Teeth
Chapter One
Is it normal to worry your trapped in a photograph? I stuffed my icy fingers deeper in my pockets and ducked my head against the cold New Jersey wind. It might not be normal, but it was true. Everyday a single snapshot of my life colored in shades of gray was repeated over and over again. Sometimes it rained, sometimes it was sunny, but it was always gray. Gray, gray, fucking gray.
I started counting my footsteps over the grungy sidewalk, watching my shredded Vans scuff the pavement. One, two, three, four...
Sometimes I worried that this strange pressure building inside of my ribcage was going to expand, causing me to self implode and splatter everyone with gray. That my bones would shatter and skip over the pavement, and the plastic colorful people would pick up the shards and pick their teeth with it.
...thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen...
Or maybe that's just my twisted way of thinking. Maybe I was the only normal person, and everyone else was weird, wrong? But that would be wrong... If everyone was the same and you were different, that would make you wrong wouldn't it?
...twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven...
But wait, there he is. I paused, my feet stuttering their pace over the concrete. On the sidewalk across the road, he stalked along dressed head to toe in black, the ever-present umbrella held aloft over his head.
But of course, it's not raining, and isn't going to.
Even without carrying a black funeral umbrella around, he is strange and kind of eerie. Nobody messes with him. I don't even know his name. His brother, Mikey, even seems to keep his distance.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, then continued walking. Please don't fucking see me, I willed him in my mind. Keeping my head down and my feet quiet, I snuck a look to the other side of the road.
Nothing.
A blackened leaf skittered across the sidewalk in front of me, and the wind whistled emptily. He was gone.
---------------
"Late, late, and late," Mr. Rainey said in a bored tone at the door, pointing to me and two others as we crossed over the threshold into the classroom. "And also late," he added as someone stepped up behind us. I turned to look, and my blood ran cold. Him. I whipped back around nervously.
"Sorry," came the mumble from several mouths, and we were shooed to our seats. I edged my way down the aisle to the back corner, slinging my messenger bag onto the floor and nudging it under my desk with my foot. I slid down onto the hard plastic seat and sighed, grateful for the somewhat stuffy heat of the classroom opposed to the iciness outside. I blew on my hands which were still red from the cold, and glanced at the board. In Mr. Rainey's sprawling print it said: "Quiz chapter 16, read chapter 17, study for chapter 13-16 end of six weeks test."
Shit.
I started shuffling through my bag, pulling out my World Civ. notebook and a pen before sitting up. A blue sheet was passed back onto my desk, and I noted with a falling face that it was a quiz. Big surprise since I just read it on the board. Ah, fuck it.
"Frank Iero?"
I jumped, looking up with a startled expression.
It was just the kid next to me, and he asked with a quizzical look, "Do you have a pencil I can borrow?"
I stared at him for a moment, then shook my head no.
He gave me a lingering look, like he thought I was lying, and turned back around in his seat to ask the girl next to him for something to write with.
I lowered my eyes back to my quiz, and watched it until the print began to blur.
I wonder what they would do if I exploded into a huge firework of gray in the middle of the classroom... I mentally imagined the teacher ducking, the kids crying out in surprise, the strange guy snapping out his umbrella... The strange guy. I surveyed the classroom and spotted him, in the other corner of room. His black umbrella was leaning against his black pant leg, and a coffee thermos was situated in the middle of his desk. He was shockingly pale, like an albino, and the rich black of his shoulder length hair emphasized it.
I watched him for a couple more seconds until his head shifted my way, then I gave my desk my full attention. My quiz still lay blank in front of me, and I flipped it over to draw on the back. I drew a mouth full of teeth, taking my time shading in between each tooth with black pen. I drew a few thin cracks in the teeth, making them blend in with the heavy black. It looked alright in the end, maybe not worth an entire pens' worth of ink. At least it wasn't gray.
-----------
"Will the students that were late today please stay after class." It was a demand, an order. The 'please' was just along for the ride. Mr. Rainey was sitting casually at his desk, but those pink slips next to his right hand gave him away.
I groaned inwardly. The bell had just rang, and everyone else got to flutter cheerfully out the door like free birds. Great.
We all stepped in front of Mr. Rainey's scratched oak desk, but he ignored us while he sorted through some papers. I think that teacher's do that just to make you feel insignificant, like they have enough power to make you wait. It's irritating to say the least.
Finally, he looked up and ran his eyes over each of us before beginning. "Jeremy Spokes," he said, and the tall Indian looking guy with glasses straightened up.
"Yes, sir?"
I laughed inwardly. Mr. Rainey was going to lap up Jeremy's yes sir, no sir routine.
"You've been late here," he paused to consult a sheet of paper, "6 times." He peered at Jeremy through his glasses with that imperial look.
Jeremy just nodded meekly.
"Elvis Chase, also 6 times."
Elvis stared blankly, his longish blond hair looked greasy under the fluorescent lights.
"Frank Iero," he paused to look at the sheet, then had to turn another page, "14 times. Now that's just despicable."
I just shrugged. "I have to walk to school."
Mr. Rainey raised a hand to silence me. "Now, Gerard Way... Well, Gerard takes the cake."
I looked around. Gerard? Gerard who--
Oh.
Gerard, i guess, tapped his umbrella on his foot and smirked. "What's the number, boss?"
"Too much," he responded, frowning. "Now, all of you are staying for a mandatory detention after school today." He glared at all of us. "Don't show up and-" He stopped and made a quick cutting motion at his throat "-your toast."
He waved us out then, warning us to get to our classes before the tardy bell. I rolled my eyes and started towards art.
---------
"And you can't hang out why?" My best and only friend Quinn asked, looking disappointed.
I sighed. "Because of 'mandatory detention' with Mr. Pain in the ass." I felt bad on not getting to walk home with Quinn, but I didn't feel like provoking Mr. Rainey. Quinn himself was the only guy I knew that was as short as me. With bleached blond hair and a rebel attitude, he made a perfect friend.
"What time?"
"After school." I glanced at the clock and added, "Which is now." I did a double take and groaned. "Fuck! As in right now. I'll call you later," I called hurriedly, already starting down the hall.
"211, 213, 215," I mumbled, the door numbers sliding past as I picked up the pace. "221, 223..." I slowed and swung open the door triumphantly, only a mere 30 seconds late. I realized my haste was for nothing as I entered the room, noting only that Gerard and his umbrella were present.
"Where is everyone?" I muttered, dropping down in a seat in the back.
Gerard ignored me, watching the gray clouds shift outside warily. He reached for his coffee thermos without looking and tossed back a mouthful of whatever, shooting me a dangerous look as he did so.
I just raised an eyebrow at him and looked away, deciding the white walls covered in inspirational and educational posters was my best bet.
Gerard started tapping his umbrella against his chair leg, the tick, tick, tick much like the twitch of an irritable cat's tail.
I stretched.
He tapped.
I yawned.
He glared.
Where the fuck is everyone?
I stared at Gerard, wondering if he'd kick my ass for asking if we should leave or not.
He spoke first. "Why the fuck do you keep staring at me?" He snapped, looking pissed.
I jumped in surprise, taken aback. "Why the fuck do you carry an umbrella?" I blurted, then flinched, instantly wanting to take it back.
His eyes bulged slightly and his pale lips were drawn into a tight line. "For rain dumbass," he growled, his cold dark eyes tearing holes through me.
"It's not raining," my stupid mouth pointed out, and I screamed inwardly. Why?! Now I'm going to discover if I really do bleed gray...
"I don't like sun either," he snarled, and twisted back around in his seat.
CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, his umbrella went, sounding like a tiger's tail pounding on a piano.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair causing it to rear up on its back legs. Should I leave?
Then something strange happened....
I started counting my footsteps over the grungy sidewalk, watching my shredded Vans scuff the pavement. One, two, three, four...
Sometimes I worried that this strange pressure building inside of my ribcage was going to expand, causing me to self implode and splatter everyone with gray. That my bones would shatter and skip over the pavement, and the plastic colorful people would pick up the shards and pick their teeth with it.
...thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen...
Or maybe that's just my twisted way of thinking. Maybe I was the only normal person, and everyone else was weird, wrong? But that would be wrong... If everyone was the same and you were different, that would make you wrong wouldn't it?
...twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven...
But wait, there he is. I paused, my feet stuttering their pace over the concrete. On the sidewalk across the road, he stalked along dressed head to toe in black, the ever-present umbrella held aloft over his head.
But of course, it's not raining, and isn't going to.
Even without carrying a black funeral umbrella around, he is strange and kind of eerie. Nobody messes with him. I don't even know his name. His brother, Mikey, even seems to keep his distance.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, then continued walking. Please don't fucking see me, I willed him in my mind. Keeping my head down and my feet quiet, I snuck a look to the other side of the road.
Nothing.
A blackened leaf skittered across the sidewalk in front of me, and the wind whistled emptily. He was gone.
---------------
"Late, late, and late," Mr. Rainey said in a bored tone at the door, pointing to me and two others as we crossed over the threshold into the classroom. "And also late," he added as someone stepped up behind us. I turned to look, and my blood ran cold. Him. I whipped back around nervously.
"Sorry," came the mumble from several mouths, and we were shooed to our seats. I edged my way down the aisle to the back corner, slinging my messenger bag onto the floor and nudging it under my desk with my foot. I slid down onto the hard plastic seat and sighed, grateful for the somewhat stuffy heat of the classroom opposed to the iciness outside. I blew on my hands which were still red from the cold, and glanced at the board. In Mr. Rainey's sprawling print it said: "Quiz chapter 16, read chapter 17, study for chapter 13-16 end of six weeks test."
Shit.
I started shuffling through my bag, pulling out my World Civ. notebook and a pen before sitting up. A blue sheet was passed back onto my desk, and I noted with a falling face that it was a quiz. Big surprise since I just read it on the board. Ah, fuck it.
"Frank Iero?"
I jumped, looking up with a startled expression.
It was just the kid next to me, and he asked with a quizzical look, "Do you have a pencil I can borrow?"
I stared at him for a moment, then shook my head no.
He gave me a lingering look, like he thought I was lying, and turned back around in his seat to ask the girl next to him for something to write with.
I lowered my eyes back to my quiz, and watched it until the print began to blur.
I wonder what they would do if I exploded into a huge firework of gray in the middle of the classroom... I mentally imagined the teacher ducking, the kids crying out in surprise, the strange guy snapping out his umbrella... The strange guy. I surveyed the classroom and spotted him, in the other corner of room. His black umbrella was leaning against his black pant leg, and a coffee thermos was situated in the middle of his desk. He was shockingly pale, like an albino, and the rich black of his shoulder length hair emphasized it.
I watched him for a couple more seconds until his head shifted my way, then I gave my desk my full attention. My quiz still lay blank in front of me, and I flipped it over to draw on the back. I drew a mouth full of teeth, taking my time shading in between each tooth with black pen. I drew a few thin cracks in the teeth, making them blend in with the heavy black. It looked alright in the end, maybe not worth an entire pens' worth of ink. At least it wasn't gray.
-----------
"Will the students that were late today please stay after class." It was a demand, an order. The 'please' was just along for the ride. Mr. Rainey was sitting casually at his desk, but those pink slips next to his right hand gave him away.
I groaned inwardly. The bell had just rang, and everyone else got to flutter cheerfully out the door like free birds. Great.
We all stepped in front of Mr. Rainey's scratched oak desk, but he ignored us while he sorted through some papers. I think that teacher's do that just to make you feel insignificant, like they have enough power to make you wait. It's irritating to say the least.
Finally, he looked up and ran his eyes over each of us before beginning. "Jeremy Spokes," he said, and the tall Indian looking guy with glasses straightened up.
"Yes, sir?"
I laughed inwardly. Mr. Rainey was going to lap up Jeremy's yes sir, no sir routine.
"You've been late here," he paused to consult a sheet of paper, "6 times." He peered at Jeremy through his glasses with that imperial look.
Jeremy just nodded meekly.
"Elvis Chase, also 6 times."
Elvis stared blankly, his longish blond hair looked greasy under the fluorescent lights.
"Frank Iero," he paused to look at the sheet, then had to turn another page, "14 times. Now that's just despicable."
I just shrugged. "I have to walk to school."
Mr. Rainey raised a hand to silence me. "Now, Gerard Way... Well, Gerard takes the cake."
I looked around. Gerard? Gerard who--
Oh.
Gerard, i guess, tapped his umbrella on his foot and smirked. "What's the number, boss?"
"Too much," he responded, frowning. "Now, all of you are staying for a mandatory detention after school today." He glared at all of us. "Don't show up and-" He stopped and made a quick cutting motion at his throat "-your toast."
He waved us out then, warning us to get to our classes before the tardy bell. I rolled my eyes and started towards art.
---------
"And you can't hang out why?" My best and only friend Quinn asked, looking disappointed.
I sighed. "Because of 'mandatory detention' with Mr. Pain in the ass." I felt bad on not getting to walk home with Quinn, but I didn't feel like provoking Mr. Rainey. Quinn himself was the only guy I knew that was as short as me. With bleached blond hair and a rebel attitude, he made a perfect friend.
"What time?"
"After school." I glanced at the clock and added, "Which is now." I did a double take and groaned. "Fuck! As in right now. I'll call you later," I called hurriedly, already starting down the hall.
"211, 213, 215," I mumbled, the door numbers sliding past as I picked up the pace. "221, 223..." I slowed and swung open the door triumphantly, only a mere 30 seconds late. I realized my haste was for nothing as I entered the room, noting only that Gerard and his umbrella were present.
"Where is everyone?" I muttered, dropping down in a seat in the back.
Gerard ignored me, watching the gray clouds shift outside warily. He reached for his coffee thermos without looking and tossed back a mouthful of whatever, shooting me a dangerous look as he did so.
I just raised an eyebrow at him and looked away, deciding the white walls covered in inspirational and educational posters was my best bet.
Gerard started tapping his umbrella against his chair leg, the tick, tick, tick much like the twitch of an irritable cat's tail.
I stretched.
He tapped.
I yawned.
He glared.
Where the fuck is everyone?
I stared at Gerard, wondering if he'd kick my ass for asking if we should leave or not.
He spoke first. "Why the fuck do you keep staring at me?" He snapped, looking pissed.
I jumped in surprise, taken aback. "Why the fuck do you carry an umbrella?" I blurted, then flinched, instantly wanting to take it back.
His eyes bulged slightly and his pale lips were drawn into a tight line. "For rain dumbass," he growled, his cold dark eyes tearing holes through me.
"It's not raining," my stupid mouth pointed out, and I screamed inwardly. Why?! Now I'm going to discover if I really do bleed gray...
"I don't like sun either," he snarled, and twisted back around in his seat.
CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, his umbrella went, sounding like a tiger's tail pounding on a piano.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair causing it to rear up on its back legs. Should I leave?
Then something strange happened....