I'm the Kind of Human Wreckage That You Love.

Gerard and I offered help with dinner but she kindly declined and told us to just go to his room. We followed her instructions.

“Now you get to meet our mom and dad.” Mikey reiterated, making me jump because I didn’t know he was following us.

“Yeah, I guess so. Will they be okay with me being here?” I took a seat at Gerard’s desk and he started shuffling through his immense music collection

“Yeah, I think so.” Mikey confirmed sitting on Gerard’s bed.

It was at this point I really noticed how much younger Mikey actually was. Only a few years can make the biggest difference in the world. Yet again, he made me smile, just because of his innocence.

“What do they do for a living?”

“Well our mom’s a hairstylist. She works in Irvington. And Dad’s a mechanic in Newark.”

“Neat.”

Gerard snorted a little while still bent over his record box, “Yeah, I guess. If you think living your whole life stuck in the hole that is New Jersey ‘neat’.”



“Hey...” I said, hurt.

“I’m sorry babe, I’m just sort of bitter, they’re getting a divorce.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

“Sooo... what do your parents do?” Mikey inquired, lightening the mood. I would learn he was good at that.

“Oh, um, my mom lives out in California. I never knew my dad.”

“Well, aren’t you guys a lovely little gang of misfits.” Frankie declared bursting through the door, surprising all of us.

“What? Where the hell did you come from?!” I asked.

“Grandma let me in. Oh, and dinner’s ready.”

“Wow, this is like the most random night of my life,” I commented, “I need a cigarette.”

“No smoking in the house, Grandma doesn’t like it.” Mikey informed me.

“Oh, okay.” Gerard and I headed out the side door, but Grandma called him and Mikey upstairs. Leaving Frank and me to step out into the night air.

“So, you guys are getting pretty serious.”

“Yep. It looks like it. Now, how do you know these people and I don’t?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I knew you and Gerard would fall for each other in, like, two minutes, so I just avoided them. You know how selfish I am. I wanted you to be my woman.”

“Haha, Frankie. No, really.”

Frankie gave me a cute little smile before he gazed off into the horizon.

“Mikey’s pretty into the scene. He’s been coming to the Eyeball parties for a while. You meet people, I dont know. I bet you know people I don’t know.”

“Yeah, in California.”

Silence.

“You know, I really did think you and Gerard would, at least, be really good friends.”

“Really?,” I questioned at first, but snapped back into reality with a laugh, “Get that shit outta my face, Frankie, you did not!”

I shoved him a little. Then he shoved me a lot. Then I shoved him a lot and made a wierd scrunched up face at him and he returned an even stranger one at me. We played this little game until Gerard yelled at us to come in.

“Hey, sorry, babe, but our parents are running late. We’re gonna start without ‘em.”

“Okay, thanks, babe.” Frankie joked.

Gerard just looked at me confused.

“I’m sorry... I don’t know, but I think they’re developing medication for whatever he has. But, yeah, it’s okay I’ll meet them another time.”

We all went upstairs and had a very pleasant dinner, mostly filled with Frankie telling random, I’m pretty sure, made up stories. After Gerard and I went downstairs to “say goodbye,” **cough** makeout **cough** and then Frankie and I drove back to my place.

“So-”

“Wait, why are you here again?” I cut off Frankie, which caught him off guard.

“Well, um, I came to find you because last night a couple of the boys got into this huge fuckin’ blowout.”

“What?! What about?”

Frankie gave me a ‘stop-interupting-and-I’ll-tell-you’ look. I mouthed the word ‘Sorry’.

“We’re at Shaun’s house, right? And, well, the fight was about you.”

I opened my mouth to say something but decided against it.

“Tim started running his fucking mouth about you and me. “More-than-friends” bullshit and since we were both drunk I got really angry and punched him. Right in his big mouth.” Frank continued.

“Oh, Frankie...” I looked down.

“We got into it and the rest of the guys had to break us apart, and everyone was really bummed out about Shaun. He’s just been starting unnecessary fucked up shit lately, and we can barely take it anymore. I’m sure all the guys have wanted to do what I did, I just had the opportunity. I know I should have told you what’s been going on, it’s just that it’s kinda guy stuff and we didn’t want to drag you into our brawl bullshit. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. Are you okay?”

“A couple of bruises, but whatev-”

“What he gave you bruises! I’m gonna fuck his ass up!” I vowed, standing up, but Frankie pulled me back down on to the couch.

Frankie could barely contain his laughter as I got up again and began to shadow box and throw out some ninja moves I’ve learned from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I punched him lightly in his side.

“Aw! Ya got me!” He exclaimed while he lifted up his shirt to reveal a day-old bruise.

“Fuck, Frankie. That shit’s gnarly.” I rubbed his ribs and bent over to kiss his side.

“Op! It’s all better! Thank you doctor.” He credited.

I looked up at him with puppy dog eyes full of lament, I should have been there.

“I’ve got some good stuff for bruises.”

“Is it called alcohol?” He guessed excitedly

“No it’s cream, it’ll make that bad ol’ bruise go away in a few days. Now, no more fights! Even if they are over me. What have I told you before?”

“We fight with our words, not with our fists.” Frankie parroted like a little boy being reprimanded. “So what should I do know, doctor?”

“Um, you should put that stuff on, take two Advils, and call me in the morning.” I diagnosed in my doctor voice.

“Okay... I’ll see you in the morning.” Frankie yawned as he surprised me and began heading for my guest room.

“He-, ah, whatever... What are we gonna do tommorrow, Frankie?” I casually commented as I walked into my room across the hall from the guest bedroom.

“I don’t know, something zany, just like every other day.”

“Okay.”

And with that we shut our doors and went to bed.

I was woken up about 3am by a rapping at my front door. I stumbled out of bed in just my underwear and a shirt. I grabbed a pair of sweatpants as I went to open the door. I peeked throught the peephole and saw Gerard, looking nervous and cold.

I decided not to bother with putting my pants on because it was just him and dropped them on the floor, “Now, what are you doing here, babe?” I said opening the door and crossing my arms.

“I’m here for you. Duh.”