Laugh To Keep From Crying
The Little Ding
Frank Iero was sitting on the curb listening to his iPod on full blast. His head was throbbing from the noise, but he would do anything to block out his thoughts.
People would eye him wondering what he was doing, but he ignored it and closed his eyes trying to think more about the music and less of the lyrics because the lyrics just gave him memories he wanted to forget oh-so-badly.
When the song “All Of My Love” by Led Zeppelin came on Frank hastily pulled his iPod out of his jeans pocket and changed it immediately. It hurt to hear that song. The lyrics touched him, and so did the tune. He would walk around the house singing it getting a few eye rolls from his parents.
But now he didn’t he didn’t have his parents. They had abandoned him, thrown him out on the streets like a stray dog. He had nothing other than the clothes on his back to care for himself.
How could his parents do that to him? Kick him out like he was nothing. He was their child for god’s sake!
They were fine with him until the day he turned sixteen.
It was a sunny Friday afternoon and Frank had invited a couple of his friends over for a birthday dinner, along with his family. They talked and laughed for a full 3 hours. Then his mom came out with the cake. They cake had said ‘Happy Birthday Frank we will always love you’ with a heart next to it.
Such a small thing touched Frank, and he had actually believed what it had said on the cake. He thought that they would always love him, no matter what so he decided to tell them right then and now.
“Mom, Dad.”
“Yes Frankie?” His mom asked. Oh how he loved that nickname. Only his parents would call him that and he loved the way his mom held out the e for the longest of times, just to make him giggle.
“I-I-I” He stuttered out “I’m gay.” He let out a sigh of relief, letting that huge burden off his shoulders, of having to keep that a secret. He held up his friends Mike’s hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek to show them that he wasn’t kidding.
His mom’s face was disgusted, and his dad’s was shocked.
“I thought I raised you right, boy, but look what you turned into. A fucking fag” His dad spat. Frank cringed at those words. How he hated being called a fag at school, how he hated being shoved in lockers for his sexuality.
“Get out.” His mom stated, her face black but her eyes full of repugnance. Frank couldn’t understand why he was being kicked out for such a trivial reason.
Why did it matter if he was gay or straight? He was still their son and they didn’t have a right to just throw him out on the streets.
Frank ignored the voice in his head begging for him to argue, and he proceeded to get up from his chair.
He mouthed the words ‘I love you’ to Mike and left a shocked expression on Mike’s face too.
He began upstairs to grab some necessary things, but was immediately stopped by his father who dragged him by the arm to the door, with only his iPod in his pocket, and the clothes on his back.
Frank was now living on the streets for one week. One week without food, or proper shelter. He had found a little stream that he would drink from every time he felt the need. His stomach ached in pain and Frank crouched over holding his stomach, hoping to make the pain go away.
His iPod had ¼ of battery left, he listened to it for 5 minutes everyday hoping to keep the battery as long as possible. He wished he had the chance to bring his guitar, so that he had some hope of making money.
He was now listening to “Out Of This World” by Black Flag and as soon as the lyrics said ‘I love you’ he was immediately reminded of Mike.
Had Mike forgotten about him? About the love the shared together? Frank felt tears building up in his eyes, and as he strived to keep them from flowing down his cheeks, he saw a relatively tall man staring down at him. The man was dressed in tight black jeans and was wearing a black sweater. He had pulled off his sunglasses so that he could see more clearly if the boy was crying.
“Are you okay?” The mans voice smoothly asked.
“N-no.” Frank answered honestly.
“Would you like to talk about it?” The man offered. He was willing to listen to someone’s problems; he had enough dealing with his.
“S-sure.” Frank accepted. He knew this wasn’t right, he knew that this man could be a pedophile. But he wanted someone to be there and tell him that everything was going to be okay, even if it wasn’t.
The man pulled up Frank by his hand and as soon as Frank rose, the pain shot through him. His stomach growling for food, he hissed and muttered ‘Fuck’ under his breath.
“Oh and by the way, I’m Gerard.”The man Gerard shot a gorgeous smile as he said that and Frank felt lightheaded. This man was gorgeous.
“I’m Frank.” He stated plainly, looking down at his shoes.
“Nice to meet you, now how ‘bout some coffee?”
“Yes please.” Frank said a little too eagerly. He had been dreaming of food for the past week, well, it wasn’t food, but at least it was something other than water.
Gerard and Frank walked side by side to the Coffee shop, which was only about one block away.
Sometimes Gerard would comment on how pretty that flower was, or what a nice car that was, but otherwise it was silent.
Frank was focused on keeping his stomach quiet, but failed at it.
“You must be pretty hungry, seeing as I can here your stomach growling.” Gerard chuckled. Frank blushed and muttered a ‘Yeah’ not wanting to explain his dilemma at the moment.
They opened the door of the coffee shop and heard a little ding and they walked up to the counter. Frank ordered a plain coffee while Gerard ordered a vanilla frapicinno.
They waited for about 1 minute for their drinks to be ready, and walked down to an empty booth.
The coffee shop was empty, except for 3 college kids typing away on their laptops and listening to their iPods.
“So, what brings a young man like you sitting on the curb?” Frank almost choked on his coffee, he would have to explain his whole story now.
“Well,” he started, and took a deep breath, “it all started one week ago when I finally admitted to my parents that I was gay.” Frank mentally slapped himself, what if Gerard was homophobic? Franks face must of looked uncomfortable because Gerard immediately answered,
“I’m not homophobic.” And Frank let out a sigh of relief.
“Anyway, after I told them I was kicked out and now I basically live on the streets.” Gerard’s face became sincere and he muttered an ‘I’m sorry’ as he looked into his coffee cup.
“It’s okay, I’m managing.” Frank announced proudly.
“If you want, I have an extra room in my apartment, if you ever get…tired of living on the streets.”
“Um, Thanks.” Frank said when Gerard handed him a slip of paper saying ‘Gerard, 1674 Melrose Lane Call: 947-038-6647’
Gerard left a tip on the table and quickly headed out of the coffee shop, Frank heard the little ding signaling that he was out and he said ‘Wow’ under his breath.
He wouldn’t have to live on the streets anymore.
People would eye him wondering what he was doing, but he ignored it and closed his eyes trying to think more about the music and less of the lyrics because the lyrics just gave him memories he wanted to forget oh-so-badly.
When the song “All Of My Love” by Led Zeppelin came on Frank hastily pulled his iPod out of his jeans pocket and changed it immediately. It hurt to hear that song. The lyrics touched him, and so did the tune. He would walk around the house singing it getting a few eye rolls from his parents.
But now he didn’t he didn’t have his parents. They had abandoned him, thrown him out on the streets like a stray dog. He had nothing other than the clothes on his back to care for himself.
How could his parents do that to him? Kick him out like he was nothing. He was their child for god’s sake!
They were fine with him until the day he turned sixteen.
It was a sunny Friday afternoon and Frank had invited a couple of his friends over for a birthday dinner, along with his family. They talked and laughed for a full 3 hours. Then his mom came out with the cake. They cake had said ‘Happy Birthday Frank we will always love you’ with a heart next to it.
Such a small thing touched Frank, and he had actually believed what it had said on the cake. He thought that they would always love him, no matter what so he decided to tell them right then and now.
“Mom, Dad.”
“Yes Frankie?” His mom asked. Oh how he loved that nickname. Only his parents would call him that and he loved the way his mom held out the e for the longest of times, just to make him giggle.
“I-I-I” He stuttered out “I’m gay.” He let out a sigh of relief, letting that huge burden off his shoulders, of having to keep that a secret. He held up his friends Mike’s hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek to show them that he wasn’t kidding.
His mom’s face was disgusted, and his dad’s was shocked.
“I thought I raised you right, boy, but look what you turned into. A fucking fag” His dad spat. Frank cringed at those words. How he hated being called a fag at school, how he hated being shoved in lockers for his sexuality.
“Get out.” His mom stated, her face black but her eyes full of repugnance. Frank couldn’t understand why he was being kicked out for such a trivial reason.
Why did it matter if he was gay or straight? He was still their son and they didn’t have a right to just throw him out on the streets.
Frank ignored the voice in his head begging for him to argue, and he proceeded to get up from his chair.
He mouthed the words ‘I love you’ to Mike and left a shocked expression on Mike’s face too.
He began upstairs to grab some necessary things, but was immediately stopped by his father who dragged him by the arm to the door, with only his iPod in his pocket, and the clothes on his back.
Frank was now living on the streets for one week. One week without food, or proper shelter. He had found a little stream that he would drink from every time he felt the need. His stomach ached in pain and Frank crouched over holding his stomach, hoping to make the pain go away.
His iPod had ¼ of battery left, he listened to it for 5 minutes everyday hoping to keep the battery as long as possible. He wished he had the chance to bring his guitar, so that he had some hope of making money.
He was now listening to “Out Of This World” by Black Flag and as soon as the lyrics said ‘I love you’ he was immediately reminded of Mike.
Had Mike forgotten about him? About the love the shared together? Frank felt tears building up in his eyes, and as he strived to keep them from flowing down his cheeks, he saw a relatively tall man staring down at him. The man was dressed in tight black jeans and was wearing a black sweater. He had pulled off his sunglasses so that he could see more clearly if the boy was crying.
“Are you okay?” The mans voice smoothly asked.
“N-no.” Frank answered honestly.
“Would you like to talk about it?” The man offered. He was willing to listen to someone’s problems; he had enough dealing with his.
“S-sure.” Frank accepted. He knew this wasn’t right, he knew that this man could be a pedophile. But he wanted someone to be there and tell him that everything was going to be okay, even if it wasn’t.
The man pulled up Frank by his hand and as soon as Frank rose, the pain shot through him. His stomach growling for food, he hissed and muttered ‘Fuck’ under his breath.
“Oh and by the way, I’m Gerard.”The man Gerard shot a gorgeous smile as he said that and Frank felt lightheaded. This man was gorgeous.
“I’m Frank.” He stated plainly, looking down at his shoes.
“Nice to meet you, now how ‘bout some coffee?”
“Yes please.” Frank said a little too eagerly. He had been dreaming of food for the past week, well, it wasn’t food, but at least it was something other than water.
Gerard and Frank walked side by side to the Coffee shop, which was only about one block away.
Sometimes Gerard would comment on how pretty that flower was, or what a nice car that was, but otherwise it was silent.
Frank was focused on keeping his stomach quiet, but failed at it.
“You must be pretty hungry, seeing as I can here your stomach growling.” Gerard chuckled. Frank blushed and muttered a ‘Yeah’ not wanting to explain his dilemma at the moment.
They opened the door of the coffee shop and heard a little ding and they walked up to the counter. Frank ordered a plain coffee while Gerard ordered a vanilla frapicinno.
They waited for about 1 minute for their drinks to be ready, and walked down to an empty booth.
The coffee shop was empty, except for 3 college kids typing away on their laptops and listening to their iPods.
“So, what brings a young man like you sitting on the curb?” Frank almost choked on his coffee, he would have to explain his whole story now.
“Well,” he started, and took a deep breath, “it all started one week ago when I finally admitted to my parents that I was gay.” Frank mentally slapped himself, what if Gerard was homophobic? Franks face must of looked uncomfortable because Gerard immediately answered,
“I’m not homophobic.” And Frank let out a sigh of relief.
“Anyway, after I told them I was kicked out and now I basically live on the streets.” Gerard’s face became sincere and he muttered an ‘I’m sorry’ as he looked into his coffee cup.
“It’s okay, I’m managing.” Frank announced proudly.
“If you want, I have an extra room in my apartment, if you ever get…tired of living on the streets.”
“Um, Thanks.” Frank said when Gerard handed him a slip of paper saying ‘Gerard, 1674 Melrose Lane Call: 947-038-6647’
Gerard left a tip on the table and quickly headed out of the coffee shop, Frank heard the little ding signaling that he was out and he said ‘Wow’ under his breath.
He wouldn’t have to live on the streets anymore.