Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

My burger tasted like cardboard and my fries were like rubber but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything because my fucking meds made me feel so apathetic. The place was virtually empty except for a man sipping a coffee and reading yesterdays paper. An elderly waitress with a scowl on her face cleaned a table in the back as I listened to the buzz of the lights on the ceiling. I took another bite of my burger, chewed, and swallowed without much thought. I guess the word would be bitter. I felt bitter about the fact that Jamia played Frank like a puppet. As much as he resisted she still pulled his strings. If he wanted to keep his marriage, he had to get rid of me. He was too nice of a person I think. When I knew the real Frank Iero, he was a bubbly, fun-loving, guitar playing kid who loved funny movies and eating skittles. That was a long time ago... now he's grown up and has seen the face of the real world. I took a sip of my Coke and sighed to myself. At least I get to see Alex tomorrow.

Rain pelted the windshield and it reminded me of the first day Frank drove me to live with him. Alex waved us off and it was the start of a new section of my life but turns out I was going backwards. Frank's lips were pursed together and I wonder if he was remembering the cops showing up at his front step with me in tow. The other day where I woke up on someone's lawn. I guess it would make sense to why I thought I was in a field.

"Were here." Frank mumbled as he pulled into the hospitals parking lot. The rain had increased so as we exited his sedan we got instantly drenched. We both ran for the cover of the awning above the entrance. We calmly walked in and straight to the desk.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"We have an appointment with Dr. Andras." Frank spoke. It felt as though I was in trouble and I was going to see the principal.

"Second floor and straight ahead. Its the glassed in area, you cant miss it." she smiled sweetly. It made me feel sick. Revenge picked at his filthy nails and grinned at me. Why did he have fangs now? I sighed and followed Frank towards the elevator where Parade silently motioned us towards. The meds were already wearing off.

The sitting area was relatively nice for a hospital I guess. The glass walls allowed us to look out at the foot traffic and the wooden desk where the nurse sat seemed pleasant... almost calming.

"Dr. Andras will see you now." the nurse beamed over her desk at us.

"Do you want me to come?" Frank asked with concern in his voice. It was like the voice a parent would ask their child on their first walk to school alone.

"It's fine." I mumbled without looking at him. I stood up and walked towards Alex's familiar office. I knocked quietly and I heard a 'come in'. I opened the wooden door and looked inside. Alex was dressed in a black band shirt and a white coat. I assumed she was wearing jeans or something too. She looked up and grinned at me. She got up and strolled over and enveloped me in a hug. I was right about the jeans.

"Hey." I said. I sounded so monotone these days.

"How have you been feeling?" she asked as she pulled out of the hug.

"It's why I'm here isn't it?" I replied bluntly. She seemed slightly taken aback but then gave me a look of pure sympathy.

"What happened Gee?" she walked back and sat at her desk. I took a seat in a big leather chair.

"I went to see my parents and I didn't take my meds because I didn't really want to be..." I hesitated.

"Alone?" Alex finished and I nodded. "Understandable."

"Turns out they disowned me and I can't drive or anything... well I can but I sold my car a while back and i never renewed my license. I didn't have a cell so I had to walk across the city. While I was walking stuff in my mind happened and I found myself in a field surrounded by everyone I knew and they were laughing at me and I was screaming..." I bit my lip. "Revenge said they were going to kill me and I passed out." Alex was writing this down on a pad of paper. "The cops woke me up and turns out I was on someone's lawn. Frank got me out of it by saying it was 'cause of my schizo."

"Which it was, he asked me to write a note of reference and I did." she smiled sadly.

"Nothing much Gee but maybe tell you to take your meds?"

"I took them today but everyone is more noticeable." she sighed. Red was drawing penis's on the photographs behind her desk.

"Stop it Red!" I said sternly. Alex's head snapped up from her writing and turned around. She then looked at me in confusion.

"He was uh... drawing... a penis on your picture..." I looked away in embarrassment.

"Tell your friend its quite alright as long as its invisible."