Witness

The group stormed quickly through the halls of the high school, people actually moving out of their way, almost in fear of what could happen to them if they stood in front of them for too long. Chances are, they’d just be run down, most of these guys are pretty well built.

“Iero today is your first lesson of surviving here at Belleville High,” James announced as he stopped behind a boy who was sitting on one of the benches outside. I saw the boy visibly stiffen up as he heard James voice boom over him, and it wasn’t long before James’ hand was on his arm, pulling him from his seat and round to face us.

“Make friends with fags like this,” he snarled, his hand tangling into the obviously scared boys hair as he pulled back wards causing him to yelp out in pain. “And you won’t last ten seconds here.” Instantly the group flew at him, fists flying and legs kicking.

Watching their meaty hands grasp at his body, pulling and throwing him around as if he were a rag doll, curling them into fists and pounding into his face and stomach, knocking the wind out of him, throwing him off balance.

He fell with a thud to the floor, and my eyes widened considerably. I was certain I was no longer standing on the school field in New Jersey, but back at that same car park in California, hiding in the car, whimpering but much too afraid to do anything.

They'd grabbed his hair, pulling him upwards onto his feet.

This was more than I could handle. Everything was replaying back in my mind, so much so that I couldn’t even feel sorry for the boy currently being broken down and destroyed. These boys were going to grow up into exactly the same kind of people as the ones who murdered my father, and that thought was too much beyond scary, that I felt myself stepping backwards, just as an attempt to get away from them.

“Want a go?” James asked me, laughing in the boys face.

I looked at the boy so far only known to me as ‘Way’ and felt so much pity and so much sorrow, just looking into his pained and emotionless eyes. He was pleading with me. Begging me to make them stop, almost wishing that I wouldn’t do to him what the others were doing.

I couldn’t stop what happened to my Father only a few fateful nights ago, but I could potentially stop this.

“No,” I answered to the group of eagerly awaiting faces. They peered at me, confused almost as to why I wouldn’t want to destroy someone else’s face. I hated people like that. “I mean, he’s not really worth it, is he?” I questioned, hoping and praying that, that would be enough for them to stop what they were doing to him.

James thought about it for a minute, before looking at his ‘loyal followers’ and nodding almost. “New kid may as well call the shots for today,” he announced, pushing Gerard down so that he fell onto the floor with a soft thud. They didn’t even look back at him as they made their way back across the field. They also didn’t appear to notice that I wasn’t there with them at first.

I looked back at the body attempting to heave its self from the floor, and felt sadness pang in my heart, causing it to almost skip a beat. Wiping my eye, I turned and started to walk away, the sight reminded me too much of my father, only when he was slumped across the floor...he wasn't moving.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I heard a small voice cough out. Upon hearing the voice, I turned back and saw ‘Way’ standing there, looking at me with some kind of gratitude in his eyes. “Thank you.”

I nodded slightly, and the corners of my mouth quirked up into a quick smile before I once again turned on my heel and walked away from him, as he brushed himself down.

* * *

I never did get that tour in the end. James got caught by a teacher out with his friends as opposed to showing me around the school, and even though I had claimed that I didn’t mind, she still wouldn’t have it, and started flitting on about how he should listen to instructions given.

It was then that they told me that I’d have to go home. I mean seriously. What the fuck!?
Someone comes in for an induction, of course you have to have someone reliable to show them around, as opposed to showing people their hobbies, but then for a teacher to find out that their not reliable then claim that there’s no one else to show me around is just bullshit.

There’s a whole school full of kids just dying to get out of lesson, or even more shocking, there’s teachers sitting around in staff rooms because they have free periods. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bothered that I didn’t get to see the school; I’m just shocked at the utter laziness that the school provokes.

Storming into the house, I got momentarily disorientated, because I couldn’t just magically know my way around this house. Firstly because I hadn’t been here long and secondly because it was so big compared to what I was used to!

“Anthony, babe, what’s the matter?” my mum asked, concerned as she’d heard the door slam.

“Stupid-ass school. Firstly there’s this weird old lady who ignores you so she can write letters to her son. Then I have to be shown around the school by some asshole that can’t be bothered and goes to beat up some kid instead. He was pretty hot though...not the bully...the victim. Then they tell me I may as well just go home. What the fuck?!” I said, ignoring that I’d just been called Anthony. Honestly, I wasn’t complaining all that much. I didn’t want to be Frank Iero anyway.

“Aw honey. Well, this place is a lot different to California, but I’m sure you’ll get used to it,”
I didn’t bother to listen to what she was saying. I just stood up and grabbed my bag with the hair dye in, making my way upstairs ignoring my mum’s irritable sigh.

I walked into my still empty room, jumping over various boxes to get to the door that lead into my on-suite bathroom before locking myself in and mixing the dye together, until it was the exact red I’d wanted.

I felt like a bit of a fool attempting to do this alone, seeing as I knew absolutely nothing about hair dying or even cutting hair, but at least I could give it a go.

Not long later, I emerged from the bathroom, actually not feeling too bad about the way it had gone. I’d kept the normal length of it at the top, but had made the sides shorter so I had some kind of Mohawk, and then the shorter sides had been dyed red. I was certain that my mum would have a fit, but at that moment in time, I really couldn’t care less.

This was all about new beginnings right? Therefore I could be who I wanted to be. I can’t really say ‘the new me’ because in reality, I’m now a completely different me. You get me?

“An-Frank! Dinner,” My mum yelled from down stairs.

Well this was it. I jogged down the stairs, smelling whatever she’d cooked, and walked towards the brand new dining table. My mum was in the kitchen which was joined to the dining room so I could see that she had her back to me.

She turned around with our food in her hands, and jumped slightly as she saw me. “Frank?!” She asked, her voice reaching an almost impressively painful pitch. “What did you do?!”

“Just thought I’d change my hair,” I shrugged, picking up my fork and digging into my food.

“I noticed that, but why?”

“Because it makes me feel more hidden,”

“Why does that matter?”

“Mum. Do you have one of the most dangerous gangs in California wanting to kill you for putting their friends in prison?”

She nodded in understanding, and gave me a sad look before carrying on eating, an almost awkward silence falling over the table. I don’t think that I could really get used to life here, in California or having to live anywhere without seeing my Fathers face every single day.