The Plague of Popularity
We're All Plagued By This Filth.
I knew the comic store Mikey wanted to stop in, I hadn’t been in there for six years. My dad used to take me here all the time; before I spent a lot of time hanging out with Travis and Dan and losing myself in the process.
“Is that little Frankie Iero?”
I turned to the woman behind the counter and smiled—Mrs. Bridge stood there with a grin on her face.
“I can’t believe you’re here young man. It’s been six years since you last set foot in here. How’s your father?”
“He’s in the hospital actually, had a heart attack yesterday. I’m meeting my mother at the hospital after we leave here.”
She glanced over at Mikey who was glued to the Marvel superheroes section.
“Wish him best of health from me. Since it’s your first time back I’ll let you and your friend have any comic you want on the house today—so long as you promise to come back more and more.”
I grinned and nodded. It had been forever since I set foot in here. I remember the exact comic I stopped reading and they had the entire series in front of me. I was definitely going to dig these out of the basement when I got back to my house.
“Mikey, Mrs. Bridge says we can have any one comic for free that we want.”
“Really?! Thanks Mrs. Bridge! I’m Mikey by the way.”
He grinned at her and she smiled as he went back to deciding now between Spiderman or Hellboy. I chose Spiderman; Mikey said he’d already had that series for a while now. He went with Hellboy in the end. We expressed our thanks and told her we’d be back tomorrow, with a lot of money.
“You know her? She’s really nice to let us have these for free. I mean I know they’re not much in the first place but still, free comics!”
“Mikey you’re doing it again.”
“Sorry, I do this a lot when I’m really happy. Does your mom know I’m with you? Is she going to be mad at you?”
I laughed at him; honestly, he talked way too fast and thought an awful lot about things.
“She’ll love you, mostly because you’re not Dan or Travis. She’ll say I’ve made a real friend and I have; so thanks for being my first real friend Mikey.”
“Really? I’m your first real friend?! That’s an honor and I’m glad that boy I hung out with last night’s coming around. I think people will forget the old one and like this new better anyways.”
He smiled at me as he dived into his comic; I was jealous, I was driving. I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I really wasn’t sure how to take the news that my father could’ve died yesterday. I mean he was my father but I couldn’t ever really call him my dad. I parked and walked up to the hospital visitor entrance; Mikey seemed to read my like a book. He put a hand on my shoulder before we walked in and gave me a sympathetic smile. I noticed my mother waiting downstairs for me.
“Is that little Frankie Iero?”
I turned to the woman behind the counter and smiled—Mrs. Bridge stood there with a grin on her face.
“I can’t believe you’re here young man. It’s been six years since you last set foot in here. How’s your father?”
“He’s in the hospital actually, had a heart attack yesterday. I’m meeting my mother at the hospital after we leave here.”
She glanced over at Mikey who was glued to the Marvel superheroes section.
“Wish him best of health from me. Since it’s your first time back I’ll let you and your friend have any comic you want on the house today—so long as you promise to come back more and more.”
I grinned and nodded. It had been forever since I set foot in here. I remember the exact comic I stopped reading and they had the entire series in front of me. I was definitely going to dig these out of the basement when I got back to my house.
“Mikey, Mrs. Bridge says we can have any one comic for free that we want.”
“Really?! Thanks Mrs. Bridge! I’m Mikey by the way.”
He grinned at her and she smiled as he went back to deciding now between Spiderman or Hellboy. I chose Spiderman; Mikey said he’d already had that series for a while now. He went with Hellboy in the end. We expressed our thanks and told her we’d be back tomorrow, with a lot of money.
“You know her? She’s really nice to let us have these for free. I mean I know they’re not much in the first place but still, free comics!”
“Mikey you’re doing it again.”
“Sorry, I do this a lot when I’m really happy. Does your mom know I’m with you? Is she going to be mad at you?”
I laughed at him; honestly, he talked way too fast and thought an awful lot about things.
“She’ll love you, mostly because you’re not Dan or Travis. She’ll say I’ve made a real friend and I have; so thanks for being my first real friend Mikey.”
“Really? I’m your first real friend?! That’s an honor and I’m glad that boy I hung out with last night’s coming around. I think people will forget the old one and like this new better anyways.”
He smiled at me as he dived into his comic; I was jealous, I was driving. I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I really wasn’t sure how to take the news that my father could’ve died yesterday. I mean he was my father but I couldn’t ever really call him my dad. I parked and walked up to the hospital visitor entrance; Mikey seemed to read my like a book. He put a hand on my shoulder before we walked in and gave me a sympathetic smile. I noticed my mother waiting downstairs for me.