Iero Fiasco

Thursday afternoon, Frank and Molly arrive at Frank`s mother`s house for thanksgiving lunch. Frank rings the doorbell and his mom answers the door.
"Happy thanksgiving!" she exclaims as she pulls her son into a tight hug.
"Happy thanksgiving." they say in return. She carefully looks over Molly before speaking.
"Nice to see you again." Molly couldn't help but feel a tinge of cold shoulder.

They walk into the house and say hello to Frank's father and brother then head into the kitchen to find Hannah.
"Hey Hannah." Frank says going to hug her.
"Hi, Frank. Molly." she says smiling.
"I''m going to the washroom." Frank murmurs before leaving the room.

"Oh god Molly." Hannah explains in a fit of panic.
"What? What's wrong."
"I think I burned the soup!" she hisses as she points to the pot on the stove.
"Oh well, then we don't have soup." Molly says shrugging, "They'll understand."
"No, that's the one thing Linda put me in charge of." she says, still panicking.
"Does she become the devil at thanksgiving or something because I swear I think she gave me the cold shoulder."
"Yeah, she is." Hannah whispers, "This is like, Linda transforms into Martha Stewart day!"
"Uhoh." Molly says as she lifts the lid of the soup pot, "Wait, but why is she cold shouldering me? I haven't messed anything up yet."
"Well, Brian and Frank only bring serious girlfriends to thanksgiving."
"Oh." Molly says feeling very happy that Frank thinks of her as a serious girlfriend, "But, why is that bad?"
"I don't know," Hannah says shyly, "Maybe, she doesn't think you're good enough for her baby." Molly pouts slightly as she takes a sip of the soup."
"The soup tastes fine."
"Really? You're not just saying that?" Hannah asks taking a sip for herself.
"Dead serious, its good."

"So, what's up?" Frank asks walking back into the room.
"We saved the soup." Hannah announces proudly.
"Umm okay." Frank says furrowing his eyebrows, "Oh wait, my mom put you in charge of soup, didn't she?"
"Yeah." Hannah sighs.
"Yeah, she put me in charge of soup when I was like fourteen and I put to much salt hence ruining thanksgiving that year."

"How's the soup going?" Linda asks bustling into the kitchen then opening the oven to check the roasting ham.
"Good."
"Are Gerard and Ray still coming?" she asks.
"Yeah."

"Hey Frank!" Brian yells across the house.
"Yeah!"
"Come here!"
"Why?"
"Just go!" Linda says rolling her eyes. Frank heads out of the kitchen, leaving Molly feeling very uneasy, at least Hannah is with her.
"So can I help with anything?" Molly asks to be polite, but is secretly hoping Linda says no.
"Can you start chopping vegetables for the salad?" Molly nods and heads over to the fridge. She gathers the vegetables then brings them to the counter.

"So, won't your family be missing you for thanksgiving?" Linda asks as Molly starts to wash the vegetables.
"Well, we don't really celebrate thanksgiving, well besides, Canadian thanksgiving is in October."
"Oh," Linda says nodding, "Why don't you celebrate?"
"Well its not as big a thing back home, no parades or anything." Molly says casually, "Besides, my sister and I started boycotting thanksgiving when we were younger because it celebrated the control of the natives." Hannah bites her lower lip and shakes her head at Molly. Then Molly realizes what she said is really going to offend Linda.
"Well, I don't look at it that way," Linda says coldly, "I think its nice to take a day to be thankful for all we have."
"Fair enough." Molly says dying to spill her views on the holiday, but keeps repeating to herself that it's an inapropriate time.

The doorbell rings and they hear George answer is, moments later, Gerard and Ally enter the kitchen.
"Hey Gerard!" Molly says excitedly, someone to take the attention off her.
"Hey Mol." he says with a slight laugh, "Everyone, this is Ally."
"Nice to meet you Ali." Linda says in a very friendly voice, "Its about time Gerard brings someone to thanksgiving dinner."
"Oh." Ali blushes.
"Mikey, says he's sorry he can't make it this year." Gerard informs, "They're going to Alisha's parents."
"Talking about parents, how are yours?"
"Oh, they're good." Gerard says plucking a piece of red pepper from the salad bowl, "They're off in Miami right now."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Mikey and I sent them on vacation for their anniversary present." he says taking another piece of pepper and popping it into his mouth.
"I'm not afraid to chop off your finger if you do that again." Molly warns jokingly. Gerard grins evilly and takes one final piece of pepper and popping it into his mouth.
"Linda!" he whines, "Molly's being mean to me." Ali snorts with laughter.

"Hey, look what I found!" Brian calls across the basement.
"More spiders?" Frank says sarcastically as he goes over to where his brother is crouched over a couple of boxes.
"Nah," he laughs, "Nintendo." in the box were the ancient game systems, the original nintendo and super nintendo along with a good number of games.
"Sweet." Frank laughs, "Duck Hunt!" he picks up the plastic pistol and clicks it a couple of times.
"Let's see if they still work." Brian says picking up the box.
"Didn't we come down here to find your old Nirvana t-shirt?"
"Umm." Brian says glancing around, "We'll ask Mom if she knows where it is." with that Brian dashes up the stairs with his younger brother not far behind.

DING DONG!
"Get the door!" Linda calls. Frank turns on spot and opens the door to see Ray and Christa.
"Hey man, you'll never guess what we just found!" he says excitedly.
"What?" Ray asks cocking an eyebrow.
"The old nintendo systems."
"Awesome!" Ray says excitedly high fiving his fellow guitarist.
"Do you guys have Duck Hunt?" Christa asks, its the only video game in the world that she's actually good at.
"Yeah."
"Sweet, I'm gonna beat all your asses." she grins.

By the time they get into the living room, Gerard, Ali, Hannah and Molly are all there waiting for Brian to set up the first game system.
"I remember you guys saved up your money for like a year to buy that Super Nintendo." George comments, "Even then I had to chip in fifty bucks."
"Nintendo first, Super Nintendo after supper." Gerard pipes up.

Linda joins everyone in the living room to see what the hype is all about.
"You all have your video games at home and you come here to play more?" she says shaking her head.
"Yeah, but its like playstation and x-box, this is nintendo, its classic." Brian exclaims as he flicks on the TV.

"I guess these systems are a little before your time." she says to Molly. Molly could hardly believe Linda had just said that to her, she comes to realize, Linda thinks of her as a tart.
"No actually." Molly replies firmly, "I used to play Super Nintendo all the time with my neighbors, Super Mario marathons actually."
"Oh." she says quietly.
"And my cousins had the original nintendo, I loved the Little Mermaid game."
"My bad." she says walking away, George must've overheard because he starts shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Its working!" Brian exclaims, "Frank and I get first game!" The two brothers head it off in the extremely old school racing game. The game wins, leaving Brian the winner and Frank goes over to Molly.

"I think you mom hates me." she whispers.
"What? Why?" he asks furrowing her eyebrows.
"She's been giving me the cold shoulder since we got here."
"Its thanksgiving, didn't you hear, she turns into Martha Stewart."
"I think its because well, of my age." she says rolling her eyes.
"She'll warm up to you," Frank sighs, "Eventually."
"Yeah, I guess."

"Molly! Play me!" Ali demands as she holds out one of the square controllers.
"Just have fun, " Frank says calmly, "Forget about the cold shoulder, Hannah went through it too." Molly nods and steps foward and accepts Ali's challenge.

"Dinner's ready!" Linda announces right in the middle of Christa and Ray's game. Everyone gathers around the table where there's a bowl of soup at every place setting.
"C'mon, let's eat, I'm starved." George says and everyone sits down and starts devouring the soup. After everyone's done with the soup, Molly helps Linda clear the bowls.
"Don't stack them in the sink!" Linda exclaims, Molly has a silent freak out at Linda grabs the bowls away from her.
"Linda, for fuck's sakes they're just bowls!" George yells, "And how the flipping hell is Molly supposed to know that you hate sink dishes?" Both Brian and Frank simultaneously put their heads in their hands. Molly quietly goes back to her seat next to Frank as tension builds at the table.

"So Ray, how's that signature guitar coming along?" Gerard asks breaking the silence.
"Pretty good, they took all the measurments and . . ." Ray trails off as the conversations started bustling again.
"I'm - so - sorry." Molly whispers to Frank as everyone starts serving themselves food.
"Its not your fault, they're divorced for a reason." He mumbles as he scoops mashed potato into his plate.

"There's a lot of dressing on the salad." Linda states midway through the meal.
"Its fine." Frank says, almost angrily.
"The salad is great," George says firmly, "Usually there's not near enough dressing."
"Thank you." Molly says meekly.
"Oh yeah, Hannah, the soup was delicious too." the older man smiles, "Gerard, can you pass the gravy, the turkey's really dry." A sour looks crosses Linda's face but everyone chooses to ignore it.

"Boys." George says after everyone's done eating, "ladies cooked, we clear."
"Watch, watch, watch." Gerard says laughing, "I'll use my mind." he puts his index fingers to his temples and starts to hum. Ray whacks him upside the head.
"You don't have telepathy dumbass." Ray laughs as he picks up a couple of plates.

"Oh shit." Linda sighs from the fridge, "I forgot to get whip cream." she looks over the people sitting at the table, "Frank, Brian, can you run out and get some?" Both sons know this is more of a demand than a question.
"Yeah sure." Brian says as they get up. Frank bends over to whisper in Molly's ear.
"If you get in trouble hide behind Gerard, he'll know what to do." Molly can't help but smile.

"So," Brian says as they walk briskly down the street, "You brought Molly to meet Mom as the devil incarnate, it must be pretty serious."
"Yeah," Frank nods, "What can I say, I'm in love."
"Are ya gonna marry her anytime soon?"
"Nah," the younger of the two says shrugging.
"Oh," Brian says biting his lower lip, "Why's that?"
"She's only ninteen." Frank clears his throat uneasily.
"Oh, so she's just a . . .a . . .a ride?"
"No! That came out wrong." Frank mutters, "I meant like she probably wouldn't be up for it. I'm not going rush her. I'm happy how things are right now."
"Uhh okay."
"Well actually, I don't really like the idea of being in seperate countries. If we were to get married then one of us would have to move and we both have our bands so-"
"Shut up!" Brian says laughing as they get to the corner store, "Man, you can ramble." Frank smiles cheekily as he pulls open the door and they step inside, "I get it, you love her, but you're both too immature for a commitment."
"I'm not immature." Frank pouts as they head for the dairy fridge.
"Yeah you are." Brian chuckles, "You never grew up."
"I got pubes that beg to differ." he says pervertedly.
"Don't talk about anything sexual when we're buying whip cream, its already raunchy enough." Brian laughs as he plucks a can of whip cream off the shelf, "And i was talking about growing up mentally you dip shit."
"Yeah, I know." Frank grins, "But I also know how much you hate talking about pubes."
"God man, that's exactly what I'm talking about." Brian says placing the whip cream on the counter at the till, "I mean, you've got the band so you've never had to get a real job and suck it up to be an adult."
"It's not all peaches and cream." Frank protests.
"Two-fifty." the cashier says. Brian reaches into his pocket to get his wallet.
"I know its not." Brian says handing the cashier a five dollar bill, "But its not the same as an office job."
"And remind me again what an office job has to do with marriage." Frank replies as the cashier gives the change to his brother.
"Its not so much the office job as your whole lifestyle, it keeps you a teenager." he mumbles, as he snatches the bag off the counter, "Molly's not going to get much more mature, just like you're not either. I mean, unless you have a kid, there's nothing you really need to be mature about." they head out of the store and back home.
"A kid?" Frank furrows his eyebrows, "Hold the phone."
"Its just an example Frankie." Brian says rolling his eyes, "Forget I said anything."

They get home and the table is all set up with dessert. Three pies, chocolate cake, and fruit salad along with a pot of coffee. Frank peels off his jacket and slithers into his seat next to Molly.
"So did you have to hide behind Gerard?" he teases.
"No, actually," she laughs, "I was having a nice chat with Hannah, we're going shopping tomorrow."
"Eww." Frank says childishly.
"No you, just me and her."
"Oh." he says quietly, "What am I supposed to do then?"
"I dunno, hang out with G-unit." Molly teases.
"No!" Gerard says pointing at Molly, "Not that again!" Molly and Alison burst out laughing and even Linda has a smile on her face.
"What's going on?" Frank asks feeling left out.
"Oh man, you missed a killer." Ray laughs as Gerard starts pouting slightly, "Right so we were talking about Warson and out of no where Gerard says, I ought to bust a cap in his ass."
"With the gangsta accent and everything." Molly adds in, "So he is dubbed G-unit."
"Fuck you." Gerard mutters.
"Language!" Linda scolds as George rolls with laughter in his chair.

"More video games!" Ray exclaims raising his hands in the air after every scrap of dessert has been devoured.
"Have enough sugar?" Christa laughs as everyone except Linda and George make their way to the living room. Frank is first to get to the sofa so Gerard leaps on top of him.
"Dogpile!" Gerard calls out.
"Get off my boy toy G-unit!" Molly calls as she piles on top of the two of them.
"I'm no boy toy." Frank cries out from the bottom of the pile.
"Sure you are." Ray says as he sits on Gerard's shoulders and so his butt in his face. Christa leaps to the top of the pile practically knocking Molly off it.

"Looky here Hannah, we get first game." Brian says as he and Hannah sit down in front of the TV taking hold of the game padels.
"Hey!" Ray exclaims as he clambers from the pile of tangled limbs followed shortly by Christa, "No fair!"
"Is Frankie still alive?" George asks walking into the room and sitting on the lazy-boy chair.
"Yeah." Frank says gasping slightly.
"Alrighty then." he says as he takes a sip from the beer bottle in his hand.
"Gerard, get your fat ass off me!" Frank exclaims, Molly climbs off the pile and pulls Gerard off. Gerard lays on the floor pretending to be dead but everyone pretty much ignores him. Frank looks over at his father, "I could go for a beer."
"Me too." Brian says distracted with the video game he's currently losing to his wife, "Bring me one."
"Like hell." Frank snickers.
"Bitch."
"Skank."
"Boys!" Linda calls from the kitchen, "Honestly, its a holiday, give it a rest."
"G-unit." Ray snickers and everyone chuckles to Gerard's dismay.

Molly sits on the couch and watches the game on TV.
"Hey listen." George says getting her attention, "My ex-wife is a bit of a nut-job."
"Umm."
"I know she said some stuff to you, but don't take any of it personally." he says casually, "Even Hannah was put through hell and she's not even a raging punk."
"I think its more of an age issue." Molly mumbles.
"Well, that's messed up, Linda and I have a seven year age difference."

"Eeeee!" Frank says sliding down between Molly and the back of the sofa, his legs on either side of her body, he hands her a bottle of coke.
"Thanks." she says as she shifts so they're both more comfortably, Frank rests his chin on her shoulder so he can see the TV.
"I spiked it." he whispers into her ear. She took a sip and just as promised the taste of rum and coke flowed down her thoat. Frank takes a few long gulps from his beer before kissing Molly's neck.

Alison crosses the living room and sits on Gerard's stomach.
"Ouf." he says laughing, "I'm vibrating."
"Hmm?" Alison says shifting to sit on the floor. Gerard reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone.
"Yellow? . . . .yeah we're still here . . . .Frank and Brian found their old nintendo systems . . . .yeah, its wicked awesome . . . we ate all the dessert though . ..yeah okay . .. bye."
"Who was it boy-o?" George asks as Gerard sits up and leans against the couch pulling Alison close to him.
"Mikey, he said he's gonna drop by with Alicia."

"Awe no." Ray groans, "He's gonna hog the nintendo."
"Ray, how old are you again?" George teases.
"Uhh, sixteen?" Ray laughs as he grabs the nintendo remote from Brian, Christa grabs the other from Hannah.
"Oh, is this couples nintendo?" Linda asks walking into the room.
"Apparently so." George says glancing from couple to couple who are all cozied up together, "We're the only singles this year."

DING DONG! Linda gets up from her seat to get the door.
"Mikey! Alicia!" she says happily, "I'm so glad you two came after all." There's a murmur of small talk exchanged then Mikey and Alicia come into the living room.
"Greetings earthlings." Mikey says in an alien voice.

"Oh Molly, you're here." Alicia says happily, "so how's your band going?"
"At the moment things are pretty uneventful," Molly says casually, "But we're going into the studio again sometime in March."
"Awesome."
"Are you still up for recording some stuff with us."
"You just call me up whenever you're ready to record and I'll be there."

"Hello brother-in-law." she says to Gerard, "Keeping out of trouble."
"Fat chance." he laughs.
"Oh yeah, he's called G-unit now." Ray says laughing.
"Really? Why?" Mikey asks with a laugh of amusement.
"Something along the lines of your brother threatening to bust a cap in Warson's ass." Frank says grinning.
"G-unit, g-unit." Mikey raps in a horrible gangsta impression.
"Oh god, please don't do that again." Christa laughs.
"You're just jealous babe, cause I'm hot stuff." Mikey continues with the gangsta voice.
"G-unit and G-you-not." Molly teases, "A brotherly crew of unlikely super-villians."
"Spreading evil in the form of really bad break dancing." Ray adds in slapping his thigh.

"Hey, hey, hey." Frank says calming everyone, "That's enough."
"Thank you." Gerard says rolling his eyes.
"If they wanna break dance together, that's there business." he adds on getting a double dose of the Way death glare.
"Sometimes I wonder if all that touring has rotted your brains." Linda says laughing.
"Nah, it was just the first tour." Ray yawns, "When we all got pneumonia or something close to it."