All the Smiles That Are Ever Gonna Haunt Me

"What are you doing after school?"
 
"Huh?
 
"What are you doing after school?"
 
"Oh, I'm just going home."
 
"Come over to our place."
 
"Why?"
 
"I don't know, just for something to do."
 
"Alright."
 
It had been an uneventful lunchtime; Mikey, Frank and Gerard had just been lazing around in the sun. The fact that Mikey had told Frank that he wanted him to go over go to the Ways' household had surprised him, especially since they had just met that day.
 
“Is Hannah coming, too?” asked Gerard.
 
“Of course she is.”
 
“Isn’t there one day that you don’t bring her back with you?”
 
“Last Thursday I didn’t. Why?”
 
“I get the feeling that she’s using you, Mikey.”
 
“Why would she be using me? She loves me, and I love her.” Gerard smiled.

"Okay, Mikey. I want you to be happy, but I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't get hurt, Gee, she wouldn't hurt me."

"Just lookin' out for you, Mikey. If anything ever happens, come to me, alright?"

"Alright."

***

The four walked together, with Mikey and Hannah lagging behind.

"C'mon, lovebirds," teased Gerard, "hurry up."

"What's gonna happen if we don't?" Mikey asked, "is the world gonna explode?"

"It could." Hannah laughed, causing Mikey to smile and hug her while still walking.

They soon arrived at the house, which was pretty nice from the outside; it was two storeys high and looked as though it had once been part of a medieval castle. When Frank looked over to Gerard, he was scowling.

"What's wrong?" Frank asked.

"I don't like this house," was his reply.

"I think it's great." Gerard looked over.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's better than the place I live in." Gerard grabbed a key and unlocked the door.

Although the outside looked like it had come from a set for a movie in medieval times, the inside was modern, with new-looking furniture and a wooden, spiralling staircase.

"Do you guys want anything to eat?" Gerard asked as he walked off.

"No thanks, Frank and Hannah replied in unison.

"I want some yoghurt," Mikey said.

"You can get it yourself."

"But you asked!" Gerard sighed loudly, making sure Mikey could hear him.

"Fine, I'll get you some biscuits." Mikey laughed a little before pulling Hannah along behind him into what seemed to be the lounge room.

Gerard came out of the kitchen not too much later, holding a bowl of yoghurt. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat, Frank?"

"I'm sure." Gerard walked on, into the lounge room, and handed the bowl to Mikey before returning to Frank.

"C'mon," Gerard started walkin up the staircase, "let's go up to my room, you wouldn't want to be in the same room as those two." Frank followed Gerard into a room upstairs.

Gerard's room seemed to be different than any other Frank had ever seen; the blinds were drawn shut, and sketches of vampires, zombies and other creatures of the dark and macabre were sticky taped along the walls.

"Why don't you jus open the blinds?" Frank asked as Gerard flicked on the light.

"Because they won't open anymore." Frank sat down on a comfy looking chair, while Gerard sat on the bed. "So you're in Mikey's year?"

"Yeah. Are you older or younger than him?"

"Oh, I'm older, although Mikey likes to act like he's older, since he's taller than me."

"So do you have a girlfriend?"

"Nah," Gerard replied, "nobody's really ever caught my eye. Except..." Gerard began staring just a little to Frank's left. Frank looked over to where Gerard was, but all that was on the wall was a picture of a mummy.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked as he waved his hand in front of Gerard's face.

"Sorry," he said as he looked at Frank, "I kinda just zoned out a little. How about you?"

"How about me what?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Frank shook his head.

"I did once, turned out she was cheating on me. Fucked three other guys."

"Oh," Gerard scowled, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's alright now. I reckon her life is gonna turn out to be pretty fucked up anyway."

"How come?"

"She went to parties every night, got drunk and did drugs. I was gonna break up with her soon anyway, because of that."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Gerard asked, "do you want anything to drink? I'm gonna go get myself a coffee."

"No, thanks." And, as Gerard walked out, Frank's phone vibrated and he scowled; it was from his mum.

"where r u? come home now." it said. Frank couldn't stand the way his mum texted like that. He had started to really get to know Gerard and, from what Frank had found, he was a very likeable person. He walked out of the room, shutting the door as he did, and walked around until he found the kitchen.

"My mum just texted me," he began, "I gotta go."

"Already? That sucks." Gerard sighed, "well, I guess there's nothing you can do about it. See you tomorrow, Frank."

Gerard walked with him to the door, opening it for him. Frank waved goodbye as he walked, continually looking back until the house was out of sight.

***

"Where were you?" his mother asked as he arrived home.

"I was at a friend's place."

"Oh, you've made friends already? What are their names?"

"Gerard and Mikey."

"You'll have to tell me all about them over dinner." Frank made a little 'hmm' noise and walked off to his bedroom. Shutting the door, he lay on the bed and played the day over in his head. It actually hadn't been too bad.

At his old school, Frank would always get teased and bullied for no apparent reason. Sure, he was short, but he knew how to knock a full grown man out with one blow. He had such a short temper that he had been expelled for getting into too many physical fights, but he didn't mind; at least he taught them all a lesson. He had even made some new friends, which had seemed impossible at his old school. He even had the brothers' mobile numbers, so he could text them if he was ever bored. He felt like talking to Mikey, but knew he was probably too busy with his girlfriend.

He picked up his phone, tempted to talk to Gerard, but thought he should leave him alone, as though he had annoyed him enough for the day. So, instead of doing anything, he just lay on his bed, going insane with boredom.

"Dinner!" he heard his mother yell out not too long after.

Well, at least it would give him something to do.