So, this story has reached over 200 reads! That is just...mindblowing. Thank you so very much to everybody who has been reading this story. Thank you to those of you who stuck with me through my hiatus over the past couple of weeks while I was getting back into the swing of things with school and while I was sick. I was going to update my Black Veil Brides fanfiction, and then I saw how many reads this story had reached and I was amazed. So, I've decided that I will update my BVB fanfic later on/tomorrow and update this one today. This may be a little shorter since I didn't have anything planned yet, but I hope you enjoy it. If you do, please remember to vote and/or comment, because I love reading your feedback and funny comments (and even references that make me cry!) Without further ado, here is your update!
{Frank's POV}
I woke up on Monday with a stupid grin on my face. Just the other day, Gee and I had celebrated our one-month anniversary, and I was still smiling. I couldn't stop. For one, it had been a great day just to ourselves. I also heard him sing! It took a long time to get Gee to talk to me. I had no idea he could sing, let alone that he was going to do it at the bridge. It shocked me to hear him sing those words. They weren't any song lyrics I'd ever heard before. I had meant to ask if they were his own lyrics, but I'd been wrapped up in the moment, and he and his family had went out to visit a relative in Newark yesterday, so I hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Gee about it. I planned on asking him today. God, I wished I could stop smiling for just one second.
My door suddenly flew open, wrenching me from my thoughts. "Oh, good, you're up. Come on, get out of bed. You're gonna be late!" my father shouted from the door way, a beer can in his hand. Really? It was six in the morning! "I'm not going to be late. I've got, like, half an hour before my friends are going to be here to get me." I said, rolling my eyes and climbing out of bed. Apparently, it was too early in the morning for me to realize how big of a mistake I had just made. His face instantly turned cold with hatred and disgust. Next thing I knew, his empty beer can was thrown across the room and his hands were clutching my t-shirt, pulling me up to his eye-level. "What did you say to me? You know better, Frankie. You know better than to talk to me like that. You speak to me with respect, and you call me "sir". Understand?!" he asked, shaking me a little. When I didn't respond right away, he threw me to the ground. I hit the floor and fell back into the leg of the desk, crying out in pain as the wood struck my back. That was a mistake, too, another one I didn't realize. I wasn't supposed to make any sort of sound while he was "teaching me a lesson. I was supposed to just "sit back and take it like a man." His words, not mine. He smirked and got up close in my face. "Yet another mistake, Frankie. When will you ever learn?" he asked, then he kicked me in the stomach. I gasped, but managed to hold back the cries. He kicked me a few time, really hard, on the leg, then I guess he got tired and gave up. He didn't hurt me too badly if it was before school. He got too tired too quickly, and he didn't feel like dealing with the possibility of me having to stay home because of any injuries he caused me. My dad didn't work, he just laid around on the couch all day, except when he was out at the bar or with his friends.
Groaning quietly so he wouldn't hear me, I rose to my feet, staggering a bit as the pain in my leg hit me. I caught myself on the edge of the desk and managed to hop over to my bed, sitting down and examining my leg further. I had a big, dark bruise forming, but it didn't feel like anything was broken. I got over and limped sorely to the dresser, grabbed a black button up and skinny jeans, threw them on the bed, then dug around in my closet until I found a black jacket. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on the jeans, wincing at the still aching, and now slightly throbbing, pain in my leg. I managed to get my jeans on without too much trouble, and getting the shirts on was easy. Once I was dressed, I limped into my bathroom and started brushing my teeth, then my hair. I carefully applied my eyeliner, then examined myself one final time in the mirror before deciding that I was ready to go. Just in time, too. As soon as I got back in my room, I heard my phone buzz. I picked it up and saw a text from Gee. 'Hey. Just pulled up outside. Waiting on you, slowpoke. :P Love you!' he said. I smiled and sent back a quick text. 'Okay. Be right out. Love you more.' I grabbed my backpack and limped out of the house as fast as my hurt leg would allow me to, not bothering to say bye to my parents. I locked the door behind me and walked over to Gee's waiting car, trying to hide the limp in my step. I climbed in the front seat, Mikey had been letting me sit there everyday now, preferring to sit with Ray while I sat with Gee.
"Hey. Are you limping? What happened?" Gerard asked as soon as I closed the door. The question surprised me a bit, but it also made me happy. I loved how he just jumped the second he sensed something was wrong with me. "Nothing. I tripped on the stairs and fell a little. I'm fine." I lied, praying silently that he wouldn't see it as the lie that it was. Thankfully, he shrugged and started his car. Before he pulled away, however, he reached over and turned my face to his, pressing his lips against mine. He tasted like coffee and cigarettes, and I loved it. After a minute, Ray said, "Alright, we know you guys love each other, but can we get moving?!" Gee and I pulled away, laughing at our friend's sudden outburst. "Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses, Toro. I'm going." Gee said as he pulled away from my house. We got to school pretty quickly. "Hey, I have to go talk to my math teacher about something. I'll see you later, right?" I said to Gee. "Uh, yeah, sure. See you later. Love you!" Gee said, pressing a small kiss to my lips. I smiled and kissed him back, then headed off on my way. I wasn't going to math, though.
{Bob's POV}
"Hey, I have to go talk to my math teacher about something. I'll see you later, right?" Frank asked Gee. We were standing around at our normal spot, Mikey, Ray and I talking about after-school plans. I looked up as Frank said the words, and something seemed off. Frank had some kind off look in his eyes, and it seemed vaguely familiar. Then, it hit me. "Uh, yeah, sure. See you later. Love you!" Gee replied before kissing Frank gently. Frank kissed him back with a smile and left. "Hey, I'm going to get going to class. I've got some work to finish up. I'll catch you guys later." I said before rushing off in the direction Frank had gone in. I could feel my friends' eyes digging into my back, watching me run off and wondering what was going on, but I didn't have time to answer their questions. I saw Frank head into the bathroom by the music wing. He was a good three or four feet ahead of me. I quickened my pace, almost plowing down some kid coming off the stairs, and raced into the bathroom. "Frank?!" I asked, looking around. I heard soft crying coming from the last stall, which stopped as soon as I spoke. Slowly, I walked up to the stall door and tapped on it lightly. "Frank?" I asked again. I heard him sniffle and stand up before shuffling to the door and unlocking it. When I entered the stall, Frank was leaning against the back wall, clutching his left arm. That's when I saw it- the blood on his hands, which were now collecting in small drops on the floor. I saw a small, shiny razor blade in his hands. "Oh, God, Frank. I knew you were going to do something bad, but I didn't think it would be this bad. Come here, let's get this cleaned up." I said, taking him by the good arm and dragging him to the sink. I quickly ran his hand under the water, wincing at the loud hiss that came out from between his teeth. While having him hold his arm under the water, I took the blade from him and pocketed it, planning on throwing it out later. Apparently, the pain seemed to give him a shot back to reality. "Bob? W-What are you doing here?" he asked, looking down at the floor. He looked kind of tired. "Frank, why did you do this?" I asked, showing him the slice on his forearm. He looked ashamed of it, but said, "I-I don't...I don't know, Bob. I've just been...so depressed lately, and my dad...he...and...I've been trying to s-stop for G-Gee, but...I can't." he admitted in a terrified, shaky voice.
I sighed and pulled the kid into a hug, rubbing his back as he cried into my shoulder. "Hey, Bob?" he asked. "What?" He looked up at me and asked, "How did you know what I was going to do?" I frowned. "I saw the look in your eye. It...It was the same look...the same look Gee got in his eye when he was thinking about...doing that. I could always tell when he was planning on hurting himself again. This time, I could tell that you were planning to." I said, hurting as the memories came flooding back. Memories of all the times that my best friend had that expression on his face. Frank nodded and pulled away, sniffling and rubbing at his slightly smeared eyeliner with a paper towel. He examined himself in the mirror, then turned to me. "You can't tell Gee about this. Bob, you have to promise me that you won't tell Gee about this." he said in a low, slightly shaky voice. I was shocked. "Frank, he loves you with everything he has. You're one of the only things keeping Gee alive, and you want to put all of that at risk. He's going to be more upset that you lied to him. What if he tries to...?" I couldn't finish. I didn't want to say the words. I felt a little sick to my stomach. Frank put a hand on my shoulder. "Bob, if Gee finds out about this...Every time I tell him that cutting isn't the answer, every time I tell him that he doesn't need to do it, that I'm here for him...he won't believe me. He'll just say that I do it, too. I'll be a hypocrite. He'll never believe a word I say again. He might try to kill himself then. Bob, you have to promise me that you will not tell him!" he pleaded. I threw my hands up in exasperation. "You ARE a hypocrite, Frank! You sit there and go on and on to Gee that he doesn't have to cut, that nothing is worth killing yourself over, that cutting won't solve his problems, when this whole time, you've been cutting yourself! I can't believe you'd expect me to keep this a secret!" I shouted.
Frank shook his head, more tears sliding down his cheeks. "I know. Bob, I promise you, I have been trying to stop. I got rid of all of my razors, but I had to hold onto one. Every time my dad hit me, whenever somebody picked on me, I'd stare at the razor and a picture of Gee, and they'd remind me what I was fighting against, and what I was fighting for. I never had any intention of using the blade, but today...I just...I just slipped. My dad...he hurt me this morning. I slipped. Please, Bob, I promise, I'm going to stop. It just...takes some time. Please, Bob, don't tell Gerard." he pleaded with me. I looked into his eyes, and for the first time, I saw Frank as he truly was- a young kid, alone and scared, who was forced to battle his problem alone because he was too afraid to get help, and because he needed to be there for the one he loved. I pulled a shaking and sobbing Frank into my arms, just as I had so many times before for Gerard. "Shh, it's ok, Frankie. I'm sorry. I know how hard it is. I helped Gee through too many of his own problems not to know what it's like. I promise, I won't tell Gerard. But I'm holding onto your blade for the rest of the day." I said. He looked a little scared, but nodded and said, "Thank you, Bob. So much. Come on, the bell's going to ring soon." I nodded and followed him out of the bathroom. I know Frank is going to need help if he wants to stop.
And I'm going to help him.
A/N: Well, there you go! Again, thank you guys SO much for getting me to over 200 reads! I still cannot believe how far this story has come, and it's not even nearly over. The guys still have quite a long way to go, so I do hope you stick with me through it all. If you did like this, please vote and/or comment, because your feedback GIVES ME LIFE! No, not really, but I do enjoy reading them. I will update this again as soon as I can. Next on my update list is my Black Veil Brides fanfic, The Wild Ones (BVB), so if you or someone you know likes reading BVB fanfiction, please go on over and read it. It isn't too far yet, I've only got one short chapter, but I promise you that the things I have planned for that story will definitely be interesting. As always, thank you for reading, and I'll see you guys later!