I Drew You Once in Art Class

Sixty-One

Frank's grounding began today.

Now that everything was okay with Gerard, he wanted to hang out with him, but instead, he was stuck in his room, staring at the ceiling before falling asleep early just to ditch the boredom.

**

Let's fast forward a little. Because of plot convenience.

It was October now, around the 20th. Gerard and Frank were at the Halloween store getting ready for their favorite holiday, also known as Frank's birthday.

"I swear, what is it with you and vampires?" Frank said as Gerard pulled a bottle of fake blood off the shelf.

"Shut up, I just think they're cool. And besides, you're being the Frankenstein monster. Way to be creative."

Frank punched Gerard in the arm, then slid his hand down and interlocked Gerard's fingers with his own.

Smooth.

Frank was finally ungrounded, and he and Gerard had been joined at the hip ever since. They'd kissed twice, both times gentle and quick but they made Frank smile.

Frank was happy. It had been a long time since he'd been able to say that. Just a month ago, he'd been the loneliest boy in the world, and now he felt he was the luckiest. He had the most awesome best friend you could get, and he was happy.

He still hadn't been to Gerard's house, which he thought was weird, but he guessed Gerard had his reasons.

They paid and left the Halloween store, shivering and pulling their jackets closer around them. October in New Jersey was synonymous with hypothermia, yet both of them wore only hoodies. You'd think Gerard had learned his lesson; he'd gotten a horrible cold after his venture into the rain last month.

They sat in the car, their white plastic bags crinkling as Frank set them on the floor and Gerard started the engine and turned on the heat. Frank's mom was still a little angry, so he had to drop him off early in the day.

Pulling in front of the blue house, he squeezed Frank's hand one more time.

Something I'd Like to Clarify:

-Frank and Gerard are not dating.

-Debatably.

Frank opened the front door, taking off his hoodie and hanging it up. "Hello?" he called. His mom came into view, her mouth a taut line and her arms crossed.

Oh shit.

"I just got a call from the school."

Oh shit.

"You're failing two classes?"

Oh. Shit.

"This is unacceptable, Frank. I don't even know what to say to you."

But apparently, she did know what to say, because she kept talking.

"I just ungrounded you. You had time to study and time to catch up and fix your grades, but you didn't use it. You're going to talk with your teachers and fix this, or so help me, I will make sure you never leave this house for anything except school until you go to college."

"Mom, I'm trying. I swear. And by the way, taking away the one thing that makes me happy isn't going to help."

"What the hell do you mean, 'the only thing that makes you happy?' You have a roof over your head, food on the table, and you get to go to school."

"I'm doing the best I can!"

His mom rolled her eyes and paused before throwing up her hands, her voice rising significantly. "You're not, Frank! You're not trying! You are failing, and it isn't good enough!"

Frank raised his voice back. "I am trying! You don't help! You're always breathing down my neck and the only thing you care about is my grades."

"That's because that's what's important, Frank. If you fail, people are going to think you're stupid. I'm going to look like a bad mom. If you keep on this path, you're just gonna end up homeless."

Ouch.

"I'm so disappointed, I can't even look at you."

Double ouch.

Frank stiffened. It wasn't upsetting because she was mad, she had full reason to be mad, but this is what she chose to say about it? Calling him stupid and homeless and a failure? Yeah, he was definitely not doing super awesome in school, but she could have gone about it in a non-scarring-for-life way.

He decided he would make her feel just as shitty. It seemed logical at the time.

"Fine," he said, walking to the door and pulling it open, the October air hitting his face.

"Frank Anthony Iero, don't you dare," his mom warned.

Frank walked outside and shut the door behind him.