Frankie Fever

The buzzer sounded shrill when I pressed it. It rang through me like a sudden shot of ice had been injected into my system.

"Hello?" The familiar voice said.

"Hey, it's me!" I replied, pressing the button to speak.

There was an awkward minute in which I'd expected him to open the door for me. What he said next, I couldn't believe. My mouth actually dropped open.

"Who?"

He didn't know who I was?

"Your son?" I replied as if to say 'duh'.

"Oh, right! Come on up, son!"

The door buzzed and I was through it and up those stairs in seconds. Dad threw the door open and pulled me into his arms. I hugged back awkwardly, feeling rather special. It was like Dad wanted me. It felt good.

"Thank God, son!" Dad exclaimed "I've been going crazy!"

"I knew you would be!"

"What?" Dad questioned.

"She's driving you mad, right?"

"No," Dad replied, shaking his head.

My hopes crashed around me. He wasn't miserable?

"It's the steak!" Dad insisted, rushing over to the kitchen, dragging me with him "I'm trying to cook a nice meal for me and Serena! But look at it!" He exclaimed shoving two burnt steaks in my face.

While he rushed about complaining about his burnt steaks, I took the time to look around Dad's new home.

It was a nice apartment. Serena obviously liked to keep things clean. It was a very girly apartment. There were kitten placemats and white fluffy rugs and Serena's hairdressing kit. The sofa was a nice little loveseat with pink cushions.

How could a slob like Dad be living here? How could Serena be allowing Dad to live here?

"Coffee, son?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, please!"

Dad smiled and poured two cups from a proud-standing coffee maker. Yes, cups. Like you get in a tea-set. They were white china with pink swirling patterns. Dad had moved into what the young me would've called 'cootie-central'. It was repulsive.

Dad brought the two cups of coffee out for us, placing them down carefully on the placemats. He straightened up and gave me a quick wink.

"How about we have a wicked little treat too?" He questioned "We've got some eclairs stored in the fridge."

"Yeah, sure, why not?" I shrugged, figuring I could burn it all off at the gym next time I went.

"I'm sure a little treat wouldn't harm your physique," Dad smiled, producing two on a little plate to match the cups "You're looking good, son!"

"Thanks," I nodded "The gym works wonders!"

Dad smiled and proffered the seat to me. I sat on the sofa and allowed him to hand me an eclair. He sat next to me and took a huge bite out of his, smiling at me and murmering 'Bon appetit'. I took a small bite from my eclair, watching as the cream oozed from its interior. My tongue poked out to lick the cream from my finger and I reached out for my cup to take a sip of coffee. Dad watched me take my sip and waited til I'd set my cup down before he broke the news.

"I'm not coming back, Gerard."

I choked on the bite of eclair I'd just taken.

"Your Mom was right to throw me out! I was no good there. No good for any of you!"

It was like my insides had been ripped out and replaced with pure pain. How could this day get any worse?

Don't worry, it did. I can always find a way to make my day worse!

First, the man of my dreams wasn't interested and now my father was all set to play happy families with his new whore. My life had taken a turn for the worse - again. Now I wanted to curl up and die somewhere. And if Mom found out where I'd been, what could I tell her? 'He's fine, in fact, he's never been better and he's all set to start a new life with Serena!'.

"I feel like I've got a second chance," Dad continued "I think I can really be happy here!"

My life had just collapsed. It seemed what little chance I had of getting my parents back together had collapsed in front of me. Forget about me, how would Mikey cope with this? He was at that age where parental problems is crippling. I mean, it's crippling at any age but especially for those approaching or in their early teen years, am I right?

Dad seemed oblivious to my negative mood and chattered on happily about his new life with Serena.

I'm so getting wasted tonight.

* * *

The bus ride over was boring. Frank wouldn't give me any of the booze he had, insisting that we saved it until we were in the line. 'That way, we'll really screw them over!' he'd insisted. So we were sat at the back of the bus, neither of us knowing what to say to the other. Frank would ask how things were at home and I'd grunt, I'd ask if he was planning on meeting a girl and he'd shrug.

I couldn't wait to get hold of that booze. That would make my night. I wanted to forget about everyone except myself. It's good to be selfish every now and then. I deserved it. The bumps of the bus was causing Frank's bag to go clink, clink, clink. I licked my lips. How badly I wanted to reach over and snatch the booze from his bag.

So tempting. . .

But I somehow managed to resist and was now greedily glugging my way through my second vodka and coke. Frank was eyeing up the two girls behind us keenly. One was a thin, tanned, brunette in a gold sequined dress that spewed sequins every time she moved and the other was curvier but still thin with big breasts and blonde hair wearing a tank top and low-slung jeans.

Frank was making easy conversation with the girl in the gold dress. Her dress was so cheap she looked like a gold eel that was losing its scales. I smiled awkwardly at her friend while Frank chatted away.

"Gerard," I offered "My friends call me Gee," I continued, holding a hand out.

She shook it politely, smiling behind her pink lip gloss. She then introduced herself as 'Mandy', gesturing to herself, her hands hovering around her breasts. She then introduced her sequin-clad friend as 'Lola'. Frank smirked and introduced himself, his eyes lowering to Lola's poorly covered boobs.

The queue was stupidly long so we had an hour or so to get to know these girls. Frank was loving it. Lola chattered confidently to him -if there was one thing Frank loved in a girl, it's confidence. He listened to her with a sincere look on his face but I could tell from his expression that he was picturing her small ankles over his broad shoulders while he slapped her ass and demanded to know 'who da man' was.

I growled to myself and took a violent swig of my vodka and coke. Mandy tapped my shoulder, smiling politely.

"What's that you got there?"

"You want some?" I offered "Vodka and coke!" I informed, holding the can out.

She smiled and took a swig. A smirk crossed her face as she handed the can back to me. I took a gulp immediately.

"Aren't you bad boys?" She smirked "Drinking at an anti-booze disco?"

I smirked and shrugged at her. She grinned and leaned in close to me, whispering softly, her breath tickling my ear. 'I like bad boys'. I grinned lazily.

"Really?" I smirked back, waiting for her flirtacious smile "Well, you'll have to come find me later, won't you?"

Her shiny pink lips stretched into a smirk as she nodded, agreeing with me. Frank gave me a wink from where he was, chatting to Lola. I grinned stupidly. The vodka and coke had helped chill me out and I was feeling pretty good. I wasn't bothered by my Frank crush. I was chilled out Gee and ready to rebel against everything Gerard stood for. And that included the little pill Mandy was biting in half.

I tapped her shoulder and she smiled. Her hand was reaching out for me and gently parting my lips, her long fingers placing the other half of the pill onto my tongue. I swallowed with a sly smile. Frank's eyes had widened. Mandy reached out and pinched my ass, smirking as I reached out to cup her breast with one hand and to slap her ass with the other. We both had quirked eyebrows and you know what that means!

A hand shot out and snatched my arm away and I was being dragged aside by Frank. He looked at me with a confused/angry expression.

"What the hell are you doing?" He hissed "This isn't you at all! You don't flirt and touch girls and you most certainly don't do drugs! What was that anyway?"

"No idea," I grinned back lazily.

"Why are you doing this, Gerard-"

"Gee."

"Gee, whatever!" He snapped impatiently "Why are you being like this?"

I shrugged apathetically.

"Fun?"

"But that's not what you think is fun!" He cried back "I know you, Gerard."

"Gee!"

"Whatev-" He stopped himself "You know what? I don't care. Do what you want! I have a nice girl here to get back to!"

I smirked and turned back to Mandy, tapping my head to indicate Frank was mad. She giggled and nodded her head. We were getting closer to the door now. I could hear the thump of music and see the flash of lights. It was great.

Frank shook his head disapprovingly the whole time. I ignored him and made suggestive chat with Mandy while we slowly got closer and closer to the doors until our hands were being stamped and the four of us were stood together inside. It was then that I heard it.

"Oh, God! I can't! I'll have a fit!" A girl about my age exclaimed to her friend as they approached the main room.

I smirked and reached out, tapping her shoulder.

"If you do, can I have some of what you're having?"

Her friend turned on me. He was about the same age but a lot taller than me and he looked a hell of a lot tougher. I didn't care though. I smiled at him anyway.

"Hey, assbag, my friend here is epileptic!"

"Christ," I exclaimed "They should be in their own country! There's a shortage of employment as it is!"

It was like I was posessed. This most definitely wasn't something good-boy please-everyone Gerard would've said. Gee was most definitely loose and running wild tonight. I grinned and laughed as I was shoved.

"You prick!" He exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing the neck of my shirt.

"Whoa, whoa," Frank spoke up, trying to smooth things over "Sorry about your friend. And I'm sorry about my friend too! His sense of humour isn't suited to everybody!"

He exchanged a few more words and then dragged me over to one side. Our female companions looked bewildered as he did so. Frank shoved me into the wall and stood right up close to me, our faces inches apart. Kissing him would've been so easy. I really wanted to.

I took in his bow-shaped lips and his almond-shaped eyes - dark brown, the colour they went when he was angry.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded "Are you looking for a fight?"

"Maybe," I smirked.

"Have you completely lost it, Gerard?"

"GEE!"

"WHATEVER!" He roared back "Why the hell are you being like this? This isn't you!"

"You're right!" I insisted "It isn't me but it's you! I'm standing up for myself like you do!"

"What?" He questioned, almost choking "W-what? You're trying to be like me?"

I nodded bitterly.

"But why?!"

"Because I can!"

"Why do you wanna' be like me? Hell, I don't wanna' be like me! I want to have a future ahead of me, like you! All I've got are a couple of rockstar dreams! You're good and nice! You're going places!"

I snorted rudely and then blew a raspberry. Frank's reply was a good hard shake. I shoved him violently as he did so. I was Gee. I was standing up for myself, even if it meant hurting Frank. I wasn't taking crap from anyone.

Frank's wide hands clutched at my forearms as he leaned in close.

"Just stop it, Gerard," He hissed "I don't know what you took but it's not agreeing with you! Just cut it out and chill - in fact, I've got an even better idea. We'll go home! We can get that pizza you were talking about and watch a movie-"

"But we just got here!" I whined "I'm not going! I like that Mandy girl!"

"And I like Lola but I think the best thing is that we go now before you get yourself into any more trouble!"

I growled pulling my arm loose and trying to rush off, colliding with several people as I did so. I was going to have some fun before we left even if it killed me.

Which it nearly did.

The main room was very hot and crowded. It was really disorientating but exciting. I weaved through the crowd into the middle of the room to dance. I was going to have some fun. I threw my arms up and moved my hips to the beat of the music. I could feel approving eyes on me. The lights flashed all around me. A spotlight rested on me and comments were made about my dancing to which people clapped enthusiastically.

If I'm honest, I can't remember exactly what they said. It was good stuff - I think. But I can barely remember. Frank probably would if I asked him.

Frank's face appeared on the other side of the room, his eyes searching. He was looking for me. I ignored him, he wasn't going to ruin my night. I couldn't understand it. Why was he being like this? Frank liked to rock. Hell, he was the body and soul of the party. But not tonight. Tonight he was acting. . . weird. He was acting like. . . like Gerard would.

And then I spied the poles. There were two poles side-by-side. One was occupied by a girl wearing very little. I smirked and climbed up beside her. We were gonna' have some fun. We were both grinding against the cold metal and the warmth of each other. I grinned widely at her, taking in her tube top and denim shorts. She was looking me up and down with a smirk and a nodding of her head.

Lights flashed.

Her hands were in some rather private places.

I smirked.

She was moving closer.

Darkness.

Although, I don't remember it, I think perhaps passing out was the best thing that had happened to me all day and night.