In 102 Languages I Love You

"You know Frank, my mom's going to be back. And if I'm not hom-"

"You'll be dead, I know, I know. Sheesh, the other part of the whole relationship thing honey is a little something called trust. Now, do you trust me?"

"Hmm.." I said, tilting my head trying to think about this really hard, and trying to suppress a smile at the same time from forming on the edges of my mouth.

"Maddy!" Frank whined, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, Frank. Yes I trust you." I smiled lightly. "You're not taking me to the zoo are you? 'Cause we all know how that ended last time!"

I kicked at the trash scattered at my feet, and noticed his black backpack by my left leg. Frank laughed lightly at my comment. "No, we're not going to the zoo. And no, I'm not taking you to the vacant parking lot I took you the first time I kidnapped you. But I can tell you that were I am taking you will change you forever. Or, well, it's something you'll never forget. Trust me." He assured, taking a quick glance at me from the corners of his eyes.

"Well we're on the highway so it must be something. I'm grateful you didn't blindfold me this time to!" I smiled, pressing my head against the cold window beside me. I heard him giggle this time. He seemed to always be laughing at the little stupid things I said. This just made me want to be more stupid, so I could hear that contagious high pitched giggle of his. Making someone laugh and smile can go a long way.

I began to bounce my leg up and down from not being patient, until I heard my leg coming in contact with something crunchy. I bent down to scan Frank's car floor in search for the noise.

"What are you doing Maddy?"

I ignored him for a second until I realized the back of my boots were stepping on the edges of some paper. I grabbed it with my left hand, extending my arm and reaching for it. I could feel all the blood, and pressure rushing to my head as I looked upside down for the noise. It was harder to talk in this position, so when the paper finally touched my finger tips and was in my grasp, I answered Frank.

"Looking for this." I sighed, pushing back the hair that had moped over my face. I put the paper on my lap, pressing down on the wrinkles that had formed on the paper. It had a dirty design of the bottom of a sneaker mark on the left corner, and it looked like a bit of kool-aid had been spilled on it. The ink was slightly smudged, and I could recognize the letters as Frank's hand writing. My eyes quickly began to read.



My eyes quickly flew to Frank's face which were still concentrated on the road, and back to the shriveled up paper below me. My body trembled slightly at the images I got in my head. Lynching.

Popular back in the day when Racism was still burning with fury. When the south didn't want to give up their slaves. Are we naturally born kind and gentle, and as years go by are battered with rough changes that we become cruel? My eyes kept reading the same line over and over again, The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth.

It made my mind recollect back to when Mrs. Costello had taught me about the civil rights movement. The lynching, the bus boycotts, the freedom riders, the black panthers. They were all fighting for their rights to be considered human beings, and they fought for it well. Something I was kind of jealous of. I don't know how strong I'd be to fight for something I believed in, or how well I'd do at defending my opinion.

"Hey Frank.." I say, folding up the paper into perfect squares in my hands.

"Hmm?" He asks, taking a quick glance at me.

"Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck. For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck. For the sun to rot, for a tree to drop. Here is a strange and bitter crop." I said, reciting the poem, in memory. "Who knew I could find amazing, powerful, poems in your old batted car?"

His lips pulled back, slightly smiling. "You found Strange fruit by Able Meeropol?" He asked, almost excited. "I read that poem last year in Global. Teacher assigned us to read it, and write our thoughts about it. I don't know, but the poem just shook me. I kind of had to write it down somewhere, and just keep it for myself.." He shook his, his mood changing. "I just don't understand people sometimes, and what humanity has done. But that poem, it was something..something so pure, and bitter. I just loved it."

My insides heated up at the thought. "You're going to be something great someday Frank. It's kind of wonderful.." I laughed.

Frank joined in. "You sound like my mom.." He teased, making a turn out of the highway.

"Well then your mom and I are going to be right, okay? You just watch. One day you're going to be doing something amazing, I can see it!" I said again. "Hey, do you mind if I..keep this?"

"You can keep it as long as you write me another one." He smiled like a little kid. "The poem means something to me to, and if I don't have a copy I'll be sad.." He pouted, making another turn with the car.

"Deal." I smile, placing the perfectly folded wrinkled paper into the pocket of my skinny jeans. "So, are we there yet, it's going to be three o clock.." I sighed.

"Actually.." Frank said, turning his car into a very familiar parking lot. "We are here!"

He found an empty sparking space, in the semi-full parking lot as my eyes scanned the place. It looked a little too familiar. And when I spotted that cheesy huge grin from across the lot, I remembered it, Wonder Bar. "Are we visiting your grandfather Frank, again?" I ask, unbuckling myself as the rumbling of the car seized.

"You wish." Frank laughed lightly, unbuckling his own seat belt. We both stepped out of the car into the chilly atmosphere. He walked over to my side of the car, and took my hand into his. It had stopped twitching about five minutes into our car drive. I don't understand why my hands were always freezing, and why his were always warm. Even in the exposed freezing weather, they managed to stay warm like fire, but mine changed along with the temperature.

We walked down the sidewalk opposite of Wonder bar' Here, the cracks on the sidewalks were more dented, and trash was scattered everywhere. The buildings were colored in dim bright colors, not aligned. There were fences keeping back sandy, dying grass. The streets were bumpy, and unwelcoming. This was the real Jersey scene. Frank soon let go of my hand, and brought his arm over my shoulder, pulling our bodies together. "Ready?"

His breathe fell hot against my face. I got a bit nervous wondering why he brought me here. What could possibly change me completely? Or what could possible scar my memory? I didn't forget things easily. I was actually pretty good with faces. I meet you once at a party, we have some small nice conversation, and I probably wouldn't forget you. It's hard to forget. But what could possible burn my memory? "

"I think so.." I sighed, convincing myself more then him. We kept on walking until we turned into the front lawn of this huge building. That wasn't what caught my attention though. what caught my attention were the sound of waves of the ocean, just up ahead.

"This is the beautiful Jersey Shore.." Frank sighed, holding on to me tightly as we began our walk towards the boardwalk. "You know..during the seventies, this place according to grandfather Frank, was one of the most amazing places in the world. This place was filled with laughter, families, rides, candy, anything fun you could imagine.." He said, his voice trailing off. "And now, this is like the Jersey ghetto. Ironic?"

"A little.." I responded honestly. "But it still holds it's beauty, and it still holds it's memories.." I say, getting excited as we lean against the rails stopping me from getting any closer to the ocean ahead of me. "A day to remember, my first time seeing the ocean with my boyfriend, Frank Iero. Thanks for being a part of it fruitcake." I smile, leaning into him, giving him a friendly push.

I stared out into the endless sea, watching as the waves crashed onto the hard land. I could spot seagulls far into the sky, squawking down at the ocean. All worries for this moment were pushed back in my head.

"Hey, hey, wanna know the best part about this?" Frank asked, resting his chin on my shoulders, slightly digging into my epidermis.

"What?" I ask, turning towards him.

What could be better then this?

"This isn't even it."

"There's more?" I question, as he grabs my hand to walk again.

"Oh yeah" He smiles.