In 102 Languages I Love You

Jennifer looked up at the small house that had been her home for twenty six years now. The sun light shined half her face; giving her a beautiful glow. Their were visible wrinkles adorning her features, and silver hairs shining from the sun. The house in front of her wasn't perfect. In fact, it was far from it. The floorboards squeaked at night, some glass windows were cracked, the kitchen roof would leak sometimes when it rained, and the small basement smelled like dry mold. But still, this small, shitty, house had been the roof over her head, and to her it was more then fine.

Jennifer felt the September breeze push against her face, and let the air fill up her lungs as light hair strands danced along with the wind in partners. She felt refreshed, and she swore she could feel a certain someone beside her that second, which caused her to smile widely. About two years ago Jennifer had lost her daughter Madison to the incurable disease ALS, and the only thing that disappointed her was that two years later in 2000, there was still no cure for it.

She didn't know whether Madison's spirit would stay, and linger around this house; haunting the new owners, or following her, and Daniel to Pennsylvania. Whatever Madison decided was up to her, and Jennifer was fine with whatever she chose.

"Well Madison, baby, it's time for me to get out of here."

The hardest part about the whole 'moving' thing was packing up her things. Neither of them knew what to do with her belongings. She knew Madison wasn't alive, but she still didn't want to upset her with anything they did. They kept some things with them, but stuff like her clothing, bed, Cd's they didn't know what to do with. Finally Jennifer asked herself, 'What would Madison have us do?' And she came to her answer; she gave them to charity, for other people to benefit from.

A couple of feet away from her stood seven other figures. The tallest of all of them was Raymond Toro. He was there due to the fact that he was close friends with Daniel; the one departing with his mother. In the same position as Raymond were Gerard, Frank, Robert, and Michael. The sixth figure was Daniels girlfriend, Tiffany, and the seventh was Daniel himself. They all watched Jennifer as she talked back to the house were all of them had spent countless hours enjoying themselves. Dan walks over to his mother, and places his large hand on her fragile shoulder.

"Ready Mom?" He asks her.

All their couches, big electronics, and anything that wouldn't fit into boxes were already waiting in their new home in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Jennifer would be living in a small, comfortable, home, and Dan in an apartment two blocks away. He never wanted to be leaving his mother completely alone.

Jennifer looks back at her son as he pulls a strand of graying hair away from her face. She never thought she'd be leaving this small home in Belleville, New Jersey. Not even after she dreamed of both her kids leaving home for college or leaving with whatever they wanted to do, did she ever think she'd depart from her home. But after Dan got a job offer in Pennsylvania, and he refusing to leave her behind, did she really have much of a choice.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Both Darkos turn around to face the seven figures. Daniel can't stand seeing tears squeezing out of Tiffany's eyelids. He walks up to her first, embracing her in a tight hug before kissing her gentley.

"Fatty you better come, and visit often." She laughs into his shoulder, digging her nails into the interior of his shirt.

Her comment causes Daniel to smile and hug her even tighter, squeezing air out of her small lungs. "I will fat ass, I will" He breathes into her hair.

They kiss one more time before she steps back, and lets him continue down the line of friends. One by one, he says his goodbyes to his friends he's known since his mom let him go outside by himself, and play. He met Gerard first at the park when he was biking with his younger brother Mikey. Mikey was only four then, so Dan always excluded him out until he got old enough.

Gerard had been his best friend since then. Ray came second when they met in third grade. Daniel was always intimidated by Ray's older brother, and would refuse to ever go to his house. Robert, or 'Bob', as most call him, came third when they met in a local FYE store in Newark. They were both fighting over the last Nirvana CD. He let Bob have it. Frank came last. He didn't like Frank at first because he was so young, and kind of immature. But the little 'pansy' as he nicknamed him grew on Daniel like a leech. Now Dan held a huge respect for Frank in his heart.

"Frank," He smiles softly, shaking his hand. These two years feel like they've been the hardest on the youngest of the group; the one that fell in love with Dan's sister.

"I'm going to miss you Pansy!" Dan laughs before he grabs onto Frank and gives him a 'manly', bone crushing hug.

Frank was always the smallest, the weakest, and the youngest.

"Take care of yourself, man." Dan says, patting his shoulder. All Frank does is nod back sternly before stepping away from Dan. Frank doesn't watch both Darko's get into the car, he doesn't watch them drive away, or wave goodbye along with his friends at the car driving down the road. He continued walking down the blocks he's been walking on for nineteen years now by himself. He's going to despise the new family moving into their new home. And he's going to despise whatever they make out of Madison's room.

None of them except Frank knew that today was the second year anniversary of when Frank crashed into Maddy, when they met for the very first time.

Frank walks down the tattered streets of Belleville by himself. In all honesty Frank told himself two years ago he'd be fine, that he'd move on just like Madison would have wanted him too, and he did. But whenever September comes around the corner, the feeling of downpour within him arises again. Frank begins to question himself, and everything like he used too.

He hasn't dated anyone in the past two years, or even gotten the chance to really get to know another girl. There was only one girl that ever stuck in his mind, and it was Madison. He'd compare everything about her to every other girl he'd meet. He'd find the differences between Madison, and some other girl, and just despise how different both of them were. He didn't want anyone else.

Around this time, he felt like the Frank he had been when she first left him. He had kept the notebook of the 'letter' she had written him. His mother wouldn't let him keep anything else. Linda thought it wasn't healthy for Frank to cling on to such objects that belonged to her. She didn't like seeing her son in this state. All she begged for was for him to let her go completely. She knew that was impossible, however.

Frank's feet made their way up his house steps before he unlocks the lock, and makes his way inside. He closes the door, and leans against it. He sucks in air trying to clear his mind.

"Frank?"

He lulls his eyes open to be face to face with an angry looking mom.

"Hey mom" He responds, nonchalantly slipping past her to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going, Frank? You're supposed to be in school!"

"The Darkos left today." He responds turning back to her. "I wanted to say goodbye."

Linda's face muscles loosens up, letting out a sigh. "Are you okay?" She asks making her way towards the only child she has left living with her, her only companion.

"I-i'm fine" Frank responds, shrugging. Linda doesn't know what day today is either.

"Listen Frank, I know this might be a tough da-"

"It's not" He interrupts.

She flies him a look, and nods. "Well then if it's not, you've got to get back to school. They said if you missed one more day you won't be able to graduate!"

"There are four more periods left of school! I don't see the point of coming in late right now!" Frank whines. At this point he really didn't give a fuck about graduating high school. They can send him to summer school or hold him back a year if they wanted to. He still wouldn't care. He still hated that shit hole.

"Frank get in the car, and grab your backpack. You have no choice."

Obliging to her commands, Frank grabs his backpack that lies on the couch. He hadn't done any of his homework from the night before, so this day would be interesting. He stepped out of the house. This day exactly two years ago Mikey, and Frank had both ditched school. And if he hadn't two years ago, he knew he wouldn't be this person right now. Things would have been so much different. Madison wouldn't have really existed to him. Funny how little things can alter so much in the future.

He rests his forehead against the cold car window, and watches his mother get inside the car.

"Buckle down" She orders, sticking the keys into the engine, making the car vibrate.

He rolls his eyes, and obliges to her commands again. Frank watches his neighborhood enfold through his eyes as the car drives by everything. He can see himself two years ago when he was seventeen. Mikey, and he had decided to play a catch of football. He could see himself running down Madison's block, and turning around at the last second to catch the flying football. He can hear the pitch of Mikey's yell, and he could feel her body push against his own.

"Frank if you want we can go put flowers on her grave tomorrow..." Linda says, breaking the silence between her, and her son.

Frank shakes his head. He knows that the only thing six feet below him is a disintegrated body...if you can even call what you'd find in a coffin years later a 'body.' Madison wasn't under the ground; she was everywhere, but that specific place.

"It's okay" He says, securing his backpack on his shoulders as the car entered the school's parking lot.

"I need a late note." Frank explains.

"Just go in. I'll call the school, and make something up. Have a good day, okay?" Linda says, leaning in to kiss him in the cheek.

"You too" Frank mumbles, getting out of the car, and making his way through the schools parking lot.

As he steps through the doors of the 'Main Entrance' an irritating high pitched bell rings through the school, and in seconds students are pouring into the hallways by the seconds. If there was one place he wanted to stay away from, it was school. All of his close friends had already graduated from here, and he was stuck by himself. He sighs, securing his backpack again and makes his way to College English; his seventh period class.

All the seniors knew about Frank, all the juniors knew about Frank, the sophomores learned about Frank last year when they came in as Freshman, and the new freshman coming in this year would soon slowly learn about Frank, too. It's probably they all knew about Frank anyway. He had already gotten used to the stares, and the rumors. He had thought that maybe in two years they'd stop, but every once in a while they'd erupt again. He soon realized it was what anyone would really ever remember him by, and know him for.

Frank walks into his English class, taking his seat in the back like usual, and waits for the class to start. This class is full of seniors, and smart juniors. He doesn't know any of the juniors or their names. They're just faded faces in the background.

People that barely exist to him.

The teacher soon begins talking, and Franks mind wonders off. He stares outside the window, and begs for some piece of the freedom the birds flying through the sky have.

"Frank" Mrs.Berch hisses, snapping Frank out of his thoughts. Frank sits up in his seat alerted, and looks up at her.

"Yeah?" He questions.

"Go to your partner, please!" She commands. That's when Frank notices all the desks have been moved together in pairs.

"R-right...and can you uhhh...remind me who my partner is, again?" He asks politely. He knew he wasn't pay attention, it's the comment he gets often on his report card.

"I said it three times Frank! You're just going to have to figure it out yourself!" She barks, walking off to her desk in the back of the room.

Sighing, Frank turns to look at the room and find someone with no partner by their side. His eyes scan the room, and he notices a girl in the front of the room waving her hand at him shyly. Partner, he thinks before getting up, and walking over to her. From what he can tell so far, she must be a junior since he doesn't really know her.

She smiles at him nervously as he sits down, and it's when he notices she looks really familiar.

"Uhhh..." Frank mumbles, sitting down beside her. He watches her eyes wonder towards his shirt.

"You like Black Flag?" She asks. He notices her lips quiver slightly when she talks.

"Y-yeah, I do." He nods. "Do you?"

The girl shrugs, and answers. "They're okay. I prefer other bands. "The Who rocks it better." She laughs lightly, tucking strands of hair behind her ears.

Frank feels himself loosening up, and smiling along with her. He finds himself not comparing her dislike of Black Flag to Madison's adoration of Black Flag.

"The Who is okay, but have you listened to Henry Rollins voice, and Gregg Gins lyrics are just...amazing."

The girl in front of him shrugs again. "Well...I'm not about to argue with you here. But I will say Gregg is quite a hunk." She smiles.

Frank giggles, "I think I agree on that, too."

Both teens smile at each other for a bit, trying not to make the situation awkward."So...do you wanna fill me in on what we have to do?" Frank asks, scooting closer to her.

She nods, and begins to talk. He doesn't pay attention though, he does something else; he observes her. He hasn't really done this in a while. He used to watch, and observe everything Madison did to know her better. The girl in front of him has the straightest teeth he's seen, and a beautiful smile. She has freckles on her pale face, and short, thick black hair that looks dyed. Her eyes resemble his own, and she uses her hands when she talks. He's known this girl for about five minutes, but he feels
screws with in himself loosening up, he loves observing her. The feeling makes him nervous.

"...so we just have to fill out this packet." She finishes, before looking at him straight through his eyes.
Frank blinks for a couple of seconds before discarding her last words. "Sorry, I never introduced myself. My name is Frank Iero." He smiles sticking out his hand.

I know, the girl in front of him thinks. He doesn't know it yet, but they've met before. Three times to be exact. He has just never paid any attention to her, until now. She lets her own hand slip along with his, and they shake lightly. Their fingers grip around one another, and they both blush staring at each other.

"Jamia Nestor. Nice to meet you Frank."

And when those words escaped her mouth, something in Frank clicked. He knew everything today was going to be okay. He was going to be okay. He was going to learn how to live without Madison.