Better than you can imagine
The meeting
Sitting on the couch, I look at the college application I just got from the College Fair. I can’t believe it… college... I am going to college. That is so crazy. I never really gave it much thought, and my mom had always mentioned that I should go, but the truth was that she didn’t know much about how to get into college, since she had never been to college either. But she knew how important it was, and she knew simple things like loans, financial aid, etc. But not that you had to pay to apply, or that you had to take a certain amount of ‘credits’ to be at full time or part time status, that you could have academic probation or suspension, or any of the other little details they don’t tell you about in school that most people find out the hard way, but Gerard explained a lot of things to me on the way home from the Fair.
I grab a book out of my bag to write on, and I realize I don’t have a pen.
“Gerard, do you have a pen?” I yell to him across the room. His back is turned to me as he browses the pizza menu for our ‘Frank is going to college and isn’t going to be a mama’s boy mooch for the rest of his days’ celebration.
“Why yes I…” just then, he grabs a pen from his pocket, swiftly swings his arm backwards, turns his torso towards me and throws the pen at me like a bullet, “…do!”
I reach up my hand and grab the pen midair next to my head.
“Thanks, buddy.”
“No problem, Frat boy.”
I take off the cap and put it on the end of the pen, and start to fill out the blank spaces on the application.
Name: Franklin Anthony Iero
Birthdate: October 31, 1981
Major:
Major. Such a simple word. Such a simple phrase for such a huge decision. Quite possibly the most important, if not one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your entire life. It’s what you will study… What you will invest thousands of dollars into, with the hope that once you get that nice rolled up piece of paper in your hands in four years, you will be able to get a job to not only get all of that spent money back, but more… much more. No pressure or anything, right?
Well, I obviously want to get into the music business. But it’s not like you can major in rock, and become a millionaire off of it. I could study music… but that’s more to become a teacher, and a classical music teacher at that. I’m more into Queen, Ozzy and Rob Zombie than Mozart. He’s a talented guy, don’t get me wrong, just not my cup of tea. I could always go to school to study to become a band manager. That’s pretty centralized music business right there. I could study business and then find a band I like and offer to manage them. Then based on the mix of their talent and my hard work, we could go international and become one of the biggest successes of all time. Sounds like a plan.
Major: Business Management
______________________________________________________________
Dinner: Meat lovers thin crust pizza with Pepsi and breadsticks
“This pizza is delicious. Good choice, man” I said, while stuffing the second half of my sixth slice into my mouth.
“Mmmermehumenuhhhmmm…” said Gerard, with his mouth stuffed to the brim with food.
We hear the door being opened from the outside. My mom must be home. We swallow our food and wait for her to come in. The door opens and she turns her back to us as she closes and locks the door, and shuffles things in her purse around to put her keys away in their normal spot.
“Hey mom! This is Gerard. He talked me into going to the College Fair today, and I grabbed a college application for Rutgers. I filled out most of it. I just have to write my college essay, get a few letters of recommendation and give the $50 for applying.”
“Oh! That’s great baby! So glad to hear it! And Gerard! I’ve heard so much about you, good things, no worries. It’s so nice to finally…” turning around, she looked next to me on the couch and paused, “meet you…” She gave an awkward smirk, and started walking toward the kitchen.
“I’m sorry boys… I have some… uh… more work to do in the other room. Forgive my manners. Enjoy your pizza,” she said as she walked into the kitchen and closed the door behind her.
“I’m sorry about that… she must have had a crazy day at work and is still a little frazzled. She’s like that sometimes. But I’m sure she likes you. She doesn’t have a reason not to, after all of the nice things you have done for me. Don’t worry.” I said. I could hear her calling someone in the other room, quiet murmurs through the wall speaking incoherent words. Must have been an important client she had forgotten to call while at work. All of that stuff is really confidential, she doesn’t even vent to me much about her clients and all of the cases she deals with.
“Ermehuhehmmun,” he said with his mouth stuffed with pizza again. He gulped the pizza down and cleared his throat. Grabbing a new can of Pepsi, he opened the can and brought it just before his face.
“Wasn’t gonna,” he said, taking a big sip of the Pepsi and letting out a satisfied ‘ahhh.’
I grab a book out of my bag to write on, and I realize I don’t have a pen.
“Gerard, do you have a pen?” I yell to him across the room. His back is turned to me as he browses the pizza menu for our ‘Frank is going to college and isn’t going to be a mama’s boy mooch for the rest of his days’ celebration.
“Why yes I…” just then, he grabs a pen from his pocket, swiftly swings his arm backwards, turns his torso towards me and throws the pen at me like a bullet, “…do!”
I reach up my hand and grab the pen midair next to my head.
“Thanks, buddy.”
“No problem, Frat boy.”
I take off the cap and put it on the end of the pen, and start to fill out the blank spaces on the application.
Name: Franklin Anthony Iero
Birthdate: October 31, 1981
Major:
Major. Such a simple word. Such a simple phrase for such a huge decision. Quite possibly the most important, if not one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your entire life. It’s what you will study… What you will invest thousands of dollars into, with the hope that once you get that nice rolled up piece of paper in your hands in four years, you will be able to get a job to not only get all of that spent money back, but more… much more. No pressure or anything, right?
Well, I obviously want to get into the music business. But it’s not like you can major in rock, and become a millionaire off of it. I could study music… but that’s more to become a teacher, and a classical music teacher at that. I’m more into Queen, Ozzy and Rob Zombie than Mozart. He’s a talented guy, don’t get me wrong, just not my cup of tea. I could always go to school to study to become a band manager. That’s pretty centralized music business right there. I could study business and then find a band I like and offer to manage them. Then based on the mix of their talent and my hard work, we could go international and become one of the biggest successes of all time. Sounds like a plan.
Major: Business Management
______________________________________________________________
Dinner: Meat lovers thin crust pizza with Pepsi and breadsticks
“This pizza is delicious. Good choice, man” I said, while stuffing the second half of my sixth slice into my mouth.
“Mmmermehumenuhhhmmm…” said Gerard, with his mouth stuffed to the brim with food.
We hear the door being opened from the outside. My mom must be home. We swallow our food and wait for her to come in. The door opens and she turns her back to us as she closes and locks the door, and shuffles things in her purse around to put her keys away in their normal spot.
“Hey mom! This is Gerard. He talked me into going to the College Fair today, and I grabbed a college application for Rutgers. I filled out most of it. I just have to write my college essay, get a few letters of recommendation and give the $50 for applying.”
“Oh! That’s great baby! So glad to hear it! And Gerard! I’ve heard so much about you, good things, no worries. It’s so nice to finally…” turning around, she looked next to me on the couch and paused, “meet you…” She gave an awkward smirk, and started walking toward the kitchen.
“I’m sorry boys… I have some… uh… more work to do in the other room. Forgive my manners. Enjoy your pizza,” she said as she walked into the kitchen and closed the door behind her.
“I’m sorry about that… she must have had a crazy day at work and is still a little frazzled. She’s like that sometimes. But I’m sure she likes you. She doesn’t have a reason not to, after all of the nice things you have done for me. Don’t worry.” I said. I could hear her calling someone in the other room, quiet murmurs through the wall speaking incoherent words. Must have been an important client she had forgotten to call while at work. All of that stuff is really confidential, she doesn’t even vent to me much about her clients and all of the cases she deals with.
“Ermehuhehmmun,” he said with his mouth stuffed with pizza again. He gulped the pizza down and cleared his throat. Grabbing a new can of Pepsi, he opened the can and brought it just before his face.
“Wasn’t gonna,” he said, taking a big sip of the Pepsi and letting out a satisfied ‘ahhh.’