Iero Fiasco
Paranoia
“Are you okay?” Frank asks as he presses his lips against Molly’s temple, his arms wrapped securely around her as the bus rumbles beneath them, “You seemed really quiet all day.” He inhales her scent as he places his lips on her cheek; the only other sound in the bus is coming from the gentle hum of the movie playing on the TV. Everyone else had gone to their bunks to sleep the night bus ride to the next city.
“Yeah.” She mumbles as she tries to distract herself from her thoughts by burying her face into the space between Frank’s shoulder and neck.
“You sure?” she nods against his chest and they go back to watching the movie.
As the movie goes on, Frank dozes in and out of sleep, but not Molly, she’s wide awake. She looks at her tight surroundings, she knows people who could spit the length of the bus. She starts taking deep breaths; the space is so tight, prison like. Her prison. She looks at Frank and as she sees his eyes are shut she lets out a whimper. Her breath becomes heavier and heavier, the walls seem to be coming in on her. Why isn’t Frank awake? She looks at him once more; he shifts a little, rolling his head into a more comfortable position.
“Frank.” She mouths at a volume lower then the TV. Her eyes well up, she needs to have him comfort her, she needs to know he’s there. It all becomes too much for her. Molly stands up and hurries into the washroom, she locks the door and takes deep breaths.
Frank wakes up to realize the bus has stopped. He rubs his eyes and looks out the window to see they’re at a gas station. He lets out a sigh and realizes Molly has left his side. He stands up and stretches his arms out before letting out a loud yawn. He turns off the TV and heads over to the bunks. He gets to his bunk to find Molly’s not there either. He scratches his head and looks around the bus, everyone except Bob are gone.
“Hey Bob.” He says calmly, and then remembers Bob sleeps like a rock. He turns around to see the lock on the bathroom door is set to occupied. He knocks on the door and waits for a response, “Mol, are you in there?” He hears a faint sniffle, “Molly, are you okay?” still no response, “Molly open the door.”
“Hold on.” Her voice is shaky and uneven.
“Molly.” He says after at least thirty seconds, “Open the door.” she doesn’t answer him, “I will kick down the door if I have to.” the lock clicks so that the knob reads vacant and Frank opens the door to find Molly sitting silently on the toilet seat, fully dressed. “What were you doing?”
“Peeing.”
“You’re lying.” He states plainly. He looks her over and sees her hands in tight fists, “Show me your legs.” Molly furrows her eyebrows and just stares at him.
“My legs?”
“Show them to me!” he says firmly.
“Why Frank? I’m not in the mood, I’m tired and our privacy won’t last long.”
“It’s not a sexual thing!” Frank says aggravated, “Show me your legs.”
“No Frank you’re being ridiculous.”
“No?” Frank says turning on his heels; he heads over to the stack of coats and other crap and digs through it.
“What are you doing?” Molly says as he walks slowly out of the bathroom stall.
“Ha.” Frank says finding Gerard’s jacket, he fumbles with the pockets till her finds the box of cigarettes.
“You quit.”
“You said you were taking your pills.” He says taking a cigarette out and putting it to his lips.
“I have!” she says with a wavering voice.
“You’re lying!” he replies as he lights the cigarette.
“Put that out!”
“Show me your fucking legs!”
“Just share the goddamn pop tart.” Bob rumbles as he rolls over in his bunk.
“Fine!” Molly screeches as she drops her pants.
The cigarette dangles loosely from his mouth as he painfully looks over the eight fresh tiny stab wounds on her legs from her finger nails.
“Why, why, why, why?” Frank stutters, “Why didn’t you, didn’t you talk to me about, about . . . this!” he points to her finger nail induced wounds, “I was right next to you!”
“I just couldn’t!” she cries.
“Fuck you.” Bob grumbles again.
“But you could talk to Gerard.” He grumbles, “Well a hell of lot good that’s doing ya!”
“It was your-“ she doesn’t have time to finish her sentence before he storms out of the bus.
“Hey Franky.” Ray calls but Frank ignores him as he charges across the parking lot towards Gerard.
“What the hell is going on with Molly?!” he yells.
“Uhh?” Gerard says dumbly as the guitarist nears him at an unnerving speed. Frank puts his hands on the singer’s shoulders and shakes him a bit.
“What the hell is going on with her?” he exclaims, “Why hasn’t she been taking her fucking pills?!”
“What? She has been.” Gerard says trying to get his band mate to calm down.
“Fuck confidentiality! Tell me what the fuck is going on with my girlfriend!”
“Okay, listen, she said she was going to try reducing her dosage.” Gerard says just above a whisper, but what he said just infuriated Frank.
“And you let her!?”
“She promised me if after two days things went bad she’d go back on them.” He continues.
“Why can’t she talk to me?!” Franks gasps, “I’m her fucking boyfriend!” he tightens his grasp on Gerard’s shoulders, “What exactly is going on between you and Molly?”
“Frank,” Gerard gasps, “What’s gotten into you?”
“Alright, break it up!” Ray yells as he and Molly run up to the two of them and tries to get Frank away.
“Frank, you’re being ridiculous.” Molly screeches as she pulls on his shoulders.
“No!” Frank yells, “Tell me! What is going on between you two?!” Ray slaps him across the face.
“Get a fucking hold of yourself and listen to what you’re saying!” Ray exclaims.
“Tell me!”
“I talk to Gerard about my depression, he listens!” Molly yells.
“I can listen too!” Frank persists, “You talk about me too, huh!”
“You-you-you’re so paranoid!” Molly shouts, “It’s not like Gerard and I talk one on one that often anyway!”
“Everyone shut up!” Bob yells from the doorway of the bus. Everyone stops in spot and turns around silently to look at the one guy on tour who can take all five of them at once in a fight and win, “You’re all being fucking morons!”
“But-“ Frank starts.
“I said shut up!” Bob yells again, “Molly, get back on your pills! Frank! Molly and Gerard are not doing each other! Ray, Gerard well you were yelling too, and now I’m going back to sleep.”
Ray, Gerard, Frank and Molly looks silently from one another.
“I’m sleeping in my bus.” Molly grumbles as she walks away towards the Warped Battery/Capacity bus.
“Mol-“ Frank calls but Ray whacks him upside the head and they head back into their tour bus.
“Yeah.” She mumbles as she tries to distract herself from her thoughts by burying her face into the space between Frank’s shoulder and neck.
“You sure?” she nods against his chest and they go back to watching the movie.
As the movie goes on, Frank dozes in and out of sleep, but not Molly, she’s wide awake. She looks at her tight surroundings, she knows people who could spit the length of the bus. She starts taking deep breaths; the space is so tight, prison like. Her prison. She looks at Frank and as she sees his eyes are shut she lets out a whimper. Her breath becomes heavier and heavier, the walls seem to be coming in on her. Why isn’t Frank awake? She looks at him once more; he shifts a little, rolling his head into a more comfortable position.
“Frank.” She mouths at a volume lower then the TV. Her eyes well up, she needs to have him comfort her, she needs to know he’s there. It all becomes too much for her. Molly stands up and hurries into the washroom, she locks the door and takes deep breaths.
Frank wakes up to realize the bus has stopped. He rubs his eyes and looks out the window to see they’re at a gas station. He lets out a sigh and realizes Molly has left his side. He stands up and stretches his arms out before letting out a loud yawn. He turns off the TV and heads over to the bunks. He gets to his bunk to find Molly’s not there either. He scratches his head and looks around the bus, everyone except Bob are gone.
“Hey Bob.” He says calmly, and then remembers Bob sleeps like a rock. He turns around to see the lock on the bathroom door is set to occupied. He knocks on the door and waits for a response, “Mol, are you in there?” He hears a faint sniffle, “Molly, are you okay?” still no response, “Molly open the door.”
“Hold on.” Her voice is shaky and uneven.
“Molly.” He says after at least thirty seconds, “Open the door.” she doesn’t answer him, “I will kick down the door if I have to.” the lock clicks so that the knob reads vacant and Frank opens the door to find Molly sitting silently on the toilet seat, fully dressed. “What were you doing?”
“Peeing.”
“You’re lying.” He states plainly. He looks her over and sees her hands in tight fists, “Show me your legs.” Molly furrows her eyebrows and just stares at him.
“My legs?”
“Show them to me!” he says firmly.
“Why Frank? I’m not in the mood, I’m tired and our privacy won’t last long.”
“It’s not a sexual thing!” Frank says aggravated, “Show me your legs.”
“No Frank you’re being ridiculous.”
“No?” Frank says turning on his heels; he heads over to the stack of coats and other crap and digs through it.
“What are you doing?” Molly says as he walks slowly out of the bathroom stall.
“Ha.” Frank says finding Gerard’s jacket, he fumbles with the pockets till her finds the box of cigarettes.
“You quit.”
“You said you were taking your pills.” He says taking a cigarette out and putting it to his lips.
“I have!” she says with a wavering voice.
“You’re lying!” he replies as he lights the cigarette.
“Put that out!”
“Show me your fucking legs!”
“Just share the goddamn pop tart.” Bob rumbles as he rolls over in his bunk.
“Fine!” Molly screeches as she drops her pants.
The cigarette dangles loosely from his mouth as he painfully looks over the eight fresh tiny stab wounds on her legs from her finger nails.
“Why, why, why, why?” Frank stutters, “Why didn’t you, didn’t you talk to me about, about . . . this!” he points to her finger nail induced wounds, “I was right next to you!”
“I just couldn’t!” she cries.
“Fuck you.” Bob grumbles again.
“But you could talk to Gerard.” He grumbles, “Well a hell of lot good that’s doing ya!”
“It was your-“ she doesn’t have time to finish her sentence before he storms out of the bus.
“Hey Franky.” Ray calls but Frank ignores him as he charges across the parking lot towards Gerard.
“What the hell is going on with Molly?!” he yells.
“Uhh?” Gerard says dumbly as the guitarist nears him at an unnerving speed. Frank puts his hands on the singer’s shoulders and shakes him a bit.
“What the hell is going on with her?” he exclaims, “Why hasn’t she been taking her fucking pills?!”
“What? She has been.” Gerard says trying to get his band mate to calm down.
“Fuck confidentiality! Tell me what the fuck is going on with my girlfriend!”
“Okay, listen, she said she was going to try reducing her dosage.” Gerard says just above a whisper, but what he said just infuriated Frank.
“And you let her!?”
“She promised me if after two days things went bad she’d go back on them.” He continues.
“Why can’t she talk to me?!” Franks gasps, “I’m her fucking boyfriend!” he tightens his grasp on Gerard’s shoulders, “What exactly is going on between you and Molly?”
“Frank,” Gerard gasps, “What’s gotten into you?”
“Alright, break it up!” Ray yells as he and Molly run up to the two of them and tries to get Frank away.
“Frank, you’re being ridiculous.” Molly screeches as she pulls on his shoulders.
“No!” Frank yells, “Tell me! What is going on between you two?!” Ray slaps him across the face.
“Get a fucking hold of yourself and listen to what you’re saying!” Ray exclaims.
“Tell me!”
“I talk to Gerard about my depression, he listens!” Molly yells.
“I can listen too!” Frank persists, “You talk about me too, huh!”
“You-you-you’re so paranoid!” Molly shouts, “It’s not like Gerard and I talk one on one that often anyway!”
“Everyone shut up!” Bob yells from the doorway of the bus. Everyone stops in spot and turns around silently to look at the one guy on tour who can take all five of them at once in a fight and win, “You’re all being fucking morons!”
“But-“ Frank starts.
“I said shut up!” Bob yells again, “Molly, get back on your pills! Frank! Molly and Gerard are not doing each other! Ray, Gerard well you were yelling too, and now I’m going back to sleep.”
Ray, Gerard, Frank and Molly looks silently from one another.
“I’m sleeping in my bus.” Molly grumbles as she walks away towards the Warped Battery/Capacity bus.
“Mol-“ Frank calls but Ray whacks him upside the head and they head back into their tour bus.