The Artist (Frerard)

Prologue

Its a funny thing the way society labels people, I find it rather amusing actually, in all honesty its just crazily childish. In fact I think that's what makes it so humourous, the pathetic way in which life shows itself up. Society is to blame for everything, or so I say anyway.

The way I see it is simple, society labels everyone, grouping them off, then it turns round and begins criticising certain groups blaming them for everything. Take music as a prime example, you like rock or metal music, bam your automatically a depressed, suicidal, 'emo'. You see teens from these groups depressed and cutting and you blame the music, newsflash, its not the music honey its you, you're killing our teens not the music. Another example religious extremists, an extreme religious group performs a hate crime - terrorism - and suddenly every person in the religion is blamed, nobody would be committing hate crimes if people loved rather than hated.

There you have it, society's labels, and that's just a few, there are the homosexuals and bisexuals and pansexuals, they are always looked down on, there's the less fortunate, the mentally ill, I could go on, and on, and on. All these labels and yet people still wonder why so many people are so scared to be honest, voice your opinion and there's somebody out to get you, to slam you for it, or call you racist, or sexist, or homophobe.

All these so social rankings, one often wonders where exactly they stand, good question. I suppose I however don't think about that, I do my own thing, ignoring the people who put me down and respecting the people who respect me. After all the haters are going to hate, hate, hate forever, but I'm just going to shake it off. The best thing about being alone, free, I can do whatever the fuck I want, that's what I do.

My favourite types of people are artists, be that literally art artists, drawing and painting or musical artists or performing artists, in my eyes I aspire to be as brave as they are. The most fascinating people if you ask me, estranged to the world, few people understand them, they understand few people, that's the way its supposed to be. Personally I believe that's the best thing about them, they don't care that nobody understands them and they don't feel the need to understand other people, they're different, weirs even, but they're proud. However what impresses me most is their bravery, they put themselves out before everybody, let their work be known and they're not afraid to. They know who they are and they do things their way.

As for me, who am I? Well that's a good question and if I'm perfectly honest answering that isn't as straight forward as you would expect. Let's go back to the social rankings and labels shall we, could be a good place to start. Pretty low down in the rankings that's for sure, I'm gay, that ready puts me below many others give people a reason - in their arrogant view anyway - to look down on me. I'm definitely different, I mean I enjoy being alone, that's not exactly something everybody says, I spend a fair amount of time away from home, I work in a record shop and coffee shop in my home town, run up some money then go on a road trip, then I'm back again starting from scratch. Its an interesting way to live actually, very unstable, spontaneous but you can be spontaneous when the only family you have is your dad and granddad.

But other than that I can't really tell you much about me. Wait I look pretty stupid now, I think I started a little ahead, I say I don't know who I am, but I do I'm Frank Iero, twenty-two, and relatively happy, that's who I am.

Where I am on the other hand, is a question I often get wrong, when you travel a lot and people ask you where you're going or where you went you often say the wrong place. Las Vegas, that's where I am, Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino. Pretty kick ass hotel if you ask me.

Friday evening, through to Sunday, when I was going home. Aim of the weekend, get pissed, get laid, get rich - I doubted that would happen, but I could always try after all what's Vegas known for? Casinos.

Putting my bag down by the bed, I scanned the room, nice, I glanced down at my phone noting the time and a text from my Dad. I ignored the text message and took use of the time: four-fifty, plenty of time to eat get pissed, rich and possibly laid, then I can spend tomorrow hungover before smashing it again tomorrow evening, what better way to spend the weekend?

Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I checked that my wallet was still in my jacket pockets, before grabbing my room key and heading straight back out again. Deciding I would find a McDonald's, I pressed the buttons on the door when a voice yelled for me to wait. The voice was weak and quiet, as if the person who owned it was shy of, well everyone.

A black figure slipped into the elevator moments later, he backed into the corner keeping his head tucked down. "Uh, thanks." He mumbled.

"You going to the ground floor?" I asked and he nodded. I was abnormally interested in this man, I often wondered what other peoples lives were like, or who they were and their personality, but it never bugged me quite as much as this was. I was dying to know this man. All I knew thus far was he was shy and tall - well probably average height but everyone was tall to me. I was assuming he was pretty eccentric and creative but that was just judging from his bright red hair pointing out from under his black hat. He was a bit like a paintbrush actually, all his clothing black like the handle, then the red hair being the first colour used on the bristles and black used over the top. Maybe he was an artist.

My thinking abruptly stopped when he brushed past me out of the elevator, well then end of his story. That happens a lot too, you meet someone for a few minutes and then you never see them again, but that happens to everyone. The weird thing was that I wanted to know him, I didn't want him to run away, that would always be bad though. Never on any of my travels have I ever met anyone from Belleville, in fact I've met few from New Jersey, most people have never even heard of Belleville, so it was probably a good thing that I didn't get to know anyone for any reason other than a one night stand.

Maybe he would be a good one night stand, I don't screw many fit men, actually I don't screw all that many men at all. I suppose that would make me bisexual really, I sleep with a lot of girls, but I much prefer the guys. Therefore I conclude that I am on the gay side of bisexual.

~ A/N So I don't know if this is going to be any good yet, but oh well we'll just have to see, I hope you enjoyed, tell me if this is any good and if you think I should continue or not, this is just a teaser, if I get positive feedback I will continue it when I've finished Disenchanted, anyway I hope you enjoyed! :] ~