These Bright Lights Have Always Blinded Me

We walked into my house and said, “Well, here we are. Home sweet home.”

I sat my bags down when I picked them back up. “I’m going to go upstairs and take my stuff,” I said.

“Got it Chelzers,” she replied.

I nodded and went to turn around when I was tackled to the ground. “Ah! Short man!” Ali exclaimed.

I looked to see that it was Frank. “Oh my god Chelsea I missed you. You barely called me while you were over there and I am so grounding you!” he said.

“Ehm Frankie? Can you get off me so I can stand up?” I asked.

“No. I missed my little sister. So suck it,” he replied.

“Frank? That’s called incest,” I replied, “Besides, you’re probably tiny.”

I heard Ali cough. “I am no tiny!” Frank exclaimed.

“Frank, you are very--CHELSEA!! ALI!!” Gerard said before walking over, “Frank get off her so I can hug her!”

“That’s what he said,” Max said.

Frank sighed. “Fine. Ruin my fun,” he said before letting me get up. Gerard wrapped his arms around me in a hug and spun me around.

“Gee! Stop!” I said laughing.

“What the hell?!” Max exclaimed, “We try the whole fucking tour to make her smile, failing in the process, and you guys have so much of an easy time doing so?! What the fuck?!”

“Dude Maxi,” I said as Gerard stopped hugging me, “they’ve known me forever practically. It’s inevitable that they can get me to smile.”

He shrugged. “Oh well. I will get you to smile,” he said, “Just you wait.”

I smiled. “Dude! I freaking rock!” Max said smiling.

“Psh,” Craig, Monte, and Robert said.

I shook my head when I saw Bill. “Frank, where did you put the--Chella!” he said when he saw me.

He walked over to me and hugged me. “I missed you Chella,” he said.

“I missed you, too Billa,” I said when we stopped hugging and he went to hug Ali, “Okay, for the ones who don’t know, this is Craig, Max, Monte (who’s PMS-ing), and Robert. Guys, you know everyone, I think, except Bill.”

“I am not PMS-ing Chelsuh,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “Well, I’m taking my junk upstairs. I’ll be back,” I said.

A round of okays was heard as I walked upstairs. I walked into my room and sat my bags on my bed and looked around my room to see that something was missing. What was missing though, I have no clue.

I thought about it for a second when I realized what it was. I looked on my wrist and saw my bracelet missing. Okay. I wore it in. Where did it go?

I checked my pockets and double checked them. Hmmm. Maybe it’s downstairs on the ground. I’ll go check.

I walked out of my room and to the landing to not see anything shiny on the ground. I saw everyone standing around when I yelled, “Frankie?”

“What Chelsea?” he asked.

“Have you seen my bracelet? It fell off my wrist or something?” I asked.

“Which one?” Frank asked.

“The one that I got for my sixteenth birthday,” I replied.

His eyes widened. “You still have that bracelet?” he asked.

I nodded. “I was wearing it and now I can’t find it,” I replied.

He turned to everyone else, Max, Robert, and Monte wide-eyed as well, and said something to them before walking up the stairs and to me. “Chelsea, what are you doing keeping that?” he asked.

“It’s pretty,” I replied, half-lying.

He sighed. “You realized who gave it to you, right?” he asked.

“Yeah. But that was before he changed damn it,” I said, “Now do you know where it is?”

“Maybe he didn’t change. Maybe he was always like that. Just behind closed doors to you,” he replied.

“Well, he wasn’t like that to me. At first. Now do you have it and, if so, can I have it back?” I asked.

Frank stuck his hands in his pockets before walking off. “Franklin Anthony Thomas Iero Jr. get back here!” I said, “I want my bracelet back!”

“You don’t need it,” he replied up the stairs.

“Need what?” Monte asked.

“If it is what I think it is, which I know it is because I rock like that, you should just give it back to her. It keeps her…well, somewhat sane,” Max said.

“Gee. Thanks Max,” I said.

“Anytime suga,” he replied.

I walked downstairs. “Frankie?” I asked, “Can I please have my pretty, shiny bracelet back?”

“I’m confused,” Bill said.

“It’s okay man,” Max said wrapping an arm around Bill’s shoulders, “All you need to know is that Frank took Chelsea’s favorite bracelet, which is her favorite simply because it’s shiny and it was a gift.”

“Ah,” Bill said, “Okay.”

“Frank,” I said getting upset, “I want my bracelet. I won’t wear it anymore. I just want it back. Please.”

“I’ll even make sure that she doesn’t wear it,” Ali said.

Frank sighed. “I really shouldn’t because I don’t like the guy who gave it to you, but you can have it back. I better not see it on you or I will take it and now give it back,” he said before reaching into his pocket and pulling out my bracelet.

He handed me the bracelet and I put it in my pocket, with every intention of putting it on as soon as I was alone. “Thank you Frankie,” I said hugging him.

“No problem,” Frank said hugging me back.

I heard Ali shriek and I saw that Craig had wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and was resting his chin on her shoulder.

I rolled my eyes and stopped hugging Frank just as Mikey walked in. I waved and said, “Hi Mikey!”

He waved back. “Hi Chelsea!” he said before walking over and hugging me. “How was Europe?”

“Eh, okay. The shows were awesome and Craig fell flat on his ass during “10 Miles Wide.” It was hilarious,” I replied.

“Even though you didn’t even crack a smile until Ali made a vagina joke on Max,” Craig said.

I rolled my eyes and stopped hugging Mikey when I noticed something different. “Where did the glasses go?”

“Contacts,” he replied, “What do you think?”

“You look different. But it’s a good different,” Ali replied.

He looked over at her and started to smile when I guess he noticed Craig’s arms around her waist. Uh oh. This isn’t going to be good.

“Ehm, how about ice-cream? Yeah. I want Dairy Queen,” I said, “I haven’t had Dairy Queen since…” I trailed off remembering that I was hanging out with Tom when I last had Dairy Queen.

“Yeah. I’m craving ice-cream,” Craig said.

“I can’t. I have homework to do. I’ll see you guys later,” Mikey said annoyed. He hugged me and left.

“Where’s my hug?!” Ali yelled, “Fucker!”

“Come on,” Frank said, “I want a Blizzard!”

“But I wanted a Mikey hug damn it!” Ali said.

“You can have a Craig hug,” Craig said.

Ali nodded and Craig hugged her from behind. Wow. That sounded really dirty. Tee-hee.

“Okay. Come on and let’s get Dairy Queen!” Gerard said.

I nodded and all nine of us left my house to go to Dairy Queen.