When I Go, Bring Me Back Again

Frank’s POV

I didn’t know if I would be able to face him, up until the moment I had walked through the school doors I thought that I could. But it was a different reality, it was a feeling of the inevitable. I mean it’s not like I could hide away from him forever. So I pulled myself together and went to his locker, waiting for him to show, but like yesterday he didn’t.
“He’s at home.” I looked over at Mikey who stood there staring at the ground.
“I gave him the sketchbook, but I don’t think it changed anything Frank. I’m sorry, I know you didn’t mean anything bad by what happened.” I nodded.
“Is he talking to you?” it had been the first time that I’d talked since I left Gerard yesterday. He was silent for a few moments before sighing.
“Not after I gave him the sketchbook. He wont talk to anyone, I told Mom and Dad about what happened... they’re not upset with you. They’re grateful that you tried to fix things, they think he’s being unreasonable... childish, and he is, but I don’t know... its my brother and he’s always acted that way.” he shrugged.
“Thanks Mikey.” he nodded going to walk away but stopped.
“So does this mean that.... ties between you and my brother are done now?”
“I guess so,” I pushed off the wall and headed to class. The only person on my mind now was Thomas and I prayed like mad that he was here today. After all he had to be, I mean someone as pompous as him would only enjoy sharing his little adventure from yesterday.

My prayers were answered when I walked in and he stood there at his desk with a few people turned to listen to him. Talking with his hands as he smirked, it made me sick. I walked up to him slamming my book down on his desk.
“Iero, man you made it. So did you get to see my work yet? I heard the fag isn’t here today, probably at home crying. But hey, I did a good job.” my fists strained at my side as I glared at him.
“What the fuck is your problem? Remember, I told you I got.” he laughed.
“Don’t you ever lay one fucking hand on him again, do you understand me?” I spat getting in his face, which with my height was a bit hard to do.
“Chill man, what the hell is going on?”
“It wasn’t a damn trick Thomas, it was all fucking real. I left you and the douches you hang out with for a reason. You had to be fucking stupid and go and mess it all up, now he hates me.” he rolled his eyes pushing me back away from him.
“You can cut the crap man,” he laughed shaking his head.
“None of it was crap ok? I fucking love him, is that what you wanted to hear? Huh?” he looked at me, his eyes growing cold.
“So you two were fags together?”
“Yes.” I felt ten time smaller as he stood up, the anger in his eyes looking strangely familiar to Gerard’s. His larger hands shoved me back causing me to stumble into a desk.
“You always been a fag man?” he pushed me again. Standing my ground I shoved him back, which wasn’t nearly as effective because he immediately had me falling backwards knocking over the desk. Falling to the ground he got on top of me and gripped my throat.
“Well then you deserve whatever that fucker got Frank.” I reached out searching for anything as his grip tightened. My breathing came in short gasps and soon my head felt like it was getting heavy. My hand scraped at the ground until I felt a book. With what energy I had I gripped it and swung it towards his head, startling him. He let go and with two hands I beat it into his face just as a teacher walked into the room. I knew it wasn’t our teacher, because I had no idea who this guy was. But all too quickly he had pulled the book from my hands, ending my moment of pay back and yanked Thomas off of me, without so much as a word to the other students who had been chanting the fight on he shoved us to the front office.

Suspended, for six days and I hadn’t even started the damn fight. Why should I have been punished when I was defending myself? Then again I probably could have stopped after the first hit because it had done enough damage. While I escape with only bruising on my neck, Thomas had a broken nose and a busted lip. I never knew a book could do so much damage, schools always worried about weapons and here they were supplying us with them.

I had waited at the school for a good three hours, trying to get a hold of Mom. But with her new hours it was pretty much impossible so when lunch came I just up and walked out. Now I was laying on the couch dreading Mom to come home, and even more dreading what was going to happen in a little over twelve hours. I couldn’t stay here, I couldn’t handle waking up and watching them carry him out again. I got up and walked over to the phone, dialing a familiar number and listened to it ring a few times.
“Hello?” I couldn’t help but smile when I heard her voice.
“Hey grandma... it’s me.”
“Frank? What in the world? Shouldn’t you be in school?” I sat down on the couch leaning into it and sighed.
“No, I got suspended. I’m waiting for Mom to come home and chew me out.”
“What did you do? If it was drugs, then I will personally come down there... and your Grandfather... Frank you know how he is about that.”
“No! Grams... it wasn’t like that. I got into a fight... I didn’t even start it, but I finished it and got suspended because of it.”
“I never liked those boys you hung out with, we told your Mother to not let you hang out with those boys.”
“I know, and besides I don’t hang out with them anymore. They hurt someone special to me and I confronted them about it.” she sighed and I knew she was shaking her head while touching her forehead, Mom did that too and it always made me laugh.
“I was hoping I could come stay with you and Grandpa for a few nights, I haven’t done that in a while and I just need to get away from here.”
“Does your Mother know?”
“No, I tried calling her but you know how she is when it comes to work. Nothing else really seems to exist.”
“I thought she worked nights.”
“Well she normally does, but not this week. She’ll pay for it next week though, she always does when things like this happen. Someone at work is on leave or something, so she took the hours.”
“Your Mother will work herself to death,” I flinched hearing that word.
“Well then, yes, will we be expecting you tonight?”
“Yeah, I’ll leave when she gets home.” I sighed.
“Ok then, well we love you and be careful. Your grandfather will be excited when he hears you’ll be here with us for a while.”
“Where’s he at now?” I laughed.
“Who knows, that old man never stops, I swear. But its one of the reasons why I love him.” she laughed.
“All right, love you grandma, bye.”
“I love you too sweetheart.” I hung up and dropped the phone on the coffee table. I looked out the window seeing their house. I had to do something, anything at all. So I wrote him a letter, I explained as much as a I could but I made sure not to tell him what I wasn’t allowed to. It wasn’t very long, but I didn’t have much to say. Putting it in an envelope I headed out and made my way to his front porch. Knocking on the door I waited and was greeted by a surprised Mr. Way on the other side.
“Frank, what’s going on? Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“Yeah I should. But I uh... was hoping I could try and talk to Gerard for a moment.” he nodded stepping out of the doorway.
“His Mother and I tried talking to him a while ago, pretty much like talking to a brick.” he shrugged. I nodded thanking him and headed downstairs, the packet of paper feeling heavier than normal. I knocked on his door quietly, and pushed it open seeing him at his desk just sitting there.
“Gee?” there was no reply, but I didn’t care. I walked towards him and rested my hand on his shoulder, a bit nervous seeing as my other wrist was still pretty sore.
“I’m not going to hurt you again Frank.” his voice was dry. I nodded knowing he wouldn’t see me and looked at the sketchbook in front of him.
“I just wanted to leave you this.” I laid the envelope on top of it and retracted my hand, fixing his messy hair.
“Are you still jealous?” his voice cracked.
“Jealous of what?”
“You got what you wanted didn’t you? I lost my cool.... I acted out.”
“No, Gerard what you did, I mean.... I guess I expected it.” he just shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter anymore, none of it does.” I frowned rubbing his shoulder and hugged him.
“I know that I can’t change what happened... but please just think of Mikey... he doesn’t deserve to be hurt.” I whispered before kissing the top of his head.
“I love you Gee, I promise I’ll leave you alone.” I pulled away holding back tears knowing that this would be the last time I saw him and forced myself to leave. I said my goodbyes to Mr. Way who was sitting in front of the Tv and walked outside, noticing Mom’s car in the drive way.

She wasn’t exactly the happiest Mom in the world, not waiting for me to shut the door before she started yelling. The moment I had the door knob turned I could hear her. There was the entire threatening of grounding me for life, and she didn’t even know what had happened. I had to sit through almost an hour of ranting before I could even get more than two words in. But when I finally did, I didn’t let up. I told her everything starting with yesterday and until the moment that I walked back into the house. After she knew everything she was more forgiving, but didn’t fail to ground me. It wasn’t hard to talk her into letting me go to my grandparents, she couldn’t wait to see what Grandpa would do to me. If only she knew he wouldn’t so much as raise his voice to me, I was his only grandson and he pretty much worshiped and spoiled me because of it. So while I was upstairs packing a bag she was downstairs calling me a cab, mainly because she was too tired to drive me all the way. It was only about two hours away but she wouldn’t have made the trip back. I don’t know why she just wouldn’t stay there for the night.

After I had changed my things about ten different times I headed back downstairs just as the cab had pulled up, honking to let us know.
“Be careful all right?” she grabbed my shoulders, I nodded looking towards the door.
“Listen to them and call me, I don’t care if you’re with family, you still call. Got it?”
“Yeah Mom, look I gotta go.” she nodded handing me the money and kissed my forehead.
“I love you buddy.”
“Love you too,” I headed out, my eyes passing up the yellow car at the end of the drive and focused on the home across the street. With one last look I got in the taxi, giving him the address and watched as it disappeared from view.
“So, you’re still in school, right kid?” I looked up front and nodded.
“What you doin’ leaving in the middle of the week then?” his eyes darted in the rear view mirror between me and the road in front of him.
“Issues, I got suspended from school.” he nodded.
“I had that happen to me a few times back in school.” I nodded looking out the window. It was quiet after that, an uncomfortable silence that was beginning to annoy me. I rested my forehead on the window watching everything fly past me, my interest sparked when things began to get familiar. It took me a few minutes to recognize where we were, but that’s when I saw the music store. I realized that it’s where Gerard had just taken me for our date. My eyes quickly looking down the streets, searching for the building, but there were too many to actually pick it out. With a sigh I sat back in my seat and stared at the roof of the car getting annoyed with myself. I was a coward for just walking away, leaving Mikey alone when he was going to need me.
“Something eating at yea kid?” I went to look at him to reply but I never got the chance. There was a sudden jolt from the side, the door pushed inward causing pain to shoot up my right ride. The last thing I heard was the sound of squealing tires and the sudden feeling of a seat belt that wasn’t doing its job.