Ethereal In Moonlight

† Chapter 4 †

Frank couldn't stand the smell of the pews, there was little that pissed him off more than the musty old smell of a church.

So he didn't stand it, he got up and grabbed his black cardigan. A few people gave him looks and he leaned towards his dad.

"Bathroom." He whispered so the entire church didn't hear him. He put on the cardigan, cringing at the tightness of it on another layer. He always hated cardigans but it was his only excuse to wear black in a church that wasn't a funeral.

So off he went, avoiding eye contact with the old people giving him judgemental looks. If it were anywhere else he'd flip them right off but it wasn't worth a fight.

The bathroom was just past the front door to the left and down a flight of stairs, it wasn't far but nobody ever went. Just as Frank was wandering down the wide halls he got a glance of something bright red, but didn't turn in time as it disappeared.

Must have been imagination. But for fucks sake Frank was tired of his brain playing tricks on his eyes.

He turned the corner and quickly stepped into the bathroom. Nobody was in there do he hopped on the sink and pushed open the window a crack, it squeaking noisily. The window was at the back of the church so nobody would hear it. He hopped back down from his perch and felt his pocket.

Bingo, a pack of Marlboro he swiped off his neighbors front porch was in his front pocket, protruding quite obviously but nobody had said anything or noticed. He opened the pack to find a red lighter and about 15 cigarettes, today must have been his lucky day. He lit the cigarette and let it sit gracefully between his teeth, the harsh smell of nicotine wafting through the air.

Suddenly, he heard a thud and the doors hinges creak and almost jumped a mile back.

"Fuck-- I--" Frank dropped his cigarette in the sink and watched it fizz out in the damp water. Fuck. He looked up and met the eyes of a very red haired boy in a white dress shirt and skinny jeans.

"Uh... Hello? I'm Gerard." The boy said shoving his hands awkwardly in his pockets. Frank found his nervous behavior cute, and glanced back up at his eyes.

"Frank." He responded, casually before breaking into a huge smile. Something about the pretty boy-- Gerard was so amusing to him.

"So uhh cigarettes huh?" Gerard almost seemed to force out, awkwardly. Frank wasn't used to this kind of apprehension towards him, usually people said what they wanted and left the aftermath as secondary.

So he laughed before he could respond, it wasn't at Gerard just at the statement. He laughed because he felt instantly at home with Gerard.