Absolution
Chapter Seven
The next few days passed by in a blur. They were spent almost always with Frankie. He had taken to getting rides to and from school with me, not that I minded in the least. He usually wanted to hang out at my place after classes, chatting with Mikey and looking through all of my drawing portfolios. He would show me each piece individually, asking me to analyze it by telling him how, when, and why I had made it. Some I made years ago and all I could do was shrug. Some I didn’t even remember—those I probably drew while heavily intoxicated.
I had just gotten home at eleven o’clock on a Saturday night when mom finally confronted me. I’d been expecting it for a while, and was almost relieved when she finally did.
“What is going on with you and this boy, Gerard? He’s only a kid.” She said, putting her hands on her hips impatiently. She had been waiting for me, she asked me the second I walked in the door.
I was taken by surprise. I’d known it was coming, but at eleven at night? I stared at her, mouth gaping open and unblinking. I must have looked extremely guilty—or stupid—because she threw her hands into the air and let out a frustrated sigh.
“Mom, I—.” I began.
“It’s illegal!” she shrieked, without even waiting for me to explain. She must have rehearsed in her head what she would say. “He’s a boy. He cannot be older than Mikey!”
“You don’t know how old he is.” I muttered, looking down.
She scoffed. “Oh, how old is he then?”
Great going. Way to make things better for yourself, Gerard.“He’s sixteen, mom.”
“Oh my God. He’s sixteen? Have you even met his parents?” she exclaimed, running a shaky hand through her bleached blond hair.
“His family is awful, Mom. I’ve met his mom. But his uncle is Jake Iero, th—.”
“IERO?! That is the younger Iero boy?! Do you not know who he is, Gerard? His uncle is the biggest homophobe in this state, that’s who his uncle is. Since long before you knew you were gay, he’s been protesting it publicly. To make it worse, Frank’s dad is famous. He’s in this jazz band that is huge in, like, Puerto Rico or something. You cannot be involved with this boy. You will end up in jail.”
“His dad is… famous?” I echoed.
Mom looked at me, shocked. She asked in a quiet voice, “You really didn’t know?”
All I could do was stare at her, wondering if it were true.
She sat me down on the old love seat in our living room and sat next to me. “Yes, honey… a few years ago, when you were still in high school, his mom cheated on his dad with his uncle. The dad wasn’t the rich one, to say in the least. He lives in the ghetto of Jersey—at least he did.” She sighed. “But he’s always gone now, from what I know. They just got a record deal with Warner Bros. I only know this because his parents donate money to my accounting firm, and they're always the talk of the people.”
If I hadn’t already been sitting down, I would have fallen down. I was so shocked I didn’t even know what to say.
“There was a really big custody over Frank. His brother is probably your age, he was able to decide… his mom won.” Mom explained.
“Oh.” I felt sick, but I didn’t know why.
“Needless to say, Gerard, this boy’s family could ruin life for you.” She sighed once again and shook her head.
I stood and walked to the basement without a word. I had a missed call from Frank.
Was I supposed to tell him I knew all about his family? Had he assumed I knew, and that was why he hadn’t told me? And if his parents were divorced, why did he talk about his ‘dad’, and how both of his 'parents' were going on a trip to Rome in two days?
444-6238.
His phone rang several times, but he did not pick up. It went to his voice mail and I hung up, taking in a deep breath.
What did it matter anyway, whether he told me his life story or not? Maybe he just wasn’t ready to talk about it, same as me and my dad. Why did I need to worry about it? Because it didn’t matter.
I was telling myself this when my cell phone rang.
“Hello?” I asked before it could ring even once.
“Hey.” Frankie said cheerfully. “Did you get home alright?”
“Yeah, about ten minutes ago. How’s home?” I asked, lying down on my bed in the dark. I almost felt nervous talking to him. It wasn't like he was a stranger, but I felt guilty that once again, I had found out very important information about him from a source that wasn't... well... him.
“It’s home. I dunno.” He said. I heard him moving around. “Same as always.”
I laughed quietly, reaching over to turn my lamp on so I wouldn’t end up falling asleep on the phone. Not that I could, with how much I was wondering about his home life now. “I’m not used to being home this early on a Saturday night. I usually go out.” I said, not able to come up with anything else to say. How was it so easy for him to talk about anything, but it was so hard for me? I didn’t get why he liked me… I didn’t get it at all.
“Then go out.”
“Nah.” I rolled over. “I’d rather talk to you.”
He snorted quietly, and then sighed. “You know, I wish you hadn’t left. It’s so boring over here. They’re sleeping early to rest for packing. They’re leaving at midnight tomorrow for the airport.”
“Really?” I asked, grinning to myself.
“Yeah. An entire two weeks without them. It will be so amazing.”
I yawned and nodded, until I remembered he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, that’ll be cool. Mom never goes anywhere. Well, once she went to New York for some training course… but that was only for a weekend.”
God. I was rambling.
Sometimes, I really just want to either die or never speak again.
“You sound tired… why don’t you call me tomorrow afternoon and we’ll hang out? You should get some sleep.” Frankie said.
“I’m not talking like that because I’m tired. I’m talking like that because I don’t know how to shut up.” I muttered, and then yawned again. “Okay. Maybe I am tired…”
He giggled adorably. “Go to bed, Gerard.”
“Alright.” I moaned. “But if I don’t call you, call me.”
“Sure thing. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Frankie.” I said, hanging up. I fell straight asleep, too tired to even protest or think about anything else.
I had just gotten home at eleven o’clock on a Saturday night when mom finally confronted me. I’d been expecting it for a while, and was almost relieved when she finally did.
“What is going on with you and this boy, Gerard? He’s only a kid.” She said, putting her hands on her hips impatiently. She had been waiting for me, she asked me the second I walked in the door.
I was taken by surprise. I’d known it was coming, but at eleven at night? I stared at her, mouth gaping open and unblinking. I must have looked extremely guilty—or stupid—because she threw her hands into the air and let out a frustrated sigh.
“Mom, I—.” I began.
“It’s illegal!” she shrieked, without even waiting for me to explain. She must have rehearsed in her head what she would say. “He’s a boy. He cannot be older than Mikey!”
“You don’t know how old he is.” I muttered, looking down.
She scoffed. “Oh, how old is he then?”
Great going. Way to make things better for yourself, Gerard.“He’s sixteen, mom.”
“Oh my God. He’s sixteen? Have you even met his parents?” she exclaimed, running a shaky hand through her bleached blond hair.
“His family is awful, Mom. I’ve met his mom. But his uncle is Jake Iero, th—.”
“IERO?! That is the younger Iero boy?! Do you not know who he is, Gerard? His uncle is the biggest homophobe in this state, that’s who his uncle is. Since long before you knew you were gay, he’s been protesting it publicly. To make it worse, Frank’s dad is famous. He’s in this jazz band that is huge in, like, Puerto Rico or something. You cannot be involved with this boy. You will end up in jail.”
“His dad is… famous?” I echoed.
Mom looked at me, shocked. She asked in a quiet voice, “You really didn’t know?”
All I could do was stare at her, wondering if it were true.
She sat me down on the old love seat in our living room and sat next to me. “Yes, honey… a few years ago, when you were still in high school, his mom cheated on his dad with his uncle. The dad wasn’t the rich one, to say in the least. He lives in the ghetto of Jersey—at least he did.” She sighed. “But he’s always gone now, from what I know. They just got a record deal with Warner Bros. I only know this because his parents donate money to my accounting firm, and they're always the talk of the people.”
If I hadn’t already been sitting down, I would have fallen down. I was so shocked I didn’t even know what to say.
“There was a really big custody over Frank. His brother is probably your age, he was able to decide… his mom won.” Mom explained.
“Oh.” I felt sick, but I didn’t know why.
“Needless to say, Gerard, this boy’s family could ruin life for you.” She sighed once again and shook her head.
I stood and walked to the basement without a word. I had a missed call from Frank.
Was I supposed to tell him I knew all about his family? Had he assumed I knew, and that was why he hadn’t told me? And if his parents were divorced, why did he talk about his ‘dad’, and how both of his 'parents' were going on a trip to Rome in two days?
444-6238.
His phone rang several times, but he did not pick up. It went to his voice mail and I hung up, taking in a deep breath.
What did it matter anyway, whether he told me his life story or not? Maybe he just wasn’t ready to talk about it, same as me and my dad. Why did I need to worry about it? Because it didn’t matter.
I was telling myself this when my cell phone rang.
“Hello?” I asked before it could ring even once.
“Hey.” Frankie said cheerfully. “Did you get home alright?”
“Yeah, about ten minutes ago. How’s home?” I asked, lying down on my bed in the dark. I almost felt nervous talking to him. It wasn't like he was a stranger, but I felt guilty that once again, I had found out very important information about him from a source that wasn't... well... him.
“It’s home. I dunno.” He said. I heard him moving around. “Same as always.”
I laughed quietly, reaching over to turn my lamp on so I wouldn’t end up falling asleep on the phone. Not that I could, with how much I was wondering about his home life now. “I’m not used to being home this early on a Saturday night. I usually go out.” I said, not able to come up with anything else to say. How was it so easy for him to talk about anything, but it was so hard for me? I didn’t get why he liked me… I didn’t get it at all.
“Then go out.”
“Nah.” I rolled over. “I’d rather talk to you.”
He snorted quietly, and then sighed. “You know, I wish you hadn’t left. It’s so boring over here. They’re sleeping early to rest for packing. They’re leaving at midnight tomorrow for the airport.”
“Really?” I asked, grinning to myself.
“Yeah. An entire two weeks without them. It will be so amazing.”
I yawned and nodded, until I remembered he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, that’ll be cool. Mom never goes anywhere. Well, once she went to New York for some training course… but that was only for a weekend.”
God. I was rambling.
Sometimes, I really just want to either die or never speak again.
“You sound tired… why don’t you call me tomorrow afternoon and we’ll hang out? You should get some sleep.” Frankie said.
“I’m not talking like that because I’m tired. I’m talking like that because I don’t know how to shut up.” I muttered, and then yawned again. “Okay. Maybe I am tired…”
He giggled adorably. “Go to bed, Gerard.”
“Alright.” I moaned. “But if I don’t call you, call me.”
“Sure thing. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Frankie.” I said, hanging up. I fell straight asleep, too tired to even protest or think about anything else.