Drowning Lessons
Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge... Bob Bryar Style.
Frankie's P.O.V.
I ran into my house at about noon. Judging by how my mom's car was in the driveway on a workday, I assumed I was in deep shit.
I tried to creep upstairs without making a sound. Unfortunately, due to the Skittles and the pain in my head, I was pretty jittery. I knocked a rubber plant off the windowsill down the stairs and into the living room. Ah, shit.
I heard footsteps. I ran up to my room and shut my door.
My mom came in shortly afterwards, yelling, even before she opened the door,
"Frank Anthony T--" she stopped when she opened the door and saw my face.
She nearly cried. "Oh, Frankie, honey, what happened?"
"It's not that bad, Ma. I just got in a fight with a couple guys from school. I'm fine, Ma, really," I said, trying to sound calm, but her tone and the heartbreaking expression on her face shook me.
"Frankie, look at you! Your face is all... and your wrist is... my poor baby!" her voice broke and a few tears slipped down her face. She came and sat beside me, throwing her arms around me.
“Who did this?"
"It's okay, Ma. I got them as good as they got me... they won't hurt me anymore... in fact, they're scared of me, and the guys... don't worry, Ma. They're suspended now, so they won't hurt anyone. Don't cry, Mommy," I lied to her, only because I was horribly worried about how badly she was taking this.
She began kissing my face rapidly, as if trying to kiss away the deep gashes on my face and my broken, semi healed nose.
“Who else was involved? Were any of my other boys hurt?” she asked, still worried.
“No, Ma. They’re fine. I went and saw all of them, and they’re perfectly fine. Except for Bob. He’s gonna be pissed,” I said with a laugh. Even my mom knew what a temper Bob had, and what a fierce, protective, large heart he had.
“I would assume so. That boy’s more loyal than a German shepherd. So you’re not going to school today, I take it?” she asked.
“I don’t think so, Ma. But would it be okay if I went and hung out with the guys? I don’t want to be alone today,” I asked, putting on my puppy dog eyes.
“I don’t know... sweetie, you’ve taken an awful beating, from the looks of it...” she began.
“Please, Ma? I’ll be fine, I promise. You know it makes more sense for me to be looked after by my 4 brothers than staying here alone. Aaallll daaay...” I finished, looking sad. I could still manipulate her so easily. Tee hee.
“Oh.... alright. But be home by 7. I don’t want you out after dark, while those other boys are still out and about.”
“Thanks. I love you, Ma.”
She kissed my forehead and left the room, going to work, I guess. She couldn’t take the WHOLE day off because her son didn’t come home when he was supposed to.
I quickly showered, changed some of my bandages, threw on some new clothes and called Ray. I told him to come over to Gee’s and Mikey’s so we could all hang out.
“Okay.. You want me to call Bob?” he asked tentatively.
“Do you think he could handle it? I mean, without going on a murderous rampage?” I replied.
“You know Bob. Sure, he’ll be pissed, but if you want him to keep out of trouble, then by God he’ll do it,” he said confidently.
“Then call him right away.”
I drove over to the brothers’ house and just walked in. We’d all known each other for around 16-17 years, so la mia casa è la vostra casa. I found them in the living room watching TMNT. Oh, wow, boys.
“Honey, I’m hooome,” I joked. They both jumped and looked back at me.
Mikey let out a breath and said, “God damn, Frankie! You can’t do that to an incipient asthmatic!”
“Haha sorry Mikes. Didn’t mean to scare ya,” I said, with a smile and tone that proved the contrary.
“Was anyone home?” Gerard asked.
“Yeah, my mom, and after bathing me in her tears she allowed me to come over here and spend the day. Ray and Bob are coming too,” I said.
“Bob’s coming? Have you talked to him? Does he know what you look like? And why? Do you KNOW Bob?” asked Mikey, beginning to get scared.
“Don’t worry guys, he’ll be fine. He just needs to accept that we’re done with all the fighting shit, and he just needs to keep calm,” I said. My tone was more confident than I was, because I knew firsthand how Bob dealt with things like this. He had a heart of gold, but an explosive temper when someone he loved was threatened.
I went and sat down between Gerard and Mikey. Mikey looked miffed that he had to move out of his warm cushion onto a cold on that didn’t have his ass groove.
We watched TMNT nervously for a while, waiting for the sound that would let us know the boys had arrived, and we had to be prepared.
Finally, we heard footsteps and arguing in the front hall. Ray and Bob.
“Are you ready to face your doom?” Mikey joked.
I nodded and turned around to face the boys. Ray looked anxiously at Bob, who stopped dead in his tracks.
I ran into my house at about noon. Judging by how my mom's car was in the driveway on a workday, I assumed I was in deep shit.
I tried to creep upstairs without making a sound. Unfortunately, due to the Skittles and the pain in my head, I was pretty jittery. I knocked a rubber plant off the windowsill down the stairs and into the living room. Ah, shit.
I heard footsteps. I ran up to my room and shut my door.
My mom came in shortly afterwards, yelling, even before she opened the door,
"Frank Anthony T--" she stopped when she opened the door and saw my face.
She nearly cried. "Oh, Frankie, honey, what happened?"
"It's not that bad, Ma. I just got in a fight with a couple guys from school. I'm fine, Ma, really," I said, trying to sound calm, but her tone and the heartbreaking expression on her face shook me.
"Frankie, look at you! Your face is all... and your wrist is... my poor baby!" her voice broke and a few tears slipped down her face. She came and sat beside me, throwing her arms around me.
“Who did this?"
"It's okay, Ma. I got them as good as they got me... they won't hurt me anymore... in fact, they're scared of me, and the guys... don't worry, Ma. They're suspended now, so they won't hurt anyone. Don't cry, Mommy," I lied to her, only because I was horribly worried about how badly she was taking this.
She began kissing my face rapidly, as if trying to kiss away the deep gashes on my face and my broken, semi healed nose.
“Who else was involved? Were any of my other boys hurt?” she asked, still worried.
“No, Ma. They’re fine. I went and saw all of them, and they’re perfectly fine. Except for Bob. He’s gonna be pissed,” I said with a laugh. Even my mom knew what a temper Bob had, and what a fierce, protective, large heart he had.
“I would assume so. That boy’s more loyal than a German shepherd. So you’re not going to school today, I take it?” she asked.
“I don’t think so, Ma. But would it be okay if I went and hung out with the guys? I don’t want to be alone today,” I asked, putting on my puppy dog eyes.
“I don’t know... sweetie, you’ve taken an awful beating, from the looks of it...” she began.
“Please, Ma? I’ll be fine, I promise. You know it makes more sense for me to be looked after by my 4 brothers than staying here alone. Aaallll daaay...” I finished, looking sad. I could still manipulate her so easily. Tee hee.
“Oh.... alright. But be home by 7. I don’t want you out after dark, while those other boys are still out and about.”
“Thanks. I love you, Ma.”
She kissed my forehead and left the room, going to work, I guess. She couldn’t take the WHOLE day off because her son didn’t come home when he was supposed to.
I quickly showered, changed some of my bandages, threw on some new clothes and called Ray. I told him to come over to Gee’s and Mikey’s so we could all hang out.
“Okay.. You want me to call Bob?” he asked tentatively.
“Do you think he could handle it? I mean, without going on a murderous rampage?” I replied.
“You know Bob. Sure, he’ll be pissed, but if you want him to keep out of trouble, then by God he’ll do it,” he said confidently.
“Then call him right away.”
I drove over to the brothers’ house and just walked in. We’d all known each other for around 16-17 years, so la mia casa è la vostra casa. I found them in the living room watching TMNT. Oh, wow, boys.
“Honey, I’m hooome,” I joked. They both jumped and looked back at me.
Mikey let out a breath and said, “God damn, Frankie! You can’t do that to an incipient asthmatic!”
“Haha sorry Mikes. Didn’t mean to scare ya,” I said, with a smile and tone that proved the contrary.
“Was anyone home?” Gerard asked.
“Yeah, my mom, and after bathing me in her tears she allowed me to come over here and spend the day. Ray and Bob are coming too,” I said.
“Bob’s coming? Have you talked to him? Does he know what you look like? And why? Do you KNOW Bob?” asked Mikey, beginning to get scared.
“Don’t worry guys, he’ll be fine. He just needs to accept that we’re done with all the fighting shit, and he just needs to keep calm,” I said. My tone was more confident than I was, because I knew firsthand how Bob dealt with things like this. He had a heart of gold, but an explosive temper when someone he loved was threatened.
I went and sat down between Gerard and Mikey. Mikey looked miffed that he had to move out of his warm cushion onto a cold on that didn’t have his ass groove.
We watched TMNT nervously for a while, waiting for the sound that would let us know the boys had arrived, and we had to be prepared.
Finally, we heard footsteps and arguing in the front hall. Ray and Bob.
“Are you ready to face your doom?” Mikey joked.
I nodded and turned around to face the boys. Ray looked anxiously at Bob, who stopped dead in his tracks.