Everyone Learns Faster On Fire
Chapter 11: 15th June 2004
Gerard pressed the button labelled with number 6 on the intercom, and waited for a response, tapping his foot to the tune of one of the new songs he had just perfected.
It had been over a week since the fire, and Gerard had made a full recovery, both physically and emotionally. Everyone had been so kind. He had his family running around after him like he was a prince, all waiting on his every need. It felt great to have first choice of whatever TV show he wanted to watch, for a change. But now the scrapes had healed and he was feeling restless and fed up at home, so he decided to take a trip out of the house and visit Frank to see how he was doing.
It seemed that Frank had been awfully uninvolved with him recently, ever since the morning after the fire. He had not been replying to any of Gerard’s messages or voicemails, and it seemed that every time he got through on the phone, Jamia announced that he was in the shower, sleeping, or some other place meaning he was unable to take his call. It wasn’t like Frank to be acting like this. He usually called a few times a week to catch up with Gerard if they hadn’t been seeing each other for a while, but for some reason he had not made a single phone call. Gerard sincerely hoped he hadn’t done anything to upset him.
The intercom crackled and he heard the recognisable voice belonging to Frank’s girlfriend echo through the little speaker.
“Hey Jamia, it’s Gerard.” He announced. “Can I come up?”
“Sure thing.” He heard her reply and instantly heard the buzz of the secure door becoming unlocked. He pushed the door and made his way up the staircase to the couple’s apartment on the second floor, passing their neighbour, Mrs Crabbe the nosy old lady, on the way. Jamia was standing at the door of number 6 and smiling welcomingly.
“Hey Gerard!” She said, leading him into the living room which was situated off the right of the hallway. “Maybe you can cheer Frankie up. He’s been a bit moody lately. He‘s acting like a girl with PMS!” She giggled and left them to talk.
Frank was sitting stretched out on the leather sofa, wearing a pair of baggy tracksuit bottoms and a faded t-shirt. His eyes were focused on the television in the corner, watching something on cartoon network.
“Oh, hi Gerard.” He said distractedly when he noticed another presence in the room, barely taking his eyes away from the T.V. set.
“Hey buddy, I was just coming to see how you are.” Gerard said, sitting himself down where Frank’s feet had been previously. “I kinda haven’t spoken to you in a while.”
There was a long silent pause before the younger man replied. “Yeah…how have you been?”
“Great thanks. How about you?”
“…Alright.”
Why was this conversation so uneasy? Frank seemed to be distracted by something. Usually when they both got together, the jokes were flowing and they acted like brothers. But this had all seemed to change. Gerard wanted to know what was going on with his friend.
He got up from the sofa and began pacing around the carpeted room like he was thinking of an intense battle plan.
“Listen Frank, am I supposed to have done something wrong?” Gerard began pouring his heart out. “You won’t reply to my messages, phone calls, emails, whatever! Have I said or done something to upset you? Because if I have, then let me know and I’ll sort it out.”
“No, you haven’t done anything…I guess I’ve just been a little busy lately.” Frank shrugged.
Gerard found this hard to believe. After all, he was staring at a man lounging around in his living room - not exactly a taxing activity. “You don’t seem too busy. Lazing about in your pyjamas and watching kids’ TV shows isn’t what I call busy!”
Frank looked down at his outfit timidly. “These are not my pyjamas.” He mumbled almost inaudibly. He got up from the sofa awkwardly and became suddenly transfixed with the carpet.
Gerard instantly felt bad. Maybe there was something that was seriously bothering his friend. Maybe it wasn’t just a case of being to lazy to pick up the phone. Gerard had a painful feeling that it was something to do with him. Maybe the way Frank would not even do so much as look at him gave it away. He walked across the room and put his hand on Frank’s shoulder. He could have sworn that he felt the younger man flinch slightly, but ignored it.
“Frank, I want to sort this out. Whatever has come between us….I don’t want it to be there anymore.” Gerard explained softly. “We start touring next week. I want to sort it out before then. For the good of the band and ourselves.”
Then Frank did something rather unexpected. His hazel eyes looked deeply into Gerard’s before he stood on the tips of his toes and kissed him on the forehead. Frank smiled warmly and nodded.
Feeling rather bemused, Gerard left the apartment a few minutes later, feeling that he had seen his friend in a whole new light. A new chapter in his life had started.
It had been over a week since the fire, and Gerard had made a full recovery, both physically and emotionally. Everyone had been so kind. He had his family running around after him like he was a prince, all waiting on his every need. It felt great to have first choice of whatever TV show he wanted to watch, for a change. But now the scrapes had healed and he was feeling restless and fed up at home, so he decided to take a trip out of the house and visit Frank to see how he was doing.
It seemed that Frank had been awfully uninvolved with him recently, ever since the morning after the fire. He had not been replying to any of Gerard’s messages or voicemails, and it seemed that every time he got through on the phone, Jamia announced that he was in the shower, sleeping, or some other place meaning he was unable to take his call. It wasn’t like Frank to be acting like this. He usually called a few times a week to catch up with Gerard if they hadn’t been seeing each other for a while, but for some reason he had not made a single phone call. Gerard sincerely hoped he hadn’t done anything to upset him.
The intercom crackled and he heard the recognisable voice belonging to Frank’s girlfriend echo through the little speaker.
“Hey Jamia, it’s Gerard.” He announced. “Can I come up?”
“Sure thing.” He heard her reply and instantly heard the buzz of the secure door becoming unlocked. He pushed the door and made his way up the staircase to the couple’s apartment on the second floor, passing their neighbour, Mrs Crabbe the nosy old lady, on the way. Jamia was standing at the door of number 6 and smiling welcomingly.
“Hey Gerard!” She said, leading him into the living room which was situated off the right of the hallway. “Maybe you can cheer Frankie up. He’s been a bit moody lately. He‘s acting like a girl with PMS!” She giggled and left them to talk.
Frank was sitting stretched out on the leather sofa, wearing a pair of baggy tracksuit bottoms and a faded t-shirt. His eyes were focused on the television in the corner, watching something on cartoon network.
“Oh, hi Gerard.” He said distractedly when he noticed another presence in the room, barely taking his eyes away from the T.V. set.
“Hey buddy, I was just coming to see how you are.” Gerard said, sitting himself down where Frank’s feet had been previously. “I kinda haven’t spoken to you in a while.”
There was a long silent pause before the younger man replied. “Yeah…how have you been?”
“Great thanks. How about you?”
“…Alright.”
Why was this conversation so uneasy? Frank seemed to be distracted by something. Usually when they both got together, the jokes were flowing and they acted like brothers. But this had all seemed to change. Gerard wanted to know what was going on with his friend.
He got up from the sofa and began pacing around the carpeted room like he was thinking of an intense battle plan.
“Listen Frank, am I supposed to have done something wrong?” Gerard began pouring his heart out. “You won’t reply to my messages, phone calls, emails, whatever! Have I said or done something to upset you? Because if I have, then let me know and I’ll sort it out.”
“No, you haven’t done anything…I guess I’ve just been a little busy lately.” Frank shrugged.
Gerard found this hard to believe. After all, he was staring at a man lounging around in his living room - not exactly a taxing activity. “You don’t seem too busy. Lazing about in your pyjamas and watching kids’ TV shows isn’t what I call busy!”
Frank looked down at his outfit timidly. “These are not my pyjamas.” He mumbled almost inaudibly. He got up from the sofa awkwardly and became suddenly transfixed with the carpet.
Gerard instantly felt bad. Maybe there was something that was seriously bothering his friend. Maybe it wasn’t just a case of being to lazy to pick up the phone. Gerard had a painful feeling that it was something to do with him. Maybe the way Frank would not even do so much as look at him gave it away. He walked across the room and put his hand on Frank’s shoulder. He could have sworn that he felt the younger man flinch slightly, but ignored it.
“Frank, I want to sort this out. Whatever has come between us….I don’t want it to be there anymore.” Gerard explained softly. “We start touring next week. I want to sort it out before then. For the good of the band and ourselves.”
Then Frank did something rather unexpected. His hazel eyes looked deeply into Gerard’s before he stood on the tips of his toes and kissed him on the forehead. Frank smiled warmly and nodded.
Feeling rather bemused, Gerard left the apartment a few minutes later, feeling that he had seen his friend in a whole new light. A new chapter in his life had started.