Sequel: Disenchanted ›
Thriller
Names.
( A/N : I realize the first chapter of the story was also titled Names. Kind of the point -- circle ending. Only this chapter goes back to the pool. =] Also, sorry about the cliffhanger. Gaahhh. )
"Do we have a name?" The doctor poked her head into the room for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. I was being discharged from the hospital this afternoon, but we couldn't leave until the birth certificate was completely filled out.
My mom kept repeatedly suggesting traditional names: Elizabeth, Abigail, Mary. Even my brother, Zach, who was living in Detroit now, called to say congratulations.
"No, we're still --"
"We've got a name," Frank interrupted. I raised an eyebrow at him. We did?
"Bella," Frank said. "B-e-l-l-a."
"Is that short for something?" The doctor said, writing it down. Frank glanced at me, and I shook my head.
"Middle and last names?"
"Last name Paterson," Frank said. I smiled and added, "Middle name Iero."
The doctor looked mildly confused, and she repeated with hesitation, "So...Bella Iero Paterson?"
I grinned. It sounded even more perfect coming out of someone else's mouth.
******************
One year later.
third person p.o.v.
Frank Iero gently eased open the door of the old recreation center of Belleville, New Jersey. The center itself looked more or less the same as it had three -- or was it four now ? -- years ago, when he'd first brought Hailey here. He waved his arm around, testing for possible safety alarms, but when none went off he waved them inside.
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge had sold about a million copies, was about to be certified double platinum, and music videos were underway. In a town like Belleville, it was hard to get around like that, so they'd moved -- far away enough to be in some isolation, not far enough to be out of Jersey. Frank doubted he could ever leave New Jersey.
He, Hailey and Bella were the first ones at the pool. Hailey kicked off her shoes and let her feet and Bella's feet soak in the water. Every time Frank had gone on tour, Hailey and Bella came along, except for once when Hailey was sick. Frank had missed them so much it had made him psychically sick to his stomach and he could barely play shows.
Slowly, Mikey, Ray and Bob began arriving. Mikey grinned when he came in. "Shit, I haven't been here in years."
It wasn't that they all hadn't seen each other in a while; they saw each other almost every day. It was the essence, the nostalgia of the pool that made it feel like forever ago. Frank missed being young, missed hiding from the police, missed his first kiss with Hailey in the dusty cabinets.
After about fifteen minutes, Hailey finally asked, "Where's Gerard?"
Ray shrugged. "He's always late."
Hailey was stretched out on her back, feet still soaking in the pool, having let Bob hold Bella. Bob was always most affectionate towards Bella, and paired with the fact that he'd been present during her birth, Frank and Hailey thought it appropriate to name him the Godfather.
It grew quiet, and the only sound was the sloshing of the water against the gutter of the pool, and Bella's gurgling in Bob's arms. But there was something else. Frank sat up, listening towards the door. There was something, a sound, coming from outside the door: a muffling, groaning. Someone was out there.
He stood up, and when Hailey began to ask where he was going, he turned around and shushed her. He gestured for Mikey to come with him and they eased towards the door, opening it slightly.
Someone was lying on the ground before them, groaning and barely audiable. Their body was angled in a way so that Frank could see their torso in the light but not their face, and from what he could see they were bleeding profusely in several places. Growing up in Belleville, he knew the differnece beteween a stab wound and a gunshot wound, and kneeling closer he could actually see the bullets.
As Frank opened the other door to get a look at the person's face, he heard Mikey suck in his breath quickly. When Frank saw who it was, he was equally shocked, mortified, and confused.
"Gerard...?"
******************
( A/N : ahh I didn't want to end it there !! sorry. sequel soon, I promise. thanks to everyone who read / commented / subscribed. =D )
"Do we have a name?" The doctor poked her head into the room for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. I was being discharged from the hospital this afternoon, but we couldn't leave until the birth certificate was completely filled out.
My mom kept repeatedly suggesting traditional names: Elizabeth, Abigail, Mary. Even my brother, Zach, who was living in Detroit now, called to say congratulations.
"No, we're still --"
"We've got a name," Frank interrupted. I raised an eyebrow at him. We did?
"Bella," Frank said. "B-e-l-l-a."
"Is that short for something?" The doctor said, writing it down. Frank glanced at me, and I shook my head.
"Middle and last names?"
"Last name Paterson," Frank said. I smiled and added, "Middle name Iero."
The doctor looked mildly confused, and she repeated with hesitation, "So...Bella Iero Paterson?"
I grinned. It sounded even more perfect coming out of someone else's mouth.
******************
One year later.
third person p.o.v.
Frank Iero gently eased open the door of the old recreation center of Belleville, New Jersey. The center itself looked more or less the same as it had three -- or was it four now ? -- years ago, when he'd first brought Hailey here. He waved his arm around, testing for possible safety alarms, but when none went off he waved them inside.
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge had sold about a million copies, was about to be certified double platinum, and music videos were underway. In a town like Belleville, it was hard to get around like that, so they'd moved -- far away enough to be in some isolation, not far enough to be out of Jersey. Frank doubted he could ever leave New Jersey.
He, Hailey and Bella were the first ones at the pool. Hailey kicked off her shoes and let her feet and Bella's feet soak in the water. Every time Frank had gone on tour, Hailey and Bella came along, except for once when Hailey was sick. Frank had missed them so much it had made him psychically sick to his stomach and he could barely play shows.
Slowly, Mikey, Ray and Bob began arriving. Mikey grinned when he came in. "Shit, I haven't been here in years."
It wasn't that they all hadn't seen each other in a while; they saw each other almost every day. It was the essence, the nostalgia of the pool that made it feel like forever ago. Frank missed being young, missed hiding from the police, missed his first kiss with Hailey in the dusty cabinets.
After about fifteen minutes, Hailey finally asked, "Where's Gerard?"
Ray shrugged. "He's always late."
Hailey was stretched out on her back, feet still soaking in the pool, having let Bob hold Bella. Bob was always most affectionate towards Bella, and paired with the fact that he'd been present during her birth, Frank and Hailey thought it appropriate to name him the Godfather.
It grew quiet, and the only sound was the sloshing of the water against the gutter of the pool, and Bella's gurgling in Bob's arms. But there was something else. Frank sat up, listening towards the door. There was something, a sound, coming from outside the door: a muffling, groaning. Someone was out there.
He stood up, and when Hailey began to ask where he was going, he turned around and shushed her. He gestured for Mikey to come with him and they eased towards the door, opening it slightly.
Someone was lying on the ground before them, groaning and barely audiable. Their body was angled in a way so that Frank could see their torso in the light but not their face, and from what he could see they were bleeding profusely in several places. Growing up in Belleville, he knew the differnece beteween a stab wound and a gunshot wound, and kneeling closer he could actually see the bullets.
As Frank opened the other door to get a look at the person's face, he heard Mikey suck in his breath quickly. When Frank saw who it was, he was equally shocked, mortified, and confused.
"Gerard...?"
******************
( A/N : ahh I didn't want to end it there !! sorry. sequel soon, I promise. thanks to everyone who read / commented / subscribed. =D )