+Bad Catholics+ Frank Iero

+16+

"From his hiding place, Romeo sees Juliet in a her window and hears her speak his name," Sister Catherine's voice echoed through the classroom.

The weekend had passed with little comfort. It seemed that a mere few weeks before, I was safe in this tiny little bubble of a life I had made out of nothing. In the time it took to blink, it was something I didn't recognize anymore.

I went and spoke with the police officer who called on Saturday. Once I answered his questions, albeit a few lies sprinkled in to protect myself, he determined I wasn't a suspect. Although that sounded like good news, the fact that there was a search for a "suspect" in the first place was enough to send me into a tailspin. The worst part was that I couldn't tell the police what I really knew.

I was told that Beth's caregiver and pharmacy would be questioned, as that would be the most plausible way someone would sneak arsenic into her medication, assuming that's how she was ingesting it. I spent that following Sunday on my bedroom floor wondering if that would be the case- I felt that if someone was sneaking into the house, I or Beth would know, so it had to be some other way. That's what I told myself, at least. If I wasn't safe in that house, then I really had no where to go.

It's funny, how life validates your seemingly irrational fears. It's never how you want them to be validated.

I was as high strung as I could ever be, and I couldn't let out a thing. All I could do was go to school as if everything was normal, and wait by the phone when I was at home. Maybe it was naive, but I was hoping for a call from the police station to tell me that everything was fine, and that it was all a fluke. I knew it wasn't a fluke.

Sister Catherine continued on with the lecture, though I could hardly bare to pay attention. Frank's suspension began that week, and the days felt a bit more empty without him there, though I would never admit that. I know I had said I wanted to cut it all off, but despite what I wanted to believe, I at least felt a little less alone when he was around. Even though he got on my nerves.

"We will pick up where we left off tomorrow. Please do not forget that we have a chapter quiz Thursday and a soliloquy assignment due next week. You are dismissed."

I packed up my books silently, wishing I didn't have to go home. I was unsure if I was safe there, but I didn't have much of a choice. Gerard gave me a silent wave as he jetted out of class- it was kind of weird for him to acknowledge me now, but I guess I didn't mind it.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I made my way out of the room and down the hall to the front doors. Two girls from my history class stood near the exit and I planned to pass, but one of them stopped me with a loud whisper before I could get the chance to leave. I looked at them as if to ask whether it was me they were trying to get the attention of, and one of them nodded. No one at school ever bothered to speak to me, so it's not like it was obvious.

"Um, hi," I said, timidly walking toward them.

Hannah and Valerie were relatively well-known in school, though the school wasn't all that big. They at least at the reputation of being well liked and attractive- but that's all I really knew about them.

"Mae, right?" Hannah asked, twirling a piece of her hair. Valerie gave her a snide look and smiled at me, though it didn't feel genuine.

"Yes."

"Cool, right. So, we were just wondering, are you seeing Frank?"

I was only surprised this didn't happen sooner. I knew people at school would notice and start talking.

"We're friends," I said bluntly, already feeling tired of the conversation. My thoughtless answer did surprise me a bit, however- I never really referred to him as a "friend" before.