The Sharpest Lives.

Chapter 7: Interlude (Gerard's POV)

I stood on my front porch, watching Frank go back to his house. His head was down and instead of walking it seemed like he was stumbling around, and I sensed that something wasn’t okay. I didn’t know Frank that well, but it was just basic knowledge of body language. He had promised to come back later, so I would ask him then. I entered my own house and tried to go back to my room, task I found impossible because of my mom dragging me into the living room and sitting me on the sofa.

‘’So, who is Frank?’’

‘’He is my friend, mom. I met him like a week ago and he was feeling down yesterday… his parents are gone’’

Both of my parents gasped and then I realized from where I had taken my inclination to drama. I rolled my eyes as they bombarded me with a trillion questions I couldn’t answer. Until my mother asked me the last thing on earth I wanted to be asked.

‘’Is Frank just your friend, sweetie?’’

I was the one gasping now. And blushing. And sweating.

‘’What do you mean ma?’’

‘’C’mon Gee Bear, we’ve known for ages that you play for the boys team’’

‘’Mom!’’

‘’Son, it’s the truth. Don’t worry, we love you for who you are, it doesn’t matter for us who you love. Now, answer your mother’s question, please’’

I didn’t like to be around my parents sometimes, but the truth was that I had no reason to dislike them. They tried to understand me and I knew I was the one with the problem, so I tried to behave and be honest with them for once.

‘’He… he is my friend. I don’t know if we will… uh. If we will become something more, but I’d like to’’

‘’Oh, sweetie! He’s adorable, you need to treat him well!’’

‘’Okay, mom. Can I please go to my room now? This is awkward’’

‘’Sure, honey’’

My mom kissed me in the cheek and my dad patted my back. I made my way back to my room realizing how lucky I was. Frank didn’t have his parents around anymore and I was wasting my time with mine just because I was too full of myself to see how they worried about me and loved me no matter what. I promised myself to spend more time with them and Mikey and with grandma Elena too.

And like that, I departed to my granny’s, figuring out that Frank wouldn’t come back for a few hours at least. I plugged my earphones in and felt positive about life for once in my life. Frank was right, I had ended up liking him.

I liked the way his black fringe framed his face. I liked how his piercings suited him so damn well, I liked his tattoos. The way he made me feel like I could be myself. I liked how peaceful he looked asleep. I also loved how he seemed so full of mysteries and how much I had yet to discover about him.

I knocked on my grandmother’s door and she opened it with a big smile on her face which I returned.

‘’Gerard! What a delight to see you here!’’

‘’Hi, grandma’’

‘’Come on in, young man. It’s been ages since you paid a visit!’’

‘’I know, I’m sorry. I promise I will come more often’’

‘’Don’t be silly, you have to live your life! Go out, have fun!’’

I laughed at her energy. She was 74 years old but still full of life and it made my heart warm. I sat on the couch while she was making coffee for the two of us and glanced around the room, noticing that she had been playing the piano. I smiled remembering how she had taught me to sing when I was a kid and how he made me sing for her every now and then. She said I had the most beautiful voice in the world, and that was a gift only she had the right to hear, I had decided so when she was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. I knew she was fighting, and that was all that mattered. She seemed to be doing okay.