Kissing You Goodbye.

Gerard

I woke up alone and in pain. I just wanted to go home. I just wanted the cancer to be gone. But it wouldn’t go. I would die. I would die sooner than I’d thought. I only had a short time to live. And now I couldn’t even take Frankie to prom. I’d meant to ask him, but I never really had the chance. But I’d be stuck in the hospital now. It was just two weeks before prom. I hoped someone would ask him. I wanted him to be happy, even if it wasn’t with me.

I stared at the clock on the wall. It was almost six a.m. I shot a glance to the calendar on the wall. Everyday that had already passed was checked off. It was Monday. Frank would have to go to school without me. What would happen if David and his friends picked on him and he didn’t have me? Would Mikey intervene? Would they listen to Mikey?

I looked around me. A small silver cell phone lay on the small table next to me. A card was placed under it, with my name in small scribbly writing. Frank’s. I opened it and read through the card. His mother had quickly set up the new phone line on their account just the day before. It was activated and for my use. I opened the small phone, smiling at the background. It was a picture of Frank and me from the night we’d been drunk. His eyes were closed and he was grinning while I kissed his cheek.

Would Frank move on if I died? When I died, that is? What would happen to him? I pushed those thoughts out of my mind, grabbed the phone, and dialed the house number. Both Mikey and my mother should’ve been up by now.

“Hello?” asked a small, quiet, tired voice I knew too well. Frank. I’d woken him up. He’d stayed at my house.

“Frankie?”

“Gerard? Are you alright? Do you need us down there?” he asked. He was definitely worried. I sighed.

“I’m fine. How’re you? Do you want me to talk to my mom or Mikey so you can go back to sleep?” I asked.

“No, no, its fine. I’m fine. I’m just so glad to hear you’re okay. I was so worried yesterday.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. Are you going to school today?” I asked. Frank yawned on the other line.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Just wondering. Hey, Frank, will you promise me something?” I asked, fiddling with my bed sheets.

“Anything, baby.”

“If someone asks you to prom, I want you to go with them.”

“What?” Frank asked on the other line. This time he didn’t sound as tired as he was confused. I bit my lip.

“I was going to take you to prom before I was put in the hospital. Since I can’t go with you, I want you to be happy,” I answered. Frank sighed.

“Gerard, I wasn’t planning on going to prom with anyone but you. No one has asked, and I can’t go without an upperclassman. So I won’t,” Frank answered. I frowned.

“But please, if anyone does, go with them.”

“Okay, Gerard. I love you.”

“I love you too, Frankie. Can you put my mom on?”

“Yeah, hold on.”