Fake Your Death

I gazed out the window at the passing scenery. The familiar sights of small shops and bustling streets passed by. With each turn, I felt the knots in my stomach get tighter. The cab rolled to a stop in front of a large, two story brick house. I stared at the white wooden swing on the front porch. I grabbed my belongings and stepped out of the cab. I turned back to the driver and handed him cash for the fare. He tipped his hat before driving off. I turned back towards the house, shifting my bag further up on my shoulder. I took a deep breath and shuffled up the walkway. As I approached the front door, it swung open. My mother stood before me, arms opened wide.

“Nora! Oh, I’m so glad to see you!” She exclaimed as she pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Hey, Ma,” I greeted. She pulled back and looked me over.

“It’s been nearly a decade since you’ve been home.” I shook my head and sighed.

“I know, Mama…” She waved her hands.

“Well, never mind that. Get yourself in here. I’m making pierogi, your favorite.” She ushered me through the door, closing it behind me. “Greg, she’s home!” There was a clatter from upstairs, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. My dad appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Well, Barb, would you look at who the cat dragged in,” he boasted as he walked down the stairs.

“Hey, Dad.”

“How’ve you been, kiddo? It’s been a while.” He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed tightly.

“Uh, I’ve been better. Hit a rough patch. Just needed to come back home, I guess.” He nodded understandingly.

“Sometimes, all a kid needs is their parents. Don’t even worry about it. We’re glad to have you home, baby girl.” I feigned a smile as he stepped back. “What’s for dinner? It smells great.” Him and Mom headed towards the kitchen.

“Why don’t you go clean yourself up? I’ll call you when dinner’s ready,” Mom suggested. I turned and headed up the stairs towards my bedroom. As I entered the room, I flicked the light on. I laughed to myself as I saw all of the band posters that littered the walls. I set my bag down on the floor and studied the room. Mom hadn’t changed a thing, other than having cleaned up the laundry on the floor. I looked over at the vanity and saw the pictures taped to the mirror. As I got closer, I felt a warmth in my heart. In one picture, Frankie was wearing a tiara and flipping off the camera. Mikey stood in the background, completely unaware of his surroundings. In another, Gerard and I sat side by side on a picnic table, making goofy faces for my mom. There were a number of pictures of the four of us over the years. People being caught off guard. People making weird faces. Frankie and me getting ready for prom. Gerard and I working on an art project. The Way boys and I sitting awkwardly by a statue. The most recent picture was taken on the first day of our senior year. Gerard stood awkwardly beside me in front of the house. Mikey stood beside him, and Frankie was laying down in front of the three of us. I stared thoughtfully at the pictures as memories flooded my mind.

“Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on? You just started disappearing. You quit coming to hang out with us. Then, I start hearing that you’re talking shit about us with the school’s biggest assholes. Do you even fucking care about how we feel? You start telling people about some of our most private discussions, and then, you just act like nothing happened? You broke my brother’s heart. You basically just dropped us like it was nothing.”

“That’s not even what happened. Jesus Christ. We’ve been best friends for years, and I’m not willing to throw that all away because of some bullshit rumors.” Mikey looked at me with disbelief.

“So, you’re telling me that none of it is true? I don’t know, Nora. You’ve been awful fucking secretive here lately. You won’t tell me what is going on.”

“Nothing is going on, Mikey. Just trust me, and leave it alone.” He rolled his eyes and walked away. “You know what? Fuck you, Michael Way. I don’t need you anyway.” He spun around to face me.

“You don’t need me? Who the fuck do you think you are talking to? I’ve been there through everything. All of it. Who did you call in the middle of the night when you started having nightmares? ME. Who came to your side no matter what time of day? ME. Who was it who saved your fucking life, more than once? ME. So, don’t you dare fucking tell me that you don’t need me. Maybe I don’t need you,” he spat.

“Nora, dinner!” Mom called from downstairs. I sighed as I pulled the pictures down from the vanity. That was so long ago. I doubted any of them would even remember me. I stashed the photos into the drawer and headed downstairs. As I stepped into the kitchen, I stopped. There was a third person who was turned away from me. “There you are. Look who stopped by!” He turned to face me. I smiled as I saw his face.

“Hey, Valentine,” he greeted. “Long time, no see.”

“As I live and breathe…” I said in disbelief. “It has been a long time, Mr. Iero.”