Witness

Monday came around too quickly after a pretty uneventful weekend. Well, aside from the fact that I had a dream that my Dad was pissed at me for ‘killing him’, Gerard knew I was a liar and I ripped my forehead to shit.

I didn’t end up going to Gerard's yesterday, because I was too drained from the night before, and the realization that it had been a week exactly since my father had been ripped so cruelly from our grasps. It scared me somewhat that the people who did it aren’t locked away and in fact would get great pleasure of ripping my insides out for those who did get locked up for it.

I tumbled into school, a layer of my mum’s foundation swiped over my forehead to hide the scratches. My fringe was also covering this so that it made it less obvious.

“Hey, Iero,” A voice snarled from behind me. I knew it was James, but I just wasn’t in the mood, so I simply kept walking. “I’m talking to you,”

“And I’m ignoring you,” I said, continuing to walk down the hall towards my locker where I saw Gerard standing leaned up against it looking bored.

I felt a pang of guilt stab me in the gut and twist.

You’re lying to me, Frankie. I know you are. What’s your name Frankie? Tell me your name.

“Hey Frankie,” he smiled brightly as I stepped forward. My hand moved up to my forehead checking for scars or cuts or blood. When I felt nothing I sheepishly removed my hand and turned to my locker.

“You look like shit!”

“Thanks,” I laughed.

“No, I’m serious. What’s happened?”

“Nothing…”

“It doesn’t look like nothing. What’s on your forehead?” What’s your name Frankie?

“Nothing, I promise,”

“Tell me what happened,” Tell me your name.

“Nothing!” I snap, slamming my locker closed as tears fought with swords and knives to be let free from my eyes. The fought so hard that it hurt me to fight back, so I let out a shuddering breath and let them fall before wiping them with the back of my hand and walking towards the boys toilets, dragging Gerard with me.

“What’s the matter?” He asked, wrapping his arms around me as soon as we stepped into the bathroom, ignoring that the bell had gone and everyone was now making their way to their classes.

“If I tell you…Will you promise not to tell anyone?” I asked, ringing my hands as I looked at him in the eye. “Promise,”

“I promise, I do. What’s the matter?”

“I-I” I started, my mind flickering.

You’re a liar Frankie, I know you are.

“Well I’m not really—”

This is our secret and it’s going to stay that way

I sighed in defeat. I really did value Gerard as a friend, but I’d only known him a week, and the unfortunate thing was, that I was generally looking for emotional support anyway, as long as I got it from someone, it didn’t matter who it was.

“Never mind,”

“No, Frank. Please tell me,”

“I…I can’t,”

“Why not?”

“It’s really complicated,”

“Don’t you trust me?” You’re lying

“I do, I really, really do…I just…”

“No, you know what? It doesn’t matter,” he smiled at me. “I mean, I can’t expect you to just trust me after such a short time of knowing me, so I get it, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,”

I just stared at him as he smiled sincerely at me. “I really wish I could tell you,”

“Maybe one day you’ll be able too,”

I smiled fondly, knowing that this wasn’t anything that you can just leave until another day but feeling happiness that Gerard was being so considerate.

“You’re a really great guy. I don’t get why the school dislikes you so much,” I sighed, pulling him into a hug once more.

“You’re a great guy, Frank,” You’re a liar, what’s your name Frankie? Tell me your name. “I mean, you turn up out of nowhere, and you don’t care what people think of you, you just do what’s right. You’re my knight in shining armor,” He laughed, fluttering his eyelashes at me.

“Well, I do try,” I gushed in a thick voice, laughing along as I wiped my eyes once more.

“Seriously though, I’ve been a lot happier since you showed up here,”

“I’m sure that’s an over-exaggeration,”

“It isn’t. It’s the honest truth. I wouldn’t lie to you,” You’re lying to me Frankie

“Yeah, uh, ditto,” I stuttered unsurely, because although I was agreeing to never lie to him…that in its self was a big fat lie. This is beginning to get old.

“So, what now? It’s too late to just wonder into class and I don’t fancy just sitting in here,”

“You, Mister Way,” I laughed, pointing an accusing finger. “Are just trying to skip class, aren’t you?”

“Maybe,” He laughed back. “It’s a good idea though, right?”

“Certainly, would you like to lead the way?” I said in a mock British accent, pointing to the door.

“Why of course, sir,” Gerard laughed back in the same accent I’d used.

It’s really easy to just leave the school grounds of Belleville high, since you can literally just walk out of the gate. At my school in California we were pretty much on lock-down.

I could just picture all ofmy Anthony’s friends sitting around discussing the mysterious email Hayley got. I could practically hear her shrieking something about some cryptic stalker message and coming out with random words that it could have meant. Never will she think of New Jersey, because that’s just the way she is.

“What are you smiling about?” Gerard's voice cut in.

“Nothing,” I grinned, looking up at him. “Just thinking about someone,”

His face fell slightly. “Someone like who?”

“A girl,” His face fell even more and he glanced at me, almost awaiting me to tell him more. “What’s that face for?”

“Is she like…a girlfriend?”

“No way! I could never date her. We’re…we were too close as friends for that,”

“Why ‘were’?”

“It’s complicated,” I sighed, at least telling the truth. “So, why were you so disappointed with the prospect of me having a girlfriend?” I asked, teasingly.

“I-I wasn’t,”

“Sure,” I smirked, taking in his blush. “Was someone jealous?” I asked, mocking shock.

“No!” He retorted at little too quickly.

We sat down on one of the cold, dingy, metal benches in a recreational park that we’d sub-consciously walked too. Well, Gerard walked too; I didn’t know this place was here.

“Seriously Gerard,” I started, looking into his hopeful eyes. “We’ve only known each other about a week; less than that if we’re being precise. I wasn’t even in Jersey this time last week,”

“Yeah, what was with that?” He cut in, obviously trying to change the subject.

“It’s…” I started, looking sadly at him.

“Complicated.” He finished, smiling in a way that reassured me that he was cool with me not explaining it to him.