The Only Hope For Me

As soon as we got home Frank locked himself in the bathroom.

I thought about going up to see him but instead went over to Gerard; Frank probably wants some time to calm down.

“Thanks, Gee. Sorry about that…” He smiled softly.
“No, it’s fine, Mikes. Do you know what’s wrong with him..? He’s been crying since first period…”
“I don’t know, I want to help him, though” I replied helplessly as I took a cup of coffee off the table and went to join Gerard on the couch. “He’s a great kid, really good grades too… Well, when he actually comes into school…” I sighed inwardly.
“Has he said about anything bothering him? Like in school or at home..?”

I thought carefully, I knew everything that went on in school, but he’s never mentioned anything about home.

“He gets bullied a lot in school, I’m always there to help him out and make sure he’s okay. He never says anything about home though.” Gerard frowned slightly and took a sip of his coffee. “You need to talk to him, Mikes.”
“I know, Gee, but what if he doesn’t want to say anything..? I don’t want to force him if he doesn’t want to..”
“He needs to talk about it, though. The poor thing is so upset Mikes. If he’s doing this is school, what the hell is he doing at home..? Please talk to him.”

I sighed and got up off the couch, Gerard was right.

I knocked on the bathroom door. “Frank?” I waited a few minutes, I could hear slight shuffling on the other side of the door but he wouldn’t reply. “Frankie, hunny? Come on, babe, you can’t keep doing this…”

He opened the door. His eyes were red and puffy- no surprise- but he’d finally stopped crying, I smiled slightly.

“I’m so sorry, Mikes” his voice was raspy and weak.

He was sitting on the floor in front of me. I knelt down next to him and closed the door. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” I asked carefully, he didn’t reply “I know it’s not just school, Frank.”

He looked up at me then hugged me “Do I have to tell you now..?” he asked shakily
“Well, you’ll feel better…”
“Fine... I… Um…” He broke down again and I held him tight, “Come on, Frankie. It’s okay.”

He looked up at me, his eyes filled with tears. “M-My mom… She’s d-dying…”

He fell out of my arms and curled up in the corner of the small bathroom shaking slightly. I got up and sat in front of him on the floor.

“Why?” I asked slowly “What’s happened?”
“She… Uhm… She got cancer… Lung cancer; smoking… I-I don’t know what to do Mikes.” I picked him up off the floor.

“You can’t really do anything… There’s no point in taking it out on yourself, though.” I replied. He nodded in response.
“I know, but… I get bullied at school; I come home and there’s no one there, My dad is constantly on tour and my mom works 24/7, I have no one, Mikey,” he sighed before continuing, “that’s why I said I need a boyfriend earlier, I need a boyfriend so I feel like someone actually loves me…”
“I love you, Frank…” He smiled slightly but frowned once again.
“You love me as a friend, Mikes… You love Alicia…” I hugged him tight but not enough to hurt his cuts. “You’ll find someone, don’t worry.”

Frank's POV:
"You'll find someone, don't worry." Yeah... The last person I 'found' didn't love me...
"Mhmm, Can I go lie down?" I felt like I was going to collapse.
"Yeah go on. My bed or Gerard's?" I was going to say Gerard's but I decided not to.
"I'll use yours, thanks…”

I walked into Mikey’s room; closed the door and stripped down to my boxers before climbing into his bed. I fell asleep within a few minutes.