Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 6

Frank told Gerard everything. He told him how his parents got him the pills to help him sleep. He told how he just wanted to sleep his life away. Frank told Gerard how he started to take more pills so that he could sleep more, how he could be numb longer. He told him how his whole life fell apart. He told him how he hated that he loved his parents but who didn’t seem to care about their little boy. He told Gerard about the sleepless nights he spent, listening to his parents arguing. He told him how he had taken too many pills and hit his head. He told him how sometimes he wanted to die.
Gerard listened carefully and nodded once in a while, but didn’t speak. He let Frank tell everything he held in his heart.

Frank begged Gerard to help him. He wanted to get better, he wanted to be able to be without the pills, without the desire to sleep or be numb to everything. He wanted to feel joy again. He wanted the pain to stop. He wanted to feel loved, but didn’t want to get hurt.

“Frankie, there are many peple that love you. I’m sure your parents love you, they just don’t know how to show it. Mikey adores you. He thinks you’re the best friend he has ever had. My parents think you’re special” Gerard said and took Frank’s hand in his own.

“I love you” he said to Frank who smiled.

“Thanks, Gee. I love you too”

“No, Frank. I LOVE you. I want to be something more than your friend” Gerard said in a quiet voice. He had fell in love a while ago. He knew Frank was something special. Gerard had never thought he could be gay, but he just fell for Frank Iero.

“I know. And I love you too” Frank said smiling. Frank Iero had fallen in love with Gerard Way too.

Mrs. Iero was a beautiful woman. She had stunning eyes and her face could have belonged to a queen. She had class in her.
Mrs. Iero felt confusion when he opened the and found a strange boy standing behind it.

“Yes?”

“Mrs. Iero? Frank’s mom?” the boy asked. The boy had black longish hair and dark clothes. The boy scared Mrs. Iero a bit.

“Yes, I am”
“I’m Gerard Way. I’m your son’s good friend” Gerard said and smiled politely. People seemed to be scared of his looks so he was always polite.

“Is Frank okay? Where is he? We came home and we couldn’t find him anywhere!” Mrs. Iero’s voice was full of concern.

“That’s why I am here. Can I speak to you and Mr. Iero? Inside maybe?”

“Oh yes! I’m sorry, I was rude” Mrs. Iero said and invited Gerard inside.

“That’s okay, Mrs. Iero. I get that a lot” Gerard said, stepping in.

“Oh, call me Anna. John! John, come here! Would you like some coffee?” Frank’s mom asked and lead them to kitchen.

“That would be great.”

“Anna? What’s wrong? What’s so important that I had to stop working?” Mr. Iero asked. He sounded very angry and he didn’t look pleased when he saw a strange, scary looking boy in his kitchen.

Gerard took the liberty to answer Mr. Iero’s question.

“Your son.”

“And who are you?”

“John, this is Gerard. He is Frank’s friend. He said he wanted to talk about Frank with us” Anna said.

“That’s right” Gerard confirmed.

“What about Frank?” John, Frank’s father asked. He seemed busy.

“I’m sorry to bother you like this, but this is really, REALLY important. Can we sit? This is gonna take a while” Gerard asked.

“Oh sure” Anna said and they all sat around the kitchen table.

“Umm... I’m not sure how to say this. Frank is... Frank’s got... Frank is not okay” Gerard finally got the words out of his mouth.

“What’s wrong? Was there an accident?” Anna said, sounding worried.

“Well, I don’t know if it can be called an accident. You know that Frank’s taking those pills, right?”

“Yeah, they help him sleep! What’s the problem?” John said. He kept checking his watch.

Gerard was silent for a moment.

“That’s the problem” he finally said, pointing at John’s watch.

“What? My watch? Anna, this is ridiculous, I’m busy!”

“Exactly! You’re too busy to see your son! He’s... Frank is really hurt!” Gerard said in a loud voice. The last sentence made Anna and John silent.

“What do you mean, boy?”

”I mean that your son is really hurt and you can’t see it. Those pills you got him... well, he’s taking them too much. He took too many of those pills and he fell and hit his head. He has a scar in his head for the rest of his life!”

“No, that’s not our Frank!” John said, denying everything.

“I found him two days ago from the bathroom floor, crying. He had taken pills and vodka and had smashed the mirror and was covered in blood!” Gerard cried.

“What? No-“

“Yes! Yes. I’m so sorry that I have to tell you this and I’m sure you’re doing the best you can, but Frank needs you. He is staying at my place now. I can bring him home tonight, if he wants to. I’m not sure if he’s ready to see you guys but...” Gerard said.

Frank’s parents looked amazed and hurt.

“I’m so sorry, but I think you need to know the truth about him”

“You did the right think, boy. Gerard” John said.

Gerard told them more about Frank and Frank’s parent’s listened to him and cried. Gerard told him how Frank’s life had fallen apart and how he loved his parents, but hated them when they argued.

Gerard said goodbye to Frank’s parents who thanked him and said that they had a lot in their minds right now and asked if Frank could stay with Gerard for few more days. Gerard said it would be fine.

“How were they?” Frank asked when Gerard had come home and they were lying on Gerard’s bed.

“They were... good. A little shocked, but-“

“Who could blame them? Their son is pretty fucked up” Frank said. Gerard turned Frank’s face so that the boy had look at him in the eyes.

“Listen, you’re not fucked up. You’re human, you have feelings. You’re great the way you are. Okay?” Gerard said and kissed Frank softly.

“Okay”

Finally the day arrived when Frank needed to go home. Gerard would have kept him at their house longer, but he knew Frank should get home and clear the air between him and his parents.

Gerard watched how Frank met his parents the first time after they had gone for their vacation. He saw how Frank’s parents, for the first time, really looked at Frank. He saw how they shared a hug. He saw tears in everybody’s eyes. Frank’s parents smiled at him and Frank mouthed ‘I love you’ to Gerard and they went inside the house.
Frank fucking Iero was gonna be okay. He had Gerard Way.

“So you’re okay now?” Gerard asked Frank. They were sitting on Frank’s bed. Gerard was drawing and Frank played his guitar.

“I don’t know. I know I’m better, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be really okay, you know” Frank said.

They both were quiet for a while.

“But you know what?” Frank asked.

“What?”

Frank smiled and kissed Gerard. The kiss was passionate and long.

“Thanks to you, I’ve lost my fear of falling.”