School Hours (Frerard) [Completed!]

Chapter Twenty-Two - Lovely Dumplings Everywhere

                 

Chapter 22

Frank's POV

The last day of October. The thirty-first day of the tenth month; my favorite holiday as well as my eighteenth birthday. Finally fucking legal, motherfucker.

I was celebrating it in two ways, at two different times of the day, and I had been excited for the past two weeks, when the reality of my age had actually dawned on me. Also, my birthday meant there was only one month left of school, and after a bunch of dreaded finals, I would be out of Belleville High School and onto college.

Of course, I had applied to a few universities around New Jersey, even going as far as sending out some papers to New York ones. A few rejections hadn't brought me down, since my top university hadn't replied still, and whilst I had tried to remain as indifferent as possible, I hoped they'd accept me.

Back to my birthday, I was splitting the celebration into two: I was having lunch with my family and a few neighbors that were my mom's friends, and at night, me and a bunch of my friends were going trick-or-treating.

The trick-or-treating had become a tradition since I was in middle school, and no matter how old I turned, I hope it never dies out. It was so worth it receiving the glares from the middle-aged people who were forced to give us teenagers their candy. Then we pigged out near the graveyard while smoking pot, which was always my birthday present from Pete.

I hear a knock on my bedroom door and then my mom comes in, smiling and coming over to hug me for what felt like the millionth time since I woke up.

"You're so grown up, Frankie! I can't believe you're eighteen," She coos, grabbing my face between her hands. I grin at her, but before I can say anything, she holds up a finger to say 'hold up' and goes back to the hallway, entering once again with an envelope between her hands. I frown, but she shushes me and sits on the bed, clutching the paper between her hands and waiting for me to sit down.

When I do, my mom places the envelope in my hands and once my eyes land on the logo imprinted on the paper, I raise my eyebrows at her.

"Well? Go on, let's find out!" She says encouragingly, and I instantly tear the fold, opening the letter from Dustin Hall College, one of the universities I had fallen in love with, which was located in Queens, New York, and had been my second preferred option.

Holding my breath as my eyes scan the italic print, I read aloud. "Dear Franklin Anthony Iero—" I pause, exclaiming the next words with excitement, jumping up from my bed. "—we are pleased to announce that you have been accepted to Dustin Hall! Oh my God!" I cover my mouth with my hand, my eyes widening as I glance at my mom.

"Honey!" As soon as the words escape her lips, she is getting up from the bed and hugging me tightly, kissing my cheeks repeatedly. "Congratulations, baby!"

"I can't fucking believe it! Best birthday present ever, fucking Hell!"

When my mom lets go of the hug, I continue reading the letter to myself, refraining from screaming. I can't wait to tell everyone I got in, Jesus fucking Christ, I'm going to go to New York next year. I'll be able to study Special Effects in an amazing university, which, okay, wasn't Yale or Harvard or whatever the fuck, but I was nowhere near smart enough to get into those, so I was pretty content with Dustin Hall.

Just then, the doorbell rings, signaling the first guest had arrived, and knowing my Grandma, it was most likely her, arriving an hour before the event was supposed to start.

"Better open the door or she'll start bitching," My mom rolls her eyes, and kisses my forehead before wishing me a happy birthday. "Happy eighteenth, Frankie, I'm so proud of you," She smiles.