The Fine Line Between Thrill And Fear ☆ FRERARD

Chapter 3

Frank hopped off the bus twenty minutes after catching it. He found himself in a part of New York that looked quieter and felt more welcoming with its green trees planted in front of each house and gentle and warm street lights illuminating the street.

Gerard could live in any one of these houses, and Frank had no idea which one. Or he could live on the other side of town and Frank had gone in the complete opposite direction.

The further he walked, the more Frank believed that he was lost. He had no reason to believe otherwise.

Staring at each of the houses, he searched for which one resembled Gerard the most. In his mind, he lived in a cosy and warm house that had weird abstract paintings everywhere, as well as a big collection of rocks displayed on a table so it was the first thing you see when you walk in, and hairbrushes—a lot of them.

Soon, a figure in the distance waving a hand caught Frank's eye. Frank waved back and headed to Gerard's house.

"Hey, how you doin'?" Frank greeted, stepping on the path towards Gerard's front door.

"Hi, Frank," Gerard responded, clutching onto the door frame as he stared at his friend.

"You okay?" Frank's eyes searched Gerard up and down before settling on his face.

"Of course. Come in," Gerard insisted, pushing his door open further.

"Rad house, dude," Frank complimented as soon as he stepped inside. Unlike Frank's assumptions, Gerard's house did not have an obscure rock collection displayed, but it did have abstract paintings. And as for the hairbrushes, he assumed they were kept in his bathroom.

"Oh...thanks," the hairdresser answered, walking through his hallway so gently as if he thought the floorboards would crack in half if he walked faster.

"So, what was so important?" Frank finally asked, curiosity eating him from the inside out.

"Important? Uh, I needed to show you something," Gerard responded in a distant voice.

"Well, what is it?"

"Follow me. I-it's this way." Gerard tapped Frank on the shoulder and pointed down to the end of the hallway.

Frank followed Gerard, starting to walk softly as he did. "Is this something about The City Rats?"

"What? No way, man. Not those...guys." Gerard smiled to himself and shook his head.

"Thank you for helping me out earlier. I do appreciate it. You're a really sweet guy, you know that?" Frank told Gerard, a warm smile lighting up his face.

Gerard turned and caught a glimpse of Frank's smile and then looked away. "No problem." Then he sighed. "In this room."

Frank nodded and walked into a smaller room with a tall bookshelf, some vintage movie posters and a desk with a small lamp situated in the middle of the room. As he took in his surroundings, Gerard closed the door and locked it with a key.

"So, what did you want to show me?" Frank asked in a soft voice, gazing at Gerard with warm hazel eyes that seemed to smile.

Gerard stared into Frank's eyes for no more than five seconds, and then he let out a sob.

Frank's eyebrows knitted themselves together and he got closer to Gerard, resting a hand on his trembling shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Gerard pushed Frank's hand off him and stepped back a little as if Frank was planning on swinging a punch at his face. Tears gathered in his eyes that seemed to lack any sign of life. "I-I won't be able to give you that haircut tomorrow."