His Personal (Lover) Assistant

You that feeling when you wake up sometimes? That one where, even if you had no alcoholic drinks whatsoever, you still feel hungover? Like, your head’s heavy, your body aches, and you can’t bring yourself to get out of bed? Yeah, that one.

I poked my head out from where I had hidden it under the blankets last night, and groaned at the light, as I fumbled for my phone, dialing the number to work. The secretary answered. “It’s me,” I moaned.

“Frank?” She asked.

Majorie was not exactly a smart woman. No, in fact, she was a blonde ditz, who couldn’t tell left from right, and had more silicone in her than brains.

And you wonder why I’m gay.

“Yes Majorie,” I groaned. “I can’t make it in today, so tell Ge—Mr. Way, please?” I asked her as politely as possible. There was silence, in which I assumed she told Gerard what I said, and there was shuffling, before she picked back up.

But her voice was a bit more manly. “Get to the office Iero. Now.”

“Look, I feel like shit,” I told him. “I’m sorry Mr. Way, I can’t make it today. And, I need Wednesday off as well.”

Silence.

“Iero,” he said lowly. “Stop drinking so much, and start straightening your act out. And, for the record, since I need Wednesday off for Sophia and my anniversary, yes, you can have it.” I felt my stomach churn at the mention of her.

I whispered a ‘Fuck you,’ and hung the phone up, before running to the bathroom, and retching everything I had absorbed in the last three days. Pain, vodka, regret, JD, anger, beer, sorrow, the nuts they sell in the bar so you don’t drink on an empty stomach.

When it was over, I felt even worse than before, and laid down on the cold tile floor in the bathroom. It stuck of sick, but I could bring myself to move, as tears filled my eyes. This wasn’t fair. I could honestly like him that much, after barely a week.

The tears continued to fall, however, as I lay on the floor, sobbing hard. “Frankie?” Someone whispered. “Don’t tell me you saw a puppy get hit crossing the road again?”

“Ainsley! That was one time. You would’ve cried too!” I sobbed, laughing. She hugged me tightly, and handed me a tissue.

“Of course I would’ve big bro. Now, do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” She asked, pulling me up, as I sniffled, and blew my nose. I whined softly, as she pulled me to the kitchen.

“You wouldn’t understand…” I muttered.

“Is it Gerard?” She asked mindlessly, pouring the water into the coffee pot. I looked at her blankly, and she shrugged. “Sister sense. I knew you liked him Frankie.”

“How’d you get in?” I asked.

“Key under the mat Frankie. You never moved it after I broke in last time.” I shot a glare, as she handed me a cup of coffee.

“Are you hungover?” She asked curiously, sitting down at the table across from me.

“No,” I shook my head. “But, I feel like I am. Ains, why does love hurt so much?”

Her eyes clouded over with something I wasn’t sure of. Pain, maybe? Frustration? I wasn’t sure, but I grew concerned after she didn’t reply for a moment. Finally, she shook her head, and sighed. “Are you sure you love him Frankie?”

“No.”

“Your heart hurts, your head hurts, you wanna crawl in a hole and die because it’s not right to be with another person’s husband? And you’re not in love?” She mused.

“I never said any of that Ainsley May!” I shot.

“It’s obvious,” She smiled gently, and patted my hand, taking a sip of her coffee.

We were silent for a moment, whilst see hummed something I wasn’t sure of, and I stared blankly at the wall, trying to figure out how I could spend my day that I now had off. Tuesday, work day, Bob and Ray actually had jobs now, and were at work, and Ainsley should be in school—Ainsley should be in school. “YOU SHOULD BE IN SCHOOL!” I shouted.

She jumped, snapping out of whatever trance she was in, and looked blankly at me for a minute, before opening her mouth. “Oh…”

“What? You forgot about your education?”

“Frank, let’s not go there,” She murmured.

I was quiet for another minute, biting my tongue to not lecture her, before I finally spoke again. “Ains, what’s going on? I said we’d go see mom tomorrow, and you took today off? Does your dad know?”

There was nothing for a long time. She just sat there, twisting her hands, and glancing around the room. She opened, then closed her mouth, before saying something. “I know what you’re going through. How’s that?” She questioned.

“Know what I’m going through?” I asked incredibly. “You know what I’m going through? Ainsley, I fucked my boss! Okay! And then I got plastered at his parents place! And then…then,” I laughed bitterly. “I realized he was never leave that plastic doll, and that I was alone. No matter how alive I felt! It was a perfect denial, was all!”

“Oh, you’re not the only one who has problems all the time Frank!” She screamed, standing up. She placed her hands on the table, and glared at me. “The world doesn’t revolve the fuck around you!”

“Ainsley, I never said that!” I snapped.

“No! You don’t have to say it Frank! All I here is your problems, blah, blah, blah, your complaints, blah, blah, blah, your love issues, blah, blah, blah—“

“I get it,” I snarled, standing up and facing her.

“You don’t know what it’s like to be a sixteen to be seventeen year old girl,” She said, her eyes filling with tears. “You don’t know what it’s like to—to….”She let out a sob, and fell into my arms.

I stroked her hair, kissing her forehead, and whispering soothing comments into her ear as she continued to sob her poor heart out. Her blonde and pink head shook with every sob, coursing through her, and I smiled sadly.

Ainsley was right. I was so wrapped up in my feelings and hatred towards Gerard, I turned into him. I was convinced that I was so opposite of him, when the truth was, we were more alike than anyone could imagine. The world didn’t revolve around me, and I needed to stop thinking it did.

Her sobs turned into whimpers, which gradually faded into sniffles here and there, while I continued to stroke her hair. She finally stopped altogether, and pulled back. “Don’t act nice now,” She sniffled, grabbing a tissue, and blowing her nose. I grinned a bit.

“You’re my sister. There’s some unwritten law I have to be nice when you cry,” I replied.

She gave a weak smile, and I pulled her down into my lap. She rested her head on my shoulder, sniffling more. “I let someone cheat,” She said after five minutes. “On their girlfriend. It was only two months, and I begged him to leave her. He didn’t want to.”

“Ains,” I whispered, closing my eyes, and leaning my head against the wall. “Oh, Ains….”

“I know I shouldn’t have!” She cried, getting hysterical. “But I can’t face him at school now, and it hurts, so bad!
“I should’ve known,” She continued. “I should’ve known what a fucking mess it would create, because Frankie, you simply can’t get through this world getting everything you want. You just can’t.”

“Ainsley,” I shook her lightly, looking her in the eyes. “Me and you, we’re going to pull through this. We’re gonna put those two behind us, okay? And for the next week, we’re gonna focus on our parents happiness, and not ours. Okay? Got it Ains?”

She sobbed again, and nodded, sticking her pinky out for me to grab. We linked fingers, and did our secret promise. It’d been with us for so long. There was no changing it now. “Th-Thank you Frankie,” She sobbed again.

“Got home. Get packed. We’ll spend the next three days in Jersey. And then we’re coming back, and celebrating Dad’s newfound happiness. And we’re going to find dates to go with. Dates that aren’t cheaters.”

She grinned weakly. “Be back in half an hour,” and she ran out.

“…because Frankie, you simply can’t get through this world getting everything you want. You just can’t.”