of your siblings to drive you there then I’ll pick you, I just don’t want to go downtown and back twice.”
“Molly!” Cynthia squeaks hopefully.
“Yeah, fine.”

After dinner Cynthia practically drags Molly and Frank back to the car.
“C’mon! I don’t wanna be late.” She insists.
“Oh,” Frank says straying away, “Look at the pretty flowers.”
“Ahh! Frank!” the teenager exclaims.
“I think Mom said something about cake.” Molly says as she heads for the front door the house.
“No more distractions, please.” The girl begs.
“But the flowers are so pretty.” Frank laughs. Cynthia crosses her arms and lets out a loud sigh then walks over to the car. She climbs into the back seat then leans forward and honks the horn. Molly and Frank ignore her and pretend to have a conversation about the flowers. Finally the honking starts to attract the attention of the neighbors so Frank and Molly get into the car.

“What movie are you going to see?” Frank asks as he buckles his seat belt.
“Get Smart, you know with Anne Hathaway?” Cynthia says eagerly as Molly starts up the car.
“Oh I so wanted to see that!” Frank says in a girly voice, “Mind if I like tag along.”
“Yeah kinda.” Cynthia murmurs, “We’re going as a group of girls, and you’re a guy.”
“Molly, can I borrow some of your clothes?”
“It won’t make a difference, she dresses like a guy anyway!” Cynthia exclaims.
“Funny, I don’t see many guys wear tank tops.” Molly protests.
“From the waist down you look like a guy.” Cynthia blurts, “I mean clothing wise not umm, don’t worry Frank.” The three in the car roar with laughter.
“Awe, but why can’t I come?” Frank pouts.
“Its hard enough to keep your friends from freaking out when your sister is in a known band, I don’t wanna know what’ll happen if they find out she’s dating a guy from an international super rock star band.”
“I’ll change my name to Donnie Darko.”
“That’s a movie dumbass.” The teenager says rolling her eyes.
“Hey, how about some respect or I’ll leave you off right here on the high way.” Molly says cocking an eyebrow.
“Fine you guys can come but don’t sit with us.” Cynthia says looking down at her feet.
“Why the hell would we want watch that crap ass movie?” Frank states bluntly causing Molly to burst out laughing.
“Real mature.” The girl mumbles.

“Wanna go see Cell?” Molly asks randomly as the get closer to the movie theater.
“Yeah, I’ve been wanting to see that movie for a while.” Frank says nodding.
“Blah, Stephen King.” Cynthia murmurs.
“Hey!” Frank says taking offence, “Don’t insult the King.”
“Na nana na na.” Cynthia mocks, “He’s over rated.”
“Na nana nana.” Frank retorts, “You’re dumb.”
“No you’re dumb!” Cynthia says stupidly making Frank smirk evilly.
“No you’re dumb!” he says back, “YAY! I win.”
“Win what?” the teenager asks.
“Exactly.” Frank smiles smugly as he crosses his arms.

“Molly, you’re boyfriend acts like a goddamn child.”
“Molly, you’re sister is annoying me.”
“Cynnie, you’re annoying stop it.” Molly says in a whiny voice, “Frankie you’re sexy, keep it up.”
“You guys suck.” Cynthia states as Molly parks the car.
“Correction, we suck exceptionally well.” Molly says proudly.
“Ew! You’re disgusting you know that!” Cynthia exclaims as she kicks Frank’s seat, “Let me out.”

The three of them get out of the car and Cynthia walks hurriedly ahead. Frank and Molly walk at a normal pace to get to the cinema. Upon arrival they see Cynthia who met up with a couple of her friends. Molly looks at the wall of movie posters and comes to realize they’re only playing Cell in French.
“Ah shit.” She mutters.
“What?” Frank asks looking at the posters too.
“They’re only playing it in French.”
“The joys of living in Quebec.” Frank says shrugging.

“Hey, isn’t that your sister?” they hear one of Cynthia’s friends call, “Molly!”
“Ermph.” Molly says turning around, she didn’t like that girl in particular, she was so phony, “Oh hey umm- I forgot your name.”
“Tiffany.” She says cheerily, “is that your boyfriend?”
“No, he’s a prostitute I like to keep around.” Molly says sounding honest.
“Oh you’re funny.” Tiffany says fake laughing.
“May I remind you I’m paid by the hour.” Frank says innocently.
“Oh god.” Cynthia mumbles into her hand, “I hate you.”
“Okay, bye.” Molly says as she and Frank head back to the car.

“He’s really short.” They hear one of Cynthia’s friends say, but they both ignore it as they clamber into the car. Molly turned on the car and saw it was almost nine thirty so she headed back to her apartment. Frank’s flight was first thing the next morning.

They got to the apartment and it was absolutely pathetic. Frank started packing up his stuff while Molly watched sitting cross legged on the bedroom chair.
“I get back from touring in November I think.” Molly says quietly.
“I think mine ends in late October.” Frank says as he tosses a pair of shorts into his suitcase.
“Damnit, I’m gonna miss your birthday.” Molly pouts.
“Doesn’t matter, I missed yours.”
“Because we met after my birthday.”
“Whatever.” Frank says as he plops the final items in his bag. He looks around the room to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything and his eyes fall upon the shelf of old school books, he’d wanted to ask her about them, “What’s with the school books?” Molly clears her throat.
“If my band didn’t work out I wanted to be a writer.” She explains, “Those are old school copy books with short stories and poems and stuff.”
“Mind if I take a look?”
“Go ahead.”

Frank opens a blue copy book and reads over a couple of poems then stops when he sees a different set of handwriting. He reads it aloud, “Molly, I’ve noticed you always have a dark looks on your face and-“
“Oh, my grade eleven teacher thought I was emotionally unstable.” Molly says rolling her eyes, “I dressed in dark clothes and didn’t have any friends in that particular class.”
“Ahh okay.” Frank laughs, “Sounds all too familiar.” He puts the book back on the shelf. Molly gets up and steps lightly across the floor.
“I’m gonna fucking miss you.” she says wrapping her arms around his neck, she presses her lips firmly against his and pushes him down on the bed.