Status: done.
The Black Parade
I Don't Love You
Corrine's point of view
It has been three days since I took Frank home. I had never been happier that that night. I took him out to a nice dinner and things were starting to feel like normal again. I knew they would never really be again, but for a few hours, I had my old Frankie back.
The Frankie who passed out on my couch after a party.
The Frankie who sent me 4 dozen roses on more than one occasion.
The Frankie who didn't have to convince me, but tried anyway.
The Frankie who sang me to sleep at night.
The Frankie I fell in love with.
The Frankie I gave my virginity to.
The Frankie I was going to marry.
This was not the Frank who was sitting in front of me. The person I was looking at from across the table was a pale, skinny and scared ghost. I knew I had to do everything I could to make him enjoy the little bit of time he has left on this earth.
The little bit of time he has left with me.
"Do you remember that song you wrote me?" I asked as I wrapped his fragile fingers around mine on top of the round table. "When I broke up with you.."
I saw his eyes get wide and he looked me straight in the eye. He slowly nodded as a guilty look took over his smiling face. I'm sure that he didn't want to ever think about it ever again.
A few years earlier, Frank decided he was going to get a job. So he started looking around and eventually ended up calling me to tell me he was officially the lifeguard and the local YMCA. I thought it was strange, but he was happy so I was too.
He didn't hate it, but it was still a job. Well, I had to go out of town for a family reunion and I was really hard to leave him. I was gone for a week and when I came back he would not answer or return my phone calls and our friends quickly changed the subject if I asked about him. I knew there was something going on.
After a few days of this, I had finally had enough. I went to Frank's house and he wasn't home. I went to our friend, Cameron's house and sat him down and demanded some sort of explanation. I pounded on his door and a few moments later, he slowly opened the door with a smile on his face. He must have seen the angry look on my face because his smile quickly melted away.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked with rage in my voice. He pushed his door open and I walked into his small apartment. I threw myself onto the couch and watched him close the door behind me. He turned towards me and sat next to me on the couch. He stared down at the floor. I knew he was hiding something that obviously involved Frank.
"Fuck, Cameron, just tell me! What the hell is going on with Frank?" I practically screamed at my best friend. He let out a deep sigh and glanced up at me.
"Well...erm...something happened while you were gone..." He stuttered out. I raised my eyebrows at him signaling that I was not satisfied with his answer so far.
"Well there is this girl who started working at the YMCA with Frank and we kinda started talking to her and she was pretty cool, ya-"
"Get to the point." I interrupted.
"Well, she started hitting on Frank but he wasn't going with it. He loves you and wasn't going to let her screw that up. But, at the...uh...employee party...we were all kinda drinking a lot and the two of them left together..."
"He slept with her?" It was more directed to myself than Cameron. My head was down and out of the corner of my eye I could see him moving closer to me. "I'm really sorry Cor. He feels like shit if it makes you feel any better..." He whispered as he slipped his arms around me in a comforting hug.
"Do you know where he is?"
"He went to go talk to his boss. He's quitting."
"Then he's going home?" Cameron nodded. I got up and headed back to Frank's house.
I pounded on the door and there was still no answer. I leaned against the wall next to the front door and slowly slid down. Tears streamed down my cheeks as my mind tried to comprehend what it had just heard.
The ten minutes I sat there felt like an eternity but I felt two hands rest on my shoulder and lifted my head up from its position buried in my arms around my knees. My eyes locked on a familiar pair of brownish-gray eyes and tried to wipe the tears away. He was kneeling down looking at me with a sympathetic look.
"Cory, what's wrong?" Why did he have to call me 'Cory'? I can't resist him when he calls me 'Cory.' Be strong, Corrine.
"Maybe if you would answer my calls, you would have an idea." My voice was dripping with remorse. He broke eye contact and looked down at our feet.
"I know. I'm sorry. I've just been busy. That's all." I was furious. I pushed him off of me and jumped to my feet.
"THAT'S BULLSHIT, FRANK. CAMERON TOLD ME EVERYTHING!" I screamed at the face I loved. He tried to put his arms around me and comfort me but I harshly pushed him away. I shook my head and I couldn't stop the tears anymore. He was speechless.
"We were drunk."
"It doesn't matter."
"She means nothing to me."
"Whatever." I started walking away. I could hear him shouting my name but I ignored it.
I walked all the way back to Cameron's house and let myself in. The room was dark so I slowly walked to his bedroom and found him lying on his bed. I couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. I tip-toed over to his bed and gently crawled in beside him. Naturally, he felt me and wrapped his arms around me. I smiled, feeling safe and fell asleep next to the sound of his breathing.
We woke up and I told Cameron what had happened and he let me cry on his shoulder. We went out to lunch and he helped me get my mind on something else. I stayed with him again the next night, as well.
I heard some tapping on the window and looked over to see Cameron sound asleep. I carefully slid out of his grasp and walked over to the noise. I looked down into the yard and saw the shadow of a person. I quietly opened the window and struggled to get a better look at them and I recognized the hair to be that of my cheating boyfriend. I yelled in a whisper for him to leave but he refused.
"I wrote you something and just please let me play it for you." He said as I noticed his acoustic guitar hanging from his small frame. I let out a sigh of annoyance. "Fine..." I saw him smile.
He started strumming a beautiful song and started to sing.
Well when you go don't ever think i'll make you try to stay
and maybe when you get back, i'll be off to find another way
and after all this time that you will owe
you're still a good-for-nothing I don't know
so take your gloves and get out while you still can
When you go would you even turn to stay
i don't love you like I did, yesterday
sometimes I cry so hard from pleading
so sick and tired of all the needless bleedings
but baby when they knock you. down and out.
is where you oughta stay
and after all the blood that you still own
another dollar's just another blow
so fix your eyes and get up, better get up while you can
when you go would you even turn to say
i don't love you like i did, yesterday
when you go would you have the guts to say
i don't love you like i loved you, yesterday
i don't love you like i loved you, yesterday
i don't love you like i loved you, yesterday
The tears leaked more and more with each word. I held up a finger to tell him to wait for a second and closed the window. I ran to the front door and ran to meet him. I saw him and let myself go and flew towards him. I jumped into his arms and he held me up off of the ground. I kissed him passionately and saw Cameron open the window to look down at us. He smiled and closed it again.
"I love you, Cory"
"I love you too, Frank."
We haven't left each others sides since that night. I can't even begin to think about how much I wish he didn't have to leave. I looked back up at him across the table and smiled. I could tell he had been reliving that story as well because he had a tear in his eye. He smiled back and brought my hand up to his mouth, planting a soft kiss onto it.
"Don't leave me again. I need you so much." He said.
"I promise."
It has been three days since I took Frank home. I had never been happier that that night. I took him out to a nice dinner and things were starting to feel like normal again. I knew they would never really be again, but for a few hours, I had my old Frankie back.
The Frankie who passed out on my couch after a party.
The Frankie who sent me 4 dozen roses on more than one occasion.
The Frankie who didn't have to convince me, but tried anyway.
The Frankie who sang me to sleep at night.
The Frankie I fell in love with.
The Frankie I gave my virginity to.
The Frankie I was going to marry.
This was not the Frank who was sitting in front of me. The person I was looking at from across the table was a pale, skinny and scared ghost. I knew I had to do everything I could to make him enjoy the little bit of time he has left on this earth.
The little bit of time he has left with me.
"Do you remember that song you wrote me?" I asked as I wrapped his fragile fingers around mine on top of the round table. "When I broke up with you.."
I saw his eyes get wide and he looked me straight in the eye. He slowly nodded as a guilty look took over his smiling face. I'm sure that he didn't want to ever think about it ever again.
A few years earlier, Frank decided he was going to get a job. So he started looking around and eventually ended up calling me to tell me he was officially the lifeguard and the local YMCA. I thought it was strange, but he was happy so I was too.
He didn't hate it, but it was still a job. Well, I had to go out of town for a family reunion and I was really hard to leave him. I was gone for a week and when I came back he would not answer or return my phone calls and our friends quickly changed the subject if I asked about him. I knew there was something going on.
After a few days of this, I had finally had enough. I went to Frank's house and he wasn't home. I went to our friend, Cameron's house and sat him down and demanded some sort of explanation. I pounded on his door and a few moments later, he slowly opened the door with a smile on his face. He must have seen the angry look on my face because his smile quickly melted away.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked with rage in my voice. He pushed his door open and I walked into his small apartment. I threw myself onto the couch and watched him close the door behind me. He turned towards me and sat next to me on the couch. He stared down at the floor. I knew he was hiding something that obviously involved Frank.
"Fuck, Cameron, just tell me! What the hell is going on with Frank?" I practically screamed at my best friend. He let out a deep sigh and glanced up at me.
"Well...erm...something happened while you were gone..." He stuttered out. I raised my eyebrows at him signaling that I was not satisfied with his answer so far.
"Well there is this girl who started working at the YMCA with Frank and we kinda started talking to her and she was pretty cool, ya-"
"Get to the point." I interrupted.
"Well, she started hitting on Frank but he wasn't going with it. He loves you and wasn't going to let her screw that up. But, at the...uh...employee party...we were all kinda drinking a lot and the two of them left together..."
"He slept with her?" It was more directed to myself than Cameron. My head was down and out of the corner of my eye I could see him moving closer to me. "I'm really sorry Cor. He feels like shit if it makes you feel any better..." He whispered as he slipped his arms around me in a comforting hug.
"Do you know where he is?"
"He went to go talk to his boss. He's quitting."
"Then he's going home?" Cameron nodded. I got up and headed back to Frank's house.
I pounded on the door and there was still no answer. I leaned against the wall next to the front door and slowly slid down. Tears streamed down my cheeks as my mind tried to comprehend what it had just heard.
The ten minutes I sat there felt like an eternity but I felt two hands rest on my shoulder and lifted my head up from its position buried in my arms around my knees. My eyes locked on a familiar pair of brownish-gray eyes and tried to wipe the tears away. He was kneeling down looking at me with a sympathetic look.
"Cory, what's wrong?" Why did he have to call me 'Cory'? I can't resist him when he calls me 'Cory.' Be strong, Corrine.
"Maybe if you would answer my calls, you would have an idea." My voice was dripping with remorse. He broke eye contact and looked down at our feet.
"I know. I'm sorry. I've just been busy. That's all." I was furious. I pushed him off of me and jumped to my feet.
"THAT'S BULLSHIT, FRANK. CAMERON TOLD ME EVERYTHING!" I screamed at the face I loved. He tried to put his arms around me and comfort me but I harshly pushed him away. I shook my head and I couldn't stop the tears anymore. He was speechless.
"We were drunk."
"It doesn't matter."
"She means nothing to me."
"Whatever." I started walking away. I could hear him shouting my name but I ignored it.
I walked all the way back to Cameron's house and let myself in. The room was dark so I slowly walked to his bedroom and found him lying on his bed. I couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. I tip-toed over to his bed and gently crawled in beside him. Naturally, he felt me and wrapped his arms around me. I smiled, feeling safe and fell asleep next to the sound of his breathing.
We woke up and I told Cameron what had happened and he let me cry on his shoulder. We went out to lunch and he helped me get my mind on something else. I stayed with him again the next night, as well.
I heard some tapping on the window and looked over to see Cameron sound asleep. I carefully slid out of his grasp and walked over to the noise. I looked down into the yard and saw the shadow of a person. I quietly opened the window and struggled to get a better look at them and I recognized the hair to be that of my cheating boyfriend. I yelled in a whisper for him to leave but he refused.
"I wrote you something and just please let me play it for you." He said as I noticed his acoustic guitar hanging from his small frame. I let out a sigh of annoyance. "Fine..." I saw him smile.
He started strumming a beautiful song and started to sing.
Well when you go don't ever think i'll make you try to stay
and maybe when you get back, i'll be off to find another way
and after all this time that you will owe
you're still a good-for-nothing I don't know
so take your gloves and get out while you still can
When you go would you even turn to stay
i don't love you like I did, yesterday
sometimes I cry so hard from pleading
so sick and tired of all the needless bleedings
but baby when they knock you. down and out.
is where you oughta stay
and after all the blood that you still own
another dollar's just another blow
so fix your eyes and get up, better get up while you can
when you go would you even turn to say
i don't love you like i did, yesterday
when you go would you have the guts to say
i don't love you like i loved you, yesterday
i don't love you like i loved you, yesterday
i don't love you like i loved you, yesterday
The tears leaked more and more with each word. I held up a finger to tell him to wait for a second and closed the window. I ran to the front door and ran to meet him. I saw him and let myself go and flew towards him. I jumped into his arms and he held me up off of the ground. I kissed him passionately and saw Cameron open the window to look down at us. He smiled and closed it again.
"I love you, Cory"
"I love you too, Frank."
We haven't left each others sides since that night. I can't even begin to think about how much I wish he didn't have to leave. I looked back up at him across the table and smiled. I could tell he had been reliving that story as well because he had a tear in his eye. He smiled back and brought my hand up to his mouth, planting a soft kiss onto it.
"Don't leave me again. I need you so much." He said.
"I promise."