My Neighbour, The Painter

9. Something Gone

Frank rolled over and shivered when the blankets came off of him. He curled up and stretched out an arm, there was no warm Gerard body beside him. Frank groped around and couldn't find any Gerard.

He opened his eyes, the bed was empty, the blankets thrown back. Frank sat up, the blankets falling off of his shoulder. The room was super cold, he was still naked.

"Gee?" Frank called. He scooted over with the blanket and reached down and grabbed his boxers from the floor. Frank pulled them on and got out of bed. He walked through the apartment and even walked through his apartment. Gerard wasn't there. Frank went to Gerard's kitchen, there was a note on the fridge. In red paint.

'I love you Frank.'

"Where are you Gerard?" Frank asked, he reached out and touched the paint. That's when he realized, it wasn't paint, it was blood. Frank screeched and rushed to find his cellphone. He called Mikey.

"Frank, where are you? Brian is grumpy." Mikey answered.

"I'm at home." Frank said quietly.

"Dude, you knew that today was busy. Brian and I need you, Ray is trying to man the register and make smoothies. We are dying here." Mikey complained.

"Mikey..." Frank said.

"What?" Mikey snapped.

"Where's Gerard?" Frank asked, he looked at the blood on his fingertips.

"I have no fucking idea where my brother is. Isn't he with you?" Mikey said in an annoyed voice.

"Tell me why there is fucking blood on the fridge!" Frank shouted. Mikey gasped.

"He's probably fine Frank. He gets bloody noses a lot." Mikey said.

"I shouldn't be worried? He wrote that he loves me in fucking blood." Frank said sharply.

"Calm down." Mikey said. "I'm sure he's fine, he does weird shit. Come into work." Mikey told him. Frank sighed and nodded to himself.

"Okay. I'll be there in twenty." Frank said, he then hung up. He touched the fridge one last time. There was something gone and it was Gerard.