LAST CHAPTER
One the drive home
Joke about the kid you used to see
And his jealousy
Breaking hearts has never looked so cool
~~
Gerard sighed as he sat at the vanity in Jamia's room, looking in the mirror. He was just glad that Lindsey was in prison before the prom actually happened. This way he could enjoy his dance in peace without having to worry about her ruining everything. He really wanted to give Frank the perfect night. He wanted him to remember it because Frank's never really been to a dance with someone that he really liked.
"You know, you have really pretty hair," Jamia said as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I wish I could pull of red hair. Or any color, actually."
"You know you could look gorgeous even if you shaved half your head and dyed it like a rainbow," Gerard said. "You're so beautiful. You should try going blonde. You as a blonde in college would be completely unstoppable. Boys will be passing out at your feet because of how attractive you are."
Jamia smiled, setting her dress down on the bed next to Gerard's. Hers was dark blue with little gems around the neckline.
"So, is tonight finally the night where you give it up to Pete?" Gerard asked. "I know he's pretty excited. You don't have to be nervous, he's really sweet and I know that he'll take it slow and easy if you want. It's always a little nerve wracking having a new partner."
His phone buzzed with a call and Jamia looked at it where it was charging on the other side of the room. Jamia looked at Frank's contact name and declined the call.
"Just a random number from someone in Texas," Jamia said, turning the phone off.
"God, aren't random calls so annoying? Especially the sales calls. Like, what do you mean my credit card has a debt on it, I don't even have a damn credit card," he said. "So, anyways, you and Pete?"
"You know, I don't know, I don't think I really want to do it with him," she said. "Pete is cute and nice and all but he's just not my type."
Gerard frowned, turning around to look at her.
"What do you mean? I thought you really liked him?" He said.
"It's just not right," she said.
"Well, why are you going to the prom with him if you don't really like him?" He asked. "Why have you been dating him for so long? You could have ended things a long time ago."
"It's just complicated, I just needed to date him," she said. "Just so that way nobody would look at me twice. It would look suspicious being so close to Frank and not having a boyfriend, you might think that it was me all along."
"I might think what was you?" Gerard asked, frowning in confusion.
"Hey, has Frank ever told you about his ex-girlfriend?" She asked.
Gerard shrugged as he turned back around. God, he was so confused.
"Not really," he said. "Just that she was nice and stuff but they just weren't a pair and they decided it would be best to end things. She died in a car accident, unfortunately."
"It wasn't a very mutual ending," Jamia said with a snort, although there wasn't anything funny about her tone. "It was actually pretty horrific for that girl. He broke her heart and didn't even care, he just pretended like he didn't do anything."
"You're sure we're talking about the same Frank here?" He asked. "That just doesn't sound like him. He would never intentionally break someone's heart. He probably just didn't realize that he hurt her."
"Oh yeah, same Frank. Mister Frank Anthony Iero Junior," she said. "I'm surprised he hasn't told you more about her."
"It was in the past," Gerard said with a shrug as he twirled one of her makeup brushes in his fingers. "Besides, she's dead anyways. Hey, bring me your dress so I can match your eyeshadow to the fabric."
Jamia started laughing and Gerard looked at her in confusion in the mirror.
"I'm not, like, superstitious or anything but I really don't think you should be laughing at the dead," he said. "It's pretty tragic what happened, she was young and she had so much to live for but it was all taken away because someone decided that a text message was more important than her life."
"It's not that, it's just that Frank is such a shitty liar," she said.
"What is he lying about?" Gerard asked.
"God, you don't even know," she mumbled. "You're like a sad puppy. A poor, sad puppy."
Gerard frowned in confusion, plugging in the curling iron so he could do her hair.
"You're acting weird, did you already pregame?" he asked.
"No, it's just complicated," she said. "You're just so naive, so fucking stupid."
"Hey, Mia, that's kinda rude," he said. "I know I'm stupid but, like, why would you say that?"
"Because Frank is a liar and you've just been eating up all of his bullshit," she said.
"I don't get it, what is he lying about?" Gerard asked.
"His ex-girlfriend isn't dead, she never got into a car accident, he just didn't want you to mention her at all and he didn't want you to talk about her," Jamia said. "Which was totally disrespectful of him to just say she was dead. Like, I'm right here, I'm not dead."
Gerard frowned, turning around to look at her.
"Wait, the two of you dated?" He asked.
"Yeah, I really liked him, I thought he liked me too," she said. "But apparently he just wanted to try things out and when he decided he didn't like me after taking my virginity he just ditched me and said we could still be friends. It was never really the same after that, though. I still liked him and he didn't even notice me. And then you came along and stole him from me right when I was about to win him back."
"I'm sorry, Mia, but if he chose to date me then I don't think that you really had a chance of winning him back," he said. "But you're so smart and pretty, you're gonna find someone who loves you so much.
"You don't get it, I don't want someone else, I want Frank," Jamia said.
She picked up the curling iron and touched it to Gerard's arm. He hissed in pain, jumping up to his feet.
"What the fuck, Jamia!" He shouted.
"You should have just listened to my letters, Gerard, you should have just left or else it wouldn't have had to come to this," she said.
"You were the one sending those?" Gerard asked. "I-I have Lindsey in jail right now because I thought that she was the one who was sending them to me."
"It was so easy to frame her," she said. "I mean, who would believe the psychotic one?"
"She isn't psychotic," he denied. "You made me throw my own best friend into jail."
"Yeah, like she didn't already release your sex tapes from when you were a minor," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll give you one last chance, though. You need to leave right now and never, ever come back here."
"Do you really think you could just scare me off?" Gerard asked. "I've put up with so many two-faced bitches like you and I don't back down easy. I am not going to break up with the boy I love just because you can't get over the two week relationship that you had."
Jamia nodded, taking a deep breath. She reached into the drawer of her vanity and pulled out a large kitchen knife.
"Wh-what do you think you're doing?" Gerard asked. "Come on, Jamia, put that down."
"I want Frank," she stated. "And you have to be out of the picture."
Jamia lunged at him, slicing his forearm as he blocked her.
"Stop!" Gerard shouted.
He felt a sharp pain in his stomach as she stabbed him but he managed to push her down and run out the door. He got to the backdoor and ran out, running into the trees of the woods behind her house.
"Help!" He screamed. "Someone help me!"
His feet stung as he stepped barefoot on twigs and rocks but none of that even mattered. Cold air filled his lungs, exhaling it into vapor. Something stabbed him in the back and he fell to the ground, crying out in pain. It happened over and over, Jamia standing over him with the knife.
"He is mine," she stated before walking off back to the house.
Gerard laid on the ground and gasped, staring up at the grey skies between the branches of blossoming leafs. It was gonna rain soon. He could hardly move, he felt so tired and weak. So he laid there, calling out for help as he began bleeding to death.
-+-
Frank was beginning to panic when Gerard didn't answer his phone, it was going straight to voicemail. Brendon drove them straight over to Jamia's house. He knew his boyfriend was probably fine, Jamia would never hurt a soul. He knew her better than he knew anyone.
"Hey, where's Gerard?" Frank asked when Jamia opened the door.
She was in sweatpants and a t-shirt, hair wet to indicate she most likely just got out of the shower.
"Frankie, you're not supposed to be here for another hour, I'm not ready yet," she said.
"Jamia, where is Gerard?" Frank repeated.
"He threw up, he was feeling ill for some reason," she said. "He decided to go home and rest instead of going to the dance. Didn't he tell you this?"
Frank scowled and brendon pulled out the cans of spray paint.
"What? Do you wanna paint my house or something?" she asked.
"These are the same spray paints used to paint Gerard's lawn, you were the one threatening him," Brendon said.
"What? I would never do that," she denied. "Frankie, come on, tell him that I would never do something like that."
"I'm going to go find Gerard," Frank said.
The two walked down the driveway when they heard a faint sound in the distance. They followed it curiously into the woods, ducking under branches along the way. Frank saw a body laying in the distance and he ran over to find Gerard shaking and covered in blood.
"Oh my god, oh fuck," Frank whimpered. "Baby, baby, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna get you help."
He turned to tell Brendon to call the police but thankfully he was already on the phone. That's when he saw a figure walk up behind brendon and drag a knife across his throat. Frank screamed as he watched his friend's body drop to the ground.
"What are you doing?!" He shrieked. "H-how could you do this?!"
"We can be together, Frank, I love you so much," she said.
Frank stood up, shaking his head as he cried.
"Mia, you have to stop, you have to put the knife down," he said.
"We can be together," she repeated.
"No, we can't," he denied. "I'm with Gerard, Jamia. I love him. But you're my best friend and I love you too. You have to stop. Put the knife down."
Jamia cried as she shook her head.
"I need you," she said. "And I'm going to have you."
She took a step closer to him before stabbing the knife into his stomach. Frank gasped, trying to shove her away. She stabbed him over and over again, letting him fall to the ground. Frank watched as she then lifted the knife up and proceeded to slit her own throat.
"Baby, baby, it's gonna be okay," Frank whispered, crawling to Gerard. "We're gonna be okay."
Gerard was gasping, barely able to take in shallow breaths.
"Come on, you've gotta stay with me," Frank cried.
He curled up close to Gerard, closing his eyes as they both passed out together in each others arms.