+Bad Catholics+ Frank Iero

+2+

"Are you excited for your first detention?"

"I'm not speaking to you, Frank."

Frank rode my tail the entire way down the hall to detention, and I couldn't understand why he was on my case all of a sudden. We hardly spoke directly to each other for years, so the only conclusion I could come to was that he was at another level of boredom. Regardless of what it was, I'd had enough of it before he even had the chance to say my name a second time.

I took a deep breath before grabbing the door handle, still wrapping my head around the fact that I got a detention. The only types of people I associated a place like that with was, well... Frank, obviously. In retrospect, if there would be any one at fault for ever getting me in trouble, it would be him.

"Sccaaaryy.... Just open the door, it's not going to swallow you," Frank taunted behind me.

I rolled my eyes and opened up the door, stopping in my tracks the moment my feet crossed through the frame. There sat the only two free desks in the room, stuffed in the corner, directly next to one another. If it was true that history repeats itself, then mine felt like it was on an infinite loop.

I gripped the strap of my messenger bag tightly as Frank walked boldly around me, plopping into one of the desks and immediately swinging his leg on top of it. Looking over in hopes there was someone around to tell him off, there was only Father Ben, fast asleep in his chair at the front of the room. As per usual. It was a wonder that portly man still had a job.

I immediately began pulling books out of my bag the moment I sat down next to him, praying that he would finally give up and leave me alone. The only good thing about this ridiculous situation was that I had an extra hour to study before the walk home. There was a sweet moment of silence- and by moment, I mean about enough time to make it through half a sentence.

"Here's your homework back, thanks for letting me borrow it," Frank waved it in my face.

"I... What? How did you get that?" I snatched it out of his hand, in disbelief that he still managed to snatch it away during the commotion in class.

Frank let out a high-pitched chuckle and popped a sucker in his mouth, swinging his second leg over top the desk. I looked back down at my book again once I shoved my homework back into my bag.

A few seconds of silence again- and why I expected it to last, I still don't know.

"So like... what do you do?"

"I'm studying."

"No not right now, dummy. I mean like, for fun."

Fun. Yikes, I thought.

"I don't know," I muttered, still not looking away from my textbook.

"Oh come on, you can't be that boring."

I shuddered at the word and finally turned to him, his mouth obnoxiously puckering over his sucker.

"Why are you asking me all of this? You've known me for twelve years and you never cared before," I could hear the irritation bubble up in my voice. Normally I stayed calm no matter the situation, but the lack of peace and quiet was getting on every last nerve I had left.

"There has to be one thing you do for fun," Frank ignored my question and continued to pester. "Play an instrument?"

I turned my head back to my book and shook it.

"Er...go to parties?"

"Nope."

"Never?"

I shook my head no again, it being almost comical that I thought I could try and read while he interrogated me.

"Have you ever even had a boyfriend?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

"That's a no. Damn you're like an alien," He leaned forward, resting his chin on his wrist. "All you do is school? You really are a goody two-shoes."

"Are you done?" I sighed, feeling exhausted from the conversation.

For once Frank said nothing, and instead pulled out a spiral notebook. Pulling the tip off of a pen, he began furiously scribbling down words in silence. Keeping my head down, I furrowed my brows and side-eyed him in curiosity. I knew damn well it wasn't schoolwork of any kind- I don't think I've seen him touch a textbook since first grade, and even that was debatable.

I bit my lip, sneaking a look at his face. He was focused to the high heavens- his hazel eyes darting around the page. I suddenly realized I was wasting precious time gawking at whatever strange thing he was doing and turned back to my textbook, finally reading through more than one sentence.

Frank's voice ceased for the remainder of detention, but his pen didn't. The vicious scribbles and scratches against the page with his haphazardly painted fingernails were nearly loud enough to keep distracting me, and for whatever reason I couldn't help but feel inquisitive. The day was completely strange.

The final bell of the day rang, the short forty five minutes feeling like hours. I gathered my books up without a sound and slung my bag over my shoulder, darting out of the room in hopes I could rid the memory from my mind quicker if I was somewhere else. Footsteps followed behind me toward the front doors, my feet picking up the pace. I pulled a sweater on as I pushed through the exit, the fall air now collapsing into what was left of summer.

I took off around the corner to begin my walk home, sure that Frank had separated from me by then. Though of course I was wrong- he was incredibly unpredictable in the worst of ways. He ran around and turned to face me, blocking my way of the sidewalk. Feeling uncomfortable, I avoided eye contact and waited for him to move. I just couldn't understand why he was so enamored with me of all people that day.

"Hey, do you want a ride?"

I looked over where he was pointing- a rusted out Grand Am resting in the parking lot, covered in his friends. Gerard was sitting on the hood talking to his brother, drinking something in an unmarked container- I could only imagine what that could have been. A few other friends were leaning against it, smoking cigarettes and laughing with one another. I felt anxiety build up in my chest at the sight.

I looked back at Frank, who was now lighting up a cigarette of his own. The smell was awful- something I hoped i'd never have to be around after my dad died. He smoked like a chimney.

"I'm fine, thanks," I said, beginning to walk around Frank.

"Hey, wait," He said, causing me to turn around out of utter habit. He paused for a moment, almost like he was going to say something else, but retracted. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Um... Okay," I muttered as I turned back around, quickly walking down the sidewalk away from campus.

I felt like I could feel his eyes still looking at me, but I wasn't sure. All I knew is that I just wanted to get home before anything weirder happened. My chest felt tighter the closer I got to the house, trying to shake the conversation I had in detention- and the fact that I had detention in the first place.

The only comfort I had to carry me the rest of the way was that the trains would be coming through that night.